Gairloch win Ross Singles for first time.

Gairloch team left to right, back Mark Dodd, Neil MacLeod and Brian Grant. Front - kneeling Peter Mitchell (left) and Peter Saggers. Picture by Robin Wilson

 

By ROBIN WILSON                    

The words of the traditional air “There will be dancing in Kyle” would also fit “Gairloch” when, on a  memorable day for the local golf club at Muir of Ord,  their five-star team brought home the Highland Fabricators Cup for the first time after the final of the 2015 Ross-shire Singles Golf League competition. 

In the early years of this men's inter=club team competition, which was started in 1980, Gairloch took part without much success, their small club with a nine-hole course unable to field a team to match the strength of the East coast clubs. 

Subsequently withdrawing for a number of years, Gairloch, after getting a representation on the North District Executive through club member Martin Robertson in the 1990s, the club rose in stature. 

Mr Robertson then served as President of the North District for two years, 2006 and 2007, and with his persuasion brought Gairloch back into the league although it took another ten years before they made an impact. 

Golfers from outside the village became members. Peter Saggers, better known on the East Coast as a member of Nairn Golf Club, raised the standard and locals aimed higher to a position that the club now has several Category 1 handicap holders.  

 A new greenkeeper from Newcastle was appointed three years ago and he now plays off two handicap. Local lads, both with single figure handicaps, Neil MacLeod (5),  Brian Grant (8), and club Captain Peter Mitchell (11)  completed the team for Muir of Ord.

Gairloch had not played a league game this season. In the May preliminary round at Strathpeffer their opponents, Tarbat, did not turn up and they went straight into the Muir of Ord semi-finals where they should have met Strathpeffer Spa. 

But Strathpeffer were unable to raise a team so Gairloch only had the final to look forward to, against either the hosts Muir of Ord or Tain.

Tain were a team desperate to overcome defeats in the previous two season's finals and despatched to Muir of Ord's strong squad of low handicappers featuring club champion Alan Everett, immediate past North District champion Dougie Thorburn, the Ferries brothers, Munro and Billy and David Vass.

 In a very close match they beat the hosts, Muir of Ord 3-2, with wins from Everett, Vass and Billy Ferries.

But in the final when Mark Dodd and Peter Saggers put Gairloch two games in front, Dodd beat Thorburn and Saggers beat Everett, Gairloch's tail was up. It drooped a little in the third game where Peter Mitchell lost to Munro Ferries but hero Brian Grant beat Vass 4&3 to swing the tie Gairloch's way and Neil MacLeod gave them a resounding 4-1 result to celebrate the length of Loch Maree on the return journey.   

Results 

SEMI-FINALS

GAIRLOCH w.o. STRATHPEFFER SPA scr

 TAIN 3, MUIR OF ORD 2

D Thorburn lost to J Forbes 1 hole, A Everett bt B Nicholson 5 and 4, M Ferries lost to S Forbes 3 and 2, D Vass bt R Moir 2 and 1, B Ferries bt D Hexley 5 and 4 

FINAL

GAIRLOCH 4, TAIN 1

 M Dodd bt Thorburn 2 holes, Saggers bt Everett 5 and 4, Mitchell lost to M Ferries 5 and 4, Grant bt Vass 4 and 3, MacLeod bt B Ferries 1 hole

ROBB'S LAST ROUND NIGHTMARE IN 

 

GERMANY COSTS HIM 80 SHOTS

Meldrum House tour pro Chris Robb had one of his worst ever rounds on the Germany PGA Development Tour's Preis des Hardenberg Golf Resort Open at Norheim,Germany today (Tuesday).

After rounds of 72 and 70, the Banchory man completed the tournament with a nine-over-par 80 which saw him drop eight shots to par from the 10th to the 13th with a run of bogey, triple bogey, double bogey, double bogey

His total of 222 saw him drop to a final placing of joint 31st in the tour's second last event of the season.

