SCOTT WALKER WINS
BERWICKSHIRE
TROPHY WITH A NET 62
OVER GULLANE No 3

By DUNCAN IRELAND
Secretary of Edinburgh & East of Scotland Alliance
A fine, but cold day for the 99 players who made it to Gullane. A bit of a tricky wind made the back half pretty awkward, so I'm told, but I think somebody forget to tell today's winner, Scott Walker (Ratho Park) as he didn't appear to have many problems.
His best equal (with professional Craig Lee, pictured right) scratch score of three under par 65 was impressive enough but once his handicap of three was taken off, his net 62 was good enough to beat his nearest handicap rival and long-time clubhouse leader, Willie Marr (West Lothian), by two shots and for him to take the Berwickshire Trophy.
Well done, Scott on winning your first event. With a score like that, it can't be long before you win another event and get your handicap down.
On the scratch side of things, it was very tight for the prizes with no fewer than four players tying for second scratch with 68s. Colin Fraser (Peebles) managed to ensure that the pros didn't collect all today's scratch prizes. He gets a £50 voucher for his efforts along with Ross Harrower, Andrew Marshall and the soon-to-be-married David Patrick.
FANTASTIC COURSE
A big thank you to Gullane for again allowing us the use of their fantastic course. I hope they will continue to support us for a long time to come.
I believe we are beginning to have some problems regarding tee-offs and that the time you have to wait between checking in and actually playing is getting to be a bit too long.
The committee are aware of these problems and will be meeting soon with a view to trying to find a solution for next season. At present there are a large group of members turning up from 7am onwards in order to get the early tee-off times.
This means that it is usually between 9am and 9.30am before that first group has cleared the first tee. If you do not turn up just after 7am then you will not get a tee off time until nearly 10am so there is really no point in turning up at 8am-8.30am as you will need to wait about one or 1 1/2hr.
Why not try turning up at 9.30am or even leaving it a bit later. The last group today arrived in the car park at 11.45am, played at 12.10 and were finished in plenty of light at 3.50pm. No wait, no hassle - worth a try? - but please remember that our last time at every course is no later than 12.30pm so if you are thinking of turning up a bit later than normal then please don't leave it too late that you don't get to tee-off.
SUGGESTIONS WELCOMED
Suggestions to help our problem with tee-off times and also with any ideas on combatting the slow-play problems we seem to always have will be most welcome.
Please speak to me, Bill or any of the committee or why not come along to the AGM at the Merchants and air your views.

TODAY'S PRIZE-WINNERS
Players are amateurs unless stated otherwise; p denotes professional, t trainee professional.
Overall winner (Berwickshire Trophy) - Scott Walker (Ratho Park) (3) 62.
SCRATCH
1st (£100) Craig Lee (All Swing Golf Centre, Stirling) p 65.
2nd (£50 each) Colin Fraser (Peebles), Ross Harrower (Cardrona) p, Andrew Marshall (Houston Golf Range) p, David Patrick (Mortonhall) p 68.
Other scores:
69 D Fish (Glenbervie), A McLean (Duddingston) p.
70 E Hogarth (Peebles) t, A Dunsmore (Bathgate) p, D Hume (Greenburn), C Imlah (Peebles) p, A Oldcorn (King's Acre) p, D Wallace (Glenbervie).
71 M Chaplin (Deer Park), N Colquhoun (Merchants) p, G Wither (Lothianburn), G Davidson (Peebles).
72 S Doyle (Liberton), G Johnston (Baberton) t, A MacKenzie (Liberton) t, W Morton (Dalmahoy), A Murdoch (King's Acre) p.
73 H Cartmill (Bathgate), R Grant (Baberton), S Grieve (King's Acre) t , N Huguet (Royal Musselburgh) t, J Kerr (Deer Park), J Noon (Leven), A Wight (Glencorse).
74 C Morris (Kingsknowe) p, S Lamb (unatt) p, G Walker (Kingsfield), I Fyfe (Musselburgh), G D Johnston(Glenbervie), O Leslie (Prestonfield) p, W Marr (West Lothian), I Marshall ( Baberton), A Rothney (Deer Park), C Smith (Royal Musselburgh) p, A Strang (Rothco Mortgages) p, J Wardrop (Niddry Castle), J White (Harrison), T Wilson (Glenbervie).
75 K Mungall (Lothianburn) p, A Culverwell (Dunbar), T Duchart (Falkirk), N Forsyth (Peebles), R Johnston (Glenbervie.

HANDICAP
1st (£100 voucher) Scott Walker (Ratho Park) (3) 62.
2nd (£80 voucher) Willie Marr (West Lothian) (10) 64.
3rd (£50 voucher each) Douglas Hume (Greenburn) (5), Richard McNeil (Baberton) (11) 65.
5th (£20 voucher) Walter Forsyth (Peebles) (10) 66.
67 D Fish (Glenvbervie) (2), C Fraser (Peebles) (1).
68 H Cartmill (Bathgate) (5), S Doyle (Liberton) (4), R Grant (Baberton) (5), J Laurieston (Easter Moffat) (10), W Morton (Dalmahoy) (4), J Wardrop (Niddry Castle) (6).
69 G Davidson (Peebles) (2), J Kerr (Deer Park) (4), I Marshall (Baberton) (5), P Ritchie (Bathgate) (8), P Sewell (West Linton) (8).
70 E Bird (Pumpherston) (6), S Brown (Glencorse) (6), T Duchart (Falkirk) (5), L Gibson (Glenbervie) (7), J Hay (Dunfermline) (14), G D Johnston (Glenbervie) (4), J Noon (Leven) (3), D Wallace (Glenbervie) scr), J White (Harrison) (4), G Wither (Lothianburn) (1).
71 A Bell (Mortonhall) (5), I Fyfe (Musselburgh) (3), K Liddle (Liberton) (6), D Scott (Falkirk) (5), W Smith (Harburn) (9), A Wight (Glencorse) (2).
72 R Allan (Cardrona) (5), M D Graham (Duddingston) (5), C McLachlan (Glenbervie) (4), D Meldrum (Prestonfield) (12), S Morrison (Braids Utd) (4), J Rae (Newbattle) (7), G Roberts (Liberton) (9), B Smith (Edinburgh Thistle) (5), T Wilson (Glenbervie) (2).
TRAINEE PROFESSIONAL
(£20) Ewan Hogarth (Peebles) t 70.
SENIOR
(£20 voucher) John Wardrop (Niddry Castle) (6) 68.