June 2nd 2007
APRES LA DELUGE
I have been accused in the past of not really being the golf correspondent, but the weather correspondent who throws in some comments about golf. But when the elements are an integral part of, and massively affect, the sport we play, then it’s difficult not to comment. Especially on the Isle of Lewis, and more especially after last week’s almost biblical weather conditions on Wednesday night. When Al and Cal (our green keepers) bolt the shed door and the only sounds we hear are of sawing and hammering of nails, it’s difficult not to believe that when the next bill from Bain& Morrison arrives, it won’t be for a kit-ark.
With rivers never before seen pouring off the golf course, not only the greens , but some of the tees underwater ;I find it incredible to write about the course being wetter than some of the conditions described in previous notes. I really thought I’d seen it all.
I was wrong…..This was NOT normal.
Wednesday’s medal was naturally (or unnaturally) washed out, but amazingly by tea-time on Thursday, we had the course open, once again, for competitive play. Disappointment indeed for the two ducks, two frogs and two pedestrian faoileags standing outside the shed.
Our greens staff (all two of them) do nothing, if not a remarkable job, given what is asked of them, and the conditions they regularly have to endure. Not only was the course playable on Thursday, it was in remarkable condition for Friday night’s Texas Scramble. Friday was like being in a parallel universe, the one where a Stornoway which exists only sometimes (in our imaginations) appears, and we are glad to be alive (and on the golf course) to enjoy it. When you hope for a good night (on several levels), plan and prepare for it for weeks and rely on a combination of several factors to make it “happen”, you are usually setting yourself up for only one thing. Disappointment.
The one thing Friday’s Scramble wasn’t, was disappointing. The sun shone, the course looked and played magnificently, and we had fantastic support from all sections of the club. It was truly one of those “special” nights in the club where the goodwill of the members was evident and in abundance, the “craic” was brilliant, and nobody regretted having a sore head on Saturday morning.
The event was to raise money for the Western Isles Golf Team travelling to Rhodes three weeks from today, and we are all extremely grateful for the support of local businesses in donating many of the prizes for the after match raffle. Members too donated many of the prizes, and along with their generosity ensured the event was an outstanding success.
All of the travelling team are indebted to everyone who contributed to make the evening such a memorable one.
Winners on the night were the team of Ken MacDonald, Dave Rattray, Ian Morrison and Greg Brown with a fine nett 54.2. They narrowly pipped the fathers and sons combination of Ali and Alex Nicolson and Paul and Jordan MacLean by 0.1 of a stroke (unless you play it’s complicated…). The scoring system being adopted by M&H for Scrambles latterly seems to be “fairer” in the eyes of many, and will hopefully rejuvenate the format to attract more teams for future events.
Saturday saw the first of the “scratch” competitions, the “Thomson Bruce “Trophy. I have mentioned before how our “elite” golfers measure their season against each other by virtue of their performances in play against the course without handicap, and this was their first real test. Winner on the day, and making up for losing last year’s competition after a play-off against great rival Norrie “O” MacDonald, was Andy MacDonald. His excellent gross 70 in very tricky conditions was enough to win by two shots from, the ever improving, Bryan Geddes and the consistent Murdo O’Brien. This pair will surely be in the mix for the big prizes this summer, and will look to capture a “major” of their own soon.
Also winning on Saturday was Jan MacLennan in the ladies’ medal qualifier. Jan has had a more than fair measure of success already this summer, as her burgeoning collection of silverware will testify. Does Cal-Mac charge for extra baggage? If so, both she and husband Dave can use their sweep winnings to partly offset the additional cost of returning to Aberdeen. Success has its price.
The round of the week was, however, once again from the Junior ranks. When young Ally Gillies asked me on Friday evening if it would be ok for the juniors to play off the “ whites” ( the Senior men’s medal tees) in the first round of their Club Championship he could surely have had no inkling of his magnificent round the following day. Shooting 71 off the back markers is no mean feat by a low handicapper; but for a junior, unaccustomed to the tees, playing in a strong wind, and off a handicap of 19, it is truly startling. His lead going into round two is “healthy” to put it mildly, but golf is about beating the course, reducing your handicap, and improving steadily. This shows what can be achieved, and for Ally, consolidating this standard of golf must surely be his aim this summer (along with some inevitable silverware if this is anything to go by). To put his round into perspective, he would have been Runner-up in the Thomson Bruce, won the sweep by a country mile and had Domhnall Hamish on the warpath had he been a senior. Not to worry Ally, DH will soon have you in his sights, he has given up on trying to beat young Jordan.
Brilliant golf both Andy and Ally.
And huge thanks again to everyone who made Friday the success it was.
Friday 1st June
Island Games Texas Scramble
1st (54.2) Overall Winners
Greg Brown
Ken Macdonald
Iain Morrison
Dave Rattray
2nd (54.3)
Jordan Maclean
Paul Maclean
Alex Nicolson
Alistair Nicolson
3rd (55.0)
Scott Macaulay
Kenneth Macleod
Stewart Munro
Scott Nicolson
Saturday 2nd June
Junior Club Championship (1st Round)
1 Ally Gillies 71
2 Scott Macaulay 88
3 Charlie Morrison 99
Ladies Saturday Medal Qualifier
1 Jan Maclennan 76 Overall Winner
2 Ann Galbraith 77 Overall Runner-Up
Thomson Bruce Trophy
1 Andy Macdonald 70
2 Bryan Geddes 72
3 Murdo O'Brien 72
Andy Macdonald
Ally Gillies