Three in running for England's Club of the Year award

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION
After the final round of judging, the top three clubs who will be contesting the GolfMark Club of the Year Award have been named.
Chapel-en-le-Frith Golf Club in Derbyshire, Paultons Golf Centre in Hampshire and Stoke by Nayland Golf Club in Essex will all be attendance when the final result is announced at the English Golf Union’s (EGU) and English Women’s Golf Association’s (EWGA) County Development Conference on February 23.
This year the Award is being sponsored by Cobra Golf who will be presenting the top accolade plus prizes to the winning club during the evening’s ceremony.
EGU and EWGA Golf Development Manager, Richard Flint said, “We have been extremely impressed with the quality of clubs nominated for this year’s award. It is clear that everyone who was nominated has shown both dedication and creativity in the work they do in welcoming both juniors and beginners to the game and they are all great ambassadors for golf.”
The three clubs came through a tough judging procedure which saw them initially compete against nominations from each County Golf Partnership to then reach a short list of eight clubs that were finally assessed by a panel from the EGU, EWGA, PGA and Golf Foundation.

Scot stands down after 10 years with Royal Canadian Golf Association

Dean Spriddle becomes Puerto

Rico's Director of Coaching

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Dean Spriddle, a former Fife county champion and Pitreavie Golf Club honorary life member, has stepped down after 10 years as the Royal Canadian Golf Association's head national women's coach, during which time the Scot has established himself as one of the best coaches in North America
The Scot, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, wanted a new challenge and he has got it! Spriddle has quickly been snapped up to be National Golf Director of Coaching on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. He will continue to stay in Canada for most of the year but the new job gives him a chance to expand his many ideas on coaching programmes.
In his decade with the Royal Canadian Golf Association, Spriddle took a fledgling programme to credibility in women's world amateur golf with a runners up and fourth place finishes as a country at the world amateur championships. Spriddle was instrumental in recognizing that a strong coaching program which included the four disciplines of psychology, physiology, tactics and technique were the cornerstones to a successful programme.
Spriddle will now spend more time at home in Alberta, working at his own facility Evergreen Golf Centre, with both beginners and those aspiring to get better and he will continue to develop his highly successful junior and adult coaching programmes
Already a dozen or so boys and girls from his junior coaching programme have gone on to gain scholarships at North American universities.
Spriddle also now embarks on an exciting challenge to make Puerto Rico a world force in amateur golf. Spriddle thinks that with a little guidance and organisation Puerto Rico will be a new force within three to five years. As Director of Coaching, Spriddle’s task will be to find and develop competent coaches at all levels of player development.
"With constant near-ideal golfing conditions on the Caribbean island and excellent resources, the job at hand is both exciting and challenging. With the parents, players and coaches all backing the Puerto Rico Federation, the goal of the programme may indeed be very real," said Spriddle.
The goal is to win medals at the 2012 Women's World Amateur Championships (the Espirito Santo Trophy) in Turkey.
“I am excited about the possibilities in Puerto Rico and I am keen to see what the players and coaches can do and create a program that produces great coaches and players for years to come” said Spriddle as he embarked on what will be one of many journeys to his base at San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. Spriddle expects to spend a minimum of 30 days a year travelling to Puerto Rico or to wherever the job requires.
"For years", according to Sidney Wolf , President of the PRGA, " Puerto Rico has competed around the world with at times spurts of success. With Dean Spriddle's guidance leading up our high performance programme, our hope is to become more consistent as well as more competitive while improving our local golf development programme.
"Our goal is to prepare our teaching professionals to become the very best coaches as the game continues to grow on the island. We are confident and excited for this opportunity to work with someone like Dean who we have known for the past 10 years and are familiar with his dedication and success."
Spriddle, who lives at Lethbridge, Alberta, also hopes to continue to play and practise and to again compete in Canadian PGA events.
During his years as the Royal Canadian GA head women's coach he took his squad over to play in the Ladies' British open amateur championship every year and also took on matches for the Canadians while they were in Scotland.

Look out for Dean doing the same with the Puerto Ricans as he seeks to expand their experience on the world amateur stage.

Scottish golf clubs still reluctant to become

wiser with old age and encourage the young

FROM THE HERALD WEBSITE www.heraldscotland.com
By DOUGLAS LOWE
Hands up all those Scottish golf clubs that have taken positive steps to encourage young people, women and families to join them and redress the balance of our great courses and clubhouses that are threatening to become eventide homes populated mainly by greying old men.
From here, it looks like a minority, but the number of enlightened clubs is certainly more than a year ago when The Herald ran the original Timebomb series, warning that the vast majority of clubs, top heavy with senior men expecting heavily subsidised and even free golf, urgently needed to change course from what was a highway to oblivion.
It is not that clubs want rid of these passionate veterans. Tom Watson, who turned 60 shortly after almost winning last year’s Open Championship at Turnberry, showed that age can be overcome by attitude, and likewise Jack Nicklaus who will be 70 on Thursday.
Seniors have an important role to play, but at stake is the issue of asking them to pay a fair price for the services they receive and retaining them as members while at the same time attracting on board a new generation.
An unprecedented army of baby-boomers are about to enter the ranks of the 65-and-overs but there is little evidence of that younger generation coming in behind to support them. Waiting lists that bred complacency for decades are gone, or fast going, and indications are that memberships are more than 10,000 down over the last six years in a trend that has not yet bottomed out.
Club golf has become a buyer’s market and young people have a choice to the extent that there are tales of some turning up at clubs and attempting to negotiate a bargain in the same way that they would when buying a car.
These people are unlikely to be impressed by stuffy old clubs, from a faintly pompous era with an outdated culture notable for intolerant dress rules, demanding a hefty entrance fee up front in addition to the annual subscription.
What they are more likely to be looking for is an affordable, modern environment catering for their needs and offering value for money. A growing number of clubs understand that and are ready to present a persuasive case why membership is better than a nomadic existence paying green fees.
Yet there are signs that the majority still don’t get it. For those clubs where apathy reigns, they may have to extract their heads from the sand sooner than they think and not only because of ailing balance sheets. Legislation is on the way that promises to outlaw mixed-gender clubs who do not have a policy of equal rights. It may even become illegal to offer subsidies to those pampered senior men, curiously the ones who are often in a position to make most use of the facilities.
The Single Equality Bill that is going through parliament is understood to permit positive discrimination, which means it would be allowable to offer discounts to minorities. In Scottish club golf that tends to be young people, specifically the 18-to-30 age group, and women.
In the past, senior men were a minority, but not any longer. So the generous subsidies that are enshrined in many constitutions as soon as you hit 65, with a suitably long continuity of membership, are under threat.
While we will have to wait and see on that count, there are some clubs who have already grasped the nettle, presented a compelling case to the membership, and taken decisions either to reduce the subsidies or eliminate them altogether.
The ones who have done so deserve credit. They have shown that seniors, an ever more powerful group when it comes to votes at annual meetings, are open to persuasion and are willing to take decisions for the benefit of the club even if it hits them in the pocket.
Another aspect of life at traditional members’ clubs that may have to change is the all-powerful committee comprised usually of well-meaning amateurs, few of whom are the least bit qualified to undertake the job their fellow members have elected them to do. At some clubs they presume to direct key personnel like the manager, steward, professional and head greenkeeper.
These committees change regularly leaving the professionals, who have a much better grasp of what has to be done and are aware of the need of pursuing a long-term plan, in a state of exasperation.
There is a mood of change brought on by a combination of the economic downturn and the demographic crisis, but the indications so far are that it is not happening fast enough.
GOLF TIMEBOMB
* Do you think seniors pay enough for their golf?
* Is your club doing enough to attract young people?
* Are equal rights a good thing?
* What is your solution to falling memberships?
Send your views to sportletters@theherald.co.uk

Australian Master of the Amateurs

Scoreboard: Day 2

YARRA YARRA GOLF CLUB, MELBOURNE
(Four-round event)

36-HOLE TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72). 6,102 metres.

