Stornoway Golf Club

December 29th 2007

HUW & MARTEN FINISH YEAR ON A HIGH

It is always good to end the year on a “high”, especially when you have been somewhat tardy off the blocks in the final competition (or is it the first?)of the golfing season, the Winter League. Marten James and Huw Lloyd claimed top points last Saturday with a fine nett score of 38 points, and will be hoping to have kick-started a late challenge. Both saw success during the “regular” season finishing on the winning team in the Tong Choir Texas Scramble, and Marten pairing Mary Joyce to win the Olsen tankard. They did (unfortunately) also experience serious disappointment losing out in the final of the Consolation Cup (pairs) competition to current winter league leaders Murdo & Magnus Johnson.

It is great to see this very popular pairing back amongst the serious scoring, and if both play to the maximum of their abilities, they should grace the leaderboard every week.

If only playing to ones’ ability with anything approaching regularity were so simple. For one pairing it does appear to be effortless, and as we enter 2008, the familiar pairing mentioned above (Murdo & Magnus) still coast at the top of the league by what appears to be a comfortable eleven points.

Year in, year out, the Johnston twins combine to mount (always) the most serious challenge in the league, or to any aspirants to the title. If any pairing sets themselves the target of finishing above them, then they will, with a fair degree of certainty, come very close to, if not claim, the league title. They have bags of ability, and manage to play to it with alarming (to the rest of us) regularity. Who can stop them?

It was good to see so many familiar pairings scoring good points at the weekend: Murty MacDonald & Iain MacRitchie, Sandy Bruce & Eddie MacKenzie, Ali “Ban” & “Flute”, Arthur & Douggie and David Black & Hollo amongst those scoring 8 points in second (joint) place one shot behind the winners on nett 39’s.

This will be the first golf notes of 2008, and I would like to take a chance to mention the golfers I think who deserve mention for their performances in 2007.

Neil Rowlands, significantly, because he holds not only the title of Western Isles Open Champion but also added the title of Harris Open Champion to prove his “mettle” on both sides of the Clisham.

Andy MacDonald for not only winning the Club Champion with some magnificent golf in adverse weather conditions, but being the most improved golfer in the club over the year, despite being one of the finest to begin with. (This is no mean feat when you consider the difficulty in improving in his elite category). Andy also led the Western Isles Golf Team in the World Island Games in Rhodes to a very creditable finish, and was magnificently supported by three other golfers who (together) were a credit to the club and the Islands; Norrie”Onions” MacDonald, Kevin MacRae & David Black.

Ken (Lawyer) MacDonald for retaining the handicap Western Isles Title & Ian MacRitchie for winning the senior title.

Murdo O’Brien for his excellent form all season and capturing several “titles”

The ladies section was dominated by Mary Joyce (Club champion), with Jan MacLennan (Western Isles Open winner) & Mairi MacIver providing the stiffest her challengers.

In the junior section, Scott MacAulay and Ally Gillies won the “majors” and we look forward to their competing at senior level soon.

No Golf club is complete without an ensemble of folk who make a “club” possible. Morag, Ally ,Christa and Co behind the bar who provide us with food and other, ahem, “sustenance”. Al and Cal who provide us with the hard work and expertise around the course to make our enjoyment of it limitless (should we take the time to appreciate), and Mr John Graham, our starter, who is pivotal to ensuring that all our competition golf is “managed” from first tee-off till last.

Senior’s Winter League – w/e 29/12/07

A week of indifferent weather saw very little activity until Friday afternoon.

‘Bronco’ was mentally counting the sweep money when Peter O’Brien returned to the clubhouse with an unbeatable 29 points. The first half of Peter’s round was unremarkable but he covered the last seven holes in one over par – the only blemish being a bogey at the difficult Manor.

The senior’s league table below is based on the aggregate of one’s best ten scores over the season. It has now reached the stage where one or two players are in a position to discard their worst score(s), but some others have only played seven or eight rounds and the table does not yet reflect their true position. Dennis Hall and John MacKinnon are two that would be expected to make an appearance on the leader-board in the coming weeks.

Scores Saturday 29.12.07 Gross H/C Nett Points

H Lloyd & M James 46 8 38 15

M Macdonald & I Macritchie 46 7 39 8

Sandy Bruce & E Mackenzie 44 5 39 8

Ali MacLennan & Neil Macleod 51 12 39 8

A Macintosh & JD Macintosh 45 6 39 8

D Black & M MacLennan 40 1 39 8

A A Macleod & J Edward 50 10 40 4

C Robertson & R Galloway 43 3 40 4

R Martin & N Mackenzie 47 7 40 4

Ali Nicolson & Al Macleod 43 2 41 1

S MacIver & D Gray 45 4 41 1

D Macsween & J Fraser 49 8 41 1

Chris Kelso & DR Macarthur 48 7 41 1

League Leaders Points

Murdo & Magnus Johnston 72

J Gillies & G Brown 61

DJ Smith & D Macleod 59

Ali Nicolson & Al"Greens"MacLeod 58

D.Black & Murdo 57

Junior Scores 29.12.07 Gross H/C Nett Points

Stuart Macaulay 62 21 41 10

Charlie Morrison 53 11 42 8

Alasdair Gillies 50 7 43 5

Scott Macaulay 53 4 49 2

Kevin Gillies 69 20 49 2

Kenny Macleod 63 14 49 2

Junior League Leaders Points

1. Kenny Macleod 62

2. Stuart Macaulay 60

3. Scott Macaulay 57

Senior Scores Week Ending 29.12.07

Peter O’Brien 29

John MacKinnon 25

‘Bronco’ MacArthur 24

Norrie MacKenzie 23

Bob Millett 23

Senior League Leaders

Norrie Munro 232

Norrie MacLean 221

‘Bronco’ MacArthur 220

Norrie Mackenzie 216

Robbie MacRae 216