The Limerick County final of the nationally contested JB Carr Trophy (for golfers over 60 years of age) was played at Adare Manor on Tuesday evening and was a keenly fought affair with the result in the balance until very, very late in the day.
Limerick GC managed to edge past a valiant home side which was led by former Irish Close champion Jackie Harrington - the 72-year-old is now playing off eight.
Jackie and his partner Mick Hickey (12) found conceding six strokes to Eamonn Grimes (13) and Ger Gleeson (16) beyond them. On a difficult golfing night, the determined Limerick pair played a nigh on faultless game breaking 60 nett to win the tightest of matches on the 18th green.
Even in the flattering Scotch Foursomes format that allows selection of the best drive from two on every hole that's fabulous scoring; it either shows up weaknesses in the handicap system or underlines my belief that if high handicappers had a scratch player hit their drives and they did the rest, the improvement would be instant and dramatic.
The highlight of an entertaining evening's golf was Gleeson 'parking' his tee shot within two feet of the hole at the 153-yard 12th.
When the former hurler Grimes lashed out and 'almost' drove the 284 yards long 17th, Vincent Nevin, another former Irish champion, was only one of the onlookers left gasping.
Joe Kemmy (13) and Denis Ryan (16) dovetailed flawlessly in a facile 6/5 win over Vincent Kelly & Paddy Hogan.
Former TD Tim O'Malley (12) and Pat Tobin (13) fought back doggedly from an early three-hole deficit to overcome Adare's John O'Brien (11) and Con Walsh (16).
With the result already known the other matches were called in unfinished with Limerick's ultra-steady Frank Keating (14) and Paul Gibson (15) standing 'dormie two' on Tim King (13) and John Young (14).
Too late that the Adare Manor tail was about to wag with Tom Griffin (9) and Paddy Quinlivan (16) two-up against Tim Costelloe (11) and Pat Moriarty (12).
Limerick GC will now play the winners from County Clare in the next round.

Scratch cups
Scratch cups aren't given as much notice as they once were but they remain important 'proving ground' for low handicappers.
Clubs who host such events are doing the game a service.
Fresh from her battling, leading qualifier performance in the Irish Seniors Championship at Hollystown last week, the evergreen Valerie Hassett (Ennis GC) and the in-form Irish team reserve, Catherine Tucker (Limerick GC), will spearhead 60 of the region's best lady golfers in the 25th staging of the prestigious 36-holes Scratch Cup at Castletroy on Sunday next.
It is unfortunate for the hardworking Tournament Director Phil Morrison that the Irish women's team is playing in Sweden this weekend as well as other counter attractions in Cork and the Midlands.
Local golf professional, Barbara Hackett, who won the trophy in 1997 and subsequently became the 'accidental' holder for a 10-year hiatus kindly ensured through her generous sponsorship that the event could be resurrected last year and continued in 2008. The tournament was first played in 1973 and was won by the legendary Mary McKenna. Indeed, the roll of honour is impressive with some of the country's best-known names over the past 35 years on the plinth. The current holder, Eileen Rose Power from Kilkenny, will be attempting to win for the fifth time.

Michael Hickey
On account of winning the Quinta Do Lago Golf Club Championship on no less than 13 occasions, Michael Hickey from Castletroy has been the outstanding, amateur, club golfer in the Algarve for nearly 20 years.
The former Leinster rugby inter-provincial player and Ireland Davis Cup tennis star realized before anybody else that while the Costa Del Sol of Spain may have more courses Portugal's Algarve has the better quality. Hickey's handicap is currently an impressive two.
As a trailblazing real estate agent Hickey and his business partner, Michael Roberts, a member of an esteemed Limerick golfing family, have seen the Algarve mushroom from small beginnings.
Despite the uncertainly in the property markets in Ireland, UK, USA and elsewhere, Southern Portugal remains buoyant without any sign of a slowdown. Hickey wears two hats.
He also owns two, well stocked; retail golf stores: Florida Golf & Augusta Golf that are particularly popular with visiting Irish golfers.
The Algarve is a golfer's dream destination with almost 40 high-quality courses in a relatively small area.
Golf is at its most intense around Vilamoura where the Old Course is regarded as one of Europe's top courses.
There is nothing artificial as the holes follow the natural flow of the land through majestic pines and along rollercoaster fairways that demand strategic decisions and faultless execution.
The best part is that Faro Airport is only a two-hour flight from Shannon.

Words of the Wise
The serious competitor is often viewed as a hard case, a person who is tough to get along with. Give him some leeway; the only alternative is not to try at all. He's choosing the better way.
- Jackie Burke