A couple of weeks ago Cecil D Colter finished third in a singles competition at Foxrock with 38 points. Nothing special in that, you may say, but Cecil celebrated his 86th birthday last March.

However, the younger group were to the fore again last weekend when Joe Towell, an 82-year-old playing off a handicap of 22, won the Vice President's (Pat Carroll) prize with 40 points. Joe has been golfing for over 45 years and played to single figures for many years when, alongside his partner Victor Crawford, he was unbeaten in Barton Cup matches for Foxrock.

The secret to Joe's recent success is that he plays golf three days a week and likes to socialise with the younger element in the Foxrock bar, where he is reckoned to be an authority on the rules.