Notices

Tony Moloney Memorial Strandhill 30 August 2024

Time Sheet:

13:20  Donal Carroll Vinny Murphy Stephen English

13:30 Brian Hargadon (G) Gerry Hargadon (G) Barry O Sullivan   David Blake

13:40 Eamon Walsh Jimmy Giblin Dessie Flynn (G) Liam Loftus

13:50 Benny O Loughlin Keith Hennessy Albert Hogg Frank Sullivan

14:00 Shaun Dorrian Ciaran Dorrian (G) Philip Murphy Tony Burns (G)

14:10 Pat Page (G) Fiachra Page (G) Martin Moloney (G) Pat Scott

14:20 Assumpta Kelly Teresa Duignan Fiona Moylan (G) Pat Moylan (G)

14:30 Joan O Dowd Frances Molloy John Muldowney Pat Crawford (G)

Carrick-on-Shannon

Despite the unavailability of the society secretary another outing went ahead without a glitch. Albert Hogg using home club knowledge carded an excellent 39 points to take first prize. Donal Carroll and Keith Hennessy went toe to toe for second. After an ugly brawl Donal pipped it leaving Keith with 3rd place both scoring an excellent 37 points. Shaun Dorrian and Terence took front and back 9 respectively. A big thanks to Albert for managing the fees and cards (??????) on the day. Look forward to Alberts continued involvement on future outings.  I look forward to a large attendance on 25 August for our major outing of the year, the annual Tony Moloney Memorial outing in Strandhill. A notice will issue closer to the event. All notices go out on WhatsApp now so make sure that you are on it. If not email johnmuld4@gmail.com or text 0876181215.

Ballinrobe GC 30 June

A miracle happened. On what was probably the wettest day of the summer, we went to Ballinrobe and barely saw the rain! The course was in amazing condition and suited Barry O Sullivan who played solid golf all around and came home a winner with 36 points. Well done Barry! There was a major tussle for the next two positions and David Blake came second, Joan O Dowd third leaving poor "old" Donal Carroll fourth --- all on the strength of their back 9's. Donal is going to have to work on his stamina as he would have done a lot better if the count back was on the front 9!  A great turnout of 18 in the end. Our next outing is on Carrick.....look forward to seeing you there.

19 May 2023

Once again the golf gods blessed their chosen society with exceptional golf weather as 12 hardy souls ventured into the wilds of Donegal to battle it out on one of the longest lynx courses in Europe. Congratulations to our first singles winner of the year; Neil Flanagan, who returned an impressive 40 points and made short work of a challenging course. In second was Donal Carroll with 37 points and third was the in-form and soon to be single figures Philip Murphy. It is safe to say that everyone enjoyed the golf and that Murvagh GC is a fine facility in terms of golf and clubhouse services. Looking forward to the next outing in Ballinrobe on 30 June where we switch to parkland golf, just to shake it up a bit! See you there!

18/9/2022

21 April 2023

"The Scrambler Returns"

On a beautiful day in Tubbercurry. The annual sighting of Vinny (The Scrambler) Murphy took place. Leading a team along with Benny O Loughlin, Frances Molloy and Keith Hennessy "The Scramblers Crew" parred all but 2 holes and only marred their perfect card with a double on the 5th. All in all an excellent display of team golf utilising The Scramblers super powers to great effect. Congrats. In second place we had Stephen English, Barry O Sullivan and Brian Conlon. They fought of intense competition from the other teams to hold their nerve and secure second. Unfortunately due to a lapse in concentrtaion the organiser failed to set up "Nearest the Hole" and due to the unfortunate loss of tees it was not possible to determine the winner. The prize will carry on to the next outing. Apologies!

Our next outing is in Murvagh (County Donegal) on the 19th of May. A notice will issue early May.

"Pure Class"

Seven years after his first Major, John Muldowney has done it again and becoe only the third person to win the Tony Moloney Memorial on more than one occasion. John shot a historic points tally for this outing of 44 points. Although nerves were clearly a factor for John on the first hole, where he scratched with an 8, he quickly settled down into a fantastic round, that included 6 pars and a magnificent birdie 3 on the long par 4 sixth - this accounted for 5 points alone! John has no intentions of settling for two titles and has already signalled his intentions of chasing down Donal Carroll's record of 4. Well played John.

Congratulations to Philip Murphy on holding off a gallant challenge from Donal & Albert Hogg, to become the 2022 PSO Golf Society Golfer of the Year. Philip had an incredibly consistent year on the fairways ,by finishing in the top 3 gross in three separate outings, winning Category B twice and a runner up once. Very steady play all round and he is a worthy winner. Well done Phil.

Thanks very much to everyone that played this year. It was great to get back to normal and see the numbers so high after the last couple of years of disruption. Thanks very much to everyone for your well wishes and the gratitude you've shown me since I announced I'm stepping down from running the society. I've really enjoyed my time organising things over the past 10 years and I feel I've given it my all and it's time for someone else to take over the reins. It's a great society to be a part of and has a solid membership, so I've no doubt that there will be a few members willing to keep things going. I'm looking forward to next year already.

Until then, all the best, stay safe and remember....

The weather will be grand!

Vinny

29/7/2022

"The Ballymote Bandit"

I'd like to begin by thanking Donal Carrol for his last minute throwing of the preverbial spanner in the works with the handicaps, by requesting we play off the Green Tees instead of the previously announced White Tees. Donal says it was to enable us play in the Open competition, but his playing partners on the day reckon it had more to do with his age and the fact that he's not quite as long as he used to be...... off the tee of course. 

Anyway, the handicaps have been recalculated for the Greens and in most cases it didn't affect things too much. It was a tight contest, with 3 players each shooting 37 points, but congratulations must go to Dessie Flynn on a fine round, that included 5 pars on his way to shooting 40 points gross. Well done Dessie.