286 AUSTRALIA (Matt Jager 74 72: 146, Jordan Sherratt 66 74: 140).

287 UNITED STATES (Morgan Hoffman 73 73: 146, Bud Cauley 76 65: 141).

291 NEW ZEALAND (Ryan Fox 75 71: 146, Andrew Stewart 75 70: 145).

293 EUROPE (Victor Dubuisson 72 70: 142, Alexsander Kleszcz 76 75: 151).

299 ENGLAND (Matt Haines 72 73: 145, Tommy Fleetwood 83 71: 154).

311 SOUTH AFRICA (J G Classsen 76 79: 155, Leon Knoll 73 83: 156).

315 SOUTH KOREA (Jin Jeong 69 71: 140, Woo Cho 84 91: 175).

323 VANUATU (Tony Mansala 89 77: 166, Josepho Matauatu 80 77: 157).

322 FIJI (Vikrant Chandra 81 78: 159, Ashween Ram 85 78: 153).

331 JAPAN (Fumito Yamada 77 82: 159, Hyuga Sakita 86 86: 172).

Michael Stewart (above) and David Law (right)

Michael Stewart versus David Law in first round

of Argentina championship as all four Scots qualify

Scots David Law and Michael Stewart will play each other in the first round of the match-play stages of the 114th Argentina men's open amateur championship for the Kenneth R Gordon Davis Cup at Buenos Aires Golf Club.
Stewart, the 2008 Scottish boys' match-play champion from the Troon Welbeck club and a

second-year student at East Tennessee State University, was the 11th of the 64 qualifiers after two rounds of stroke-play.
Stewart had rounds of 69 and 74 for 143 while Aberdeen Hazlehead member David Law, winner of both the Scottish amateur men's and Scottish boys' match-play titles this year, was the 54^th qualifier. Law had rounds of 75 and 76 for 151.
Under the automatic draw No 11 plays No 54.
Colville Park's Ross Kellett was the highest Scottish qualifier in joint third place with a pair of 69s for an impressive six-under-par total of 138, two shots behind Benedict Staben (Germany) and Julian Lerda (Argentina), the top two seeds.
Kellett will play the 61^st qualifier, Valentino Dall'arche (Argentina) Guilliaume Cambis.
James Byrne (Banchory), a student at Arizona State University, completes the four Scots in the match-play line-up. He qualified in 20^th place with scores of 70 and 74 for 144, the same level par total as England's Eddie Pepperell (Drayton Park).
Byrne plays Argentina's Martin Celsi who qualified in 48^th place.

Pepperell, the 19^th qualifier, plays Mariano Malmierca (Argentina), who qualified in 46^th position with rounds of 78 and 72.
Scottish open amateur stroke-play champion Tommy Fleetwood (Formby Hall) was the 40^th qualifier with scores of 72 and 76 for 148. He plays Peter Spearman Burn (New Zealand), the 25^th qualifier with rounds of 73 and 72 for 145.
All ties are over 18 holes up to the final which will be over 36 holes.

LEADING QUALIFIERS

Buenos Aires Golf Club, Argentina

Par 144 (2x72)

136 Benedict Staben (Germany) 67 69, Julian Lerda (Argentina) 65 71.

138 Ignacio Elvira (Spain) 69 69, Ross Kellett (Scotland) 69 69 (4th seed).

Selected qualifiers

143 Michael Stewart (Scotland) 69 74 (11th seed)

144 Eddie Pepperell (England) 72 72 (17th seed), James Byrne (Scotland) 70 74 (20th seed).

148 Tommy Fleetwood (England) 72 76 (40th seed).

151 David Law (Scotland) 75 76 (54th seed).

+64th qualifier had a total of 153.

English Golf Union results round-up

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION
England Under 16s share the spoils with Scotland at Arbroath and James Robinson records a top 10 finish in the Turkish Amateur.
To view our Regular Results Round-up on our website please click here
Steve Burnett
Assistant Director of Coaching

Carnoustie, Monifieth host International Pairs World Final

ANGUS FIRMS PREPARE TO WELCOME

WORLD FINAL IN STYLE

NEWS RELEASE
Golfers from across the globe will flock to Carnoustie at the weekend to take part in the 2009 International Pairs World Final and two local businesses have been quick to lend their support to ensure the event is an overwhelming success.
Monifieth taxi firm Fareway Taxis and Broughty Ferry’s West End Garage will be on hand to provide transport for both competitors and staff when the event - the biggest of its kind in the world for club golfers - is held in Angus from October 11-13.
The 36-hole final will be played over two days on Monifieth’s Medal Course, an Open qualifying venue, and the Championship Course at Carnoustie, host of the 2007 Open Championship.
More than £500,000 is expected to be injected into the region’s economy as a result of Angus Council beating off strong competition to host the tournament last year.
And Steve Rennie, boss of Fareway Taxis, and James Ewart, owner of the Honda garage, are keen that everyone involved in the competition leaves Angus with the fondest memories possible after volunteering their services for free.
Two of Rennie’s eight-seater minibuses will transport competitors to the two golf courses and practice ranges from Carnoustie while Ewart has provided two courtesy cars for use by International Pairs’ staff during the event.
Rennie said: “We take pride in being a local business and being able to serve the golfing community within Angus, and in particular, Monifieth and Carnoustie.
“At Fareway Travel, we are proud to be provide transport solutions for a major event, and this opportunity to help out at the International Pairs World Final can only help to benefit local enterprise and promote golfing events.”
Ewart said: “We are always looking to get involved in these type of events.
“ Golf plays a strong part in the local economy, it’s a privilege for our area to stage a tournament like the International Pairs and we are delighted to be able to help out.”
Ross Honey, founder and managing director of International Pairs, added: “Carnoustie is an area that is synonymous with golf for fans of the game across the globe.
“ It’s a pleasure for us to be able to offer people the chance to play one of the great golfing destinations in the world and, with such fantastic support from local businesses, the event is sure to be an experience everyone will remember for the rest of their lives.”
Competitors from 20 countries including South Africa, America, Spain, Canada and Portugal will gather at Carnoustie for the chance to be crowned as the sixth International Pairs world champions and this year will see Romania, Antigua and Barbuda make their debuts in the event.
The world-renowned venue has played an integral role in the success of International Pairs in recent years, hosting the competition’s UK final for three years in a row prior to this month's event.
International Pairs has grown to enjoy a worldwide status since being started by Honey in 1998 and the competition is set to flourish further with global media giants IMG having come on board in 2009 to play an integral role in planning its future.
For more details on International Pairs, visit their website at www.internationalpairs.com or e-mail info@internationalpairs.com

