Newsletter
 
Our first Newsletter of 2025!
                                                                                                                                                                                    Action Required:
Advise the office if you require a space in the new trolley shed.  No action is required if you already have a space in the existing trolly shed.
 
After the inclement weather of January and February we can look forward to the golfing season ahead starting off with the Captains Drive In on March 22nd. As usual this will be a Mixed Team of Four, 9 holes (shotgun start) followed by food, drink and craic in the Bar. Come along to support your Captains in what promises to be a fun event. You may book on the Clubnet App.
 
The Ladies and Mens Competitions Committee have put together a very comprehensive and varied schedule of competitions for the coming season. Our thanks to our very generous sponsors for their support.  The full schedule of events will be available shortly.
Please take care of our course by raking bunkers, replacing divots and repairing pitch marks.
 
Members who have paid online  please call into the office to collect your 2025 membership sticker and your voucher for a bucket of balls for the Driving Academy. 
 
Pro Shop
Taylor Made Custom Fitting: Tuesday 4th March 12pm. to 4 pm. Contact the Pro-Shop to book.
Projects Update
The new Trolley shed has commenced and thank you to our volunteers, as always, who ensure we achieve value.  Thank you also to the Bookies prize committee for their generous contribution of €1,500 towards the project.  It is expected that the project will be complete by early summer and with this in mind we are asking members interested in acquiring  a trolley slot to show an expression of interest by emailing [email protected]  with Trolley Shed in the subject box confirming your interest. No action is required if you already have a space in the existing trolly shed.
 
Many thanks to Sean Stafford and Stafford Bakeries for their generous offer of supplying shale and top soil.  As this was offered free of charge, we took the opportunity to grit the area adjacent to the trolley shed and stockpile topsoil to be used later in the creation of the short game area.  
Work on the new water tanks, E.V. charging points, solar panels and sewage upgrade is ongoing and will result in cost savings for the club.
It has been determined that we need a felling licence for the trees in the short game area which will result in a delay in commencing the project, but we fully expect it to commence in 2025.  When plans and costings are ready, they will be presented to the members.
 
Greenkeepers Corner
Hollow coring is due to start the first week of March. Any assistance from our members would be greatly appreciated.
 
 
 
Rules of Golf
5.5a
While playing a hole, a player must not make a practice stroke at any ball on or off the course.
These are not practice strokes:

• A practice swing made with no intent to strike the ball.
• Hitting a ball back to a practice area or to another player, when done solely as a courtesy.
• Strokes made by a player in playing out a hole whose result has been decided.

 
This means that you may “knock” balls in from the 12th and 13th back to the practice area with a club if you are not practicing a shot e.g. hitting them back with a 5 wood with a full swing before taking the same shot on the course is not allowed
                                     
Ladies Golf
Ladies golf got off to a great start this year with the final of the Ladies Winter League taking  place on the 25th January.  The 2024 – 2025 Winter League was a great success with all planned dates going ahead, thankfully no dates cancelled due to inclement weather. 
32 ladies took part and as has become the norm, people found it to be a very social event with new members to the club and new members to golf finding it a great place to meet other members and be introduced to competition golf.
This year’s winners were: Carole Barnwell and Susan Morris
Group Winners: Mags Greenan and Geri Hughes, Angie Dooley and Caoimhe Geraghty, Janet Ryder and Norma Casey.
Non Qualifiers Competition: 1st: Tina Smith and Kay McGarry, 2nd Deirdre Kearney and Mairead Sunderland, 3rd: Lucia Redmond and Gay Gahan.
Prize giving was followed by a lovely social night where players were joined by a lot of lady members and delicious finger food was served by Anslem and his catering team.
A great night was had by all.
 
Inter Club Matches 2025     
                                                                                                                                                                           Preparation for the Inter Club Matches is well underway under the guidance of the Team Managers’ Co-Ordinator - Mary Cooper. Mary did a fantastic job last year and we’re very lucky to have her again this year. The matches we have entered and their managers are as follows;
Intermediate Foursomes                              Ann Morgan & Gretta Duke
Minor Foursomes                                            Mary Halford & Catherine Quinn
Leinster Womens Trophy                              Pat Kinsella & Denise Kavanagh
Challenge Trophy                                             Mary Osborne & Laura Funge
Revive Active Fourball                                    Nuala Noone & Julie McCartan
The Boyne Trophy                                           Cecilia O’Riordan & Eileen Moriarty
Mixed Fourball                                                  Sarah Donnellan & Mick Morrissey
 
 Get into Golf 2025  
We welcomed 5 new lady members to Courtown from the Get Into Golf (GIG)                                                                      programme. We will continue to run this programme again for another year, but over a shorter time frame. This is a really good introduction to golf and a great way to meet other people who are also interested in taking up the sport. Please encourage any friends or ladies you know that might be interested in taking part. Mags Dooley has successfully run the programme for the last two years and will continue to run it again this year. Anyone interested in taking part can contact Mags through the office.
 
