Dooks Golf Club Junior Girls Triumph !

A HUGE congratulations and well done to the Juniors girls team who recently won the Kerry Junior Girls League. Thanks to all those who managed and helped the girls along this year.

President Gill Mangan’s Gents Prize – Sunday 25th August 2013

1^st – John Noonan (Capt) (12) = 40 pts

2^nd – Chris O’Riordan (9) = 37 pts

3^rd – Denis Griffin (15) = 37 pts

Gross – Denis McGillycuddy (6) = 33 pts

4^th – Vincent Devlin (10) = 36 pts

5^th – Diarmuid G. Murphy (13) = 35 pts

6^th – Pat O’Connor (11) = 35 pts

7^th – John Breen (11) = 35 pts

8^th – Derek Kelly (13) = 35 pts

Over 65’s – Denis Guerin

13 Hole Yellow – W. D. O’Grady – 25 pts

President Gill Mangan’s Ladies Prize – Saturday 24th August 2013

1^st – Margaret O’Donoghue (21) = 38 pts

2^nd – Jean Forbes (20) = 40 pts

Best Gross – Ogie O’Sullivan (9) = 25 pts

3^rd – Orla Shields (16) = 39 pts

4^th – Clare Lyons (35) = 37 pts

5^th – Eileen Breen (15) = 36 pts

13 Hole Seniors – Kay Keating (21) = 24 pts

Ladies Open Day Sponsored by Milne Family - Sunday 18th August 2013

1^st – Delia Foley (16) / Irma Clifford (18) Dettie Twomey (27) = 62 pts

2^nd – Tina Murphy (33) / Deirdre Barry (30) / Claire Lyons (35) = 57 pts

3^rd – Mags Brosnan (21) / Julie Leonard (27) / Breeda Neeson (30) = 56 pts

4^th – Mary Lynch (20) / Patrica Lynch (21) / Maureen Rooney (25) = 56 pts

5^th – Nuala Meade (21) / Bernie O’Connor (19) / Pauline Kennerk (20) = 54 pts

Towers Hotel Puck Fair Singles – 10th to 17 August 2013

1^st – Bridie Fitzgerald (18) – 34 pts

2^nd – Anne Lawlor (23) – 33 pts

3^rd – Aileen Curtayne (24) = 31 pts

4^th – Mary Griffin (30) – 31 pts

5^th – Jean Forbes (20) – 31 pts

Puck Fair Singles (re-entry) August 6th to 9th 2013

1^st – Seamus Curran (8) – 36 pts

Towers Hotel Puck Fair Singles 10^th / 11^th August 2013

1^st – Martin Hurley (14) – 40 pts

2^nd – Tom Pickersgill (21) – 39 pts

3^rd – Michael J O’Sullivan (13) – 39 pts

13 Holes: Daniel J O’Sullivan (21) – 28 pts

President Gill Mangan’s Prize to the juniors – Thursday 8th August 2013

Girls 18 Holes

1st – Hannah Simmons Gooding (35) = 33 pts

2nd – Eilleen McCarthy (13) = 32 pts

3rd – Molly Donegan (36) = 31 pts

Girls 13 Holes

1st – Lucy Lynch (36) = 28 pts

2nd – Blaithin Collins (36) = 23 pts

3rd – Suzanne Murphy (36) = 18 pts

Boys 18 Holes

1st – Jesse McCormack (18) = 43 pts

2nd – Dara Doyle (14) = 40 pts

3rd – Manus Gallagher (20) = 38 pts

Boys 13 Holes

1st Jack McGillycuddy (28) = 32 pts

2nd – Hugh Hurley (24) = 27 pts

3rd – Darragh Blennerhassett (28) = 27 pts

Junior Scramble

1st – Colm Galvin, Caoilfhin Foley, Orlaith Hickey & Martha McCutcheon = 12.4

2nd – David Galvin, Ross Bowell, Aisling Murphy & Fiona Hickey = 13.6

3rd – Sean Purcell, Kyra O’Neill & Julie Rose Bowell = 16.4

August Bank Holiday Weekend Results

Brehon Hotel Mixed Foursomes - 5^th August 2013

1^st – Brian Fitzgerald (14) / Bridie Fitzgerald (18) – 40 pts

2^nd – Owen Mangan (14) / Josephine Kraft (31) – 39 pts

3^rd – John Lyons (17) / Delia Foley (16) – 38 pts

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Open Fourball sponsored by Caragh Bridge Technologies - 3^rd and 4^th August 2013

1^st – Chris Kerins (12) / John Hussey, Tralee (18) – 44 pts

2^nd – Damien Harmon (11) / Kevin Harmon (14) – 43pts

3^rd – John Houlihan (6) / Michael Shaughnessy (6) – 43 pts

Best Sat – Tracey Eakin (3) / Susanna Lyons (22) – 41 pts

Best Sun – Diarmuid Murphy (14) / Deirdre Galvin (24) – 43 pts

August 2013 Newsletter

Management and Operations

Dooks is very busy and there are many activities to report on. Our Manager Brian Hurley left us on 17^th May to take up the job of Manager at Portmarnock Golf Club. We wish Brian the best of luck and thank him for his service to the Club since 2008. Aidan Gannon took up the job of Interim Manager from 20^th May. Thanks to Aidan for his dedication and diligence and for stepping up at a very busy time for the Club.

Our new manager, Michelle McGreevy, started working with Dooks on 22^nd July.  Michelle previously worked at Slieve Russell Golf Club as Director of Golf and in Failte Ireland as Golf Tourism Development Officer. Michelle is an ex International and Inter-provincial Golfer at all levels. We extend a warm welcome to Michelle and look forward to her expert management and development of Dooks Golf Club.

