Paddy McCarthy, Golfers Guide to Ireland and Hillary Madden, Monkstown Golf Club who won Best Golf Manager Munster.
Pic Orla Murray/ SON
The annual Golfers Guide awards were held last week and there were two winners from Cork. Monkstown’s Hillary Madden won the Manager of the Year for Munster while Cork Golf Club won the award for best parkland course. It’s cork’s fourth time to win the award in the past seven years. The annual awards took place at Portmarnock Golf Links Hotel and formed part of the launch of the Golfers Guide to Ireland 2018.
The full colour guide is now in it’s 27th year and will be available free of charge in all GUI affiliated clubs. The guide is a comprehensive listing of Ireland’s leading links and parkland courses and also provides details of specialist golf accommodation.
Pictured at the launch of the Golfers Guide to Ireland 2018 was Paddy McCarthy, Golfers Guide to Ireland and Matt Sands from Cork Golf Club which won Best Parkland Munster.
Pic Orla Murray/ SON Photo
Although he’s a Dub, Matt Sands could nearly be considered a Corkman given that he’s spent the best part of 30 years here. Matt is General Manager in Cork Golf Club and moved from Dublin in 1988 to take up the job. Matt isn’t the only person with long service in Cork, in fact it seems to be a feature with course superintendent Anthony Gillis having worked in Cork for over 50 years. Gerry Kenneally who runs the impressive restaurant has been attached to the Little Island club for 28 years while club professional Peter Hickey has been based in Cork for 22 years. Matt has seen plenty happen in that time. From major competitions like the Irish Close and the home internatioals, to the Pro Am and Munster Strokeplay which are annual showpiece events, Cork is generally a busy spot. Apart from the major competitions, there have been a few major projects that Matt has been involved with in the last three decades and he lists the clubhouse redevelopment (2002) and the course upgrade (2011-2012) as the biggest. “I came in during Centenary Year in 1998” said Matt, “and I 
Midleton CBS Past Pupils GS won the 75th William Dwyer Trophy last week and this is the third time that the society have won the event. Previous winners in 2002 and 2006, the society are long term supporters of the event, and last week they ran away from the field with three great scores. Paul Cashman and Bernard Cashman led out the PPU team and their gross 80 was converted to a nett 71 when their nine shots were counted. Midleton’s third pairing of Derek Coll and Maurice Conway were also in the red after they shot a nett 71, thanks in part to a one over par front nine. Bob Cotter and John Moloney weren’t too far off the pace, set by their team mates, they signed for a level par 72 which beat CBS’s fourth card from Michael John Roche and Cormac Carroll. It was one of the best 
Muskerry hosted the local league finals last Sunday and they came away with three wins in the battle of the “four Cork clubs”. Home advantage may or may not have been a factor but in any case Muskerry won all three competitions in which they were competing. There was one win each for Cork, Douglas and Monkstown in the other three finals.
Cork Golf News 