Kildare club triumph: Last week in Headfort will be one that will live long in the memory of Craddockstown Golf Club as they made it two wins from three appearances at the inaugural AA Insurance Ladies Championship finals.
Having done so well to get three teams through to the national finals, they won two of the events. There was huge joy for the Co Kildare club on Friday as they were celebrating success in the Junior Cup and the Intermediate Cup, following victories over Galway and Moate respectively.
Although five of the players had been on the beaten senior foursomes team that lost in the semi-finals to Limerick, they bounced back in fine style in the Junior Cup, first beating Killarney in the semi-finals, before accounting for Galway in the final, winning 4½ to ½.
Stella Lunny completed a remarkable comeback coming from four down after 12 to win her match. And to make it an even better day for Craddockstown they then won the Intermediate Cup, defeating Moate 3-2, in a match where the games involving Rosemary O'Connor and Frances Corrigan went all the way to the final hole.
Friday's other final, the Minor Cup, saw victory go to Galway Bay, who were 4-1 victors over East Cork.
Thursday had also seen three finals. In the Challenge Cup, Wicklow club Boystown were in devastating form. Having accounted for Oughterard in their semi-final they beat Lucan 4½ to ½ to take the national title.
Carlow, meanwhile, had the honour of winning the first national title as they were the Senior Foursomes winners, beating Limerick 2-1 in the final with the winning putt being holed by 17-year-old Aideen Murphy on the final hole. In the Junior Foursomes, the title went to Belfast club Shandon Park, who defeated Rosslare, winning by a 2½ to ½.
Scottish strokeplay
The Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association have announced that from next year the Helen Holm Scottish Open Strokeplay Championship will be played over three days.
The dates for 2007 event are April 27th-29th. The number of entrants will be increased to 99 for the first two rounds which will be played over the Portland Course on Friday, April 2th, and Saturday, April 28th. The top 66 and ties will play a further 18 holes over the Championship Course of Royal Troon on Sunday, April 29th.
Margaret Rodgers, chairman of the SLGA, said: "The Helen Holm has become one of the leading events in the European calendar, attracting a very high standard of player. In 2006 the ballot fell at a handicap of 1.1 which meant that a number of top players were balloted out."
Enniscorthy on top
Paul Gorby and Lori Whitney had the honour of clinching history for Enniscorthy GC at Clandeboye last week when the Wexford club lifted the Irish Mixed Foursomes title. The pair's one-hole victory over the Nenagh twosome of Billy and Carmel Burke earned the Enniscorthy club its first national title. After winning the Leinster section of the tournament, Enniscorthy took the green pennant 3½ to 1½. Nenagh were winners of the title three years ago at Galway after beating Ulster winners Scrabo in a shootout but this time found Enniscorthy too hot to handle. In the semi-finals, the new title holders defeated Ulster champions Scrabo by 3½ to 1½ while Nenagh beat Connacht's Ballinasloe by the same margin.
The other members of the winning Enniscorthy team were William Rackard, Stella Sinnott, Cormac Martin, Jennifer King, PJ Murphy, Eimer McGrath, Michael Healy and Pauline Byrne.
Former champion dies
The death took place recently of Patricia Nutting in her 102nd year. She was formerly Patricia Jameson, Lady Captain of The Island Golf Club in 1930 and Irish Ladies Close Champion in 1926. Her family were former owners of the lands on which both Portmarnock golf courses are built and the house on the Portmarnock Hotel and Links was once their home. Some Island members visited Mrs Nutting at her home in Surrey in 2004 where she recalled her days at The Island with great clarity. A photograph taken when she won the Close Championship is on the front cover of the history written to celebrate the centenary of the ILGU.
Valuable find
A 100-year-old gutta percha golf ball found in a bed of rushes above a beach at St Andrews will be in Bonhams next Golf Sale in Chester on January 27th. It is estimated the antique golf ball will attract bids of between £200 to £400, say Bonhams.
The ball was discovered when keen golfer John McKay and his wife Margo strolled along the beach at West Sands, close to the 10th tee at the Jubilee course at St Andrews. After finding it they took the ball to the St Andrews Golf Museum for identification and authentication. The assistant curator confirmed it was a gutta percha "Mecca" ball at least 100 years old.
