Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all.
Superhuman effort isn’t worth a damn unless it achieves results.
Sir Ernest Shackleton
Just ahead of our recent exams and final assignments, we set out for a day’s leisure in the peaceful and historic surrounds of Luttrellstown Castle. While the golf was at best mediocre, we were fortunate to get some fine weather for the day and had the opportunity to catch up with classmates at the “19th hole” to reflect on our endeavours over the course of the MBA programme.
Many esteemed graduates note that doing an MBA is like “going on a journey” and the mediocre standard of golf on the day ensured that we got to see more of the tracks and trails that Luttrellstown has to offer than most regular golfers. In conjunction with the challenges posed by the variety of elements of our MBA programme, the championship course we played also provided many obstacles with a lot of water features to be overcome among other challenging features.
The MBA Golf Society will hold its main event of the year in the splendorous surrounds of the K Club on Saturday, July 1st. The day will be held in aid of the UCD Ad Astra Scholarships/UCD Foundation and Cardiac Risk in the Young. Details of how to enter are on Eventbrite at:
On Friday June 24th last, the UCD Smurfit MBA Golf Society held its latest event – the summer golf classic in the fabulous environs of the K Club in County Kildare, owned by the name sponsor of our school, Dr. Michael W.J. Smurfit.
We were joined on the day by current students, alumni and supporters of UCD. Also, as special guests, we had two Special Olympians and staff from the Special Olympics Ireland who took part in the day’s golf event.
The course proved challenging and up to its mark as a championship course. With scoring conditions tough, many participants found the scramble format somewhat of a relief and this hopefully added to their enjoying the day.
A good selection of prizes were arranged by the committee with first prize being a fourball back to the K Club. This was won by the Special Olympics team and well deserved to say the least. An alumni team took second prize which consisted of a set of Cleveland wedges and Titleist golf umbrellas for third place was taken by current students. A number of top raffle prizes were also donated and given to the various winners.
The staff at the K Club ensured we had an enjoyable day despite some rain early in the proceedings and even arranged for local swans to greet golfers as they made their way along the course. We would like to thank The Smurfit MBA office for providing a budget for our event and our hole sponsors for the day – Business Change Management, Business Performance Perspectives, Geith International Limited, NxtGen, The Ash Tree Bar and Philip Lee. With their help and everyone else who attended we raised €1,705 which will be donated to the Special Olympics Ireland.
As is obligatory, the 19th hole was visited after the rounds were completed followed by dinner and prize-giving in the K Club Palmer Clubhouse. An eventful bus journey then returned us to the Smurfit School where further reflection on the standard of our golf was discussed in Flash Harry’s of Blackrock.
It’s hard to find a better way to spend a summer’s day than on the golf course followed by a meal among friends and of course doing it all for a worthy cause.
The busy MBA life is nearing completion. Without doubt, it has been one of the most happening years in my life to date. Working for the MBA Social Outreach Society was one great experience that I had during the MBA term. We got the opportunity to organize a number of events for various social causes as part of the club’s activities.
We started off by volunteering for the dragon duty events organized by BizWorld Ireland in various primary schools in Dublin. It is part of a two-day BizWorld workshop, delivered in a classroom setting by a specially-trained BizWorld Ireland tutor. During the workshop, classes are split into groups and each group develops their own mini enterprise. At the end of the workshop, they get to pitch their business ideas to a visiting ‘Dragon’, usually a representative from the local business community. Many of our full time MBA colleagues have participated in these events acting as Dragons. In short, a dragon’s role is to act as in investor and negotiate with the children to own stake in their ‘companies’ in exchange of ‘Bizbucks’ (Bizworld money). Meeting these ‘innovators of the future’ has indeed been an amazing experience for all of us and we participate in these events on an ongoing basis.
During the second semester, we organized a fund raising event – a snack festival, for the Special Olympics Eastern Region, which provides year round sports training and competition to over 2,300 people with an intellectual disability. As part of the event, we sold a variety of snacks to the students at Smurfit. It was a one-day event and we were really happy to see the students from Smurfit taking active part in the event and offering their hand of support to the Special Olympics participants. We were able to raise a good amount as part of this event.
Later during the year, in association with Biz World Ireland and Local Enterprise office, we organized a Primary School Showcase event at Smurfit School. As part of the event, nearly ten teams of students from three primary schools in Dublin presented the business ideas to the professors and students at Smurfit. They also sold various hand-made goodies in exchange for ‘Biz Bucks’ during the event. We got a chance to interact with the children, learn more about their business ideas and engage in small negotiations with them in order to buy their goodies. They were smart and creative. They knew some really good negotiation tactics as well! The children, the professors and the students at Smurfit found the event really interesting. It was indeed an unforgettable day!
Working for the Social Outreach Society was a wonderful experience. It was great to see our MBA classmates taking time off from their busy schedule to take part in these activities and work together to make a positive impact on society.
The first MBA Golf Society (MBAGS) event of 2016 has finally come and gone and it’s surely one for the history books! Not really. But, it was great fun. With our original first event at Luttrellstown cancelled due to snow in March, we kicked off the year at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club on the 8th of April. The forecast was rain but that wouldn’t stop us. We were determined to get out and play and, for me, to put faces to the names as I only know most of the members according to where they fall on my MBAGS member spreadsheet. The day was filled with sun, rain, beautiful mountains in the backdrop, banter and of course that ever so coveted end of round pint of the black stuff.
