All the news and happenings from the local golf clubs

Nine handicapper Geoff Brown needed no assistance during his round at Portstewart On Saturday as he compiled a score of 43 points to win the Lifeboat Competition.

He started with one point from the first and didn’t score at the short sixth but made up ground via a birdie four on the long seventh.

All this gave Geoff 20 points for the nine and his good form continued through to the end. The two par fives were eagled and birdied while just two shots were dropped to par giving Geoff another 23 points for his total of 43.

All were needed as David Lamont was hot on his tail, finishing with 42.

His front nine was heading for average status before he hit a birdy three on the ninth to boost the tally to 21 points. As with the winner David’s form stood up on the inward nine, three bogeys and a strong finish of three pars to add nine points at the tail.

Another 21 for the nine and second place for 42 points. Stephen Garrett showed no signs of weariness after his wee trip abroad as he claimed the Best Gross prize for his 73.

Birdies at two and four paired up with bogeys at five and nine saw him out in level par 36.

Whatever happened at the ninth hut saw Stephen bogey the tenth but both par fives succumbed to birdy fours shortly after to get him under par for the round.

A pair of fives were lurking for Stephen however at sixteen and seventeen so one over for the back nine and one over for the round it was.

Keith Johnston was the Low Section topper on 38 points from his eight handicap.

A couple of single point holes late in the opening nine restricted Keith to 18 points at the turn but he did better on the inward route. Another single pointer cropped up but his birdie four at fourteen helped Keith to add 20 points and secure his prize.

High Section leader was Martin Breslin with a score of 40 points from his mark of sixteen.

A no score at two and some single pointers left Martin on 15 points after nine but it was a changed man that emerged from the hut as he started back with three consecutive threes!

Two of these were birdies for four points each and, even with another blank on the short fifteenth, his tally was on the rise.

A final four point birdie at eighteen saw Martin sign for 25 points for the back nine and 40 overall.

EMPHATIC WIN FOR DEREK AT THE ‘ROCK

Fifteen handicapper Derek Dickson hit a remarkable 47 points at Castlerock on Saturday to walk off with the Profession’s Prize.

He finished four points ahead of the field. Derek played the opening nine holes in one over par, including twos at the Leg O’Mutton and the Quarry, for 25 points out!

Ordinary, very good, golf followed on a back nine of three over par. Another birdie was added in, a four at the long seventeenth for four points to take 22 from the inward nine and boost the tally to 47.

Allister Somers was the man unlucky enough to score 43 points and not win! His front nine was also his better half, 24 points scored including a two at nine.

Allister, playing off twelve, also dropped in another two at sixteen to help him to 19 back and 43 overall. Richard Caldwell, another twelve man, scored 40 points to take third spot.

A blank at the Quarry restricted his points tally to 19 out but a recovery was mounted and Richard birdied eleven and seventeen in fours to take 21 from the back nine.

Best in the Low Section was Scott McLelland on forty points.

The eleven handicapper birdied the sixth to get 20 points for the nine and although no further birdies were found played more steadily to add the same again coming back.

High Section topped was Seamus Allen who carded 39 points from his nineteen handicap.

Two blanks in the opening nine meant just 15 points at the turn but that turn signalled a complete revival for Seamus. He completed the back nine in two over par to put 24 points on the card and more than justify his prize.

Philip Hendrick proved to be the top Oldie by scoring 37 points off his handicap of twenty one.

In the Best Gross stakes David Turner’s 37 points was the topper. His level par front nine was just that, nine straight pars.

This got him 18 points on the card. His first bogey came with a five at the tenth but was immediately pulled back with a four at the long eleventh.

Routine pars from there until the next birdie, a four at seventeen, and a four to finish one under for the nine. 19 points for a total of 37 which represents a one under par round of 72 shots.

MAIRS CUP TIE BREAK JOY FOR LEE

Lee Baird hit 22 points for the final nine holes at Rathmore on Sunday to beat three others to the Dougie Mairs Cup.

The ten handicapper was three over par for the opening nine with 20 points logged at the turn.

A bogey five at twelve was the first shot dropped on the way in but this was followed by a four at thirteen for a birdie.

The short fifteenth took another shot from Lee but that was to be the last as he parred his way in for 22 back.

That back nine score sealed the win as Jim Taylor and Andrew Porter both scored 42 points with 21 points back.

Jim won out on that tiebreak with 14 points coming from the final six holes. Jim logged in two birdies in his back nine after scoring 21 out.

These came at the long tenth and the short fifteenth. Andrew also hit 21 out with three birdie threes on the card.

On the way in he hit a two at eleven, a four at thirteen and a three at sixteen to gather 21 from the back nine but, with13 from the final six, was eased into third spot.

Keith Elliott scored 20 back to get fourth spot and the last of the turkeys on offer. Keith scored 22 out with the help of a birdie three at the first and a two at the third.

His 20 back had another two, the eleventh, and a three at sixteen for his final birdy. Frankie McDonald missed out on a turkey but got fifth place in the Dougie Mairs Cup for his 40 points.

Birdies at the short second and the par four fifteenth helping Frankie’s cause. Russell Dunlop took the best gross prize with his round of level par 70.

SCOTT CUP GOES TO JOHN AND HELEN

John McElderry jnr and Helen Jones combined well to win the Scott Cup on the Valley Links at Royal Portrush.

Their score of 41 points enough to seal the silverware. It was level par for the opening nine with birdies logged at two and six evening out bogies on the first and the seventh for 21 points at the turn.

Eleven gave up a two which was reclaimed by the course at twelve with a final bogey. Level par again for the nine and 41 scored.

This was a point too good for Portstewart’s Kevin Doherty and Helen McLaughlin who hit 40 points.

They were three points up on the winners at the tenth with 24 won. This included a birdy three at nine.

The birdies dried up on the return nine and were replaced by a few double bogies. Kevin’s unorthodox grip didn’t stand up under pressure and even with Helen’s steady play sixteen back was the result.

They in turn were one up on third placed Paul Rohdich and Eimear O’Connor.

They too fared better on the front nine with 22 points logged. Birdies at the par four third and the short sixth helping.

A double bogey six at fourteen did not help their cause but 17 points were added to get third place on 39.

Dr and Mrs H Baird took the gross prize with their 18 hole tally of 85.

PORTRUSH GOLFER SHOWS WHO’S BOSS

A Portrush golfer has received a limited-edition BOSS watch after scoring a hole-in-one during a recent competition at his golf club.

Rory Houston, 55, scored his ace on the 237-yard, par-three sixth at The Valley course.

And the one-handicapper was rewarded with membership of the exclusive BOSS Watches H1 Club and a specially-commissioned, commemorative timepiece.

The luxury German brand has pledged to reward club golfers with an exclusive watch for every hole-in-one recorded during a club competition between April 15 and October 31 this year.

And, with nearly 4,000 holes-in-one recorded annually, BOSS Watches could feasibly be giving away £1m-worth in 2013.

The scheme is open to any golfer whose club uses HowDidiDo - a free-to-use, web-based social network for golfers - and anybody playing in official club competitions will be eligible. Currently, more than 1,800 clubs use the website.

Stephen Brydon, commercial director for MGS Distribution, the official licenced UK distributor for BOSS Watches, said: “Congratulations to Rory on what, to most of us, is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement.

“To the majority of amateur golfers, recording a hole-in-one will be the most memorable thing they achieve in golf - yet all many have to show for it is a dent in their bank balance after buying a round of drinks in the clubhouse.”