The Golfer of the Year table has been well & truly shaken up with a 27 point swing that sees Philip Murphy leapfrog Albert Hogg's lacklustre display, to jump to first place overall. 

There is a slot available for an outing on the 26th August - the Tony Moloney memorial has been moved to Friday 16th September. I'm not sure if I'm around on the 26th, so if there's anyone willing to step in and organise an outing, feel free to give me a shout. 

As I mentioned last Friday, this will be my last year organising PSO Society outings, so this would be a good time for someone to give it a trial run. It's been fun organising things over the past 10 years and it's not half as bad as you might think. For those of you looking to add something to your CV, it's not a bad thing to have down (it actually helped get me promoted!). For those of you at the opposite end of your career path (you know who you are), it could be a good thing to occupy your time. Hopefully someone can step up to the plate, as it would be a shame to let the PSO Golf Society fade away.

4/7/2022

"There's no place like home" - Part II

While some of us were struggling and wondering why these golf outings aren't being played in the summer, Albert Hogg was singing in the rain as he made short work of his home course last Friday with a magnificent score of 45 points. Albert shot 5 over gross in a fine round that included 11 pars and 1 birdie. Luckily for Albert he was unable to enter this score on the Golf Ireland app under General play, as we were placing/dropping everywhere. Coincidentally, it was Albert that suggested this rule for the Society..... just sayin' ;) But seriously, this was great shooting in very wet conditions, so well done Albert.

With Donal Carroll's dislike for Carrick on Shannon GC continuing, the Golfer of the Year standings have been really shaken up. Albert has shot into first position, with Philip Murphy leapfrogging Donal also. There is a bit of a gap opening up already and at the halfway point in the season, it's beginning to look like a 3 horse race. 

Our next outing has been booked for Friday 29th July in Ballinrobe GC. Check the Fixtures page for more details. You can let me know now if you intend playing.

Due to the unavailability of family members on 26th August, the Tony Moloney Memorial outing will now be held on Friday 16th September. See Fixtures calander for details of tee times. A new venue will be booked for Friday 26th August. Details tbc.

3/6/2022

"There's no place like home"

Congratulations to Joan O'Dowd, winner on her home course last Friday in Castle Dargan. Joan shot a very impressive 38 points on a perfect day for golf. The course was in fine shape - arguably the best condition we've ever played it - and Joan took full advantage of this and put her local knowledge to great use.

Donal Carroll followed up his win in Rosses Point with another fine performance and has already reached 100 points in the Golfer of the Year table. He leads by 9 points over Philip Murphy. Rumour has it he's now contemplating joining the controversial LIV tour...

Our next outing is on Friday 1st July in Carrick on Shannon GC

6/5/2022

"There's life in the old dog yet"

Congratulations to Donal Carroll on a fine win last Friday in Rosses Point. Donal shot an excellent score of 38 points. He shot 21 points on the front nine, which included three pars and a fine birdie on the par 4 sixth. The only blot on an otherwise excellent round of golf was a petulant outburst on the 391 yard par 4 eleventh, where Donal was so disgusted at not driving the green, he snapped his driver in two. When his playing partners questioned how he would manage without a driver for the remainder of the round, the proud Cork man replied, "Sure we're only playing off the green tees like. I don't need a driver around this place boy". It's early days in the season, but with this sort of confidence, who would bet against Donal becoming Golfer of the Year?

Well done also to Brian Conlon on his second place finish with 34 points. Brian showed his short game prowess with fine pars on the par 3 ninth and sixteenth holes. Full results are on the Results page.

Our next outing is on Friday 3rd June in Castle Dargan GC. Details of tee time & fees are on the fixtures page. 

**************************************************************************************************************

1/4/2022

"Hello! Hello!, It's good to be back, it's good to be back..."

It's hard to believe it's three years since the last PSO Scramble in TGC. It was great to see all the usual faces again and to welcome new members Elizabeth Muldowney (Longford), Paul Johnson (Roscommon), Neil Flanagan & Declan McCormack to the Society. Apart from some with a few less hairs, some with a few more grey hairs (Barry), some with a couple of extra lockdown pounds and the odd slimmed down member, nothing much has changed! The way things are going, pretty soon we'll be able to have a match with the 'Retirees v The Employees'. 

It was fantastic to have such a great turnout for the first outing of the year in cool, but mostly dry conditions. Scoring on the day was very close, with only two strokes separating second and sixth place. In the end it was the team of Shaun Dorrian, Niall McHugh, Pat Scott & Vinny Murphy that won out, with a gross score of -2. Second place, with a gross score of level par, was the team of Declan McCormack, Ronan Moriarty, Jimmy Giblin & Keith Hennessy.

The next outing is in 5 weeks time on 6th May in Rosses Point. Hopefully we'll get another large turnout then. I hope to book more outings over the coming weeks and will let you know further when booked.

**************************************************************************************************************

2/10/2020

Not to be outdone by his fellow retiree Donal, Albert Hogg has proved there's life in the old dog yet, as he won the final event of the Covid-stricken 2020 PSO Golf Society season. Albert shot a very fine score of 33 points on some very testing greens, which included 8 pars and only one scratch. He pipped his playing partner Shaun Dorrian by making par on the last and giving him a better back 9 score. Well played Albert.

Thanks very much to everyone for taking part this year. Although times have been difficult for us all, it's been nice to be able to meet up and take our minds off things for a few hours on the golf course once a month. It's a pity we haven't been able to hang around for a presentation and chat this year, but hopefully by the time we all meet up again, things will have improved a whole lot more. 

Until then, stay safe  

******************************************************************************************************************

28/8/2020

They said it couldn't happen. They said he was past it. They said his hair was too long. Well, he proved his doubters wrong (not with the hair though). Donal Carroll has made history and 11 years after his first vistory, has become the first person to win the Tony Moloney Memorial 4 (four) times. Fighting back tears, a clearly emotional Donal said "this is the stuff of dreams. Since I retired, I thought, that's it. My work career may be over, but I'm going to put 100% effort into winning in Strandhill again. My body said no, but my heart said yes. I sacrificed an awful lot for this, even my monthly trip to the barber for a trim and colour. But it's been worth every inch of hair left on my head".

