Golspie run away with Miller Quaich

Holding the Miller Quaich are Golspie GC President Sandy MacKenzie (left) and Golspie team captain William MacBeath (right). Picture by Robin Wilson.

 

By ROBIN WILSON

Host club Golspie romped to a 35pt win while last year's winners, Tain, fell back to third place in the quadrangular inter-club competition for the Miller Quaich at Golspie on Sunday.

It was only the second time Golspie Golf Club has won the Quaich competition, instituted in 1999 to recognise the outstanding golf played by Brora's Jim Miller at the golf courses of Brora, Golspie, Tain and Royal Dornoch over the past 40 years.

The Golspie team of eight men and four women, pictured above, playing individual Stableford, made full use of home advantage to record what is thought to be a record score total of 340pts, their average of ten counting scores being 34 pts, topped by a card of 37pts from the Golspie team captain, William MacBeath and three more 36s from assistant greenkeeper Craig MacKay, soon to be leaving to take up a post at Royal Dornoch, Tim Featherstone and Alastair Bell. Completing the full Golspie team were Stuart Richardson, Ross Urquhart, Colin Sutherland, Jamie Innes, Noelle MacKay, Caroline Logie, Lesley Cranna and Pat Till.

Royal Dornoch were a distant second with 305pts, their two best individual cards both 34 points from Colin MacKay and Ian McAulay. 

Holders and most time winners Tain Golf Club's best efforts were 33 points from Steve Martin and 32 points from Jackie Neil. 

Brora languished in fourth place on 285 points with only three of their team returning cards of 30 or more, Ken Lorimer, June Lawson and Robin Wilson.

The Golspie greens are showing signs of recovery from a winter disease before it next welcomes the surrounding clubs for the Dornoch Firth League competition on May 9 and 10.

The Golspie is currently without a resident caterer, but if the golfers attending the League competition are treated to the same voluntary buffet served up by the Ladies Section, the teams can expect a real treat. 

Well done the Golspie ladies! Your home cooking and baking was first class and highly admired by all.