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The strong, cool wind that both teams had to contend with on Saturday, June 4 th , blew our Pierce Purcell team off course as they bowed out of the competition with a loss to Portlaoise. The Portlaoise team manager indicated that it was very difficult for any team to come away from Portlaoise with any points in inter-club competitions due to the course layout with local knowledge being a distinct advantage. And so it proved for our two away pairings, Paul Birchall & Mark Corcoran and John Beirne & Gavin Condon as they both suffered defeat. This meant that we had to win our three home matches to advance in the competition. Our first pairing of Keith Barnes and Richie Quinn started brightly and turned 2 up after 9, which went to 3 up after 10. They were odds on to win 11 and establish a 4 hole lead when the opposition holed a monster putt from off the back of the 11 th green for an unlikely win. Momentum, which is key in these matches, went to Portlaoise and they won 12 to be only 1 down playing 14. Meanwhile, our second pairing of Niall Galvin & Aaron Devereux had a very tough start losing the first three holes. While they kept battling away manfully they could never close the gap to less than 2. Turning 3 down they lost the 10 th and Portlaoise closed out the match on the 13 th . Our final pairing of Dave McDonagh & Pat McGrath turned an early 1 hole deficit into a 2 up lead after 9. Portlaoise battled back and were 1 up playing 13 when the match was called in.
In truth it was a comprehensive victory to Portlaoise and we wish them best of luck in the competition.
A big thank you to managers Keith White and Luke Minogue for all their hard work in managing the team. Well done to the Pierce Purcell panel for all their efforts. A positive note to take from this year’s competition is the number of players who represented Castlewarden for the first time in inter club competitions. I know, from speaking with them, that they thoroughly enjoyed the experience and will be back next year for another bite of the cherry.
We have two matches upcoming next Sunday, The Barton Shield, vs Co. Longford, with 1 home match @ 2.30pm and the Jimmy Bruen, vs Palmerstown House with 3 home matches starting @ 3.30 pm. Hope to see as many supporters as possible lining the fairways to support the teams.
Des O’Neill (Captain)
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Thursday 26th May Mary McKenna Trophy V Donabate
The second round of the Mary McKenna took place in Donabate Golf Club. Five pairs played scotch foursomes format under the leadership of Breda Sheedy and Deirdre Sheehy. With all five matches away this was never going to be easy. Despite a very strong team with most matches going to the 17th and 18th holes it was not to be for Castlewarden. However, there was some great golf played, the ladies enjoyed the day and got to meet Mary McKenna, founder of this most popular competition.
Saturday 28th May Intermediate V Edenderry
A very tight match for a very strong team under the leadership of Janice Fleming. With two matches at home and three away again it was a difficult task. Matches went on to the 20th an 21st holes in some cases so it was a nail biting fight for all involved. Thankfully Castlewarden didn’t give up and kept the fight up winning 3/2. Next opponent if Gowran Park. Details to follow.
Sunday 29th May Minor V Kilkenny
Another very tight match, led by Susan Hart, which unfortunately didn’t go our way. Kilkenny had home advantage which of course is always a huge benefit. The ladies fought hard and played some excellent golf but local knowledge won out in the end.
Sunday 29th Challenge V Enniscorthy
A very good match with some very brave players, many playing inter club for the first time. The ladies, under the leadership Róisín Harpur battled on and won two away matches, one at home and the other match was called in. It was a great victory for team. Next match is V Mount Juliet on Sunday 19th June at 3.30 p.m.
The ladies committee would like to acknowledge the commitment of players, caddies, managers, assistant managers, supporters and our team co-ordinator Emer O'Flaherty their input and dedication to Inter Club.
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Jimmy Bruen Shield:
This foursomes match was against Blessington Lakes, with 3 home and 2 away matches.
