Beaverstown, who lost out on the fifth tie hole to Mountrath in the Barton Cup final three years ago, will be hoping to go one better when they take on newcomers to this stage, Vartry Lakes, in the FBD-sponsored competition semi-final next weekend.
Led by Irish international Gary Cullen and including a number of players that featured in that memorable final, the North Dublin club look to have the necessary balance to reach their second final in three years.
The other semi-final sees Slade Valley take on Kilkenny. The first leg of the final will be played on August 25th with the second leg scheduled for September 8th.
Anxious moments
UCD supporters had many anxious moments at the K Club last week before the students lifted the Barton Shield (Leinster Section) with a six hole victory over Stackstown in the final.
However. both clubs must have left the K Club on Friday wondering how they had reached the final. Both looked down and out as the semi-finals with Royal Dublin and Newlands respectively reached the 17th and 18th holes. Royal Dublin held a one-hole advantage with one to play and when Stephen Prendergast pitched to 14 inches at the last, against Mark Campbell and Paul McDonald, it looked to be Royal Dublin's day. But it is never over until the last putt goes down and Lee Owens's effort just slipped past to take the match down the 19th. Again Royal Dublin looked favourites when the UCD pair were still in the trees on the right after two shots. Campbell played a fine third shot that finished just off the green and after Royal Dublin were blocked out off their second shot it was decided on a pitch and putt and McDonald pitched to two feet for Campbell to hole for the match.
Newlands where also in the driving seat, having led by five holes early on, they were still one to the good playing the last but both pairs lost the 18th to let Stackstown slip through by the narrowest of margins.
Stack wins again
Bernie Stack is making a habit of winning the captain's prize at Beaverstown. On Saturday last the 23 handicapper chalked up her third success in three years when she won Marguerita Cox's prize.
Undaunted by the heavy showers which resulted in an electric failure in the clubhouse, Stack added a second round 69 to her opening 75 to win by two shots from Noreen Kelly on 146 with Joan Lupton next also on 146. The gross prize went to the Lady captain's daughter Nicola, who won with 182.
Golf at dawn
It will be golf at dawn for the participants in the first Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Women's Challenge that will reach its conclusion at Druids Glen on August 21st.
Twelve teams representing all four provinces will contest the fourball competition. As well as the beautiful trophy the winning team will be invited back to Druids Glen where they will have the chance to play golf with Ireland's only woman touring professional, Aiden Rogers.
The qualifiers for the play-off are: Ballyhaunis (K Curley, L Freely); Athlone (L Comber, V Brennan); Mountbellew (K Bergin, P Kilgannon); Kilkea Castle (B Judge, S Clegg); Mountain View (M Reid, C Fennelly); Hollywood Lakes (E Higgins, M Desmond); East Cork (K Byrne, M Kelleher); Waterford Castle (K Walsh, C Walsh); Dunmore (Y Verling, N O'Donoghue); Buncrana (M McColgan, P Ferry); Nuremore (M Harney, R McKeown); Castleblayney (E Kerr, M Moore).
Cahill moves up
John Cahill's victory in the Paddy Old Whiskey National Pitch and Putt championship last week has lifted him to number three in the latest Waterford Crystal PPUI National Rankings. Cahill was 35th at the beginning of the year and 28th in the June listings. Meanwhile, Mark Millar remains in pole position despite an indifferent performance at Stackallen. Current number two, Ray Murphy (Templebreedy), closed the gap with another impressive performance.
Bernadette Coffey (St Brigid's) is top of the women's list but less than 30 points cover the top four that include Peggy Campbell (Glenville), Ann Hall (Royal Meath) and Marian Byrne (St Brigid's).
Aces wild
If it's record breakers you are looking for then it would appear that Ballybofey and Stranorlar is the place to go to.
Not only are the women rewriting the record books around their own club, but they are doing so on their travels too. However, the real talk of the clubhouse was the number of aces being recorded during last week's Club Classic.
Mary McHugh (20) and Margaret McCrossan (14) were playing on the same team and both recorded holes-in-one during the competition.
First with her ace was McHugh who played a five wood to hole-in-one into the wind at the sixth, and then two holes later it was the turn of McCrossan, who aced with a seven wood at the eighth.
Meanwhile, making the headlines away from the club was four-handicapper Darragh McGowan who was competing in Open week at Athenry golf club. And showing inspired form, she broke the course record, shooting a two-over-par 74. It proved to be a good week for her around Athenry as she couldn't be kept off the winner's podium and collected three prizes.
Impressive scoring
It's often said that you drive for show and putt for dough. That is especially the case in the professional ranks, but it is a combination which can work too in the amateur game.
And it was a something that Brenda Fives did to perfection recently at Elm Park as she won Maurice Kelly's President's Prize.
Her long game was on song that day, while on the greens she was certainly in good form as she collected 44 points, which was mainly due to birdies at two of the par threes, while she added in four more pars.
Her winning score was set up by an impressive 25 points on the front nine, with 19 more to follow on the back. Her score was good enough to see her handicap cut by two shots, from 22 to 20.
Also losing shots following her performance in the event was Margaret McCann, who claimed the runners-up spot with 42 points off a handicap of 22 to also lose two shots, while gross winner Denise O'Sullivan (who won with 32 points) had her handicap drop from nine to eight.
