All the news and happenings from the local golf clubs

The turkey season continued at the weekend in Ballycastle and despite some strong gusty winds it was another weekend of high scoring.

On Saturday the battle for the Division One bird was fought out by two earlier turkey winners, Gerard Waide (13) and George McVeigh (14), with both returning 44 points.

But it was ‘Fly’ who emerged on top courtesy of a better back nine, while George had to be content with his two’s at the third and 10th holes.

These two players will undoubtedly be the subject of potential cuts at the next Match and Handicap meeting along with a number of other high scorers from the turkey season.

Eamon Hackett (12) took third spot with 42 points.

The Division Two bird proved even harder to catch but Michael Lewis (15) was up to the task with a splendid 46 points total that included two’s at the 10th and 13th holes as well as seven pars on the rest of the back nine for a super 27 points.

John McSparran (16) was second on 45 points while Tommie Simpson (15) lit up his Christmas tree with 44 points in 3rd place.

Rory Gallagher topped Division One on Sunday with 42 points off his five handicap, which included birdies at first, fifth, sixth, 11th and 12th holes. Second place went to Francis McGinn (2) with 38 points, ahead of Roland Kearns (13) in third place also on 38 points.

In Division Two this time last year Kevin Traynor (16) was on fire and he climbed to the top of the podium again with an excellent 45 points, his three birdies cancelling out his three double-bogeys.

Dessie Higgins (19) took second place on 41 points while Philip Michael (19) who just missed out on third place on Saturday, got onto the rostrum on Sunday with 39 points for third place.

For Francis Og McGinn it was a very special Sunday, as the young man recorded his first ever hole-in-one at the treacherous 10th.

Bonanza weekend takes place next Saturday and Sunday when players compete for prizes including meat, drink, golf equipment and gift vouchers and every competitor is guaranteed a prize.

Members are reminded that the prizes for bonanza will be distributed in the clubhouse at 6pm on the following Saturday 21st December.

This will be followed by the Bonanza Dinner at 7pm. Members wishing to attend the dinner are asked to put their names on the sheet on display at the results board.

BROWN TROUT WINTER LEAGUE

Week eight of the nine week Star Fuels Sponsored Winter League was completed at the weekend.

Alan Smyton (24) was the clear winner by two points with a fine score of 42 points. 20 after nine adding 22, Alan included eight pars on his card.

Two players each returned 40 points each with Jimmy Kelly (9) claiming the runner-up spoils with a better back nine after nines of 19 and 21.

Sam Reid (11) in third place had 20 points each nine. Jimmy included a birdie in each nine, a three at the sixth and finishing off in style when he nearly holed out at the eighteenth giving him a tap in for his two!

Sam for his part played steady throughout except a blip at the 12th. with his only double bogey.

Twos were plentiful with five members sharing the kitty: J. Kelly D. Mulholland J. Montgomery M. Torrington and R. Smyth.

In the team scene two teams ended up with 77 points each and after the third card was taken into consideration Team Doubles were awarded the six league points thus putting them in an unassailable winning position with still one week left!!

Team captain T. Boyd with 39 and R. Orr adding 38. Team Anthracite led by team captain S. Reid best with 40 and M. Torrington adding 37. for five league points.

Team Phurnacite led by team captain J. Kelly with 40 and D. Wilson adding 32 earning four points. On 71 a further point adrift Team Captains Coal took three points with team captain J. Kearns leading them home with 36 and J. Logue adding 35.

Team Paraffin with 70 were led by team captain R. Milliken with the best return of 37 points being awarded two league points.

Team Burnglow finished bottom with only 64 points.

With team Doubles already crowned winners with 41 points the race for next two places is on with Anthracite with 34 league points finishing strongly with six points on week seven and five more on week eight going three points clear of team Paraffin with 31 points in third place with only one week remaining.

Team Phurnacite sit in fourth place with 27 league points followed by Burnglow on 19 and Captains Coal with 16.

Dunluce Golf Winter League

The Second Division was to the fore again in Bushfoot’s Dunluce Golf Winter League with the top two players scoring 43 points each.

William Creighton got the nod in the tiebreaker with a back nine of 22 points.

The total could have been better as William slipped a bit with a triple and a double bogey but he scored well apart from that to get his top billing.

Roger Hamilton was the other 43 man, hitting 21 back to get his second place.

In Division One it was Willie McLernon, scoring 39 points, on top. Out in two over par Willie had 21 on the card.

The back nine was not so kind to him, his double bogey six at ten was followed by a nice two at eleven but seventeen was non productive as he ended with 18 points back and 39 total.

Robert McLaughlin took second on 37. Two steady nines with 17 coming from the outward leg and 20 from the inward.

On Sunday Stevie Dunlop was the man, scoring 36 points to win the sweep on countback from Paul Molloy.

Robert McLaughlin featured in the prizes again taking third place with another 36 points tally.

FAIR WEATHER FOR ALLIANCE at Castlerock

The conditions for the recent NE Golfing Alliance meet at Castlerock were dry, mild and calm.

Tommy Allen was certainly calm as he compiled the top score of the day, getting 38 points on his card, to take the honours for the home players.

This was made even more impressive as just sixteen holes were in play.

Three 37s followed Tommy, from N Moore, Geoff Brown and Declan Kelly, and these were propped up by two 36 pointers from John Cameron and E Carson.

Raymond Eakin, Ken Newens and Mark Windebank all hit 35 points each for their prizes while John Jamieson, Billy Cameron and Brian McCafferty took the rest with 34, 33 and 32 respectively.

The next event will be the pre-Christmas ‘bash’ on Thursday 19th December at Portstewart.

After the golf there will be a bit of a get together for a bite to eat, presentation of prizes and maybe a few fizzy drinks.

NICE ONE CYRIL at rathmore gc!

Cyril Langford took the top bird of four that were up for grabs at Rathmore GC on Sunday.

He scored 42 points off his thirteen handicap to win by a single point.

His two at the short sixth helped his card along to 21 at the turn for home and the good scoring carried on with another birdie, a four this time, at ten getting some bonus points.

Just to end the day on a high Cyril slipped in a putt on eighteen for a wee tow and another 21 points, and the number one turkey, was his.

Just back was three handicap Russell Dunlop on 41. His front nine was easy to report, one bogey, eight pars, 19 points.

Back nine, six pars three birdies, 22 points. The birdies were hit at ten with a four, twelve and sixteen with threes.

Another low man, Leon Stevenson, got the third bird with his 39 points score. Playing off one this was no mean feat.

Twos at the third and the sixth helped to get 19 points from the opening nine and Leon boosted his scoring with two threes at fourteen and sixteen to get back in two under par for another 20.

William Davidson matched that 39 points but was one point short when it came to countback so fourth it was for him.

TURKEYS FOR TOM AND

MARSHALL

Forty points from sixteen holes proved more than enough to secure turkeys for Tom Bill and Marshall Moore at Royal Portrush on Saturday.

Even with a triple bogey seven at seven the pair scored 22 out. Steady golf for the remaining seven allowed them to sign up for 18 back and 40 overall.

This was three better than runners up George Stewart and Samuel Oliver on 37.

Birdie threes at five and eight saw 24 points appear for the opening nine but those were the last birdies for the duo and with a nasty double bogey six at fifteen they could muster just 13 back to get second place by one over Richard McDermott and Andrew Baird with 36 to their name.

The curse of the double bogeys hit them twice on the front nine and 19 points was the result of that.

A solitary birdie, a three on thirteen, got them to seventeen coming back for third place on 36 points.