Our junior pairing of Cal Duggan and Jake Quinn were first out and were absolutely flying over the front 9 establishing what we all thought was an unassailable 7 up lead after 9. But the back nine proved to be a different story as the Blessington Lakes pairing dug in and chipped away at the lead. Despite being dormie 3 down the opposition never gave up. Momentum was with them and after a great par on 16 to win the hole and an even better birdie on 17, it was down the 18 with Cal and Jake 1 up. A short drive by Blessington Lakes put them under pressure, knowing they had to win the hole, which resulted in them putting their second shot out of bounds. A relieved Cal and Jake shook hands with the opposition before they reached the green to record a 2 up win. Phew!!
Thankfully, there wasn’t the same drama with the other two matches
Conor Dunne and Shea Phelan were out in match 2 and were 4 up after 9. Despite losing a ball on the tenth from the drive they managed a half on that hole and were always in control of that match winning on the 16 th .
Last up at home was Keith White, no doubt buoyed by managing the Metro team to victory, playing with Dave McDonagh. It was a very comfortable afternoon for Keith and Dave, playing some really good golf they turned 5 up after 9 and had a chance to close out the match on 12. They lost 13 to a birdie but finished the match on 14.
First away pairing was Peter Sinnott and Stephen O’Brien. They went all the way to the `17 th before losing a tight match.
Another of our juniors, Eoghan Light, partnered Damien Birmingham in the final away match. A very close game which could not be separated. Match was all square after 18 and as the overall result had been decided there was no need to go down the 19 th . Match halved.
Next up for the Jimmy Bruen team is a match against near neighbours Palmerstown House, to be played by June 12 th .
A magnificent week-end for our inter- club teams with our Juniors advancing to the Quarter finals in the junior foursome competition after their 12 hole victory against Millicent on Saturday followed by the ladies winning their Intermediate Cup match against Edenderry. 7 matches played with 6 wins! The month of June is going to be busy as our inter-club teams advance in a number of competitions.
Pierce Purcell vs Portlaoise is next Saturday, June 5 th @ 3.00 pm
Jimmy Bruen vs Palmerstown House by June 12 th
Senior Cup vs Tullamore by June 19 th
Metro vs Edmonstown by June 26 th
Junior Foursome vs winners of Gowran Park vs Waterford by June 26 th .
It would be great to see more members coming out to support the various teams as they strife to advance further in their respective competitions.
Des O’Neill (Captain)
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Last week we had Super Sunday in the premier league football but this Sunday we had Scintillating Sunday in Castlewarden. The course was in absolutely magnificent condition as three of our men’s inter club teams and two of our ladies inter club teams took to the fairways. And what a magnificent performance the teams put in, almost gaining a “clean sweep” of victories, winning 4 of the 5 matches. Not forgetting those who played away from home and who contributed massively to a great day for Castlewarden. In the men’s matches the home players recorded a fantastic 9 out of 9 wins. Below is a brief summary of the different men’s competitions:
Metropolitan Trophy:
This match was against Lisheen Springs, with 3 home and 4 away matches. At home Ciaran Dunne got proceedings under way. His putter was hot, hot as he raced into a 4 up lead after 9. Ciaran continued his great play and closed out the match with a 7 and 6 victory.
Next up at home was Nicky McCann and Nicky’s short game was on fire. This was a very tight match over the front 9 with no more than 1 hole in it. Nicky turned 1 up and increased his lead to 3 up after 12 and maintained that lead to win 3 and 2.
Paul Whelan was our anchor man at home and was bombing drives for fun down the fairways. He established an early lead, turning 2 up at the turn and was always in control of his match, winning by a 3 and 2 margin.
The first match away featured Alan O’Hara and he was in unstoppable form going 5 up after 9 and recorded an easy victory that secured the match for Castlewarden. Don Thompson, fresh from his hole in one on Saturday at the 13 th in Castlewarden, also won his match away. Niall Galvin and Michael Merriman were our other two away players.
The Metro team now go on to play Edmonstown in the next round, to be played by June 26 th .
