John Duncan in his office at Royal Dornoch Golf Club. Picture by Robin Wilson.

John Duncan taking early retirement as

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Royal Dornoch GC secretary-manager

By ROBIN WILSON

Approaching his 63rd birthday, John Duncan secretary/manager of the Royal Dornoch Golf Club for close on the past 16 years, is taking early retirement from his post at the end of this month but lays his pen to rest next Wednesday due to holiday leave accrued.
The ex Royal Army Pay Corps Lieutenant-Colonel was appointed in charge of Royal Dornoch in July of 1994, five months after the sudden death of the previous incumbent Ian Walker, who took ill in his car when travelling home after attending a Scotland-France rugby international.
Mr. Duncan had the administrative responsibility of running one of the world's best known golf courses. The links are rated 15th best in the World and third in Scotland and with a membership base of 1700 that includes approx 500 overseas members, he also found time to show a welcoming hand to close on 9000 visiting golfers per year.
During his time at Dornoch Mr Duncan also contributed his administrative skills to the Golf Club Managers Association, a body that succeeded the Association of Golf Club Secretaries, and was instrumental with colleagues of setting up the Club Managers Association of Europe, a body having strong links with their American counterparts who promote education and training of Club Managers in Europe to certificate level in the 21st century.

Mr Duncan has just recently returned from the Club Managers Association of America world conference in San Diego where he discussed common problems in club management with counterparts from as far apart as Russia and China to Colombia.
Jim Campbell, captain of Royal Dornoch, speaking on behalf of his Council of Management and members expressed their appreciation of all the work undertaken by Mr. Duncan since his arrival in Dornoch and wished his outgoing Secretary a long and happy retirement away from the daily rigours of office work. The Royal Dornoch Council hope to have a replacement person in post by mid Season.
John Duncan will remain a resident in Dornoch and will be happy not to have the golf fixture problem's currently befalling the North Alliance Secretary, Tony Gill. With a further North Alliance fixture cancelled at Golspie last weekend Gill keeps his fingers crossed Tarbat goes ahead this weekend for now he is contemplating a first ever Saturday fixture to clear some of the back log.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JOHN DUNCAN (from Colin Farquharson)

John Duncan was born in Galashiels but attended school in Selkirk before studing at Edinburgh University where he achieved an MA in Economics and Economic History followed by a Dip Ed at Moray House.
He had a short time in the Educational Corps before the Royal Army Pay Corps.

"I spent 14 years in Germany but the high point of my service career was being Commanding Officer of the Command Pay Office in Hong Kong," he said.
"My outstanding moment at Royal Dornoch was being invited to play one evening with President Bill Clinton a few years ago.
"I had in my job description 'a duty to inspect the course,' so I have played reasonably frequently and have been in club teams. I have my name on one piece of club silver; the McNaughton Rose Bowl, played over the Struie.

"However, my handicap has gently increased over the years and I hope that with more time to play regularly I can reverse that trend."