Pat O’Keeffe

Nominations opn for Volunteer of the Year

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

Pat O Keeffe Club Volunteer of the Year Award 2023
Picture: Golffile | Denis O’Flynn

The Golf Ireland Volunteer of the Year Awards will return this year for their third edition.  There is a new format this year, having listened to feedback,  the Golf Ireland Club Volunteer Award scheme will be extended from one award to five awards.  There will be three shortlisted candidates for each category who will be announced at their regional AGM.

The Golf Ireland Club Volunteer Awards recognises the invaluable work being done at grassroots level and honours individual or groups of club volunteers who freely give their time to make golf a progressive, inclusive, and accessible sport for all while promoting a volunteer ethos in clubs.

This scheme aims to recognise the amazing work of the thousands of volunteers who are responsible for outstanding work in their golf clubs all around the island of Ireland in 2024.  This year there will be five Continue reading →

Monkstown’s Pat O’Keeffe Honoured

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

Pat O Keeffe Club Volunteer of the Year Award 2023
Picture: Golffile | Denis O’Flynn
All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit (© Golffile | Denis O’Flynn)

Monkstown’s Pat O’Keeffe was recently honoured by Golf Ireland, he won the Munster Club Volunteer of the Year Award.  The well-known personality has been a member in Monkstown for over 50 years and after being honoured by the club at the AGM, he won the provincial award a few weeks ago.

Interestingly Pat, who led the club to two Munster pennants in the past ten years was the first in his family to play golf.  He ended up in Monkstown by happenstance.  He had only hit a few balls in the Douglas driving range and after playing nine holes in Monkstown with a member for the first time, John O’Reilly spotted him and encouraged him to join.  O’Reilly, who would later become the GUI President, was the Junior Officer and signed up Pat for an annual sub of four pounds.  O’Keeffe describes that encounter in 1972 as incredibly lucky.

O’Keeffe took to the sport quickly, going from a starting handicap of 18 to 2 within 14 months.  “I played here in the 70’s, we had a brilliant team.  We won the Aer Lingus (u22’s) in ‘76 and ’78 and Continue reading →

Long Read: Senior Cup Success for Monkstown

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

Monkstown bounced back from a heart-breaking Munster final loss last year, and secured their first Senior Cup pennant for 53 years. 

AIG Senior Cup Munster Finals, Cork Golf Club, Saturday13th August 2016

Monkstown Golf Club banished the harsh memories from last year as the bounced back to win the AIG Senior Cup Munster final.  Losses in finals, especially on the final green can generate mental scar tissue, but the Monkstown team showed no signs of weakness as they negotiated their way through a semi-final match against Ballybunion and a final win over Castletroy.  That’s not to say that Monkstown didn’t have Continue reading →