Holiday coaching helps Ross youngsters improve their skills
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Growth in Invergordon Golf Club’s junior section has prompted the addition of Monday night sessions during the holidays to supplement the existing Friday evening ClubGolf coaching sessions.
Youngsters’ skills have improved so much since starting in April that the extra playing sessions have been laid on so they can get on to the golf course to play nine holes and gain a junior handicap.
On Saturday, August 25, Invergordon are hosting the Ross-Shire Junior Golf Championships. That will be followed on Sunday, August 26 with the club’s Junior Open, this year sponsored by J D Cowper. This event is a North District Order of Merit event.
Juniors interested should contact the Golf Club on 01349 852715.
Black Isle Open
JAMES Braid’s classic creation on Chanonry Point proved a tough test in last weekend’s Black Isle 36-hole open competition, sponsored by Ness Motors..
Even the local members who normally cope with the testing winds which periodically sweep the exposed links struggled to stay clear of this season’s torturous rough.
Ian Wilson of Dalmahoy Golf and Country, Edinburgh, became the first non-local player to win the Black Isle Open scratch trophy in several years.
Just two players in the field of 88 came anywhere close to matching the par of 71 as the CSS rose in both rounds. Cards of 73 from George Murray (Strathlene) in round one and club secretary and holder Michael MacDonald in round two were the pick of the day.
But MacDonald’s second round effort came too late to retain the trophy after disaster in round one when he missed the narrow 17th fairway not once but twice from the tee. The cost of losing two golf balls to the whins resulted in a score of nine in his first round 78.
MacDonald escaped with second place as locals Peter Cameron (77/74) and Chris Gaittens (77/77) came into the reckoning alongside Strathlene’s Murray whose first round 73 rose by six to 79.
The blow of losing a local scratch winner was softened when members Euan Skinner and Duncan Bridger fought on to win their respective handicap sections. Four-handicapper Skinner had a very good scratch card of 70 to post a nett 70 in round two for a nett winning aggregate of 143. In the higher section, Bridger, off 10, shot nett 74 & 70 for 144 and a comfortable seven shot win over clubmate Lewis Patience.
Results (CSS 72):
Scratch — I Wilson (Dalmahoy) 150 (75/75); M MacDonald (F&R) 151 (78/73); P Cameron (F&R) 151 (77/74); G Murray (Strathlene) 152 (73/79); C Gaittens (F&R) 153 (77/77).
Handicap Section 1 — E Skinner (F&R) (4) 143 (73/70); G Fraser (F&R) (9) 144 (70/74); K MacKay (Inverness) (5) 145 (74/71); K Gaittens (F&R) (4) 145 (73/72); J Fair (F&R) (6) 146 (78/68).
Handicap Section 2 — D Bridger (F&R) (10) 144 (74/70); L Patience (F&R) (10) 147 (73/74); G Leonard (F&R) (12) 149 (75/74); S Gammie (F&R) (12) 149 (74/75); D Patterson (F&R) (10) 150 (75/75).
Other results from the club:
Seniors Stableford Open home CSS 70, away CSS 71.
Handicap Section 1 — D Dewar (Inverness) (13) 43 points; D Patterson (F&R) (11) 42; D Jackson (Glasgow) (11) 41; G Cameron (F&R) (10) 39; G Knapp (Muir of Ord) (14) 39; K Patience (F&R) (14) 37; P Lee (Royal Dornoch) (4) 37.
Handicap Section 2 — J Hopwood (Torvean) (22) 37; R Jack (F&R) (24) 37; W Sime (Auchterarder) (15) 35; N Campbell (F&R) (19) 34; G Christie (Torvean) (24) 34; A S Patience (F&R) (19) 34; N Stewart (F&R) (15) 34.
Strathpeffer Spa Golf Club
Gents results:
Surrey Cup and Macmillan Cancer Competition — 1 Brian Mackenzie (6) 62; 2 Martin Mackenzie (5) 63; 3 Neil Duff (9) 63.
Club Prize — 1 Michael MacNab (6) 62; 2 Dod Krzyzanowski (5) 64; 3 Philip Bannerman (6) 63.
Seniors Medal — 1 M H Skelly 37; 2 Chris Hickson 35; 3 Cliff Eveleigh 34.
Ladies results
MacCarthy and Stone 2 Ball Greensomes — Rachael Bannerman and Wendy Crossley.
Spring Meeting — Melonie Morrison.
Michie Spark Mixed Foursome also Save the Children Qualifier — Paul and Jean Burnell.
Alness Golf Club
THIS week’s results:
Ladies July Medal
Silver — 1 I Ross (15) 70; 2 J Keith (14 ) 70
Bronze — 1 M Rogers (34) 80; 2 M Matthew (36) 82.
Gents Dalmore 4th Round — 1 S MacKinlay (12) 59; 2 M Armstrong (12) 62.
Extra Medal — 1 I Kennedy (19) 65; 2 D Clark (6) 67.
Club Championships
Scratch — 1 R Jack; 2 D Stevenson.
Handicap — 1 C Doull; 2 S Williamson.
Seniors — 1 C K Whythe; 2 W Stevenson.
Ladies
Scratch — 1 I Ross; 2 C Fraser.
Handicap — 1 J MacArthur; 2 E Fraser.
Tain Golf Club
RESULTS this week were:
RBS Better Ball Pairs — 1 I Cooper (7) and R Porteous (14) 62 (BIH); 2 J Dundas (6) and B Mitchell (7) 62; 3 E Morrison (6) and A MacKintosh (17) 64.
Ladies:
Captain’s prize and trophy — 1 P Shearer (19) 72; 2 L Mackay (17) 72; 3 C Ross (4) 76.
Muir of Ord Golf Club
RESULTS from the club this week:
Ladies Monthly Medal (CSS 70)
Silver — J Fraser (20) 71; M Ritchie (18) 72.
Bronze — F Graham (26) 70; L Barras (24) 74.
Seniors Ian MacLean Memorial Trophy (CSS 66) — I D Morrison (25) 41 points; A Ferguson (22) 28; R Stewart (14) 37.
Seniors Stableford (CSS 66) — A Pollock (15) 40 points; A Polson (25) 39; H Steele (13) 37; P Longmoor (25) 37; M. Mackay (22) 37.
Three Ball Better Ball Open — D Marshall, P Mackenzie and K Mackenzie (54); J Fraser, A Hercher and S Jack (54); G Bennett, C Campbell and J Innes (55); S Lemmon, B Mckay and W Giles (55).
