The R&A Great Britain and Ireland Rules of Golf Quiz, supported by Rolex, which regularly attracts an entry of more than 500 clubs, is entering its 11th year.
Winning clubs have come from locations as far apart as Lahinch in Co Clare, the 2003 winners and finalists last year, Banchory in the Scottish Highlands (2000), Lancashire-based Wilpshire (1996 and 1997) and Hagley in Worcestershire (2002). The other winners since the quiz started in 1995 are Broadway (1995), Braehead (1998), Stone (1999 and 2001) and Glen (2004).
Entries close on April 25th, 2005 and the quiz gets underway in May. It is run on an inter-club knockout basis, leading to area finals in September and regional finals in October, from which the six winning teams travel to St Andrews for the final on November 27th in The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.
The final will be held in the famous Big Room of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club and finalists will dine that evening in the club's private dining room with overnight accommodation at the Old Course Hotel. Golf is also offered to team members and captains during their visit to St Andrews.
Wie for Royal Birkdale
Michelle Wie has accepted a special exemption from the Ladies' Golf Union and will be one of five amateurs to play in the Weetabix Women's British Open Championship at Royal Birkdale from July 28th to 31st.
Other amateurs who have qualified for Birkdale are Jane Park, the 2004 US Women's Amateur Champion, Clare Queen, the 2004 Women's British Open Amateur Strokeplay Champion and Carolota Ciganda, the 2004 European Individual Champion. A place will be retained for the winner of the 2005 Women's British Open Amateur Championship at Littlestone.
When she tees off at Royal Birkdale, Wie will be making only her second competitive appearance in Britain, following her first experience of links golf in the 2004 Curtis Cup match at Formby. There she won both her singles but was defeated in both foursomes by Ireland's Claire Coughlan and Scotland's Anne Laing.
The British Open has been played at Royal Birkdale on three previous occasions, in 1982 when Marta Figueras-Dotti was the winner, in 1986 with Laura Davies lifting the trophy and most recently in 2000 when Sophie Gustafson won the title. Last year at Sunningdale Karen Stupples won the Championship by five shots from Australian Rachel Hetherington.
Wogan fifth in Spain
Well done to Ireland's Dermot Wogan of Stackallen, Co Meath, who finished fifth on Sunday in the European Seniors Pitch and Putt Open (over 55) at Sant Cebria, Catalonia, Spain. Wogan fired rounds of 56 and 51 for a one under par aggregate of 107, six shots behind Catalan winner Manuel Mellado.
The Great Britain Pitch & Putt team travelled to Catalonia, Spain for an international match against the Invitational World Champions and came away with a 6/5 victory after a very exciting competition played in the Ryder Cup style over two days on the superb, picturesque 1,200 metre course at Gualta.
Cork to kick-start season
The 29th annual Cork Ladies Scratch Cup will kick-start the women's season when the Henry Ford and Son-sponsored event takes places at Cork Golf Club on April 2nd.
The competition is over 36 holes with shot-gun starts at 9.0 and 2.30 and a handicap limit of nine. Entries close on Friday March, 25th with Tric Carey at 087-6799192.
McCarthy powers home
Colm McCarthy took full advantage of his local knowledge when he led the field home in the BMW-sponsored Hilary outing to St Anne's GC on Sunday.
McCarthy, a winner at Laytown and Bettystown earlier in the season, shot a two-under-par 69 off a three handicap to win by one shot from the Sutton trio of Derek Downie (70), Seámus McMonagle (71) and Simon Russell (72).
Robert Giles form Greenore won the professional prize with a 73, while McMonagle took the amateur gross for the second successive outing. Russell and McMonagle teamed-up with Royal Dublin professional Leonard Owens to win the nett with a 62, helped largely by an eagle three at the 13th from Russell. The next outing of the society is at Seapoint on Sunday next.
Hats off to Bedford
Two of the world's greatest golfers, Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman, lent their appreciation to Joe Bedford, golf course superintendent of Hollystown Golf Club in Dublin, who recently completed his second term as chairman of the Federation of European Golf Greenkeepers Associations (FEGGA) at their annual conference, which was held at Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links.
Bedford - whose second term had run from 2001 to 2005 - received personal letters from both Nicklaus and Norman, who were just two of many people from the world of golf to recognise his contribution over the years.
The Golden Bear sent a signed copy of his book Nicklaus by Design with the message to Joe saying: "In appreciation of your dedication to our great game of golf." And The Great White Shark, Norman, forwarded one of his trademark hats as well as a letter of congratulations saying: "You have been instrumental in advancing the golf course management profession to ensure the game's long-term vitality."
The conference in Portmarnock Links saw 17 Greenkeeping Association leaders from around Europe and in total 21 nationalities were in attendance. Delegates included Jack Lynch, past president of the GUI, who was there in his new role with the European Golf Association, Steve Isaac, deputy director of the Royal and Ancient Golf Course Committee and Lawrie Thornton, general secretary of the PGA of Europe.
Although Joe has retired from the federation he will continue his volunteer work through his role with the GUI, Greenkeeper Training and Ecology committee and his National Association the Golf Course Superintendent Association of Ireland (GCSAI), where as a co-opted board member he will assist on the review of the Association in 2005.
King for a day
The annual outing of the Christy O'Connor Junior Oyster Golf Society to Strandhill Golf Club in Co Sligo recently not only proved a memorable occasion for the society itself, but for Tuam Golf Club in particular.
Fifteen handicapper Gerry King emerged victorious with a score of 40 points, while his clubmate Frank Hession, also playing off 15, was third with 38 points. However, Hession had double reason to celebrate as apart from his third place he also aced the 14th hole - affectionately known as the Short Puck - a teasing par three.
Meanwhile, sandwiched in between the two Tuam members in second spot was Enniscrone's Jim Bowe (10) with 39 points, while Derek O'Kelly of Galway (6) was the gross winner with 31 points. Lorcan Donnellan (11) of Ballybofey was the winner of the visitors' prize with 39 points.
Meanwhile, last Monday at Ballinrobe in the Oyster Pearl outing, Bearna's Mary Loughman was winner on the last six over Mary Coen of Gort. Next up for the Oyster Society is their trip to Belmullet Golf Course on Thursday week, March 10th and places on the timesheet are available from David by phoning 091 529609 or faxing 091 544524, while the Oyster Pearls will have their final outing at Galway Bay on Thursday, March 31st when they will share the timesheet with the Men's Society in what will also be their final outing of the 2004/05 season.
Lady luck deserts Kinsella
Luck certainly didn't shine on Blainroe's Joan Kinsella recently as she had to settle for second spot twice in the space of three days. First in a rumble event the 19-handicapper teamed up with Jean Bonus (13) and Teresa Shaw (19) and although they scored 52 points they fell a point short of winners Olga Stone (21), Kate Doyle (12) and Mary Quirke (15). Then two days later in the weekly singles event Kinsella again had to settle for runners-up spot, again one point short of winner Evelyn Cullinane (28), who won the event with 24 points.
skeenan@irish-times.ie
