The most recent competition to be added to the PPUI calendar - the National Inter-Club Competition - reaches its conclusion this weekend in Bruff Pitch and Putt Club after a tumultuous 6 months Pitch and Putt.
12 teams take to the field this Saturday from the length and breadth of Ireland. Gent’s Senior, Inter/Junior and Ladies semi-finals and finals are all to be contested in the neutral County Limerick course, and there isn’t a more appropriate venue for the culmination of the first Club competition of this type, as the Bruff club are the personification of a community club.
And that’s what this competition has been all about. Men and women representing their local club, be it large clubs, small clubs, city clubs or rural clubs, over the course of the season. That’s been the attraction of this tournament: constant competition throughout the season, playing with club-mates for the pride of your club, all pulling together, each player as important as the next.
Some real pitch and putt strongholds will be represented too. St Anne’s have performed the great feat of having both men’s teams reaching the semi-finals. Deerpark and Lucan too are steeped in Pitch and Putt history and both feature in the Inter/Junior last 4. St Patrick's of Enniscorthy and Collinstown are the other single club entities that have made it to finals weekend, and certainly in the case of St Patrick's it definitely is a county effort!
The ladies is interesting as it is a handicap based competition, and while the "Bridgies" (as the Kilcullen ladies have taken to calling themselves I see) are undoubted queens of the gross, they have performed heroically to make the semi-finals. Three very well-represented clubs join them. Fittingly Cunnigar (who did enter two teams) are a semi-finalist and it is a real reward for them given the sterling work that has gone into promoting Ladies Pitch and Putt in Dungarvan. Bellewstown and Riverdale are the other two finalists, and again both have strong lady sections, so this can definitely be seen as a fine reward.
Both a compromising, but levelling feature of this tournament was the decision to allow combination teams for the small clubs that wouldn’t have had the numbers to enter a sole team. This provoked much debate throughout the season, and while the option was very much made in good faith, it definitely wasn’t anticipated that the teams that merged, would actually benefit of the loophole. And again, somewhat appropriately given the debate it generated, there are two “super-clubs” in the Gents Senior event – Loughlinstown/Old County & Lakeside/Riverdale.
Nonetheless, there is near-universal love for this competition, and that has to be considered a good indicator as to how successful an initiative this has been – it also highlights how the average club player was perhaps neglected to some degree by how the season pans out. Combined with the recent Counties Challenge that took place in Lough Owel a few weeks ago, this has really been an exciting time for Intermediate and Junior Pitch and Putt.
Club colours have been very obviously on display when matches have been taking place, and this is something that should be welcomed. Indeed it appeared to me that club jerseys were becoming more the standard in scr cups and championships – this definitely should be welcomed.
As is well-known at this stage is that this competition is the Brainchild of PPUI Development Officer – Niall Reynolds – and his trusted Development Committee. It was around last summer that I first got wind of what was coming down the tracks, and I urged them to push as hard as they could, as I knew the enthusiasm that would be felt for this tournament. And sure enough, Niall managed to get the competition in place for this season – something he was adamant about – and I’m sure everyone is glad that he did.
Legacies are spoken of in many sports, and in the National Inter-Club competition, Niall Reynolds has created a legacy for himself, as this is sure to be a popular tournament (whatever direction it takes, or whatever tweaks are made in future) and as his administration career goes into hiatus for the foreseeable future, this is a pinnacle that he should be rightly proud of.
There should be a run-down of all the clubs, squads, results and prospects on the PPUI website over the next 24 hours, and hopefully some live-updates on Saturday from Bruff.
The NEC wishes all players and clubs competing this weekend the very best of luck, play well, play fair, and may the best clubs win. Congratulations to all the teams that bought into the concept with no hesitation, especially those who entered primarily to represent their club when no realistic chance of success was likely. As the saying goes, "ask not what your club can do for you, but what you can do for your club" Hopefully supporting numbers will be in good supply.
Details:
Saturday 26th October 2013 @ 9a.m.
The PPUI National Inter-Club Finals @ Bruff Pitch and Putt Club, Co. Limerick
The PPUI National Inter-Club Finals @ Bruff Pitch and Putt Club, Co. Limerick
Gent's Senior:
S/F1: Loughlinstown/Old County vs Collinstown
S/F2: St. Anne's vs Lakeside/Riverdale
Gent's Inter/Junior:
S/F1: St. Anne's vs Lucan
S/F2: Deerpark vs St. Patrick's
Ladies:
S/F1: Cunnigar A vs Bellewstown
S/F2: St. Bridget's vs Riverdale
S/F1: Loughlinstown/Old County vs Collinstown
S/F2: St. Anne's vs Lakeside/Riverdale
Gent's Inter/Junior:
S/F1: St. Anne's vs Lucan
S/F2: Deerpark vs St. Patrick's
Ladies:
S/F1: Cunnigar A vs Bellewstown
S/F2: St. Bridget's vs Riverdale
Please click on each team above for details!
The PPUI Dress Code will apply.