 
Mens Golf
Following the usual quiet start and with the evenings at last beginning to lengthen the golfing year is about to kick into gear. 
First up on the Men’s side is the Final of the EBS Colman Doyle Finance Limited Winter League on Saturday the 1st March followed by the Celebration Dinner and Prize Giving.  Over 90 players grouped into six groups have battled it out in the preliminary rounds with the top three teams in each group making it into the final.  Congratulations to all those who made it to the final which will be played over 18 holes.  For those who didn’t quite make it to this year’s final all is not lost however as there are Plate and Shield Competitions to be played over 14 holes.  The timesheet for the day's golf is up on Clubnet.  The dinner is scheduled to begin at 5.30 pm.  Remember that the cost of the dinner is included in your entry fee, so we hope to see everyone there.  If you can’t make the Dinner please phone John Sheridan on 0879311284 so that he can let the caterers know.  The Presentation of Prizes will follow the Dinner and we would ask everyone who has taken part in the competition to attend to show their appreciation towards their fellow members receiving prizes and to the generous Sponsors.
Huge thanks to EBS Colman Doyle Finance Ltd. for his continued sponsorship of the ever popular Winter League.
 Mags and I are looking forward (with some trepidation) to our upcoming Drive-In due to take place on the 22nd March.  We sincerely hope that all our Club members both old and new come along to help us celebrate the start of the golfing year.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we will have long straight drives, followed by a shotgun start 9 hole Scramble.  Afterwards we look forward to everyone joining us back in the Clubhouse for some food and refreshments and maybe even a few tunes.
With the advent of Spring we are reaching the final stages of the Wednesday Sweep and of course the Paschal Storan Cup.  The last counting day for this competition will be on the 19th March and the Dinner and presentation of the Paschal Storan Cup will take place after the day’s play on the 26th March.  Again, we are looking forward to seeing everyone who has played in the Sweep throughout the Winter joining us for the Dinner and Presentation on that evening.  Just remember that, while the golf is weather dependent, Dinner is not, and even if conditions outside are inclement there is sure to be a hotly contested putting tournament taking place indoors.  Further details of the arrangements will be circulated closer to the time. 
Even with conditions not being at their best recently there continues to be some fine scoring both in the Wednesday and weekend competitions.  There have been two recent holes in one and we send our congratulations to Donal O Keefe and Pat O Shea.
Our Teams will be setting out on their quest for glory starting in May and we are still looking for volunteers to act both as team managers and selectors.  If you would be interested in acting in either of these capacities, or indeed if you would be interested in representing the club as a player, please contact John Sheridan (0879311284) or the office and we will get back to you.  With the great success enjoyed by the Ladies in recent years, it is now up to the men of the club to step up to the plate in an effort to spread the fame of Courtown far and wide.  These Inter-Club competitions are about the only opportunity we have as golfers to take part in a team event and they are a great way to bond with your fellow members, and to travel to play at courses you might not otherwise visit, all in a spirit of camaraderie.  I would encourage all members to consider putting their names forward to answer the call.

Competitions
It’s been a very busy season here in CGC with big numbers playing in all our competitions. Our final major of the year took place last weekend with President Pat Donellan’s prizes. Dry but difficult windy weather conditions prevailed over the weekend providing a stern test for all and produced very worthy winners in Mairead Carty and Colin Breen. 

Once again, our ladies have done us proud by getting through to the final of the Boyne Trophy on August 26th- losing out to Killiney after a valiant effort. Don’t forget the ladies have also reached the quarter final of the All Ireland Minor Foursomes which takes place on Friday 6th September in Shannon GC. You can follow their progress from noon on the day through the Live Scoring function on the Clubnet App.
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Competition Timesheets
As we approach the final stretch of the season, please remember that members must participate in competitions if they are on the competition timesheets. Casual golf should be played outside these times.

