Round-up of Spring Opens in the 

North at Brora, Golspie and Tain

By ROBIN WILSON 

Uninspiring Easter weekend weather, bright and sunny but with but with cold winds influenced the general scoring at Brora, Golspie and Tain Golf Clubs in their first open fixtures of the season last weekend but not the number of entries.

Golspie and Tain were visited on Saturday when Tain when topped the entries with 101, Golspie 86 and Brora on Sunday welcomed 91 golfers. At each venue members from visiting golf clubs topped the scratch leader boards, at Tain it was Alan Cameron (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), at Golspie Calum Stewart (Brora) and on Sunday at Brora Alastair MacNaughton from the Caldwell Golf Club, East Renfrewshire kept the locals at bay.

The CSS at Tain rose by one to 73 and Cameron matched the figure with halves of 37 and 36 to win by one stroke from local member Lyle McAlpine 38/36. McAlpine runner up for a second year.  

The Class 1 handicap winners were separated after card count backs. Ewan Grant (Fraserburgh) (5) 72 ahead of David Morrison (Strathpeffer) (5) 72 Sean Kennedy (Tain) also 72. Local Bill MacDougall (14) 71 was the home winner in Class 2 one ahead of Steve Kempo (Scotscraig (15) 72 and Mathew Sharples (Inverness) (16) 75.

Former Scottish under 16 cap Stewart ended a lean spell of scratch victories at Golspie with the aid of two birdie twos on the back nine. 

A twenty foot putt on the" Lochy" began his inward half following an outward 38 before his closing three holes lifted him into into first place win that began with a tap-in birdie two on the 16^th “Cairngorm” hole from a perfectively flighted seven iron. Following up with his par three at the next hole he got down in two from eighty yards on the final hole for an inward 34 and 72.

Local Steve Danny Doogan only blighted his card with a double bogey on the 11^th hole but halves of 36 and 37 finished up a shot behind Stewart before his nett 68 claimed the first handicap voucher with his teenage son Danny in second place on nett 69, from 7 handicap.

With Doogan moving into the handicap prize list Nairn's David Sanderson moved up to second scratch with his 73 (36/37) and the third scratch voucher went to Scott Chisholm (Torvean) with 74 (36/38). Collecting the remaining three handicap vouchers were Chisholm's club mate Kevin Stewart (7) 70, Mark Farquhar (F and R) (18) 70 and Alan MacBean (Strathpeffer) (5) 70.

Eight women joined the play at Golspie and the two best returns came from locals Noelle Mackay (14) 74 and Anne MacRae (12) 76.  

Over the Brora course the following day the Golspie scratch winner with two birdies in his first four holes was level par 35 after nine but his game deserted him on the home stretch and his 76 left him well down the scratch field.

After nine holes the scratch winner was ahead of most of the field with a two under par 33 helped by his 3,2, burst on the5^th and 6^th holes. The scratch golfer from East Renfrewshire match the par over the back nine and his 68 won by a stroke from locals Owen MacLennan (35/34) and Roddie Cameron, the latter matching MacNaughton's outward 33 in his sub par 69 that featured six birdies and five bogies. 

Cameron received the second scratch voucher when MacLennan moved to first handicap behind the competition's cup winner from Edinburgh, Andrew Kinnes.    

Originally from Dundee Kinnes has been holidaying annually in Brora with his parents, brother and sister, since childhood. He now lives in Edinburgh and is a member of the capital's nine hole Ravelston Golf Course near Murrayfield.

His late decision to enter on Sunday afternoon was rewarded with a handicap bursting nett score of 63 from his steady play and 18 stroke allowance. His card had no worse than a six on it in an outward 43 but was recovered with 38 on the inward nine to gross 81, net 63 for a three shot margin over the field.

The remaining three handicap vouchers were won by the locals MacLennan (4) 65, Alasdair MacDonald (6) 65 and club President Andy Stewart (6) 66.  Four women joined in at Brora and UHI student Caitlin Boa (Royal Dornoch) returned a marvellous 73 (38/35) to receive the only prize.

CAPTION for picture: Andrew Kinnes (right) receives the Spring Open Cup from Brora Golf Club vice-president Andrew Smith.