Archival pre 2008

Scottish Seniors Golf 2008 Update May


The Scottish Seniors Stroke Play is only weeks away and our membership has very good representation amongst the entries, including defending champion Ian Hutcheon.

Some info on Elgin and the course:
Course Location: Half a mile south of Elgin town centre just off A941 Rothes Road - on Birnie Road. Undulating parkland/heath on sandy subsoil many tree-lined fairways. 18 holes 6411 yards. S.S.S. 71. Driving range practice ground and net. Kevin Stables has some electric trolleys for hire. Better to book in advance . Pro Shop number is 01343 542884

Elgin has eight par 4 holes over 400 yards, which are a serious test. Although basically heathland, many parts of the course play like links and a creative short game is an advantage. The score card is shown below.



Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out
Yards 454 452 369 159 483 220 169 461 408 3175
Par 4 4 4 3 5 3 3 4 4 34
Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In
Yards 431 380 276 325 464 189 419 338 452 3274
Par 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 35



The town has a fairly good range of accommodation with a large number of guest houses. Food at the clubhouse is very good and Jimmy Cheung’s in the town centre has an early evening buffet which will test the capacity of even some of our famed guzzlers. Ristorante Toscana comes highly recommended and will no doubt be a grazing station for the Aberdeen contingent.

Not that any of you will be partaking, best of the pubs are probably Muckle Cross, Flannigans, White Horse and Pegasus.

Onward from the Scottish to the first of our 36 hole regionals, at Stirling. Please note that entries close 15th May and entries for Monifieth a week later.
These June events are quickly followed by Dumfries and County and Nairn Dunbar in July, then Hamilton in August

As passed at the AGM, there is a requirement to have competed in three counting events before you can be included in the final Order of Merit Table and the shoot-out over Blairgowrie. Next year, with the addition of Glasgow Gailes for the South-West Regional, that requirement increases to four.

The new SSGS match-play championship (25-29 Aug, Drumpellier) has produced a very good response and our first champion will be entitled to think he has beaten the best of the rest.

We have been debating whether the Hacienda del Alamo, as an SSGS organised event, should count towards the following season’s Order of Merit. There are arguments for and against and we would welcome any comments from members before putting the idea before the AGM. Your comments please to gordon@corriemar.demon.co.uk , khnextlevel@aol.com, or scottishseniorsgolfingsociety@ntlworld.com

Our new administrators Fergie and the Doc are now in place and have set up the handicap system on laptop. They will be backed up by Douglas Park member Alan Stevenson when required. All three will be at Stirling to familiarise themselves with names, faces and systems.

Don’t forget we have SSGS Merchandise for sale. Sweaters having been added to the shirts already available. In addition we have a deal with Didriksons, a long established Swedish waterproofs manufacturer to offer great prices to members. (see Member Offers)

The Inter County/Area event at Cardross in September has had an excellent response with 13 areas plus the exiles team having already firmed up their intentions to enter. Should be a great day.

Hope you are all salivating at the prospects for another season of high level competition, sportsmanship and comradeship.

Alistair Fiddes is top Scot in Kent.

British Seniors Amateur Championship at Royal Cinque Ports (Deal) & Prince’s (Sandwich)


Our own Ally Fiddes finished top Scot and second Briton in this year’s hotly contested Amateur Seniors Championship on the Kent Coast. Ally reports that sharing the lead at the end of round one at Deal gave him a real lift and that the quality of his ball striking to remain top drawer throughout the three rounds.

With both courses stretched to around 7,000 yards it was inevitable that high level experience would be a major benefit and so the battle hardened, globe trotting U.S. contingent extended their recent rich pickings from the British.

The winner, Paul Simson of the USA, managed to avoid three putting in his last two rounds and this set the foundation for victory. Everyone else struggled on fast undulating greens in strong and variable winds.

