NORTH GOLF ALLIANCE SEASON''S FINAL FIXTURE

 Thurso's Stanley Ross receives the Alliance Quaich from Secretary Tony Gill (second left) in place of the winner John Forbes (Muir of Ord) who had left before the presentation in the Brora clubhouse. In the background are the Durness members Alister McGowan, Ali Morrison, Martin Mackay and John Morrison who will have the Team Trophy delivered to them when it is returned by last years winners. Picture by Robin Wilson

 ROBERT MACDONALD IS LOCAL HERO 

WITH A 79 AT BRORA

BY ROBIN WILSON

(just back from Australia)

Summer time was still a week away when the final fixture of the North Golf Alliance season was played at Brora last Sunday in what we hope was  a final bite of Winter.

Snow flurries were intermittent in the cold north wind and the low entry was marked by only one player breaking 80. 

Local Robert MacDonald, who also led the scratch returns last November at the Golspie fixture, fought his way to the turn in 42 blows, eight of them at the third hole, but with the cold wind assisting on the back nine he had a courageous inward nine holes of 37 for 79.

MacDonald was followed onto the scratch leaderboard  by Caithness's Dougie Thorburn 81, Alex Gunn (Tain) 82, and his Tain clubmate Steve Holmes 83. 

There were no cards returned  at Brora from any of the three contenders for the scratch aggregate Quaich.

John Forbes (Muir of Ord) remained on 275, Munro Ferries  (Tain) 282 and Darren Hexley (Golspie) 283 so after being pipped for the Quaich last season by Dougie Thorburn, Forbes won the scratch Quaich for the first time.

Approaching the final fixture four members were still in close contention for the handicap aggregate MacKintosh Salver – Stanley Ross (Thurso) 277, Andrew Watt (Tain) 278 plus scratch winner Forbes and Golspie's Hexley who both had nett totals of 279.   

Ross's nett 72 at Brora made no improvement to his already posted total of 277 and as Watt was not in the field the Thurso member became a first time winner of the Salver by the narrowest margin - one stroke. 

Tain six-handicapper Alex Gunn headed the low handicap section returns at Brora with nett 76 followed by clubmate Holmes whose gross 83 reduced to 78.

In third place was local Ken Colorimeter, one of the early starters who endured the worst of the weather, but he plodded on to a nett 80, off eight.

Salver winner Ross who plays from ten handicap. was among the scratch leaders with a gross 82 and his nett 72 was without doubt one of the two outstanding scores of the day. 

He won his high handicap section by three from clubmate Eva Sutherland who shared a nett 75, off 28, with Glister McGowan (Furness), handicap 11.

Only two clubs, Durness and Tain, provided the requisite numbers of players able to post four scores in the team competition.

Durness, with the help of McGowan's 75, Ali Morrison's 77, John Morrison's 80 and Martin MacKay's 83 for a total of 315,  regained the Alliance Shield after an absence of six years from the Durness clubhouse.

Brora Results

Scratch  

R MacDonald (Brora) 79, D Thorburn (Thurso/Tain) 81. A Gunn (Tain), S Ross (Thurso) 82, S Holmes (Tain) 83. 

Handicap  

Class 1 – A Gunn (Tain) (6) 76. S Holmes (Tain)   (5) 78. K Lorimer (Brora) (8) 80. 

Class 2 – S Ross (Thurso) (10) 72. E Sutherland (Thurso), A McGowan (Durness) (11) 75. 

Team Trophy – Durness 315. Tain 318 

DOUBLE-HEADER AT BRORA AND

GOLSPIE THIS WEEKEND

The golfing season get under way in earnest this weekend when the Brora and Golspie Golf Clubs work in tandem to host two 18 hole open events, Golspie on Saturday and Brora on Sunday with the weekend sponsored by Kincraig Fabrics of Brora and Dornoch. 

The events are open to both ladies and gentlemen golfers and starting times are available to book with each club.  

The entry fee at Golspie is £12 for members of each club  and £15 non members. At Brora the fees are the same. 

In addition to daily prizes at each venue there will be 36 hole winners over the weekend and if entering for both days the fees are £20 for members of Brora and Golspie  and £25 non members.

The Golspie Inn and the Royal Marine Hotel Brora are offering discounted rates for competitors from afar who wish to stay overnight. Depending of the success of the weekend the two clubs involved are hoping to make this an annual event.