Update 23rd May

FIXTURES - Next Sunday, the 30th of May is the date for this years Voucher competition. This is the most lucrative prize of the year, as the winner gets their membership fee handed back to them, up to the value of full single membership. To be eligible to win, you must have your membership paid up to date for 2021.

The Holmpatrick Cup takes place on Sunday the 3rd of June.

RESULTS - The golfing year had its traditional start somewhat later than usual when the Captains Drive In event took place on Sunday the 23rd of May.  Captain Jonathan Egan hit the traditional drive up the first which was circulated on video due to the ongoing restrictions on gatherings. The competition itself was played as an 18 hole Stableford, results to follow during the week.

The 18 hole Stableford competition that took place on Sunday the 17/5 was won by Gerry Nerney with 40 points, John McGuinn claimed 2nd place with 38, the prize for best gross score went to Terry Bright and Tommy King came 3rd with 38 points.

Weather conditions meant that no men’s competition was held on Thursday the 20th.

Thursday 13/05 1st Ryan Daly 26 points, 2nd Niall Kearney 25, 3rd Tommy King 25. 2s club - Michael McHale.

CONDOLENCES - to Michael Bannon and Kevin O’Connor on their recent bereavements.

JUNIOR CONVENOR - The role of Junior Convenor in the club is currently vacant. The role entails organising Junior Golf activities in the club such as lessons, competitions, golf camps etc. If any member has an interest in taking on the role please contact Jonathan Egan or any other member of the Management Committee.

GOLF RULE RE ABNORMAL COURSE CONDITIONS - There are a number of piles of cut branches on the peripheries of the playing areas of the course which may occasionally interfere with play. There is usually free relief from these conditions depending on the circumstances. Please check rule 16 in the R and A Rules of Golf for more information.

KING HARMON CUP - The marathon campaign that was 2020 King Harmon Cup match play tournament is almost at a close, a full 9 months after it started. Vincent Egan and Gerry Carty are the last men standing, having been victorious in their respective semi-finals, and will do battle in the final shortly. The King Harmon Cup has been played for in the club since the early 1930s.

 

BAR - The clubhouse and bar facilities remain closed in adherence to the NPHET guidelines. The next loosening of restrictions of note takes place on Monday the 7th of June when licensed premises are allowed to sell alcohol for consumption outdoors. Whilst the club would very much like to facilitate this, it may prove difficult with current resources. If members are willing to give of their time and skills to get the bar open in a manner that complies with the rules, please contact House Convenor, Vincent Egan. If it is felt that we cannot comply with the guidelines on 7/6/21, the bar may have to stay shut until full indoor service is allowed.

 

FIXTURES - A full fixtures list for the remainder of 2021 will be published during the coming week. Next Sunday, the 23rd of May sees the “Captain’s Drive-in”, which has always been our traditional start to the golfing year. As we are still not permitted to hold large get-togethers, for this year we will have to forego the traditional bloodsport of all crowding around a nervous Captain trying not to make a hames of the ceremonial drive up the 1st fairway. The Captain would like to reassure members that you will have ample opportunity to see exactly how bad a golfer he is later in the year. The format of the competition will be an 18 hole Stableford.

The following Sunday, the 30th of May is the date for this year's Voucher competition. This is the most lucrative prize of the year, as the winner gets their membership fee handed back to them, up to the value of full single membership. To be eligible to win, you must have your membership paid up to date for 2021.

The Holmpatrick Cup takes place on Sunday the 3rd of June.

Update 16th May

 

Update 10th May

RESUMPTION OF COMPETITIVE GOLF
Golf Ireland sent us some welcome correspondence about the resumption of competitive golf. The original plan from the email we received on 29/4 indicated that internal club competitions would resume in early June, but this latest one confirmed that clubs could  resume most competitions from this week, commencing 10/5. V vv Committee members are busy compiling a new fixtures list which we hope to release very shortly.

This week sees some other restrictions removed, the most notable of which are that Non-Members are allowed to play and Fourballs are also permitted again.

INTERCLUBS
Interclub competitions also resume in June and the Connacht branch of Golf Ireland have released a provisional fixture list.

