Club News August 14th

Passing of Eugene McGettigan
It was with great sadness on Saturday morning past that we learned of the sudden and untimely passing of Eugene McGettigan.
Eugene was our Portsalon GC Captain in 1999 and a long-standing member here for many years. The infectious nature of his personality meant Eugene made a rapid impact on Portsalon when he joined and so it was with great pride that he pulled on the famous blazer to become captain in '99.
A keen golfer, camaraderie and a team ethos were central to Eugene's thinking and so it was that he became a key team captain in his time, with his Ulster Cup teams enjoying some famous wins around the province and some unforgettable occasions for those involved in the teams.
A love of golf was something Eugene certainly passed on to his three sons – Barry, Ryan and Rory – all of whom spent time in their youth working in the shop here in the golf club.
It would be impossible to have spent time in Eugene's company without getting a sense of the pride that he had in his sons. Their exploits on and off the golf course clearly meant the world to him.
Their love of the game was fuelled by him and, in return, he got an immense pleasure in seeing them succeed on the golf course, with some famous days enjoyed out on the course in Portsalon and celebrated accordingly afterwards.
At this time, the thoughts and prayers of all of us at Portsalon GC are with Barry, Ryan & Rory, their mother Eileen and the large extended McGettigan Family clan as they come to terms with this devastating loss. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Upcoming events
Donal Callaghan's Presidents Day will take place on Saturday 24th August, the timesheet will be available for member booking on Saturday 17th August from 6.00pm.
Donegal League in battle with Bundoran
Cathal Canning and his Donegal League panel emerged with a credible 3-2 first leg loss away in Bundoran amid high winds at the southern seaside venue. Portsalon's opening match-up of Jack Friel and Kevin Boyce got the tie off to a flyer, playing some superb golf en route to winning their game 3&2, while the second Portsalon point was registered by Donal Callaghan Jnr and Shane Sandilands, who ran out 4&2 winners after a see-saw tussle. The second leg of the semi-final will be played in Portsalon on Saturday 31st August / Sunday 1st September, with a date still to be confirmed.
Club Results
Wednesday 7th August
Winner: Cathal Toland (18) – 45 pts
Runner-up: Paul L Armstrong (17) – 42 pts
Gross: Michael Campbell (1) – 32 gross pts
Third: Conor Scallon (18) – 37 pts
Saturday 10th August
Winner: Cathal Toland (17) – 41 pts
Runner-up: John Bowe (23) – 40 pts
Gross: David Bonner ( 8 ) – 30 gross pts
Third: John Logue (17) – 38 pts
Sunday 11th August
Winner: Johnny Moore (17) – 44 pts
Runner-up: Jack McGarrigle (7) – 41 pts
Gross: Pascal Cullen (4) – 36 gross pts
Third: Eamonn Doherty (18) – 39 pts

Ladies News 
In the week that our sporting heroes returned from the Olympics in Paris, the Portsalon Ladies Get into Golf initiative, also drew to a close. If you listened to any of the interviews given by our athletes in Paris, they all said something similar. They want to encourage future generations into sport. Not necessarily to be national champions but even just for the benefits of improved physical and mental health.


Those of us who have been playing golf for a number of years will readily admit it can be a little frustrating at times! But we are always drawn back. We will also confess to never have been invited to join the European Tour. I can also safely say, no-one can remember how many balls they have lost, how many fresh air shots they have had, and how many thousands of putts they have missed!


So my message this is week is directed to the new ladies who have been coming to Portsalon throughout this summer. We all started out as beginners. The sport of golf can at times be frustrating when the ball doesn’t land where you expected it to. That’s why we are amateurs. We can be over critical indeed.


However, golf is one of the finest sports that you will ever partake in. The social aspect of the game that opens and welcomes new friendships. The fresh air, the walk, the camaraderie, sociability and general good feeling when you leave the course cannot be measured.


The 10 weeks of scrambles and introductory to golf which the ladies took part in has ended, but I hope it is just the start of many wonderful years of golf for all of you.


Many thanks to our lady members who also took part, our Pro Daragh and Lady Captain Noreen.