Dessie the outright winner in strokeplay competition

However their fears were greatly allayed after inspection of the course on Saturday morning found that not only was it very playable but there was very little evidence of the amount of rain that fell in the previous few days.

Just over 130 entered this club competition with the format being strokeplay. Around 30 players managed to finish on standard scratch (CSS 71) or better and this was mainly due to the greens being slightly more receptive than usual.

Dessie O’Hara was eventually declared the outright winner after he returned a nett 67. Dessie who is a 13 handicapper played very steadily throughout the front nine by registering five pars and finishing this leg on 39 strokes.

This very consistent streak was to stay with him for the remainder of the round and he squeezed another four pars and a great birdie on the difficult eighteenth hole to come home in 41 strokes. This birdie on the last green where the pin was strategically placed was to prove pivotal in giving Dessie a thoroughly deserved outright win.

The next four places were all tied on nett 68 and after the countback it was Liam Mackle (10) who was then awarded second place. Liam showed some excellent form over the front nine and with the help of six pars was able to go out in 39 shots. After a very good front nine he still managed to step up a gear and complete the inward journey in two over par 39 with the help of another three pars and magnificent birdies, one at the twelfth and amazingly one at the awkward eighteenth.

Philip McConville (9) took third place with his nett 68. A double bogey at the first seemed to shock him into more positive action and he pared the next seven holes before dropping his next shot at the ninth to complete the front nine in 38 strokes. The tenth was to claim another stroke but he managed to refocus and extract another seven pars from the very difficult home stretch dropping only one more shot at the fifteenth to finish in 39 strokes.

Kevin Munster (2) won the gross prize for the second consecutive week with a gross 74. This was another excellent performance form this very competitive golfer. He shot seven pars and a birdie over the front nine to go out in level par 35. He dropped three shots at two holes on the back nine but managed to save the day by shooting another six pars and a birdie to come home in 39 strokes and win the gross prize by a margin of three shots from his nearest rivals.

Gerard McCarthy (15) was the fourth place prizewinner with his nett 68 return. Gerard shot a very respectable three over par front nine 38 but his efforts on the back nine weren’t just as convincing when he took 45 strokes to complete the return journey.

David Ewing (15) got fifth place with his nett 68. David also had a very good front nine and his three over par 38 at this stage included six pars. He was still in with a chance of an outright win up until he dropped five shots over the final three holes.

Frankie Kelly (7) won the seniors’ prize after he returned a nett 70. Frankie’s very solid round included ten pars and two birdies.

Section winners: 0-12, Paddy Lavery, nett 68; 13-18, Leonard McCann, nett 69; 19-28, Alan Beattie, nett 69.

There were just six twos recorded in this competition

This Saturday’s competition is the Fred Daly Memorial qualifier.