January 12th 2008
ADAPTABILITY THE KEY
With their second haul of the major points in three weeks, Huw Lloyd and Marten James moved to within touching distance of the top slots in the league last weekend, and with a handicap, still, of 5 shots, they must surely fancy their chances of improving their position further. Their very impressive nett 43, on a day when scoring was proving difficult for almost every team, was enough for them to move a further 14 points up the table. Sharing top slot with them with a similar nett score, were the team of Andrew Sim and Sharath Shetty who doubled their total for the season to date by dint of their similar score. Medical analogies on the golf course abound, but I will resist the temptation to state the more obvious ones here.
Best score of the day (gross) was carded by Andy Macdonald and Neil Rowlands with a fine 2 under par 47. When you combine the current Club champion with the Western Isles & Harris Open champion, you can expect them to be in the mix when high degrees of skill are needed to be amongst the scoring.
Saturday was a day when not only large elements of ability, but good deals of luck (I hope the folk who scored well don’t take umbrage) were essential. With large areas of the course white with frost and (some) greens frozen, thereby consigning putting to a lottery, only those with the necessary skills to adapt to the conditions managed to make it into the points.
Points? Yes, I remember them, and not just the ones for turning up.
Losing a ball on the first hole was my pre-cursor for what was to come on Saturday. Sure enough it was only a matter of (a very short) time before I lost another, this time, unfortunately, at the same hole as my partner. With no real hope of scoring, and folk waiting on the tee behind us, the notion of returning to play a second ball was quickly dismissed, and the dreaded NR (no return) was ensured. For the first time in many years, and doubly embarrassing when playing as a pair, we conceded a pound after only three holes.
It’s not that our £1’s are absolute prisoners, but at least we should make a decent fist of attempting (not) to part with them.
One thing we have no control over parting with, and which must, in abundance, are decorating the high branches of many trees in the castle grounds, are our golf balls. Why the high branches? Errant golf shots? No, simply the activities of the many rooks and crows which abound locally, who seem to find a golf ball on a fairway, or a green, too irresistible a trinket with which not to abscond. Our opponents on Saturday lost two balls in quick succession to the dreaded, hopping, thieves but this did not prevent those scoring points.
The rules are fairly clear; if you see the ball being removed by a crow, then you can replace it where agreed with your partners, without penalty. This should be knowledge enough to prevent several possible heart attacks ( for safety sake play with , or in proximity to, Messrs Sim and Shetty) as grown men bound across the fairways frantically waving their arms and squawking ( much like the aforementioned birds) in an effort to prevent their golf balls being taken hostage.
Of late the problem has worsened, and we are investigating the courses of action available to us.
As someone who rarely hits a fairway or a green, my problem with the crows is minimal; I’ve been too long in the trees.
From my senior correspondent:
We should mention in passing that the course was closed for several days due to frost but the real newsworthy item this week was a record breaking round of golf. The fine weather ensured a good turnout on Friday and the conditions were more or less ideal for low scoring although some greens were still firm and made putting a little tricky.
Despite this only D.J. (Zebo) MacLeod really mastered the course, but master it he surely did with a phenomenal round that amassed him 32 Stableford points. This equates to 8 shots under par over 12 holes and is not likely to be surpassed for some time. In recent week’s, Zebo himself would admit that golf has been a bit of a struggle, so everyone was genuinely pleased that the big Niseach had got his game together at last.
As predicted a few weeks ago Dennis Hall has made his move into the top echelons of the League Table with an entry in first place. His lead is a slender one at the moment with very few points covering the top five places, so expect some shuffling of positions in the coming weeks.
Scores Saturday 12.01.08 Gross H/C Nett Points
A Sim & SK Shetty 49 6 43 14
H Lloyd & M James 50 7 43 14
A Macdonald & N Rowlands 47 1 46 9
D Murray & D Maclean 59 11 48 7
A Macintosh & JD Macintosh 53 5 48 7
S Maciver & D Gray 52 4 48 7
Chris Kelso & DR Macarthur 56 7 49 3
I Todd & Zebo 57 8 49 3
D Black & M Maclennan 48 +1 49 3
C Robertson & R Galloway 52 3 49 3
J A Macleod & KW Galloway 54 5 49 3
League Leaders Points
Murdo & Magnus Johnston 76
Ali Nicolson & Al"Greens"MacLeod 67
D.Black & Murdo "Hollo" MacLennan 65
J Gillies & G Brown 65
DJ Smith & D Macleod 64
Junior Scores Saturday 12.01.08 Gross H/C Nett Points
Stuart Macaulay 62 20 42 10
Alasdair Gillies 56 7 49 7
Kevin Gillies 68 19 49 7
Kenneth Macleod 64 13 51 3
Charlie Morrison 61 9 52 2
Junior League Leaders Points
Stuart Macaulay 70
Kenneth Macleod 68
Scott Macaulay 59
Senior Scores WE 12.01.08
D.J.(Zebo) MacLeod 32
Duncan Maclean 24
Cammy MacLeay 24
Norrie MacKenzie 23
Senior League Leaders
Dennis Hall 233
Norrie Munro 232
Norrie MacLean 226
‘Bronco’ MacArthur 223
Norrie Mackenzie 222
D.J.(Zebo) MacLeod