Senior Cup :
This was a second round match against The Heritage, with 3 home and 2 away matches. Player manager, Mark Whelan led from the front and was dominant, winning the first 5 holes. A great birdie on 10 had Mark 7 up and he closed out the match on the 11 th with a resounding 8 and 7 win.
Kevin Robinson was also in brilliant form and was dropping in birdies all over the place, he had 4 birdies on the front 9 to turn 4 up. Another birdie followed on the 10 th and when The Heritage found water on the 13 th it was the end of the match, Kevin winning 6 and 5.
Vincent Keogh was third man out at home and he was also in great form. With wins on 6 and 7 he established a 2 up lead. Solid play over the next 6 holes with a super tee shot on 13 that resulted in a conceded birdie had Vincent dormie 5 and he duly closed out the match on the 14 th with a 5 and 4 victory.
Conor Galvin and Luke Minogue were our two away representatives. Luke was beaten and Conor was 1 up playing the 18 th when the match was called in. A great win by the Senior Cup team who are now in the quarter final of Leinster Central where they will meet Tullamore. Match to be played by June 19 th.
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The Pierce Purcell team kicked off a very busy weekend, on Saturday afternoon, for the men’s members on the inter-club scene. Managers, Keith White and Luke Minogue, assembled a team with a mixture of seasoned campaigners and debutants (4 in total) and they gelled very well together to record a fine win with an official score line of 3.5/1.5. Below is a brief summary of the matches:
Match 1 home: Paul Birchall & Marc Corcoran.
A new pairing took a while to get going with The Heritage taking an early lead and turned 2 up at the turn. Paul and Marc (making his debut) then took charge on the back nine, levelling the match after 12. They went ahead for the first time in the match by winning the 13 th but were pegged back to all square after 16. Showing nerves of steel they won the 17 th and closed out the match on the 18 th .
Match 2 home: Keith Barnes & Richy Quinn.
Keith and Richy (making his debut) took an early lead and did not loss the honour until the 14 th hole during which they were 4 up after 10. They comfortably won the match on the 15 th with a 4 and 3 win. An inspired pairing by the managers!
Match 3: home: Dave McDonagh & Pat McGrath.
The golf in this match was of a very high standard. The Heritage holed their second shot on 3 from 160+ yards for eagle to go 1up. Dave and Pat (making his debut) quickly erased that deficit and went 1 up after 5. They maintained that 1 up lead at the turn, after halving the 8 th in birdies. They then won 12 and 13 to go 3 up and kept that advantage to be dormie 3. Match was won on the 16 th with a 3/2 win.
Match 1 away: John Beirne & Jay Mulligan.
Another pairing of a seasoned campaigner, John, with a debutant, Jay. This proved to be a tough outing for John and Jay. A very even match in the early stages with Castlewarden going 1 up after 4. However, a very capable pair from The Heritage with great play and superb putting skills (and some good luck) gained the upper hand and went 4 up after the 9 th . Despite CW lads’ best efforts, they were unable to get the match back and lost this game to two very strong golfers.
Match 2 away: Brian O’Driscoll & Ian Bolger.
Brian and Ian went 1 up after 2 nd and gained on their lead to go 4 up after 9. Nip & tuck through 10 th – 14 th with some good play by The Heritage pair brought the game back to 2 down on the 15 th with a difficult and excellent 20-yard putt to 6 inches winning this par 3 with a par. However, our lads were in control on 16 th when match was called in following our three home wins!!!!!!!.
