Greetings golfers
This weekend is officially the last weekend of winter and as I sit, writing my content for this week's news, the summer season seems an awful long way away. Snow, sleet, wind, rain, we are having it all today at GGC and over the past 7 weeks it has rained every day.
Your patience is appreciated as Hugh and his team try to prepare a course and greens surface for you all to enjoy. The end of March/beginning of April will see a lot of work going on to catch-up and get the course all ready to play. The past few weeks the team have had to concentrate on lots of burst drains, de-thatching areas around the 13th green, and re-laying the back of the 3rd green surface. please, please, adhere to the roped off and hooped off areas and, if possible, keep your caddy cars away from the highly worn areas of the course especially the tees and green approaches.
The finalists have been confirmed for the Sam Esler Winter League, the clubs official fourball winter event with Lord RT Rice (8 days a week) & Tommy Toots due to play Les Johnstone & Kenny (7 days a week golf ) McAlpine. Good luck to both teams.
In the official club individual Stableford event Kenny McAlpine has the chance to do the double with an almost unassailable 13 point lead on his nearest challengers,Colin McKenzie & Paul Elder.
The official playing season commences on Saturday 1st April with a new format. To celebrate my 10th anniversary at GGC the captain and I will host a fun new event with the plan as follows:
- Captain Bill, Lady Captain Morag and I will hit the ceremonial opening tee shots @ 9.55am
- A two tee start will commence thereafter with a buffet served on completion of play
- The format will be a 2 person Texas Scramble
- Rules for the day will be posted in the Pro Shop a week prior to play
- Bookings can be made directly with myself in the Pro Shop, either in person or by phone or email.
- This event is co-sponsored by Callaway Golf, Wilson Staff & Tennent's
On Monday I made my tour debut for 2017 @ Royal Troon Portland course competing in a PGA fourball event with Andy Fullen (Largs GC) Playing with tour player Graham Fox we played well in pretty horrific conditions - hail, rain, sleet and some sunshine - it was a testing day. I am happy to report, after being level par thru 9 holes, we went on a bit of a run and I managed 7 birdies in the last 8 holes recording just 11 putts and getting us to 7 under, this enabled us to grab a second place finish with the winners posting -9.
See you all next week where I will post my summer hours and introduce a new member of the Pro Shop staff for 2017.