Golf stars will appear at IGF final presentation

to International Olympic Committee

RELEASE ISSUED BY THE INTERNATIONAL GOLF FEDERATION
The International Golf Federation has announced that Padraig Harrington of Ireland, Suzann Pettersen of Norway and Michelle Wie of the United States, as well as 16 year old British Amateur Champion Matteo Manassero of Italy, will participate in the final presentation before the International Olympic Committee membership this Friday during the IOC’s 121st Session.
The four golfers will join Ty Votaw, Executive Director of the IGF Olympic Golf Committee, which has coordinated golf’s Olympic bid, and Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R&A and joint secretary of the IGF.
Golf and rugby sevens, the two sports recommended for the 2016 Olympic Programme in Rio de Janeiro by the IOC Executive Board, will present their final case to the full IOC membership before it votes that same day on whether to accept one, both or neither sport.
“We have demonstrated to the IOC Executive Board throughout the evaluation process that golf’s bid to become an Olympic sport has received unprecedented support from both amateur and professional golf organisations around the world and leading international players,” Votaw said.
“Now, we must reaffirm this support before the full IOC membership and we couldn’t be more pleased than to have Padraig, Suzann, Matteo and Michelle help to communicate this support during our final presentation.”
Leading up to Friday’s vote, golf and rugby sevens emerged from a year-long evaluation that included formal presentations by seven candidate sports, the submission of a Detailed Questionnaire and responses to questions raised by both the IOC Programme Commission and the IOC Executive Board.
The IOC Executive Board announced its recommendation of golf and rugby sevens following a meeting in Berlin, Germany on August 13.

Kate Weldon leaves Scottish Golf Union staff

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
Kate Weldon has left her post as Communications Manager at the SGU after just over three years to pursue new career opportunities. Kate has been a valued and important member of our team at the SGU. She has made a significant contribution in her time with us and we wish her all the best in her future endeavours.
Hamish Grey
Chief Executive
www.scottishgolf.org

Happiness is cup-shaped for Nairn's winning quartet (left to right) Robert Smith, Neil Hampton, Fraser Fotheringham and Steve MacDonald at Peterhead. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency. Click on it to enlarge.

Nairn 1's Smith, Hampton, Fotheringham

and MacDonald win Counties Cup

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Nairn Golf Club won the Northern Counties men's double foursomes match-play golf tournament at Peterhead today for a fourth time since 1998. Their No 1 team of Fraser Fotheringham, Steve MacDonald, Neil Hampton and Robert Smith finished a combined two holes up on Cruden Bay 1's quartet of Michael Buchan, Alan Duff, Dave Milne and Dominic King in the final. Fotheringham and MacDonald finished three holes down to Cruden Bay's Buchan and Duff in the first-string tie but Hampton and Smith, who have partnered each other in each of Nairn's previous wins recently in 1998, 1904 and 2007, came to the rescue by finishing five holes to the good over Cruden Bay's Milne and King. The destination of the trophy which has been contested since 1900, making it one of the oldest amateurs tournaments in Scotland if not farther afield, was still in the balance over the closing holes. Nairn's Fotheringham and MacDonald, always in arrears, were four down after 17 holes but won the 18th, which was to prove crucial. Second-stringers Hampton and Smith were "only" three up with two to play but won the 17th and the 18th to finish five up and these holes were the double whammy clincher, to coin a phrase! Next year's tournament will be played at Royal Dornoch, a classic venue which is persuading Hampton and Smith to partner each other "just one more time!" In fairness to 20-year-old Fotheringham, who will soon be off to spend our winter playing golf in Australia's summer, and MacDonald, who were the losing Nairn pair in the final, it should be stressed that it was their performance in the semi-finals against Nairn 2 that made the difference between victory and defeat. They finished six up while Hampton and Smith finished two down. SATURDAY RESULTS SEMI-FINALS Nairn 1 beat Nairn 2 by four holes F Fotheringham & S MacDonald 6, G Burnett & N Howitt 0. N D Hampton & R Smith 0, P Tomisson & P Saggers 2. Cruden Bay 1 beat Moray 1 by three holes. M Buchan & A Duff 3, I S Geddes & R MacPherson 0. D Milne & D King 0, R Clarke & K Thomson 0. FINAL Nairn 1 beat Cruden Bay 1 by two holes Fotheringham & MacDonald 0, Buchan & Duff 3. Hampton & Smith 5, Milne & King 0.

Scroll down a bit to read earlier E-mails on the subject

Last word from Franco Henningan
(on the topic of who should pay the whacking
Tour School entry fee - if not the player himself!)

Colin,
May I draw your attention to a statement by Hamish Grey, Chief Executive of the Scottish Golf Union, which appears on their website: "The SGU and our partners are focused on providing opportunities and support towards Scottish golfers who have potential to deliver results on a world stage."
So, in view of what has previously been written, who decides which players recieve funding?
Is it 'sport for all' or a welfare state for the elite?
Kevin (McAlpine) was correct (scroll down to read his E-mail), I don't know what I am talking about, but that is because I am asking questions as a golf club member, not as an elite athlete.
I am keen that my golf club is sustainable with a healthy participation level, as opposed to trying to survive financially with nomad visitors, freebie juniors and funded elite players.
And I do value the Professional.
By the way, I do notice that the SGU appear to have at least 19 full-time employees theese days, and if as Mr (Chris) Kelly said, their remit is to develop young amateurs into good professionals, then can I ask, What exactly happened to the National Golf Centre at Drumoig?
All these issues, and those people at the helm, must have a bearing on where we are with the health of golf in Scotland.
Franco Henningan

PAUL EALES WINS INVITATIONAL

PRO-AM AT ARCHERFIELD LINKS

English-born professional Paul Eales, who finished third in the 1999 Volvo PGA championship at Wentworth, won the D J Russell invitational pro-am leading pro prize with a total of 36pt in a Stableford points competition over the Dirleton course at Archerfield Links, East Lothian today
Paul, now a leading coach in Instinctive Golf, an alternative method of teaching the game, won by a single point from David Kirkpatrick (North Berwick) who was based at Lakelands, Florida and played the US mini tours for a number of years.
Elliot Saltman (Aegon) finished third with 34pt and there was a tie for fourth place on 33pt between John Bland (South Africa), Bill Longmuir (London Golf Club) and Steven Richardson (England).
Richardson led the amateur trio of David Connachan, Simon Oxley and Lynn Logan to victory in the 26-team event with 47pt.
North Berwick club pro Martyn Huish's team of Bert Logan, George McNeill and Jack Meaney finished second on 46pt.
English pro Malcolm Mackenzie's team of Michael Leather, George Sypert and Stanley Sokolowski also totalled 46pt but were placed third on a comparison of the inward halves.

