+Scroll down to read NE Alliance member Gary Homer's view of the Cruden Bay "frost course. "

Colin Nelson's 63 at Cruden

Bay wins him NE Alliance

Hazlehead golf shop professional Colin Nelson (Mackenzie Club), at one time a prolific winner on the North-east Alliance circuit, turned the clock back with a one-under-par 63 over the composite winter course at Cruden Bay today.
Nelson, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, headed a field of 66, thanks to an eagle 2 at the seventh and birdies at the second, 11th and 17th. He also bogeyed the third, ninth, 10th and 15th in halves of 31 and 32.
He had a shot to spare from joint runners-up, Brian Nicolson and Steven Scott, both Auchmill members.
Nicolson had that rare golfing feat - a score of 29 for nine holes - with birdies at the first, fourth and sixth but he came back down to earth with a double bogey 5 at the 10th and further shots dropped at the 14th and 15th before birdieing the 17th in an inward half of 35.
Scott did not have a birdie in an outward 34 but he birdied the 11th, 13th and 16th before getting an eagle 2 at the 17th. A double bogey 5 at the short 14th and a further shot dropped at the 12th gave him an inward half of 30.
The North-east Alliance now has its mid-winter break. The next competition is at Craibstone Golf Centre on Wednesday, January 7.

Leading scratch (par 64)
63 C Nelson (Mackenzie Club).
64 B Nicolson (Auchmill), S Scott (Auchmill).
65 W S Urquhart (Murcar Links).
66 D McKay (Caledonian).
67 L Taylor (Auchmill), M Jenkins (Duff House Royal).
68 S Davidson (Banchory), J Roberts (Cruden Bay), D Clark (Duff House Royal).
69 W Main (Murcar Links), C Stephen (Meldrum House), R Cameron (McDonald Ellon), S Finnie (Caledonian), R McDonald (Inchmarlo).
70 P Anderson (Deeside), I Bratton (Newburgh) J Scott (Peterculter), R Pirie (Caledonian), J Mooney (Turriff).
Leading handicap
Class 1 - D McKay (Caledonian)( (7) 59; S Scott (Auchmill) (4) 60; B Nicholson (Auchmill) (2), J Roberts (Cruden Bay) (6) 62; L Taylor (Auchmill) (4), L Rogers (Royal Aberdeen) (8) 63.
Class 2 - J Scott (Peterculter) (12) 58; P Anderson (Deeside) (9) 61; G Moir (Auchmill) (13), N Parker (Murcar Links) (9) 62; D Randall (Banchory) (15), G Kelly (Peterculter) (14).

CRUDEN BAY FROST COURSE SCORECARD: Par 64
OUT: 4-4-3-4-4-3-4-3-3--32
IN: 3-4-4-4-3-3-3-4-4--32

COLIN NELSON - 63
OUT: 4-3-4-4-4-3-2-3-4--31
IN: 4-3-4-4-3-4-3-3-4--32

BRIAN NICOLSON - 64
OUT: 3-4-3-3-4-2-4-3-3--29
IN: 5-4-4- 4-4-4-3-3-4--35

STEVEN SCOTT - 64
OUT: 5-4-3-4-4-3-4-4-3--34
IN: 3-3-5-3-5-3-2-2-4--30

YOUR VIEW ... FROM GARY HOMER

What comes to mind is 5 iron-putter at Hazlehead pitch and putt ... which had better greens!
This was the Cruden Bay "frost course."
Where was the frost?
Every year it's like this at Cruden Bay.
Maybe it's time to drop it from the NE Alliance circuit and play where we are accommodated.
I'd like to wish everyone a MERRY XMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR.
All the best for 2009

AGREEMENT FROM ALAN NELSON
I totally agree with Gary Homer's comments. What makes the impression that Cruden Bay don't want the NE Alliance all the more obvious, is that whilst the Alliance played on a frost course, the Cruden Bay members were playing the nine-hole St Olaf course on normal tees and normal greens.