Fortrose and Rosemarkie duo come good when it counts
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THE Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club’s pairing of Mike MacDonald (secretary) and John Jack (match and handicap convenor) produced a superb better-ball score of 63 (nine under par) for a four-shot victory in last week’s Belhaven Best Captains and Secretaries Championship final at Crail’s Craighead Links.
Their Ross-shire club took the title for the first time, finishing four shots clear of the Turnhouse duo of Douglas Sime and Lindsay Gordon, who combined for a net 67.
Scratch player MacDonald, playing in his fourth final, attributed his team’s success to consistency from both players throughout the round: “We gelled really well and it helped having a practice round the day before to get to know the course,” he said. “We were both in play on nearly every hole so we gave ourselves good chances, and I managed to knock in quite a few birdie putts.”
MacDonald, the reigning club champion at Fortrose added: “I’ve been to a few captains and secretaries finals so its nice to finally win one – it must be down to my partner John! We only just scraped through the regional final so probably weren’t expecting to win, but it’s great to be crowned champions of what is a great national event on a superb golf course.”
The win caps a fine year for Fortrose and Rosemarkie, who’s fantastic work in developing grass roots golf in their community earned them the title of RBS Junior Club of the Year at the Scottish Golf Awards back in February.
• MUIR OF ORD’S Bert Nicholson was a strong tip to lift his first North District title since winning the North of Scotland 72-hole David Blair championship in his amateur peak year of 1973. But now as a senior he slipped up twice at Boat of Garten last Friday in a play-off for the North District Macallan Seniors title.
Achieving a lifetime goal was David Bunker of Nairn Dunbar who got his name onto the trophy that was won by his uncle John Duggie in the first two years of the championship, 1983 and 1984.
Bunker and Nicholson posted cards of 73. Brodie, 36 and 37, and Nicholson, 37 and 36, against the par of 70. The Ross-shire player might have won at the first attempt but he bogied the final hole and the same hole would again haunt him in the play off. The first and final holes were used for the play-off and at the par three first, although missing the green Bunker made his par three with an eight foot putt while Nicholson three putted from the fringe missing a four foot par attempt.
From the Fairways
North District Seniors at Boat of Garten (CSS 71)
Scratch — 73 D Bunker (Nairn Dunbar), B Nicholson (Muir of Ord). (Bunker won two-hole play off 8 to 9); 74 L Chancellor (Inverness).
Category A (55 to 64)
Scratch — G Tregaskis (Boat of Garten) 76.
Handicap — P Jackson (Nairn Dunbar) (10) 68; D M Cormack (Inverness) (12), T Bartlett (RDGC) (13) 69.
Category B (65 to 70)
Scratch — F Sharp (Boat of Garten) 75.
Handicap — J Young (Moray) (5), P Smith (Moray) (5) 7; I MacKenzie (Moray) (6) 73.
Category C (71+)
Scratch — J S Thomson (Inverness) 77.
Handicap — I Tasker (Moray) (10) 73; C Stewart (Moray) (13), A Baggot (RDGC) (10) 78.
Ross and Sutherland Seniors Golf Society
SIXTY-EIGHT members competed for the Ackie Robertson Trophy at Tain Golf Club on Wednesday, September 10 where the conditions were perfect.
Category 1 — 1 H Milne (Muir of Ord) 36 points (BIH); 2 J A Cameron (Tain) 36; 3 D Macleod (Strathpeffer) 34.
Category 2 — 1 J Bradley (Tain) 35; 2 M Rodgers (Strathpeffer) 33; 3 M Anderson (Tain) 31 (BIH).
Category 3 — 1 J McLeod (Bonar Bridge/Ardgay) 36; 2 S Harmon (Strathpeffer) 33; 3 G Kelman (Tain) 32.
The winner of the Ackie Robertson Trophy was Hamish Milne (Muir of Ord) (BIH from J McLeod).
Thanks to Murdo Reed for organising the day.
The next outing will be to Golspie Golf Club on Wednesday, October 1 when they will play for the County Cup, hold the AGM and hold the prizegiving.
Strathpeffer Spa Golf Club
Dewar Cup — 1 A Cushnie (18) 62; 2 I A Bartlett (12) 63; 3 L Manson (6) 65.
P A Marshall Cup — 1 K Bartlett (5) 60; 2 J Pirie (7) 61; 3 I A Bartlett (12) 64.
Autumn Meeting —1 S Lemmon (7) 60; 2 I McKie (10) 62; 3 K Bartlett (5) 64.
18 Hole Open Sponsored by Strathpeffer Hotel
Scratch — 1 G Ross (Strath) (3) 65 Last six holes; 2 D Hexley (Golspie) (1) 65; 3 K Bartlett (Strath) (5) 66.
Handicap — 1 J Ramsay (Strath) (10) 56; 2 Barry MacKay (Strath) (10) 60; 3 S Warnock (Strath) (22) 62 BIH.
Three-man Team Challenge (Stableford) — 1 K Ross, M Bartlett and D Krzyzanowski 109; 2 W Giles, Brian Mackay and D L MacDonald 106; 3 I Bartlett, N Ross and G MacAllister 104.
Ladies
Cleish Trophy — 1 M Morrison (15 ) 65; 2 K Grainger (7) 68; 3 J Burnell (22) 70.
Sweep — 1 K Bartlett (16) 68; 2 K McFleat (15) 70; 3 E Bannerman (18) 73.
Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club
Gents 18-hole Open (Home CSS 70 and Away CSS 73) (All Fortrose and Rosemarkie unless stated)
Scratch Section — M MacDonald 69; A. Cameron 73; D Ewen (Whitekirk) 74; E Skinner 75.
Handicap Section One — P Schnier (6) 66; D Younie (7) 69; D Tuach (9) 70; A Brown (4) 71.
Handicap Section Two — G Godsman (16) 65; D Lackie (14) 65; R MacLeman (12) 69; D Newbigging (10) 70.
