HELD over by two weeks to allow the Thurso golf course to dry out from heavy October rains, their North Golf Alliance fixture provided the opportunity for Tain's Mike Sangster to make amends for losing out on a second place at Durness.
In the first fixture of the new season at Durness, Sangster lost out on second scratch after a countback with his club mate, Munro Ferries, but gained some consolation from winning the low handicap section with nett 69. At Thurso he enjoyed a three shot scratch win while the home club favourites were still recovering from their previous evening's attendance at their club's annual presentation of trophies function.
Against the Thurso par of 35 the Tain three handicapper went out in a two over score of 37 but on the return leg to the clubhouse he got back to level par with two birdies in a run of four holes from the 12th to the fourteenth. His one scary moment came at the 16th hole where he missed his tee shot but scraped a bogey five to bring his inward card back to 33 for the winning one over par 70.
Local member Bryan Ronald, the season's first winner at Durness, finished with 73 to get a second place and the home members failed to achieve higher than a third place in either of the two handicap sections.
Raymond Lockie completed a Tain double with the winning handicap card in the Class 1 section, his nett 69, off 9, two ahead of the first Caithness golfer to register a prizewinning score, Wick's John Hunter, a fine gross 75 which earned him a nett 71 and second handicap. Other Ross-shire scores included a gross 78 from Billy Ferries and a 79 from Invergordon's John MacIvor which reduced to nett 73 for third place in Class 1.
Durness members carried over their home dominance of the Class 2 handicap section, three of their home winners once more prominent. John Mackenzie and Gerald Klein each moved up a place, Mackenzie matching the nett par of 69 and Klein in second place one behind. The only local member with a handicap prize winning card was Stanley Ross whose inward count beat Durness's David Corbett for third place.
Brora Golf Club hosts the Alliance fixture this weekend and on Saturday hand over the course to pals of the late Donald Mackay who a competition in his memory and at the same time raise funds for the local surgery heart-start equipment fund. The former Brora Rangers and Ross County midfield general died suddenly in January 2004 and all former footballing friends and colleagues are welcome to play. It is just a 15 hole Saturday morning sweepstake competition with the small entry fee of £7.50. A starting time can be booked with the Brora Secretary 01408 621409.
Thurso Results
Scratch M Sangster (Tain) 70; B Ronald (Thurso) 73.
Handicap Class 1 R Lockie (Tain) (9) 69; J Hunter (Wick) (4) 71; J MacIvor (Invergordon) (6) 73; W Mowat (Reay) (6) 74.
Class 2 J MacKenzie (Durness) (16) 69; G Klein (Durness) (20) 70; S Ross (Thurso) (13) 72; D Corbett (Durness) (15) 72.
AT their Annual Meeting in Newtonmore at the beginning of the month the Northern Counties Women's Golf Association appointed new officials to serve for the next two seasons. A past captain in years 1994 and 1995, Pam Gordon (Inverness) succeeded Mary Law (Forres) as president. Lynne Fraser (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) succeeded Florence Allan (Nairn) as captain, Liz Coghill (Royal Dornoch was appointed vice-captain and Jacqui Coulthard (Grantown on Spey) succeeded Dorothy Marshall (Forres) as secretary and treasurer. Ann Ross (Muir of Ord) remains the junior organiser.
FORTROSE resident Alan Cameron, whose home club Inverness looks after his scratch handicap, played in his first North Scottish Alliance fixture of the season last Saturday at Forres Golf Club and returned the best scratch score of the day, a two under par 68. Cameron a regular winner on last season's North Scottish Alliance season was in excellent form reeling of consecutive par figures over the first eleven hole before a strong finish of three birdies at the 12th 15th and 16th holes with just the one bogey on his card at the 13th hole in halves of 35 and 33.
Cameron finished two shots ahead of his Inverness club mate and Ex Forres member Bryan Fotheringham who on his return to his former home course shot six birdies but too many bogeys in his card of 70.
Scores from other Ross shire entries over the tree lined Forres course were, Michael McArthur (F&R) 76, Robert Mackay (F&R) 80, Willie Donnelly (F&R) 82 and Vince Tillman (Muir of Ord) 82.
McArthur's gross score turned into a nett 68 to win the third handicap voucher in the Class 2 section and following him into fourth place was his club mate David Spence, nett 69.
Hole in One Reward.
THE ultimate lifetime shot, the hole in one, the ace or just the lucky strike, call it what you may, but from January 1, 2012 there will be no limit on the value of the prize an amateur golfer can win if he manages to hole out in one shot.
That was the good news for golf clubs and sponsors of amateur events announced by the game's governing body, The Royal & Ancient Golf Club, St Andrews last week in changes to the rules of amateur status effective from New Year's Day, January 2012.
Announcing the rule changes the R&A's director of rules and equipment standards, David Rickman said, "We felt the time was right to carry out a fundamental review of the Rules of Amateur Status. We were conscious that many sports had done away with amateur status rules and we felt that was an appropriate question for us to ask.
"We concluded that it is very important that golf retains its amateur regulations, mainly because of the self-governing nature of the game, both in terms of playing rules and handicapping. We felt that uncontrolled financial incentives could place too much pressure on these important features."
A new ruling (Rule 3-2b) excludes hole in one prizes from the general prize limit and allow high value prizes, including cash to be awarded.
This exception, which brings the R&A into line with the USGA Rules of Amateur Status, is specific to prizes for holes in one achieved while playing a round of golf and neither separate events nor multiple-entry events qualify.
Most professional tournaments offer hole in one prizes which add some real interest for the players and fans. It is now great to think that club golfers who get that lucky ace can now enjoy the same experience.
Rules have also been relaxed on subsistence payments paid through the national golf unions to top amateurs preparing to make the difficult change to the professional game.
They will now be able to enter into an agreement with an agent or sponsor as long as they do not receive any financial gain while still an amateur. Rickman explained, "The rules on contracts now reflect the modern game and adopt a much more realistic and common sense approach. Similarly, the rules on subsistence expenses should help the support of talent whenever it may emerge across the golfing world.
So before next season's club fixtures are announced the advice is, get out to your course's par three holes and practice that shot and you could become the owner of a sponsor's brand new car!
Full and finite details of the rule changes can be found on the R&A's website www.randa.org.