We are currently promoting Overseas Life Membership, a new category of membership. This is full life membership for Overseas residents. Candidates must not be resident in Ireland for more than 10 weeks per year. There is currently an inaugural offer of €5,000 for this Overseas Life Membership. Please promote this offer on behalf of the Club to any of your friends who may be interested. All enquiries to the Manager.

Course 

After a pretty wet and frequently cold winter, followed by a period of what can best be described as a drought, the Course has held up remarkably well and throughout the first half of 2013. The Course has always been fully playable, by those who were prepared to brave some weather extremes.

This is testament to the long term development programme being undertaken by the Course Staff. Without doubt, Dooks Links has improved significantly over the past few years and will continue to do so as the longer term plans continue to be implemented. Clearly there are always elements that will not suit all players, sometimes it’s the Rough, sometimes it’s the Bunkers, sometimes it’s the Fairways or Greens, but let’s face it  “ That’s Golf ”.

The major benefit for all Members, is that Dooks is playable practically every day of the year and that represents great value for the Membership fees we pay. We will continue to make improvements and upgrade features on the Course as and when funds and manpower are available.

The recent STRI (26^th June) report describes the Greens as:

“ The putting surfaces were in very good condition. They offered good pace, good smoothness and excellent firmness…. characteristics of the very best Link greens “

In the next week or so, a number of Divot bags will be made available to Members who would like to help us all by carrying one on their round to fill and repair divot marks. There will be a number of refill stations placed on the Course, in addition to those already on the par threes. Any help undertaking this important task would be very much appreciated, as will the ongoing repair of Plug marks on Greens.

The Course Staff have taken delivery of some new machinery. Two tees mowers arrived this week to replace their two old high maintenance predecessors. There should now be a much reduced risk of machinery fluid leakages, which result in scarring and serious damage to the Course and reduced maintenance costs.

The Course Committee still require volunteer help in maintaining the Course and Clubhouse environs. Our Green-keeping Team need support from volunteer members to help with tidying, weeding gardens and trimming bushes etc. Planning days for this work by volunteers is difficult. Finding suitable days and times is proving almost impossible.

Therefore, the Course Committee would ask that any Member who has any free time, to please just turn up when you can , bring a few gardening tools and “ Work Away “, wherever you choose, especially around the entrance driveway and car park areas. You don’t need permission to help.

Black bags and any equipment can be provided and a call to the shop to let them know you will be arriving to work is all it will take.  The Course staff will remove any debris. We thank you in advance for your efforts in helping us maintain our Club surroundings for both Members and especially our Visitors.

Commonage and Lands

Site testing at Foley’s Shack has been completed in the past week and the results were positive. It is hoped a planning application to demolish the existing dwelling and replace with a standard construction bungalow will be lodged within the next 2 weeks.

The testing at Clifford’s Field was a failure and all plans to develop sites here have been abandoned for the time being.

Further testing has taken place in the old practice area at Treanoughtragh.  After several attempts to get positive results close to and across the road from existing houses, it was necessary to move south-westwards to find soakage sufficient to pass the test. We are currently working on a revised layout and hope to have an application for 4 sites submitted before the end of August.

A topographical survey was carried out on the area close to the 10^th hole where it was intended to construct an alternative layout and green which would have been the longest par 5 in the world. Following a visit and draft proposals from Hawtree Design this proposal has been shelved. Sketch draft proposals have been prepared by Hawtree incorporating 5 new holes in the commonage and including draft proposals for a relocated clubhouse and practice facilities. Due to the lack of development funds within the Club at present it is not envisaged any works will take place in the commonage for some time yet.

Dooks 125

2014 is our Quasquicentenary and we have a 125^th Anniversary Sub-committee planning events to celebrate. Proposed events include a match with Golf Club, Mixed Foursomes Week, 125 Scramble and Special 125 Events 25^th-27^th July. Watch out for more news from our 125 Committee. Input is welcome, contact Adrienne O’Sullivan.

Membership

The Membership Sub-committee was formed in 2012 to examine how the club could attract new members. The Sub-committee came up with a number of ideas and these were presented to the Club Committee.

One of the ideas launched by the club in June of this year is to create a new membership category, Overseas Life. You will no doubt have seen the signs for this in the lobby and outside the pro shop. The inaugural offer is for a once-off fee of €5,000. Persons who live outside the island of Ireland and who are resident in Ireland for less than 10 weeks per year can apply to become an Overseas Life Member. The once off fee represents superb value and it has generated a lot of interest from visitors to the club with a number of expressions of interest already received from the US, Germany and even as far away as Hong Kong.

Hopefully this category will prove popular with our overseas visitors and will help to spread the magic of Dooks around the globe. Members who have family or friends abroad are encouraged to tell them about this offer and to contact the Manager for more information.

Finance

The accounts are performing generally in line with the forecast and budget for the year. We are continuing to trim expenditure and seek additional revenue from Green Fees, Shop and Bar sales.

The increase in this year's subs balanced the drop in member renewals and the winter working schedule proved a good decision providing a much needed boost to cash-flow.

The expenditure on the course continues to be well managed and there has been 3 new machines purchased recently. The Shop continues to improve while there has been a drop in Bar sales.

The sales in the last 3 months of the financial year (July-September) are a significant part of income and we are hoping they meet our expectations, initial bookings are on target.

Our cash–flow has improved this year and this will also be a benefit, reducing the cost of our overdraft.

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Club Management Committee

2^nd August 2013