New attraction in ClareDromoland Castle's new 18-hole golf course is to open in the Spring of next year and the club is now inviting new members for both their individual and partner and spouse categories. Individual Membership is open at 10,000 including health club membership and subscriptions for 2004. For a partner and spouse, the fee is 15,000.
Designed by Ron Kirby and JB Carr, the course measures 6,845 yards, par 72 and is located in 375 acres of mature parkland on the Dromoland Estate, just 10 minutes from Shannon Airport.
Dromoland is a privately owned country estate with 100 guest-rooms and suites including the original 16th castle house which has been restored to one of Europe's finest luxury hotel properties. A separate health and leisure club, spa and inviting clubhouse are just some of the highlights of Dromoland's magnificent estate. Details are available from the golf team on 061 368444 or through www.dromoland.ie.
Kerry to host finals
The Irish Pitch and Putt Matchplay finals will be played for the first time in Co Kerry when the 2004 national championship season opens on the June Bank Holiday weekend. Darren O'Reilly (C.P.M.) and Chrissie Byrne (St Bridget's) will defend their titles over the rolling expanse of Deerpark, close to the famous football ground, Fitzgerald Stadium.
Cork players have won the National Men's Strokeplay championship on six of the last 10 occasions. The 2004 renewal is on Cork soil at St Stephen's in Glanmire. The holder is William Buckley Junior (Erry) who beat Cork's Frank Dineen (St Anne's) in a play-off at Tullamore.
St Bridget's in Kilcullen, hosts the National Women's Strokeplay championship final next July.
Among the players fancied to take 2003 champion Geraldine Ward's title will be home players Marian Byrne (the 1999 winner), Bernadette Coffey (champion in '98) and Chrissie Byrne, beaten in a play-off for this year's championship at Lakewood .
The Inter-County championships return to Glenville where the format reverts to the single tier championship in both men's and women's competitions.
Castletown (between Navan and Kingscourt) is a new course on the P.P.U.I. national event rota. St Patrick's last hosted the National Men's Strokeplay tests in 1994 while Larkspur Park was the venue for the 1997 Inter-County championship.
Spain take the initiative
Spanish players are at the forefront of the European challenge in the opening rounds of the 2003 Orange Bowl junior international golf championships at Biltmore Golf Club, Coral Gables in Florida.
Former British boys champion Pablo Martin from Madrid added a 70 to his opening round of 69 to be in joint third place at the halfway mark in the boys' section, seven behind Randy Lowry of Spring in Texas, who added a second 66 for a total of 132. Lowry leads by four from Jon McLean of Weston, Florida (71, 65) with Gui Won Suh of Orlando on the same mark as Martin.
Leader in the girls' event by four shots is Chloe Esther from La Quinta, California. Chloe has had scores of 67 and 68 for a very good 36-hole aggregate of nine-under-par 135.
Spain has two girls in the leading 10 - Adriana Zwanck from Algete on 141 (69, 72) and Emma Cabrera from Maspalomas on 142 (72, 70).
Another Spanish girl, last year's native women's champion, Azahara Munoz from Malaga is on 148 after scores of 73 and 75.
Florentyna Parker from Southport has had rounds of 74 and 78 for an eight-over-par tally of 152. Kiran Matharu from Leeds is on 157.
Winter series' date set
The fourth outing of the Links Golf Society's winter series, sponsored by Waterford Crystal, will take place at the Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links on Thursday, January 8th 2004.
