Jean Conway and Clive Cooney Crowned Golfers of the Year at West Waterford
The 2026 Golfer of the Year competitions have now wrapped up at West Waterford Golf Club, with Jean Conway taking the ladies’ title and Clive Cooney the men’s.
The ladies’ competition went right to the wire, with the destination of the title in doubt until the very last round. For several weeks the leaderboard had been shifting, and there was no shortage of talk in the clubhouse about who might come out on top. At one point, six or eight players could realistically have won it.
In the end, it came down to a single point. Jean Conway finished on 370 points, just one clear of Marie T Curran. Una Mulligan took third place on 365 points, with Bridget Blackwell close behind in fourth on 364. It has been an excellent year for Jean, who played consistently good golf throughout the season and deserved the win.
The men’s title was decided by the September Monthly Medal, the final counting competition of the year. Clive Cooney emerged as the 2026 Men’s Golfer of the Year with a brilliant total of 330 points, well clear of Timmy Murphy in second on 290.
Clive currently plays off a WHS handicap index of 3.5, so this is a serious achievement, and everyone at the club will be delighted to see him take such a prestigious title.
Congratulations to both Jean and Clive and well done to all our ladies and gents for making this such a competitive and enjoyable summer of golf. Bualadh bos go léir.
Mark Coles takes “Tuesday Treats” series as “Tuesday 7’s” begin
Tuesday evening golf reached the end of its main series last week, with the final night played on [date]. The series, sponsored by Blackwater Agri, was won by Mark Coles on 363 points, well clear of runner-up Liam O’Brien on 317. Well done to both lads, and especially to Mark who has probably been the most consistent attendee of this competition across the whole summer.
Special thanks go to Seanie Cotter of Blackwater Agri for sponsoring this year’s series.
Tuesday evenings aren’t finished just yet though. Golf continues for a few more weeks with the “Tuesday 7’s”. To suit the shorter evenings, there are a few changes:
- Only seven holes count: the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th and 9th.
- It is a non-counting competition.
- Enter on the computer and use the 9-hole card, recording your scores for the seven holes only.
- If you tee off early enough to play the full nine or more, feel free, but just record the scores for the seven.
And as always, the usual banter will continue in the bar afterwards.
Final Call for Winter League 2026
Entries are now closing for this year’s Winter League and anyone who fancies a few weeks of winter golf has until next Sunday night to get involved. This year we are running a shorter, sharper league. It starts on Saturday 17th October and runs for 9 weeks, finishing on Saturday 19th December.
As last year, it will be played in mixed teams. The entry fee is €40, and you can play as often as you like, whenever suits you. Your best six cards will count: three 13-hole cards and three 9-hole cards. There will also be double points on offer in the final week, so nothing will be settled until the very end.
The league is open to all ladies and gents, as well as juniors with a handicap of 24 or less. We would also love to see some of our 2026 Get into Golf participants sign up. It’s a great way to keep playing through the winter and get to know more of the members.
To take part, simply vote to play in the Winter League in the WhatsApp groups before the cut-off on Sunday night.
Get into Golf Group Enjoys a Highly Successful 2026
It has been a very successful year for the 2026 Get into Golf (GiGs) groups at West Waterford Golf Club, with a good number of new ladies and gents taking their first steps in the game and, just as importantly, enjoying every minute of it.
Thanks must go first to our Club Pro, Colin O’Gorman, for his help and support throughout this year’s programme. Colin gave the lessons at the start, but his involvement didn’t stop there. His hints and tips along the way helped our new golfers keep improving and kept them motivated once they left the practice area.
A big thank you also goes to the members who came out on Wednesday evenings to play with the GiGs on the course. Their encouragement helped the newcomers build the confidence to go out on their own, and many were able to join some of our social scrambles towards the end of the summer. These members have also been a great help in getting cards completed, so that the GiGs can receive their first handicaps.
Finally, a huge thank you to Niall and Bridget, who put in a lot of hard work organising the 2026 programme. Thanks to them, our new golfers have had a real taste of the game, along with a warm and positive introduction to what West Waterford Golf Club is all about.
Well done to everyone involved, and a warm welcome to our new members. We hope to see you all out on the course again soon. If you know some-one who might be interested in tasting golf in 2027, please contact any member of our committees, and we will include them in our 2027 program.
Gents Results:
Tues 22nd Sept. 1st Brian Fox 23pts; 2nd Colin Cotter 21pts
Sat 26th / Sun 27th September Monthly Medal: 1st Johnny Currant 70 net 2nd Gary Manning 73 net, 3rd Jonathan Hanlon 73 net. Gross Conor Sheehan 77
Ladies Results:
Thurs 24th – Sun 27th 18-hole Stableford GoY: Sponsored by David Walsh
1st Eithne Ashby 38pts; 2nd Una Mulligan 35pts; 3rd Margaret O’Sullivan 32pts
This week’s events:
Gents
- Tues 29nd Sept.: Gents Tuesday 7s, 7-hole stableford.
- Sat 3rd / Sun 4th October: Club 18-hole competition
Driving Range Update
Our driving range building is almost complete, with just the electrics to be installed ready for Trackman installation at start October. The Trackman equipment itself is almost ready to be installed.
A gentle reminder, if you are planning to support our “Buy a Brick” fundraising campaign, now is the time. Every contribution, no matter the size, brings us closer to completing a facility that will benefit our club, our community and future generations. You can purchase a brick through the Pro Shop, by bank transfer (details in the clubhouse), or through any Management Committee member.
A sincere thank you to everyone who has donated, volunteered or supported the project in any way. We simply could not have come this far without you. Follow the club on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest
