Dundalk Golf Club notes
News from Dundalk Golf Club
Dundalk Golf Club Open Week 2026 took place last week with good entries on all days. The course was in excellent condition and received plenty of praise from the many visitors who played.
There were four big competitions during the week, with the Oriel Cup as well as the Junior, Intermediate, and Minor Scratch Cups being contested.
The week kicked off with the Junior Scratch sponsored by Building Information, and Conor Murphy won it on countback from Andrew Coburn after both had tied on two over par.
Murphy opened with two pars but then dropped three shots over the next two holes. He followed that with a run of four pars before finishing the outward nine with a birdie two at the ninth to turn on two over.
Seven consecutive pars on the run for home were halted by a bogey four at the par-three 17th, but he bounced back with a birdie at the last to finish with a 74.
That birdie proved to be vital as Coburn also shot 74 but had 37 to Murphy’s 36 over the last nine holes. Coburn had turned in one over par thanks to a birdie at the third and six pars, but while a bogey at 13 was cancelled out by a birdie at 14, he bogeyed 17 and, unlike Murphy, could only par the last.
Richard Newell took third place with a 75, with Warrenpoint’s Gary McMahon in fourth after a 76 and the evergreen Clem Walshe fifth after a 77. Diarmuid Dunne of Laytown & Bettystown returned the best nett score.
The Oriel Cup, sponsored by Moran CCTV, has been running since 1950, and the latest winner is Mark Thornton (30), who shot a nett 64 to win by three shots from David Tippins (23) and Derek Mulligan.
Thornton's round was a tale of two nines as he went out in 50 gross for a nett 35 and came home in 44 for a nett 29 and even managed to survive having a 10 at the par five seventh hole.
Tippins took second overall with Mulligan (22) winning Division 3 by four shots from David Rogers (28). Andrew Coburn (6) was the Division 1 winner, edging out Gerard Carroll (8) on countback after both had shot 69 nett.
Countback was also required to settle Division 2, with Gerry O’Keeffe (15) seeing off Gerry Mulligan (19) after they tied on 69 nett.
The best gross score was the 74 recorded by Ken Norton, whose two-over-par total included birdies at the fourth, fifth, 13th and 18th as he went out in 39 and came in 35.
Danny O’Brien (13) shot 66 nett to win the KMR Open Singles Stroke, which was played over the opening weekend of Open Week. He has one shot to spare over Luca Craig-Hay (26) after a round of 66 nett.
Ross Kehoe (12) shot 70 nett to win Division 1 by two shots from Turlach King (11), while Pat Donaghy (21) took Division 2 with a 69 nett that was one better than Emmet Cronin (16).
In Division 3, David Brennan came out on top courtesy of a last nine countback after he and John Oakes (23) had shot 69 nett. Gerard Brennan shot 77 to record the best gross score.
Oliver McGrath (35) from Concra Wood won the Seniors Open Singles on the Monday of Open Week with a super score of 44pts.
Kevin Henry (17) with 38pts won Division 1 while Brendan Cleary (25) with 40pts won Division 2and Eugene Hanratty (28) took Division 3 with 41pts.
The traditional Open Week Four Person Team competition sponsored by Flanagan Motors was played in windy conditions.
It was the team of Gerry Mulligan (8), Cathal Connolly (12), Ciaran Flanagan (16) and Mark Thornton (24) that came out on top after shooting 91 points.
However, they needed to count back to pip the team of Eoin Hamill (16), Tim Linch (8), Alan McGeady (16) and Chris McGeady (16).
Eugene McKenna of Concra Wood produced a brilliant performance in a difficult swirling wind on Saturday to win the Intermediate Scratch Cup sponsored by Ultan and Deborah Herr.
He shot a six-over-par 78 to win by three shots from Greenore’s Patrick Lawless, who edged out Dundalk’s Cathal Connolly for second place on countback, with Malcolm Drake finishing fourth after an 82. Ned Lawrence took the best nett score with an excellent 67 nett.
The Minor Scratch Cup was won by Aidan Gaughran, who parred the final two holes to beat Davy McDonnell by two strokes.