Pending fixtures for the Boyle Mens section include -

 

10/6/21 Fred Perry Trophy (Seniors)

Boyle VS Co Sligo (Rosses Point)

 

22/6 Pierce Purcell Cup

Co Sligo VS Boyle

 

27/6 All Ireland Fourball Competition

Boyle VS Co Sligo

 

JULY

 

26/7 Jack O’Sullivan Cup

Boyle VS Co Sligo

 

AUGUST

 

23/8 Connacht Shield

Boyle VS Castle Dargan

 

SEPTEMBER

 

26/9 9 Hole Interclub

Strokestown OR Ballinamore VS Boyle ( Boyle have bye through first round)

Update 17th January

KING HARMON MATCHPLAY - Although all golf is currently suspended under the National Level 5 restrictions, some of the outstanding matches in the King Harmon Matchplay competition managed to proceed during December. The quarter-final results are as follows - Gerry Carty beat Michael McHale, Lorcan Egan beat Jason Beirne, Lochlainn Conboy was beaten by Vincent Egan. Padraig O’Connell and Martin Daly’s match will be played when the restrictions are relaxed to a degree that permits golf to resume.

CLUB DRAW - Recent winners in the club's monthly fund-raising draw were -  December - 1st Lorcan Egan, 2nd Liam Whyte, 3rd Paddy Nangle.

1st place gets 120 euro, 2nd and 3rd 60 apiece. Entry envelopes are available at the clubhouse noticeboard or you can set up a direct debit for 10 euro per month to the club's bank account at the following IBAN : IE59  BOFI 905328 22439700. 

AGM.  The AGM of the men's club took place on Sunday the 17th of January at 5 pm.
Due to the ongoing Level 5 restrictions, the meeting took place online via “Zoom”, with a link to participate in the meeting sent out to male members during the week prior to the AGM. The 2021 men’s committee was ratified at the meeting. Notable points from the meeting included that the increase in the men’s membership during the year led to a healthier than expected revenue from the men's competitions. It is hoped to have the overall Club AGM on Sunday the 14th of February. As the current restrictions are very unlikely to have relaxed to a degree permitting large indoor gatherings, it is expected that this meeting will also take place via “Zoom”.

PHOTO - Cormac Boydell from Cork sent the attached photo to us during the week. It shows a gathering of Boyle Golf Club members outside the clubhouse pavilion in 1913, some with their clubs beside them. This picture appears to have been taken at the club's previous location on the Warren side of the town where “The Warren” housing estate is currently located. Cormac’s grandmother Gladys Jameson originated from Abbeytown. We wish to thank Cormac for forwarding us this piece of the club's history from before World War 1. 

Update 14th December

 

RESULTS - The winner of the 9 hole Stableford played on Sunday the 6th of December was a man making a return to the winners enclosure, John McGuinn, with 18 points. Seamus Gallagher and Paul Connolly were 2nd and 3rd respectively. The scores were low, but this was a reflection on current playing conditions rather than the abilities of local golfers. The recent heavy rainfall has left the course too soft for the operation of grass cutting machinery which has resulted in fairways not being cut for a prolonged period, and balls are plugging.Many members really appreciate the outlet of playing golf again since the end of the last lockdown and are keen to keep the course open, but expectations will have to be realistic - very little can be done with the course until we have some drier weather.

FIXTURES - The Christmas Bonanza was due to be played on Sunday the 13th, but it has now been deferred to next weekend Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th of December, weather and course conditions permitting. A 9 hole Stableford was played instead of the Bonanza on the 13th, results to follow.

KING HARMON MATCHPLAY - The King Harmon Quarter-Finals are scheduled for completion by next Sunday the 20th. The match-ups are : Gerry Carty vs Michael McHale, Lorcan Egan vs Jason Beirne, Lochlainn Conboy vs Vincent Egan, Padraig O’Connell vs Martin Daly.

CLUB DRAW - Recent winners in the clubs monthly fund-raising draw were - September -1st Therese O’Daly, 2nd Ted Hester, 3rd Michael Gilmartin. October - 1st Michael Gilmartin, 2nd Paddy Nangle, 3rd Martin Higgins. November - 1st Pat Conroy, 2nd Mary O’Hara, 3rd Martin Higgins.

1st place gets 120 euro, 2nd and 3rd 60 apiece. Entry envelopes are available at the clubhouse noticeboard or you can set up a direct debit for 10 euro per month to the club's bank account at the following IBAN : IE59  BOFI 905328 22439700.

Update 7th December

Golf resumed again nationally this week after a 6-week hiatus. Unfortunately, conditions for the first post-lockdown men’s competition on Sunday the 6th were less than ideal, so the decision was made to change from an 18 hole Stableford to a 9 hole version instead. This was the first competition played under the new World Handicapping System, the results will be delayed for a day or 2. 

Next Sunday’s competition is the annual Christmas Bonanza, which is always a popular competition and has traditionally had a very social component to it. Given the current constraints, the prizegiving will have to change from its usual format of one prize for every participant. This has not been finalised yet, but ideas under consideration include having a reduced number of prizes and making a donation to a local cause in lieu of the others. It would be a real positive for the club to see a strong turnout of members for this competition, so please support if you can.