Impressive Entry for PGA Hickory Open

at Gullane on September 24 and 25

NEWS RELEASE
The £12,500 PGA World Hickory Open at Gullane on September 24 and 25 has already attracted entries from 30 pros and looks to be headed for a sell-out yet again.
According to Hickory Open Chairman Lionel Freedman, there a 15 places left for professionals and these look certain to be filled in the next three weeks leading up to curtain-raiser Festival of Golf. This latter event takes place at Musselburgh Old and is the first professional tournament to be held over the East Lothian classic links lay-out for 104 years, when the tournament was won by Harry Vardon.
There are still a handful of amateur places available for this two day opening hickory event (Sept 20 and 21) although the there is a full professional entry and plenty of internationalists from the UK and overseas. Hickory clubs are supplied.
Key entrants are past PGA winner Andrew Oldcorn, Italian Open winner Dean Robertson, Jackie Montgomerie, who is the present Captain of the Scottish PGA, Sweden’s Pierre Fulke, 2002 Ryder Cup player, the French Hickory champ Perry Somers and German Hickory Open champ Iain Forrester.
In addition, Freedman expects Randy Jensen and Mike Stevens, both past US Hickory champions, to compete this year. Previous Hickory winners Lloyd and Zack Saltman are also expected to take part.
The World Hickory Pro-Am over the testing Gullane 2 links has already attracted 40 teams with 45 being the maximum that the course can accommodate.
Sponsorship this year is from The Homecoming and East Lothian Council.
Further information from Lionel Freedman on 0131-665 4861 or Michael Westmacott on 0131-331 1205 or from www.worldhickoryopen.com

Professional poker player Dusty fights

USGA to remain an amateur golfer

The case of the amateur golfer/successful online poker player versus the United States Golf Association will have a preliminary hearing tomorrow in a US District Court in Portland, Oregon.
The golfer's name is Dusty Schmidt. He wants to compete - anywhere - as an amateur golfer, but the USGA - as powerful in American golf as the R&A is on this side of the Atlantic - claims that he forfeited his amateur golfer status when he devised, then publicised a $1 million challenge to anyone who could beat him at 72 holes of golf and at poker.
Schmidt has filed a complaint seeking a temporary restraining order on the USGA action that would allow him to keep his amateur status and play in a series of events in the Pacific Northwest.
Schmidt admits he's no angel but says he is an innocent victim who simply wants to compete in the sport he loves. But the USGA case claims he is a self-promoter who flouted the rules for amateur status with his golf-and-poker challenge.
"At the end of the day, I'm trying to get my amateur golfer status back. I am trying to fight for my right NOT to make money playing golf, basically," he said. "I just want to play golf, and I believe I should be allowed to play golf."
Schmidt was a promising young golfer in Southern California who turned pro after a year at the University of Irvine. His pro golf career ended abruptly when he had a heart attack at age 23.
During his rehabilitation, Schmidt took up online poker, i.e. poker played for cash on the Internet.
Shmidt, now 28, estimates he's made $3 million gambling online and lives a comfortable lifestyle. But what he says he really wants to do is play golf competitively but as an amateur.
The USGA revoked his amateur status on June 11 when they got wind of the "Million Dollar Challenge" that Schmidt proposed in April through a website he co-owns, 10thGreen.com. The challenge was also the subject of a press release.
The crux of Schmidt's argument is that no one took him up on the golf+poker challenge, so he never did play anyone for money.
In court documents, the USGA maintains that Schmidt's challenge violated a rule aimed at actions "detrimental to the best interests of the amateur game," and another related to gambling and the spirit of the rules.
"Having promoted his prize money golf/poker contest for two months and having obtained tremendous publicity for himself, his entrepreneurial website and his prize money scheme, Mr Schmidt cannot unring the bell no matter how hard he tries," the USGA said in court documents.
Schmidt, who plans to represent himself in court, realises that in this one the odds are stacked against him.

James Byrne non-selection explained

From Hamish Grey Chief Executive Scottish Golf Union Colin, I was just reading your comments from the weekend and feel if read without understanding the process of selection and when teams have to be announced by, then your comments are both unfair and unhelpful. For the record, the European Men's Team was selected after the Links Trophy. It was announced the following week once everyone was confirmed as fit and available. The rules of the competition require teams to be named within a certain time and this means we cannot wait until after the Amateur Championship to select the team. This and a run of form such as James' is enjoying currently are therefore always possibilities! The selection may take account of world rankings but that remains only one element considered. Form throughout the year to the time of selection, suitability to the course the event is on etc etc are considered as you would expect. James did not play regularly in the US this year and had little tournament play or form here prior to the team being selected. Finally, should James keep up this form then Walker Cup is a definite possibility. You only need to look at the example of Danny Willett last time round to see what can happen. I hope this helps put in context this situation. Hamish Grey

James Byrne leads by ELEVEN in East

of Scotland Open at Lundin Links

Banchory's James Byrne, winner of last weekend's Tennant Cup by seven strokes, is doing even better in this weekend's SGU 72-hole Order of Merit event, the SolarSport East of Scotland Open amateur championship at Lundin Links.
The 20-year-old Arizona State University player, who is NOT in the Scotland squad for the upcoming European men's amateur team championship, leads by ELEVEN strokes after 54 holes.
He has scored scored 65, 63 and 67 for a professional-class 54-hole tally of 18-under-par 195.

LEADERBOARD AFTER THREE ROUNDS
Par 213 (3x71) CSS 73 71 70
195 James Byrne (Banchory) 65 63 67.
206 Ross Crowe (Westerhope) 71 69 66, Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) 73 65 68.
207 Scott Pinckney (Arizona State Univ) 73 70 64, Steven McEwan (Caprington) 72 69 66.
208 Mohammed Arie Irawan (Malaysia) 71 70 67.
209 Mark Bookless (Sandyhills) 73 67 69, James White (Lundin) 71 69 69, Philip McLean (Peterhead) 71 71 67.
210 Lewis Kirton (Newmachar) 76 65 69.
211 Mark Hillson (Craigielaw) 76 68 67, Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) 74 69 68, Alex Main (Thornton) 70 71 70, David Law (Hazlehead) 71 69 71, Fraser McKenna (Balmore) 76 69 66, Brett Drewitt (Australia) 70 72 69.
212 Grant McNab (Lundin) 73 70 69, Hendry Smart (Banstead Downs) 73 70 69.
213 Barry McDermott (Leven GS) 73 72 68, Chris Harkins (Ayr Belleisle) 71 70 72.
214 Bryden MacPherson (Australia) 72 68 74, Nick Barr (Craigie Hill) 77 67 71, Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) 72 72 70.
215 Ross Bell (Downfield) 72 73 70, Nick Robson (Meldrum House) 76 71 68, Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) 69 73 73, Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth) 74 71 70, Michael Williams (Australia) 70 73 72.
216 Michael Daily (Erskine) 75 72 69, Colin Thomson (East Renrewshire) 71 73 72, Daniel Sommerville (St Andrews) 71 70 75, James Hamilton (NZ) 70 74 72.
217 Martin Brown (Monifieth) 76 69 72.
218 James Hendrick (Pollok) 75 72 71, Michael Main (Thornton) 71 74 73, Paul Ferrier (Baberton) 72 70 76.
219 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 72 74 73.
220 Cameron Gray (West Kilbride) 74 71 75, Francisco Pinter Smith (Spain) 76 69 75, Raphael Becker (Brazil) 73 74 73.

