The Short Game

History for Athy: History was made at Athy Golf Club on Sunday when the club won the Provincial Towns Cup for the first time - beating Mullingar 12½ - 5½ in the final. It was only their second Leinster Branch pennant after a wait of 94 years. Back in 1911, when the club was just five years old, they won the Barton Cup.

Trailing 5-4 from the away first leg, Athy needed six points from the home leg to lift the cup. Home advantage proved vital as Athy took seven and half points on the day with Seán Hicks leading the way in the top match with a 2 and 1 win over Frank Rooney to keep his unbeaten record in the event. Other members of the winning team on the day were Pat Smyth, John Moylan, Derek O'Donovan, Kieran O'Doherty, John Redmond, Willie Keatly, Brian Dunne and Mark Dwyer. Kevin Metcalfe, a 15-year-old student, claimed Mullingar's only win from the away leg.

Ballinascorney fancied

Last year's winners Ballinascorney will be among the favourites to lift the Dublin Team Trophy at Edmondstown Golf Club on Sunday next. This competition has been played at Edmondstown for over 40 years and this year it is sponsored by Bank of Scotland, Ireland. Clubs from all over the Leinster area enter a team of four golfers in the handicap range of 8-15 inclusive. It has been a wonderful year for the Edmondstown course which is now in premium condition and will guarantee a challenging and enjoyable competition.

Island youth triumph

The Island golf club teams captured the first of a possible All-Ireland double when Willie O'Rourke's Youth team won the All-Ireland title at Kilkeel GC. Having won the Leinster Jimmy Bruen title, the under-21 team of David Rawluk, Andrew Pitcher, James Monaghan and Brendan Walton were eight shots winners over Limerick, with Warrenpoint edging out Claremorris for third place.

An excellent series of scores on the testing Kilkeel course saw The Island trio all shoot in the 70s - the only club to do so in the final 36 holes. Rawluk shot 74, 75; Pitcher 73, 78 and Monaghan 77 and 74.

Walton, meanwhile showed a welcome return to form when he won the Philip Walton Trophy (his uncle) with an excellent one-under-par 70 at The Island last week. Walton won by five shots from Athy's Richard Maher with Gerry Kelly (Co Louth) third on 76. The nett went to Glen Hogan (Malahide) with a 71 off five from Conor Ryan (The Island) and Richard O'Donovan (Lucan).

Advantage Greystones

Greystones take a 3-2 lead into next Saturday's second leg of the FBD-sponsored Barton Cup final against Newlands. Greystones will be trying to win the cup for manager Pat McGrath and his assistant Paddy Malone both of whom were involved in the victorious 1985 team.

In a closely fought first leg the Newlands pair of Mark Dunne and Jack Dunne beat Peter Byrne and Liam Moulton of Greystones 2 and 1 in the top match but were level when Colm Dunne and Shane O'Connor of Greystones edged out Paddy Butler and Ned Kelly on the 18th. The third match went to Newlands with Lex Flavin and Dermot Usher beating Alan Condron and Michael Joyce 2 and 1.

But Greystones took the last two matches with Nevil Coen and Ivan Power winning 3 and 2 against Gay Murphy and Declan Lacey, Harry McKeon and Diarmuid McGowan ensured Greystones took a lead in the second leg at Newlands by winning their match 3 and 2 against Eddie Higgins Jnr and Tony Walsh. The second leg is on Saturday (12.0).

Locals dominate

Local knowledge proved to be the difference on Sunday at Woodbrook as they staged their 36-hole Senior Scratch Cup as two local members took away the main prizes. Scratch golfer Paul McDonald took the gross prize, while three handicapper Thomas Kennedy was the nett winner.

In the gross section, McDonald was a runaway winner as rounds of 68 and 70 gave him two-round total of 138 and a six-stroke win over The Island's Robert McCarthy (+2), who shot rounds of 70 and 74, with scratch golfer Greg Massey from Hermitage next best after rounds of 75 and 71. Fourth was Portmarnock's Michael Brett on 146, after rounds of 75 and 71. The nett prize was a much closer run thing with Kennedy, shooting rounds of 73 and 71, to be just one better than the rest of the field.

Charity classic

The To Russia With Love Charity Golf Classic will take place at Westmanstown Golf Club on Thursday September 29th. Tee times are available from 8.0am to 3.0pm and the cost is €€500 per team of four, which includes a meal. Anyone interested in playing should make contact with Rosemary Lennon Maher on 086 3075262. Tees can also be sponsored for €200, while there is a special hole-in-one prize of a Renault Clio on offer as well.

Top pros in action

Laytown and Bettystown will hold the Southern Professional Championship on Monday next, September 5th, in association with Canada Life for a prize fund of €20,000. A total of 130 of Ireland's top professionals have entered the event, which is the first professional Championship to be held at the Meath Links since the Irish Dunlop Tournament in 1966, won by Christy O'Connor and in which local professional Bobby Browne participated.

Naughton up to test

Maria Elliott's Lady Captain's Prize at Athlone Golf Club proved a huge test for the 150 competitors, but early pars at the 2nd, 5th and 6th holes paved the way for 36 handicapper Beatrice Naughton to win with a nett 67. She edged out Eleanor Larkin (22) by a single stroke, with Evelyn Wright (36) next on 70, followed by Breda Ryan (30) on 72, while three handicapper Ann Geoghegan took the gross prize with 80.

Keane raises game

When it comes to the Lady Captain's Prize at Lucan Golf Club, one person seems to raise her game no end. And that person is Nora Keane who earlier this month made it back-to-back titles. Played over 36 holes, the 15 handicapper shot rounds of 69 and 74 to win from Claire Condron with Sandra McCaffrey third and Niamh Condron fourth. Keane's excellent scoring also saw her cut two shots of her handicap. She is now hoping that lightening strikes twice for her as she bids to repeat her achievement of 12 months ago as she went through to the All-Ireland Final and won that too.