All the news and happenings from the local golf clubs

There was a double case of Sunday’s bridemaids becoming the Saturday brides at Ballycastle this week.

The previous Sunday, Owen Kennedy had been runner up in Division One but on Saturday past he went the extra distance scoring 42 points to secure first place ahead of Eamon Hackett (12) who was 2nd on 40 points with Mel Carleton (5) picking up 3rd prize also on 40 points.

Similarly Matthew Neely (22) had been runner up in Division Two the previous Sunday and this time he recorded 41 points to take the turkey from Martin Morgan (15) in second place on 40 points, with Philip Michael just relegated to third place on back nine countback.

On Sunday it was Owen Kennedy’s playing partner, Peter McMullan, who had the highest score of the weekend scoring 14 pars, two birdies and two bogies to rack up 48 points and win the Division One turkey by four points from Declan McCarry (13) who shot a splendid 44 points.

Francis McGinn took third place on 43 points, with five birdies and thirteen pars off his handicap of two.

Maurice Henry took the Division Two turkey with 42 points despite a no-score at the 10th hole.

In second place Frank Hasson (18) also scored 42 points while Chris McCloskey (17) was third on 41 points.

Probably the happiest man on Sunday was Peter Dowds who had a Hole in One at the 13th.

In the Saturday Veterans competition, after six rounds, Gerard McCloskey leads on 175 points with Gerry McConville second on 171 and Derek Bell 3rd on 170 points.

Seamus Killough leads the Sunday Veterans competition on 190 points with Gerry McConville again second on 173 points.

Full details of the Veterans and the Saturday and Sunday Ringers are available on the members’ page of the Club website.

BROWN TROUT GOLF CLUB

The fourth of the nine week Star Fuels sponsored Winter League at the Brown Trout was completed last weekend.

As in the previous three weeks scores had to be in the 40’s to make the podium! The winner after a tiebreak was Tom Boyd (7) from Robert Orr (11) both scoring 42 points. Tom opened with a one over par yielding 20 points adding a second nine level par for a further 22, highlight of his round were birdies at holes 6, 10 and 13. Robert showed consistency with seven pars each nine but a double bogey at 14 proved costly. He ended up with 21 points for each nine to finish runner-up.

Ronnie Milliken (5) took the third prize on offer with a level par round yielding nines of 21 and 20 for a total of 41,highlight of Ronnie’s round were birdies at the fourth and eighth. Twos were plentiful with the following sharing the kitty: R. Engall R. Milliken T. Cupples J. Montgomery and T. Boyd.

With the two top scores coming from Tom and Robert for team Doubles with 84 they were awarded 6 league points. Team Paraffin led by Ronnie Milliken got five points for finishing second with M. Laverty adding 39 points to Ronnie’s 41 for 80.

Team Phurnacite with a total of 74 taking four points with David Wilson best with 39. Sam Reid led team Anthracite with 37 and Maurice Torrington adding 34 giving them 71 and three league points. Captains Coal and Burnglow each scored 69 points with the Captains team receiving two points by virtue of a better third card.

Team positions after week four are as follows: Doubles 20 points, Paraffin 19, Anthracite 16, Phurnacite 12, Captains Coal 10 and Burnglow 7..

DONAL CLAIMS THE FIRST BIRD

Castlerock Golf Club had seven turkeys on offer at the weekend and Donal Mulholland got the first pick. The three handicapper scored 36 points to top the table by two.

This was scored over the shortened winter course, 15 holes, and represents a gross round of two under par. After four straight pars Donal paved the way to his turkey by hitting an eagle on the long par five ‘Railway’ hole and followed this with a birdie at the next to go to three under par. This gave Donal 19 points for the opening seven holes.

His first, and only, dropped shot came with a six at eleven which was brought back into line by the striking of another birdie on the long seventeenth to see Donal back in level par for the last eight. Seventeen points came from those holes to give the winning tally of 36 points.

Two points back came Jeremy McCreadie, a 19 handicapper, on 34. Jeremy blanked a couple of holes, the third and the eleventh, both par fives, but scored very well otherwise, hitting a birdie four on the fifth to get 15 points out of the opening seven holes.

