By SHAY KEENAN
Royal County Down tops poll
IRELAND’S reputation as a leading golfing destination has been confirmed by a new poll which ranks eight of its courses inside the top 100 in the world outside America – including number one Royal County Down.
Golf Digest magazine – the number one distributed sports title in the United States – asked its 6.5 million-plus readers to name their favourite golfing venues around the world and Ireland came out with top marks.
Royal County Down beat off competition from some of the game’s most iconic venues, including St Andrews Old Course, Royal Melbourne, Valderrama and all the courses on the British Open Championship rota to be named top in Golf Digest’s Planet Golf “100 Best Courses Outside the US”.
Portmarnock Golf Club finished 12th, one place ahead of Royal Portrush’s Dunluce Course – which hosts this month’s Irish Open.
Kerry claimed an impressive hat-trick with Waterville (23rd), Ballybunion (26th) and Tralee (82nd) all included in the top 100.
And Lahinch in Co Clare, a long-term favourite among golfers visiting Ireland, also clinched a place in the elite table in 41st position together with Wicklow’s The European Club, which finished 88th.
Guckian's amazing two holes-in-one
A DONEGAL golfer is celebrating hitting an astounding two holes-in-one in the same round. Gerry Guckian was playing at Greencastle GC on Sunday when he achieved the amazing feat. The 49-year-old was playing a competition on the last day of the club’s open week when he hit his first ace at the ninth. He had barely recovered from the shock when just two holes later he shot his second hole-in-one. The chances of hitting two aces in a single game is said to be about 64 million to one. Winning the Lotto is only about eight million to one.
PIERRE BECHMANN will serve as captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews for 2012-13. Bechmann’s year of office will begin with the traditional driving-in ceremony on the first tee of the Old Course on Friday September 21st.
Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris in 1957, Bechmann becomes the first Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club from Continental Europe
Dunbar second behind hot Huizing
IRELAND’S Alan Dunbar finished second to runaway winner Daan Huizing in the St Andrews Links Trophy as the Dutchman set a new record low score for the tournament.
The 21-year-old from the Lage Vuursche club finished on a 23-under par total of 264 after rounds of 65 on the New Course and 64, 68 and 67 on the Old Course. He shaved nine shots off the previous record score in the 72 hole tournament and finished 14 shots clear of 2009 champion Dunbar from Rathmore in second place
Huizing became the first player to win the St Andrews Links Trophy and the Lytham Trophy in the same year, following on from his 11-shot victory at Royal Lytham.
The only blemishes in two near faultless rounds on the Old Course were twice putting his second shot at the first hole into the Swilcan Burn. Having led the tournament from start to finish, Huizing did not let these mistakes bother him and went on to record six birdies on his way to a final round five under par 67.
Dunbar carded rounds of 75, 68, 67 and 68 for a nine under-par total of 278. Richard O’Donovan from Lucan finished in fourth place after shooting rounds of 70, 71, 71 and 68 for a four-under-par total of 280, while Reeve Whitson from the Mourne club carded rounds of 69, 75, 72 and 73 for 289.
Maguire to lead Irish girls in European Championships
LEONA MAGUIRE, who helped B and I to regain the Curtis Cup after a 16-year gap, will lead the Irish Girls team in the European Championships in Germany from July 10th-14th.
European Girls Team Championships (Germany, July 10th-14th): Jessica Carty (Holywood), Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell), Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell), Olivia Mehaffey (Royal Co Down Ladies), Jean O’Driscoll (Muskerry), Chloe Ryan (Castletroy).
World University Games (Czech Republic, July 2nd-6th): Anna Courtney (St Anne’s), Laura Grant (Lisburn).
European Young Masters (Hungary, July 26th-28th): Niamh McSherry (Lurgan), Olivia Mehaffey (Royal Co Down Ladies).
RA Junior Open (Fairhaven, Scotland, July 16th-18th): Julie McCarthy (Forrest Little).
THE 2012 version of the Hastings Insurance Mayo Seniors Tournament looks like attracting a field of in excess of 150 golfers at Westport Golf Club on Thursday, June 21st. Competition organiser and inaugural winner of the event Des Mahon is delighted with the entry to the annual competition, which traditionally attracts golfers from all over Ireland.
The competition entry fee is € 20 for visitors and € 12 for Westport members. The official timesheet is open from 8.28am to 3pm. Details from 098- 28262 or info@westportgolfclub.com
Conor Mallon memorial events
NARIN and Portnoo GC in Donegal are holding a Connor Mallon Memorial weekend later this month. Connor died earlier this year and the club will host two open fundraising events with all proceeds going to his family. On Saturday, June 23rd they will host the Connor Mallon Classic, a team event featuring four players with an entry fee of €200 per team. And on Sunday, June 24th they will host the Connor Mallon Memorial Pro-Am. Teams of a professional and three amateurs with an entry fee of €300 per team.
Bookings at 074 9545107 or www.brsgolf.com/narinportnoo/visitor_menu.php
Cox holes out for a free year's subs
DAMIEN Marah and Jackie Kavanagh, captains at Wicklow GC this year, recently organised a Captains’ Charity weekend at the club in aid of Breast Cancer Ireland and the Coronary Care Unit at St Vincent’s Hospital and also decided to mark the occasion with a special prize for the first hole in one at their newly designed ninth hole. The first golfer to register a hole-in-one on the ninth over the weekend would win a free year’s subscription, a prize worth € 900. And the event didn’t have to wait too long for the first ace with popular club member Tom Cox, with a handicap of 18, holing out with a seven-iron. To make it even more noteworthy for Cox, it was the first hole in one of his golfing career. The day proved a huge success as winners of the competition were Darren Ronan, Larry Devereux, John Clarke and James O’Toole, while the two charities Breast Cancer Ireland and St Vincent’s Coronary Care unit both benefited to the tune of € 900 each.
