We are familiar with important deals being done by a nod and a wink, but it's not often one hears of a golf club being formed by semaphore - flag signals to you and me. And being ready for play in the space of 24 hours. Well, it happened at Castletown Berehaven in west Cork, back in 1902.

Details of this extraordinary venture, which appeared in The Irish Tourist in 1902, landed on my desk courtesy of indefatigable golf historian, Col Bill Gibson. Known as the Atlantic Fleet Golf Club, the nine-hole layout on Bere Island was described elsewhere as "most inaccessible, except for residents and members of the Fleet".

The Irish Tourist reported: "Castletown Berehaven is now becoming an important naval station and it is destined to become a harbour and refuge, second only to Portsmouth. Owing to the high pressure at which our naval staff are kept working when on the high seas, it is found necessary to run into some convenient harbour for recreation purposes.

"Not very long ago, 10 war ships ran into Castletown for this object, and it was resolved to form a golf club and that a match should be played at two o'clock the next day. After coming to anchor, accordingly, a committee was formed by signal and called together immediately, comprising an officer from each vessel.

"Within 15 minutes, the committee had met and sent ashore a sub-committee to survey, select and obtain a suitable site for a nine-hole course. This was done within the space of an hour or so; Jack tars were then told off, each ship providing a battalion to tackle and finish, fit to play, one green and teeing ground.

"The result was evidently satisfactory and play was begun at two o'clock precisely as resolved at the meeting held at 12 o'clock the day previous. This is a record performance in the way of establishing a golf club and it is interesting to know that this club is in a thriving state, supported almost entirely by naval officers.

"The small farmer who provided the ground on which the links were made has dropped agriculture and, instead, has built an iron pavilion, become greenkeeper and caterer and is now thriving better at this occupation than he did at farming."

But there were fascinating, later developments. The Irish Golfing Guide of 1916, reporting on the Royal Naval Club Berehaven, informed its readers: "There are nine holes which have been laid out within the past few years, three miles to the east of Castletown. Formerly, the club existed as the Atlantic Fleet Club and had a nine-hole course on Bere Island."

Affiliated to the GUI in 1939, Berehaven GC eventually became defunct about 25 years ago. Meanwhile, golf historians can thank the diligence of a naval scribe, who chronicled the formation of a golf club in what must remain a world record time, in a report to The Irish Tourist almost 100 years ago.

"This makes the Massacre of Winged Foot look like a garden party." Tony Jacklin, comparing conditions at Carnoustie to those when Hale Irwin captured the 1974 US Open at a brutally difficult Winged Foot with an aggregate of 287 - seven over par.

While reflecting on a visit to the Old Head of Kinsale last weekend, it struck me that the teenage local caddies could seriously rival their distinguished "masters", when it came to celebrity. Tiger Woods had a budding concert violinist working for him in 16-year-old Cian Daly, while Rory O'Brien (15) could claim a special relationship with two major American sportsmen.

O'Brien was wearing caddy-bib number 23, when working for Mark O'Meara on the visit of the super six US Tour players to the Old Head. Why 23? "Because that was Michael Jordan's number with the Chicago Bulls and I caddied for Michael when he came here on a recent visit," replied Master O'Brien.

The Kinsale schoolboy also worked earlier this season with American businessman Rick Goings of the Orlando-based Tupperware company. As it happens, Goings is a friend of O'Meara's. Which explains how O'Brien happened to get a gift in the post last month of the 18th flag from Royal Birkdale, signed by the British Open champion of 12 months ago.

But there was more. Much more. In fact the teenager was recently overwhelmed to receive by special delivery, a set of Cobra golf clubs, courtesy of Goings.

We hear countless stories these days about the influence of Tiger Woods on the development of golf among minority communities in the US. But his impact would appear to be even greater on the other side of the world, notably in Asian countries. Essentially, Woods has made adults aware of the need to start prospective champions at a young age.

Kyi Hla Han, winner of the top cheque of $72,000 in the Volvo China Open recently, was clearly aware of this while competing earlier in the Indian Open at Royal Calcutta GC. He tells of how a youngster, not yet 10 years old, was pestering him on the practice ground for a club or any piece of equipment, which, presumably, he could sell.

On enquiring if the youngster could hit a golf ball, Han was given an affirmative nod. With that, he handed a seven iron to the boy who proceeded to fire a succession of beautifully-struck shots, straight down the middle. Noting the purity of strike, Han reckoned that the youngster's timing was better than most of the current professionals on the Asian Tour.

The outcome is that the local professional in Calcutta has been notified of this Tiger cub. And there has been a promise from Han to send him equipment and cash to help him on his way. Possibly all the way to international success.

It hardly seems like a decade since Bill Hourihane was tramping fairways throughout this fair land, watching his daughter Claire winning Irish championships. These days, however, his attention is focused on more personal golfing matters - like shooting his age, which he has already done as a 73-year-old and again a year later.

Now, at 82, he has come close once more, as recently as last Saturday in a club competition at Woodbrook where he shot an 86 gross which included "three silly double-bogeys." Playing off 15 and approaching his 83rd birthday, Hourihane insisted: "I'll do it before the year is out." And nobody at his club would dare bet against him.

Teaser: A player lifts his ball in a bunker after declaring it unplayable. Before selecting an option under Rule 28, he removes loose impediment from the bunker. Since this action took place while his ball was lifted, i.e. it was not lying in the hazard, was the player in breach of Rule 13-4?

Answer: Yes. The prohibitions of Rule 13-4 apply when a ball is in a hazard or when a ball, having been lifted from a hazard, may be dropped or placed in the hazard. Under the unplayable ball rule, two of the player's options require him to drop a ball in the bunker. The player would incur the penalty even if he subsequently elected to drop a ball outside the bunker under Rule 18-2a.