The Ireland Fund of New Zealand - News : Galfcuig 2006

GALFCUIG 2006

When: Friday 3rd November 2006
Where: Takapuna Golf Course
Cost: $800 per team of 5
Inclusive of green fees, meal and refreshments

What is Galfcuig?

Galfcuig - five a side golf for mens, ladies and mixed teams
One Ball - each team competes with only one ball
One Club - each team member plays with only 1 club, anything from a driver to a wedge. All players must use a different club (putter provided on each green)
Sequence - an established team playing sequence must be followed
No Handicap - all Galfcuig golfers are equal
Team Score - only the overall team score counts
See Galfcuig rules for full details Click here >

Numbers are limited to 30 teams – so register now
“to be sure to be sure, to be there to be sure”
An event to remember. Golf that is fun and skilled
Craic that is scintillating and infectious!

Registration Form >

T - 64-9-977 2251
F - 64-9-977 2256
E - newzealand@irlfunds.org

The Legend of Galfcuig

Some time ago, almost too long to remember but not too long to forget, there was a town, a picturesque town known as Ballymoreuseless.

A town with a town hall, a public convenience, one school, two churches and seven pubs. A town so small that when the front of the car was leaving the rear end was arriving. Despite its minuteness, the Lord Mayor and his nine Councillors desperately wanted a golf course. Neighbouring towns and villages all had courses and attracted lots of wealthy foreign visitors – anyone from outside Ballymoreuseless was considered foreign and wealthy. So a meeting was held in the Town Hall attended by the Lord Mayor, all nine Councillors and the entire remaining population of two, the rest were at a football match in the next county. No resolution was reached so the meeting adjourned to the nearest pub.

There the ideas, the conversation and the liquid sustenance flowed, until finally the Lord Mayor announced the solution. “We will create” he said “a once in a lifetime course, for this course will be unique not only in this country but in the world … it will be the first ever one hole golf course in the history of mankind”. He was prone to hyperbole and exaggeration. With the destruction of the infrequently used and rarely cleaned public convenience, there would be just enough land for a perfect par five hole.

The world’s ultimate par five golf course with manicured green, contoured fairway and bunkers filled with the best sand available from the local play centre sand pit. Confirming the absolute perfection of the course, it was deemed that as all true Golfers would only need five shots for this perfect hole, a team would only need five clubs. But who would have the honour of playing first? Again, another meeting was held, again there was an adjournment. This time to a different pub. Impartiality was essential even if the Lord Mayor owned all seven.

Late in the evening, in the interests of equity, peace and harmony it was determined that all would play the first round and two teams of five were formed. As the Lord Mayor and his councilors did not possess golf clubs it was deemed that the cost would be covered by the Town Council amenities budget. However as budget funding was low, expenditure was limited to providing one single club for each team member and one ball for each team.

Opening day arrived, and amid great pomp and ceremony, and with both teams assembled behind him on the tee, each member clutching their allocated club, the Lord Mayor of Ballymoreuseless teed off and with a loud shout of ‘Cuig’ (Gaelic for five as opposed to Ceathair, Gaelic for four) struck the ball in the first game of Galfcuig, five a side, one ball golf, ever played.

Not only was it the first but it was also the last round of Galfcuig played on the Ballymoreuseless course. The next day the Government commandeered the land for a motorway extension.

Galfcuig Rules

GALFCUIG is a game of golf devised for those who enjoy good company, pleasant surroundings and have the occasional but not irresistible urge to strike a golf ball in an unserious manner.

Galfcuig is played in teams of five, male, female or mixed as desired, usually over 18 holes. Two teams tee off together and wend their weary, varied and respective ways from green to green where they renew acquaintance and admire each other’s putts.

There is one ball and five clubs allocated per team. The team captain must select five different clubs from a standard set of golf clubs, excluding a putter (which will be provided to each team on each green). The five clubs must include one wood, one club each from irons 1 to 3, 4 to 6, 7 to 9, and one other club of choice which is not a duplicate of one already selected. Prior to the game commencing the captain will allocate to each team member one of the five chosen clubs. Once allocated the player must play with that club throughout the entire round, with the exception of when playing the ball on the defined green, when the putter provided must be used in place of the allocated club.

The designated club must always be used regardless of the lie or location of the ball other than when the ball is on the defined green, when the putter must be substituted.

The captain will determine in which order the team members will play. Once determined, this order must be followed for the total round and does not alter from hole to hole.

Any air shots, while being added to the team score, do not count as a hit by the player concerned, who must re-take the shot until the ball has actually been struck.

In the case of a ball being lost, the player whose next turn it is, shall play the shot from the area where the ball cannot be found, at a cost of 1 shot (but not distance) If the ball is hit out of bounds, the rule of stroke and distance applies and the player who is next in order shall deliver the stroke from where the previous player hit the ball.

A provisional ball may be played by the player next in order. If that subsequently becomes the‘ball in play’ the next player in order shall play the shot. If the first ball is found to be in bounds, the player taking the provisional shot must play the next shot and the provisional shot is discounted

A player playing out of sequence shall incur a penalty of one penalty stroke and the player whose turn it should have been will then play from the original spot.

A player using an incorrect club will incur a one shot penalty and retake the shot using the correct club

No player is allowed to forfeit a shot.

Other than as expressed above, the usual rules of golf in force at the time, will apply. If it is a female’s turn to tee off, they will be able to do so from the woman’s tee.

The team captain is responsible for recording the team score on each hole, and marking the other team’s card.

The winning team is the one completing the round in the least number of strokes.

Handicaps do not apply.

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