Donal put in a steady performance in tough windy conditions to shoot a fine score of 34 points. His round included two birdies on holes 2 & 14 and had a 3 point victory over Stephen English in 2nd place. Well done Donal!

Martin Moloney took the visitors prize also with a score of 34 points, with Shane Hargadon in second.

All prize money will be transferred via PayPal shortly.

I have penciled in the 25th September for one more outing. No venue has been booked yet, but I'll let you know as soon as anything is finalised.

******************************************************************************************************************

7/8/2020

Google has decided to update their sites pages, so I have had to convert our old one to this new one. While changing, it has deleted all results and notices going back to July 2018.

******************************************************************************************************************

31 July 2018

Congratulations to Michael Casey on a great victory in Ballinrobe last Friday. Michael shot a fabulous score of 43 points in damp conditions that included two birdies on the 1st & 5th and also included 7 pars. Michael was only 3 over par thru 13 holes. By his own admission he then got tired and hungry on 14 and struggled a bit on the last 5 holes. This made no difference however, as he had already accumulated enough points on the first 13 holes to win anyway!

The Golfer of the Year table has seen some changes after Ann Mullen had a day to forget. Vinny Murphy has now taken the lead with David Blake lurking close behind. There are still two qualifying outings remaining, so it's far from over.

Our next outing is the annual Tony Moloney Memorial in Strandhill G.C. on Friday 31st August. I will be on holidays soon and will only be back in the country on Tuesday 28th August, so could you all let me know now if you are available to play please?

******************************************************************************************************************

2 July 2018

Friday 29th June 2018 will be forever remembered as the hottest day that the PSO Golf Society has ever played golf. It will also be remembered as the day a member of our society - who shall remain nameless - refused to play as "it's too f*@>^g hot!". I only hope he/she will able to shoot a good score the next day to improve on his/her 11th place position in the Golfer of the Year standings...

Anyway, speaking of babies, congratulations to Craig Walsh on the arrival of his new baby girl last week, Best wishes from everyone in the Society to Craig & Lisa. Craig has obviously found some time away from the nappies to get some practice in, as it paid off with victory last Friday. He shot a very steady 36 points which included 7 pars, 5 of which were on the front nine. Craig just edged out Ann Mullen into second place. Although Ann had the best score on the day, 37 points, she was minus 3 points, leaving her with a nett score of 34 points.

Ann has now leapt into the lead on the Golfer of the Year table, with Craig & David Blake close behind. Can she hold her position to become the first lady to win the Golfer of the Year? Time will tell...

Our next outing is in 4 weeks time on Friday 27th July in Ballinrobe G.C. You can let me know if you're available or not now.

******************************************************************************************************************

5 June 2018

Congratulations to Frances Molloy on a fabulous victory in Carrick on Shannon last Friday with an outstanding score of 45 points with 1 scratch. Frances saw off the challenge of Gerry McDonagh who also shot a great round of 74 gross to finish with 41 points. If only he could putt..... There were plenty of fine scores on the day. The shots of the day have to go to Ronan Moriarty. Ronan had a great birdie on 15 and followed this up with a fantastic eagle on 16 (a nett hole in one) to score 5 points on one hole!

David Blake has increased his lead in the G.O.Y. standings. He now leads by 15 points over Ronan Moriarty. It's early days yet, but with Davids' steady start and "Big Easy" swing, who would bet against him going on to win it.

Unfortunately there was no nearest the pin due to an "administrative error". Whoever's in the first group the next day, would you mind hanging around to get the nearest the pin sheet & tape from me before you tee off please?

Our next outing is in 4 weeks time on Friday 29th June in Castle Dargan. Please let me know if you can or cannot play.

********************************************************************************************************************** 

8 May 2018

Congratulations to David Blake on his victory in Enniscrone G.C. last Friday. David shot a very fine score of 33 points in blustery, but sunny conditions. The highlight of his round was a tap in birdie from 20 feet* on the par 5 14th. He edged out Barry O'Sullivan who shot a questionable 32 points. Barry must have thought victory was his until he blanked the 18th..... and the 8th...... and the 4th.... I think a trip to the putting green is in order Barry!

* The distance for this birdie has yet to be verified.

Our next outing is on Friday 1st June in Carrick-on-Shannon G.C. You can let us know if you can or cannot make this outing now.

**********************************************************************************************************************

14 April 2018

Congratulations to Glenn Hargadon, Brian Conlon, John Murphy & Vinny Murphy on a close victory in last Friday's Scramble. After a blistering start of 5 birdies in the first 7 holes, things began to unravel on the back 9 and it all came down to a birdie on the 18th hole to seal victory on -2 gross. Second place went to Philip Murphy, Stephen English, Vincent Melvin & Pat Coen. This is the second successive year that Stephen has been runner-up. Maybe it'll be a case of third time lucky next year...

Our next outing is in three weeks' time on Friday 4th May in Enniscrone Golf Club. You can let us know if you can or can't make this outing by clicking here.

**********************************************************************************************************************

25 September 2017

Congratulations to Vinny Murphy on winning the final outing of 2017 in Carrick on Shannon G.C. last Friday. Vinny just edged out Benny Connolly with a par on the 18th to win by 1 point on 35 points. By winning this outing, Vinny also snatched the title of Golfer of the Year from the hands of Des Henry who was the bookies clear favourite going into this final outing.

On behalf of everyone in the Society, we would like to wish Barry O'Sullivan the very best on his upcoming marriage to Sheila Mahon. Barry won Category B with 32 points and has said that his prize will go towards the cost of the free bar at the reception.