Clubs Capital Programme
The two water tanks at the 16th tee are a long-standing feature but have reached their end of life and urgently need to be replaced. The MC have sourced a solution to rectify this, and work will commence shortly on locating new tanks in the vicinity of the car park. 
Another project, which will be advanced in the coming weeks, will be the construction of the new trolley shed on the south side of the car park. This will be a great addition to the club and the waiting list for trolley spaces will move on, at last! New trolley spaces will be available to members at a small annual cost. This will allow other longer-term projects to be considered for the main Club/Pro Shop building. 

The Academy- official opening
The CGC Academy is proving to be a great success. Since opening for business, the Academy has been used heavily by members and is a great hit among the Junior section! The Academy will be officially opened on Sunday 15th September at 4 pm- further details closer to the day.  
The collection of the practice balls is essential to keep the Academy operating. This work is carried out several times each week by club volunteers who are aware that some users of the Academy have been taking practice balls home - this is strictly forbidden.  

E Purse  
This system, in which members pay their competition fees when booking a slot on the timesheet, is being used successfully by many clubs around the country. It removes the need to carry cash and helps to ensure the smooth running of competitions. The Management Committee are currently working with the operators of the system with a view to introducing this initiative in 2025. 

​Members and visitors have been very complimentary of how the course has been presented in recent months. This is due to the hard work of our greenkeeping staff using a range of newly acquired machinery. Pictured above are the sidewinder, chipper and rough’s mower, all purchased this year at very competitive prices! 

​President Pat Donnellan and Lady Captain Mairead Carty pictured receiving the Women in Golf Charter Gold Award from Golf Ireland officials in recognition of the Club’s work in increasing the participation of women and girls in golf.

Volunteers- The busy season approaches with lots of work to be done around the place. We’ll be looking for volunteers in mid- September so if you have any spare time, keep an eye out for notices on the Clubnet App.
 
Yours in golf,
Management Committee

Its ‘Major’ season here in Courtown Golf Club. 
Three hundred men took part in the qualifying rounds of Captain Ger McGrath’s Prize on 29th and 30th June and the leaders will battle it out for this prestigious prize on 6th July. Best of luck to all those who made it through. Captain Ger will be hosting his dinner on Saturday night. This is always a very special night with ceol and craic going on late into the night. Don’t miss what promises to be a great night- contact the restaurant or the office to book your place.  
Another great annual event is scheduled for the end of the month when our lady members will battle it out over two days for Lady Captain Mairead’s Prize- further details to follow. 

The Academy.            
 As you are no doubt aware our Golf Academy has now opened and is being used extensively by members- no doubt handicaps will soon come tumbling down! Some final touches are being put to the covered bays and the facility will be officially opened later in the month. While almost all members using the Academy have done so correctly, we are aware that some members are hitting balls from the grass area in front of the bays/mats. Some minor damage has also been reported on the practice green as can be seen from the attached photographs. Members will know the effort that has gone into getting this facility up and running and the many benefits that it brings to our Club, so we ask those of you using it to follow the Rules for Use of the Academy. 

Other news in brief…………..
• Our Inter-Club teams have been battling hard across several competitions. Our Ladies are through to the business end of the Minor Foursomes, the Leinster Challenge Trophy and the Boyne Trophy while the Men are still fighting in the Senior Cup, Leinster Four-Ball and the Brennan Cup. Our Mixed Team continue to fly the Courtown.  A big thank you to all our players, managers and team supporters. We’ll let you know when the next batch of matches are taking place so come along and support our teams.
• The Mens Committee tried a novel approach to one of their Singles competitions recently by allowing participants to choose in advance if they wished to play the course from the red tees- with handicaps reduced accordingly. This was in response to requests from members who found the length of some holes (particularly some par 3s) prohibitively long. The competition was deemed successful so the Committee will look at adopting this approach to some future competitions. 
• Our membership drive- Journey to 100- continues. If you know of any friends who might be interested in playing this great game get them to contact us!
• Finally….we are aware that some members are not receiving Push Notifications issued through our App. Keep yourself up to date with news from Courtown Golf Club by making sure you have activated this service. You can do this by hitting on the 3 white lines above the Swan on the front page of the App, then press the settings icon and notification settings. You should then activate the ‘allow notifications’. If you have any issues with the above please contact the office.