Aberdeen City Foursomes for Maitland Shield

FINAL at KINGS LINKS

Caledonian bt Murcar Links at the 20th.

S Finnie & A Doig 3, A Styles & I Galbraith 0.
A Cruickshank & D Gardiner 0, A Bews & N McKinnon 3.

A closing par for Finnie & Doig was good enough to win the hole and for the Caley pair to finish threee up on Styles & Galbraith in the first-string tie.
Murcar Links' second string of Bews and McKinnon were four up playing 17, only for Murcar to drive out of bounds and hand the hole to Caley.
Murcar Links then bogeyed the last, leaving Alex Cruickshank a four-foot putt for victory but he pulled it left. Which meant that three up to either side, cancelled each other out and so the final went into extra holes.
All halved the 19th in par. First match halved second in par. Murcar lost a ball off the second tee in the second match leaving Caley the victors.
Windows Live Messenger just got better. Find out more! =

Bidwells Scottish men's open amateur stroke-play championship

Richie Ramsay's record 62

is up for grabs at Murcar

Links this weekend

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Richie Ramsay’s course record of nine-under-par 62 for Murcar Links is set to be surpassed in the Bidwells Scottish men’s open amateur stroke-play championship which tees off on Friday with the first of four rounds.
Former US amateur champion Ramsay had the ability as an amateur to produce some very low scores. He won this title at Lundin Links in 2004 with an aggregate of 269, the lowest four-round total in the 42-history of the national stroke-play.
And, two years ago, in the EuroPro Tour’s Scottish Challenge at Murcar Links, Ramsay, playing as an amateur, finished fourth with a nine-under-par total of 275. He had two superlative record-breaking rounds in that event – a 63 in the second and a 62 in the fourth.
Murcar Links’ 6,516yd lay-out is short by modern standards – the Northern Open has been played this week over a 7,118yd Spey Valley track – and if the wind doesn’t blow, some of the world’s best amateurs in the field of 144 are liable to indulge in a birdie-eagle fest this weekend.
A new amateur record mark will be set, says Scottish Golf Union tournament director Euan Mordaunt.
“The course is slightly longer and more bunkered than it was when Ramsay had his 62 and he did not play off the new 15th tee which we will be using,” he said.
On R&A World Amateur Rankings alone, England’s Sam Hutsby (Liphook), pictured above, ranked No 10, starts favourite and he has a winning record in Scotland. Sam won The Duke of York Young Champions’ Trophy event at Dundonald Links in 2006.
Then there’s the world No 15, Matt Jager from Australia, South Africa’s Adrian Ford (No 27), Portuguese open amateur champion Dale Whitnell (Five Lakes) who was third in this year’s Lytham Trophy and fourth in the Brabazon Trophy, and compatriot Matt Haines (Rochester & Cobham Park) who was runner-up in the Welsh stroke-play last weekend, having won the Lytham Trophy in 2008.
In all there are five leading Aussies and seven South Africans in the field
But the Scots, bless their tartan socks, have a happy knack of rising to the occasion to repel all boarders in their national stroke-play. Scott Henry (2006), Kevin McAlpine (2007) and Comrie’s Wallace Booth (2008) are the most recent home-bred winners.
Gavin Dear (Murrayshall), the highest-ranked Scot at No 28 - he would dearly love to get into the top 10 before he turns pro in September - won the Irish open amateur stroke-play at Royal Dublin in early May when he beat Wallace Booth in a play-off, Booth having been three strokes ahead during the final round.
Dear says he has shaken off the bug that had him feeling under par in health but not scoring terms in the Brabazon Trophy and a fortnight’s rest since then – he did not play in last week’s Welsh stroke-play, in which Scott Borrowman (Dollar) was the top Scot in joint fifth place – should have the Scone man raring to go to underline his Walker Cup team selection claims.
The Bidwells Scottish open amateur stroke-play championship is being played at Murcar Links because it is their Centenary Year. Honoured with the club captaincy in this memorable 12 months for which is next-door-neighbours to Royal Aberdeen is former Walker Cup player Hugh Stuart, originally from Forres.
Hugh won the Scottish boys championship at North Berwick in 1959 and the Scottish men's amateur match-play championship at Prestwick in 1972 when he beat North-east colleague Sandy Pirie in the final. Hugh will be shaking a few hands at Murcar Links over the next four days.


TOP TEE TIMES FRIDAY
07.00 (first tee time) Fraser McKenna (Balmore), Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar), Chris Robb (Inchmarlo).
08.00 Gavin Dear (Murrayshall), Adrian Ford (South Africa), Sam Hutsby (Liphook).
08.10 Ross Kellett (Colville Park), Steven Ferreira (South Africa), Luke Goddard (Hendon).
08.20 David Law (Hazlehead), Matt Jager (Australia), Matt Haines (Rochester & Cobham Park).
08.30 Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie), Daniel Nisbet (Australia), Tommy Fleetwood (Formby Hall).
09.20 Scott Borrowman (Dollar), Mattias Nordqvist (Sweden), Bryan Innes (Murcar Links).
10.00 Cameron Gray (West Kilbride), Gregor Stewart (Murcar Links), Mark Bookless (Sandyhills).
12.00 Wallace Booth (Comrie), Brendan Smith (Australia), Paul Williams (Hlllside).
12.10 Steven McEwan (Caprington), Bryden MacPheson (Australia), Todd Adcock (Nevill).
12.20 James Byrne (Banchroy), William Wilcox (US).
12.30 Paul O'Hara (Colville Park), Yubin Jung (South Africa), Dale Whitnell (Five Lakes).
12.40 Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie), Mark Fensham (South Africa), Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon).
12.50 Gordon Yates (Hilton Park), Jake Redman (South Afrfica), Eddie Pepperell (Drayton Park).
01.00 Greg Paterson (St Andrews New), Rae Mackie (South Africa), Philip McLean (Peterhead).
03.2o (last tee time) Fraser Fotheringham (Nairn), Euan McIntosh (Newmachar), Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth).

