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Dates for your Diary -
Captains Drive in - Saturday 4th March 12.00 noon
Lady Captains Day 1 Tuesday 4th July, Day 2 Saturday 8th July
Presidents Qualifier - Saturday / Sunday 15th and 16th July
Presidents Final Day - Saturday 22nd July
Captains Qualifier - Saturday / Sunday 12th and 13th August
Captains Final Day Saturday 19th August
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Tony Macari being presented with his Captain’s jacket from outgoing Captain, Des O’Neill.
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We look forward to 2023 when we will hopefully have such great occasions again.
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The great odyssey that the Junior boys were on concluded at a very wet Portarlington Golf Club when they went down by the narrowest of margins and lost out on a coveted pennant by one hole. The Boys Junior Foursomes format is two foursome matches to be played over 18 holes with aggregate score determining the winner. Enormous credit must be afforded to the boys on a great effort. Our first pairing of Conor Brown (Junior Captain) and Eoghan Light got off to the worst possible start and found themselves 4 down after 4 holes due to a couple of three putts, a birdie by Esker on the 3 rd hole and a very unfortunate out of bounds at the 4 th hole after our ball hit a path and bounced a fraction out of bounds. The lads kept fighting and won their first hole on the 8 th to bring it back to 3 down. However, Esker birdied the 9 th to re-establish their 4 hole lead.
Meanwhile our second pairing of Cal Duggan and Jake Quinn also got off to a shaky start and were 2 down after 3. A great birdie on 5 got us back to 1 down only for Esker to win the 6 th . Back we came with a win on 7. The eight hole was halved in birdies and Esker won the 9 th to turn 2 up.
So it wasn’t looking promising as both matches entered the back nine. But our lads showed great fighting spirit and never let their heads drop. At this stage the rain started to fall and it got heavier and heavier.
Both of our pairings won the 11 th , one with a par, the other with a birdie. Second match got their match back to all square after 12. However they lost 13 and 14 to go back to 2 down. The top match were still 4 down after 14.
At this stage the incessant rain was causing surface water on the greens requiring the course staff to squeegee the greens.
Then things started to turn in our favour. Match 1 won the 15 th and a Golf Ireland official awarded Castlewarden the 16 th hole without having to complete it due to an infringement by Esker lads. Back to 2 down. Both pairings were on the 17 th green with their tee shots but Esker 3 putted to lose the hole. Now it’s 1 down with 1 to play.
In match 2 the 15 th and 16 th were halved but we won 17 to bring that match to 1 down.
So we needed both matches to win the 18 th hole to record what would have been a remarkable turnaround and bring the match to a sudden death playoff. In match 1 both pairings made par giving Esker a 1 hole win. In match 2 our lads made par to win the hole and half their match.
Overall result a 1 hole loss.
Our boys are to be highly commended on a great battling performance. They can be very proud of their achievements and they are a credit to Castlewarden.
A special word of thanks to the managers, Martin Barry and Joe Robinson
Des O’Neill (Captain)
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Congratulations to Deirdre Sheehy on winning the Lady Captains Prize and also to Babs O'Malley on winning the five day prize. Well done to all prize winners. Full details elsewhere on the website.
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The Boys Junior Foursomes format is two foursome matches, one played at home and one played away. Matches to be played over 18 holes with aggregate score determining the winner.
A lovely sunny day greeted the teams for this semi-final encounter with a place in the coveted Leinster Central final at stake.
Our home pairing were Cal Duggan and Jake Quinn and away were Conor Brown and Eoghan Light. Preparations had gone well and the lads were ready for the battle ahead.
Home Match:
Athy were eager from the start to push home their lower handicap advantage and opted to play the power game so much so that they lost their ball on the 1 st hole and Castlewarden went 1 up. A great up and down from the bunker on 3 saw us establish a 2 hole lead in the match. Athy quickly responded following an errant tee shot on 4 by the home team and we went to the 5 th 1 up.
A great up and down on 6 saw us establish a 2 hole lead again. Athy put a ball out of bounds with their third shot on 8 and an errant tee shot by them on the ninth saw us establish a 4 hole lead at the turn.