Yours in golf, 
The Management Committee

The recent bad weather has resulted in course closures and competition cancellations but the forecast for the next few weeks is looking good. Our golf programme is getting into gear with a wide range of weekend and midweek competitions to suit all levels- so make sure you take advantage and get out and play golf!
As we start the season in earnest, can I briefly draw your attention to some issues. Firstly, our Dress Code which must be observed both on the course and in the Clubhouse. Neat dress is essential at all times and track suits, football shirts and shorts are not permitted. A full copy of the Dress Code is available on our website. 
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The second issue concerns Slow Play. The Club’s policy here is set out in our ‘Pace of Play- the Courtown Way’ on our website. We operate a ‘ready golf policy’ which means thinking ahead – hit when you are ready and it is safe to do so (there is no ‘honour’ on the tee or on the Green), keep up with the group ahead, maximum 3 minutes searching for balls. We should all aim to complete a round in 4 hours for a fourball and 3 and a half hours for a three ball. Our Rangers will shortly be on the course to help ensure a good pace of play on competition days and we would ask all members and their guests to cooperate with them. 

Practice Area            
 Our new practice area (which we are calling Courtown Golf Club Academy) is almost ready for opening as you can see from the photographs. This is a great achievement given the problems presented by the weather since the project commenced. A big thanks to all the volunteers for their work and effort in getting it over the line and in the process saving the club a substantial amount of money. 

Bookies Prize 
This will take place on Saturday 18th May and will feature generous prizes funded by the ‘book’ from last year’s men’s Captains Prize. A big thank you to the organisers and collectors Noel McCartan, Colin Sunderland and Kieran Murphy. As well as funding prizes, the Bookies have contributed €4,500 towards various Club projects over the years including the Bungalow, the Academy practice area and the new trolley shed for which the Management Committee is grateful.      

Other news in brief…………..
• Inter- Club Teams: The competitive golf season is up and running for Ladies, Gents and Mixed teams. Please come along and support our teams. 
• Club Match draws have taken place and are posted on notice boards and on the Clubnet App. 
• Our membership drive, Journey to 100, is in full swing and we have more than 40 new or returning members for 2024. If you know of any friends who might be interested in playing this great game get them to contact us!

​Yours in golf,

Donal O’Keeffe
Hon. Secretary

​  We have now commenced our 2024 Golfing year and look forward to a successful and fruitful year of golf. To all new or returning members we extend a special welcome - our Captains Mairead and Gerry will be in touch shortly to make sure you have playing partners and can submit the cards needed to get your handicap. We’ll have a get together for new members in April- so keep an eye out for that. 
This year promises to be one to remember here in Courtown Golf Club as it’s the first time in a while we’ll be operating at full capacity- we’ll have a course in top condition, excellent practice facilities indoor or out, a quality catering service from The View restaurant and the excellent service provided by our Professionals- Paul and James. We’ll have a full and varied range of competitions to tempt you with throughout the year. So, make sure you get full value from your membership by playing, practising and participating! 
We welcome in our newly elected Committees, who will work on your behalf, and wish them all the best for their coming terms of office. 

 Practice Area
Work to install bays with a covered canopy is underway and it is expected that the new practice facilities will be opened shortly – we’re hoping weather conditions in the coming weeks are favourable to allow us to complete the final few necessary jobs. 

 Course 
The course has stood up well to all the adverse weather over the last few months. Drainage and sanding programmes over recent years are paying dividends. Big thanks to the Greens staff and volunteers for all their help. The machinery replacement programme is continuing, and the Club has recently purchased some new equipment - a roughs mower and a chipper which will be a big help to the Course staff. 
Our Course staff have major concerns regarding the condition that our members are leaving the greens in. The amount of unrepaired pitch marks is getting out of hand and the greens are suffering as a result.  Please ensure you repair any pitch marks you see on the greens. We do not have many visitors at the moment, so this problem is being caused by the members!

 Membership
The recruitment drive ‘Journey to 100’ has resulted in 31 new applications to date, and promotion of the club on social media will continue.  Members are encouraged to highlight the facilities and benefits of our Club to any potential members. 

 Trackman Studio
The studio is hosting its first tournament in 2024 and participants have played on some of the most demanding courses in the World! You can arrange a visit (for practice or fun) through the Pro Shop- rain never stops the Trackman!!

Teams /Managers /Selection.
Following a series of meetings, we are happy to report good progress in preparing our various teams for the Golf Ireland series of inter-club competitions which are due to start soon. Thanks to all who have stepped up as team managers and to all who have put their names forward to ‘wear the Courtown jersey’!! Supporting all our teams is an expensive business, so we will be running some fundraising events in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out for these.
 