Ben O’Connor’s better final six holes saw him edge out Noel McGuinness for third place, while Club Chairman John McLaughlin claimed the best nett prize with a fine round of 70 nett.
It was a busy weekend on the inter-club front with four teams in action, and it got off to a good start on Friday when the Barton Cup team made it to the quarter-finals with a 4-1 win over Forrest Little, with wins for Conall Murdock & Adrian Kenny, Aidan Thornton & Pearse Murphy and Maurice Soraghan & Conor Murray clinching the victory.
On Sunday, the Junior Cup team reached the Leinster North semi-final with a fine 4.5 to 0.5 win over Roganstown, with wins for Mario Gatzambide, Ciaran Traynor, Clem Walshe and Robert O’Hanlon. They now face Clontarf for a place in the regional final.
However, the Senior Cup team were beaten 3.5 to 1.5 by Royal Tara in their quarter-final, with Eoin Murphy the only Dundalk winner, while the Pierce Purcell Shield team were beaten in a play-off by Castleknock after a 2-2 draw with Paudie Hassett & Captain Michael O’Sullivan and Adrian Kenny and Peter Moran picking up the points for Dundalk.
Cian Geraghty’s bid to qualify for The Open came up short at Final Qualifying after rounds of 81 and 75 over the Dundonald Links in Scotland saw him finish T49.
Saturday, June 27 - Building Information Junior Scratch Cup - Overall: Conor Murphy 74 (Last Nine), Andrew Coburn 74, Richard Newell 75, Gary McMahon (Warrenpoint) 76, Clem Walshe 77 (Last Six). Best Nett: Diarmuid Dunne (Laytown & Bettystown).
Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28 – KMR Open Singles Stroke – Overall: Danny O'Brien (13) 66, Luca Craig-Hay (26) 67. Division 1 (up to 11.6): Ross Kehoe (12) 70, Turlach King (11) 72 (Last Nine). Division 2 (11.7 to 16.4): Patrick Donaghy (18) 69, Emmet Cronin (16) 70. Division 3 (16.5 to 54.0): David Brennan (21) 69 (Last Nine), John Oakes (23) 69. Gross: Gerard Brennan 77.
Monday, June 29 - Gents Seniors Open Singles Stableford – Overall: Oliver McGrath (35, Concra Wood) 44pts. Division 1 (Up to 18.5): Kevin Henry (17) 38pts. Division 2 (18.6 to 23.4): Brendan Cleary (25) 40pts. Division 3 (23.5 to 54.0): Eugene Hanratty (28) 41pts.
Wednesday, July 1 – Moran CCTV Oriel Cup Singles Stroke – Overall: Mark Thornton (30) 64, David Tippins (23) 67. Division1 (Up to 9.5): Andrew Coburn (6) 69 (Last Nine), Gerard Carroll (8) 69.
Division 2 (9.6 to17.5) Gerard O'Keeffe (15) 69 (Last Nine), Gerry Mulligan (19) 69. Division 3 (17.6 to 54.0) Derek Mulligan (22) 67, David Rogers (28) 71 (Last Nine). Gross: Ken Norton 74.
Thursday, July 2 - Flanagan Motors Four Person Team - Winners: Gerry Mulligan (8), Cathal Connolly (12), Ciaran Flanagan (16), Mark Thornton (24) 91/48pts.
Runners-up: Eoin Hamill (16), Tim Linch (8), Alan McGeady (16), Chris McGeady (16) 91/45pts. Third Place: Johan Steenvoorden (21), Danny O’Shea (32), John Macguinness (25), Brian McCamley (32) 90pts.
Saturday, July 4 – Intermediate Scratch Cup sponsored by Ultan and Deborah Herr – Eugene McGuigan (Concra Wood) 78, Patrick Lawless (Greenore) 81 (Last Nine), Cathal Connolly 81, Malcolm Drake 82. Best Nett: Edward Lawrence 67
Saturday, July 4 – Minor Scratch Cup sponsored by Ultan and Deborah Herr – Aidan Gaughran 89, David McDonnell 91, Ben O’Connor 92 (Last Six), Noel McGuinness 92 (Last Nine). Best Nett: John McLaughlin 70.