Hole 10 … Buggygate: Jake Quinn’s tee shot struck the roof of our manager’s buggy and ended up in the wild flower area behind the green. Unfortunately we failed to get up and down following a penalty drop and we went to the 11 th 3 up. A cracking birdie on the 11 th got us back to 4 up and the push for home began.
Athy would win hole 12, 13 was halved and we regained our 4 up lead going to 15. A great shot from the fairway bunker to the green on 15 set up a win for Athy on that hole. With the match on the line the Athy 3 handicapper tried to cut off the corner on 16 but only succeeded in going out of bounds. Our lads got to the 16 th green safely in 2 and after Cal left the approach shot dead Athy conceded the match as the away match had gone in our favour.
Away Match:
After a slow start, losing the 1 st hole, Conor and Eoghan bounced back straight away winning the 3 rd , 4 th , 5 th and 6 th holes to grab a commanding 3 up lead through 6 holes. The lads struggled around the turn and were 1 up after 9. Some great course management by our lads saw us win the 10 th and put us back to 2 up. However a par on 11 and a birdie on 12 was enough for Athy to level the match. A great up and down from the bunker on the par 3 14 th got the lads back to 1 up and they never looked back winning 16 and 17 to finish the match on the 17 th .
A brilliant team effort by our lads on the day, with the official winning score of 7 up, has seen us reach our first Leinster Central final where we will meet Esker Hills. Match to be played by July 30 th at a neutral venue to be announced.
Our lads deserve as much support as possible as they seek to become champions. Stay tuned for details of the final venue and date.
Des O’Neill (Captain)
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On Saturday, June 25 th , a strong wind was blowing across the golf course as Castlewarden and Edmonstown set out to do battle in this singles format competition. In an unusual situation the 4 home matches commenced at 3.15pm, while the 3 away matches didn’t start until 5.00 pm. For long periods of the home match there was positive signs that our lads would establish a good lead, however, the match score eventually finished 2-2. So, it was straight into the cars and down to Edmonstown to see if we could secure the two away wins needed. All the matches were on the back nine at that stage and it was not looking good as we were behind in all matches. However, the lads battled hard and won the first away match. The second match was lost leaving the score at 3-3 and it all came down to the last match. A great battling performance from 4 down after 12 to bring it to 1 down after 15 had us all on the “edge of our seats” but unfortunately Edmonstown held on to half the remaining holes to secure a 1 up win for them and seal the match on a 4-3 scoreline.
Below is a brief summary of each match.
Match 1 at home.
Ciaran Dunne. After going 1 down early on in the match Ciaran played some great golf, notably a great birdie on 7, he nearly holed his second shot, to turn 2 up after 9. He held this 2 up advantage thru’ 15 but lost 16 after going out of bounds with his second shot. A loss on 17 brought the match all square and two fine pars by both players on 18 resulted in the match going down the 19 th . With the strong wind against this hole was playing tough and both players were about 160 yds out playing their third shot. Unfortunately, Ciaran’s third shot went out of bounds. Edmonstown’s third shot found the front right greenside bunker but a very good bunker shot sealed the match for Edmonstown. A tough loss for Ciaran but that’s golf!
Match 2 at home. Jake Quinn
Jake had great support from his fellow juniors who came out to follow him. A topsy turvey match with very few holes halved over the first 13 holes. From being 2 down after 9, Jake levelled the match after 13. Jake’s third shot into a tight pin on the back right of the 16 th green went just out of bounds to go 2 down after 16. Edmonstown closed out the match on the 17 th .
Match 3 at home: Alan O’Hara
Alan’s driving was a sight to behold. He was hitting the ball outrageous distances and quickly established a 3 up lead after the front 9. This became 4 up after 10 and he powered his way to a comfortable 6 and 4 win.
Match 4 at home: Paul Whelan
Paul was always in control of this match. He extended his 1 up lead after 3 with wins on 4 and 5 . Another win on the front 9 had him 4 up at the turn. After 12 holes Paul was 5 up but had to wait until the 16 th to close out the match.
Match 1 away. Dave McDonagh.
Dave was 1 down after 5, got it back to a/s after 6 but lost 2 of the next 3 holes to turn 2 down. A win on 10 brought it back to 1 down but he went 2 down after 14. Dave, as always, was unfazed and kept calm to square the match thru 17. A great win on 18 secured a fantastic away win.
