DONALD FORD: Accountant, footballer, cricketer and, for the last 20 years, golf course photographer par excellence

Donald Ford, played football for Heart of Midlothian and one of the few sportsmen to have been capped for Scotland at football AND cricket. He played Scottish county championship cricket for West Lothian, having been born at Linlithgow.



By COLIN FARQUHARSON

I had the pleasure of sitting next to Donald Ford, footballer-cricketer-chartered accountant-turned golf course photographer, at a lunch in The Marcliffe Hotel and Spa, Pitfodels, near Aberdeen, today when SCOTTISH GOLF TRAILS, the brainchild of Hector Emslie and Andrew Shinie, strongly supported by Stewart Spence, proprietor of "The Marcliffe," among others, was launched for a second time.

Andrew (left) and Hector are pictured on the day of the first launch, last month, which had to be postponed because of the treacherous state of the roads for travel after heavy snowfalls.                                 In my previous life as a football writer, I reported many times on Ford's play as Heart of Midlothian centre forward - that was the term before "striker" became the fashion - against Aberdeen FC. Donald, now 66, spent 11 years with the Tynecastle club, having been signed by Tommy Walker in 1964 but in the early seasons he was an amateur footballer as he continued his accountancy studies.

"The first of my nine amateur caps for Scotland was for international against England at Pittodrie Stadium in 1964. I played well and I came to regard it as one of my favourite grounds because I always used to have a good game there," said Donald who was later capped three times as a professional for Scotland and also as a cricketer for Scotland - a bit like Denis Compton of Arsenal, Middlesex and England.

A knee injury ended his football career shortly after he was transferred to Falkirk in 1976.

In 1991, Ford gave up accountancy to make a living out of his hobby - photography. These days there are two Scottish photographers renowned for their pictures of golf courses - Donald Ford is one and David Whyte is the other.

I told Donald today that I once met an English photographer up in Scotland for the Open and he told me that the light in Scotland was so much better than anywhere else for taking landscape/golf course pictures.

"Yes, he's right. It could be something to do with the cold but the light is purer for a number of reasons. Of course, you have to choose your time of day to photograph golf courses at their best - usually early morning or in the evening when the sun's rays are coming in at an angle rather than from straight above," said Ford.

"One thing I would like to mention is that over the years I have been taking pictures is that the quality of greenkeeping has steadily improved. You expect it at the top courses but, what I would call the second-tier courses, and now the third-tier courses are maintained in splendid condition by their greenkeepers."

Oh, and by the way, Donald still uses film for the best results although he does have a digital camera to give him a quick check on what a scene looks like!

Donald now lives at Carnoustie and you can log on to his website to see his work at http://www.donaldfordimages.com/ and http://www.donaldfordgolf.com/

GOLF TRAILS: The one-stop shop for golfing

visitors to the North-east of Scotland

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

So what is SCOTTISH GOLF TRAILS all about?

I quote from the nice brochure, which includes golf course photography by Donald Ford:

"Our professional staff ensure customers gain from their specalised, intimate knowledge of golf and itinerary planning in the North-east of Scotland, Royal Deeside and throughout Scotland.

"We aim to provide fast turnaround, 24-hour response to all enquiries.

"We provide a one-stop shop, covering all your vacation requirements - accommodation, transport, tee times, tourist attractions, places of interest, where to eat, shopping experiences, golfing gifts etc.

"We cater fo all sixs of golf groups."

North-east courses on their "radar" are:

Carnoustie, Royal Aberdeen, Murcar Links, Newburgh on Ythan, Cruden Bay, Fraserburgh, Peterculter, Banchory, Inchmarlo, Aboyne, Tarland, Ballater, Braemar, Newmachar, Meldrum House, Edzell and Moray Old (Lossiemouth).

Andrew Shinie sees their immediate market opportunities across the North Sea in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

"Norwegian golfers can fly from Bergen to Aberdeen and be on the tee at somewhere like Newmachar or Murcar Links less than 90min after they took off in Norway," said Shinie.

"I would like to say the same applies to German golfers - but, sadly, there is no direct flight to Aberdeen from Germany. Inverness Airport has direct flights from Germany but not Aberdeen. Why this is so, I have no idea - but we need this state of affairs to change."

The Marcliffe Hotel and Spa is one of the North-east hotels who will accommodate SCOTTISH GOLF TRAILS clients.

Interesting to hear owner Stewart Spence, pictured below, explain why he is so much in favour of Donald Trump constructing a golf course complex at the Menie Estate, Balmedie.

"Donald Trump admits that the big five-star hotel at his golf course will not be built until the links lay-out has been up and running, perhaps for two or three years," said Stewart."During that time, the people who come from overseas to play the Trump course will have to have somewhere to stay while they are in the North-east. That will be the golden opportunity for the hotels that are already here."

Hector Emslie commented:

"Love him or hate him, Donald Trump demands quality in anything with which he is associated, whether it's a golf course or a hotel. When his course at Menie Estate opens, that will raise the bar for the rest of us to raise our standards - and that's not a bad thing."

TO FIND OUT WHAT SCOTTISH GOLF TRAILS

HAS TO OFFER, LOG ON TO

 www.scottishgolftrails.co.uk