Update 2nd April

COMPETITIONS

The competition that took place over the Easter weekend was an 18 hole Shambles team event and was played as a fundraiser for the club. Results to follow next week.

This Thursday, the 5th of April, is an important day in the golfing world with the US Masters teeing off in Augusta and the mens' weekly Thursday competitions commencing in Knockadoobrusna. For any member that wishes to sponsor one, please put your name on the sponsors list in the clubhouse.

The competition for next Sunday the 8th of April sees a change from the fixture card in that it will be an 18 hole Stroke instead of a Stableford. In a new departure for competitions in the club, it will the first of a new series of sponsored Sunday competitions. This one will be sponsored by the west of Ireland's number one golf shop, GolfStyle, who are based in the Liosban Business Park just off the Tuam Road in Galway. We are very grateful to GolfStyle for sponsoring the first of these competitions.

OUTING

The club outing to St Margaret's on the 14th of April is attracting great interest with approximately 20 people signed up. There are still a few places left so please make contact in the next few days if you intend going.

INTERCLUBS

Hard luck to the men's team who lost out narrowly to Ballaghaderreen in the Connacht 9 hole clubs' championship on Easter Saturday.

WORKS

The verti-draining that was scheduled to take place on the greens this week has been postponed until weather conditions are more suitable.

Update 25th March

The Boyle round of the Holmpatrick Cup was played on Sunday the 25th of March. In first place were Shane Loftus and Paddy McLoughlin with 44 points, just pipping Michael Rush's and Michael Gilmartin's 43 points in to second place. Congratulations to Shane and Paddy who go forward to the county final. Third place went to Patrick Egan and Lorcan Egan, who also had 43 points. 

Next weekend's competition is a Club Fundraiser Fourball Shambles open to all Ladies and Gents members of Boyle Golf Club. The competition can be played from Good Friday to Easter Monday inclusive. The club asks all members to support this endeavour to raise money to spend on course maintenance and improvements.

The men's weekly Thursday competitions resume on Thursday the 5th of April. In the same week the mens' section take on our neighbours from Ballaghaderreen in the first inter-club match of the year. This will be a first round match of the Connacht 9 Hole Clubs Championship which was established by the Connacht branch of the GUI last year as a competition to be played for between exclusively between the 9 hole clubs of the region. A number of our neighbouring clubs fall into this category including Ballaghaderreen, Ballinamore, Ballymote, Castlerea, Strokestown and Tubbercurry.

Update 19th March

RESULTS - An 18 hole Gents Stableford was held on Sunday the 18th of March, results to follow.

COMPETITIONS - Next Sunday, the 25th, sees the Boyle round of the Holmpatrick Cup for the Gents. This is played as a Fourball Betterball, with the winners proceeding to playing against all the other winners in Co Roscommon, and then to provincial level if successful. The winners in each of the 4 provinces get to play the final in St Andrews, Scotland. The Holmpatrick is a fundraiser for the National Council for the Blind, and marks its 85th year in 2018.

We are hosting a club fundraiser over the Easter weekend which will be played as an 18 hole Fourball Shambles. Members are asked to support this competition to help raise money for the works we hope to carry out during the year.

OUTING- If there are people interested in playing in the club outing on the 14th April to St Margaret’s, we would ask them to put their names down, the trip will be cancelled if there is insufficient interest.

THURSDAY COMPETITIONS - The mens weekly Thursday competitions will be starting again in a few weeks. These have been a very popular competitions over the years, usually taking the format of 9 hole competition for its first few weeks in April and early May, then lengthening to a 12 hole as the evenings get longer. It is a welcome sign of the approach of summer when we see a crowd waiting around the first tee-box at 6 o'clock on a Thursday evening. 

A list for sponsoring the men’s weekly Thursday night competitions is on the noticeboard in the clubhouse. The club asks all men who play in this on a regular basis to consider putting their name down to sponsor one

Update 4th March

It is with great sadness that we learned this week of the sudden passing of Fred Perry. Fred was a former Captain and President of Boyle Golf Club, and at the time of his death had almost half a century of unbroken service with the Golfing Union of Ireland, including having served as President of the Union in 1982, a huge honour for both Fred and Boyle Golf Club. He remains the only member of the club to have served in this capacity. Fred served the GUI in several roles over the decades and was involved as referee when Rory McIlroy became the youngest ever winner of the Irish Close Championship in Westport in 2005. Fred was awarded lifetime honorary membership of Boyle Golf Club several years ago in recognition of his contribution to the game both here in Boyle and at national level. Fred's work ethic and desire to promote the game remained as strong as ever and despite being in his 85th year he remained active in the GUI and was due to chair a meeting of their constitutional review committee this week. An obituary has been published on gui.ie describing Fred's career in golf.

