Mount Juliet Golf Notes

Next week sees the start of The Winter Series which opens with a 4 Person Team Event next Wednesday. This year’s series will played in association with a new sponsor, Marble City Travel, James Street, Kilkenny, who have replaced Waterford Crystal and all concerned are looking forward to a competitive and enjoyable tournament with the Grand Final down for decision next March.

The programme for the series will include fourballs, scrambles, rumbles and team events and most of the competitions will be 3 person events with the opening and closing competitions 4 person events. There will be prizes for each day with the winners qualifying for the final on 30th March next.

The Member/Guest Fourball Betterball Stableford took place last Sunday and there was a very good entry for this competition. The winners had a great score of 45 points and as they say in horseracing terms won “pulling up” by 5 shots from their nearest opponents.

Winners — H. O’Connor (13)
— ——— — S. O’Connor (17)   - 45 points
Second — -J. O’Neill (12)
— — – —— S. Gleeson (12)       40 points
Third — —-P. Quigley (7)
— — -.-.—–R. Garvey (25)        38 points (last nine)

Next week sees the last “major” for the lady members with the running of the Lady President’s prize on Thursday 9th October. Members can reserve a tee time by phoning reservations or booking “on line” for this competition.

The final monthly medal for 2008 was played for last Sunday and it also decided the outcome of the Golfer of the Year for both the ladies and the men.

There were no dramatic changes to either competition with the leaders remaining in charge of their destiny.  Stephen Price and Mary Quigley will be crowned champions this weekend with the husband and wife combination of Andrew and Rebecca Nixon runners up in both sections.

This Saturday Andrew Nixon will do battle with Pat Price Sr. to decide the McCalmont Cup Matchplay champion but regardless whether he wins or not Andrew cannot overtake Stephen Price in the Golfer of the Year competition.  So well done to both Mary and Stephen on their achievements and this brings Stephen his “back to back” trophy as he won in 2007 as well. Mary, who only started playing competitive golf last year, has won in her “rookie year” and has reduced her handicap by a massive 13 shots in that time.

Because of the late arrival of “Summer”, coupled with the All Ireland Football Final and the Ryder Cup there was a smaller than usual entry for the medal.  However, these distractions did not affect the competitors of the day where Alan Byrne, Andrew Nixon, Michael Costello and Sandra Carr were worthy winners in their various categories.  There was also the postponed O2 Trophy for the ladies played as well and this went to Sally Gleeson with 34 points.
Results September Monthly Medal:
Category 1        Alan Byrne (9)                 35 points
Category 2        Andrew Nixon (12)            33 points (last 6)
Category 3        Michael T. Costello (17)     36 points
Ladies               Sandra Carr (21)              35 points
O2 Trophy         Sally Gleeson (12)            34 points

Next Sunday sees the resumption of the Member/Guest series with a fourball betterball stableford down for decision and at this stage the timesheet is almost full.

As is the timesheet for the first of the Winter Series, which takes place on Wednesday 8th October with a 4 person team event, with only some early morning times available.

Miele All Ireland Ladies Fourball / National Putting Championships & the new Winter Series for 2008/2009

Last weekend saw the Miele All Ireland Ladies Fourball decided at Mount Juliet with the ladies from Galway Golf Club playing the Northern winners Cushendall from Co. Antrim in one semi-final and local hopes Faithlegg taking on Donabate in the other semi-final.

Both semi-finals were played on Saturday in ideal conditions which is more than can be said for the final.  Both Galway and Faithlegg had easy victories over their opponents and they went head to head in the final which was played on Sunday.  In the final, victory went to the ladies from Faithlegg who won rather easily in the end in atrocious conditions with continuous rain falling throughout the whole evening.

Galway ladies had Kilkenny connections as their Lady President Mary Hanlon, originally hails from Kieran Street and she was one of the McAdams family whose father worked in the Monster House many years ago.

The Winter Series 2008/2009 was launched last week and the dates and formats between now and Christmas are as follows;

8th October 4 Person Team Event
23rd October Fourball Betterball Stableford
6th November 3 Person Rumble
20th November 3 Person Champagne Scramble
4th December 3 Person Team Event
17th December 3 Person Rumble

Mount Juliet is delighted to welcome a new sponsor for the event with Marble City Travel, James Street, Kilkenny coming on board for their first venture into the world of golf  sponsorship.  The time sheet for all events is open at present and tee reservations can be made by phoning 056 7773064 or 7773071.

Next Sunday sees the September Monthly Medal down for decision and this is the last competition for the Golfer of the Year in both the ladies and men’s section.

Both leaders, Mary Quigley and Stephen Price, seem to have a strong grip on both trophies at this stage and their nearest opponents, husband and wife pairing of Rebecca and Andrew Nixon, will do well to wrest the trophies from the leaders grasps.

Last Saturday the National Putting Championship was held on the 18 hole Championship Putting Green. The winner after a “sudden death” playoff was local golfer Niall O’ Sullivan from Callan Golf Club who beat Niall Duggan, representing Abbott Golf Society on a tie hole after both players finished locked together after 27 holes.  In third place was the former winner Pat Foley from Borris Golf Club.

Winner Niall O’Sullivan, (Callan Golf Club)
Second Niall Duggan, (Abbott Golf Society)
Third Pat Foley, (Borris Golf Club)

Niall Duggan-second, Lady Captain Rita Garvey, Niall O'Sullivan-winner, Pat Foley-third