Mullingar set for women's All Ireland Championships
Mullingar Golf Club will host the All Ireland Private Home Care Inter-Club Championships this week. The All Ireland Private Home Care Inter-Club Championships take place this week at Mullingar Golf Club, writes the ILGU.
Play commences on Wednesday 25th September and concludes on Saturday 28th September with quarter finals, semi finals and finals.
The suite of competitions comprises of both Senior and Junior Foursomes and four singles categories - the Junior Cup, Intermediate Cup, Minor Cup and Challenge Cup with all handicap ranges and ability of golfer taking part.
Starting in March each year, approximately 380 clubs affiliated to the Irish Ladies Golf Union begin their preparations to win one or more of the six Nationals green pennants on offer at the All Ireland finals.
The champions from each of the five ILGU Districts go forward to compete at the National finals at Mullingar with the occasion seeing thirty teams from across the country playing.
Mid Leinster is represented by Enniscorthy in the Senior Foursomes and will hope to pick up their first National Senior Foursomes pennant to add to their Junior and Intermediate Cup and Senior Foursomes titles won in previous years.
Carlow will compete in the Junior Foursomes event and will be looking to add to their 2006 Senior Foursomes title. Moate winners of the Mid Leinster Intermediate Cup title will be hoping its third time lucky to claim a national green pennant. Callan, Birr and Rathsallagh are all first timers at the National finals and compete in the Junior, Minor and Challenge Cups respectively.
East Leinster is represented by Laytown and Bettystown in the Senior Foursomes competition with a team which combines youth and experience to its advantage.
Craddockstown once again reach the National final stage of the Junior Foursomes and will hope to win the 2013 title to add to their Junior and Intermediate Cup titles both won in 2006. Dun Laoghaire is represented by teams in both the Junior and Intermediate Cups.
The club has previously won national Minor and Challenge Cup titles and will hope to complete a full suite of singles pennants. Beech Park and Newlands playing in the Minor and Challenge cups respectively will be looking for their first national pennant since the inception of the National finals in 2006 and complete the line-up representing East Leinster.
Ballinasloe won their second successive Senior Foursomes Connacht District title and will hope to go one step further than last year’s semi final stage at the All Ireland Finals.
Athenry has been successful at District level over recent years having won the Junior Foursomes last year, Junior Cup in 2011, Minor Cup in 2009 and were All Ireland champions of the Challenge Cup in 2008.
This year the club represent Connacht once again in the Junior Cup. Galway will be seeking their first all Ireland title when they play in the Intermediate Cup finals having previously reached this stage in the Senior Foursomes in ’07 and ’08 and Junior Cup in ’06.
Co. Sligo and Strandhill have both won District pennants previously but will be seeking a first National title. Boyle triumphed in the Junior Foursomes category and go on to experience their first All Ireland Finals stage.
Lahinch were thrilled to defeat past champions Killarney to win the Munster Senior Foursomes plaque and will hope to go all the way to a first National Inter-Club title at Mullingar. Castletroy and East Cork both have All Ireland titles and will hope for repeat success with Castletroy in the Junior Foursomes and East Cork in both the Junior Cup and Challenge Cup.
Cahir Park won their first Minor Cup District pennant and will take on either the East or Mid Leinster champions in the National semi finals. Tralee won the Intermediate Cup having won the Junior Foursomes in 2011 but have yet to win a National title.
Lurgan winners of the Senior Foursomes Ulster title, with a team that includes two Irish Girls Internationals, take on Ballinasloe in the quarter finals on the opening day.
Co. Armagh won two District pennants in both the Junior Foursomes and the Junior Cup but lost out in the final of the Intermediate Cup to Belvoir Park, who will be looking to add a third National pennant having won the Junior Cup in 2007 and Senior Foursomes in 2010.
Dunmurry won their second successive District Minor Cup title and will be hoping to achieve first time success at the All Ireland’s with Rockmount in the same boat winning the District Challenge Cup this year to add to Minor Cup in 2009 and Intermediate in 2011 but still look to bring home a National green pennant.
It is estimated that over 15,000 women golfers participate in the first stages of the Private Home Care Inter-Club Championships at District level and it a wonderful achievement to be one of the close on 300 golfers from 30 teams to reach the All Ireland quarter final, semi final and final stages.
Colourful attires will be abound at Mullingar this week with club sweaters being proudly worn by players and supporters and all for a precious green pennants to take back to the Club house wall.
Mullingar Golf Club has previously hosted the Girls Home Internationals in 1998, the Irish Girls Close Championship in 2008 and the Midland District Senior Cup final in 2010.
Situated at Belvedere on the outskirts of Mullingar town is the challenging and picturesque, James Baird designed, championship course measuring 5703 yards from the ladies tees.
Spectators are more than welcome to join the excitement at Mullingar Golf Club next week. Overflow parking and a courtesy shuttle bus will be provided at Belvedere House and Bloomfield House Hotel.
Handicap ranges for the singles and foursomes Private Home Care Inter-Club Championships are as follows;
- Junior Cup h’cap 8 – 15
- Intermediate Cup h’cap 16 – 22
- Minor Cup h’cap 23 – 29
- Challenge Cup h’cap 30 – 36
- Senior Foursomes Minimum combined 14
- Junior Foursomes h’cap 15 – 36 (minimum combined 35)
Teams must play in order of handicap/combined handicap with no shots conceded.
Wednesday 25 September 2013
11.00 Intermediate Cup Quarter Final – Tralee –v- Galway
11:50 Minor Cup Quarter Final: Beech Park –v- Birr
12:40 Senior Foursomes Quarter Finals: Lurgan –v- Ballinasloe
Thursday 26 September 2013
08:00 Intermediate Cup Semi Final : Tralee/Galway –v- Belvoir Park
08:45 Intermediate Cup Semi Final : Dun Laoghaire –v- Moate
09:30 Minor Cup Semi Final : Beech Park/Birr –v- Cahir Park
10:15 Minor Cup Semi Final : Co. Sligo –v- Dunmurry
11:00 Senior Foursomes Semi Final: Lurgan/Ballinasloe –v- Laytown & Bettystown
11:30 Senior Foursomes Semi Final: Enniscorthy –v- Lahinch
12:00 Junior Cup Quarter Final: East Cork –v- Callan
12:45 Challenge Cup Quarter Final: Newlands –v- Rathsallagh
13:30 Junior Foursomes Quarter Final: Boyle –v- Co. Armagh
Friday 27 September 2013
08:00 Junior Cup Semi Final: East Cork / Callan –v- Athenry
08:45 Junior Cup Semi Final: Dun Laoghaire –v- Co. Armagh
09:30 Junior Foursomes Semi Final: Castletroy –v- Craddockstown
10:00 Junior Foursomes Semi Final: Boyle / Co. Armagh –v- Carlow
10:30 Intermediate Cup Final
11:15 Minor Cup Final
12:00 Senior Foursomes Final
12:30 Challenge Cup Semi Final: Strandhill –v- East Cork
13:15 Challenge Cup Semi Final: Newlands/Rathsallagh –v- Rockmount
Saturday 28 September 2013
10:00 Junior Foursomes Final
10:40 Junior Cup Final
11:20 Challenge Cup Final