Monkstown Golf Club

Monkstown set for Munster Youths

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

Monkstown will host the prestigious Munster Youths Open this week and this is another event in a line of high profile events held at the club in recent years.  In 2014 they hosted the ILGU National finals over five days and in 2008 they hosted the week long GUI Cups & Shields finals.

Golf_Monkstown Golf Club 18th Fairway

Monkstown’s 18th fairway with the water hazard in the foreground. The course will host the Munster Youths from Wednesday to Friday. Picture: Niall O’Shea

Monkstown Captain Carl Toal is really looking forward to the event, especially considering the long run of poor weather endured by golfers locally.  “It was a difficult few months where the bad weather was relentless really said the Captain, “and like many courses in the area, we welcome the recent improvement and stretch in the evenings.  We are only back to playing 18 holes in the last two or three weeks. The course has stood up well considering the conditions we Continue reading →

Monkstown Junior Easter Camp

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Monkstown Golf Club Junior Easter CampMonkstown has been a busy place this week, in addition to the usual weekly competitions, over 50 young golfers have been taking part in a three day Easter Camp.  Following the success of a junior camp last October, Monkstown Club Pro Cian McNamara had planned to run another camp over Christmas.  Wet weather put a stop to that but McNamara along with Monkstown’s assistant Pro Graeme Dunlea have had a very busy week.  They have been running three sessions daily to cater for kids taking part in their Easter Camp.  “We have a group of 51 kids involved in camp” Cian explained, “with juniors ranging from 6 years of age to 13.  The majority of juniors are not members.  The main reason for this is that we have coaching provided weekly for juniors that are members alongside with events scheduled so members are more than catered for during holiday period.”

>>>Gallery: Monkstown Junior Easter Camp<<<

Graeme Dunlea

Monkstown’s Graeme Dunlea

Graeme Dunlea joined Monkstown from Adare Golf Club in late 2015 and his addition to the Monkstown team has allowed himself and Cian to develop a strong junior golf programme.  Both were introduced to the game at a young age and Cian explained their objectives for the camps: “The primary goal from the camp is to introduce Juniors at the youngest possible age to the game of golf in the most friendly environment possible.  Both Graeme and I have firm beliefs in how juniors should be nurtured during their introduction to the game.  The club are very supportive with our coaching plan and we plan to hold camps during all holiday periods.”  In addition to the three day camps, Monkstown have an ongoing programme to encourage new juniors to take up the game as Cian explained: “We also have three weekly junior time slots that non-members can attend, so if anybody was interested they could just contact the pro shop and ask for either Graeme or myself and we will give information about are on-going junior golf program.  Our highest priority is growing the enjoyment of the game.  We are very happy with our progression and continue to improve our coaching plan.  Once we can keep juniors having fun we can implement different coaching principles over time.

Kids Golf Camps this Easter

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

A few clubs are running kids coaching camps this month as the golfing season finally gets underway.  Monkstown, Frankfield, Fernhill and Fota Island are all holding camps to coincide with the extended school holidays.

Cian McNamara is running three day camp in Monkstown starting on the 22nd March.  Along with Graeme Dunlea, the pair have split the young golfers into three groups – boys 6-9, boys 10-13 and girls 6-13.  Details are available on the Monkstown Golf Club Pro Shop Facebook page.Monkstown Junior Camp Easter 2016

Frankfield Junior Camp Easter 2016Frankfield Golf Academy have all of their 2016 dates available and they also run their Easter camp from 22-24 March.  Camps run from 10.30am to 1.30pm and further camps are scheduled for July and August.  David Whyte and Michael Ryan are running the courses.  Fota Island have a camp in the Academy, starting on Wednesday 23rd and running until Friday 25th, details are available on the Fota Island website.

Wayne O’Callaghan’s Golf Academy is running a camp in Fernhill Golf Club, it takes place on 28th-30th March,  classes run from 10am to 1pm each day.  Wayne is also hosting a Wee Wonders qualifier on 31st March where the winners will qualify for St Andrew’s in August.  The age limit is 12 and full details are available from Wayne.

 

 

Irish Call-Up for Desmond and Murphy

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Sean Desmond

Sean Desmond

Both Sean Desmond and John Murphy have been called up to the Irish Boys teams that will play in France and Wales later this month.  Desmond has been selected on the team that will travel to Cardigan GC for the annual challenge match against Wales.  Desmond from Monkstown will see action in both singles series and has a good chance of featuring in the foursomes matches also.  There will be three foursomes matches on the opening day against Wales followed by eight singles matches in the afternoon. There will be eight more singles matches on the second day against Wales at Cardigan.  Desmond had a very strong 2015, he had some notable singles performances and played a key role for his club Monkstown in two Munster finals in the AIG Senior Cup and the Junior Foursomes.  He was named Continue reading →

Entry to Munster events now open

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

Online entry for the Munster Strokeplay and the Munster Youths is now open on Golfnet.  The current weather might not be conducive to playing golf, but qualifying conditions are only five or six weeks away and the wet winter should be a distant memory.  Well at least that’s what every golfer is hoping for!