Three players - Max Laier (Germany), Daniel Wunsche (Germany) and Frenchman Antoine Schwartz tied on five-under 208.

ends

Scots need to step up a place to reach

European seniors' top match-play flight 

Scotland need to improve by at least one place over the second 18 holes of the stroke-play qualifying to reach the top flight match-play stages in the European senior men's amateur team championship at Pravets Golf Club, Bulgaria.
Only the eight teams with the best 36-hole aggregates will contest the championship and the Scots are lying ninth at the end of the first stroke-play round.
Eighth-placed France are only one shot ahead of Scotland.
Malcolm Reid was the Scots' top scorer in the first round with a par 72, two ahead of Ian Brotherston and John Fraser with Lindsey Blair, Bob Stewart and David Gardner sharing 58th place on 78 in a field of 124 players.
FIRST-ROUND SCORES

LEADING TEAMS
359 Ireland
363 Italy
367 Spain
368 England
Also:
376 Scotland (9th of 21)
INDIVIDUAL SCORES
Par 72
68 Gianluca Bolla (Ita)
69 Arthur Pierse (Ire), G McGimpsey (Ire)
Selected scores:
71 Ian Attoe (Eng), David Niven (Eng)
72 Malcolm Reid (Sco) (T12)
74 Ian Brotherston (Sco), John Fraser (Sco) (T24)
78 Lindsey Blair (Sco), Bob Stewart (Sco), David Gardner (Sco) (T58)

£43,000 Lombard Trophy Grand Final over Centenary Course

Paisley pair only three off the pace after first 

day at Gleneagles

Paisley Golf Club professional Andrew Carlton and his two-handicap amateur member partner David Walker shot a four-under-par 68 to be lying fifth - only three off the pace = at the halfway stage of the £43,000 Lombard Trophy tournament, contested by 16 pairings who have come through to contest the Grand Final over the Centenary Course at Gleneagles.
Joint leaders on 65 are Andrew Willey (Bulwell Castle) and plus 1 handicap amateur Mark Disney, alongside the Channels Golf Club pairing of Jason Levermore and amateur Ben Steed.
Three Scots pairings are in the field and Crow Wood's Ian Graham and amateur Ctaig Taylor, who plays off five,  are in eighth place on 71 while Ranfurly Castle's Tom Eckford and amateur David Stewart, who has 20 of a handicap, are in 16th place with an 80.

TO VIEW ALL THE FIRST DAY SCORES

CLICK HERE

LOMBARD TROPHY

TOURNAMENT RELEASE FROM PGA

DISNEY DAZZLES AT GOLF’S MAGIC KINGDOM TO LEAD LOMBARD TROPHY CHARGE

By LEE McLAUGHLAN

Gleneagles became Disneyland for a handful of minutes during the first round of the Europe’s largest pro-am, the Lombard Trophy.

That was when Bulwell Forest’s Mick Disney, Andrew Willey’s amateur partner, followed up a drive and four iron at the 16^th hole on the PGA Centenary Course with a 40 foot putt for an eagle.

It took the duo to seven-under, heading the 16-strong field in pursuit of the £12,000 pro winner’s cheque until Channels pair Jason Levermore and Ben Steed joined them in pole position.

In fairness, the PGA’s playability test for potential pros would be a walk in the park for Disney, given that he plays off plus one.

Which perhaps is why his party piece at the 543-yard 16^th on the stage where Europe gave the USA a golfing lesson almost a year ago was treated as almost an everyday occurrence by the men from Nottinghamshire.

“We had an eagle at the 16^th,” said Disney, without revealing he was responsible, when asked as to what were the highlights of their round.

“Andrew had a few birdies out there as well and we missed a few chances. But overall we had a good round.”

The eagle more than compensated for the pair’s solitary blemish – a bogey at the par four 13^th – taking them from five to seven-under.

“We’d had three or four good chances before that and missed them,” said Willey, a former European Tour player, “so Michael’s eagle hauled back into the game.”

Meanwhile, Levermore and Steed’s negotiation of the Jack Nicklaus-designed course lacked a similarly spectacular highlight but was equally effective.

The Essex men representing the club located near Chelmsford also recorded one bogey – at the par three sixth – but ended with a flourish, especially at the par three 17^th.

Four of their eight birdies came on the back nine and Levermore said: “I holed a 35 footer on the 17^th for a two but that was about it in terms of highlights. Overall we gelled nicely today and both contributed. We’ll be looking for more of the same tomorrow.”

Lanarkshire Golf Association

JAMES BROWN MEMORIAL TEAM TROPHY

CAMBUSLANG  GOLF CLUB – SUNDAY 6^th SEPTEMBER  2015

Competitors should note that casual wear is permitted in the Clubhouse but this must be smart.

 Winning team will represent Lanarkshire in the Scottish club final at Fortrose and Rosemarkie.