Deepest sympathies are extended to Fred's family and many friends.

Funeral arrangements for Fred are as follows: reposing at his residence at Carrick Road Boyle Monday 4.00pm to 7pm. Removal from residence Tuesday 1.30pm for service at Church of Ireland, Boyle at 2pm. The Club will hold a guard of honour on Tuesday at 1.30pm at Green Street (Credit Union).  Club Members are asked to wear club blazers or club/blue jumpers.

The Golf Course remained closed this past weekend and the Spring League was reduced to just two rounds due to the poor weather conditions. Congratulations to Brendan Gaffney, Vincent Egan and Moira Egan who are this years winners. Next Sunday, the 11th of March will see the start of the 18 hole Competitions with an 18 Hole Mens' Foursomes.

Update 26th February

The 2018 Captains Drive-In took place in perfect conditions on Sunday the 25th of February. Captains Terry and Marie hit 2 well-struck drives up the 1st fairway, thus launching the golfing season in the traditional manner. They would like to thank the members for the great turnout on the day. After the ceremonial start, a social 9 hole scramble was played.

In first place was the team of Brendan Gaffney, Paul Connolly, Margaret Loftus and Owen Garvin. Second place went to Lorcan Egan, Willie Tiernan and Fiona Keenan, and in third was the team of Captain Terry Canning, Lady Captain Marie Hanmore-Cawley and Michael Rush.

Next weekend, the 3rd and 4th of March, sees the final round of the Spring League. Vincent Egan, Moira Egan and Brendan Gaffney are the in-form team at present, but they have a tight lead over the next 2 teams.

A 9 hole stableford competition for the men will also be played on Sunday the 4th of March. On Sunday the 11th of March there will be an 18 hole Mens' Foursomes competition.

Update 19th February

This weekend saw round 3 of the Spring League take place (round 2 has been postponed til the weekend of March 3rd and 4th due to the inclement weather conditions of last week).

The leaders after round 1, Moira Egan, Vincent Egan and Brendan Gaffney continue to be the pacesetters with an aggregate score of 119. Charlie O'Donnell, Ted Hester and Michael Rush are a close second on 122.5 , with the last podium place currently occupied by Willie Tiernan, Tommy King and Jim Callery. 

This week saw a meeting take place in the Clubhouse to discuss some proposed changes in the layout of the course. There were no objections and the club has already initiated some of the changes, starting with new out of bounds areas behind the 1st green and to the right of the 6th fairway, and the widening of the "spinney" water hazard to the right of the 2nd fairway.

The other changes will be seen over the next few months and include open drains in front of the 5th and 9th greens, trees between the 2nd and 4th fairways and introducing areas of rough around some tee-boxes.

Other work planned this year includes the finishing of the recently constructed chipping practice area by installing drains and preparing the surface of the green. A practice driving net will also be installed beside this green.

The club has arranged a social golf outing to St Margaret's Golf and Country Club in Co Dublin on Saturday the 14th of April. Boyle member Gary Carty works in St Margaret's and has obtained a great deal for us for 18 holes of golf followed by a 2 course meal for 40 euro. All members are invited.

Next weekend sees the official launch of the golfing year with the Captains' Drive-In. The draw takes place at 12.45 pm with tee-off at 1. The bar will be open and food will be available.

Update 12th February

Weather conditions akin to a succession of biblical plagues resulted in many of the 2nd round matches from the Spring League not taking place this week.

• All members are invited to attend a meeting in the clubhouse this coming Wednesday the 14th of February at 7.30 pm to discuss a number of proposed changes to the layout of the course. A full account of the proposals is available on the club website, www.boylegolfclub.com under the "Course" section. Many of the proposals are acknowledging the reality that some areas of the course never dry out fully in the course of a year and that cutting and maintaining these areas has become disproportionately labour intensive. It is proposed that several such areas be left uncut throughout the year. In the same vein, it is proposed that 2 open drains be created on both the 5th and 9th holes to protect the 5th green from flooding and to improve drainage on the 8th and 9th holes in the area near the 9th teebox.

• There are a few other proposals including some tree-planting, re-aligning semi-rough areas and widening of hazards. 

• The Captains Drive In takes place on Sunday the 25th of February.