The player field was small but we made the most of it. Being in the full-time MBA and not having classes on Friday’s it’s easy for me to go out and play as I please. However, for those members who do have jobs, it’s a great excuse to get away from the office, meet new people and potentially walk away with great prizes. This event offered 1st place, 2nd place, closest to the pin and longest drive prizes. Embarrassingly, the longest drive prize was converted into a 3rd place prize due to the fact that we all failed to hit the fairway on the allocated hole. But that’s beside the point! Being a part of the MBA Golf Society allows you to play some golf in the fresh air and network with people who you may have otherwise never had met. Along with the current students there were MBA alumni and faculty in the field of players who have backgrounds in the airline industry, the beer brewing industry, consulting and engineering. It’s an eclectic bunch and you never know who you will be paired with.
Being a part of the MBAGS committee has been a great stress reliever for me this year. It allows me to take my mind off of the busy schoolwork and plan for something that I love to do. We have a total of seven events scheduled this year with our big charity event taking place at the K-Club Smurfit Course on Friday, 24th of June (Ireland is not playing in the Euros this day). We are proud to have partnered with Special Olympics Ireland with all profits going to a great cause. For those of you interested in attending this event or wanting more information, please visit this link.
MBAGS is always welcoming new members (MBA and non-MBA) and even if you do not want to join as a member, feel free to play as a guest for any desired event. You can visit our website for more details. The next event in May is soon approaching and I hope to see you out there!
Red Bull Wings for Life Run is happening on 3 May 2015 in Dun Laoghaire. The MBA Social Outreach Society and MBA Golf Society have joined forces to run on behalf of World Sports Team.
The concept is, you set a goal/distance and try to reach it before the chaser car gets to you! It’s a pretty cool/fun run that takes place all over the world.
This run aims to raise awareness and funds for people who can’t run. Moreover, the spinal chord research and support aligns well with World Sports Team’s mission to build a network for people who suffer catastrophic sports injuries.
By the way, your goal doesn’t have to be huge! If you are interested in joining us you can register here and then join the team once you’ve completed registration.
Spring has sprung so that can only mean one thing – it’s the time to get your priorities right. So in honour of the good weather, now is the occasion to close the books, leave the office, and get on the golf course.
Against the backdrop of Padraig Harrington’s recent win on the PGA tour at the Honda Classic, the MBA Golf Society picked up the mantle and kicked off this years schedule with its additional members, some of whom are seasoned golfers, as well a few novices. Nursing wounded livers from the recent MBA trip to China and South Africa, a dozen hardy souls from the current class, and recently graduated execs, gathered post-eclipse at Luttrellstown Golf Course.
After getting warmed up with Golfers Grill the foursomes headed out to try and hit some birdies. MBAs are nothing if not optimistic, but James Keane managed to live up the high expectations. He rolled in his birdie putt on the undulating green of the 15th after stitching it to claim the nearest the pin prize for Group 3.
His play made up for Andrew Bacon – a GUI member no less – who on occasion got confused with the pesky rules of golf. Red and Yellow stakes were the main source of his confusion. Meanwhile Edel’s brain was too much for the 11 men’s brawn on the long drive competition on the 9th, as she skillfully threaded the ball into the short grass to claim long drive.
Elsewhere, in preparation for the Closest to the Pin comp on the 15th hole, one group saw the Par 3 13th hole as a perfect opportunity to practice. All four – Allan Brownlee, John Halpin, Niall Randles and Alan Bermingham – attacked the pin on Hole 13 par 3 and each landed within 15 feet from the pin. A temporary halt as then called to play while John Halpin took a photo to record the momentous group endeavour. Applause rang out over the golf course – much to the confusion of all non-MBA players on the course – as the group believed great fortunes lay ahead. Sadly they peaked too soon and could dream of what might have been. Optimism wasn’t enough to carry them through and only two managed to land on the green for the actual Closest to the Pin comp on the 15th hole.
Meanwhile George Gilliland – dressed in his best borrowed clothes (thanks to Enda Power) – survived his first round of golf unscathed, despite a run-in with some swans on the 11th hole. The swans, who were minding their own business, were nearly taken out with a golf ball hit by the man from Monaghan.
In the end, as with all MBA assignments Allan Brownlee was first past the post, with a score of 36. He pipped Joe McMenamin to the title by just one point. It was all in the name of fun – although when you get a competitive bunch of MBAers together, it’s difficult not to have to some healthy debate about handicaps. Questions were raised about the dubious nature of the ratings, but diplomacy ruled and a new list of handicaps is being compiled for the next event. We all await it with bated breath.
The only disappointment of the day was the lack of alcohol at the nineteenth hole afterwards. Hadn’t they being warned that that a bunch of students would be playing on the day? And that we had a prize giving ceremony to partake in? We’ll be sure to forewarn them next time to have the bar well stocked and ready to serve.
The newly expanded committee of seven members are continuing to work on this years schedule which will culminate at Clontarf GC for Captain Steve Kelly’s day out on September 4th. But golfers – experienced and new members – are all encouraged to sign up for the earlier events, with the next outing taking place on April 18th at Portmarnock Hotel Golf Links.