Sir Bob Charles and Jim Hardie (right), the Aberdeen businessman/golfer who has done all the tour arrangements for the former Open champion with whom he plays golf with on his annual trips to New Zealand (both images by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

Sir Bob Charles makes whistle-stop

tour of Scottish links he has heard

so much about - but never played

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Sir Bob Charles, still the only left-hander to have won the Open championship, is coming to Scotland on a voyage of discovery - at the age of 73.

The 1963 Open winner at Royal Lytham – after a 36-hole play-off against American Phil Rodgers – contacted Aberdeen businessman and golfing friend Jim Hardie with a “wish list of Scottish links.”

Said Jim, who was one of Aberdeen’s leading scratch golfers in his own heyday: “I go to New Zealand every winter so that I can enjoy their summers! My holiday home is quite near to Sir Bob and Lady Verity’s farm and we play at least one round together every year at the Clearwater Golf & Resort Club near Christchurch.

“He sent me an E-mail recently with what he described as his ‘wish list’ of Scottish links – courses he has heard a lot about and wished he had played but had never got round to. He asked me to see if I could make contact with the clubs concerned and fix up tee times and playing partners.

“I've managed to do that, thanks to a lot of co-operation from the clubs and courses concerned, and I hope to make up the four at some of the venues. Bob is a very fit man at the age of 73. He would have to be because he asked me to line up seven rounds in almost consecutive days!”

The courses Sir Bob is going to play are:

June 29 – North Berwick.

July 1 – Montrose.

July 2 – Cruden Bay.

July 4 – Lossiemouth.

July 5 – Nairn.

July 6 – Conducted tour only of the yet-to-open Castle Stuart course, near Inverness.

July 7 – Brora.

July 8 – Tain.

At most of the courses, Bob will be partnered by people such as the host club professional, club

captain or club champion.

The tee has been reserved at noon for all the courses with the exception of the Moray Golf Club at Lossiemouth where the tee-off time will be 3pm.

Bob Charles first played in the North-east before he became famous – the Northern Open at Murcar in the early 1960s and he was back much more recently to play in the Senior British Open at Royal Aberdeen two or three years ago.

Born on March 14, 1936, he first came to the fore in New Zealand by winning the New Zealand Open as an 18-year-old amateur in November 1954. He resisted the temptation to turn pro immediately and remained a bank clerk for another six years before leaving the amateur ranks in 1960.

He has won more than 80 tournaments world wide, including 23 times on the US Champions (Seniors) Tour in only three seasons – 1988, 1989 and 1993, the world match-play title at Wentworth in 1969 and the British Seniors Open in 1993.

He was knighted for his services to golf in 1999 and has been inducted into the World Golf Hall o

of Fame.

Jim Hardie, who will help to make up the four at all the venues except Brora and Tain, says: "Bob is a great guy to play with. He puts you at ease right away and he has a dry sense of humour. Still hits an incredibly good ball and still putts (very well) with a Golden Goose Bullseye putter."

Sir Bob has beaten his age in tournament play over the last couple of years. He played in last week's Ryder Cup Wales Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl.

Pros, and others, lined up to play with Sir Bob:

North Berwick - Martyn Huish.

Montrose - Jason Boyd.

Cruden Bay - Robbie Stewart and John Crammond.

Lossiemouth - John Murray (new pro there).

Nairn - Club captain and two-handicapper George Asher.

Castle Stuart - Invited by club sec/manager Fraser Comarty to have a conducted tour (and maybe hit a few balls). Course opens on July 13.

Brora - Contact made with Brora's most famous golfing son - Jim Miller who, of course, beat Johnny Miller when the Brigham Young University team toured Scotland many moons ago. Miller is playing in four with Sir Bob who has heard so much abouot Brora from another former Open champion (five times) Peter Thomson who thinks Brora is one of the finest natural links courses he has ever played.

Tain - local pro Stuart Morrison who plays on the Tartan Tour and possibly star girl golfer up there, Sammy Vass.

+Lady Verity Charles will be taken on a visit to Fyvie Castle while her husband is playing Cruden Bay. It is hoped that other such visits to local highlights will be arranged for Lady Verity. Most of the clubs are laying on special luncheons to mark the visit of the 1963 Open champion.