Golf_GUIMB_Munster Strokeplay_Shaun Carter_May2015_2

Munster Strokeplay 2015 Champion Shaun Carter (The Royal Dublin) pictured at Cork Golf Club with Officers Robin Turnbull, President, Lady President Ann Kos, Captain Fergal Deasy, Lady Captain Katherine O’Kelly Lynch and Liam Harkin, GUI Munster Branch. Picture: Niall O’Shea

Cork Golf Club will host the Munster Strokeplay on 30th April & 1st May, the competition is the only 72 hole strokeplay event in Cork and it’s sure to attract a top class field as usual.  Last year 50 golfers from the field of 75 were playing off scratch or better.

Former winner Pat Murray was one of the first golfers to sign up and formidable Limerick GC golfer is now playing off +3.8.  Plenty more plus golfers can be expected for the prestigious event which is now in it’s 11th year.

Munster Strokeplay Championship Online Entry

 

 

Entry for the Munster Youths Amateur Open Championship is also open and this event takes place in Monkstown Golf Club at the end Continue reading →

Ryan leading Cork charge in Connemara Pro-Am

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

David RyanDavid Ryan (Cahir Park) is the leading Cork professional after round one of the Connemara Pro-Am today.  Ryan was one of three Cork golfers to shoot under par, he recorded -2 for his round to lie in second place behind Neil O’Briain (Old Conna) on -5. Monkstown duo Cian McNamara and Graeme Dunlea were one shot behind on -1 and in a tie for 5th place.  Fernhill’s Wayne O’Callaghan shot a level par round for a share of 12th place and he too is in with a shot going into tomorrow’s final round.

Ryan had an uneventful front nine, in fact he carded 10 consecutive pars before he birdied the 11th.  He added birdies on the 14th and the 17th but he Continue reading →

McNamara wins Oughterard Pro-Am

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

Cian McNamaraCian McNamara was the joint winner of today’s Oughterard Pro-Am in Galway.  The Monkstown Head Professional carded a one under par total which included four birdies and three birdies.

McNamara, starting his round at the first, dropped a shot at the second but hit back with back to back birdies at the fifth and sixth before dropping his second shot of the day at the par three ninth.  Out in level par 35, the 28-year-old birdied the 11th and 15th on the back nine but a dropped shot at the 12th saw him home in one under 34.  Donal Gleeson (Old Conna Golf Club) also posted – to tie McNamara for the top spot.  Castlemartyr’s  Alan Gleeson and Monkstown’s Graeme Dunlea were part of a nine way for 11th place.  The Castlemartyr Assistant led his team to the amateur prize with a score of 94 points.

Oughterard Pro-Am Detailed Results

It’s McNamara’s second win on the Irish Region Tour this year and he’ll be hoping for another good round tomorrow as he’s in action in Connemara.  McNamara is the holder having won in 2014 and must be fancied for the 36 hole event.

Connemara Pro-Am Leaderboard

Monkstown’s Dunlea 3rd at Beaverstown Pro-Am

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Newly relocated Graeme Dunlea shot a four under par 68 at the Beaverstown Pro-Am in Dublin yesterday.  He finished in a tie for 3rd place behind joint winners  Damien Mooney and Richard Kilpatrick.  Dunlea had five birdies in his round with the only bogey coming on the 13th when he was 4 under.  He recovered with a birdie two on the 17th to sign for a 68.

PGA Irish Region Beaverstown Pro-Am Results

Dunlea recently finished an 8 year stint in Adare Resort Golf Club to take up a position in Monkstown under Head Professional Cian Continue reading →

Desmond wins Bruen Youths in Muskerry

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Sean Desmond (Monkstown) receiving the Bruen Youths Trophy from David Bruen, also included are David Taylor Captain Muskerry and Richard Cahill Sponsor.

Sean Desmond (Monkstown) receiving the Bruen Youths Trophy from David Bruen, also included are David Taylor Captain Muskerry and Richard Cahill Sponsor.

Monkstown’s Sean Desmond won the Bruen Youths in Muskerry on Monday, rounding off an impressive year for the scratch golfer.  Desmond was a key part of Monkstown Senior Cup team this season and the impressive young golfer has had a share of disappointments in the last few weeks.  He was part of two Monkstown teams that narrowly lost out in Munster finals in the AIG Senior Cup and in the Junior Foursomes.  He also had a good run in the Kerry Boys in Ballybunion before going out at the semi-final stage.  On Monday he led a field of fifty golfers to win the prestigious youths title which has taken place for each of the past 30 years.   In the morning he led the first round with a level par 71, tied with Muskerry’s James O’Connor.  Birdies on the 1st, 7th and 9th helped Desmond build his score.  Three more birdies followed in the second round, all on the front nine again.  A double bogey on the 13th in the afternoon was the only real blemish on a very solid 36 holes.  His two round total of 144 was one shot better than Daniel O’Sullivan Continue reading →