It is unofficial. Leaked on a website. But it is said that there are still six Irish golf courses ranked in the 2007 listing of the World's Top-100 Courses and that four of them have improved their positions significantly.

Pine Valley, Cypress Point, St.

Andrews Old and Augusta National remain the top-4 courses in the world according to the worldwide voting panel of GOLF magazine of America while Pebble Beach takes fifth from Shinnecock Hills and Royal County Down moves up two places from the 2005 listing to plant the leading irish flag at seventh on the map.

Portrush retains twelfth spot while Ballybunion has moved up two spots to fourteenth.

Portmarnock's slide down the rankings continues as it has fallen from forty-third to fortyninth while Lahinch's resurgence continues with it moving from sixty-seventh to fifty-fourth. The European Club rounds-out the Irish presence in the World's Top-100 as it moves up from ninety-first to seventy-eighth.

The world's top-100 courses 2007-1 Pine Valley, 2 Cypress, 3 St. Andrews Old, 4 Augusta National, 5 Pebble Beach, 6 Shinnecock, 7 Royal County Down, 8Muirfield, 9 Oakmont, 10 Merion, 11 Sand Hills, 12 Portrush Dunluce, 13 Pacific Dunes, 14 Ballybunion Old, 15 Royal Melbourne west, 16 National Golf Links of America, 17 Pinehurst, 18 Royal Dornoch, 19 Turnberry Ailsa, 20 Seminole Other Irish ranked in World s Top-100 courses: 49 Portmarnock 54 Lahinch 78 The European Club

OLD-TIMERS BEWARE AS THESE KIDS CAN PLAY
These are dangerous times for oldtimers who might be tempted to bet a euro or two with kids they meet at the local track because some of those children can play a very good game. Just look at what happened at Westport last week in the Connacht Boys' Close Strokeplay to see what one means.

In the Under-13 division Niall Fahey from Castlebar stood on the twelfth tee at 10-over-par. Brilliant for one so young. But he was only getting going as he showed by covering the remaining seven in just one-over-par to beat Sean Flanagan, that great name again, of County Sligo and his own "clubboy" Michael Flynn by one stroke.

The old guys were equally impressive as Darragh O'Sullivan of Strandhill won the Under-15s with a 77 and Donnacha Finn of Galway was one stroke better when winning the Under-17s on scoring for the last-six from Declan loftus of Swinford.

KILLEEN GEAR UP FOR G.U.I. DEBUT FINAL

The Killeen Golf Club, formerly known as Four Lakes, down near Naas is alight with excitement as it has reached the final of a G.U.I. competition for its first time ever and will tee-up in the first leg of the Metropolitan Cup final against Dun Laoghaire next Sunday with the great showdown at the latter's ultraswanky new base at Bray on September 2.

Perhaps the inspiration for this showing came from the club's first ever interclub win in the Straffan Cup last year. To win that one they overcame Curragh, Headford, Slade Valley and Black Bush.

SPECIAL OFFERS ENTICE NEW MEMBERS

Quite a few clubs in the Dublin area, especially the old member-co-op clubs, are looking for members nowadays. This is in stark contrast to the 1960s and 1970s, before the arrival of the building boom of the 1980s and 1990s, when waiting lists were the vogue and neither bribery or murder would gain entry for the unwanted.

The Slade Valley website gives a prime example of what is on offer today. Slade is an excellent club with a terri"c course and a proud history and in a prime location only five minutes from Saggart and Rathcoole. A full membership costs 7,500 but it invites players to "join as a 5-day member and defer your membership fee. Golf in your first year for only 690."

There are special deals on offer for multiple memberships and fees include ten group golf lessons with professional John Dignam.

JUBILATION AS PLANNING PERMISSION IS GRANTED There was jubilation at Hollywood Lakes, in northDublin, this week as news filtered through that Fingal County Council had granted full planning permission for a new clubhouse.