SATURDAY IS CLOSING DATE FOR

ABERDEEN LINKS ENTRIES

Saturday (May 16) is the closing dates for entries to Aberdeen Links golf championship, open to members of the Bon-Accord, Caledonian and Northern golf clubs.
Entry forms are available in the respective clubhouses.
Davie Grieve is the new secretary of the championship.
"We are introducing a 2s competition and nearest the pin contests at all the par-3s in the qualifying rounds, to try to encourage more members to participate," he said.
The dates for this year's competions which come under the umbrella of the Aberdeen Links championship are:
Seniors championship - May 29 and June 5.
Links championship - Qualifying rounds: May 30 & June 6. Match-play starts Monday, June 8 in the evenings, running all week and into the following week, culminating in the handicap finals on Wednesday, June 17 and the scratch championship final on Friday, June 19.
Murray Cup - May 31 and June 7.
The two most recent winners of the championship have both been Caledonian members - Adrian Styles in 2007 and Alex Cruickshank last year.
members.

Walking down Memory Lane at Balgownie this morning, Murcar Links professional Gary Forbes (left) and club captain Hugh Stuart (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency). You can enlarge the image by clicking on it.

Fifty years since Hugh Stuart beat Bobby Walker

in Scottish boys' final at North Berwick

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Former Walker Cup player, past Scottish amateur champion Hugh Stuart, who is captain of Murcar Links Golf Club in this its Centenary Year, and club professional Gary Forbes took the short walk from the Murcar Links clubhouse to catch up with the action round the turn in this morning's fourth round ties of the Scottish boys' championship at next-door Royal Aberdeen's Balgownie Links.
"I won this Scottish boys' title at North Berwick 50 years ago this week," recalled Hugh Bannerman Stuart who learned his golf at Forres before moving down to Aberdeen.
"All the Scottish boys' championships were played at North Berwick until it was switched to Dunbar in 1976," said Hugh.
"I beat the late, great Bobby (R T) Walker from Downfield, Dundee in the final by 3 and 2, so the memories have been flooding back this week .... where have the last 50 years gone?
"I caddied for Bobby Walker only a couples of year later after he turned pro and beat John Panton and Eric Brown in their prime to win the Scottish professional championship at my home course, Forres, in 1961. Bobby won it again at Machrihanish in 1964."
Walker never fully realised his great potential and he later emigrated to South Africa and died of cancer at a comparatively young age.
"The thing that strikes me watching the top Scottish boy golfers of this era, compared with mine, is how far they hit the ball, much, much longer than I could 50 years ago."
The visit to Balgownie's classic links, which will host the Walker Cup match of 2011, stirred more recent memories for Hugh Stuart. He lost by one hole to Charlie Green in the final of the 1970 Scottish amateur championship at Royal Aberdeen where the final was reduced from its traditional 36 holes to 18.
Hugh did win the title in 1972 at Prestwick where he beat fellow Northerner, Sandy Pirie (Hazlehead) by 3 and 1 in the final.
Stuart made a third appearance in the Scottish amateur final over the Old Course, St Andrews in 1976 when he went down by 6 and 5 to the big-hitting Gordon Murray.
Hugh played for Great Britain & Ireland against the United States in the Walker Cup matches of 1971 (St Andrews: GB&II 13, USA 11); 1973 (Brookline, Massachusetts: USA 14, GB&I 10 and 1975 (St Andrews: GB&I 8 1/2, USA 15 1/2).

Double for Supermac Callum - Scottish

Amateur Golfer of Year again

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
Tulliallan star Callum Macaulay was awarded his second successive Scottish Golfer of the Year award tonight in front of a packed house at the Scottish Golf Dinner in Glasgow.

The 25-year-old’s achievements in his final season as an amateur were celebrated at the glittering event hosted by television personality Dougie Donnelly at Glasgow's Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Living up to his status as the country’s leading amateur golfer, he won the Allied Surveyors Scottish Amateur Championship at Carnoustie and also enjoyed individual success at the Tennant Cup.
However Macaulay, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, also excelled as a team player with his form of the previous year earning him selection for the GB & Ireland squad that contested the St Andrews Trophy with a powerful Continent of Europe side.
Asked to lead the team out in both days’ singles by team captain Colin Dalgleish, he finished the two-day match unbeaten in four rounds of singles and foursomes, as did fellow Scot Wallace Booth of Comrie.
The pair teamed up again later in the season, along with Murrayshall’s Gavin Dear to produce the performance that turned 2008 into one of the most special years in the history of Scottish amateur golf.
Just six years after it was decided that the four Home Unions would compete separately in the World Championships rather than as Great Britain & Ireland, the Scots became the first of them to lift the famous Eisenhower Trophy in the contest that marked the 50th anniversary of the event.
Buoyed by that success in Australia, Macaulay then moved on to the European Tour Qualifying School where, among 900 competitors, he was the lone amateur to win his full tour card.
Evidence that he is at home among the elite was provided just last weekend when his spectacular back nine in the final round at the Madeira Islands Open, including eight birdies as he roared home in 28 strokes, earned him a runners-up finish and a cheque for £73,000 that will greatly ease the pressure of his first year on tour.
With Macaulay competing on the European Tour again this week the award was picked up on his behalf by Ian Rae, the Scottish Golf Union’s national coach who is still working closely with him.
Macaulay did not repeat last year’s achievement of winning both the Scottish Golfer of the Year title and the SGU Order of Merit, however, because of the remarkable consistency of Caprington’s Steven McEwan, who claimed seven top 10 finishes to take that title.
Booth, who won the Bidwells Scottish Strokeplay Championship as well as the Newlands Trophy in the course of the season, and Dear meanwhile picked up special awards for their contributions to the World Championship win.
Another who shone on the international stage was Boys Order of Merit Trophy winner Michael Stewart, the Scottish Boys champion, who captained the GB&I Boys team to victory in the Jacques Leglise Trophy, while at senior level he put in a fine performance to finish runner-up at the St Andrews Links Trophy.
At the other end of the experience scale was Gordon MacDonald who won the Scottish Seniors Order of Merit after achieving four top five finishes in their counting events, forcing Macaulay’s clubmate Bob Stewart, winner of the Scottish Seniors Strokeplay title, into second place.
Scottish Ladies amateur golf was also celebrated in a season that saw Booth’s sister Carly become the youngest ever player to represent GB&I in the Curtis Cup. That team contained a record-equalling four Scots with Krystle Caithness, Michele Thomson and Sally Watson accompanying the teenager in the match played at the Old Course.
In the domestic season Kylie Walker and Kelsey MacDonald, won the ladies and girls Order of Merit titles respectively by impressive margins.
Guest speaker Professor David Purdie rounded off a memorable evening which saw former European Tour star Stephen McAllister and Ladies European Tour player Lynn Kenny among those presenting awards.