Match 2 away. Nicky McCann
Nicky got off to a rocky start and found himself 5 down after 6. He settled down and brought the match back to 2 down after 10. Losses on 12 and 13 left him with an impossible task, losing the match 4 and 3.
Match 3 away: Damian Mooney
Damian was making his debut for Castlewarden. He found himself 4 down early in the match and this was the state of play after 9 holes. Then we had back nine drama. After winning 11 a loss on 12 still had Damian 4 down. A hat trick of wins followed on the next three holes to bring the match back to 1 down after 15. Another win eluded him over the final 3 holes enabling Edmonstown to hold on for a 1 up win.
A super team effort, going down by the narrowest of margins. Well done to all the team and a big thank you to management team of Keith, Luke and Kevin and all the supporters who came out to cheer on the team.
Des O’Neill (Captain)
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The same pairings that had a comprehensive win over Co. Longford in the last round were selected for this match against Rosslare.
At home Mark Whelan and Vinny Keogh were again in outstanding form. They recorded a 4 up win playing to an exceptional high standard – they had no bogeys on their card, recording 2 birdies and 16 pars in what were difficult conditions.
Kevin Robinson and Conor Galvin had the long trip down to Rosslare where they were met with strong winds and then heavy rain. Over the first 13 holes there wasn’t a hole halved. After going 2 down after 2 , Kevin and Conor were all square after 4. They went 1 down after 5 but a birdie on 6 brought it back to all square again and so it continued until Rosslare established a 2 up lead after 12. It stayed that way thru 15. Rosslare powered home winning the last 3 holes, helped by an eagle on the last.
Nett result was a heart-breaking 1 hole loss.
To put this performance in perspective the away lads were playing against a pairing with a +4 and a+ 3.8 handicap index and our home lads were playing against a pairing with +3 and + 2 handicap index.
Our lads can be very proud of their achievements in this competition and it proves that we have the talent in Castlewarden to compete at this elite level.
Des O’Neill (Captain)
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This match was played on Wednesday, June 15 th with 2 home and 3 away matches. It was a beautiful late afternoon/ early evening for golf and Castlewarden was in fantastic condition for this quarter final encounter. We had to utilise our full panel of players as three of the panel were unavailable for various reasons. At one stage in the match we were down in four of the matches and all square in the other match so it wasn’t looking promising. However the players showed their battling qualities and put in a tremendous effort against a very good Tullamore team and pushed them all the way before eventually going down on a 3/2 scoreline. Below is a summary of the matches.
Game 1 at home. Mark Whelan.
The player manager had to have his “A” game to overcome his opponent. It took birdies to win holes and in some cases just to halve a hole. Mark turned 2 up and lost a hole early on the back 9. He held a 1 up lead for the remainder of the back 9, and closed out the match on 17. The quality of golf on display from both players was fantastic – Mark’s putting was excellent and he had only 24 putts in the 17 holes played.
Game 2 at home. Luke Minogue
Luke had Keith White on his bag for this match. Luke’s fantastic iron play kept him in the match over the front 9 as his driver was misbehaving. After turning 2 down, Luke lost the 10 th , won the 11 th and lost 12 and 13 to go 4 down. But he never gave in and won 14 and 15 to bring the match back to 2 down with 3 to play. Both players were short in two shots on 16. Luke was first to go and his pitch just ran through the green with the pin on the back. His opponent was 46 yds out and unbelievably he holed his pitch shot for birdie to close out the match.
Match 1 away: Kevin Robinson
Kevin got off to a horrendous start and was 5 down after 6 holes and then 6 down after 10. Incredibly he turned this match around and with some great birdies (4 in an 8 hole stretch) got the match back to 1 down playing the 18 th . He duly won the 18 th and then birdied the 19 th for a tremendous win. A Lazarus moment indeed !!
Match 2: Paul Finnegan
It was a tough ask for Paul who was pitted against, what the Tullamore Captain indicated was their strongest player. Paul played some good golf but his opponent was on a different level and won the match comfortably.
Match 3. Eoghan Light:
Eoghan found himself playing against an under 16 Irish international player who plays off plus 1. Similar to Paul , this was a very hard match for Eoghan and while he played well his opponent played to his handicap and also won comfortably.
