Golf is a game like no other, it can be played at some level by anyone. The handicap system aims to reduce all players to a level playing field which can produce unexpected results. One could think on any given day that one has the game mastered only for it all to fall apart on the very next day out. Such are the vagaries of the game. To have all aspects of this great game mastered on the same day is a rare thing indeed, some days the drives are good, some days the short game is good and some days the putting is good but rarely are all three in synchronisation to produce the ’perfect’ round. Such little idiosyncrasies as the wind, a muddy or dry course, slow or fast greens, soil on the ball, a spot of rain and even the time of day make a familiar course very unfamiliar from one day to the next. But that is what makes the game great, it is different every single day and everybody has a chance. Even the most accomplished player may find his round decimated by the discovery of an indiscriminate divot or a sudden and unexpected gust of wind. On the flip side of the coin, a high handicap hacker may top his shot at a difficult par three, only to watch it scuttle along the ground all the way to the green and miraculously drop into the hole – it can and has happened. There is no justice in golf and, though diligent practice brings some sort of reward at the top end of the game, the majority of us just enjoy playing and accept what comes our way and enjoy it for what it is, a highly competitive, yet not physically demanding game played in beautiful, landscaped and picturesque surroundings amongst friends and having the craic afterwards in the 19th. In all, a great day out.

Taghmon Golf Society was started in 1994 with a casual conversation over a pint or three between Pat Murphy, Sean Sinnott, and Eddie Cousins. These three gentlemen were all members of Wexford Golf Club at the time and formed an ‘unofficial committee’ with no titles as such but they evolved into Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer type roles respectively and no annual general meetings took place for the members for a number of years. So even though there was no committee elected, the oft said “we the committee shall decide” ruled in all matters with a strong fist holding a rod of iron (a seven iron that is).

A list of rules for the Society were drawn up, the main one being that a Parish rule would prevail over admission to the Society. This meant that in order to be a member one had to live or work in the Parish, be involved in some way with some of the other sporting organisations in the Parish or be related to someone in the Parish. Maximum handicaps back then were 36 but if somebody’s credentials were not known then they started on 18 until “we the committee” decided on an individual’s handicap unless of course they had a G.U.I. handicap. Nowadays the maximum is 28. All rules and meetings were of a verbal nature with very little being recorded to paper. This ‘meeting’, and many subsequent ones, took place in The Old Mill, a former public house in Taghmon village which Sean Sinnott owned at the time. There, it was decided to hold two outings in Rathaspeck Manor, a par three course on the outskirts of Wexford town and then an outing in Wexford Golf Club which took place on 14-12-94.  Various male only members of the community were then invited to join the Society for a fee of £10 annually and the rest, as they say, is history.

Thirty six members played in this inaugural championship course outing at Wexford Golf Club and the Society as we know it today was up and running. Fees for the day were £18 each which included a meal. Income for the day was £745 and expenditure was £450, so a healthy profit of £295 was made. The sponsors for the prizes on this day were Irish Pride Bakery, Frank Codd, Sean Sinnott, Phil Roche and Tom Furlong who donated cash and gifts. Joe Cashin (our current club secretary for the last few years) was the winner with 45 points playing off a handicap of 34 (try getting one like that these days off of Joe!). After this it was then decided to elect a captain for 1995, an honorary position then, unlike in recent years, where the captain now takes an active role in the running of the Society. This honour was bestowed upon Fr. Thomas McCormack. Nobody can be appointed captain a second time, so this simple rule keeps things evolving and fresh.

The first membership list from 1995 recorded has 42 names on it. It is interesting to note that there are still quite a few of the original members still on the current (2012) membership list namely; Eddie Cousins, Pat Murphy, Ted Mangan, Joe Cashin, Steve Southam, Derek Southam, Thomas Roche, Tom O’Gorman, Joe Cashe, Donie O’Brien, Jim McGee, Tom McGrath, Johnny Doyle and Eddie Colfer. Of these Eddie Cousins, Pat Murphy, Joe Cashin, Steve Southam, Derek Southam and Jim McGee are the ever present members. What stories they must all have to tell from tees to greens all over the south east, oft regaled in the 19th more so than anywhere else!

Over the years there have been many changes to the society and it would be fair to say that it is now, from humble yet firm beginnings of the three father figures, without doubt one of the best run, highly regarded and largest golf societies in the region with 10 outings a year. For some years now there has been a full committee; an annual general meeting open to all members; the position of captain has evolved into a job in itself rather than the honorary position that it once was; the Parish rule has been relaxed; all games are now played on full championship courses rather than the par threes; an annual weekend away has become part of the outings list playing two rounds on some far away course (well, those that are able to play on the second day do!!!).

There are many scoring systems in the golf game but we predominantly use the popular Stableford system in which points are awarded dependent upon the number of strokes played, the handicap of the player and the index of the hole. Sounds complicated, but once you get the hang of it, it is really quite simple. Other variations on scoring are occasionally used on occasions just for a bit of variety.

Another welcome and eagerly anticipated day out in the society’s calendar is an annual match against another society. The first of which happened in 2006 against The Horse & Hound Golf Society from Ballinaboola, Cushenstown. This event lasted four years until 2009, with our opponents winning the first two and ourselves winning the last two. In 2010, we found a new challenge in the form of  the Kilmacud Crokes Golf Society from Dublin and the competition became fittingly known as ‘The Purple and Gold Cup’ as these are the club colours of the Kilmacud Crokes GAA teams whose members make up a large portion of their Golf Society. It has to be said that the input of our own Tony Kelly who hailed from those parts, and ably backed up by the committee at that time, was instrumental in setting this tournament up. The amount of work involved had to be seen to be believed to get this off the ground but Tony was the right man for the job. It is safe to say that this fixture is without doubt the most anticipated one on the calendar by all members. It has run for three years now and we are glad to report that Taghmon Golf Society have won all three so far. On two occasions now this fixture has been played at the simply superb course known as Druids Glen near Greystones in Co. Wicklow which is without doubt, in any golfers head, one of the top five courses in the country and a pleasure to play it anytime. Long may it continue. This year the first outing of the year at New Ross Golf Club was against another society, namely The Templars Society from the Fethard area in the first of another annual fixture in our calender. This was a hard fought duel with no quarter given or taken with local rivalry and bragging rights to the fore, there was plenty of players who knew each other so the banter was rich, however a drawn match prevailed so roll on next year and many more to come too.

We have an annual competition built into one of our summer outings called the Captains Prize. This is a very sought after honour and a high turnout is always guaranteed. The captain of the year chooses the course and the prize and after that may the best man win. Traditionally and according to an unwritten rule the Captain cannot win his own prize and over the years it has been rumoured that certain Captains have had to ‘pull up’ over the last few holes if they were doing well after hearing on the grapevine what scores were already in! The prizegiving ceremony takes place after a sumptuous meal in a local hotel where it has been known for the winner to buy all present a pint. Also there is a scoring system in place to determine the Golfer of the Year based on placings in all outings over the year, the winner of this is awarded their prize after a meal on the day of the last outing of the year.

An interesting note on which to finish is that in the seventeen years that the Taghmon Golf Society has been in existence, and playing an average say, of eight outings a year and with say, forty to fifty players out on any given day that NOBODY has yet scored a hole in one. It has to happen soon, we just wonder who it will be, one of our seasoned single figure serious players or one from the lower reaches with a skirt handicap! Truth is, it could be anyone such is the nature of this great game.