Narin & Portnoo Golf Club Notes 27th July 2009

Narin and Portnoo Golf Club invites all-comers to play in the Junior / Intermediate / Senior Scratch Cups being played on Monday, August 3rd. The entry fee is 10 euro for members and 30 euro for visitors. The course is busy at present and among those to enjoy its pleasures last week were Enda Kenny, T.D. and Dr. Martin McAleese.

Pat Connaghan’s veterans enjoyed a fine victory over Ballybofey and Stranorlar in the first leg of their County Semi-Final last Friday. None of the pairings lost on the day, with four winning and one getting a hard-earned half. We wish them well in the return leg as they bid to reach the final for the first time.

The club sends its condolences to the O’Donnell and Slowey families on their recent sad bereavements. They are all in our thoughts at this time.

Paidí Beag has oft bragged that he can take on all-comers single-handed…at golf. Well, last Wednesday he did just that, sinking a 30-foot raker at the last to square his fourball match with his habitual sporting foes. It has since emerged that Paddy (unknown to himself) had played that day with a double fracture of his left elbow, having sustained a fall earlier in the week. This is the stuff of legend, what elevates Glen men from mere mortals. We wish Paidí a full and speedy recovery and hope that he continues to grace us with dubious anecdotes and sparkling erudition during his convalescence.

Joseph McLoone continued his good form in the Wednesday Open, winning his second event in succession. His score of 43 points reduced his handicap still further after his heroics of the previous Sunday. The Glenties stalwart fashioned a massive 25 points on the front nine, thanks to six pars and two birdies. The back nine was more prosaic, with a sprinkling of pars, birdies, bogeys and double bogeys. Some day he’s going to really rip the course apart!

Kieran Cunnea and John Malone combined on Sunday to win the Lake House Hotel Fourball with a great score of 41 points in tough conditions. All the golfers played off three-quarters of their handicaps, so scoring was obviously going to be tougher. The front nine was John’s, recording seven of the pairs entries. The reverse applied on the way home, with Kieran opening the shoulders and finishing strongly with three successive pars into the wind.

Results:
July 22: Wednesday Open
1. Joseph McLoone (11) 43; 2. Finnian O’Doherty (4) 40 b.o.t.; 3. Michael Glynn (21) 40; 4. Edward Sparshott (18) 39; C.S.S. 73; Twos: 4 balls each

July 26: Lake House Hotel Fourball Betterball:
1. Kieran Cunnea (13) & John Malone (11) 41; 2. Martin Arnold (11) & Seth Crosbie (15) 38 b.o.t.; 3. Joseph McLoone (8) & Patrick P. Gallagher (14) 38; Twos: 5 balls each

Fixtures:
July 31: Weekly Mixed Foursomes at 6p.m.; Draw for partners; Open

August 2: Diver’s Centra Filling Station Single Stroke, Open;The club’s Minor League play Northwest in Buncrana in the 2nd leg of the semi-final on Sunday. We wish them well.

August 3: Junior/Intermediate/Senior Scratch Cup; Open

August 5: Wednesday Open, ladies and gents, single stableford, 20 euro entry for G.U.I. visitors including green fee