North Alliance reverts to fortnightly

programme of fixtures in 2009-2010

By ROBIN WILSON
The North Golf Alliance club delegates met in the Brora Golf Clubhouse last week to draw up the fixture list for the forthcoming winter season and review the previous season.
Attendances had fallen due, it was thought to several factors: the weather, cancellations and a big fall of on entries in the second half of the season. Playing members also expressed the view that too many fixtures were crammed into the first half of the season and played too many weekends in succession.
The delegates took this on board and for the coming season reverted to a fortnightly programme of fixtures, thus cutting back the overall number to 11, one for each club with the exception of Brora Golf Club who would also host the team event in December but in coming years this fixture would rotate to other venues.
As a result of the reduction and imbalance of North and South venues a change was made to the scores required for the individual scratch and handicap trophies. From the previous compulsory two at North and South courses only one score from each will now be mandatory with any other two scores making up the required four.
To give a better balance to the numbers completing in each handicap section, Class 1 will now be handicaps scratch to 9 and Class 2 include handicaps 10 to 28.
The North Alliance season will commence at Durness on Sunday October 4 and end with the prize-giving at Reay on Sunday March 21, 2010.
Dates and venues for the 2009-2010 season:
October 4 - Durness.
October 18 - Thurso.
November 1 - Invergordon.
November 15 - Royal Dornoch.
November 29 -Tain.
December 13 - Brora (Teams).
January 17 - Golspie.
January 31 - Wick.
February 21 - Brora.
March 7 - Tarbat.
March 21 - Reay.
In the event of any postponement the fixture will be played the following Sunday.
Membership at £3 and Entry Fee £7 remains unchanged.