Turn Left for TramoreThose intrepid men and women of the National Association of Left-handed Golfers are headed to Waterford next month for the 16th staging of their National Championships. The association will pay their first visit to Tramore GC on Saturday, August 11th (10am-2pm).
The competitions will follow the usual format. The Bob Charles Trophy will be presented for the best gross, the National Trophy goes to best nett and the Martin Quinlan Trophy is awarded to best senior (over 55).
Entry is on a first-come, pre-paid basis, and forms are available at www.left-handedgolfers.com, or contact Jerry Bradley at jrbradley@eircom.net. Right-handers, male or female, are welcome to play as guests.
Greystones vacancyGreystones Golf Club general manager Jim Melody has resigned, to return to his old post as secretary manager of nearby Woodbrook Golf Club in September. Melody has been with Greystones for the past six years. Greystones is now seeking a replacement general manager, and the position has been advertised in the national papers. Applications may be sent by email to tara.mcgrane@gmb.ie.
Holmpatrick hots upThe Holmpatrick Cup, with new sponsor McInerney Homes, which has reached the County final stage, being played throughout July, teed off at Malahide with the County Dublin final last week, when Slade Valley's Colm Milner (8) and Dave Britton (12) headed the leaderboard of 18 clubs with 39 points, piping Foxrock with a better back nine of 22 points.
Michael Joyce (10) and Brandan Patton (22) won the Mayo crown at Westport with 40 points, while the Wicklow qualifiers at Delgany were Derek Gallagher (8) and Terry Smith (7) from Bray also with 40 points.
Tipp win MunsterHome side Boherlahan-Dualla GAA club from Tipperary will once again represent Munster in the final of the FBD All-Ireland Golf Challenge following their success at Dundrum GC, Co Tipperary, last week. The Munster club were last victorious in the inaugural year of the competition, 2000. Led by their captain of the winning team in 2000, Tony Lacey, playing off a handicap of 10, Boherlahan-Dualla were clear winners by seven points over Kildorrery. Lacey was joined this year by three competition debutants, Gareth McGloughlin (18), Albert Maher (15) and Seamus Hickey (15). Played in fourballs, both Lacey and McGloughlin and Maher and Hickey scored 44 points.
St Brigid's GAA club from Dublin will again represent Leinster in the final after their second successive success at Tulfarris GG.
In very heavy rain, the current champions returned two fantastic scores, which totalled 80 points to see them overcome a Rower Inistioge team, which included Kilkenny hurling legend Eddie Keher, by a solitary point.
The 40 points from Domhall O'Mahony and Martin Cahill was matched by Cian O'Mahony and Sean Duignan. John Walsh and Tommy Malone shot 44 points, with Eddie Keher and Mick Cotterell returning 35 points for the Rower Inistioge.
Carr tradition rolls onCompetition was as keen as ever in the annual East of Ireland Junior Championship over the Laytown and Bettystown links last week, where over 200 boys and girls from age six to 20 took part in the two-day event.
Some years ago, when the Carr family spent some of the summer months in Bettystown, the late JB Carr presented the Joe Carr Trophy for the under-15 boys section, which was won this year by Jeff Hopkins from Skerries with a gross 75 from Sam Devey and Ross Moore.
Continuing the Carr family tradition, Darcey Carr, granddaughter of JB and daughter of former international John, won the Laytown and Bettystown Trophy for girls under-13 by a massive 13 shots from local Jillian Smith and Co Louth's Laura Collins.
The Pee Wee Trophy for boys and girls under-eight went to Cian Cummins, with Colm Phillips second and Thomas Mulligan third, while at the other end of the age groups Aimee Wickham won the Under-21 girls' trophy and Graham Callaghan from Seapoint the boys' under-19 title.
Templemore winTemplemore became the first Tipperary club to win the Munster Section of the AA Insurance Junior Cup when they beat Tralee in convincing fashion in Ennis on Saturday. Josie Bourke put Templemore on the road to victory with a 5 and 3 win over Cora O'Mahony, to be followed with wins by Kathleen Maher and Mary Lou Carroll.
Kinsale turned the tables on Templemore, beating them in the Minor Cup, with East Cork and Lee Valley bringing two further titles to Cork.
East Cork overcame the challenge of Ardfert in the Intermediate Cup, while Lee Valley won their first pennant, taking the Challenge Cup in the closest contest of the day. Deirdre O'Mahony was the Lee Valley heroine, winning her match on the 19th with the sides tied two matches apiece.
Blazing CulhaneThe Island's Kathleen Culhane has been blazing a trail in recent times. It all began when she teamed up with Mary Quinn to win the Lancôme qualifying at her home club to progress to the national finals in Killarney in October.
Then, in the week of Alice Shortall's Lady Captain's Prize, she played on the senior foursomes team for the Island in Forrest Little, before shooting 36 points, off a handicap of 13, on the opening day of the Lady Captain's Prize in what were wet and windy conditions. The next day her dedication to her club was seen as she played a Junior Cup match for The Island against Skerries. And the very next day, in the second day of the Lady Captain's Prize, she had 39 points, once again in tough conditions, to win by six shots from Angie Dwyer.
Williams storm CastleThe Castle's vice-captain, John Williams, and his son, Scott, used local knowledge to good effect last week as they claimed victory in the 47th annual All-Ireland Father and Son Open Foursomes event. In Sunday's final, John (4) and Scott (16) were 5 and 4 winners over Rory (16) and Emmet (9) MacMahon of Rathsallagh.
This year's competition, sponsored by Cocoon Headstart Centres, again proved a huge success with over 500 golfers from 81 clubs participating. Scott Williams has been taking his golf seriously this season and no doubt picked up a few tops caddying for clubmate Dara Lernihan in several of this season's big amateur events. Dara retained the Leinster Youths last week. In the competition, Milltown captain Jody Fanagan (who famously figured in a foursomes win over Tiger Woods in the 1995 Walker Cup) reached the quarter-finals with his father, Joe. By winning the event, the Williams duo became the first pair from the host club to win in seven years.
Celts for TulfarrisThe second event of the Celtic Pro Tour in Ireland sees Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort host the Wicklow Open next Monday and Tuesday, July 23rd and 24th.
Golfers from Ireland can still join the tour and there is no annual membership for Irish professionals. Golfers wishing to enter next week's event at Tulfarris or those seeking more details should contact with tour director Rhydian Thomas on 0044 7861 686568 or register at www.celticpro.com by this Saturday July 21st at 5pm.
Keep an eye on AmyThey have high hopes for Amy Gaynor in Co Sligo Golf Club. Although only 15 years of age, she is playing highly consistent golf and it has seen her handicap drop steadily. In the past week alone she has dropped two shots courtesy of a fine performance in a 36-hole Under-18 competition in Loughrea, where she was beaten on the second 18 for the top nett prize.
In her own club she was third behind first-time major winner Deirdre Connolly (30) in Michael McNamara's Captain's prize to Ladies, while last month she won the prestigious June Cup, first presented in 1951. Her handicap has is now done to 19.
Smyth leads SeniorsVal Smyth from Co Louth, the recently crowned Irish Seniors Amateur Open Champion, heads Ireland's team for the European Seniors Team Championship, which will be played at Bled Golf Club, Slovenia, on August 15th-18th.
Ireland finished runners-up to Scotland in last year's inaugural event, played in Finland, when 16 countries took part.
IRELAND:Nigel Duke (Killiney), Tony Goode (Lucan), Maurice Kelly (Killeen), Seamus McParland (Greenore), Hugh Smyth (Mourne), Val Smyth (Co Louth). The team will be captained by Lindsay Shanks.
skeenan@irish-times.ie
