Balla
Last Sunday the captain’s drive in (John O’Connor ) took place in Balla Golf Club, which kicked off the official start of the 2011 season. A guess the length of the combined drive in competition took place after the drive in of O’Connor and lady captain Delia O’Hara. Half of the proceeds went to the winner with the other half going to a local charity. The winner on the day was Bridget McNamee. The drive in was followed by a three ball scramble which had more than 100 entrants and was sponsored by Abbeybreaffy nursing home. The winners of the competition were the team of Conor Holian, Seamus Holian and Breda Cleary. The midweek scrambles will tee off for the first time on Wednesday April 6.
Ballina
The 2011 drive off competition which was sponsored by Terry Campbell was held on Sunday March 27 with some 120 players taking to the course. The winner on the day was Malcolm Nash with a score of 61 nett, Michael Brady came home in second place with 63 nett, and Clive Gilmartin finished the competition in third place on 64 nett. This Sunday’s competition is an 18-hole single Stableford competition sponsored by the Ballina Tile and Paint Centre, a time sheet for the competition is on the club notice board. The club is holding a fundraising classic on Saturday April 9, with the entry fee being €100 per team of four players, there will be lots of valuable prizes on offer and all club members are urged to participate.
Ballyhaunis
In last weekend’s Stableford competition, the ladies’ section was won by Anne Freeley with a score of 42pts, second place went to Ann Greenaway who finished four points further back. In the gents’ competition, John Burke was the winner with a score of 45pts, Seamus Swift was second on 43pts, with Eddie Murphy third one point behind Swift.
Castlebar
In the ladies’ competition last weekend, Nuala McGowan was the winner coming home just ahead of Mary Gibbons. Joan Harney came third and Flavia Cafolla fourth. In the Rockys Lounge and Boyden Cup men’s competition the duo of Charlie Muldoon and Shane O’Connor were the winners on 43pts. They finished just one point in front of Frank Starken and Barry Redmond in second place. This weekend sees action in the Allied Financial 18 hole competition, the Phyxers on Monday, on Tuesday there is an open day competition in the club. On Wednesday a ladies competition will tee off and on Thursday next the ladies’ minor side will be action in the cup against Ballina.
Mulranny
William McDonnell with a fantastic score of 59 net was the clear winner of the free sub golfer of the year competition at Mulranny Links on Sunday. He finished six shots ahead of Dwayne Flynn, with Frank Moran in third place with a 66 and Michael J Fallon fourth on 67 (B9 ). Padraic McVann recorded a hole in one on the eighth. Next Sunday's competition is a Stableford and is sponsored by Horkan’s Garden Centre, Turlough, Castlebar. The club would like to extend deepest sympathy to greenskeeper, Ronan Mulvey, on the death of his mother.
Westport
New layout at Westport Golf Club
Following a recent directive from the Golfing Union of Ireland, a hastily convened and poorly attended men’s committee meeting passed a number of necessary changes to the current Hawtree designed course layout at Westport Golf Club. Many felt at the meeting that the GUI directive, insisting that all clubs intending to stage sanctioned events must now have a par of 72 with a par 36 outward 9 as well as a par 36 homeward 9, was unnecessary and might even be considered a retrograde step for the development of amateur golf.
The GUI was informed of both decisions and has sanctioned this Sunday’s competition using the new course layout, which for the gents’ club will be the start of the season where no relief will be in play.
