Amateur news: Nenagh Golf Club will be seeking a Musgrave Crumlin Children's Hospital Challenge double when the final is contested at Erinvale Golf Club in Cape Town, South Africa, from November 1st-6th.
However, this year it will be a completely new team that will travel as Munster champions. Last year Winnie Ryan, Paddy Kennedy and Garry Howard were the overall winners, but this year they had to give way to club-mates Gerard Slattery, Denis Slattery jnr and Patrick Lynch. In the final at Nenagh GC the home trio amassed 81 points - two ahead of second placed Fermoy GC from a field of 36 teams.
Also making a second trip to Cape Town will be Seafield's captain Peter O'Reilly. Last year O'Reilly captained the Leinster winners on this trip, but this year will be a member of the winning team where he will be joined by Brendan O'Mara and Greg Kelly.
The Seafield team took full advantage on the home track in the Leinster final to amass 52 points on the back nine for overall victory with 82 points. Gorey took second place on 76 points from Tara Glen.
This year's Connacht champion are Galway GC, who will be represented by Mick Dowd, Padraic Fahy and Michael Corcoran. After one false start due to weather conditions, the Galway team returned to Westport GC to shoot 80 points and claim the top spot.
Again it was the stronger finish that edged out the host club, Westport, who finished on 75 points with last year's Connacht champions Carrick-on-Shannon filling the third spot on 73.
The Ulster champions, Cloughaneely GC, Falcarragh, Co Donegal, are making their second trip to South Africa in three years with the some of the same team of Martin Terry, Francis Boyle and Philip McGeady after coming through the Ulster decider at Castle Hume where they shot 80 points.
In a close finish, Cloughaneely had three points to spare over Castleblayney, with last year's Ulster winners, Rossmore, being relegated to third place on 71.
Meanwhile, five clubs - Strandhill, Harbour Point, Cork, Holywood and Sutton Golf Clubs - have all won a first award in the annual AIB Golf Club of the Year scheme.
Three clubs, including last year's overall winner, Dunmurry, Bantry Bay and Elm Park all feature on the awards list for the third year in succession.
The AIB Golf Club of the Year scheme, which was launched in 2002, is a joint venture between AIB, the Irish Ladies Golf Union and the Golfing Union of Ireland. The scheme focuses on the many non-playing aspects of a golf club which are essential to the long-term success of the club. In 2002, the first year of the scheme, the overall Club of the Year was Co Sligo. Last year the overall title went to Dunmurry.
The awards scheme focuses on four areas of increasing importance to the golf club, namely Junior Golf, the Environment, the Clubhouse and Communications.
The awards are presented on a geographical basis with provincial and All-Ireland awards in all four categories. There is then one overall award for the club, which the judges feel has performed best across all four category areas. That club, which does not necessarily have to come from the provincial category winners, then becomes the AIB Golf Club of the Year.
"We are delighted to see another five clubs join the roll of honour," said Billy Andrews, general manager AIB. "This is the third year of the scheme and each year we have seen the bar being raised by nearly all the clubs.
"It is also great to see new clubs joining the winners each year."
The full list of provincial winners is - Connacht: Junior Golf and Environment, Enniscrone; Clubhouse Presentation, Strandhill; Communications, Claremorris.
Leinster - Junior Golf, Tullamore; Environment and Communications, Elm Park; Clubhouse, Sutton.
Munster - Junior Golf, Bantry Bay; Environment and Clubhouse, Cork; Communications, Harbour Point.
Ulster - Junior Golf, Holywood; Environment, Clones; Clubhouse and Communications, Dunmurry.
The Algarve is again the venue for the 2005 Irish Seniors Festival of Golf from March 6th-13th in 2005. In answer to many requests from competitors to the Portuguese Tourist Board, sponsors of the four Provincial and National Seniors Championships, the Irish Seniors Festival was introduced in 2003 and in such a short time has become a very important part of the calendar.
Denis White, from Moate, a former East of Ireland champion and Seniors international, was the winner of the inaugural Irish Seniors Festival in 2003, while Declan Branigan from Laytown and Bettystown was this year's winner, with the net award going to former Dublin footballer and current president of Sutton golf club, Paddy Holden.
Arrangements have now been fully completed for next year's trip, with four competitive rounds of golf during the week at four different golf courses - Pinta, Gramacho, Morgada de Reguengo and Palmares, which is the new edition to the schedule for 2005.
The number of places will be again limited on the trip, so you are advised to make your booking early - remember, it is first come, first served.
Further information is available from Isobel Oliveira at the Portuguese Tourist Board in Dublin. Telephone 01 - 6709133.
