TAIN TRIO WIN NORTH ALLIANCE CHRISTMAS
TEAM EVENT AS FROST GRIPS BRORA
By ROBIN WILSON
A trio of Tain members overcame a frost-hit Brora course to win the North Alliance Christmas team event. Brothers Billy and Munro Ferries with Ali Melville were the only group in the field of 21 teams to get below 50, their card of 49 winning by one from two Caithness teams.
After an early course inspection the competition began with play to the regular greens but after only four holes when the temperature dropped and a crust went onto the greens, club secretary Tony Gill and Alliance secretary, Robin Wilson, who were in the first two groups out, met at the side of the fourth green and decided to continue with the competition but switch the flags onto the temporary winter greens.
The club secretary offered to go ahead to change the flags, then returned back down the fairways to play his second shots (a very sporting gesture!).
A bit unusual but it is Christmas and a time of good cheer. The move was generally accepted in good part and had play continued to the proper greens irreparable damage would have been done.
Some of the visiting players did not have much of a clue where they were playing to. They have suggested to the Brora committee that next time in these circumstances Sat -Navs be supplied! One group even fired second shots towards the proper plateau 16th green, hoping to find a flag somewhere - before looking back after the needless climb to see it in a hollow below the hill!
The two Tain brothers are low handicappers and before they moved on to the winter greens they had bagged a couple of birdies at the first and second holes to set them on their way. When the realisation of the winter greens hit them it was their third member Melville, with a bigger handicap allowance, that did the damage against the stroke index which became very generous against the much shortened course.
After the first seven outward holes on the turn around the Tain lads recorded four net birdies on the run from the 12th to the 15th. Another on the 17th took them home in 24 to add to their outward 25, giving them a one-shot win over Reay's Colin Stewart, John Disbury and Stewart Greg.
This trio had a net eagle 2 at the 14th hole. That enabled them take second place over another Caithness trio from Thurso, Jim Meiklejohn, Alf Williamson and Alister Bell who lost out on their inward half count of 27.
It was a last six-hole count of 20 for an overall score of 51 from Durness's Francis Keith, Lachie Ross and Norman Ross that dropped Thurso's Dougie Thorburn, Alan Swanson and Jim Sangster into fifth place after the two teams tied on 51 with similar halves of 26 and 25.
TEAM EVENT AS FROST GRIPS BRORA
By ROBIN WILSON
A trio of Tain members overcame a frost-hit Brora course to win the North Alliance Christmas team event. Brothers Billy and Munro Ferries with Ali Melville were the only group in the field of 21 teams to get below 50, their card of 49 winning by one from two Caithness teams.
After an early course inspection the competition began with play to the regular greens but after only four holes when the temperature dropped and a crust went onto the greens, club secretary Tony Gill and Alliance secretary, Robin Wilson, who were in the first two groups out, met at the side of the fourth green and decided to continue with the competition but switch the flags onto the temporary winter greens.
The club secretary offered to go ahead to change the flags, then returned back down the fairways to play his second shots (a very sporting gesture!).
A bit unusual but it is Christmas and a time of good cheer. The move was generally accepted in good part and had play continued to the proper greens irreparable damage would have been done.
Some of the visiting players did not have much of a clue where they were playing to. They have suggested to the Brora committee that next time in these circumstances Sat -Navs be supplied! One group even fired second shots towards the proper plateau 16th green, hoping to find a flag somewhere - before looking back after the needless climb to see it in a hollow below the hill!
The two Tain brothers are low handicappers and before they moved on to the winter greens they had bagged a couple of birdies at the first and second holes to set them on their way. When the realisation of the winter greens hit them it was their third member Melville, with a bigger handicap allowance, that did the damage against the stroke index which became very generous against the much shortened course.
After the first seven outward holes on the turn around the Tain lads recorded four net birdies on the run from the 12th to the 15th. Another on the 17th took them home in 24 to add to their outward 25, giving them a one-shot win over Reay's Colin Stewart, John Disbury and Stewart Greg.
This trio had a net eagle 2 at the 14th hole. That enabled them take second place over another Caithness trio from Thurso, Jim Meiklejohn, Alf Williamson and Alister Bell who lost out on their inward half count of 27.
It was a last six-hole count of 20 for an overall score of 51 from Durness's Francis Keith, Lachie Ross and Norman Ross that dropped Thurso's Dougie Thorburn, Alan Swanson and Jim Sangster into fifth place after the two teams tied on 51 with similar halves of 26 and 25.
RESULTS (over 15 holes)
49 B Ferries, M Ferries, A Melville (Tain) (25-24).
50 C Stewart, J Disbury, S Greg (Reay) (25-25).
50 J Meiklejohn, A Williamson, A Bell (Thurso) (23-27).
51 N Ross, L Ross, F Keith (Durness) (25-26, better last six).
51 D Thorburn, A Swanson, J Sangster (Thurso) (25-26).
Pictured above are the Caithness golfers who filled the second and third places at the Brora Christmas Alliance Fixture. Back row from Reay - Colin Stewart, John Disbury and Stewart Greg. Front - from Thurso, Jim Meiklejohn, Alf Williamson, and Alister Bell (picture by Robin Wilson)
Labels: Alliance
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Monday, December 17, 2007
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