Captains Drive-In 
This will take place on Saturday 16th March when our Captains for 2024 - Mairead Carty and Gerry McGrath and Junior Captains Caoimhe Geraghty and Callum McNulty - will try to drive the first green to kick off their year in office! This will be followed by a shotgun start mixed scramble after which we’ll adjourn to the Clubhouse and hopefully cheer on our boys in green to another 6 Nations Championship. Hope to see you all there. 
 
Visiting Societies
Following a discussion at the 2023 AGM, the Management Committee have looked at the question of access to the Saturday morning timesheets for some visiting societies. This is an important income stream for the Club and the MC have sought to reduce the impact on members through a number of measures. Societies with Saturday morning bookings will be asked to push back their starting times, if possible. For future years the earliest time we’ll offer will be later than the current starting time of 10 am. In addition, we are looking at ways of ensuring that visiting societies can maintain a suitable pace of play through better starting procedures, playing in 3 ball groups, monitoring of pace by Rangers and improved signage on the course.   
 

Welcome to our Christmas 2023 Newsletter

A Christmas Message from Club Captains Máiréad & Gerry​

Dear all,

On behalf of Mairead and myself and the Committees of Courtown Golf Club, we would like to take this opportunity to wish every member of the Club, and your families, a very Merry Christmas and a safe, bright and prosperous New Year. Bring on 2024 with an abundance of golf!

Happy Holidays
Mairead and Gerry
 
Don’t forget about our Trackman where the weather is always favourable! Trackman Vouchers are available from the Office or Pro Shop. Club Vouchers are also available, and these can be used in a variety of ways; Sub payment, lunch or dinner, green fees etc – a great Christmas Present!
 
As we approach the festive season, we can hopefully expect more clement weather for our upcoming competitions.
 
Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th Invitation Ladies and Gents Singles.
Saturday 30th December and Sunday 31st December Invitation 2 Person Team
Monday 1st January Invitation Ladies and Gents Singles
Thursday 4th January Open Seniors Ladies and Gents Singles.

​Please note the following opening and closing hours over the Christmas period:
Bar
Thursday 21st                                          Bar Closed
Friday 22nd                                              11am – 7pm
Saturday 23rd                                          11am – 8pm                                      
Sunday 24th                                             11am – 3pm                                       Christmas Eve          
_______________________________________________________________________________
Monday 25th                                           Bar Closed                                          Christmas Day
Tuesday 26th                                           11am – 5pm                                      
Wednesday 27th                                     11am - 6pm
Thursday 28th                                          11am – 5pm
Friday 29th                                              11am – 5pm
Saturday 30th                                          11am – 6pm                                      
Sunday 31st                                             11am – 5pm                                       New Year’s Eve
Monday 1st January 2024                       11am – 5pm                                       New Year's Day
 
Bar hours are subject to timesheets and patronage of the clubhouse facilities, and may be altered.
 
Restaurant
Closed from Sunday 24th December. Reopening Friday 29th December at 12 noon.  
 
Office
Closed 12:30pm Saturday December 23rd.
Reopen Friday 29th 10am-12 noon.   Saturday 30th 10:30am-12:30pm.
Normal office hours resume on 2nd January 2024 ie;
Mondays - Closed
Tuesdays to Fridays - 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm
Saturdays – 10:30am to 12:30pm.

Pro –Shop
Don’t forget you will find something for the golfer in your life in the fully stocked Pro Shop. Golf balls, gloves, towels etc. (great stocking fillers)
The Pro-Shop will close at 3pm on Christmas Eve.
Club Vouchers are available from the office and may be used anywhere in the club.
Please note the Clubhouse and locker rooms will be closed from 3pm Christmas Eve and will be open as usual on 26th December.

Welcome to our Autumn 2023 newsletter.
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Practice Area
DAR Golf returned to carry out repair work on the practice area.  Unbelievably, a further deluge of rain did more damage.  This has been repaired again but unfortunately, it means that we will have to wait for the 2024 golf season before the facility is reopened.

Club Matchplay Winners
Congratulations to our club Matchplay winners:
Mens Singles Pat Donnellan
Ladies Singles Under 30 H’cap Mags Greenan Ladies Singles Over 30 H’cap Kay McGarry
Ladies 9-hole Una Bolger
Mens Fourball John Sheridan & Ciaran Sheridan
Ladies Fourball Mairead Carty & Carol Barnwell
Mixed Matchplay Pat Donnellan & Sarah Donnellan
Well done to you all with a particular shout out to Pat Donnellan on winning the singles and the mixed!