NO EISENHOWER TROPHY BUT LEVEN

GS OFFICIALS GET TWO FROM R&A

The St Andrews Trophy and the Jacques Leglise Trophy - the men's and boys' silverware at stake in Great Britain & Ireland v Continent of Europe amateur international fixtures - will be on display in the Leven Golfing Society clubhouse during the Scottish champion of champions' tournament on the weekend of April 4 and 5.
"We were disappointed that we couldn't have the Eisenhower Trophy (the Scottish Golf Union granted a request by winning team member Gavin Dear for it to be loaned to Murrayshall Golf Club to be put on show the same weekend), but we have managed to reserve both the St Andrews Trophy and the Jacques Leglise Trophy for the champions' weekend as some of the field have played in at least one of the matches," said Archie Shanks, the Leven GS sports convener.
Both GB&I v Continent matches come under the auspices of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, St Andrews.

Crown Golf allowing golfers to suspend

memberships if they lose their jobs

PRESS RELEASE

Crown Golf, Europe's largest golf course owner/operator, has introduced a special 'credit crunch membership initiative' in response to the economic downturn.For the first time the group has added a redundancy clause to its membership packages, allowing golfers to suspend their membership if they lose their job. In addition, the group is also allowing members to transfer membership to another player if they can no longer afford it.

The initiative has been brought in by Crown Golf to respond to the needs of their members across their club network - which amounts to more than 22,000 golfers at 34 golf clubs across the country.

Announcing the initiative, Crown Golf Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Lewis, said today: "We recognise that taking an annual golf club membership can be seen as a big commitment, so we are determined to give added value to our members - both those renewing memberships and those taking new ones.

"This is the first time we have brought in a redundancy clause and allowed golfers to transfer memberships to another player if money gets tight. Crown Golf is a very forward-thinking organisation. We care about our members and we feel this is the right thing to do in the current climate.
"Members are the lifeblood of the club. We appreciate their commitment to us and it is vital that we build long-term relationships with them by offering membership products that are attractive and fit their lifestyles.
"As an industry we have to recognise the situation that many golfers mayface in the coming months."
Their 'credit crunch' membership initiative also allows an individual club member to play up to eight rounds of golf a year at each of the other clubs in their network.
Crown Golf has 34 properties nationwide.
A full list of clubs can be foundat www.crown-golf.co.uk

Gordon Yates, dressed for the Australian summer weather, in action at Belmont Golf Club today.

Gordon Yates tees off with a 70 in Lake

Macquarie International Down Under

Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) made a solid start to the Lake Macquarie International tournament at Belmont Golf Club, New South Wales, Australia today.
Gordon, coming down from China where he was beaten in a play-off for the Asia-Pacific open amateur title at Misson Hills, returned a two-under-par 70.
Fellow traveller Ross Kellett (Colville Park) had a 76, two more than Australia-based Scottish exile Stephen Speirs.

Former British boys championship beaten finalist Fraser Fotheringham (Nairn) had 78.
West Australian Matt Jager leads the field of 190 players with a very good five-under-par 67.
FIRST-DAY SCORES
Par 72
67 Matt Jager.
68 Alex Hendrick, Charles Ford, Dimitious Papadatos, Ryan Fox.
69 Brendan Smith, Gavin Fairfax, Geoff Bailey, Rhein Gibson, Robert Payne, Jordan Zunic, Lester Peterson, Craig Boniface, Joshua Boaz.
Selected scores:
70 Gordon Yates, Michael Smyth, Brody Ninyette, Jared Consoll, Apo Tsulakis, Rhys McGovern, Peter Spearman,-Burn, Luke Bleumink, Mitchell Davis, Daniel Pearle, Steven Slappendel, Nick Gillespie.

73 Farren Keenan.

74 Stephen Speirs.
75 Adam Wainwright, Jason Palmer.

76 Ross Kellett.

78 Fraser Fotheringham.

Stonehaven GC award

honorary life

membership to

Willie Donald

Willie Donald, who joined the club in 1952, has been awarded honorary life membership of Stonehaven Golf Club for all the work he has done for the club over the years.
Willie officially retired as club secretary/manager at the club's annual general meeting this week.
Morag Duncan took over as club manager last November but Willie worked on to complete the annual accounts for the AGM.
He had been in the post since 1996 and he's been serving on the North-east District of the Scottish Golf Union committee for 14 years. He is in his second year as president.
"It's not an honour the club grants often and, unusually, his late father, also Willie Donald, was also given honorary life membership in recognition of his services to the club," said club captain Harry Roulston.
"We think old man Donald joined Stonehaven GC just before World War II so the family connection has been quite long.
"Willie has been a tremendous servant to our club and, when he was given his honorary life membership, he received a standing ovation from the largest turn-out we've had at an AGM for many years.
"Willie knows more about the intricacies and history of Stonehaven GC than anyone else and we're lucky that he'll still be around for us to pick his brains when necessary."
Willie Donald (66) went to Mackie Academy and then Aberdeen University where he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering in 1964. He worked for a while with the South of Scotland Electricity Board (now Scottish Power) in central Scotland before joining the Ben Line in 1978 as a ship's engineer.
He travelled the world in a variety of ships, sailing out through the Panama Canal and returning via Cape Town, visiting the Great Lakes in North America and just about all parts of the Far East.
He retired in 1991 and returned to Stonehaven, becoming competitions convener at the club the following year. In 1996, he took over as secretary/manager. He remains a keen golfer, playing currently off a handicap of eight.
+Picture of Willie Donald (above) by courtesy of Sandy Walker, vice-captain of Stonehaven Golf Club.

John Hamilton (left) and David Law withe the trophy that links them

John and David - Two North-east District boys'

champions who span the last 45 years

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com

What do Murcar Links member John Hamilton and Hazlehead's David Law have in common, apart from both being regular competitors on the North-east Alliance circuit?
The answer is the North-east District boys' championship trophy, first played for in 1927.
John won it in 1963 when the tournament was played at Royal Aberdeen. David won it last year at Duff House Royal.

John has only a vague memory of a local newspaper photographer making a fleeting visit to the Balgownie clubhouse 45+ years ago and snapping his picture with the trophy. But he has never had a picture to place among his souvenirs - and reminder that for one day in 1963 he was the best boy golfer in the North-east of Scotland.

So John asked me the other day to be his "Mr Fix-it" and reunite him with the boys' championship trophy so that he could have his picture taken. It did not take much fixing. I knew where the trophy could be found, because I knew that David Law, the top prospect on the Aberdeen golf scene, won it last year.

So I was able to bring Messrs Hamilton and Law together today and take a picture of them for posterity ... 1963 champion meets 2008 champion.

So who were John Hamilton's contemporaries on the Aberdeen boys' golf scene 45 years ago?

"Well, Billy Hogg was the David Law of my day. Billy, a Royal Aberdeen member, won this trophy in 1960 and again in 1961 (both championships played at the Kings Links) and Philip Milne (Deeside) won it in 1962 at Hazlehead," said John.

"Way back in 1933 the late Jack Booth was North-east boys' champion at Stonehaven."

More recently the list of winners has included players such as Richie Ramsay (1999), Greig Hutcheon (1990) and Scott Henderson (1986).

David Law will be 18 in May. He has a handicap of +2 and is a full-time amateur golfer under the wing of Paul Lawrie.