Organising the Society

I have been involved with running the society since 2012. I've enjoyed my time organising outings and have always done my best to have things run as smoothly as possible. Unfortunately things haven't always worked out the way they were planned, but it hasn't been for the lack of trying. Over the last couple of years the fun element has begun to go out of it for me and I just want to get back to playing golf and enjoying the Friday afternoon's off, without the hassles that sometimes come with it. If anyone is willing to volunteer to arrange things in 2018, please let me know & I will gladly advise them in any way that I can. We will arrange the A.G.M. for sometime next February or March and hopefully one of you will step up to the plate and run things for 2018.

Until then, thanks very much to everyone who took part in the society this year. Enjoy the remainder of the golfing season and we'll see you next year.

Vinny

**********************************************************************************************************************

31 August 2017

Congratulations to Paul O'Meara on a fine win in the Tony Moloney Memorial outing in Strandhill G.C. last Friday. Paul had a very fine score of 37 points to win by 2 points over his playing partner John Muldowney, who in turn finished in second place; 2 points ahead of his playing partner Des Henry on 33 points. There are absolutely no accusations of collusion being leveled against this trio of fine, upstanding gentlemen. Paul's round included 7 pars and 1 birdie on the 10th hole and was only +2 gross after 11 holes. He must have been thinking "this game is easy", until reality kicked in and he scratched 15 & 16. He managed to steady the ship after that and is a worthy winner.

Des Henry has leapt to the top of the Golfer of the Year table and with one outing remaining is all but guaranteed to become the PSO Golfer of the Year for 2017 - provided he plays the final outing....

Our final outing of the year is on Friday 22nd September in Carrick on Shannon G.C. This is part of the "Buy one, get one round free" offer that Carrick have been running for the past few years. If anyone has played C.O.S. with the PSO Society this year, they are entitled to a free round of golf. There will only be a €10 charge towards prizes. For anyone that hasn't already played Carrick with us this year and wishes to play, the cost will be €25. You can let us know if you wish to play by clicking here.

*********************************************************************************************************************

3 August 2017

We have a new Captain! Congratulations to Shaun Dorrian on becoming the latest in a fine line of Captain's of the PSO Golf Society. Shaun shot a steady score of 35 points last Friday in Slieve Russell. After a strong front nine of 21 points - which included a run of pars on holes 6, 7 & 8 - he had a bit of a wobble on 10 & 11. He steadied the ship from then on and is a worthy winner. Best of luck in your tenure as Captain Shaun. You have a very tough act to follow from Mr Melvin!

The Golfer of the Year standings is really tightening up with only 5 points separating the top 4 players. With Albert, Vinny & Vincent Melvin having played 4 events so far, the hot favourite must be Des who has only played 3. Can he keep up his very fine run of scores to become G.O.Y.?????

Our next outing is on Friday 25th August in Strandhill G.C. This is the annual Tony Moloney Memorial which is returning to it's home of Strandhill, after a brief trip across the bay to Rosses Point last year. The first tee is booked for 12:40. you can let us know if you are available to play by clicking here.

*********************************************************************************************************************

4 July 2017

On his final PSO Golf Society outing before his retirement, Albert Hogg turned back the clock to put in a stellar performance in very windy conditions last Friday to win with a great score of 37 points. He shot a magnificent 9 over par. It is a very fitting result now that Albert has given up his part-time job as a Civil Servant to concentrate on his golfing career. In a rare interview after his round, Albert commented that it is his first overall win in the society for "a number of years". The competitions secretary has trolled through the society records to find that not only is it Albert's third overall victory in the past three years, he won in Castle Dargan last year!!! Now, I know that he is advancing in years and his memory isn't what it used to be (and he did have a pint in front of him at the time), so we'll cut him some slack on this occasion. 

On behalf of all the members of the society, we would like to wish Albert all the very best in his retirement and success for many more years to come on the golf course. We expect your handicap to drop to single figures now that you have more time on your hands.

The Golfer of the Year leaderboard and Results page have been updated.

Our next outing is Mr Vincent Melvin's Captain's Day in Slieve Russell G.C. on Friday 28th July. The first tee is booked for 2:08pm. You can let us know if you intend playing and if you would like an Early or Late tee time now.

**********************************************************************************************************************

6 June 2017

Congratulations to Des Henry on his victory in Roscommon G.C. last Friday. Des shot a very steady round of 33 points to beat Vincent Melvin on the back 9 into 2nd place. Des has now jumped into 1st position on the Golfer of the Year leaderboard on 96 points, with Vinny Murphy & Vincent Melvin tied for 2nd on 83 points each. Joan O'Dowd follows closely on 81 points. Previous G.O.Y. leader Keith Hennessy has slipped to 6th position, but with 4 more outings remaining, there's still plenty of time for Keith to regain his lead!

Our next outing is on Friday 30th June in Castle Dargan G.C. You can let us know of your availability now.

***********************************************************************************************************************

8 May 2017

Congratulations to Keith Hennessy on a great victory in Carrick on Shannon last Friday. Keith took advantage of the wind to shoot 21 points on the back nine on his way to a fine score of 33 points in total. Keith strides straight to the top of the Golfer of the Year leaderboard. Only five more outings to go Keith & you'll be Champion Golfer for 2017! 

Congratulations to Ernie Reid who took the plunge and played his first Stableford outing with the society. Ernie held his own and shot a very respectable score for his first competition. We look forward to seeing you again on the fairways very soon Ernie.

Our next outing is on Friday 2nd June in Roscommon G.C. You can let us know if you are available to play now. Check out the calendar here for dates and venues for upcoming outings.

************************************************************************************************************************

12 April 2017

Well done to Benny Connolly, Shaun Dorrian, Ann Mullen and Garret Mullaney on a fine win in the Scramble last Friday in Tubbercurry Golf Club. They shot a very respectable round of -2, that included 4 birdies and 2 bogeys. The weather was great and the course was in fantastic shape for our first outing of the year. Hopefully it's a sign of things to come for the year ahead. In second place was Stephen English, Pat O'Connell, Assumpta Kelly and Ernie (annual winner) Reid. Third place went to Philip Murphy, Dolores Kane, Pat Coen and Vinny Murphy.