1.               12.00       HAMILTON  2                      CROW WOOD                     EAST KILBRIDE 1

                                   No  1                                         No  1                                       No  1

 

2.               12.07        CAMBUSLANG 1                  CROW WOOD                      EAST KILBRIDE 1

                                   No  2                                         No  2                                       No  2

3.               12.15        CAMBUSLANG 1                  CROW WOOD                     EAST KILBRIDE 1

                                    No  3                                        No  3                                       No  3

4.               12.22        CAMBUSLANG   1                 DRIMPELLIER  1                  AIRDRIE  1

                                    No  1                                        No  1                                       No  1

5.               12.30        HAMILTON  1                         DRUMPELLIER 1                  AIRDRIE  1

                  No  2                                        No  2                                       No  2

6.               12.37        HAMILTON  1                         DRUMPELLIER  1               AIRDRIE 1

                                    No  3                                        No  3                                       No  3

7.               12.45        HAMILTON   1                        SHOTTS  1                  LOCHVIEW  1

                  No  1                                        No  1                                       No  1

8.               12.52        HAMILTON  2                         SHOTTS  1                  LOCHVIEW   1

                                    No  2                                        No  2                                       No  2  

9.               1.00          HAMILTON  2                         SHOTTS  1                  LOCHVIEW  1

                  No  3                                        No  3                                       No  3

10.             1.07          STRATHCLYDE PARK 1       COLVILLE PARK             EASTER MOFFAT 1

                                    No  1                                        No  1                                       No  1

11.             1.15          STRATHCLYDE PARK 1       COLVILLE PARK                  EASTER MOFFAT 1                

                                    No  2                                        No  2                                       No  2

12.             1.22          STRATHCLYDE PARK 1       COLVILLE PARK               EASTER MOFFAT  1

                  No  3                                        No  3                                       No  3

13.             1.30          STRATHCLYDE PARK  2      CAMBUSLANG 2                  LANARK                 

                  No  1                                        No  1                                       No  1

14.             1.37          STRATHCLYDE PARK   2     CAMBUSLANG 2                  LANARK

                                    No  2                                        No  2                                       No  2                    

15.             1.45          STRATHCLYDE PARK  2      CAMBUSLANG   2                LANARK

                                    No  3                                        No  3                                       No  3  

16.             1.52          DRUMPELLIER  2                  MOUNT ELLEN                     AIRDRIE   2               

                                    No   1                                       No   1                                      No  1

17.             2.00          DRUMPELLIER  2                 MOUNT ELLEN                      AIRDRIE  2               

                  No   2                                       No   2                                      No   2

18.             2.07          DRUMPELLIER  2                 MOUNT ELLEN                    KIRKHILL                                                

                                    No   3                                       No   3                                      No   3

19.             2.15          KIRKHILL                             KIRKHILL                             AIRDRIE  2

                                   

20.             2.22         

21.             2.30

Scotland side for Under-16 international

Inverallochy’s Marc Watt, winner of the SGU Junior Tour Under-16 event at the weekend, has been named in the Scotland side for the forthcoming Under-16 match with England.
Watt, who won by five shots from Jamie Stewart (Old Ranfurly) at Swanston on Sunday, will tee up as part of a 10-player Scotland side for the international at Marriott Dalmahoy, Edinburgh from  from September 25 – 27.
Stewart also joins Watt in the side, alongside the likes of Scottish Boys runner-up Ross Callan (Bathgate), Scottish Schools champion Darren Howie (Peebles) and Auchterader’s Rowan Carey, who matched Watt’s course record of 69 at Swanston at the weekend.
Two players from the Balmore club are also named, Kyle Reid and Callum Burns.
The young Scots will be out to build on their international form after winning the Under-16 Quads at Archerfield Links back in April, beating Wales, Ireland and the Netherlands.
Scotland U16 team v England:
Callum Bruce (Duff House Royal)
Callum Burns (Balmore)
Ross Callan (Bathgate)
Rowan Carey (Auchterarder)
Darren Howie (Peebles)
Eric McIntosh (Murrayfield)
Kyle Reid (Balmore)
Aidan Smith (Edzell)
Jamie Stewart (Old Ranfurly)
Marc Watt (Inverallochy)

North-east Alliance tee times for Craibstone Golf Club tomorrow

LATE ENTRIES ACCEPTED TO FILL 
ALL THE BLANK TEE TIMES

8-15 C Cassie, P McKenna, P Morrison
8-23 S Dunn, A Stewart, K Daglish
8-31 B Ritchie, J Duff, P McLean 
8-39 S Scott
8-47
8-55 M Brown, R Brown, S Davidson

