Short Game

The Annual General Meeting of the GUI will be inundated with motions calling for the removal of the 1998 directive on Team/Classic events that teams be split or a marker provided. Proposed by Munster at last year's a.g.m., the directive was found to be unworkable and last week's Leinster Branch a.g.m. voted overwhelmingly for the rule to be rescinded. However, as was pointed out at the Leinster meeting, clubs will still have to return Open Team/Classic results to their respective branches.

The provincial section of the Jimmy Bruen Shield in Leinster will next year be played by foursomes medal on the first qualifying day with the top four qualifying for matchplay on the second day. Two motions on the Metropolitan Section of the Bruen Shield proposed by Dun Laoghaire golf club were also passed. In future the Shield will be played on Saturdays and Sundays and also the competition has been put back a month and will now take place in June.

OFFICERS AND COUNCIL: Chairman - A Lee (Mullingar); honorary secretary - B T Doyle (Carlow); honorary treasurer - F Buckley (Hermitage). Provincial Council - Metropolitan Area - M Craddock (Malahide), R Cusack (Greystones), J Ferriter (Castlewarden), J Greene (Grange), J J Maher (Forrest little), M McGinley (Naas), T Rothwell (Royal Dublin). Provincial Section - J Carroll (Dundalk), J Long (Rosslare), C Madigan (Curragh), K McIntyre (Ardee), J McNamara (The Heath).

James A Murphy, the honorary secretary of Charleville Golf Club received a pleasant surprise when he attended the Munster Branch GUI a.g.m. in Mallow last week. James A became the first recipient of the `Club Person of the Year Award'. James A, known to all as Tony, was first elected to the post of honorary secretary at Charleville in 1964. He has continued in that office ever since, being returned unopposed on each of the 35 occasions.

Six of the outgoing officers will be returned unopposed when the a.g.m. of the Pitch and Putt Union of Ireland is held in Portlaoise on Saturday next. The only contest will be for the position of treasurer where Breda Brophy (McDonagh), the Kildare and Leinster treasurer, challenges the incumbent, Des Flanagan (Glenville).

The annual St Vincent's GAA Club charity golf outing in aid of the local St Vincent de Paul takes on a new dimension when they event takes place next Friday. The event has been held at Forrest Little for a number of years but such is the demand for place in this year's competition that two courses will be used - Forrest Little and Royal Dublin - for the first time.