A great win for the Pierce Purcell team who now go on to play Portlaoise in the next round which has to be played by June 5 th
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On Sunday, May 22 nd we met our near neighbours, Killeen, in a keenly contested match. With three home matches there was high hopes that Castlewarden would triumph and have local bragging rights but, alas, it was not to be as Killeen won a crucial away match in addition to their two home matches, with the official score being 3.5/1.5 to Killeen. The match was played in a very sportsmanlike fashion, as it should be. Congratulations to Killeen who now go on to play another near neighbour, Beech Park, in the next round. Below is a brief summary of the matches:
Match 1 home: Cal Duggan & Jake Quinn
Our junior pairing got proceedings underway and found themselves 2 down early in the match. Undaunted with being 2 down after 7 they calmly fought back to level the match at the turn. They got their noses in front early in the back 9 and never relinquished the lead. They were dormie playing the 16 th and closed out the match 3/2. A great performance by Cal and Jake.
Match 2 home: Luke Minogue and Aaron Devereux.
This turned out to be the key match in the contest. After being 2 down early in the match, Luke and Gavin restored parity after 7 holes, but then lost 8 and 9 to turn 2 down. A further loss on 12 had them in trouble but their battling qualities shone through as they clawed their way back into the match and with wins on 16 and 17 they got back to all square. Now it was all to play for on the last hole but in fairness to the Killeen pair they played the 18 th very well to win the match by the slimmest of margins.
Match 3: home: Jody Reid & Ray Thompson.
This was a very even match with Jody and Ray always out in front albeit by the narrowest of margins. Match on the front 9 flip flopped from 1 up to all square. Jody and Ray re-established a 1 up lead after 12 and got to 2 up after 16. They had just lost 17 when the match was called in.
Match 1 away: Conor Galvin & Paul Birchall.
This was a very close encounter throughout. Castlewarden took an early lead only to be pegged back almost immediately. Finding themselves behind at the turn, Conor and Paul played some really good golf trying to level the game. However, their opponents got up and down from bunkers on numerous occasions to retain their slender lead and closed the game out on 17.
Match 2 away: Gavin Devereux & Shea Phelan.
A positive start from this pairing saw Gavin and Shea gain a quick advantage. They were unlucky not to increase their lead over the following few holes. The Killeen pair held tough and managed to go ahead winning holes 8 and 9. From there, they pushed on playing some superb golf never allowing our pair any foothold in the match. A tough game for our lads. A huge effort was put in by managers Andy Callanan and Brian Devereux and a strong panel of players who turned up for numerous practice sessions. The preparation could not be faulted. Many thanks to the managers and squad for their commitment.
Also a special thanks to the many members who came out to support the team.
Des O’Neill (Captain)
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A sizeable cohort of members gathered on Monday afternoon, 16 th May, to lend their support to the JB Carr team, at an immaculate Castlewarden which was in pristine condition, for their duel with the Royal Curragh. And what a duel it turned out to be with 3 matches decided on the 18 th , one on the 17 th and one on the 15 th . Unfortunately we came out on the wrong side of a 3/2 scoreline in a match that, quite conceivably, could have gone our way.
Match 1: Peter Sinnott & Tommy Meredith.
Peter and Tommy were 1 down after 3 but stormed back to establish a 4 up lead after 10. The Royal Curragh used their shots on 11 and 14 to claw back to just 1 down after 14 and they brought the match all square after 17. Peter and Tommy played the 18 th superbly to win it with a great par. Match to Castlewarden 1 up.
Match 2: John Beirne & Peter Charles.
In this match John and Peter were 3 down after 6 but brought it back to 1 down at the turn. They then went in front at the 13 th and held the 1 up lead going to 17. A great tee shot found the green and although we missed the birdie putt Royal Curragh could not match our par giving our lads a 2/1 win.
Match 5: Tony Clarke & Kieran Macklin.
Tony and Kieran were always struggling in this match and were 2 down after 3, which doubled to 4 down after 10. They did manage to win 2 holes over the next few holes but the shot they had to give on 14 enabled Royal Curragh to re-establish a 3 up lead. The match finished on the 15 th with a 4 and 3 win to Royal Curragh. With the overall match score now 2 to 1 in Castlewarden’s favour the overall result hinged on matches 3 and 4.
Match 3: Paul Whelan & Vincent Kirby.