9-03 D Fleming, J Emslie, S Ross
9-11 J Hamilton, M Rendall, H Roulston
9-19 L Fowler, L Vannet, D Townsley
9-27 H McNaughton, N Chisholm, G McBain
9-35 D McKay, J Hopwood, K Beveridge
9-43 M Duncan, N Stewart, I D Smith
9-51 D Leslie, C Nelson, G Homer
9-59 K McGillivray, L Duncan,W Beattie,,,,,
 
10-07 G Milne, J Duncan, P Craig
10-15 R Duncan, D Lane
10-23 M Smith, S Melvin, S Faskin
10-31 D Brown, M Lawrie
10-39 D Wright,T Robertson, J Sunlie
10-47 P Cheyne, S Lawrie, K Zeynalov
10-55 C Grant, B Fyfe, A Graham

11-03 S Allison, R Davidson, G Mackie
11-11 M Winton, S Thompson, D Nelson
11-19 J Morrice, G Riley, J Crawford
11-27 D Craigie, D Adam
11-35
11-43
11-51
11-59

12-07
12-15
12-23
12-31 P Low, J Borthwick
12-39 J Nicolson, S Mackie
12-47 B Nicolson, S Finnie
12-55 K Duncan, R McKenzie

13-03 M Paterson, A Dunton

North-east District blood three youngsters

 in Aboyne match

Three teenagers will make their debuts for the North-east District men's team in a stroke-play aggregate match against North District and Perth and Kinross at Aboyne Golf Club on Sunday, September 13.

They are: Paul Lawrie's younger son Michael, Marc Watt and Christopher Lamb.

The full team is:

Clark Brechin (Portlethen)

Christopher Lamb (Newmachar)

Michael Lawrie (Deeside)

David Morrison (Duff House Royal)

Gordon Munro (Fraserburgh)

Scott Robertson (Hazlehead)

Stephen Roger (Cruden Bay)

Marc Watt (Inverallochy)

Strong finish gives England U16s victory over Wales A strong finish brought England a two-point victory in the annual U16 boys’ international against Wales at Radyr Golf Club. They won the final singles session 4½-3½ to seal an 11-9 win against a strong Welsh side. Team manager Nick Over remarked: “It is worthy of note that 15 of the 20 matches went to the 17th or 18th hole which reflected the closeness of the match. "Overall, I was extremely pleased with the way the boys battled to the end to eventually overcome a spirited Welsh team in a match that could have gone either way.” The result was in doubt until the last two matches finished on the 18th, where Taylor Stote won his point with a par and Harvey Byers – who was unbeaten during the three sessions – also parred the hole to halve his game.  England had gone into the final session with a one point lead, after winning the opening singles 5-3 and taking 1½ points from the four foursomes In the first day’s matches, Angus Flanagan was unbeaten, playing very well to win his singles and battling well with George Saunders to gain a half in the foursomes. Harvey Byers was also unbeaten – and was perhaps unlucky not to win both his points. His approach shot struck the flag on the last in the singles and the ball finished further away than it otherwise would have done. He had to settle for a par and a halved match. He teamed up with Harry Goddard for a convincing win in the foursomes after being down on the front nine. James Wilson won his singles point and then provided the highlight of the afternoon with back-to-back iron shots to one foot from the hole on both the 14th and 15th, both conceded for birdie. His partner, Luke Kelly, played only one shot in two holes! Despite this, they lost the last hole and finished one down. The team was: Harvey Byers (Walton Heath), Angus Flanagan (St George’s Hill), Harry Goddard (Hanbury Manor), Luke Kelly (Ashton-under-Lyne), Thomas Plumb (Sherborne), George Saunders (Meon Valley), Taylor Stote (Burnham & Berrow), and James Wilson (Tyneside). The autumn U16 series continues with a match against Scotland at Dalmahoy on 26-27 September and a match against Ireland follows a fortnight later on the weekend of 10-11 October at Templepatrick. The teams for these will be announced later. Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf pr@englandgolf.org 07825 752 193

Big golf events for Castle Stuart and Nairn Golf Club IN 2016-2017

NEWS RELEASE

Castle Stuart Golf Links, situated between Nairn and 

Inverness,  will host the Scottish Open in 2016 for the fourth 

time in six years. 

The Nairn Golf Club will be home to the 2016 men's home 
  
 Internationals,  and in 2017 it will welcome the British boys' 

amateur championship.