After the blip at the tenth Jeremy steadied and his 13 points from the final four holes, including another birdie four, allowed him to sign for another 19 back to get into second spot. One point further back was Tommy Crampsie with 33 points from his mark of seventeen.

Tommy also suffered a little from the blank disease, missing out at the second but, with fifteen points coming from the next five he was on 18 by the turn. A few single pointers towards the end of the round restricted his scoring to 15 points for the final eight holes but this was enough to seal his Christmas bird.

Three players tied on 32 points each for the next trio of turkeys, Luke Thompson (6), Paul Loughrey (9), and Ryan Ferguson (13). Luke’s 18 points for the final eight kept him in third spot and Peter Kilburn (10) was the recipient of the final bird with his return of 31 points.

DUNLUCE GOLF WINTER LEAGUE

Again Division Two of the Dunluce Golf Winter League at Bushfoot GC produced the better scoring as Paul Pentland hit 42 points from his seventeen handicap.

He played so well that, even with not scoring at three and six, 19 points were scored by the turn. His worst score of the round came with his double bogey six on the thirteenth but he more than made up for this by birdying the fourteenth with a two. 23 points back was his reward and it meant a card of 42 points.

Neil Simpson was his runner up in the Second division with 40 points off his mark of 21. Neil started with a six, double bogey, and hit a three at the sixth for a birdie to be out with 22 points scored. Ten gave up no points but Neil was steady enough to gather 18 points back to get to 40.

Division one top spot went to Willie McClernon for his 40 pointer. Back to back birdies at eight and nine got him to 20 points on the front nine and although that form slipped a wee bit with a double bogey six on ten Willie had another birdie in him with a two on the short twelfth to double his tally to forty points.

David Millar was three back on 37 playing off thirteen. The eighth gave him his birdy to even up a blank on the fourth for 17 points out. David beat his handicap coming back to score another 20 points.

STABLEFORD WIN FOR KEITH

One handicapper Keith McGarry produced 20 points on his back nine on Saturday to with the Monthly Stableford at Royal Portrush on countback.

He birdied the opening hole but double bogied the ninth and these sandwiched two other dropped shots to get 16 points logged at the turn. That double bogey set Keith going as the tenth fell to a birdie four. A couple of holes on and he hit a three at the fifteenth for another which was immediately given back with his six at sixteen His final flourish was his four on the par five seventeenth and Keith signed up for 36 with 20 back. That was enough to win out in the countback over second placed Sid Henry.

Sid, playing off scratch, birdied both par fives on the way out and added a birdie three on the fifth to get to the turn one under par and with 19 points scored. His three at fifteen was the final birdie, this, together with two bogies, gave him 17 back for his Silver Medal winning 36 points.

The Bronze Medal winner was Brian McMullan on 35 points from his handicap of twelve. Brian had to wait until the ninth for his first and only birdie of the day, a four, which gave him 18 points for the nine. A steady back nine produced another 17 points to get him to 35 overall.

In the Best Gross category Richard McClements was the one to get the plaudits with his round of 79. After a series of bogies he hit a birdie four at nine to see him out in 40 shots. A bogey at twelve and a double bogey on sixteen were his only departures from par on the inward nine adding 39 shots to the card for 79 total.

VICTORY FOR PAT

The recent meeting of the NW ladies Alliance was held in cold blustery conditions at Castlerock GC, home club of this year’s Captain Denise Henry, and was won by Castlerock’s Pat Hunter with a score of 30 points over 16 holes. Pat is also the Alliance secretary this year. She had 80 other ladies as opposition from Royal Portrush, Portstewart, Castlerock, Ballymena, Ballycastle and Killymoon, a well supported society. The placing gained by Treasurer Sandra Rodden meant a majority of the office bearers featured in the prizes!

Other prizewinners were J Mason CGC, S Crawford B’castle, A Greaves K’moon, R Glover k’moon all in Section One. From Section Two I Bratton B’castle, S Rodden CGC, J Irwin RPGC, C Christie PGC were in the prizes.

Agatha Mullan from the Portstewart club got the only two of the day