Course Rangers    
The course ranger program has been stepped down for the Winter months.  Thank you to all the volunteers for your contribution.  We will have a meeting of the rangers, shortly, to discuss learnings and share experiences with a view towards 2024.  Notification will be through our WhatsApp group.

Social Prepayment - Final Notification
Prior to the Covid pandemic any monies remaining on your card as at the end of November was retained by the club. This practice was paused during Covid as members did not have every opportunity to avail of bar and restaurant facilities.
Please note, this practice will recommence in 2023 and any monies remaining on your social prepayment card, for this and previous years, will be retained by the club by 30 November 2023. This only applies to the original €100 prepayments paid with your annual subs and not to any top ups.

Trolley Shed
Planning permission has now been received for the new trolley shed, to be located in the car park below the reserved car parking spaces.  In the coming weeks the trees and scrub will be cleared, and the site prepared.

Course & Facilities
Roof repairs have now been completed.  The work has been stress tested, given the recent heavy rainfall, and we can report that no leaks have occurred.
Greens have been hollow tined and will be in great shape again, shortly.  Thank you to the small army of volunteers who assisted the green staff.  Our fairways and tee boxes suffered a setback as they contracted a fungal disease.  This has now been treated and part of the treatment program was hollow tining the tee boxes to improve drainage and eliminate thatch.  They will recover in the coming weeks.

Captains Dinner
Our annual Captains dinner will take place on Saturday 4th November 2023.  This year The View restaurant will be providing us with a fantastic buffet followed by music provided by Garreth Acton, total cost is 30 euro and bookings can be made through the restaurant.  Why not organise a table of your friends for a great night out and our final big night of the year.

AGM Notification
The ladies AGM will take place on Tuesday 28th November at 7.30 p.m. while the mens AGM will take pace on Saturday 2nd December at 4.30 p.m. This will be followed by the club AGM at 6.00 p.m.  Please note that all nominations for committee and any motions/resolutions for consideration must be received 14 days prior to the meetings. Nomination forms are available in the office, and we would encourage all members to consider how they might serve the club.  Each member will receive a formal notification of the AGMs by email.

Inter-Club Teams
There was a good turnout from members at the Town Hall meeting last month and a full discussion took place on what steps we need to take to ensure Courtown Golf Club takes home more pennants from Inter-Club competitions.  As a first step, John Sheridan will take on the role of co-ordinator for the mens teams and Mary Cooper will do the same role for the ladies’ teams.  If you are interested in getting involved in the selection and management of teams for next year, please contact John on 0879311284 or Mary on 0878111840.

Ladies Club
The end of year buffet will take place on Friday 24th November which will include presentations to Golfer of the Year, Match Play winners, silver and bronze medallists, most improved golfer etc.  The Christmas fun day tournament and social afternoon in the clubhouse will take place on Tuesday 12th December.  Ladies Winter League commences on 28th October.  Anybody interested in participating should put your name on the list in the changing room or text Norma on 0863771070.  Closing date is Friday 20th October.

Lunar Golf
There is a fun night planned on Friday 27th October when the course will be seen in a different light! Lunar golf is on the way. The format will be a scramble with on-course music and a drink and food in the clubhouse all included. It is a popular event with places being snapped up very quickly. This should be a most enjoyable evening. 

Welcome to our summer newsletter and what a great summer it had been, weather wise, before a more disappointing July.  We live in hope for a more benign August!

Team News
We are delighted to extend a heartfelt congratulations to our Ladies Challenge Cup Team on their resounding victory in the Leinster Central Final, bringing home a pennant. Their dedication and hard work have brought immense pride to Courtown Golf Club. We applaud their success and wish them the best as they progress to the next stage of the tournament, in Abbeyleix, at the end of August.  The team, managed by Denise Burke, includes Mags Dooley, Dympna Doyle, Ann Morgan, Mary O’Connor, Angie Dooley, Ann O’Shaughnessy, Ann Codd and Aine Roche.    

Commiserations also to our Ladies Minor Cup team who reached the Leinster Central semifinal and our Men’s Senior Cup team for reaching the Leinster Central semi-final. Well done to both teams, you did us proud.

