THE 2022 CLAREGOLF CHAMPIONSHIP season has been the most successful to date.
Since 2007, Claregolf has provided a very successful junior competitions structure in Co Clare for up-and-coming junior golfers. This structure provides fun events for juniors as young as eight years, playing a nine-hole short course series on measured, age-appropriate courses.
When these juniors reach the age of thirteen, they then graduate to play in the Parkland, Links, and County Matchplay Championships, which are played on standard-length courses
The purpose of these County competitions is to provide competitive experience and confidence for young Clare golfers, boys and girls, whose future ambitions are to take part in various Golf Ireland junior and adult championships and Inter Club matches. This year alone, sixteen juniors from Co Clare traveled around the country to take part in these events.
The final event of this year’s calendar was the County Matchplay Championships which took place at Dromoland Castle over the bank holiday weekend. Qualification to take part in this event was as a result of finishing first and second within the age groups U13, U14, U16, and U18 in the Parkland Championships which took place earlier in the year at East Clare golf club.
The Matchplay finals were played in great spirit and the two top matches went down the 18th and 19th holes in order to decide the winners. The 2022 Matchplay winners were; U13 MJ Hehir, Spanish Point, U14 Donnacha Halpin, Shannon, U16 Niall Melody, Dromoland Castle, and U18 Tom Clancy, Kilrush.
Dromoland Golf Club:
There was a big entry for the men’s and ladies Christmas hampers competitions at Dromoland where the format was singles stableford.
The winner of the men’s event, with 45 points, was Conor Finnucane and he had one to spare over Shane Ryan.
They were followed by Joe Walsh with 40 points, John Casey with 39 points, Brendan Spicer with 38 points, Noel Purcell with 38 points and Diarmuid O’Connor with 38 points. Seamus Cusack, with 42 points, won the gross.
In the ladies hampers competition, Dervla O’Neill won category 1 with 45 points from Joan Ryan with 39 and Katrina O’Neill with 38.
The category 2 winner was Ann McMahon with 34 points from Deirdre Cooney with a similar score while Sandra Moylan was third with 33 points.
Week five of the men’s 9 hole competition (October 5 and 12) was won by Patrick McCoy with 22 points from Neil Slattery with 21 and Derek McCoy with 21. Derek McCoy was the winner for the weeks of October 17 and 24 with 22 points from Brendan Lennon with 21 and Shane Collins with 20.
The end of September competition was won by Patrick McCoy with 21 points from Rob Kelly with 20 and Declan Burke with 20.
Last week’s men’s seniors competition saw John O’Shaughnessy win category A from Con Ryan with Jimmy McManus in third spot. In category B, Jimmy Neville was the winner from James Linnane with Philip Hehir in third spot.
Ennis Golf Club:
Last week’s ladies competition at Ennis was won by Mary T McMahon (23) with 39 points. She had two to spare over Mary McMahon (22) with Helen Harnett (28) in third spot with 34 points. Kitty Morris (14) won the gross with 16 points.
Celia O’Reilly (16) won the 9 hole competition with 21 points from Pat Leacy (19) who had 16 points.
This week’s 9 hole stableford competition was won by Patrice Ryan (18) with 22 points from Della Burns (10) with 16 points and Loretto Torpey (19) with 15 points.
Last week’s senior ladies competition was won by Frances O’Reilly, Eileen J. Corry, and Ann White with 49.6 from Claire Ruane, Carmel Verling and Brid Cunningham with 53. In third place with 54.8 were Pat Leacy, Ann Casey and Mary Gardiner.
In the previous week’s competition the winners were Liz Kelly, Geraldine 0’Mahony and Alice D’arcy with 50.3 followed by Frances O’Reilly, Betty O’Reilly and Brid Cunningham with 51.4 while third place was filled by Maeve O’Grady, Ann Casey and Margaret Flanagan with 51.8.
The weekend’s men’s fourball competition was won by Aaron Burke (17) and Alan Ryan (21) with 46 points from Patrick Cuddy (19) and Seamus McEnery (5) with 46 points. Brendan Nevin (27) and Andrew Turner (14) were third with 45 points followed by Ronan Herbert (3) and Frankie Meaney (12) with 44 points.
Kilrush Golf Club:
Sunday’s men’s singles competition at Kilrush was won by Neil Browne (5) with 41 points from Michael F. Ryan (7) with 39. In third spot with 38 points was Robert Kirwan (12) followed by Geremiah Brennan (11) with 35 points.
Gort Golf Club:
The Bank holiday weekend men’s singles competition at Gort saw Gerry Donaldson (10) win category 1 with 43 points. Ritchie Glynn (13) was the winner of category 2 with 41 points, John Kelleher (18) won category 3 with 38 points and Gary Kavanagh (25) won category 4 with 40 points.
Last week’s women’s mini hampers 13 hole stableford competition was won by Marcella Killeen (24) with 29 points from Sara Broderick (22) with a similar score. In third spot was Shauna Burke (18) with 28 points.
In the Halloween surprise competition the winner was Marcella Killeen with 89 from Della Lally with 83, Phil Mulkerrins with 82, Siobhan Forde with 81, Anne Connolly with 80, Evelyn Fahey with 79, Margaret Whelan with 78, Patricia Wynne with 77, Mary Dervan with 75 and Joan Fogarty with 73.
Fanny O’Dea’s society:
Gort was the venue for an outing for members of the Fanny O’Dea’s golf society on Saturday when participants had to contend with windy conditions.
Alan Jackson (18) was the winner of the Jamesie Meere sponsored outing with 42 points and he had one to spare over T.J. Monahan (24) with third place filled by Tim Shanahan (27) with 38 points. James Whelan (21) was fourth with 36 points with Declan Kelly(21) in fifth place with 35 points.
Cathal Talty was the scramble winner while Paul Faughnan won nearest the pin with Brian Kilker winning the long drive prize.
Sixmilebridge Society:
Loughrea was the venue on Saturday for the Sixmilebridge society’s final outing of 2022. This was the Kevin Whelan memorial outing and the winner was Enda Quinlan from Barry Deasy with Denis Mulqueen in third spot followed by David Purcell.
John Chaplin won the front nine while Joe Murphy won the back nine. Adam Merriman won the golfer of the year award and the prizes will be presented at the society’s annual quiz night which will take place at Gleeson’s bar on Friday November 25.
East Clare Golf Club:
The winners of the ladies Wednesday competition at East Clare were Evelyn Skehan, Mary Stritch and Kate Doyle from Breda McCarthy, Marie A. Kelly and Phil Burke.
In the senior men’s competition last week the winners were Brian Corry, Tony McNulty and John Nihill from Jim Bradley, Michael Moloney and Tom Larkin with third spot filled by Terry Coughlan, Christy O Dea and John Farrell.
The Friday mixed scramble continues every Friday morning at 10 a.m.
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