Compiled by Shay Keenan and Kevin McKenna
Dundalk cup the marker
The Dundalk Scratch Cup, sponsored by DHL, which will be played this on Sunday week, April 25th, has been a good marker for Ireland's amateur players. Last year, Noel Fox started his excellent year with victory in Dundalk before going on to win the Irish Amateur Open title, and of course being part of the victorious Walker Cup team.
Michael Hoey prefaced his British Amateur Championship win in the Millennium year by winning at Dundalk, and John McGinn heralded his arrival to the big time by taking the Irish Close title later in 2002.
Ballyclare's Johnny Foster, winner of South Africa's Godbowl trophy this year, took the honours in 1998, followed by Gary Cullen in '99.
The players will need all their skills on the testing Dundalk track measuring 6,206 metres from the championship tees. An indication of the esteem in which the course is held is that next year, the club's centenary, it will host both the Women's Home Internationals and the Youths' Interprovincials.
McCarthys share in success
The father, mother and son combination of Mick, Marie and Jim McCarthy along with Rita Aherne gave mixed event specialists Crosshaven another title in the first Munster competition of the season at Ardnacrusha. Crosshaven returned matching men's and women's 36-hole stableford returns of 80 points to win by six over a hybrid team playing under the St Anne's banner but featuring players from St Anne's, Rocklodge and Ardnacrusha. International panellist Billy Farrell was a member of the Bruff team that won the gross. He and brother Patsy fired 78 points.
Liz Lysaght and Phil McNamara shot a very creditable one-under-par gross.
Busy Gillen joins Curtis bid
In one of her final outings for Kent State University, Martina Gillen helped her side to a sixth-place finish at at the Indiana University Women's Invitational last week. Gillen finished eighth in the individual event at six-over-par 228.
Next weekend, Gillen, from Beaverstown, will be joined by Claire Coughlan (Cork) and Tricia Mangan from Ennis as they bid for places on the Curtis Cup team to face the US at Formby on June 12th and 13th. The three are in the squad to face the women European Tour professionals at Formby next week and a good performance will go a long way towards earning selection. The Curtis Cup team, which will be captained by Monkstown's Ada O'Sullivan, will be selected after the match at Formby.
CURTIS CUP SQUAD: Claire Coughlan (Cork), Tricia Mangan (Ennis), Martina Gillen (Beaverstown), Emma Duggleby (Malton), Anna Highgate (Cottrell Park), Sarah Jones (Pennard), Lynn Kent (University of Stirling), Danielle Masters (Tudor Park), Shelley McKevitt (Reading), Fame More (Chesterfield), Kate Philips (Creigau), Clare Queen (Drumpellier), Kerry Smith (Waterlooville), Nicola Timmins (Sene Valley), Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park).
PROFESSIONALS: Rachel Bailey (England), Corrine Dibnah (Australia), Wendy Dicks (England), Cecilia Ekelundh (Sweden), Lora Fairclough (England), Julie Forbes (Scotland), Caroline Hall (England), Sarah Heath (England), Joanne Mills (Australia), Joanne Morley (England), Nicola Moult (England), Alison Munt (Australia), Susan Parry (USA), Marta Prieto (Spain), Dale Reid (Scotland).
Great Britain & Ireland quiz
The 2004 Great Britain & Ireland Rules of Golf Quiz gets under way next month with entries expected from some 500 club teams before the April 26th closing date. Teams of four from each club will go through knockout stages from May to November, with regional finals on November 7th and 14th and the GB&I final in St Andrews on November 28th.
There will be prizes for area and regional finalists and the outright winners will receive a crystal trophy, dinner in the R&A clubhouse, a round of golf on the Old Course, overnight accommodation in the Old Course Hotel and four season tickets to The British Open.
In last year's final, Lahinch Golf Club became the first Irish club to win the quiz, beating South-East champions Ellesborough by 39-33 points. Both semi-finals were tightly contested with Lahinch enjoying pipping the Glen, representing Scotland, and Gog Magog, the Midlands winners, with one failed question creating the difference between the teams. Ellesborough similarly beat Warrington, the Northern winners, by one point with Llanishen, representing Wales, only a few points adrift.
Golfer's passport offer
The Golfing Union of Ireland have announced a special offer for users of their websites at www.gui.ie and the Golfnet site, www.golfnet.ie. Users of these sites can now avail of The Open Fairways Golfer's Passport to Ireland for a reduced rate of €125/£85. The passport entitles them to half-price green fee offers at over 200 courses in Ireland, 50 per cent off 100 Irish hotels and a host of other golfing privileges. This is a significant reduction on the usual price of €149/£99.
Speaking about the special offer Albert Lee, president of the Golfing Union of Ireland, said, "The special offer now available online will be of huge benefit to individual golfers and golf clubs in Ireland and we are happy to be able to make this available through our websites," said Albert Lee, president of the Golfing Union of Ireland.
Brophy's two aces scoop pot
It is every golfer's wish to achieve a hole-in-one, and Carlow's John Brophy will surely go into the record books with his double achievement last week. Brophy, an 11 handicapper, and partnered by his brother Eamonn, had two aces in the same round. The first came at the 162 metres sixth hole and the celebrations were still going on when he repeated the feat at the 147 metres 13th. John covered the four par threes in five under par, which included the two aces, a birdie (at the 17th) and a lone par - worth 13 points - as the pair went on to win the fourball competition with 45 points - two ahead of Willie O'Rourke and Bill Deering (Baltinglass) with Liam Quinn and Andrew Harte third on a countback.
Pairs event up and running
The International Pairs, the largest competition of its kind in the world, has already started in Ireland for the 2004 season. The event, which is run as a fourball, kicked off with two clubs, Portadown and Kilcock, running off their club qualifiers. Portadown were first into action and Milne Sloan (15) and Ken Black (13) became the first qualifiers when they led the field with 44 points. They now go on to represent Portadown in the Irish Northern Finals at Ballyliffin on September 28th.
In Kilcock, Brian Kerrigan (14) and JP Hewitt (10) also brought in 44 points and they progress to the Irish Southern Finals, which are in Faithlegg on September 30th.
Portadown and Kilcock are two of over 100 Irish clubs that have entered this year's event. Event organiser Gerry O'Hara confirms that clubs can still enter as the qualifiers don't have to be run until mid-September. Any club interested should make contact him on (0502) 30643.
Portmarnock strike early
The early bird caught the worm at the recent team event of the Irish Association of Golf Club Secretaries team event at County Louth last Friday week. Leading the 32 competing teams into action were Portmarnock. They were first on the tee at 8.0 a.m. and they set a very high standard, coming home with 86 points, a score that was not beaten for the rest of the day. Teams in the competition were made up of each club's captain, professional, secretary/manager and greenkeeper. In the end, Portmarnock had three points to spare over the rest of the field. The team of John Quigley (9), Joe McAleese (10), Ian Richie and Joey Purcell recorded a superb score, especially given the blustery conditions on the day.
Ballybunnion made their long journey to Baltray worthwhile as they claimed the runners-up spot. Dundalk were third on 79 points. All four provinces were represented on the podium with Athenry fourth on 77, while Bangor were fifth, also on 77.
