Are you a ‘Leftie’ or a ‘Rightie’ at Strathpeffer Spa Golf Club

Strathpeffer Spa Golf Club has a history dating back to its formation in Victorian times,1888 to be precise.
In these days the spa village of Strathpeffer was an important destination for wealthy travellers from the south of England who regularly made the journey by train to take the “restorative” waters.
Play was originally over nine holes but in 1896 the club resolved that it be extended to 18 holes. Tom Morris of St. Andrews, "the grand old man of golf," was brought in specially to lay it out. Before long further improvements were in hand with the redesigning of the inward half in 1907/08. The location of the greens is virtually unaltered since then.
Set high above the village, the course has several claims to fame. It is widely regarded as one of the most scenic courses in the country and at only 5,000 yards with a par of 67 is undoubtedly a deceptively tricky course to master.
Set in the picturesque valley known locally as Ulladale the views from the course are absolutely stunning with panoramas over the Cromarty Firth to the east and to the mountains in the west. The first hole, which measures a modest 330 yards, boasts the biggest drop from tee to green on any course in Scotland.
However, there is a strange phenomena hidden in this small but friendly bastion of Highland golf. The club, which has only 210 male members and 370 members in total, including Ladies and a very active Junior section, has a remarkably high proportion of left handed players. Approximately 10% of the members are left handed golfers. The Lefties, as they are known, are a different breed of golfer from the more orthodox right handed version.
In 2006 both the men's and women's champions were lefties. In fact they were brother and sister and their father is the course record holder - and a Lefty!
Arguably the club's best and most consistent golfer over the last three decades and six times club champion, Dod Kryzanowski, is a Lefty. The club captain (a right handed player) has a Lefty son!
The immediate past captain is a man who writes with his left hand and plays golf right handed “just to be different”! (And he is!!!).
The cause of all this left handedness is reputed to be linked to the game of shinty which has a strong local following and requires the ability to hit the ball both left and right handed. However, some more sceptical observers think it may be linked to the spa waters which can still be sampled at the recently restored Pump House in the village centre!
Back in 2003 a local (and famously Lefty) family presented the Bartlet Trophy which is now played for annually over two days as a Ryder Cup style event between the Lefties and the Rights.
Three generations of the Bartlet family feature in the Lefties team and tremendous rivalry has developed between the two sides. Last year the teams numbered 22 a side with 20 men and two Ladies on each team.
The Rights were convincing winners, erasing the memory of the previous year's crushing defeat. Day one saw honours fairly even after the fourballs but the Rights famously secured victory with a convincing series of singles wins on day two. The teams have now adopted a uniform with the Rights wearing red shirts and the Lefties sticking out like sore thumbs in their canary yellow tops
As you would expect the rivalry between the two camps is intense, not just on the weekend of the match. In fact it prevails thought the year and is the topic of many a heated discussion. However, in true Highland tradition old scores are settled over a dram in the clubhouse and after the match the celebrations (and commiserations) go on until the wee hours of the following day!
Other clubs, especially in the Highland, have quite a few Lefties but Strathpeffer is surely unique in having this annual event between the two camps. So, if you are in Easter Ross this October and hear raised voices in the valley above Strathpeffer don’t be afraid to investigate!