Town Hall Meeting
As previously advised, the club will be hosting a Town Hall “Teams Meeting” in the coming weeks. The purpose of this meeting is to gather ideas from all our members as we discuss and shape a medium-term plan with the goal of winning more pennants. The meeting will provide a platform for open and constructive dialogue and believe that your insights will be invaluable in charting the course of our club’s success. 
We encourage all interested members to participate in this collaborative discussion, where we can explore innovative strategies and build a united vision for the future of Courtown Golf Club. Date and time to be announced soon.

The Majors
Congratulations to the winners of the Captains' Prizes: John Creagh for Captain Paul's Prize and Eileen O'Brien for Captain Eileen's Prize. Congratulations to both for their outstanding performance and well-deserved victories. The finals were held on July 8th and July 22nd, and the support for our Captains on both days and, indeed, nights was truly phenomenal.
The View restaurant did a fantastic job in providing a wonderful meal, adding to the enjoyment of these special events. We extend our gratitude to The View for their excellent service and delicious offerings.
Let us not forget to acknowledge the talents of our young golfers! The Captains' Prize to the Juniors was won by Thomas Rush and Caoimhe Geraghty.  Caoimhe Geraghty also won the Tom Funge girls junior open while Aaron Gethings won the Tom Funge boys open

Once again, congratulations to all the winners, and a big thank you to everyone who assisted in making these events memorable and enjoyable. 
Let us remember, of course, there is one more Major opportunity, President Bronagh’s prize takes place on 26th August with qualifying days on the Tuesday and Friday beforehand……so all to play for!

Leinster Men’s Mid-Amateur Open
The club hosted the Leinster Men’s Mid-Am and was played over 3 rounds on 16th & 17th June.  Local man, Graham Donohoe (Enniscorthy) won the event with a score of 1 over par for the 3 rounds.  The course certainly stood up to the test and well done to James Timmins and his team who presented the course in fantastic condition!

Inter-Club trophy
The Courtown Ladies Inter-Club trophy will be held on 17th August with 18 clubs, including ourselves, competing.

Practice Area
DAR golf has completed the remedial work on the practice area and many of you will have witnessed the huge efforts made.  Some of the smaller slit drains are partially blocked and these will be redone in September to ensure great drainage on the facility.  It is up to the elements as to when it will reopen, and we ask for your patience and forbearance.  Rest assured we are committed to opening the facility as soon as is possible.

Course Rangers
A big shout out to our band of course rangers who are doing a great job!  The rangers will continue to patrol the fairways at weekends until the end of September when we will stand down for the winter months.  Thank you to all our volunteers.
Care of our course
The number of pitch marks on our greens and the large number of divots left without repair last weekend was quite remarkable.  Even more remarkable was that there were no societies playing so it was really down to us, the members.  Please ensure that pitch marks and divots are repaired.  It is part of golf etiquette and adds to our overall enjoyment of the facility.
Please continue to support your club by using the facilities, including the bar and restaurant, to the fullest.  Why not invite your friends to one or two of our many open days and promote Courtown Golf Club.
Enjoy the rest of the season!

Practice Area
DAR golf visited recently to assess the damage caused by heavy rainfall last October.  A particular variety of grass seed has taken while other grass mixes were washed away and, therefore, the hitting platform is dotted with clumps of a strong grass variety.  Following assessment, DAR have now sprayed off a large area of new grass which will be reseeded in the next fortnight.  In addition, such was the deluge that the main drainage pipe has lifted and needs to be replaced.  Other parts of the drainage system are also damaged and require work.
We expect all remedial work to be carried out, by Dar golf, in the coming weeks, which is covered by them under the terms of the original contract.  The opening of the practice area has suffered a set back but, depending on weather conditions, we will strive to be hitting off mats by the end of the summer.  This is not guaranteed.
Finally, there are many deep ruts, now hidden in the grass, where one could easily trip and we ask members to stay off the practice ground to avoid accidents.