We would like to welcome Louise Conlon and Dolores Kane as new members of the society and also to welcome back Craig Walsh. You're all very welcome ladies and we look forward to seeing you again soon on the fairways.

Our next outing is provisionally penciled in for Friday 5th May. We have no venue booked as yet, but we will let you know as soon as we have. Check out the calendar here for dates and venues that have been confirmed so far.

***********************************************************************************************************************

18 October 2016

Congratulations to Paul O'Meara on a fine win in the K Club last Friday. He can now say he has something in common with Rory McIlroy. Both of them are winners on the Palmer course in 2016! After a very dodgy front nine and a scratch on the 10th, Paul managed to turn it all around and was only 2 over for the remaining 8 holes, shooting 20 points on the back 9, with a total of 31 points overall. Well played Paul!

We have penciled in a final outing of the year on Friday 28th October in Carrick on Shannon G.C. As this round is part of the buy one, get one free deal for anyone that played with the society in Carrick earlier this year, the cost will be €10 towards prizes. For anyone else that didn't play there earlier this year, the cost is €30. If we get enough numbers interested for this outing, we will go ahead with it. If not, we'll have to leave it and call it a day for the 2016 season.

Let us know if you are interested in playing by the end of this week, as we have to let Carrick know one way or the other.

***********************************************************************************************************************

20 September 2016

After a golfing career that has spanned four decades, 463 rounds of golf, 27 drivers and 1,275 lost balls, Keith Hennessy is a winner! Congratulations Keith on a wonderful win in Strandhill GC last Friday. Keith had a fantastic opening 10 holes which included pars on the 9th & 10th. His score thru 10 holes was 25 points. At this point somebody must have informed him of his score as his knees clearly began to knock. "I can do this, I can actually play golf!" He then had 9 points for the final 8 holes. However he held his nerve to make a fine bogey on the last which helped him claim victory from Captain Melvin in 2nd place. Well played Keith.

There was heartbreak for Benny Connolly in the Golfer of the Year. After leading the competition for so long, Benny was pipped at the post by Stephen Sheeran to take the title of the PSO Golf Society, Golfer of the Year for 2016. Stephen played some very steady golf in his "rookie" season with the society. He finished in the top 4 in four out of the five qualifying competitions he played. Well done Stephen.

It's hard to believe, but we are almost at the end of another golfing season. Our penultimate outing of the year is on Friday 14th October in the K Club - Palmer Course. Unfortunately, due to dwindling attendance (myself included), the overnighter side of it has been cancelled. However the outing will still go ahead. The cost for the round of golf is €80 (excluding prizes). Can anyone that is still interested in playing the golf, please let me know asap, as I have to contact the club with numbers soon. Even if you have e-mailed us already, please let us know again to confirm you still intend going.

We look forward to hearing from you soon...

************************************************************************************************************************

23 August 2016

Two years ago we had our first Lady winner of the Tony Moloney Memorial - Mary Corcoran. Thankfully we didn't have to wait too long for the second Lady winner, as Assumpta Kelly took the title last Friday in Rosses Point. Assumpta shot a very fine round of 34 points in some very tough, windy conditions. After a shaky front 9 of 14 points, she had a very impressive score of 20 points on the arguably tougher back 9, which included a fine par on the tricky 13th hole. Well done Assumpta! With one qualifying round to go in the Golfer of the Year, there has been a significant change to the top of the leaderboard, as Benny Connolly moves ahead of Gerry McDonagh. With only 9 points between them, it all comes down to the final day in Strandhill. You can check out all the results from Friday by clicking here.

Our final "local" outing prior to our trip to the K Club is on Friday 16th September in Strandhill Golf Club. The cost for this outing is €40, which includes contribution towards prizes. You can let us know if you are available or unavailable to play by clicking here.

************************************************************************************************************************

25 July 2016

Congratulations to Stephen Sheeran on a fine win on his home course in Carrick on Shannon last Friday. After a dodgy start of only 2 points from his first three holes, Stephen was only 4 over par gross for the next fifteen holes, which gave him a score of 39 points. Great play Stephen! This is Stephen's first win with the society. He has shown great form in his three outings with us this year, by coming in the top three each time. If he keeps up this form, surely he's a dead cert for Golfer of the Year???? Gerry McDonagh has extended his lead in the G.O.Y. table to 10 points over Benny Connolly. With two scoring outings to go, it's still all to play for. There are only 19 points now separating the top four players. The full list of winners from Friday are on the Results page. The plus & minus' for the next outing have also been updated on the Members page.

Our next outing is in four weeks time on Friday 19th August in County Sligo (Rosses Point) G.C. The cost for this outing will be €50, this includes contribution to prizes. You can start letting us know of your availability or unavailability to play by clicking here.

************************************************************************************************************************

24 June 2016

Congratulations to Albert Hogg on a fine win in Castle Dargan G.C. last Friday. Albert shot a steady score of 34 points in windy conditions to take the victory over John Nolan in second place. The full list of winners are on the Results page. The Golfer of the Year table is beginning to take shape with Gerry (Mr Consistent) McDonagh leading by 4 points over last years' winner Benny Connolly. There are only 10 points separating the top three, with Captain Melvin occupying third spot. The plus & minus' for the next outing have been updated on the Members page. Any queries on this, just give us a shout.

Our next outing is in four weeks time on Friday 22nd July in Carrick on Shannon G.C. Details on the prices for this outing (and all other outings) can be found by clicking on the relevant date on the calendar in the Fixtures page. You can start letting us know of your availability or unavailability to play this outing by clicking here.

************************************************************************************************************************

20 May 2016

Congratulations to our new Captain for the 2016/17 season, Vincent Melvin. Vincent shot a great score of 34 points in very testing conditions last Friday. He had a wonderful back nine which included a fine birdie on the par four 12th. Benny Connolly took the Overall 1st position, with Paul Byrne continuing his golfing comeback in 2nd.

