A corporate golf day to remember!
Enjoying a great day out. The Panel L-R Paul Byrne, Darina Heavey, Eoin O’Connor, Anne Keys
Yet another glorious golf day! After a summer of torrential rain, howling winds and low temperatures, the 12th Annual Corporate Golf Challenge lived up to its billing as one of the industries networking events of the year! And in the south Dublin sunshine, it took some remarkable golf to climb the leader board.
This year it was Confluence’s time to shine. Simon Fawsitt inspired his team of Niall Kavanagh, Brian O’Hara and Robert Hennessy to produce a nett score of 53.31 (Gross 60). Runners up Barings, collected a nearest the pin en-route to the lowest gross score of the day, with a remarkable Gross 59, their net score of 55.49 leaving them short of the winners.
Simmons and Simmons celebrating inclusion. L-R Rachel Pyne, Catherine Lane, James Cullinane and Mathew Williamson
We made considerable inroads to making the event an inclusive and diverse occasion. We welcomed 45 teams on the day and almost half of them qualified for the Best Mixed Prize! And whilst we had lost Anna Abom (previous two time guest of Kroll) to participate in the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, over 30 lady golfers played some great golf and greatly contributed to the wonderful industry day.
Nearest the Pin, sponsored by LEI Worldwide produced some aggressive shooting. Tom Ryan of Barings landed a superb shot to within 4 inches and Suzanne Hayes of Simmons and Simmons flighted her ball over the water and closest for the women.
It was not all serious business. With some encouragement from the FundRecs volunteers Stephen Dwyer and Alex Newman, almost every team opted to take a break and Pay the Driver on the 5th hole. This year the big guns were being fired by Harry Shaw and Dan Herlihy. And whilst the narrow landing area proved challenging, not surprisingly the 5th produced 27 birdies with Walkers and Bridge even sinking putts for their eagles.
Fireside chat with Paula from Marino College, Andrea Lazenby-Simpson from BITC and Siobhan Corbett from programme partner IPUT.
For many of us, the highlight was the entertainment and socialising off the course. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to hear Paula from Marino College, in conversation with Andrea Lazenby Simpson (BITC) and Siobhan Corbett of IPUT, chat about the far reaching benefits gained from the Time to Grow programme, both from a student and host company perspective.
Thank you once again to Walkers for sponsoring the prizes and to Nick Blake-Knox, former colleague of Cathal Lavelle, for presenting the Cathal Lavelle Trophy to Simon Fawsitt of Confluence.
Winners of the Cathal Lavelle Trophy
Simon Fawsitt accepting the Cathal Lavelle trophy on behalf of Confluence.
1st Confluence 53.31 (60 Gross) Simon Fawsitt, Niall Kavanagh, Brian O’Hara, Robert Hennessy
2nd Barings 55.49 (59 Gross) Chris Hansam, Neil St Lawrence, Tom Ryan, Paull Smyth
3rd Kennedy Wilson 56.27 (62 Gross) Jason Byers, Michael Purcell, Dessie Kilkenny, Shane Cahir
4th Prescient 57.32 led by Mark Plunkett, Eoin Gleeson, Kerill O’Shaughnessy, Shane Geraghty
Best Mixed Walkers 56.8 (61 Gross) Dan Herlihy, Nicholas Blake-Knox, Phil Dempsey, Fiona de Lacy
Nearest the Pin Tom Ryan Barings and Rachel Pyne, Simmons & Simmons
Thank you to our Sponsors and Volunteers
basis.point wouldn’t be where it is today without the generous support of our Sponsors TMF, The Panel, Confluence and Walkers, and the help of our wonderful volunteers. We owe a debt of gratitude to our golfing committee of Dan Herlihy, Jack Lee, Alison Manley, Nick Blake Knox and Anne Keys. We would also like to thank Sara Hanley and Mal Convery who volunteer as photographers, and to Harry, Stephen, Alex and Adam for helping out on the day.
As ever there are always great stories to be told and it is with great sadness that this year’s best story came from Philip Dempsey who regaled the clubhouse with his eagle on the first hole, hitting the flag with his drive. And it seems it was a charmed round from there on in. As it turns out, it was one to cherish. Taken far too young, our thoughts are with his family and friends.
Picture credits John Ohle, Sara Hanley and Mal Convery.
