Campbell pitching for fourIreland's number one ranked Pitch and Putt player, Peggy Campbell, will be seeking a fourth consecutive national Ladies championship when she leads the field at Lakewood in July. Campbell will be out to equal the record held by the only player to achieve the four timer - Clare Keating in 1960.
Shandon's Maree O'Toole will also be in the field 20 years after she lost a play-off for the championship on the last occasion it was held at the Ovens, Co Cork, venue in 1983.
The season will tee-off with the National Matchplay finals over the June bank holiday weekend at Lucan, while the men's National Strokeplay championships are at Tullamore in July.
The National Juvenile weekend will also be held in Cork this year - at the ESB club in the city, where all three titles will be defended by Cork players. Cork are the reigning Intercounty champions, while Brian Allen (St Stephen's) and Valerie Leahy (Rocklodge) hold the respective boys' and girls' strokeplay titles. Fermoy play host to the National Mixed event while the Intercounty championship will be played at Ryston, Newbridge, in September. And a week later Ireland will defend their European Team championship trophy against Britain, Catalonia, France, Holland, Italy, Norway and San Marino at the McDonagh club in Kildare.
A natural in Nenagh
Andrew Brennan, a 15-year-old junior member of the Nenagh club in Tipperary, will be hoping that 2003 brings the same reward as the year just past. Brennan was playing off 22.3 when he started his remarkable run that saw him finish 2002 with a handicap of 6.3 - a reduction of 16 shots. Brennan resides just a mile from the club and during school holidays and at weekend's spends hours practising under the watchful eye of club professional Robert Kelly.
Greenore hope to go pro
Having not had a professional since the 1960s when Jimmy Cassidy - father of Yvonne - was in the position, Greenore Golf Club in Co Louth are to begin the search for a new one. The club are convinced that the appointment of a PGA professional will benefit them, especially with the development and progress of their juveniles and various club teams. It is hoped that in the near future a short-list will be compiled and that the necessary steps can be taken to make the appointment as soon as possible. Greenore's John McGinn won the Irish Amateur Close Championship in Carlow last June beating Ken Kearney of Roscommon in the final.