Our next outing is in four weeks time on 24th June in Castle Dargan G.C. Details of prices for this outing can be found on the fixtures page. You can let us know of your availability or unavailability to play by clicking here. 

We will be contacting you during the week looking for your responses with regard to the overnighter/day trip in October. Please reply to this email as we need to hear from everyone.

************************************************************************************************************************

22 April 2016

Congratulations to David Blake who had a fantastic win in Slieve Russell G.C last Friday. David had a score of 39 points, with only one scratch on his front nine. David took full advantage of the par 5's, playing them in just 1 over par. In second place was Stephen Sheeran. Stephen shot a fine round of 35 points in his first outing with the Society. The highlight of his round was starting the back nine with back to back birdies on 10 & 11. All the rest of the results are available here. The Golfer of the Year table has also been update.

Our next outing is in four weeks time on 20th May in Ballinrobe G.C. This outing will be Vinny Murphy's Captain's Day. The winner of this outing will become PSO Golf Society Captain for 2016/17 and will have the honour of picking a venue for their Captain's Day in 2017. You can let us know of your availability or unavailability to play by clicking here.

************************************************************************************************************************

8 April 2016

Congratulations to Jimmy Giblin, Ann Mullen, Ernie Reid & Vinny Murphy on winning the annual curtain-raiser Scramble in Tubbercurry Golf Club on Friday 8th April. Weather conditions were testing to say the least, with strong winds and heavy rain at the beginning of the round. This gradually cleared up into a day that wasn't too bad at all, considering the weather we had in the days leading up to the scramble. Second place went to Martin Ruane, John Muldowney & Vincent Melvin. Third place were Benny Connolly, John Rainey, Pat O'Connell & Keith Hennessy.

Our next outing is in less than two weeks time on Friday 22nd April in Slieve Russell Golf Club. The cost for this outing is a fantastic €30 (including prizes). Anyone that hasn't played this course before, is in for a treat, as it's one of the finest parkland courses around. You'll find a Stroke Saver for the course on the website here. This Stroke Saver is downloadable and can be printed off. You can let us know of your availability or unavailability to play by clicking here.

************************************************************************************************************************

15 October 2015

Congratulations to Vincent Melvin on winning our final outing of the year to the K Club on Friday 9th October. We couldn't have asked for a better day, with the weather staying warm and dry all day. This was our first trip to the K Club with the society and I think you'll all agree it's a fantastic course. Hopefully we'll return there in the not too distant future. 

Thanks to everyone for turning out in such large numbers again in 2015. Although the numbers were down on 2014 - mainly due to the poor weather - it was still a very successful year. This year we visited Roscommon golf club and the K Club for the first time. If anyone has any suggestions for a course they would like to play in 2016 (your request has been noted Blakey), let us know and we'll look into the prices and availability. We hope to get things up an running again next Spring, so hopefully we'll see you all again. We might even see some new faces on the fairways! 

Thanks again for taking part and keeping the PSO Golf Society going strong.

Vinny & Benny

************************************************************************************************************************

21 September 2015

Congratulations to Michael Regan on his maiden victory last Friday in Carrick on Shannon G.C. Michael shot the best round of his career and was clearly overwhelmed when accepting his prize. During an emotional speech, Michael mentioned how much it meant to him to beat his lifelong idol, Albert Hogg. He feels this win is his catalyst to bigger and better things in the society and he hopes to bring his fine form to the K club in three weeks time..... if his wife lets him.

Well done to Benny Connolly on winning the PSO Golf Society Golfer of the Year for 2015. Benny had a slightly nervy start to his round, but he steadied the ship to shoot 21 points on his back 9 (+2 gross). I think we'll all agree that Benny is a worthy winner!

Our final outing of the year is in less than 3 weeks time, on Friday 9th October in the K Club. There are a few places left for anyone wishing to  stay over, so let us know asap. Anyone wishing to play on the day can let us know of your availability by clicking here. The cost for golf only is €50.

************************************************************************************************************************

21 August 2015

Congratulations to John Muldowney on a fine win in tough, windy conditions last Friday in the Tony Moloney Memorial Shield in Strandhill G.C. John shot a very steady 36 points for a one point victory over Gerry McDonagh in second place.  This is John's first victory in the PSO Golf Society for some time now and having never won Tony's outing previously, John was clearly delighted with his win. Well done John! Gerry McDonagh has shown some fine form in the last few outings, rising to third spot in the Golfer of the Year table. Benny Connolly has extended his lead at the top to 19 points over Vinny Murphy. With only one qualifying outing remaining, surely Benny has all but wrapped up the GOY title for 2015???

Thanks to everyone that turned out in Strandhill to remember Tony and special thanks to Tony's extended family for travelling from near and far. Let's hope this outing can continue going strong and we can return to Strandhill G.C. next year.

Our next outing is in four weeks time on the 18th September. Although the venue has yet to be confirmed, it looks like we will be returning to Carrick on Shannon G.C. Like last year, Carrick have a very fine offer of "Buy One, Get One Free" with society outings in 2015. Anyone that played there with the PSO Society earlier this year, will receive a free round on 18th Sept (contribution toward prizes will be €10). For anyone else that hasn't already played with us this year in Carrick, the cost will be €30. You can start letting us know now of your availability, or unavailability to play by clicking here.

***********************************************************************************************************************

19 July 2015

Congratulations to Albert Hogg who shot a fantastic score of 40 points to win last Friday's outing to Carrick on Shannon G.C. Albert shot a gross score of six over par in gale force conditions. Well played Albert! 

The Golfer of the Year table has yet again seen a switch in positions, as Benny re-takes first place from Vinny. Stephen English remains in third spot, Gerry McDonagh jumps to fourth and Glenn Hargadon in fifth place.

