Albert Lee in Hall of Fame

At the outset let me offer the congratulations of all in the club to Albert Lee. He is being inducted into the Westmeath Examiner/Mullingar Park Hotel sports awards Hall of Fame on Friday night next, January 30.Also worthy of mention is Michael O"Grady who is receiving a monthly award for his achievement in winning the USOAGA open event in Kentucky during the summer. We look forward to a great night in the Mullingar Park Hotel.Defying the weatherDespite the inclemency of the weather, members managed to get in a few rounds of their winter league qualifying rounds last week, particularly over the week end. There are, however quite a number of the men who need to get a bit of a move on in order to get the necessary five cards in.The top teams will be drawn in mid to late February, for matchplay (See notice boards for details). While all seems to be quiet on the playing front, the committees are busy putting fixtures into place for the coming season.TriviaLast week"s quiz, while not being in the league of Know Your Sport, caused a bit of interest and in case you didn"t get all the answers correct here they are:1. Britain"s most northerly championship venue was Royal Dornock; 2. The US championship course with a hole only 110 yards is Pebble Beach (7th); 3. The course with a plaque to commemorate Arnold Palmer" miraculous shot from a bush is Royal Birkdale (16th green, 1961 open); 4. Hoylake was the venue for the first British Amateur; 5. The Jersey Open venue was La Moye; 6. The hole known as the "Suez Canal" is in St. George"s, Sandwich; The West course in Wentworth is known as "The Burma Road"; 8. The 10th hole in St. Andrews is called Bobby Jones; 9. Turnberry is known as the Ailsa; 10. The Open championship course starting with a par 3 is Royal Lytham and St Anne"s and the answer to the tie breaker was Balmoral Golf Club, which had Irish Ryder Cup players Fred Daly and Eddie Polland attached.Ladies BranchIt"s a difficult job these days to have the task of reporting on the various happenings within the ladies branch. It"s not to say that nothing is going on, it"s just that on any given Wednesday throughout the month of January, Jack Frost has been the first to enter the fray putting paid to the competition and causing competitors to retreat for coffee or make alternative arrangements.With the course closed until at least midday, recent competitions have been reduced to sweepstakes with only a handful of dedicated players braving the arctic conditions. The Winter Blues competition is proving a popular event where golf is possible elsewhere in the week. It continues until February 28 with players best two cards counting.The deadline for returns for the qualifying stage of the Winter League has been extended to the 1st of February giving players an extra opportunity to do their best.Finally, the fixture list is shaping up nicely with the relevant committees working hard to put a great programme for 2009 together. A date that jumps to mind at this early stage is the Captains drive-in which will take place on Sunday, March 1, with Captains, Damien Daly and Geraldine Bell due to launch their terms with style into the middle of the first fairway. We wish them well and with any luck there will be some results to report on next week.