Cregmore Park Golf Club hasn’t had its captains’ drive-in this year, but it won’t be difficult to organise with the father and daughter team of Dinny and Amy Monaghan performing the roles.

Dinny has been a member of the Co Galway club for around eight years, but he didn’t expect Amy to become such an avid golfer when she decided to tag along with him on his first trips to the club.

“She would hit balls on the driving range, and she came out to play one day, and I said why don’t you try to play with the women’s club,” Dinny explains. “So she went out and she did quite well and over the first few years, she won virtually every prize they have.

“Her love of the game grew just from there because she really enjoyed herself. Now that my handicap has gone out to 21, she’s the one giving me shots.

“It just happened that we became captains this year. Amy was the Competition Secretary last year, so it was a natural progression.”

Amy (23) now plays off 12, and she’s delighted she started tagging along to the club with her dad.

“I went out on the course for the first time during an open week during one of the Galway Races weeks about eight years ago,” explains Amy, whose Captain’s Prize will be played from tomorrow to Sunday.

Laughing, she adds: “It’s a pain now that I have to give Dad shots, but I loved it from the start.”

She ads: “The golf course has come on the leaps and bounds in recent years, hopefully, we can add a few more ladies over the next year or so.”