Society Golf - 26th December - Limerick Independent News

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Society Golf - 26th December

Written by Len Dinneen

Thursday, 27 December 2007

A few years ago, I stood on the first tee at Clonlara Golf Club and just as I was about to hit the ball one of my playing partners, Mike Nolan, said: “Do you know Len, before you hit that ball you have to remember 31 different things.”

I knocked down the drive. The other members of the four-ball, Father Joe Young and Mike Coughlin, burst out laughing.

Mike Nolan, playing off 9, was the real golfer in the group and he has gone on to better things, as the incoming Captain of Rathbane Golf Club.

“I couldn’t have got a better Christmas present,” said Mike. “I was one of the founding members of Rathbane which thanks to the efforts of John Sullivan and Liam McCabe, has gone from strength to strength.”

Eamon Ryan is President of Rathbane and Shane Hogan vice captain. Leonard Fitzgerald is competitions secretary, Eddie Costello handicap secretary and Kieran O’Shea treasurer. On committee are Larry Johnston, Jim Keane, Jim Davern, Mike Collopy and John Twomey.

Mike says Rathbane Golf Club has an open welcome to anyone who wishes to take up golf. “We have a lot of new members,” he said “and with the annual subscription at €625 with OAPs just €420 it offers the best value for golf in the region.” There is a four-day annual membership, Monday to Thursday, for €370.

Mike looks back fondly on Clonlara. “At the time, you couldn’t get into established golf clubs and some of us started at Clonlara, which was owned by Mike and Gil O’Connell. We used to spend the entire day and on one occasion we introduced a new member, Tony Keane.”

He continued: “Clonlara was only a nine-hole course at the time but it was a lovely summer’s day and we played 63 holes. We never saw Tony again.”

“When Fr Joe joined us we just played the course twice as he had to get away, but we would break after the first nine holes and Joe would produce current cake baked by his mother.”

Mike also recalled another round of golf with Fr Joe, which cost him dearly. “I told him I would clean his golf shoes for the year if he beat me on any hole. I put my ball out of bounds on the third and Joe won it with a six. Every time after that his dirty golf shoes were handed over,” Mike recalled.

I wish you all a happy Christmas and hope you got the golf clubs you asked Santa for.

I got a new putter from my good wife Kay, and a mug inscribed: ‘Seen it all, done it all, can’t remember most of it.’

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