October 13th 2007
AND THEY’RE OFF !!
With everyone off their full handicap allowance, and conditions, although breezy, being fine; scoring on Saturday was always going to be low. Despite a tough course; par 49 for only 12 holes (one par three and two par fives amongst the regular par fours), the receptive greens and the ability to “peg up” on the fairways ensured that simply breaking par was never going to be enough.
So it proved, with three under par nett , scoring the last of the points and two under, not registering at all. It really must be the Winter League with so many clichés flying about this early. Looking back over previous notes, and maybe conceding a lack of imagination, it’s just week one, and I’m beginning to see a pattern here. I wonder if I just swapped names and scores would anyone really notice? Will the bulk of the tales regaled here weekly differ greatly from the previous year? Will the usual “suspects” rise to the fore and become the principal characters in the unfolding drama that is the league challenge? Who said pantomime?
Every year, with the “serious” golf over, the club metamorphosises into a completely different entity, and the talk is no longer of “he” and “him”, but of “they” and “them”, and some unlikely (or not so unlikely) centres of “power” traditionally emerge.
Murdo & Magnus Johnson, despite not playing too often this summer will always be there or thereabouts. Ian “Tod”& Zebo, who are also past winners, will cast aside fairly “ordinary” summer seasons to challenge again strongly (see results). Zebo has recovered strongly from illness earlier this year, and together with Ian will they will not be too far off the pace. Last years winners, Chris MacLeod and Chris Shields will play of a lower handicap this year, but will look to defend the Post Office trophy; Top postman himself, Eddie MacKenzie, & club captain Sandy Bruce will also be close.
The list of other top pairs includes Al “Greens” MacLeod & Ali Nicolson, David “Kiwi” MacLeod & Stephen Moar, Andy Macdonald & Neil Rowlands ( who between them hold all the Island’s “majors”), Scott MacIver & David Gray, John Fraser & “Sweeney”, Arthur & Douggie MacIntosh, Jamie Duncan & George MacAskill, D.J Maclean & Jim Watson to name but a few.
The winter league sees a kind of “chemical” reaction between golfers who appear to become greater than (and I hope no-one takes offence) the sum of their “parts”. Teams who gel well are more likely to win the league than teams of reasonably competent golfers, or teams containing undoubted ability who do not.
Some teams start slowly, and leave the scoring till the “business end” of the season, others fly off to a decent start, and need catching, whilst the steady scorers tend to position themselves, picking up points at crucial stages . Until last years’ demolition job by the Chrises, the league had traditionally gone to “the wire”. Teams with the ability to score off very reduced handicaps and pick up “scraps” were the ones to watch and be wary of, and whilst predicting no-one will win in a similar canter this year, I am again prepared to eat my words should any pair prove me wrong.
Joint winners on Saturday were Ian “Tod” MacKenzie & “Zebo” MacLeod and Neil MacKenzie & Norrie”T” MacDonald.
But for a double bogey at the last Ian and Zebo would have been clear winners, but the day was littered with similar tales of “could have been”. Three under after four, Arthur & Douggie haemorrhaged several shots on the inward half to drop some points. A similar fate befell Andy & Neil who also managed to get to -3 at one stage before some bogies spoilt an otherwise impressive card. Score of the day has to be the in –form Murdo O’Brien’s nett 44 on his own. As someone commented that there was never a policeman around when you needed one, partner Murdo Fraser, will feel the pressure, when he returns, to propel the pair to a better score, and not take any retrograde steps after his partner’s excellent, unaided, start.
New pairing Roddy Martin& Norrie “Eggs” Mackenzie may well be dark horses this year, and managed useful points on their first outing together. Having ditched their slothful partners to mount a more sustained (and enjoyable; it is no fun competing on your own every week) challenge on the league, they could well prove surprise packages. Norrie Munro & John MacKinnon, as well as Robbie MacRae & Dennis Hall proved that the senior section is still very competitive, registering points, and a look at those who made it onto the leaderboard after week one will show anyone left in any doubt, that it takes all sorts , and that anything is possible.
The first of many £1 challenges came and went last weekend, and though not having heard the expression “candy from a baby” for quite some time, it was very evident in the bar at 4pm on Saturday. History will remind the winners that there is usually a return leg(s), and not to put their winnings in the piggy-bank quite yet.
Can I remind everyone of the Prize-Giving a week Friday (26th October)? This is one of the main events of the year, and all members as well as prize-winners (especially major prize winners) should make the effort to attend. There will be some “fun” prizes as well as the usual ones, we will try to keep the formalities to a minimum, and let us all celebrate the end of a great golfing summer with a few drinks, and a craic.
Ian "Todd" MacKenzie & Zebo 43 (14)
Norrie"T" MacDonald & Neil MacKenzie 43 (14)
Murdo O'Brien 44 (9)
Arthur & Douggie MacIntosh 44 (9)
Andy MacDonald & Neil Rowlands 45 (5)
Norrie Munro & John MacKinnon 45 (5)
Jamie Duncan & George MacAskill 45 (5)
Roddy Martin & Norrie "Eggs" MacKenzie 45 (5)
Stephen Moar & David"Kiwi" Macleod 45 (5)
Kenny"5"MacIver & Allan MacLeod 45 (5)
Robbie MacRae & Dennis Hall 46 (1)
Ali"Greens"MacLeod & Ali Nicolson 46 (1)
Paul & Jordan MacLean 46 (1)
Peter Dickie & Stewart MacDonald 46 (1)
Donald-Zebo-MacLeod-&-Ian-Tod-MacKenzie.jpg
Donald (Zebo) Macleod & Iain (Tod) Mackenzie
NorrieT-MacDonald-&-Neil-MacKenzie.jpg
Norrie (T) Macdonald & Neil Mackenzie