Douglas Golf Club

2025 a year to remember

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John Doyle (Fota Island) receiving the Munster Stroke Play trophy from Paul Buckley from C2O Group, sponsors of the tournament.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

2025 proved to be a year to remember for Cork golf, with several notable successes in the bag.  Douglas, Monkstown and Lee Valley all won green national pennants, and there were notable individual successes as well.

Douglas did a rare double, winning the AIG Senior Cup in the Women’s and Men’s, taking full advantage of the status as hosts for the AIG Inter-Club finals at the end of August.  Monkstown travelled to Northern Ireland and came home as winners of the AIG Junior Cup, and Lee Valley won their Girls Inter-Club title in Donabate in August.

It was a breakout year for John Doyle, the Mitchelstown teenager started the season in style with wins at the Irish Boys and the Munster Continue reading →

Golf Ireland reports on a positive 2025

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Golf Ireland
Picture: Niall O’Shea

Golf Ireland celebrated another strong year when they provided a scorecard of their own performance for 2025.  It was a positive year on many fronts, from showpiece events, international success, and overall participation in the game.  Clubs around the county have been reporting another positive year for membership, and that was also the case nationally.

It has been another year of growth across all areas of membership.  By the end of October membership figures had reached 236,384.  Just five years ago the membership figure stood at 182,000 prior to a Covid related boost, and the 30% increase over the past five years represents a sustainable growth.  Women now account for Continue reading →

Douglas Double Up in AIG Senior Cup

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Barry O’Connell leads the celebrations after holing the putt that won the AIG Men’s Senior Cup for Doulgas
Credit ©INPHO/Tom Maher

There were incredible scenes in Douglas Golf Club on Sunday as the club pulled off an improbable double, winning the AIG Women’s and Men’s Senior Cups.  While both teams fielded strong sides, even one win was unlikely after the first nine holes with both teams trailing their opponents.

The drama unfolded slowly at first when the Douglas ladies staged a comeback when they were up against it.  Áine Donegan and Chloe Ryan won the first two points for opponents Lahinch to ensure they were well in the fight.  Shannon Burke continued her 100% record with another impressive 5&4 win to put a point on the board for the home team and Karen O’Neill Continue reading →

Byrne set for Irish pro debut

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Sara Byrne 

Sara Byrne will tee it up for the first time as a professional in Ireland this week as she takes part in her second KPMG Irish woman’s open the Douglas golfer is in her first year in the professional ranks having turned pro after the Curtis cup last Sept.  Sara is one of nine professionals and seven amateurs playing in Carton House this week, a record number of Irish golfers to feature at the event.

The event attracted over 34,000 spectators last year in it’s first visit to Carton House and this year’s numbers are likely to be bigger, especially if any of the Irish are still in contention going into the weekend.  Tickets for Saturday and Sunday are just €25 and under 16’s are free with a paying adult.  The KPMG Women’s Irish Open returned in 2022 after a ten year gap, with Continue reading →

Scanlan’s double drive-in at Douglas

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Shane Scanlan teeing off with his Dad’s driver from 1991 at the Douglas Drive In.
Picture: James Doolan

Many golf clubs are holding their drive-ins this month, and in Douglas it was a special experience for Captain Shane Scanlan.  President Dermot McHugh and Ladies Captain Dara Norton got to hit off their drives to mark the ceremonial start to the year, but Men’s Captain Share drove in twice.  One was for himself but the other drive was in memory of his Dad John.

Back in 1991 John Scanlan was elected as Captain but sadly passed away before the drive in.  With the agreement of his fellow officers, Shane took the opportunity to take a drive for his dad, and he Continue reading →

Cork Golf Clubs show huge support for Play in Pink

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Play in Pink has had another very successfully year on golf courses in Cork and across the country.  The charity fundraiser is over 20 years old and raises much needed funds for breast cancer research.  The initiative has grown significantly since then and there were over 200 Play in Pink days in 2023 raising over €550,000 for the charity, and 2024 is destined to beat that total.

Already Play in Pink has seen an increase of 10% in the number of fundraising days held throughout the country.  So far over 19 Cork golf clubs have supported the initiative and between them they have raised over €42,000 for the charity.

Douglas was one of the Cork clubs to get involved this year and Captain Ursula Morris was Continue reading →

Douglas Celebrate Senior Cup and Curtis Cup Successes

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Sara Byrne in action in the Curtis Cup in Sunningdale. Picture: Niall O’Shea

Sara Byrne had a fairytale end to her amateur career, going unbeaten in five sessions and helping GB&I to win the Curtis Cup for the first time since 2016.

The Douglas golfer may have missed out on her club’s AIG Senior Cup win, but she made a lifetime of memories in Sunningdale.  Byrne played in all five sessions and she was the only player to undefeated over the three days.  She had a win and three halves in the opening two days alongside Lottie Woad, and closed out her final round as an amateur with a decisive win.

Team captain Catriona Matthew kept her faith in Byrne and Woad on the Continue reading →

Three Wins for Cork Golfers

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There were three good wins for Cork golfers last week, spanning different ages and geographies. The age and geographic gap was notable with winners ranging in age from teenagers to the sixties, and wins in three different places.  Closest to home, Cian McDonnell won the Kerry Boys, Karl Bornemann won the Irish Veterans Close and Justin Dennehy won the Scottish Under 14.

Justin Dennehy has won his fair share of junior golf competitions and he was back on the winning trail last week when the 13-year-old won the inaugural Scottish Under 14 Open Championship.

The youngster posted rounds of 68 and 73 at Dunfermline Continue reading →

Success for Byrne, Cork, Douglas and Munster Women

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Sara Byrne teeing off the 18th in Lahinch on the final day of the Arnold Palmer Cup

Sara Byrne was one of the stars of the show last weekend as Lahinch hosted the Arnold Palmer Cup.  Byrne, the first Cork player to feature in the annual event which sees 48 top college golfers face off on American and International teams.

Byrne was paired with Max Kennedy for the mixed fourball and mixed foursomes and the pair scored two wins in their matches.  In Sunday’s singles she faced the recent winner of the Women’s Amateur, Melanie Green.  Teeing off from the 1st, there was a huge crowd around the clubhouse to follow Continue reading →

Douglas, Cork and East Cork advance in AIG Senior Cup

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James Walsh (Douglas) in action in the third round of the AIG Irish Senior Cup on Sunday.
Picture: James Doolan

Douglas Golf Club hosted two days of exciting inter-club matches last weekend as two rounds of the AIG Men’s Senior Cup took place.  Eight matches took place on Saturday with the winners coming back in Sunday to play in the next round.

The course in Douglas was in great condition for the event.  Memories of the harsh wet winter and spring faded as golfers played from firm fairways and fast greens.  Both days saw a large number of supporters and spectators out on Continue reading →