Newsletter #15

We welcome in 2023 as we look forward to a full and successful year of golf. Our newly elected Committees are now in place and we wish them all the best for their coming terms. A special thanks to all those who have stepped down for their contribution, commitment, and effort.

Committees for 2023

Club President Bronagh Stafford

                                                                  Men’s Committee              Ladies Committee
Captain                                                    Paul McDonald                    Eileen Moriarty
Vice-Captain                                          Gerry McGrath                     Mairead Carty
Hon. Sec                                                  Declan O’Toole                    Norma Casey
                                                                 Kieran Murphy                     Mags Greenan
                                                                 Paul Doran                           Gay Gahan
                                                                 John Langan Murphy           Anne Kearney 
                                                                 Joe Breen                               Jan Cullen
                                                                Conor Flynn                          Bernie Collins
                                                                                                               Brona Dore 
                                                                                                               Maeve Duke
                                                                                                               Janet Ryder

Junior Captains   Darragh O’ Toole and Aideen Geraghty.

Management Committee

Chairperson:   Vincent Kearney     Captain: Paul McDonald

Hon.Treasurer:   Terry Noone        Captain: Eileen Moriarty

Hon.Secretary:   Donal O’Keeffe

Seamus O’Donohue, Laura Funge, Martin Mac Donnell, Mary O’Connor, Jim French.

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We would like to congratulate Club President Bronagh on her Lifetime Achievement Award presented at the recent Gorey Awards night.

Restaurant Franchise
We are actively seeking a suitable candidate to take on the catering franchise and will keep the membership updated regarding same.
Please note the availability in the Clubhouse of coffee/ tea and scones, from 8.30am till 12 noon,
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Soup and sandwiches are available in the bar after
12pm on these days. This service is also available on the first Thursday of each month as it’s Open Seniors Day.  

Inter-Club Team Events     
The Golf Ireland series of Inter-Club Cups and Shields will commence shortly.
Courtown will be competing in a number of these events and we will be looking for golfers at all handicap levels to participate. Details of the different teams will be posted on the notice boards shortly, and if you are interested in taking part, check them out and sign up.

Ladies Section    
 We hope to run a ladies social team event golf day on 21st February with a shot gun start. Further details will be posted on Clubnet.
Ladies Winter League 2022 – 2023  Sponsored by Cois na hAbhann 
The Winter League commenced on the 22nd October 2022 with 48 ladies taking part. There were 6 groups of 4 teams: Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Purple and Orange. 
4 matches were played in total, one game each in October, November, December 2022 with the final game played on the 28th January 2023. 
Results 
Winter League Qualifiers: 
1st Purple Group: Cecilia O’Riordan (14) & Ann O’Shaughnessy (16) 20 points 
2nd Red Group: Mags Greenan (9) & Rita O’Mahoney (20) 18 points 
3rd Orange Group: Sara Killen (14) & Lucia Redmond (15) 16 points C.B. 

Section Winners: 
Blue Group: Joan Sinnott (10) & Jackie Martin (16) 16 points C.B. 
Yellow Group: Colette Dobey (13) & Kathy O’Donovan 15 points 
Green Group: Madge Lillis (10) & Angie Dooley (18) 11 points 
On the final day a buffet was held followed by the presentation of prizes to the winners. 52 members attended. All ladies were welcome whether they took part in the league or not. The food, which was catered for by the Cow House Café and Bistro, was delicious and a great night was had by all. Photos of the final day are on the website. 
The Winter League has proved to be very popular and people really enjoyed the social aspect. It also gave people an opportunity to experience match play and for people to mix and get to know each other better. We look forward to holding a Winter League again next year. Sincere thanks to Norma and Carole for running this competition.

Gents Winter League Sponsored by EBS Colman Doyle
Due to weather conditions that resulted in course closures, the final of the Winter League will now be held on 4th March.
 
Course
Despite record rainfall over the last couple of months, our course has stood up to it
very well, and you can see the effects of our sanding programme coming to fruition.
This is always a work in progress.

The hedge on the 6th got a short back and sides!

Thanks to the many volunteers who help out on the course.
Work is also underway to ensure that the toilet facility on the course is working and
in good order.

Other news
The Trackman Studio has hosted two tournaments during the winter months, and they have proved to be very popular.  It’s a great way to keep your swing going when it’s wet or frosty outside. 

Our new trophy cabinet is also on display and many thanks to Robert O’Connor for all his work.

Trolley Shed
We wish to provide a new trolley shed for members. The existing trolley shed is not adequate to accommodate the demand for storage and access is difficult to areas inside. A planning application for a new trolley shed has been lodged. It is intended that it will be located adjacent to the car park which has the added benefit of quicker access from members cars. This will also allow the existing area to be used in the future to extend the Pro Shop.
  
Membership is holding steady and as all clubs know, this is the core financial means by
which the club prospers. All members can contribute to the recruitment of new members, which helps support the clubs initiative.
 
Finally, we wish all our members a good, safe and enjoyable year of golf.