This was a very tight match which was all square playing the 7 th . Our lads were very unlucky with the approach shot, to a front pin location, hitting the road and ending up at the back of the green. We were unable to get up and down and lost the hole. At the turn we were 2 down but battled back to square the match after 13 holes. After going 1 down again through 16, Paul holed a great putt for par to win 17. The Royal Curragh hit a great drive down 18 which enabled them to comfortably get on the green in three shots, while Paul and Vincent encountered tree trouble a couple of times. Match was conceded without Royal Curragh having to putt.
Match 4: Noel Brennan & Monty Fitzgerald.
Noel and Monty were well in control on the front 9 going 3 up after 7. A badly played ninth hole seemed to affect their confidence and Royal Curragh capitalised to square the match through 12 holes. Standing on the 17 th tee box Royal Curragh were 1 up. Monty just missed a putt for par to win 17 so we had to win 18 to bring the match down the 19 th and it looked like a real possibility with our lads on the green in 3 and Royal Curragh short and well left in 3. A fantastic chip shot from Royal Curragh to about 4 foot below the hole and a solid putt after Monty just missed the birdie putt sealed the deal for Royal Curragh.
Fine margins indeed! The Royal Curragh now progress to the county final where they will play the winners of the K Club vs Athy.
A big thank you to all the members who came out to support the team, the players really appreciated the support.
It has been my pleasure to manage the JB Carr team this year and I want to thank all the panel members for their great commitment.
Team Manager & Captain, Des
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Portlaoise proved too strong for our Mixed Foursome team, winning by a margin of 4/1. Below is a brief summary of each match.
Game 1 at home. Keith White & Ruth Lalor.
Keith and Ruth got off to a strong start with par on 1 st and chip in birdie on the 2 nd to go 2 up. Portlaoise fought back straight away and established a narrow lead by the turn. Keith & Ruth didn’t have their “A” game but kept battling away. Portlaoise were dormie 3 and closed out the match with a halve on 16.
Game 2 at home. Conor Dunne & Caroline Sinnott.
Portlaoise were up early in the match and held the lead throughout. Conor & Caroline kept in the game and were 1 down playing 16 when the match was called in.
Game 3 at home. Justin Condon & Aoife Loughnane.
This was a very tight match. A win on 13 had Justin & Aoife in the lead by the narrowest of margins. They were in good position to win 15 when the match was called in.
Game 1 away. Paul Finnegan & Kay Kavanagh.
Paul and Kay got off to a great start, going two up after three holes. However, Portlaoise’s tricky greens were to prove a challenge all day for the Castlewarden players. They were soon pegged back to level after six. Portlaoise went two up after twelve. Paul and Kay battled on and were four down with four to play. They won the fifteenth but could only manage a half on the difficult sixteenth, giving the match to Portlaoise three and two.
Game 2 away. Noel Brennan & Tracey Smith
Noel and Tracey were at a disadvantage even before they teed off, giving a whopping four shots to their opponents. They went two down early in the match and never managed to get back on level terms with their opposition, who used their knowledge of the course to their great advantage. Once again, their opponents’ superior knowledge of the tricky Portlaoise greens was a telling factor. Noel and Tracey went four down in the middle of the match and the game ended on the fifteenth, Portlaoise winning four and three.
A huge effort was put in by the panel, ably managed by Cormac Ryan and Deirdre Sheehy, but it wasn’t to be this year. Hard Luck to the team and panel and we will go again next year.
Captain Des
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Castlewarden played local club Beech Park in the Carton Cup on Saturday 14 May. The sun shone for us but we did not manage to beat the experienced team in Beech Park. The Carton Cup is a relatively new entry level inter club matchplay competition for players with a Golf Ireland handicap index of 37+. While we are out of the competition for 2022 we are planning a couple of friendly matches with Beech Park over the coming months. All eligible players are encouraged to get involved. It's great fun and very good for your golf.
