Cloverhill Golf Club - Inter club activity
The three person rumble on Sunday produced a close finish with only one point seperating the top two teams . It was Clinton McKeever, Paul McCoy and Liam Moan the first on the tee at eight who produced the winning score of 83 points to win by one frpm Colin Ferris, James Coburn and Frank Ryan.
Next Sunday is an 18 hole Major sponsored by club member Robbie Norton
INTER CLUB ACTIVITY
While our club team captains may be disadvantage with numbers to chose from in comparison to the bigger clubs we compete against ther is no doubting the quality of the pick following a weekend of terrific results away from and at home.
The Jimmy Bruen team were in action on Friday in Mannan Castle against Castlehume in the match play stages of the competition and what a match it turned out to be. After a bright winning strat from us it all went wrong in the second third as our opponents fought back. The top match saw no more than one hole in it at any time and with the teams level after 15 three pars home brought the match down the first extra hole which Colin Pilkington and Steve O Hara won to cancel the point already won by Castlehume following the defeat of Mark Keogh and Miceal McGuinness. Cloverhill went back in front with a win for Sean Campbell and David Pilkington. The overall outcome was back in the melting pot when a defeat for Jim McKay and Shane Grant left all down to the last match. Benny Tierney and Paul Owens were taking up the rear for Cloverhill and levelled their match on the last green to force extra holes in the fast fading light and descending fog. The first extra hole a par 3 was halved in fours but in an adventerous drama filled second playoff hole Paul Owens sunk the winning putt to put us through to the open draw last 16.
Playing team Captain Seamus McGivern returned his Pierce Purcell team to Downpatrick to take on Ardglass on what is regarded as their second home in matchplay for a place in the last 16 of the competition on Saturday. Conor McGivern and Seamus Tumilty lost the top match with old hands Seamus McGivern and Seamus McCoy losing the last match. Raymond Flynn and Graham McNally pulled one back before Anthony Hillen and debutant Ross Collins levelled things. Colm Trainor and Paddy Malone swept us through to the open draw stages of the competition for the very first tme by winning match four.
The two good Friday and Saturday results had the club buzzing on Sunday as the Rossmore Cup team met for the second leg of their match with Spa facing an uphill struggle having lost all four matches away from home and are also 12 holes in arrears. But with the adreneline flowing and the momentum with them they brushed aside the Spa challenge winning all four match and accumulating 14 holes in the process with three more holes out ther left spare. Raymond Flynn and Graham McNally won the top match by 2 holes but it was the young and old combination of former club Captain and President. Seamus McCoy and Ross Collins who put the first points on the board with a resounding 5& 4 win. Anthony Hillen and Seamus Tumilty weighed in with a 4& 3 win and the anchor pairing of Paddy Malone and Mark Hughes were dormie three and Cloverhill had won a remarkable match.
The Junior Cowdy team went to Kilkeel on Sunday to take on the defending champions Kilkeel in the away leg fielding no fewer than a half dozen of the octet of players making their inter-club debut. It was the Fallon brothers Peter and Padraig who notched our one point by winning the top match but with the other three pairings all reaching the last green it was a tremendous performance that will need to be repeated in the return leg next Sunday
Also in action on Sunday is the Junior Cup team at Warrenpoint.
WEDNESDAY CUP
The first week of the Crash Repair Wednesday Cup off the White markers was another very competetive affair with lots of members competiting to reach the September grand final of this competition. The front nine was the task in hand and it looked for an awful long time that Liam Harte was going into the winners enclosure for the first time having returned 22 points only for Conor McGivern pip him by a point at the death. Next week it is the back nine White that are in play.
SENIORS
. This week the 3 person Scramble went by the form book as the very strong team of Jim McDonnell, Noel Williams and Brendan Brown shot 5 birdies to run out comfortable winners. Next week is a Golfer of the Year 18 hole stableford competition.
LADIES
There will be a fun 7 holes on Tuesday evenings with all lady members encouraged to invite a friend. Next Saturday morning there is no competition as there is a four person team event in aid of the Hospice taking place.
FRIDAY OPEN
The good weather and increasing popularity of the Friday Open brought the best numbers yet for the competition.It was a Newry one-two for first and second with a Windmill needed to blow away all the hot air coming from the prizewinners who regaled blow for blow their rounds as to where one picked up or lost the point which seperated them at the end. Kieran McParland followed up his good showing of last weekend
The next open is May 28 with an Entry fee of £10 or €12 for visitors and £5 or €6 for members. Tee times must be booked.tel-02830 889374 G.U.I. CARD required. GUI Vouchers for the first three places.
OPEN SCRAMBLE
There will be an OPEN 3 PERSON SCRAMBLE on Monday May 31. Entry fee any combination is £30. Tee times must be booked tel-02830 889374
CAPTAINS DAY
The sheet for names to play in Mr Charlie O Hare's Captains Day on June 13 is posted in the clubhouse. The popularity of well known sporting personality Charlie as club captain is reflected in the number of names already on the sheet. A record number of members look set to play on the big day with the draw and tee-times being made on June 4