Even the quickest glance through the Irish Examiner’s revealing survey of Irish golf clubs will confirm these are times as tough for them as any sector of this country’s still fragile economy.

MAYO’S Jimmy Heggarty surprised himself in carding a level par 71 on the opening day of the British Seniors and in his first-ever competitive appearance on the famed Carnoustie course.

DES SMYTH hopes that he and his Irish colleagues can draw on the winning ways of their younger compatriots at this week’s British Seniors Open at Carnoustie.

IT has been another good year on the European Seniors Tour for Ireland’s Denis O’Sullivan.

PÁDRAIG Harrington’s travails continued at the Memorial tournament over the weekend after missing the cut for the fourth time in America this year.

BALLYBUNION is rarely visited by a north-easterly wind gusting to over 20 miles per hour but when it happens, the famous golf links becomes a seriously testing challenge.

ALTHOUGH he probably knows the great Kerry links better than every other player in the field, Denis O’Sullivan makes his first competitive appearance at Ballybunion since 1991 when he takes part in the AIB Irish Seniors Open which begins this morning.

CONSIDERING his ongoing tendency to run up large numbers at one or more holes in almost every event he contests, Pádraig Harrington can hardly be looking forward to the Tournament Players Championship at the water-strewn Sawgrass course in Jacksonville, Florida.

England’s Ross McGowan was the man to catch again when the Estoril Portuguese Open began today as Irish golfers maintained a close chase.

Michael McGeady was tied for fifth as the first round of the Madeira Island Open BPI-Portugal was underway on Porto Santo today, two under after 14 behind Sweden’s Joakim Haeggman in the top spot.

Germany’s Bernhard Langer has withdrawn from the Deutsche Bank Players’ Championship after undergoing a kidney operation today.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE has never been one to down play his own prospects or boosting those of his rivals.

Angel Cabrera appears intent on enjoying his US Open victory to the full.

Unrivalled in terms of the magnificent beauty and setting of the site, Old Head Golf Links continues to take the golfing world by storm.

Wales were today making an excellent start to the defence of their World Cup title in the opening round in Barbados.

Wales made a flying start to the defence of their World Cup title in the opening round in Barbados.

Bernhard Langer marked his first appearance in the World Cup for a decade by firing Germany into the early lead in the first round in Barbados.

THE 10th anniversary edition of the AIB Irish Seniors Open, in association with Greenstar and Fáilte Ireland, will be marked in grand style with a record prize fund, a glorious new venue and a five-star field littered with former Ryder Cup players.

SCOTLAND'S Sam Torrance returns to the European Seniors Tour today looking to turn up the heat on Order of Merit leader Carl Mason of England in one of Continental Europe's golfing hotspots, the Algarve.

LUKE DONALD carded an “easy-going” 65 to share the lead at the halfway stage of the BMW International Open in Munich.

CARL MASON claimed his 10th European Seniors Tour title when he carded a closing three-under-par 69 to win the De Vere Northumberland Seniors Classic over the Priestman course at Slaley Hall.

GOOD enough to stage any event — even the Ryder Cup. That was Sam Torrance’s considered view about the Seve Ballesteros designed Heritage course yesterday, after he opened the AIB Irish Seniors Open with a four under par 68 in blustery and often showery conditions.

EAMONN DARCY missed out on his first European Seniors Tour title in the most dramatic fashion yesterday.

EAMONN DARCY made an excellent start to his 2005 European Seniors Tour season on the sun-kissed island of Tobago yesterday with a sizzling first round of six under par 66 to get within one shot of the first round lead at the Tobago Plantations Seniors Classic.

Former world number one Greg Norman will be wired for sound at this week’s Heineken Classic in Melbourne.

Ryder Cup hero Colin Montgomerie looked certain to crash out of The Heritage tournament today after slumping to a second-round 77.

Argentinean Luis Carbonetti swept to his second victory of the season on the European Seniors Tour when he claimed the Bovis Lend Lease European Senior Masters at Woburn Golf & Country Club yesterday.

Scotland’s Sam Torrance triumphed for the first time in the senior game when he won the Travis Perkins Senior Masters at Wentworth Club after equalling the lowest round shot on the European Seniors Tour.

A “knackered” Nick Faldo today matched his worst-ever score in 88 major championships, slumping to an 11-over par 81 at the start of the United States Open.

Nick Faldo did not have the same excuse as David Duval today as they both failed to break 80 in the first round of the United States Open at Shinnecock Hills.

IT'S little wonder golfers can't wait to reach their 50th birthday these days. Carl Mason won just twice on the regular European Tour, but when he turned 50 at the end of June last year he quickly fattened up his pension fund.

England’s Bob Cameron won the Open de France Seniors at the Omaha Beach Club in Normandy today.

England’s Roger Chapman, who waited 472 events for his first European tour victory and has played 100 more without further success, moved into contention for the Qatar Masters today.

SAM TORRANCE becomes the latest new kid on the block when he makes his European Seniors Tour debut at the Charles Church Scottish Seniors Open that starts at The Roxburghe Golf Club today.

Bernhard Langer demonstrated his determination not to let the Ryder Cup captaincy finish his career in the Scandinavian Masters today.

BERNHARD LANGER yesterday insisted becoming Europe’s Ryder Cup captain will not spell the end of his playing career.

Bernhard Langer today insisted becoming Europe’s Ryder Cup captain did not spell the end of his playing career.

NEW ZEALANDER Simon Owen is setting a hot pace in the first round of the Mobile Cup at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire by carding a five-under-par 66.

DENIS O’SULLIVAN will embark upon the European Seniors tour next week with two targets uppermost — to improve on last season’s ninth place in the order of merit and to make the Warburg Cup team for the first time.

Padraig Harrington has not stopped surprising himself since the day he became a professional golfer.

DES SMYTH and Sam Torrance, who between them have walked something like 30,000 miles on the European tour, looked as fresh as daisies in Spain yesterday.