A big thank you for the guidance and support from our experienced caddies and Captain Siobhan who was there to support the team on Saturday.
The team members were Anne Marie Pryal, Niamh Sheehy, Eilish Kerrisk, Patricia Gallery, Violet Walsh and Gillian Shanley (sub).
Madeleine Mulrennan (Team Manager)
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Friday, the 13 th proved to be unlucky for our Junior Cup team who went down 3/2 to Tulfarris. It was a very close match that went down to the wire. Below is a summary of the matches, all played off scratch.
Game 1 at home. Eoghan Light
Our junior player, Eoghan, had a fantastic comeback win. After a very tight front nine Tulfarris forged ahead at the start of the back 9 and Eoghan found himself 3 down after 13. The fightback started with a win on 14 and 15. Eoghan tied the match by winning 16 and then went 1 up after 17. He closed out the match on the 18 th - a brilliant win.
Game 2 at home. Gavin Devereux
Tulfarris were quick out the blocks and Gavin found himself 3 down after 5. He stuck to the task and got the match to 1 down after 10. However Tulfarris won 11 and 12 to go back to 3 up and were dormie 3 until Gavin chipped in on 16 to bring it back to 2 down with 2 to play. Tulfarris hit a great tee shot close to the hole on 17 to close out the match. Great battling by Gavin.
Game 3 at home. Cal Duggan
Our second junior, Cal, was in great form and played some great golf. He was always in control of his match going 3 up early. He comfortably maintained his lead and closed out the match on 15. Great golf Cal.
Match 1 away: Alan Jones
Alan had a tough day and was well down in his match early on. Although he kept battling away he was beaten 7 and 6..
Match 2 away: Paul Finnegan
This proved to be the pivotal match. With the score 2 all the outcome of this match was decisive. Paul got off to a fantastic eagle, birdie, par start to establish a 2 up lead at the turn. Tulfarris won 11 and 12 to tie this match. They then won 14 to go 1 up and birdied 15 to go 2 up. They closed out the match on 16.
A big thank you to all those who came out to support the team. Well done to manager Mark and the panel for a great effort. Best wishes to Tulfarris who go on to meet The Heritage in the next round.
Des O’Neill (Captain)
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So far late April / early May has been very busy.
We had our Mary McKenna team playing away to Portlaoise and come away with a very convincing win. Their next match is V Donabate GC. Details below.
Next was our Revive Fourball who despite playing the most amazing golf on the day lost to Baltinglass GC.
On Friday 6th May our Challenge Cup played against Castlecomer GC. This team had a convincing win despite it being the first interclub experience for some players. Their next match is V Enniscorthy. Details below.
Junior Foursomes battled it out against Blessington Lakes Golf Club and again came away with the win. Their next match is yet to be confirmed so watch this space!
We still have lots more interclub to play. We wish the Carton Cup, Boyne Cup, Intermediate, Minor and Mixed the very best for their upcoming first round matches. Details of confirmed matches below.
Carton Cup Saturday 14th May 4.00 p.m. in Beech Park
Mixed V Portlaoise Sunday 15th May 3.00 p.m. Home and Away
Boyne V Beech Park Tuesday 17th May 3.00 p.m. Home and Away
Intermediate V Edenderry Saturday 28th May 3.00 p.m. Home and 4.00 p.m. away
Minor V Kilkenny Sunday 29th May 2.30 p.m. Home and 3.00 p.m. away
Challenge V Enniscorthy Sunday 29th May 3.00 p.m. Home and Away
We are very grateful to all players, caddies, managers and our team Co-ordinator for their commitment to interclub teams. Please remember these dates as our Pink supporters are always welcome.
While all the interclub practice and matches were going on, we also had an a very successful away day to Blainroe. A number of ladies also went on to stay in Woodenbridge. Despite a late night a second day of golf was enjoyed by all. Congratulations to all those who picked up prizes over the two days. It was a most enjoyable social occasion and good to get away having missed such events for two years.