A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Tramore unveil plan
Tramore Golf Club has unveiled an ambitious development plan that will propel the 112-year old club back to the forefront of championship courses in Ireland. The innovative plan will see the upgrade of the existing 18 holes as well as the construction of a new nine holes on existing lands in a three-year project that is estimated to cost €3.5 million.
The plan was presented to members at a special meeting as part of a consultative process that will culminate in a vote on the proposal early next month. The project has been developed by Jeff Howes Golf Design, the company that has developed top-class courses such as Mount Juliet, Fota Island, The Heritage and Gowran Park.
"Throughout the distinguished history of our club, the members have made courageous decisions including the move from the sandhills to Graun Hill and ultimately to our present location at Newtown Hill. Now we have another courageous decision to make which will benefit the future generation of members at the club," said club captain Nicky Power.
"It is hoped to complete the consultative process with our membership over the next few weeks and get approval to commence the development at an egm early next month," said Power.
Claret Jug history
What was awarded to the British Open Championship winner before the Claret Jug, was a question asked at a recent quiz in Beaverstown GC. The answer - the Championship Belt.
The Claret Jug is the popular name of the Golf Champion Trophy, the winner's trophy in the British Open Championship, one of the four majors.
The awarding of the Claret Jug dates from 1872, when a new trophy was needed after Young Tom Morris had won the original Championship Belt outright in 1870 by winning the championship three years in a row. The Claret Jug is inscribed "The Golf Champion Trophy", and it was made by Mackay Cunningham & Company of Edinburgh at a cost of £30.
However, as the 1872 event was organised at the last minute, the trophy wasn't ready in time to be presented to Morris. His name was the first to be engraved on it. In 1873 Tom Kidd became the first winner to be actually presented with the Claret Jug after winning the championship.
The original Claret Jug has been on permanent display at the clubhouse of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews since 1928. The original Championship Belt is also on display at the same site, having been donated in 1908 by the Morris family.
The current Claret Jug was first awarded to Walter Hagen for winning the 1928 Open. The winner must return the trophy before the next year's Open, and receives a replica to keep permanently. Three other replicas exist - one in the British Museum of Golf at St Andrews, and two used for travelling exhibitions.
Nugent in birdie form
Low scoring seems to be the order at Kilkenny of late. A recent South East Senior Alliance outing saw course record-holder Graham Nugent (+1) shoot seven birdies on the back nine for a spectacular inward 28 and a gross 64.
Graham who opened with nine straight pars also had reasonable birdie chances at the other two holes on the back nine and his net 65 left him with a three-shot winning margin over Kilkenny junior member Craig Martin (3) who was round in level par. Graham's back nine is the lowest recorded in competition on the course and his round would represent a course record but for winter rules being in place.
Martin, who is a member of the Irish Boys training panel, was himself involved in a spectacular low round the following Sunday. Partnered by his Dad PJ (7), in a scotch foursomes round of the club's winter league, the pair were in unbeatable form notching no fewer than nine birdies in a round of six under par. Their score of 46 stableford points left them with a winning margin of seven.
Hilary Golf Society
The race for the gold medal, for the overall season winner, begins in Laytown and Bettystown GC on Sunday when the first outing of the 52nd season of the Hilary Golf Society takes place.
Seamus McMonagle, last year's winner of the medal, will not be defending as he has taken time out to compete on the Australian amateur circuit over the coming months. However, Derek Downie will start his defence of the Niall O'Brien silver medal for the best gross in the BMW-sponsored events.
Other outing are scheduled for St Anne's, Portmarnock Hotel and Links, Co Louth, Seapoint with the final out outing at Sutton GC.
Donnelly delivers
Newcomer she may well be, but she is making a habit of featuring in the prizes these days at West Waterford GC. Mary Donnelly featured the week before last, but last week she managed to actually beat the rest of the field when shooting 29 points for the 13-hole competition, just enough to pip San Power Cully (31) on a countback, while Mary Spratt (27) was third with 27 points.
Campbell shows intent
Co Meath's Noeleen Campbell has definitely made her intentions clear at the start of the new golfing year certainly if last week was anything to go by. On Thursday last she claimed her second win in the space of a week firing 21 points to win Class One in the nine-hole singles event by a single point from Olive Carey. The other class winner on the day was Finola Curtin (29) with 20 points.
Campbell's win followed her win the previous Sunday when 19 points was enough to win for the 13 handicapper.
Tennyson out of luck
A change of partner didn't particularly bring a change of luck for Charlesland's Geraldine Tennyson last week in a couple of fourball competitions at the Co Wicklow club as she had to settle for two runners-up spots.
First with Trish Shiel (12) last Monday they shot 23 points, but still lost out by two to winners Kate O'Leary (15) and Mai Hanlon (31).
Then on Saturday, the 23 handicapper teamed up with Fiona Scott (11) and although they recorded 25 points, once again they were two points shy of winning the event, this time losing out to Emir Bruton (19) and Susan White (26) who won with 27 points. Maybe she'll be due a change of fortunte in the weeks ahead.
Compiled by Shay Keenan and Kevin McKenna