Greenkeepers Revenge
The greenkeepers revenge was a great success and enjoyed by all, particularly James Timmins and the team who enjoyed it, maybe a little too much.  The greenkeepers have now fixed the sprinkler system on the 18th which, unfortunately, malfunctioned when the Captains’ and Vice-captains’ were putting out!  €2,500 was raised on the day which will go a long way towards the purchase of mats for the practice area. We may give it a go again next year, maybe after the greens have been hollow tined. Thank you for the many compliments received from our members about this initiative.
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Teams
Well done to all our teams. While a number have been knocked out, we are still supporting our Mens Senior Cup Team managed by Colin Sunderland playing Bunclody in the next round in the 17th June. The 1st round of the Barton Shield is to be played against Wexford on the 10th June. We wish them well.   On the ladies’ side, still in contention are The Minor Cup – managed by Jackie Hamilton through to the 2nd round, the Challenge Cup- managed by Denise Burke through to the 3rd round and Revive Active Ladies Fourball – managed by Nuala Noone through to the 2nd round.
 On the subject of teams our Captains’ wish to host a town hall meeting in the coming weeks for all interested and experienced parties to garner opinion with a view to formulating a medium term (3 to 5 year) strategy to improve Courtown’s performance in inter club competition.  There will be a further communication on this and everybody is welcome to attend.
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Course and Facilities
Our course is in fantastic shape thanks to our hardworking greenkeepers.  Monies spent on the course and monies spent on machinery is paying dividends and committee emphasis continues to be course improvement while paying attention to our clubhouse facilities.
It has been decided to remove the parapets on the three full length windows in the bar area substituting a safety barrier instead.  The reason is three-fold.  It will improve the natural light in the bar, improve the view to the course and improve the view of the clubhouse from the 11th & 18th greens. Thanks again to our volunteers who are carrying out this work.
Many members will be aware that our roof has been leaking during heavy rain.  Some of our skylights were also leaking and these have now been repaired.  Roof repairs will commence in the coming weeks and will take about 3 weeks to complete.  As the existing roof is being stripped, it will necessitate a skip being located near the front door.  The front door area may be out of bounds for a few days.
New course machinery, new golf buggies, course drainage, course sanding, kit out of the practice area, roof repairs, new showers all come at an ever-increasing cost but tight cost controls remain in place and are being monitored.  Utility prices are very high putting further pressure on finances. An energy audit has recently been carried out, with grant assistance, and any cost saving we can garner will be implemented.

Course Rangers
A new initiative has been implemented whereby several volunteers have agreed to carry out course ranger duties, at the weekend.  The club thanks the volunteers for their contribution, it is much appreciated. A course ranger will be on duty on Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. We ask the members to respect our rangers and adhere to their recommendations and requests.  The rangers have the full support and backing of our committees in their efforts to improve pace of play.  We would like some more volunteers and if this is something for you, please let us know by emailing [email protected] or by letting any committee member know. Course rangers are not the panacea for all our slow play difficulties and personal responsibility has a greater part to play.  Courtown Golf Club has adopted a “ready golf” policy which not only applies to the tee box but also the fairway and greens.  Please review our policy on the website by clicking on “more” on the top headings and “policies” and “pace of play “on the drop-down boxes.  You can also access it by clicking on the attach hyperlink https://www.courtowngolfclub.com/pace-of-play.html
 
Social Prepayment
Prior to the Covid pandemic any monies remaining on your card as at the end of November was retained by the club. This practice was paused during Covid as members did not have every opportunity to avail of bar and restaurant facilities.
Please note, this practice will recommence in 2023 and any monies remaining on your social prepayment card, for this and previous years, will be retained by the club by 30 November 2023. This only applies to the original €100 prepayments paid with your annual subs and not to any top ups.
 
Trees
Two mature trees have been “red spotted” indicating that they are to be felled.  They are located to the right of the 4th green and opposite the white tee markers on the 16th.  They are rotting in the centre and constitute a hazard.
 
Visiting Captains
Captain Paul & Captain Eileen hosted the visiting Captains which was attended by the Wexford clubs and also included Coollattin Golf Club, Woodenbridge, Arklow and Blainroe.  We were delighted to receive many compliments about the standard of our course and quality of our bar & catering.  It is a great way to showcase our club in an effort to attract green fees.
 
The View Restaurant
Our caterers are delighted to be part of the Courtown Golf Club team and they would like to thank our members for their support.  The restaurant is open Sunday to Thursday 9 a.m. -8 p.m. and Friday/Saturday 9 a.m.-9p.m.  They will accommodate players who are playing late if they pre order.  Breakfast is now available daily, to midday.  In addition, the restaurant is available for outside catering and private functions.

Fixtures and Opens
There is plenty of opportunity to entertain your family and friends in the club over the coming weeks.  Our 9 and Dine is up and running on Friday evenings.  We also have two open weekends on June 10th/11th and June 24th/25th with something for everyone between 2-person team events, fourballs and singles competitions.   The marquee will be erected for the June bank holiday weekend and The View Restaurant will be providing a barbeque on Saturday afternoons with some background music on the patio. So, bring along your family and friends and enjoy all the golf, bar and catering that Courtown Golf Club has to offer.