Tullamore have a very strong team and progress to a semi-final meeting against the winners of Naas vs Millicent. We wish them well.
Well done to our Senior Cup panel who had a great run in this competition. We certainly have a pool of elite players in Castlewarden to compete in this competition and I’m sure they will be back next year for another run.
Des O’Neill (Captain)
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We had two inter-club competitions taking place, the Barton Shield and Jimmy Bruen, on Sunday, June 12 th . It turned out to be joy and disappointment for our teams as the Barton Shield team won and The Jimmy Bruen team was defeated. Below is a brief summary of both matches.
Barton Shield vs Co Longford:
The Barton Shield format is two foursome matches, one played at home and one played away. Matches to be played over 18 holes with aggregate score determining the winner.
Our home pairing were Mark Whelan and Vinny Keogh. They continued their great form from the previous match, when they won 7 up, and quickly established a 3 up lead after 4 holes. They turned 4 up after 9 and were playing magnificent golf. A great birdie on the 14 th hole gave them a 7 up lead and they finished out the match with a 6 up victory. Our away pairing, Kevin Robinson and Conor Galvin made the long trip to Co Longford. The match was very tight over the first nine holes with our lads holding a 1 up lead. Match was all square after 10. Then Kevin and Conor went on a birdie blitz, three in a row, to go 3 up. They finished out the match 5 up. A great Castlewarden win (11 up).
Next up, in the quarter final, is a meeting with Rosslare, to be played by June 26 th .
Jimmy Bruen Shield:
This foursomes match was against Palmerstown House, with 3 home and 2 away matches.
Our junior pairing of Eoghan Light and Jake Quinn were first out and it was nip and tuck all the way. There was never more than 1 hole in it for the first 10 holes. Match was all square playing 13 and Palmerstown missed a short putt to lose 13, only to level the match after 14. Our lads regained the lead with a superb up and down on 15 to go one up again. Back came Palmerstown who had a great par on 16 to level the match. Our lads missed the green on 17 after Palmerstown found the green with their tee shot and lost the hole. Unfortunately Eoghan and Jake could not find a win on 18 to bring the match into extra holes and conceded the hole to lose the match, 2 down. A great effort by our junior pairing and they will learn a lot from this match.
Conor Dunne and Shea Phelan were out in match 2 and again it was nip and tuck over the first nine holes, our lads turning 1 down. However, Shea hit a wonderful tee shot on 10 to 2 feet for a conceded eagle to bring the match all square. Undoubtedly, the shot of the day! Palmerstown were undaunted and won 3 of the next 5 holes to be dormie 3. When Palmerstown went out of bounds with their second shot on 16 we had a lifeline but a great chip from the back of 17 by Palmerstown closed out the match with a 2 and 1 victory to Palmerstown.
Last up at home were our seasoned campaigners, Keith White and Dave McDonagh. Playing some very good golf and holing some great putts Keith and Dave were 4 up at the turn. Despite losing 12 and 13 they were always in control of this match and closed it out for victory on the 17 th , recording a 3 and 1 win.
First away pairing was Sean Dunne and Damien Birmingham. Finding themselves 2 down after 3 they closed the gap to the minimum after 6. But they were unable to erase the deficit, falling 3 down after 9, got one back after 10 but eventually lost the match on the 17 th hole.
Our final pairing, away from home, was Gavin Devereux and our super sub, Paul Whelan, who answered a late call due to Damien Brennan’s unavoidable unavailability. After being 2 down early on in the match Gavin and Paul fought back to go 1 up after 11 and increased this lead to 2 up after 14. They held this 2 up lead going down 17 when the match was called in.
A very close match overall and hard luck to the Jimmy Bruen team. Thank you to the members who came out to support the teams on Sunday.
The following is the schedule for the next matches for our inter-club teams:
Wednesday, June 15 th , @ 4.30 pm Senior Cup Q/Final vs Tullamore
Saturday, June 25 th , @ 3.30 pm Metro vs Edmonstown
Sunday, June 26 th , @ 2.30 pm Barton Shield Q/Final vs Rosslare.
All support is greatly appreciated by the teams.
Des O’Neill (Captain)