Tain bright sparks drive away the winter blues!
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
AN EASTER Ross golf club has come up with a bright idea to drive away the winter gloom.
In a bid to boost the value of year-round membership, Tain Golf Club professional Stuart Morrison bought flashing golf balls in a bold bid to allow play in the dark.
While the quirky off-season idea was hit by a couple of particularly bad winters, the trailblazer went ahead last Friday.
Explained Stuart: "On Friday morning there was 1.5 inches of snow lying on the course and it was looking doubtful we would manage to go ahead. I decided that the snow wouldn’t be too much of a hindrance as playing golf in the dark was farcical enough, so what did in matter if there was a little snow on the ground!"
After sweeping snow from the winter greens, it was decided the evening was a goer. Twenty-four golfers playing in six 4-balls played foursomes golf over five holes: the 1st, 2nd, 16th, 17th and 18th.
With fluorescent glow sticks marking the tees, attached to the flags and put into the holes, golfers put themselves to the test. Said Stuart: "As it is so dark down at the golf club with very little light pollution the quality of the glow sticks was superb. You could see the 1st flag glowing from over 400 yards away. All of the players required a torch and had fluorescent wrist bands on to help them see.
"Some of the members got right into the spirit of the event as one of them went down the fairway lit up and flashing better than most Christmas trees I’ve seen. A number of spectators came down to the club to watch and with the clubhouse lights off you were able to see the balls going through the air like tracer bullets as if the RAF were bombing on the range beyond the course!
"Everybody thoroughly enjoyed it and gathered in the clubhouse for a meal that was included in the entry fee where I did a short prizegiving. The plan is to do it again in February and be better prepared to allow more people to play."
More local sport in this week's Ross-shire Journal.
