GOLSPIE GLEE AT BRORA ALLIANCE THREE-BALL, BEST BALL

Local prize winners at the Brora Alliance - left to right - Mike Howells, Tony Gill, Alistair Morrison and Robert Macdonald. Picture by Robin Wilson 

 

BY ROBIN WILSON

Two Golspie Golf Club members returning to the North Golf Alliance circuit this season marked their return with a first  place in the Alliance’s three-ball, best-ball Christmas fixture at Brora last Sunday.

Alastair Bell (9) and Tim Featherstone (12) linked up with Tain's Richard Hamblin (17) to be the only trio to get below a net score below 50, their net 49, seven under par, winning by a shot from Durness pair Alastair Morrison (15), an apprentice greenkeeper on the Brora course, Stephen Mackay (13) joined by local  member Robert MacDonald (5). 

Two birdie 2s contributed by Hamblin and Featherstone over the eight-hole inward stretch of Brora's 15-hole winter course that brought the winners' inward half down to 23 following their outward 26.  

Hamlin, in receipt of a stroke at the inward cut-in hole, played to the 11^th green and holed out from off the green for gross 3, net 2, which set the trio on their way. 

It was quickly followed by a nett birdie from Bell at the next hole. Hamblin again came into the frame with gross 4, net 3,  at the penultimate hole.

Then, on the final green, they all had birdie opportunities. After Bell and Hamblin both missed it was Featherstone's last effort from three feet that dropped into the hole for another birdie that put the winning tinsel on their card.

The Durness/ Brora trio also managed two birdie 2s on the inward half, but could only get to 24 for the last eight holes to add to their outward 26 to earn second place bottles of champagne.

The winners received a bottle of Brora Golf Club's exclusive special malt whisky. 

It was a credit to the Brora greenkeeping staff and helping volunteers that the event went ahead after they turned out on Saturday to clear debris that was dumped by the storm waves that ravaged Sutherland's East Coast over the previous 24hr. A stormy sea in-surge up the burn at the fifth hole swept away a foot bridge but fortunately the tractor bridge remained and the ninth green, that was covered in debris, was not in use on Sunday, the competitors turning for home after playing the first seven outward holes.

Saturday's storm abated and on Sunday the course was drenched in perfect Winter sun which enticed the next three best-ball scores of 51. 

Two of them came from Tain teams, the trio of Munro and Billy Ferries and Ali Melville, halves of 25 and 26 rewarded them with Christmas Puddings and   club mates Seann Sutherland, Raymond Lockie and Mike Sangster fifth with halves of 24 and 27. A duo of Brora members, Alliance Secretary, Tony Gill, and Mike Howells might have crept up the prize list had they had a full compliment but their third player, Club Captain Ken Lorimer, was forced to withdraw after being struck by a morning sick bug and the pair had to make do with a fourth place on the count back.

The individual fixtures recommence at Reay Golf Club on January 20

Results at Brora

Three-ball-better-ball net scores

49 A Bell (Golspie), T Featherstone (Golspie) and R Hamlin (Tain) 26-23.  

50 R MacDonald (Brora), A Morrison (Durness) and S Mackay (Durness) 26-24. 

51 M Ferries, B Ferries and A Melville (Tain) 26-25, T Gill, M Howells (Brora) 26-25, S Sutherland, R Lockie and M Sangster (Tain) 24-27.