The ball is believed to date back to the 19th century and was made by D Anderson of St Andrews. Gutta percha balls, made from solid moulded rubber, were first used on golf courses around 1850 replacing feather balls that had been used for the two previous centuries.
Keegan's hat-trick
Nuala Keegan, a 16 handicapper, created a record in Tullamore GC when she won the President's (Barry Keegan) Prize. It was her third time to win the President's prize but this one was slightly different because the president on this occasion was her husband. She battled against the elements and almost abandoned the competition on the 14th hole when the thunder and lightning looked set to continue. Her score of 67 nett just pipped that of Anna Kavanagh's who had won the Lady Captain's (Ann Walshe) Prize the previous week.
Meanwhile, the Lady Captain of Thurles GC, Rose Moloney, has not let the office interfere with her golf. At the recent weekly competition she returned a score of 62 playing to a handicap of 12 to win the hamper competition. Moloney covered the 18 holes in four over par to reduce her handicap to 11 - the lowest lady handicap in the club.
Winter golf series
The Titleist-sponsored Winter Golf Series starts at the Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links today and will continue every Tuesday until March 27th next year. The competition is open to all PGA member and amateur golfers with a handicaps of nine or less. The entry fee for each competition is €25 for gold, winter, or summer cardholders and €55 for all other entrants. For places on the time sheets contact - 01-8461800 or email golfres@portmarnock.com
Sheehy in control
Blowing the rest of the field away despite having very few shots to play around with last week in Ballybunion was Mary Sheehy. Playing in the weekly voucher competition over the Old Course, the four handicapper blitzed the course with superb 39 points. Her nearest challenger was Mary Stack (31) with 35 points, while Patsy Lydon (33) was a further four points adrift in third place.
Press claim honours
The annual Irish Nationwide Building Society PGAO Golf Competition has been in operation for nearly 20 years, an event which pits the Press, against the Gardaí, the Army and the Oireachtas. The Press has only won on one previous occasion. This year's event was held at Woodbrook GC and victory went to the Press, Radio and Television Golf Society. On the winning team was Aidan Butler (captain), Paul McCarthy, Eamon Healy, Paddy Higgins, John Foley, Tom McGrane, Seán Keating, Dave Green, Brian Kelly, Les Tynan, Joe Sheridan and Tommy McCarville.
Locals prevail
Rosslare ladies proved local knowledge can be key to victory as a host of their golfers took the top prizes at the Seniors Open event. The competition attracted a field of 70 players and the overall winner was Eleanor Wardlow, a 26 handicapper, with 38 points. The over 50s prize was won by Bernadatee Cuddihy (24) with 37 points, while Trish Devereux, also playing off 24, won the over 60s prize with 38 points. Mary A Hamilton, with 33 points and playing off 22, won the over 70s top prize.
Alzheimer's event
The West of Ireland Alzheimer's Foundation is holding a three-ball scramble (any combination) this weekend at Athenry GC. It runs from Friday to Sunday. Entry fee is €75 per team and places on the timesheets are available by phoning the clubhouse on 091 794466 (office hours only).
Smyth in top form
Showing the men the way to go this year in the Clonkeen Golf Society was Majella Smyth. Not only did she finish their season by winning the Captain's Prize, but she also took the golfer-of-the-year prize. Played at Woodbrook last Friday, she won the Captain's Prize with 36 points, three clear of Philip Barnes, with Ger Fortune third also with 33 points. The past captain's winner was Shea Gorman. That victory secured the golfer-of-the-year crown too, as she topped with 355 points.
McCarthy's double
It many have been two different formats of the game, but it was still the same result for Dungarvan's Breda McCarthy in recent weeks. The six handicapper proved her worth in the weekly singles with an impressive score of 39 points. The class winners on the day were Josephine Melody (15) with 32 points, Christine O'Keeffe (22) with 36 and Irene Dawson (31) with 29 points. But McCarthy also proved she is just as capable when teaming up with someone else as in the Mai Glanville foursomes, she linked up with another single figure golfer, Betty O'Brien - who plays off nine - to make it another win number two, this time with a score of 45¼ points, winning on a countback from Ann Morrissey (17) and Marian Walshe (34).
