Michael Hayes, the national development administrator of the Pitch and Putt Union of Ireland, has launched a new juvenile project. The objective is to introduce the game to primary schoolchildren in selected areas with a view to increasing the number of juveniles playing.

The sport is already well established at post-primary level. Nineteen schools contested the Munster College championship at the Waterford Crystal course last week where reigning Cork and Munster strokeplay champion Robert O'Donoghue, shot a superb 13-under-par 95 to help his team, Douglas Community School, to victory. Completing the Douglas line-up were Cathal Foley (National Boys' champion in 1996) on 98, Shane O'Connor (102), Aaron O'Callaghan (103) and Willie McCarthy (106). Douglas's team score of 398 was 16 shots clear of second placed St Paul's Community College, Waterford; Colaiste An Chraobhin, Fermoy, were third on 420. Tomorrow, 32 teams will contest the Leinster Inter-Schools championship over the McDonagh course at the Curragh.