Musgrave Challenge:  Paul Gallagherlooks at the four clubs who have qualified for the final showdown in Portugal.

The Musgrave Crumlin Children's Hospital Club Challenge is celebrating its 10th year in existence, and this year's tournament is hotting up nicely as the four provincial winners are decided and have earned their passage of play to the All-Ireland finals, which take place in the Algarve next month.

At the start of each season golf clubs around Ireland are invited to enter a three-person team into the competition at a cost of €25 per person (€75 per team), with all proceeds raised going in their entirety to the burns unit at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin.

This year over 70 teams started out in their quest to become All-Ireland champions, but those who have come up short know they have still contributed to a wonderful cause.

The Munster final was held at Fermoy Golf Club - who won last year - where two-time former winners Limerick County GC booked their seats on Aer Lingus flight EI 498 to Portugal. In fact, the Limerick contingent of Jonathan Kelly, Pat Carey and Michael John Cosgrave are going for a three-timer, as the Ballyneety club won back-to-back All-Ireland titles in 1999 and 2000.

Roscommon GC was the venue for this year's Connacht final, where local knowledge and family friendship came to the fore as the trio of Francis Grehan, Anthony Grehan and Tom Grehan triumphed and will represent Roscommon GC as the Connacht winners. Roscommon are also former winners, having lifted the trophy back in 2001.

Graham Temple, Jimmy Doyle and Michael Owens formed the Elm Green GC team who won the Leinster final at Mullingar GC, while Rossmore GC, with Ben Beggan, Kevin Friel and Gerry Maguire on the team, will represent Ulster as they won through at Castle Hume GC.

"Of the nine previous years no Leinster or Ulster club has ever won this event," noted Pat Cashman, who runs the event on behalf of the Musgrave Group and with their help has raised in excess of €1 million since its inception in 1998.

"Every single cent raised through the participating clubs' donations is given to the burns unit at the hospital, because the Musgrave Group generously underwrite all the expense and administration costs of running the competition, so, what you give, 100 per cent goes to the hospital," explains Cashman, noting how the food distributor company initially built the burns unit and now continues to support it through this competition.

If previous years are anything to go by, teams will need to possess a certain level of endurance, for they will not only be challenged on the course, but most definitely off it as the social element of competition comes into its own when the sun goes down.

All four teams are invited to bring their respective captains on the trip, and they, along with organisers and sponsors, will stay for one week at the Hotel Tivoli Almansor, Carvoeiro, from Friday, October 5th.

The players will get all of Saturday to acclimatise - I've heard it called other things - before the competition begins in earnest on the Sunday at Pinta GC in a team format. From there the finalists will compete the second and third rounds over Boavista GC and the majestic championship course at Penina GC respectively in a singles format.

The fourth and final round will be contested in a team format on Thursday at Morgado GC.

For now, though, all eyes are on the final quartet and something suggests the winners will need to go the distance, both on and off the course.

Previous winners

Fermoy GC 2006

Galway GC 2005

Nenagh GC 2004

Nenagh GC 2003

Fermoy GC 2002

Roscommon GC 2001

Limerick County GC 2000

Limerick County GC 1999

Galway GC 1998