The Short Game: James Monaghan, of The Island, and Birr's Bernard Quigley, two players who have come through the Leinster structure at boys' and youths' level, are the first two recipients of the Paddy Harrington Golf Scholarships to NUI Maynooth.
Monaghan, an 18-year-old from Swords in Co Dublin, is a first-year finance student at the college, while Quigley, who is in his second year studying Arts, were attracted by the tie-in with tour professional Harrington - who presented them with crystal to signal that they are the first players to be awarded the scholarships - and the GUI National Academy based at Carton House, where the students will have access to the two championship courses on the estate.
Since the scholarships were launched by Harrington in memory of his late father, there has been huge interest, not only from Ireland but also from potential students from Britain, Scandinavia and Portugal.
"I intend to stay in Maynooth to do a degree and hopefully a Masters and, then, if I'm good enough, to turn professional," said Monaghan, who has had five top-five finishes in Boys' championships and plays off a handicap of one.
Club pros on move
Dun Laoghaire professional Vincent Carey is considering a life outside of golf. Within the next few weeks he will leave the Co Dublin club to pursue a degree in physiotherapy. Currently, Carey is in his third year of the course at Dublin Business School and intends to do a Masters at either UCD or Dublin University.
Carey is just one of a number of Irish professionals who are moving their place of business. Replacing Carey at Dun Laoghaire will be Kevin Kelleher, who is currently at The Island.
Deirdre Brennan becomes the new professional at Tramore, having trained with Harry Ewing at Waterford. She replaces John Burns, who is moving to Royal Tara, from where Adam Whiston is retiring.
Robert Kelly leaves Nenagh to move over to Tipperary Golf Club, while, up north, Andrew Ferguson becomes the new pro at Royal Belfast.
Academy in Moate
A new academy has been opened in Mount Temple Golf and Country Club, Moate, Co Westmeath. The complex includes 12 state-of-the-art bays, a tuition bay, a chipping area, tuition centre, equipment and coffee shop. The all-weather, fully lit academy will operate from 10am to 10pm daily.
Equipment sales and tuition services will be provided by Neil Martin and his team of tutors. Proprietor Michael Dolan said the academy was part of a phased development at Mount Temple. A 16-unit housing development was well advanced and should be accommodating its first owners by this autumn. Phase two is working its way through the final stages of the planning process and will see the development of hotel, leisure centre, and town houses adjacent to the village.
Delaney tied 24th
Irish Curtis Cup player Tara Delaney from Carlow, a student at Kent State University, Ohio, finished joint 24th in a field of 87 for the Lady Gator Invitational tournament over the University of Florida course at Gainesville. Delaney had rounds of 76, 76 and 75.
Germany's Sandra Gal, a student at the host university, Florida, won the individual title by five shots with scores of 69, 70 and 71 for level par 210. Runner-up was Catherine Matranga (Texas Christian) on 215 (71, 70 and 74) with Sweden's Caroline Westrup (Florida State) third on 216 (72, 77 and 67).
Florida (876) won the team event by 14 shots from Texas Christian (890), with Michigan State (892) third and Tennessee (899) fourth. Kent State (909) finished ninth.
O'Connor one better
Gráinne O'Connor from Skerries made a good start to the season when winning the North Dublin Leinster Alliance matchplay title at Balbriggan last week.
O'Connor, last year's beaten finalist, who plays off an 11 handicap, beat Howth's Marie Nolan (17) in the final.
Wicklow challenge
Glenmalure Golf Club in Rathdrum, Co Wicklow, are running an All-Ireland Pub/Society Challenge this year. The challenge is based on a three-person team representing societies, who have played at Glenmalure Golf Club between March and the end of September 2007. The final will take place at Glenmalure on Saturday, October 6th.
Glenmalure GC is ideal for society golf with a standard scratch of 66 and is set in delightful Wicklow countryside. It is renowned for the variety of its holes and the excellence of its greens. A special rate of €35 per player will apply for the society day and this will cover green fees and a meal.
Details on and bookings for the Challenge are available from Barry McSweeney on 01 4962028 / 087 2302061, or email: Beatrice.mcsweeney@eircom.net. Full details of the course at glenmaluregolf.com
International double
Success, it seems, is no stranger to Tess McNamara and it certainly knows no international boundaries . . . as she has just completed a remarkable double. Back in 2001, she won the President's Prize in Greystones, and she has just repeated that success by winning the similar event in Somerset West Golf Club in Cape Town, South Africa.
She won with a superb score of 40 points, playing off a handicap of 23. In fact, Tess is in tremendous form at the moment in South Africa as her win in the President's Prize earlier in the year was one of four wins in 2007.
She won the LGU medal by three strokes in early January with a gross 93, nett 70, and also claimed the putting competition with 27 putts over the 18 holes. Win number two was a week later in a threeball, while at the end of January came her President's success.
And at the start of March, she won the fourball betterball Ladies Perpetual Trophy in the annual Ladies Open Day at Somerset West, when, now playing off 22, she was partnered by her sister, Angela Curry, who is a member of Dun Laoghaire and plays off 28. They won on a countback after recording 45 points.
Morrissey's triple
Dungarvan's Maeve Morrissey has just completed the kind of week most golfers could only dream of, as she won three separate competitions at the Co Waterford club. Last Tuesday she won the 11-hole singles event with 22 points, one better than Maeve O'Riordan (20). Then on Saturday in the 16-hole event - which was combined with the Home Alliance Captain's Prize presented by Ann Stack - she was successful again. Playing off 15 she won with 32 points, with Finola Kelly (26) second two points adrift with O'Riordan third also on 30 points, while Mary Kyne (11) was the gross winner and the Past Captain prize went to Carmel O'Brien.
Gorman shows class
A runaway winner of her class in last Tuesday's singles competition at Royal Tara was nine-handicapper Ann Gorman. With a score of 41 points, the best of the day, she had eight points to spare over Marian Cleary (6) in Class One.
