A look at some golf events around the country, compiled by Shay Keenan and Kevin McKenna
Lahinch progress to Rules grand final: Lahinch Golf Club will again represent Ireland in the final of the Britain and Ireland Rules of Golf Quiz at St Andrews later this month. At the All-Ireland finals at the Grange GC last week Lahinch defeated Rathfarnham in the final.
In the first semi-final, the defending champions beat County Meath GC by 43 points to 41 while Rathfarnham GC overcame Roe Park GC by 41 points to 35. In the final, Lahinch GC held a comfortable lead at the mid-point and went on to defeat Rathfarnham GC by 40 points to 32.
The grand final will take place in the Big Room of the R&A Clubhouse in St Andrews on Sunday, November 28th. The team of John Turner (captain), Austin Davis, Kevin Glynn and Thomas Neenan, along with reserve John Skerritt jnr, will travel to Scotland where they will meet five other regional winners from the UK. Rathfarnham were represented by Alan Hood, Tom O'Donnell, Neville Shekleton and Robert Walsh.
Ballyclare's European adventure: All-Ireland Senior Cup champions Ballyclare GC finished in 14th place in last week's European Club Cup Trophy at the Glyfaden GC in Athens. Without the services of Johnny Foster, who joined the professional ranks after Ballyclare's success at Shannon, Robert Forsyth, Simon McConnell and Stephen Rea finished on 468 (best two cards to count in each of the three rounds). The event was won by the Netherlands champions De Houtrak GC with 434 - six shots ahead of Racing Club de Paris with Spain's Real GC de Las Palmas third also on 440. The best individual award went to Rafeel Cabrera of Spain on 216 with the Netherlands pair of Robin Swaine and Renier Saxton tieing for second on 218.
Lowe highlights at The Island: One of The Island's most popular women members has completed a golfing season she, or indeed the club itself, will not forget. Eileen Lowe has had one of those successful campaigns that most of us can only dream of and not surprisingly it led to her being a worthy winner of the golfer of the year title at the club. It all began early in the season when she won the matchplay event at the North Dublin Ladies Alliance, but little did she know what kind of season she was in for after that early success.
Having started the year playing off a handicap of 14, she ended the campaign playing off nine. Amazingly she won three medal competitions in March, June and September. But that wasn't all. She also won the medal final and the pendant that goes with that success. She also won the Silver Spoon, the Silver medal as well as the three other trophies at The Island - the Blood Trophy, the Hayes Cup and the Moore Cup. It all added up to an incredible season and the golfer of the year trophy. Surely that has to rank as one of the most successful years ever for a golfer, be it in The Island or any golf club around the country.
Slattery shines for IRFU: The eighth annual golf outing between the four major sporting organisations, the GUI, the GAA, the IRFU and the FAI, provided some high scoring on a perfect day at the Portmarnock Links last Wednesday. On a day ideal for good scoring, the way was led by Padraig Slattery.
Playing off a handicap of five, the son of the late Lahinch professional Brud Slattery, representing the Rugby Union, shot a highly-impressive 39 stableford points to comfortably win the overall prize in the event hosted by the GAA.
It was the fourth time the Rugby Union had scooped the main award in the eight-year history of this popular golfing get together, Paddy O'Donoghue winning in 1997, Niall Brophy in 1998 and Willo Murphy in 2001.
Top scorer for the GAA was Tom Cunningham with 30 points with Tipperary hurling goalkeeper and winner of this year's Poc Fada competition Brendan Cummins second on 29 points. Gerry O'Brien's 35 points were best for the Golfing Union section, Niall Brophy took the Rugby Union prize with 29 points, with Paul Smith best of the FAI squad with 36 points.
