Boherlahane/Dualla GAA club, winners of the inaugural competitions will again be in the starting line-up when the FBD All-Ireland GAA Club Golf Challenge gets under way in May. The challenge is unique in that there are no senior or junior divisions or age restrictions. To compete in the challenge all players must have verification from their GAA club secretary of membership in the year 2000.
The provincial finals will be restricted to 30 teams from each province, with one going forward to the All-Ireland final. The Munster finals in June and July will take place at Dundrum Golf Club, Tipperary, the Connacht final is scheduled for Galway Bay Golf Club, Slieve Russell will host the Ulster play-offs while the Leinster decider will be at Tulfarris in June and July.
Dunfanaghy and Rathfarnham may be over 200 miles apart but this year the respective golf clubs have a close connection. Julie McGinley is Lady Captain at Dunfanaghy and Jack Gallagher is Captain at Rathfarnham. Jack is originally from Creeslough in Donegal where he won a minor county championship on the Gaelic football fields with Julie's husband Mick McGinley.
Ballyliffin's Anne McLaughlin won in style last week. Not just happy to collect a winning prize on the Saturday, she went ahead and won again the following day. On Saturday, the 14 handicapper walked away with victory in the singles competition over the Old Links course. She shot a superb 37 points, which was six ahead of runner-up Marie Gough (19), who shot 31 points, two ahead of third-placed Geraldine McCarron (15).
Then the following day, on the Glashedy course, Anne collected the top prize in Class One with 18 points.
Some former soccer greats are beginning to prove their worth and value on and off the fairways of Dublin.
At the weekend ex-Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians midfielder Johnny Fullam was victorious in Hermitage. The eight handicapper - who won 11 caps for the Republic of Ireland - proved far too good for the rest of the field.
Meanwhile, at St Anne's former Drumcondra full back from the 1960s, Alf Girvan, has just been appointed vice-captain of the club, where Tony Gilroy is captain.
The rather amusingly named Keg Golfing Society began their 2001 season last Sunday at Ballyliffin. And although the wintry weather conditions made life extremely difficult, 35 souls braved both the wind and the sleet. Yet despite the very testing conditions, 22 handicapper Tony Gibbons proved that straight hitting is the key to success. Gibbons' 35 points total left him three ahead of Conal Doherty (12).
