Martin Harney, last year's captain at Nuremore Golf Club, enjoyed his trip to the national finals of the Musgrave Crumlin Children's Hospital Inter-Club Challenge in Portugal last year so much that he vowed he would be back again in 1999 - as a player!

And the Carrickmacross bank manager took an important first step in that ambition last week when he was among the three-man team that won the club's qualifying competition. For good measure, the Ulster finals of the competition, which is editorially supported by The Irish Times, will be staged at Nuremore Hotel and Golf Club on September 7th.

Winners of the provincial finals (plus their club captain) will travel to the Algarve on October 2nd-9th for the national final.

All club qualifying competitions should be completed by the end of August, but clubs wishing to make late entries should contact tournament organiser Pat Cashman at 01-455 8455.