Spa golfers travel to US to defend title

The Cider Cup is a Ryder cup-style competition which Spa golfers take part in every two years, find out more.

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The Spa team heading to the Cider Cup. Keith Murphy, Spa Golf Club Captain, (front centre) joined the Cider Cup team last week to wish them every success in their bid to retain the trophy in next month's trip to the United States. With Keith for the photo-call were (front from left) Andrew Davis, Hadyn Gibson, Brian Collins (Cider Cup co-founder) and non-playing captain, Philip Gregg (team captain), Eddie McConnell and Brian Murphy. Back from left: David Bittle, Aidan Savage, George Maguire, Pat Savage, Robin Jardine and Gary Rea.

Spa Golf Club

By Dominic Cunningham

SPA golfers will be flying out to America early next month in a bid to defend their Cider Cup victory on home soil two years ago.

The biennial competition, which is based on the same formula as the Ryder Cup, takes place alternating the venue between County Down and Minnesota.

While Spa are hot favourites to retain the crystal trophy, Don Smith, non-playing captain of the American side, said there would be “a very welcoming delegation” from the US team waiting for them when they arrived on September 6.

“Even though the golf competition is important, what is more important is the unique and cherished camaraderie which will continue as it has done for more than two decades,” Don said.

A veritable feast of golf awaits the Spa team with games at seven courses, with the actual Cider Cup event being played over three days at Cragun’s Resort on Gulf Lake in northern Minnesota.

The visit will conclude with a banquet for the teams in Monticello, the small town west of Minneapolis that lays claim to being the Cider Cup birthplace over two decades ago.

“But there will be a major dose of sentimentality this year with both teams losing ‘charter’ golfers. Roy Patterson of Spa and Terry McLean, from the USA team, have sadly died since our last meeting in Northern Ireland two years ago,” Don added.

The idea for the competition was devised when Spa Golfer Brian Collins and newspaper proprietor Don Smith met during a childrens’ holiday project visit to America and discovered a mutual love for the game.

Read the full story in the current issue.

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