AGOOD WALK
Golf round-up
AFTER 34 rounds of competition in the Avada Environmental, Newry sponsored Golfer of the Year, the eventual overall winner Neil Smyth (9) needed a final-hole birdie to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Neil had been knocked off top spot on Saturday by Daniel Hughes (5), but his terrific (under the most severe pressure) birdie at the par-5 18th hole bagged him the most precious three points of the season as it helped him to a winning total of 559 to overtake Daniel by a single point. The 2020 Golfer of the Year Neil Smyth receives free membership for 2021.
There was some small consolation for runner-up Dan as he was the Category 1 winner. Category 2 went to Adrian Doran, Category 3 to Conor McNulty and Category 4 to Stephen McClelland, with all four winners receiving £100 off their 2021 membership.
Full result: Overall winner Neil Smyth 559pts, 2nd Daniel Hughes 558, 3rd Shane Grant 555. Category One: 1st Daniel Hughes 558, 2nd Shane Grant 555, 3rd Ross Mulpeter 551; Category 2: 1st Neil Smyth 559, Winner Adrian Doran 536, 2nd Stephen Cunningham 530, 3rd Ryan Morgan 530; Category 3: 1st Conor McNulty 542, 2nd Paul Lambert 531, 3rd Aidan Clarke 506; Category 4: 1st Stephen McClelland 534, 2nd Colum Quinn 518, 3rd Rory Sheridan 513.
The weather played havoc with the Six-Person Team Championship - so much so that that the opening week of play had to be re-scheduled to start yesterday (Monday).
The 12-hole competition, played off the forward Green Markers and using half of your club handicap (as it was before November 1st) has created huge interest, with 33 teams vying for eight quarter-final places that are on offer for the top eight team scores. The qualifiers will then engage in a quarter-final match play knockout to see who will be crowned the inaugural Cloverhill Team Championship winners.
For those members not participating in the league, your weekly competition will be over the same course and governed by the same set of rules.
Our sought-after massive turkey and ham, as first and second prizes, are supplemented with a bottle of spirits and a bottle of wine for the best four cards weekly. Weekly competition entry is €4, with a repeat card €2.
When the weather put paid to the playing of last week’s BC Electrics, Dundalk sponsored Friday Open, for the month of October it proved a double bonus for Pauric Dowdall (12). The Mannan Castle golfer had won the previous Friday Open with 43 points which ultimately proved to be the best visitor score of the month and that earned him an extra €100 bonus.
Once again, we are extremely grateful to club member Charlie McShane for his very generous sponsorship of our very popular Friday Open competition, which runs from March to October.
Our November Friday Open Series will be held on the 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th. The first three Fridays will all be qualifying days for the Grand Final which will take place on the 27th.
The top 40 scores (plus ties) from the three qualifying Fridays will form the line-up for the Grand Final, for which the following prizes will be on offer: Winner €150, runner-up €125, 3rd €100, 4th €75, 5th €50. November Series Entry; Members €7, Visitors €15. Book on BRS or ring the club at 30 889580/889374.
Wednesday was the best day of the week weather-wise and it provided the ideal setting as 42 juveniles assembled for the final of the Golf Sixes.
Under the guidance of PGA Professional Keith Shannon along with a band of enthusiastic parents and members to help, a terrific morning was had by all.
A marker accompanied each fourball team as they played a scramble over the six holes of varying length, expertly set out by Colin. In all seven teams had qualified for the Grand Final and the excitement was at fever pitch as they made their way to the first tee.
The scoring format and rules for the Golf Sixes are such that competition is designed to be close run affairs and so it proved at Cloverhill, with only two points between the top three teams who all received a Golf Sixes prize bag.
There were no real winners or losers on the day as all those who took part received golf prizes and a Halloween goodie bag.
Result: Senan Devlin, Caolan McCourt, Jimmy Grant, Tomas Kirwan 44pts; Jude Kelly, Patrick Traynor, Eoin Traynor, Leo O’Rourke 43pts; Charlie Murphy, Patrick Bennett, Josh Horan, Thomas Grant 42pts; Alanah Murchan, Maggie Boden, Jessica McCreesh, Harry McNamee 41pts; Cameron Kilcoyne, Ruairi Kirwan, Sean Haughey, Michael McCreesh 41pts; Ethan Lavelle, Liam Boyle, Daniel Halpenny, Fergal Conlon 41pts; Danny Murchan, Padraig Grant, Cillian McCreesh, Lorcan Kirwan 41pts.