FOUR CONNACHT golfers will attempt to play their way into the record books next Friday by playing a course in each county in the province in the one day!
It's being called the "Five Counties Record Attempt" and the novel effort - being undertaken by four golfers who are all members of the Insurance Institute of Galway - is set to raise more than £5,000 for the Galway Rape Crisis Centre.
Ballinamore Golf Club (the only course in Leitrim) will be the initial venue for the marathon trek by club golfers Michael Concannon, of Oughterard GC, Kieran O'Mahony, of Galway GC, John Keyes, of Bearna GC, and Don Colleran, of Galway GC.
The quartet will tee-off at Ballinamore at 4.00 a.m. then it is on to Carrick-on-Shannon Golf Club (in Roscommon) for a 7.0 a.m. time slot, followed by Tubbercurry Golf Club in Sligo for an 11.0 am. start. The Mayo round will commence at Swinford Golf Club at 3.0 p.m. and the final round is planned for Galway Golf Club with a tee-off time of 7.0 p.m. In all, the golfers' will play 90 holes over 28 miles of terrain.
Another David Jones looks set to leave his mark on Irish golf.
While the original Jones is preparing to join the European Seniors' Tour, possibly at the British Seniors' Open at Royal Port rush next month, a younger version is setting tongues wagging.
"He's going to be really good," remarked Keith Nolan, who played alongside the 17-year-old City of Derry player in the final round of the Waterford Scratch Cup on Sunday. Jones actually followed in Nolan's footsteps by taking the title with a 72-holes aggregate of 270, three shots clear of runner-up Eddie Power. Nolan and Sean Quinlivan finished tied-third.
Four clubs will compete for the title of Bank of Ireland's Lifetime Golfaid champions at Elm Park Golf Club tomorrow.
Mullingar, who were last year's winners, Youghal, Grange and Elm Park emerged from an original entry of 75 clubs to race around the Dublin parkland course. Teams are limited to a maximum of 75 players and the object is to move the same hall from the first tee to the 18th hole in the minimum time.
And, to add spice to the occasion, Mary McKenna has assembled a team of women players to challenge the world record time of nine minutes 49 seconds for a round of golf. The record was set at Point Micu Golf Club in California in 1989 and McKenna will be joined by Maureen Madill, Ita Butler, Therese O'Reilly, Sheena O'Brien-Kenney, Kate MacCann and Irish champion Suzanne Fanagan in the attempt to beat that time.
It's just a coincidence, of course, that there is no racing next Monday... which just happens to be the same day that a special golf team event for the racing fraternity will he held at Skerries Golf Club.
Owners, trainers, jockeys, bookmakers, journalists and employees of organisations involved in the equine industry will he competing in the four-person team event which has a shotgun start at 1.30 pm. The Drogheda Memorial Fund, which assists trainers and jockeys, will benefit from the fundraiser. Entry is £250 per team, including meals (details from Aiden Burns 849 1567).
St Margaret's are extending an invitation to all senior golfers (over 50 years of age) to experience the north Dublin parkland course at a special rate of two for the price of one. The offer is available on Mondays before 1 pm and after 3.30 pm.
