Mount Juliet Golf Notes

The Winter Series was played last week and this resulted in a win for three friends from Laois and Kilkenny who returned a winning score of 78 points. The format was a three person rumble over 18 holes and the winners had a comfortable victory over the opposition. The next round of the series takes place on Wednesday 7th December and tee reservations for this competition can be made by telephoning 056 7773071.

Last Sunday saw the Member/Guest competition over 16 holes for hampers. The format was a fourball stableford and the winners scored an impressive 40 points. They were two shots clear of their nearest rivals who scored 38 points each. Conditions were good for scoring with no rain but the course played long after the heavy rainfall on Friday. The winners, Gerard Magee and his guest, Paul Lawlor, scored 23 points for the first nine holes and added a further 17 points on the last seven holes. The runners-up also scored 23 points on their first nine holes but could only manage a further 15 points on their homeward journey. This was sufficient to beat the third pairing on a countback.

Results Winter Series

Winners

Shay Quinn (14) (The Heritage)

James Farrell (7) (Kilkenny)

Lar Ryan (8) (Rathdowney) 78 points

Member/Guest Fourball Stableford

Winners
Gerard Magee (18)
Paul Lawlor (8) 40 points

Second
Sean O’Neill (14)
Liam Duggan (12) 38 points

Third
Alan Hearn (9)
Maurice Neligan (11) 38 points

There were two competitions played during last week and both were 18 hole singles stableford. The first one took place on last Wednesday for members and the second one took place on Saturday and this was a Member/Guest competition. On Wednesday last Alan Hearne, who has had a wonderful year of golf, was again the winner with a score of 37 points. Alan’s handicap has come tumbling down this year and he has now reached single figures, quite a commendable feat. Alan had nines of 18 and 19 points respectively and was two shots clear of his nearest opponent, Tom Mulcahy, who returned 35 points. The C.S.S. for this competition was 36 points and so Alan will reduce his handicap even further before the end of the year.

On Saturday last the Member/Guest competition was won by Robert Brassil on a countback from Ted Hoyne with both players returning 35 points. The weather on Saturday was testing for all golfers and it was a precursor for Sunday’s weather. With the testing conditions the C.S.S. for Saturday was 34 points.

This Thursday sees the resumption of the Winter Series and the competition will be an 18 holes singles which is an open to all golfers and tee times can be reserved by phoning the golf shop.

Results Wednesday 19th October 18 hole Singles

Winner Alan Hearne (9) 37 points

Second Tom Mulcahy (17) 35 points

Results Saturday 22nd October 18 hole Singles

Winner Robert Brassil (3) (Rathsallagh) 35 points

Second Ted Hoyne (9) (Gowran Park) 35 points

The last of the Golfer of the Year competition was played last Saturday and this was the final of the McCalmont Cup match play between Amelia Drumm and Jeff Howes. Amelia was in receipt of 13 strokes based on handicaps and this proved to be too much of a burden for Jeff who had to succumb on the 17th hole, but not after a match of some drama and fluctuating scores. Amelia was 3 down after three holes and the signs were ominous but to her credit she fought back in determined fashion to turn her deficit into a winning lead of two holes after the completion of nine holes. She then continued her winning ways by standing on the 13th tee four up only to lose the long par four but hit back straight away by winning the par three 14th to be dormie in the match. But Jeff was not to capitulate so easily and he proceeded to win the 15th and 16th to reduce the deficit but to be fair to Amelia she closed out the match on the long 17th with a half to end what was a fantastic year for her and she also clinched the Golfer of the Year.

The Lady Captain’s (Margaret Twomey) Team took on the Captain’s (James J. Brett) Team in the annual challenge last Sunday with the format being over 18 holes singles stableford. The best eight cards of each team counted and the Lady Captain’s Team prevailed on the day by a score of 266 points to 260 points. Best score of the day was returned by John Browne with 39 points with Lynda Hickey returning the best score of 32 points for the ladies and Frank Kelly scoring 37 points for the men.

The last round of the Summer Series was played last week and this resulted in an emphatic win for a team of Cork based golfers from Kanturk Golf Club who returned a great score of 99 points to win by a margin of 5 shots from their nearest rivals. The winning team had scores of 50 points and 49 points respectively for each nine holes as against the runners-up score of 46 points and 48 points for their nines. The runners-up team, again almost all Cork based, got through by virtue of a better back nine holes score. The first round of the Winter series commences in October with the same format as heretofore i.e., four person team event, any combination, with two scores to count on all holes.

Results Summer Series Wednesday 21st September

Winners

M. Hickey (17) Kanturk G.C.

D. Kiely (17)

J. Tobin (22)

T. Walsh (16) 99 points

Runners-Up

K. Anderson (17) Fermoy G.C.

T. Baker (15)

G. Dolan (16) Ring of Kerry G.C.

K. Gould (19) Mitchelstown G.C. 94 points