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Narin & Portnoo Golf Club Notes 7th December 2009


Cathy Quinn won the prestigious Jennings Cup at Narin and Portnoo and is pictured receiving the trophy from Lady Captain, Eileen Kennedy.


Goretti Cunningham of Killybegs was the proud recipient of the Christmas Hamper from Narin and Portnoo Lady Captain, Eileen Kennedy.


Sean Whyte was presented with the winner’s prize in the Leo Molloy Cancer Fundraiser by Leo’s son Aaron at a presentation in Narin and Portnoo Golf Club last Sunday night.

Bart Whelan has assumed the mantle of Narin and Portnoo Golfer of the Year (sponsored by Connor Mallon) following his narrow victory over Alan Elliott last week. The match had been level after 18 holes and rather that finish in darkness, the intrepid duellists prepared for round two á la the U.S. Open play-offs. Notions! Anyhow, Bart was quickly out of the trap, parring three and birdying one of the first four holes. His stunned Narin opponent fought back from this precarious position and narrowed the gap with a succession of excellent iron approaches to greens. He was finding it difficult to square the match, thinking at one stage on 13 that his birdie would be sufficient, only for the incoming club president to sink a “raker” from the edge of the green for a half! When both stood on the 18th tee, Bart had a one-hole advantage. The shoe had been on the other foot the previous week, only for Alan to be pegged back. But Bart didn’t get where he is today by letting chances like this slip away and a deft three foot putt ensured a victory by the slimmest of margins. The match was played in an excellent spirit throughout and Alan was most gracious in defeat. We now await the victor’s oration at the Christmas presentation and most of Ardara has committed to attending. It should be good!

A G.A.A. classic will be held in the club this Saturday, with former All-Star, Martin McHugh one of the principal organisers. Over twenty teams have signed up, including past and present G.A.A. stars from every county in Ulster. The teams kick off with a shotgun start at 10.30a.m. and a meal will be served in the clubhouse later that evening. Mr. Sam Maguire will make a rare personal appearance and everyone is welcome to make his acquaintance! He last visited the club in 1992 when Martin, Anthony, Manus and their fellow sporting heroes won the right to keep him in the county for a year. The proceeds from the classic will go to both the Donegal Alzheimer Association and Junior Golf Development in the club itself. We wish everyone the best of weather and great golf.

John Quinn had a great weekend of it, winning the Ardara Society Christmas competition at a canter and doing likewise the following day in the lucrative Christmas Hamper competition. The weather was inclement and if one was to score at all, it had to be done on the front nine. That was the theory at any rate and John was steady enough going out, reaching the turn on 18 points. A double-bogey at ten spelled trouble but he steadied the rocking ship with birdies on 14 and 16 to return a magnificent 20 points on the inward nine. The toughness of the day was emphasised by the fact that John had five points to spare over his nearest rival. One of the performances of the year, without a doubt.

Barney Cunningham obviously tired of reading about the superhuman exploits of Messrs. Gillespie and Cunningham, so he decided to do something about it. A victory in the latest Wednesday Open was just the ticket and has blunted his fellow golfers’ jibes for now. They won’t stay hushed for long! The competition was played over 16 holes and Barney combined scores of 18 and 16 for a two under par nett total of 34 points.

The Dolmen Society is staging its Christmas competition at Narin on December 19th with those participating playing between 9 and 11 a.m. A great value Christmas dinner will follow in the clubhouse and the more the merrier!

Results:
December 6: Christmas Hamper:
1. John Quinn (14) 38; 2. Ciaran O’Kane (12) 33; 3. Patrick Boyle (13) 32; 4. Sean Whyte (14) 31 b.o.t.; C.S.S. 75; Twos: 3 balls

December 2: Wednesday Open:
1. Barney Cunningham (26) 34; 2. Vinny Gallagher (15) 32; 3. Conal Gillespie (16) 31; Twos: 3 balls each

December 4 Golfer of the Year Final (sponsored by Connor Mallon, PGA Professional):
Bart Whelan defeated Alan Elliott one up after 36 holes.

Fixtures:
December 12: G.A.A. Classic
December 13: Christmas Cracker, single stableford, closed
December 14: Weekly Open Seniors Stableford
December 16: Wednesday Open, ladies and gents, single stableford, 20 euro entry for G.U.I. visitors including green fee;

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