North Alliance golfers beat storms from Pentland Firth

FERRIES BROTHERS TOP OF
THE TREE IN REAY RETURNS
AFTER BURN "ALTERS"
PAR-5 SIXTH HOLE

BY ROBIN WILSON (pictured right)
After the rain-and-gale storms that ravaged the North last week, only sterling work by the greenkeeper and volunteer members got the Reay course on the shores of the Pentland Firth fit for the visit of the North Golfers’ Alliance on Sunday.
Sand blown up from Sandside Beach covered the fifth green and sixth tee. Bridges over the burn that runs through the course at the sixth and seventh holes had to be repaired. The burn may also have left an unplanned alteration to the par-5 sixth hole after gouging away part of the fairway (see picture on far right).
The Reay Golf Club committee are now considering, after consultation with interested parties, the most economic and environmentally-friendly option to re-establish the hole to its former glory.
To leave the arrival of the water inlet as a feature will make players think a little more about attempting the reach the green with their second shot. The hole was named “Braids Choice” after the five times Open Champion, James Braid visited the course and many are of the opinion that the master golfer and course designer would approve of the change.
Overcoming all the hurdles put in front of them, including the remainder of the gale, Tain siblings Billy and Munro Ferries filled two of the top three places, with elder brother Billy emerging the scratch winner after an excellent one-over-par score of 70.
EARLY CLUBHOUSE LEADER
The wind was still at its strongest when, from neighbouring Thurso, Doug Thorburn, already with two runner-up places this season, teed off, but with a sharp short game he mastered the conditions to reach the turn in a creditable 36 strokes.
His birdie at the closing hole from off the green gave him the early clubhouse lead of 71.
Munro Ferries matched this return despite burdening his card with a double bogey 7 at the fourth hole. Into the wind three strikes with woods took the Tain scratch player past the green, 584yd from the tee – but he fluffed his return chip!
TWO-BIRDIE RECOVERY
Recovering with two birdies, Munro was one ahead of Thorburn’s 36 and his brother, Billy playing behind who also took 36 after a bogey-Bogey start.
On the homeward run Munro extended his lead, beginning his back nine with a birdie 3,only to slip back to third place after dropping shots at the 12th and 18th for 36 home and a 71.
Thorburn, with the help of his finishing birdie, was home in 35 for second place, allowing Billy Ferries’s excellent effort of a one-over-par 70 take the honours. After a run of seven pars from the third hole for his first nine of 36, Billy continued his par-matching run at all the inward holes, broken only by a birdie 4 at the 14th that lowered his inward card to one-under-par 34 for his winning 70.
Heading the excellent entry of 50 in the Class 1 handicap section (0 to 10) was Graham Grant (Helmsdale) and local member John O’Brien. Both grossed 74, and both had halves of 37.Grant, with the extra stoke on his handicap, netted a 68 to O’ Brien’s 69 to secure first place.
Eight-handicapper Jim Meiklejohn (Thurso) and Reay’s Freddie Groves tied for the next place. Meiklejohn won the inward half card play-off for third place. Taking up the unfamiliar position of fifth in the net returns was Munro Ferries whose scratch inward 36 denied Bruce Mackay (Reay) a nibble of the prizes.
With 26 entrants in Class 2, Mike Forbes (Thurso) led the way with a gross 86, net 70. He was a shot ahead of another Helmsdale visitor, Richard MacKenzie who, in turn, finished two ahead of Peter Etheridge (Brora). Etheridge had a card-destroying end to his outward half of 7-6-6 but rallied to come home in 38.
The venue switches back to Ross shire this weekend with Invergordon staging the fixture.
RESULTS
SCRATCH
70 B Ferries (Tain).
71 D Thorburn (Thurso), M Ferries (Tain).
74 J O’Brien (Reay), G Grant (Helmsdale), S McIntosh (Muir of Ord).
HANDICAP
Class 1 – G Grant (Helmsdale ) (6) 68; J O’Brien (Reay) (5) 69; J Meiklejohn (Thurso) (8), F E Groves (Reay) (8) 70; M Ferries (Tain) (scr) 71.
Class 2 – M Forbes (Thurso) (16) 70; R Sutherland (Helmsdale) (11) 71; P Etheridge (Brora) (11) 73; T Mackay (Thurso) (15) 74.