Our next outing is in five weeks time on Friday 21st August. This is our annual Tony Moloney Memorial tournament and we will again be returning to Strandhill Golf Club. Traditionally this is our biggest outing of the year, so please let us know as soon as possible if you're available or unavailable to play.

***********************************************************************************************************************

22 June 2015

Congratulations to Vinny Murphy on a fine win in Castle Dargan G.C. last Friday. Vinny shot a score of 40 points for a four shot victory over Paul O'Meara. The weather conditions on the day were very testing with heavy rain for a lot of the round. The course however stood up to the conditions and was in the finest shape that the PSO Golf Society has experienced over the years. Vinny now has the honour of becoming the PSO Golf Society Captain for the remainder of the 2015 season. In a rare interview, Vinny is quoted as saying "It's a complete honour and privilege to take over the reins as PSO Golf Society Captain from Mr Benny Connolly. Benny has been an outstanding Captain and if I can be half as successful as Benny was, I will be a very lucky man indeed".

The Golfer of the Year table has seen a switch in positions, as Vinny has swapped places with Benny, who slips to second place. Barry O'Sullivan has also slipped a place to fourth spot, with Stephen English taking over third position.

Our next outing is in four weeks time on Friday 17th July in Carrick on Shannon G.C. The outing to Carrick is one of the most popular outings of the year, so you can start letting us know of your availability or unavailability to play by clicking here.

OVERNIGHTER

Benny mentioned in his presentation speech that the overnighter has been booked for Friday 9th October with golf in the K Club and staying in the Glenroyal Hotel, Maynooth. The cost for this trip will be €100 for stayers or €50 for those wishing to play the golf only. This represents magnificent value and is sure to be a popular choice, so if you wish to stay & play, let us know as soon as possible, as overnight places are limited. There will be a €20 deposit to secure your place.

***********************************************************************************************************************

25 May 2015

Congratulations to Pat O'Connell on a fine victory in Roscommon G.C last Friday. Pat shot a great score of 39 points for a comfortable victory over the rest of the field, with Jimmy Giblin in second place. Pat did it in style with pars on the 17th and the extremely long par 4 18th. The course was in fine shape. The greens were a little slow, but apart from that everything else was perfect. The weather stayed dry, which is always an added bonus.

The Golfer of the Year table is beginning to take shape with Benny Connolly taking an early lead of 27 points over Vinny Murphy in second place, with Barry O'Sullivan slipping to 3rd spot. Can Benny hold onto this lead? Only time will tell...

Our next outing is in four weeks time on Friday 19th June in Castle Dargan G.C. This is our inaugural PSO Golf Society Captains Day, hosted by none other than the aforementioned Mr Benny Connolly. The cost for this outing will be €40. This includes your round of golf, money towards prizes AND dinner in the clubhouse after. If you won't be eating, the cost for the day will be €35. This represents great value, so be sure to let us know in advance if you intend staying for food. The winner of the Captains Day will become the PSO Golf Society Captain for 2016 and will receive three free outings with the society in 2016. You can let us know of your availability or unavailablity to play by clickin here.

***********************************************************************************************************************

24 April 2015

Congratulations to Captain Benny Connolly on his second victory of the season in Slieve Russell G.C. Benny put in a fine performance to finish three points clear of Barry O'Sullivan in second place. The course was in good condition, except for the greens that were so poor, they made Bertie's Pitch n' Putt look like Augusta! 

Our next outing is in four weeks time on Friday 22nd May in Roscommon Golf Club. This will be the first time that our society has visited this course (as far as I'm aware) and by all accounts it's a very fine course indeed. The seniors Irish Open is due to be played the following week, so the course should be in top condition when we play there. You can let us know of your availability or unavailability to play by clicking here.

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************.

30th March 2015

Congratulations to Benny Connolly, David Blake & Pat O'Connell on their fine win in the Scramble last Friday in Tubbercurry Golf Club. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day to start the season off and the course was in fine shape. In second place was the team of Donal Carroll, T.J. Keaveney, Barry O'Sullivan and Ernie Reid. Third place were Ian Rossiter, Niall McHugh, Glenn Hargadon and Gerry Walsh.

As a member of the winning team, Benny has been selected as the first Captain of the PSO Golf Society. As the man that has kept the society together for a number of years now, it's fitting that he is the first Captain and we wish Benny all the best for the season ahead.

Our next outing is in four weeks time on Friday 24th April in Slieve Russell Golf Club. Slieve Russell is one of the finest courses you're likely to play on, so if you've never played it before, this is the perfect opportunity for you to experience a great golf course with in a relaxed and friendly society. You can let us know of your availability or unavailability to play by clicking here.

**********************************************************************************************************************************

13th October 2014

Congratulations to T.J. Keaveney on winning the 8th and final outing of the year. T.J. Had a wonderful score of 39 points to claim victory over Gerry McDonagh. The weather on the day was absolutely perfect, with sunshine and calm conditions for the whole day. This year has seen one of the best years for weather in all of our outings, with only a drizzle of rain in Castle Dargan. 

John Nolan held off a gallant charge by Albert Hogg to win the inaugural Golfer of the Year by a narrow three points. At the outset of the year it looked like John was going to win at a canter, thanks mainly to his win in Carrick on Shannon in May, followed up by his "Gross" win in Castle Dargan. But Albert hung in there and although he didn't have any overall wins this year, his two consecutive second places in Strandhill and the return to Carrick on Shannon, meant he had closed the gap to 13 points with 1 outing remaining. John withstood Albert's challenge and is a worthy winner.

This year has seen the largest turnouts of any year, with an average of 31 members playing in each outing. We had a massive 46 members in the society, with 39 different prize winners! We tried to mix it up a bit by visiting three new courses, playing Enniscrone, Claremorris and County Cavan Golf Club. Although these may not have been to everyone's liking, we hope that people can appreciate that we're trying to keep it interesting for all members. If you have any ideas for the running of the society or any suggestions for golf courses you would like to play in 2015, please feel free to let us know and we'll check them out. Thanks to all of you for taking part and for keeping the PSO Golf Society going strong. 