Alistair was no different and felt that lack of exposure to greens of that pace in windy conditions was the main factor in the gap between himself and Simson. Indeed in a roller coaster last round he stood on the 9th tee level par with still an outside chance of victory. His one bad tee shot of the tournament then led to a lost ball. This was recovered with birdies at 13,14 and 16 only to be followed by 3 putts at each of the last few holes.

Ally however remained elated by his performance which built on a very good third place in the recent Italian Seniors. To emphasise the toughness of the conditions Aly reports having had to play a full driver to a par three just over 200 yards and that he played so many 3 and 4 irons he may have to get them re-grooved.

Other good Scottish performances came from David Downie and Donnie McCart on 231 and Brian Grieve and John Johnston on 232. John had three sevens in his last round of 80 and this cost him a top 20 placing.

Overall much to build on for a Scottish assault on next year’s championship which will be at Prestwick and Prestwick St Nicholas.


LEADING SCORES BRITISH SENIOR AMATEUR
Royal Cinque Ports, Deal

216 Paul Simson (US) 75 71 70.
218 Chris Reynolds (Littlestone) 72 77 69.
220 Graham Cooke (Canada) 71 72 77.
221 Jay Blumenfeld (US) 74 71 76, Rick Woulfe (US) 73 71 77
222 Erik Myrmo (US) 72 77 73.
223 Adrian Morrow (Portmarnock) 73 77 73.
224 Alistair Fiddes (Deeside) 71 79 74, Barry Reddan (County Louth) 74 75 75, Geoffrey King (West Essex) 71 77 76
225 Maurice Kelly (Killeen) 77 72 76.
226 Kemp Richardson (USA) 77 74 75.

Other leading Scots
231 David Downie (Kirriemuir) 78 75 78, Donald McCart (Sherwood Forest) 74 78 79.
232 Brian Grieve (King James VI) 79 75 78, John Johnston (Royal Aberdeen) 79 73 80.



Scottish Seniors Golfing Society
Final Order of Merit Placings 2007
Position Player Club Total
1 Ian Hutcheon Monifieth 589
2 Gordon Brown Vale of Leven 320
3 John Fraser Royal Burgess 292.5
4 George Paterson Northern 260
5 Jim Watt Letham Grange 245
6 Patrick Tomisson Nairn 235
7 Colin Christy Kilmalcolm 231.25
8 Bob Humble Kilspindie 211.5
9 David Millar Kilmarnock Barassie 202.5
10 William Erskine Kilsyth Lennox 187.5
11 Donald McCart Castlerock 186.5
12 George Rodaks Moffat 175
Tony Stafford Alloa 175
14 Ronald McLellan Turnberry 170.5
5 John Johnston Royal Aberdeen 166
16 Robert Stewart Tulliallan 165
17 Ian Taylor Royal Burgess 157.5
18 Iain Stewart Curragh 135.5
19 Gordon Thomson Bearsden 130.5
20 Alexander Pirie Hazellhead 129
21 James Kinloch Cardross 124
22 Ronald MacLean Hamilton 110
23 Charles Green Cardross 92.5
24 Donald Longmuir Verulam 77.5
25 Stephen Ellis Cowal 75.5
26 Peter Lamb Biggar 75
27 Gordon MacDonald Callander 69.75
28 James Paton Kirkintilloch 66.25
29 Brian Smith Hamilton 60
30 Henry Anderson Callander 55
William Brown Strathaven 55
32 Robin Paton Nairn 52.5
33 William Wallace Strathaven 50.5
34 Alistair Fiddes Murcar 42.5
35 Jock Brown Hamilton 40
36 Brian Grieve King James VI 38.5
37 Scott MacDonald Dunfermline 32.5
Colin Cairnie Monifieth 32.5
39 Harry Milligan Hamilton 30
40 David Bunker Nairn Dunbar 17.5
Derek Murphy Kinross 17.5
42 Jabil Aman Grangemouth 15.5
43 Robert Edgar Blackpool 6.25
44 James Roy Grange 3.5
45 David Smith Stirling 1.5
George Jenkins Cathkin Braes 1.5