March 15th 2008
SPECIAL TEAMS
I was wonder whilst sweating over the League Cup Final , last Sunday, if the introduction of “special teams” , as in American Rugby ( don’t call it football, that’s just plain silly) would be a good idea in other sports? Around about the 120th minute, I was thinking how good it would be if a “specialist” team of penalty takers could be catapaulted onto the field to finally kill off the tangerine menace and secure a first trophy for 3 years. My heart went out to Ali” Baba” MacLeod and John Edward who ,as resident “Arabs”, must have hoped that their side could repay the faith owner Eddie Thompson has shown in the club these past years. Kris Boyd, however, had other ideas, and at times represents a specialist, one-man team of his own.
In golf, especially in a team golf event , possibly more especially in a Texas scramble; it is useful to have a “mix” in the team where ideally you have a good driver of the ball, a good iron player, a good short-game specialist, and a good finisher (putter).
With the added caveat in this format of every player having to “count” with three tee-shots, you should also select a good “captain” to make the tricky decisions as to when to select who’s and which shot to play (next).
In such a format, with so many teams of varying ability, different handicap allowances and temperament, and never knowing how partnerships will gel, it is always going to be extremely difficult to pick a winner. Isn’t it?
Of course it isn’t.
Winners of their second “scramble” of the season in the inaugural Winter Thaw wind down to the regular Winter League were the team of Ken “Lawyer” MacDonald, Bryan Geddes, Colin MacRitchie & Dave Rattray. Following on from their triumph in the TexMas scramble in December, this fourball again proved too good for the very healthy eighteen teams who participated last weekend. It was with a feeling of deja-who? that I listened to the scores coming into the clubhouse around 4pm on Saturday. Having been pipped into second place by Ken & Co before Xmas ( by a single shot), our team this time around were marginally more miffed to lose this time by a mere 0.6 of a shot. No matter the margin; the combination of youth , length and dexterity ( Brian & Colin?) as well as experience, accuracy and finishing ( Ken & Dave ?) eased to victory with an excellent 6-under , gross 41.
“We left a few shots out there” commented Colin on returning to the club. If it’s any consolation Colin, we didn’t, and although the four of you are proving to be our nemeses in Texas scrambles, the combination outlined above is proving irresistible.
Well played.
Footnote to Texas Scramble watchers ( bit like trainspotters on the island; rare!) Ken & Dave also played in the winning team in the Island Games event last June. Pair yourselves with these two gentlemen for team success.
Gross H'Cap Nett
1. Dave Rattray 41 3 38
Colin Macritchie
Kenneth N Macdonald
Bryan Geddes
2. M. Maclennan 41 2.6 38.4
Neil Mackenzie
Norrie (T) Macdonald
David Black
3.Peter O'Brien 44 5 39
Norrie Munro
Norman Maclean
John Mackinnon
This week saw the Annual “Cheltenham” golf outing, brilliantly forecasted by Donald “Sweeny” MacSween. With the week looking bleak for runners and riders alike, he managed to pick a window in the inclement weather to schedule the event around the only sunshine of the week ( Saturday excepted). Played along a skins format, the six participants enjoyed a late afternoon of mayhem on the golf course. With Mr MacSween having organised the handicaps prior to the event, the late addition of one of the club’s best golfers to the spree , relieved some of the tension on the previously incumbent low handicapper (everything is relative ) . That both golfers are called Norrie Macdonald may lead the more discerning amongst you to have figured out who was who.
Handicaps mean fairness , and the biggest “skin” of the day (4) was won by Peter Grant who had strung us all along nicely, missing several vital putts,on the run up to his “haul”. When I say handicaps, it was Cheltenham week, and not to be out “Irished” by the Irish, they had their own alternative handicapping system. Very Ad-Hoc it was too. Neil Morrison won the “Shot of the day” ( A bet on a Draw/Werder Bremen win result….lucky chap! ) from behind a speed bump on the 18 th; Entee won a free haircut from any one of his playing partners by virtue of being nearest the pin on the same hole ( first time around), and is contemplating dreadlocks.
All in all an excellent day out; even some of the horses selected from the local accountant managed to make it all the way round.
He took some serious money, I gather, on them making it all the way round too.
From my senior correspondent:
Enjoyed the Texas Scramble. Our "Fearsome Foursome" (average age very close to 70 yrs) started at the Ardchoille and recorded 2,3,3,4,2,4
- 18 strokes for the first six holes.
Guess we must have tired after that (we should be having a nap about 2:30pm) and a bogey at the Dardanelles effectively scuppered our chances of top spot. It made a nice change from trying to grind out a few points in the Winter League and it's a format that most people seem to enjoy.
Senior’s Winter League
There was a little more senior activity this week, but again scoring was generally below par. The only bright spot was a very workmanlike 26 points from Dennis Hall. It’s testimony to how well the old guy is playing at the moment when he comes home two under par off a handicap that has effectively been reduced from 15 to 8 over the winter months (taking the normal 18 hole equivalent adjusted for 12 holes).
As a result of the above score Dennis has now drawn level with Norrie Munro at the top of the league table. With three weeks to go, it’s all to play for.
Senior’s -Top Scores
Dennis Hall 26
Norrie Munro 24
Duncan MacLean 23
Norrie MacLean 21
John MacKinnon 21
Senior’s League Table
Dennis Hall 247
Norrie Munro 247
Norrie MacLean 233
Duncan MacLean 232
‘Bronco’ MacArthur 230
Norrie MacKenzie 230
John MacKinnon 230
Winter Thaw 12 Hole Texas Scramble Winners
Ken Macdonald, Bryan Geddes, Colin Macritchie & Dave Rattray
Cheltenham Runners, Riders & Fallers
Back Row: Neil Morrison, Donald Macsween, Liam McGeoghegan, Norrie (O) Macdonald
Front Row: Peter Grant,
Norrie (T) Macdonald
Back Row: Neil Morrison, Donald Macsween, Liam McGeoghegan, Norrie (O) Macdonald
Front Row: Peter Grant,
Norrie (T) Macdonald