Very soon David will be off to the Algarve for warm-weather training and practice with a Scottish Golf Union squad and he will go on to play in the Portuguese men's open amateur championship at Troia from February 19 to 22.

Obviously Master Law has ambitions to become a tour professional, following in the footsteps of Richie Ramsay but he is no immediate hurry to take the plunge.

"I've still got a lot to learn and gain experience of playing in the big amateur championships so 2011 or 2012 would be soon enough to think seriously about it," said David.

Highland Hospice charity tournament winners and second placed team. On left, Bill Nelson being congratulated by Liz Coghill (lady vice-captain Royal Dornoch GC) and behind, sons Calum and Steven and wife Sue Nelson. On the right, Linda MacDonald (Hospice fund-raising manager) with Keith Loades and his Morrison team, Paul Fraser, Richard Smith and John MacGregor. Image by Robin Wilson.

Highland Hospice tournament raises
over £12,000 at Royal Dornoch

By ROBIN WILSON
It requires a weekly amount of over £42,000 to maintain the valuable services offered to terminally ill patients in the Highlands by the Inverness-based Highland Hospice.
After the generous guesture by the Royal Dornoch Golf Club council of management for the courtesy use of their famous golf course, a princely sum of over £12,000 was raised at the hospice's annual fund-raising golf competition on Wednesday.
Supported by 18 company teams of four golfers and many other sponsors giving donations to the large raffle and even a new car for a hole in one donated by Castle Group Securities, not unfortunately won, the competition was hailed a magnificent success.
Following on from last year's competition at Nairn Golf Club, the same four players representing Morrison Construction, captained by commercial director Keith Loades with John MacGregor and guests from Allied Surveyors, Richard Smith and Paul Fraser, won again.
In the four-ball Stableford competition where the best two points from the team of four score at each hole Morrisons won with a total of 78 points.
It was a close run against the Inverness-based family team from Capital Homes, Bill and Sue Nelson and their sons Cameron and Steven who also scored 78pts but lost out to Morrisons on the inward half count, 40 to 42.
Third placed with 77 points and again on a count back were Colin Armstrong Associates: Colin Armstrong, David Lockhart, Michael Gillespie and Ewan Macfarlane.
Three additional prizes were awarded out for individual scores. Leading man was David Ferries (34pts) from the Hi-CAD Technical Services team and second Michael MacDonald (33pts) from Alba Service Supplies.
Leading score from a lady came from Bette Maitland of Maitland's Marines with 33pts and nearest the pin at the 13th was Colin Murray of the Royal Dornoch Captain's team with a distance of 8ft 10in.

Scottish Disability Golf Open Day at St Andrews Driving Range on Saturday, October 11

PRESS RELEASE
Anyone from your area, with a disability or serious health problem, is invited to attend the following Golf Training Open Day.
Established golfers, or anyone interested in learning how to play, are invited to come along to the St Andrews Links Trust Driving Range on Saturday 11 October from 10am until 2pm to receive tuition from our PGA Professionals.
Jim Gales, the Event Organiser said, "We want anyone with a disability or serious health or mobility problem to come along and give golf a go. The last time we organised an Open day like this, with the assistance of Scottish Disability Sport, we had over eighty people travel to Wellsgreen Golf Academy to learn and receive tuition."
Anyone can learn how to play and disability should not be a barrier to playing and enjoying golf.
The PGA Professionals team on October 11 will be headed up by the Head Professional from Wellsgreen Golf Academy, Donald McKay who has provided tuition for golfers with disabilities for some fifteen years.
Tuition is being provided in St Andrews, alongwith lunch for the participants, for only £10 per person.
Since its launch in 2006 the Scottish Disability Golf Partnership has provided golf and tuition to hundreds of people with various disabilities and health issues, including those with sensory loss, i.e. the blind, vision impaired and the deaf, as well as amputees and those with learning difficulties.
For details about the event or disabled golf generally, contact Scottish Disability Sport 0131 317 1130 or at admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com

Venues for Scottish Golf Union events in 2009

SCOTTISH BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP: Royal Aberdeen.
SCOTTISH SENIORS CHAMPIONSHIP: Panmure
SCOTTISH STROKE PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP: Murcar Links
BOYS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: Ballumbie Castle, Dundee.
MID AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP: Royal Burgess.
SCOTTISH YOUTHS CHAMPIONSHIP: Renfrew
BOYS UNDER 16 CHAMPIONSHIP: Largs
BOYS UNDER 14 CHAMPIONSHIP: Largs.
BOYS STROKE PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP: Ladybank.
SCOTTISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP: Royal Troon
HOME INTERNATIONALS: Hillside, Southport.
SCOTTISH CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP: Prestwick St Nicholas
SENIOR HOME INTERNATIONALS: Westport, Ireland.

North of Scotland open amateur championship line-up in the Nairn clubhouse. Left to right:

Fraser Fotheringham (Nairn), Nairn Golf Club captain George Asher, David Blair Trophy winner Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh), Richard Smith, representative of tournament sponsors Allied Surveyors, and Mark Lamb (Haddington). Image by courtesy of Robin Wilson. Click on the image to enlarge it.

SCROLL DOWN FOR A REPORT OF THE WEEKEND TOURNAMENT AND IT'S THRILLING CLIMAX.

Paul Betty leads North of Scotland open
stroke-play by one shot after Round 3

Hayston's Paul Betty led the North of Scotland open amateur stroke-play championship field for the David Blair Trophy by one shot with 18 holes to play at the Nairn Links this afternoon.

LEADING THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 72. CSS 73 73 75.
215 P Betty (Hayston) 67 74 74.
216 S McAllister (Craigielaw) 70 70 76.
217 L McGowan (St Andrews New) 72 68 77, N D Hampton (Nairn) 73 69 75, B Fotheringham (Forres) 69 78 70.
218 S Robertson (Sandyhills) 70 75 73, J Gallagher (Swanston New) 75 72 71, K Nicol (Fraserburgh) 73 74 71.
219 G Robertson (Silverknowes) 73 71 75, M Lamb (Haddington) 71 73 75, F Fotheringham (Nairn) 72 75 72.
220 S Borrowman (Dollar) 75 69 76, J Forbes (Inverness) 72 72 76, G Yates (Hilton Park) 72 74 74, M Cunningham (Longniddry) 72 76 72.
221 N Robson (Meldrum House) 72 74 75.
222 L Miller (Cawder) 74 68 80, D Marshall (Dalmahoy) 74 71 77, N Howitt (Nairn) 70 80 72, M Hillson (Craigielaw) 76 75 71.
223 P McLean (Peterhead) 73 72 78, R McKenzie (Easter Moffat) 76 72 75, S Hume (Murrayshall) 76 72 75.
224 G Thomson (Moray) 73 72 79, J Ross (Royal Burgess) 75 72 77, J Mitchell (Fraserburgh) 73 75 76, S Mann (Carnoustie) 72 77 75, G Tough (Letham Grange) 76 74 74.