The Short Game

Leinster Branch issues:  The annual delegates meeting of the Leinster Branch GUI takes place tomorrow night at Westmanstown GC when a vote will be required to decide the 2008 Council at Metropolitan and Provincial levels.

For the seven vacancies in the Metropolitan area there are 10 nominations, with outgoing officers Denis Feeney (Malahide), Jimmy Green (Grange), Dick Lowth (Dún Laoghaire), Dick Cusack (Greystones) and John Joe Maher (Forrest Little) being joined by Jerome Clancy (Clontarf), JJ Murphy (The Royal Dublin), Tony Goode (Lucan), Paul Hautz (Delgany) and Tommy O'Donnell (Rathfarnham).

In the provincial area outgoing members Dominic Murphy (Kilkenny), John Long (Rosslare), Joe McNamara (The Heath), Colm Madigan (The Curragh) and Gerry Renehan (Headfort) are joined in the vote for seven places by Conor Maguire (Blainroe), Frank Quaid (Baltinglass), Henry Lee (Craddockstown), John McCann (Co Meath) and Aidan Marsden (Tullamore).

Among the motions down for discussion is one from the provincial council that the Junior Cup and Junior Foursomes qualifying rounds be decided by medal play, while Clontarf GC are proposing the minimum qualifying age for the Leinster Fourball Trophy be raised from 35 to 50 years.

Links winter season

The Links Golfing Society winter season tees-off at Co Louth GC, Baltray, on December 6th with a shot-gun start at 10am. Players are asked to report by 9.30am. Other outings are scheduled for January 10th at Portmarnock Hotel and Links and February 28th at Royal Dublin.

Meanwhile, the first outing of the Boyne Links Alliance takes place on Thursday at Laytown & Bettystown.

Keating takes chair

Kay Keating of Dooks Golf Club, is the new chairperson of the Southern District of the ILGU. Her appointment was ratified at the recent annual general meeting of the Southern District. She has vast experience of golf and golf rules having been a rules official with the ILGU and Southern District for many years.

There were a number of appointments made at the agm. Eilish Smith (Clonmel), takes on the onerous job of honorary secretary, while Youghal's Margaret Power, retiring honorary secretary of the District, takes over one of the three vice-president's positions.

In other moves, three new handicap advisers were also appointed - Mary Halpin (Bandon), Sally Gleeson (Clonmel) and Mary McMahon (Ennis), who is also on the national handicap committee.

There are four new members of the district executive committee - Noreen Buckley (Killarney), Geraldine Cunningham (East Cork), Goretti O'Connor (Castlegregory) and Carmel Vekins (Nenagh). Competition honorary secretary Barbara Foley and junior convenor Mary O'Mahony remain in their posts.

Meanwhile, there are to be a number of changes to the Southern District AA Insurance Ladies Golf Championships for 2008. First-round matches will not be played on a "home and away" basis and all matches will start a month later in April and the district finals will be played in mid-August.

North Dublin outing

Some early tee-off times are still available for the North Dublin Golf Club Captains' Association Christmas outing to Forrest Little Golf Club on Friday week, November 30th. The tee is booked from 9am until 1.30pm, with the agm scheduled to take place at 5pm, followed by the dinner an hour later.

O'Keeffe impresses

It has been a good couple of weeks for Ballybunion's Ann O'Keeffe who has been firing some impressive scores as the year draws to a close. Over the last couple of Tuesdays, she has managed to claim a win and a second-place. First, playing off 22, she fired 38 points to win by one from Eileen Kearns (18). Then last Tuesday, having lost a shot on her handicap, she still managed to shoot 34 points, which was good enough for runners-up spot, four adrift of Nuala Lynch (19).

Christy Snr documentary

Legendary Irish golfer Christy O'Connor Snr was at the Royal Dublin Golf club yesterday to launch his new documentary Himself - The Life & Times of Christy O'Connor Snr, which will air on Setanta Ireland at 10.30pm on Sunday, December 2nd.

The programme, made by Nappertandy Productions for Setanta Sports and funded through the BCI Sound & Vision Fund, provides a unique insight into the world of one of Ireland's finest ever sportsmen. The documentary asks many searching questions of Christy and explores what makes him tick.

A number of well-known faces appear throughout the documentary recalling their relationships with O'Connor and telling tales from off the course.

Those interviewed include Peter Alliss, Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley, Graeme McDowell, Harry Bradshaw, Christy O'Connor Jnr, Alex Hay, Des Smyth, Bob Torrance and Niall Toibin.

As well as an in-depth interview with O'Connor, Himself features rare archive footage and photos from a distinguished career that spanned four decades and included 24 tournament wins. A DVD of the programme will also be on sale nationwide.

Mortimer makes mark

It was a close run contest at the Carton Alliance outing over the Montgomerie Course at the Maynooth venue yesterday week with three of the professionals tied on 70.

However, winning on a countback was Team Ireland's David Mortimer, edging out Hermitage's Greg Bowden and Michael McDermott of Stackstown.

In the amateur category good scoring was certainly the order of the day and an impressive score of 38 points was enough for Headfort's David Staunton to win. He had just a single point to spare over Alan Cronly of Woodlands, while Peter Wallace of the host club was third with 34 points.

Morrissey in top spot

St Helen's Bay's James Morrissey's consistent efforts in competition this year have been rewarded by victory in the golfer of the year for 2007.

Having won the Captain's Prize for the second year running earlier in the summer, he also had a number of high placings in the monthly medal competitions and he clinched the player of the year crown from John Holt by winning the singles matchplay.

Crosbie hits form

Doubling up in the winners' enclosure over the past week was Sheila Crosbie. The 16-handicapper had teamed up with Geraldine Colley (19) to win the fourball competition with 35 points. Then she went out three days later and claimed runners-up spot in the 14-hole turkey singles with a score of 28 points. She missed out on making it back-to-back wins by a single point, as 29 points won it for Eileen Doyle (28).

Good year for Sheil

Beaverstown's Sunniva Sheil was always going to have fond memories of 2007 as she has had the distinction of being Lady Captain of the north Co Dublin club for the past 12 months. However, she has been making her mark on the golf course in recent weeks with some fine displays in the 12-hole turkey events. All that has been missing for the 19-handicapper has been a win, as she was second to Attracta O'Toole one week, while in the next event she was third behind Ann McKiernan and Maria D'Emideo - who herself has featured regularly in recent weeks as well.

skeenan@irish-times.ie