12 man team, 36 hole foursomes
Venue: Royal County Down Golf Club
Date: 25th April 2026
Match Manager DUGS: P McElligott
Match Manager RCD: D Wheeler (Hon Sec RCD)
Format: Morning Foursomes / Afternoon Foursomes
Results
Morning
RCD DUGS
1. Dr R Flood (Captain) & R Flood AS vs AS J Flavin (Captain) & J Conway (President)
2. D Wheeler (Hon Sec) & K McCaw vs 3/2 M McElligott & K Johnston
3. N Coburn & J Polin 3/2 vs S Bolger & G Johnston
4. P Keane & P Menary 5/4 vs E O’Neill & M Minch
5. R Holland & A Holland vs 5/4 P Spicer & B Dunnion
6. J Sharkey & J Collins 3/2 vs R Deane & F Duddy
RCD 3.5 : 2.5 DUGS
Afternoon
1. R Holland & P Menary 3/2 vs E O’Neill & K Johnston
2. Dr R Flood (Captain) & J Sharkey 3/2 vs M McElligott & G Johnston
3. J Collins & D Wheeler (Hon Sec) AS vs AS S Bolger & F Duddy
4. A Holland & K McCaw vs 3/1 P Spicer & M Minch
5. P Keane & N Coburn vs 4/3 R Deane & J Flavin
6. J Polin & R Flood 2/1 vs J Conway (President) & B Dunnion
RCD 3.5 : 2.5 DUGS
Result: RCD 7 : 5 DUGS
Match Report
A warm RCD welcome greeted DUGS, with the teams gathering for coffee at 8.30am. Old friendships were quickly renewed. RCD’s team was heavyweight, featuring Trinity alumni (incl. RCD Captain), RCD Hon Sec, RCD past Captains, as well as RCD council members.
Given the poor weather over preceding months, it was a delight to play under blue skies, with a modest breeze. The championship course at RCD was, as always, in great condition, resplendent under the beautiful sunshine.
Morning’s foursomes commenced 9am, with most matches decisively won, culminating in an RCD lead at the half-way point of 3½ – 2½.
DUGS joined the members of RCD at their Saturday “Hat” lunch, an experience worth travelling for in its own right. The atmosphere was warm & convivial, while the meal was superb.
Teams reassembled for a 2.30pm restart of the afternoon foursomes. RCD’s strong morning performance continued, with the session again ending 3½ – 2½ in RCD’s favour, for an overall 7-5 RCD victory.
Following some post golf apéritifs, an intimate black-tie dinner followed in the members’ dining room. This was a fabulous occasion, with the full grandeur of Royal County Down on display. Excellent wines accompanied what was another sumptuous meal. The atmosphere in the room crackled, when at times conversation was hard to hear.
Dinner was followed by speeches, with DUGS Captain noting the Society’s privileged position within an RCD fixture calendar of just 6 external matches. The exceptional hospitality and generosity of our hosts was also gratefully acknowledged. Equally, the strong personal connections between DUGS and RCD, including at the dinner for RCD, Dr Richard Flood, Alistair Holland & Roger Holland, were noted.
The DUGS team departed RCD c. 11pm, reflecting to a man in glowing terms on a stunning golfing experience and a truly memorable event. We look forward to reciprocating at Portmarnock in 2028.
Paddy McElligott
Match Manager