We look forward to joining up again in Spring 2015.

Vinny & Benny

21st September 2014

Congratulations to Paul O'Meara who had a fantastic score of 42 points (before +/- taken into account) in Carrick on Shannon last Friday. Paul shot a wonderful level par back 9 tally of 24 points, which included an eagle on the par four 15th. He even blanked the easy par five 4th!!! Albert Hogg showed he means business when it comes to the Golfer of the Year as he finished second on the day with 37 points. He has now closed the gap on John Nolan to 13 points with only one outing to go. It is now officially a two horse race, so Keith's dreams of being the best of the best will have to remain just that for another year at least...

Our final outing of the year is the overnight trip to Cavan Golf Club on Friday 10th October. There are still places available for the overnight stay, so please let us know asap if you are interested. The cost for the round of golf, B+B and 1 evening meal in the Farnham Arms Hotel in the heart of Cavan town is a golf ball busting €65. For those of you unable to stay, the total cost has yet to be finalized, but it is hoped to be around €10 to €15. The journey time is approximately 1hr 30mins from Sligo town and just over 1hr from Carrick on Shannon, so we would love to have as many of you as possible join us for our final outing of the year. You can let us know of your availability by clicking here.

1st September 2014

Congratulations to Mary Corcoran who made PSO Golf Society history by becoming the first lady to lift the Tony Maloney shield in Strandhill on Friday 22nd August. Mary had a superb back nine of 21 points to claim victory over Albert Hogg and John Nolan. This is Albert's second year in a row as runner up, so he'll be looking to go one better next year. Albert's second place finish see's him close the gap on John Nolan in the Golfer of the Year table to just 29 points. Mathematically it isn't quite a two horse race yet, but with just two outings to go, it's looking likely that it will be between these two fine golfers. 

Our next outing is on Friday 19th September in Albert's home course of Carrick on Shannon. This is part of a bonus deal we received from Carrick this year with a "buy one, get one free" offer. Anyone that played Carrick with our Society on 2nd May will receive a free round and only pay the €10 towards prizes. For anyone that did not play on 2nd May, the cost will be €30. You can let us know your availability or unavailability to play by clicking here. 

27th July 2014

Congratulations to Paul O'Meara on a fantastic win in Claremorris last Friday. The weather was fantastic and we couldn't have asked for a better day. John Nolan has extended his lead at the top of the Golfer of the Year table and now leads by 34 points over Albert Hogg who's followed closely by Annette Kearns. Pat O'Connell's fabulous second place sees him move up to fourth spot. 

Our next outing is the big one - The Tony Maloney Perpetual Shield is in four weeks time on Friday 22nd August. We have four tee slots booked from 10am and the remaining tee times are from 1pm. Anyone looking for any early slot can let us know and we'll do our best to accommodate you. You can let us know your availability or unavailability to play by clicking here.

30th June 2014

Congratulations to Enda O'Brien on a great win in Enniscrone last Friday. Although the Committee made an attempt to "Tiger Proof" or "Giggsy Proof" the course by inadvertently playing off the white tee markers, Enda managed to brush all aside and shoot a great score of 37 points gross. On behalf of the Committee, I wish to apologize to everyone for making the error with the tee's when we should have been using the Green's. Our Master & Commander Benny should be back the next day in Claremorris to ensure that no such errors take place again. 

The Golfer of the Year table is beginning to tighten up a bit at the top and it no longer appears to be a foregone conclusion that John Nolan was going to run away with it. Albert has managed to close the gap on John and with four outings still to go, anything can happen.

Our next outing is on Friday 25th July in Claremorris G.C. You can let us know of your intentions to play by clicking here. Please notify us even if you cannot make it.

28th May 2014

Congratulations to Annette Kearns who a great score in very windy conditions in Castle Dargan last Friday. The plus and minus's really came into play with four players ending on 33 points, with the back 9 & back 6 rules being used to determine the winners. Once again John Nolan had a fine score and now has opened up a large gap in the Golfer of the Year table after taking maximum points from the first two events. There are still five outings left, so it's by no means a one horse race...

Our next outing is on Friday 27th June in Enniscrone G.C. You can let us know of your intentions to play by clicking here. Please notify us even if you cannot make it.

We have now received the first batch of shirts and they are available for collection from Vinny. I'll bring the rest to the next outing if you are unable to collect yours. We are waiting on 5 more shirts and they should be ready shortly. 

6th May 2014

Congratulations to John Nolan on a fantashtic performance in Carrick on Shannon. John romped to a 4 stroke victory over his closest rival Shaun Dorrian. The margin would have been more if it wasn't for John's honesty in admitting that he kicked his ball accidentally. Well done John! It was another great turnout and the weather stayed fine for the whole round. Our next outing is in less than three weeks time on Friday 23rd May in Castle Dargan G.C. You can let us know of your intentions to play by clicking here. Please notify us even if you cannot make it.

The shirts have been ordered and we hope to have them in time for our next outing. We'll let you know as soon as we receive them.

7th April 2014

Congratulations to Donal Carroll, Annette Kearns, Ian Rossiter & Enda O'Brien on a fine victory in the Tubbercurry Scramble on Friday 4th April. It was a great turnout for our first outing of the year, in great conditions. Hopefully we'll get similar numbers for the rest of the year. Our next outing is in Carrick on Shannon G.C. on Friday 2nd May. You can let us know of your intentions to play by clicking here. If you are unavailable to play, please let us know.

There has been a great response to our new P.S.O. Golf Society Polo Shirts offer. The total cost for the shirt & printing is €19.99. We still need a few more people to take up this great offer in order for us to go ahead and order them in bulk at this price, so if you're interested and haven't e-mailed us already, please do so as soon as possible. You can check out images of the shirt here.