A pensioner who lost a case about his golf handicap faces having to pay a legal bill which could run to €500,000.

The Chief Justice has called for improvements to the way court cases are dealt with following the dismissal of an appeal over an amateur golfer’s claim that he had been falsely accused of cheating about his handicap that lasted 83 days.

A Dublin pensioner has lost a Supreme Court appeal in which he alleged he was defamed by his golf club over his handicap as a player.

A 75-year-old amateur golfer has been left with a hefty legal bill after he lost a High Court action for libel over what he said was a notice from his club which he claimed wrongly meant he had cheated about his playing ability.