With such a later start to the golfing year due to the Covid-19 course closure in early 2021, it’s been a very busy few months for club and interclub competitions at Laytown & Bettystown Golf Club. The course is an absolute joy to play at the moment due to the dry and warm conditions and our coastal links has never been busier.
With the summer holidays for young boys and girls on the horizon, Junior Convenor, Mark Gogarty, is delighted to announce the establishment of a junior coaching academy with 75 boys and girls so far enrolled in the coaching squads. Club Professional, Scott Kirkpatrick, will have a very busy summer with so many young golfers keen to improve their skills at the regular coaching sessions on the practice ground and putting green.
Congratulations Alex
Everyone at the club was thrilled to hear the news from Portumna Golf Club in June that former Junior Captain, Alex Maguire, had won the Connacht Men’s Stroke Play Championship after a nail-biting 3-hole playoff. A wonderful achievement by the Florida Atlantic University student who is currently home in Mornington after his sophomore year. His win in Connacht was preceded by another impressive outing a few weeks ago at the ISPS Handa Ulster Men’s Stroke Play where he finished in 7th place.
Alex Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown) winner of the Connacht Men’s Stroke Play, Portumna Golf Club, Portumna, Co. Galway, Ireland. 13/06/2021 Picture: Golffile | Thos Caffrey All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit (© Golffile | Thos Caffrey)
Two of the premier club competitions were played in June with Bart Broderick coming out on top in Mr John Walsh’s President Prize while Marie McLoughlin, just edged out Marie McAuley and Adri Berney to win Mrs Pat Delany’s Lady President’s prize on June 19th last.
There were several club teams contesting the initial rounds of provincial championships over the course of the last month. The men’s Senior Cup team started their campaign with two fine wins over Headford GC and local neighbours, Seapoint GC. The men’s Barton Cup team also took the spoils against another neighbouring club, County Louth GC, Baltray, when the team won by the narrowest of margins in a very closely contested match.
Meanwhile, the ladies teams to the fore were the Intermediate Cup team which beat Co. Meath GC in their match and the Junior Foursomes ladies team which overcame Bellewstown GC in their first round tie. There was also an impressive first round win by the Irish Mixed Foursomes team who got the better of Ashbourne GC earlier this month.
Unfortunately the club’s junior boys’ team didn’t progress past the first round of their Irish Boys Foursomes competition this year despite performing well at the event. There was also disappointment for a number of other club teams who fell at the first hurdle but at the least the participating players know that there’s lots more competitive golf in store for them over the coming months.
Great also to see the weekly Social Golf event back on Friday evenings. This competition is sponsored by The Aviary (Drogheda & Mornington) and the first winning team of the season was made up of David, Mary Lynch, Joanne McElhinney & John Bailey. §