There will be cause for celebration on three golf courses in Mayo this week as they have been included in the Golf Digest Volvo Top 100 ranked Irish golf courses for 2012. Carne Golf Links in Belmullet has climbed four places from last year’s list to number 21 in the rankings, with the two other Mayo clubs making the list being Westport at number 56, down 11 spots from 2011, and Ballinrobe moving up one to number 90.
Balla
Michael Neary with a score of 40pts was the winner of the club competition last weekend; he finished five points in front of Vinny Gibbons in second place and PJ Brett in third. The ladies’ competition was won by Pat Dillon with a score of 37 points, Kitty O’Connor came home in second one point behind and Mary Conlon finished in third place. The final presentation took place in Durkan’s Bar last week where the outgoing Captains John O’Connor and Delia O’Hara presented the perpetual cups and other prizes to the winners.
Ballina
The second round of the Winter League was won by the team of Peter Quinn, Greg Battle, Ray McNamara and Rory Tighe with a nett score of 54. The Captain’s Dinner takes place in the clubhouse tonight (Friday ) at 8.30 pm. Tickets for the function are very reasonably priced at €20 each and are available from the office or from any committee member.
The final of the club single match play was completed last week with Liam Casey playing off a handicap of six and Darren Flaherty playing off nine going head to head. Both of these players represented Ballina Golf Club on this year's Junior Cup team so it was always going to be a tight affair. After an epic battle that is exactly how it turned out, with Liam Casey eventually proving victorious by winning the first play-off hole on the 19th. Well done to both players on a marvellous match.
Ballyhaunis
Last weekend’s competition, which was sponsored by McGrath’s Growlime, Cong, was won by Liam Rochford with a score of 41pts. Tadhg Buckley was close behind him in second place with Karl Coyne third. The ladies’ competition was won by Joan McGuire with Mariette Potgieter second, and the junior prize was claimed by Padraic Cunnane.
Castlebar
Last weekend Castlebar golf club had 47 teams playing in Cox’s winter league
With ideal weather conditions and the course in superb condition scoring was very hot. The winning score of 95 points went to the team of John Mitchell and this matched the best score posted this year. In second place finishing one point behind on 94 was Eamonn Smith, with the big hitting Eugene Caulfield he made life easy for the rest of the team.
In third place on 92 points was Joe Bernie’s squad, with Seamus Cuffe’s team in fourth. Next weekend will see the fifth round being played of the Cox’s Winter League and then there will be a break till early 2012. The Annual Dinner Dance will take place in the clubhouse on November 25. Contact the clubhouse for tickets; they will be limited to a number so book early.
Claremorris
Tadhg Mullin was the winner of the 15-hole winter alliance last weekend with a score of 37pts, he finished three points in front of Pat Coyne in second place and Myles Forde was third. The ladies’ 12-hole alliance was won by Ann Moran with a score of 21pts. The club AGM takes place on Friday November 25.
Mulranny
Round four of the Mulranny Park Hotel Winter League was completed at the weekend. Most of the best scores were recorded on Thursday and Saturday as Sunday conditions proved very testing, or was it the after effects of the dinner dance? Only five points separate the leading five teams. The team of Dwayne Flynn, John McHugh, Noel O’Malley, and Enda Lonergan lead on 266 pts but only by one point from Fergus Rothwell, Paddy Chambers, JJ Kelly, and Martin O’Carroll. The big movers this week are Rod Wood, Thomas Gallagher, Alexis Loftus, and Owen Gallagher who fill third place with 264 pts, closely followed by Padraic McVann, George Reilly, Richard Keane, and Patsy Noone on 263 pts The team of Liam Walsh, Christy McDonnell, JJ Mulchrone, and John Feeney on 262 pts are well in contention. With bonus points on offer for the leading qualifiers, the remaining teams will be keen not to lose further ground next week.
The Centra Store, Newport sponsored stableford competition, run in conjunction with the league, was won by Rod Wood with a fabulous score of 38 pts followed by John McHugh on 37pts with Padraic McVann filling third spot on 36 pts.
Westport
Members are advised that the 2012 subscription charges will be decided at the club AGM which was scheduled to take place last night. The new charges can be paid from Friday onwards. Noel McHugh and Peter Moran’s teams are setting the pace in their respective groups in the gents’ winter league. In the opening two rounds of the competition, both teams have recorded two podium finishes. The league table is on the new website and members can view the current top five in each group.
