Latest News - Scottish Seniors

ANOTHER CHANCE TO GET IN SHAPE FOR THE SEASON AHEAD

Following the success of Mind Body Golf’s online fitness and flexibility classes exclusively for SSGS members, founder Paul Moultrie has agreed to run two more programmes to help players get in peak shape for the start of the new season. 

Members who signed up for the four weekly classes run over January into February, were full of praise for the expert tuition. 

‘The exercises were challenging without being over-taxing,’ said one participant,  ‘and I was impressed by the way Paul explained how each exercise related to specific movements in the golf swing.’

As before, MBG is offering two one-hour classes, one of which will run on four consecutive Mondays from 23^rd February at 9am; the other on four consecutive Tuesdays from 24^th February at 6.30pm.

The Troon-based consultancy is offering the classes exclusively to SSGS members at a 25% discount. Each online class (hosted via ZOOM) will be limited to a maximum of 12 players, so if you want to take advantage of this offer, sign up for the classes today!

The cost for all four sessions is only £30 and you can enrol by clicking HERE.

Any SSGS member who might prefer one-to-one fitness and flexibility tuition, or would like to take advantage of MBG’s exclusive Inner Caddie Programme - online or in person - is being offered a 10% discount on regular fees. If interested, drop an email to MBG at info@mindbodygolf.co.uk.

Further information about all services offered by MBG can be found on its website, www.mindbodygolf.co.uk

You may recall that Paul, who has been successfully treated for prostate cancer, raised around £14,000 in sponsorship from SSGS members, and the wider golfing community, for Prostate Cancer UK by running the London Marathon in 2024.

As an ongoing commitment to the charity, a percentage of all funds that Paul raises through his business interests goes to Prostate Cancer UK. Accordingly, by taking up this offer to enhance your own golf fitness and flexibility, you will be helping an organisation that supports thousands of men across the UK. (www.prostatecancerukuk.org) 

          PRAISE FOR MIND BODY GOLF

                 “The online fitness and flexibility classes run by Mind Body Golf were the ideal preparation for the new season ahead. The great thing about Paul’s instruction is that it is all golf specific. If you want the opportunity to play your best, enjoy your golf and stay injury-free, this is the way to do it”   

              “The programme of exercises have made me raring to go. From Paul’s instruction, I’ve developed my own fitness plan and feel ready to give it my best shot”

Note: Mind Body Golf is the organisation with whom members will be interacting. Accordingly, the SSGS does not hold any liability in respect of this offer.

STILL TIME TO SIGN UP AND GET YOURSELF FIT AND READY FOR THE NEW SEASON

If you’re feeling a bit sluggish after the excesses of the festive season, there’s still time to get yourself in peak physical shape for the start of the new golfing season.

Why not enrol for a four-week online programme of fitness and flexibility classes being offered exclusively to SSGS members by Troon-based consultancy Mind Body Golf?

The classes will be led by MBG founder and owner Paul Moultrie who is offering them at a generous 25% discount as a thank you to the society of which he is a prominent member and keen supporter.

There are still a few places left on each of the two classes, one of which will run on four consecutive Mondays from January 12th at 9am, the other on consecutive Tuesday from January 13th, starting at 6.30pm.

The cost for all four sessions is £30 and you can enrol by clicking here.

But don’t delay. Each class will be limited to 12 golfers on a first-come-first-served basis and to ensure participants receive close tuition and optimum benefit.

Click here to find out more and book your spot.

Any SSGS member who might prefer one-to-one fitness and flexibility tuition, or would like to take advantage of MBG’s exclusive Inner Caddie Programme - online or in person - is being offered a 10% discount on regular fees. If interested, drop an email to MBG at info@mindbodygolf.co.uk.

Further information about all services offered by MBG can be found on its website, www.mindbodygolf.co.uk

You may recall that Paul, who has been successfully treated for prostate cancer, raised around £14,000 in sponsorship from SSGS members, and the wider golfing community, for Prostate Cancer UK by running the London Marathon in 2024.

As an ongoing commitment to the charity, a percentage of all funds that Paul raises through his business interests goes to Prostate Cancer UK. Accordingly, by taking up this offer to enhance your own golf fitness and flexibility, you will be helping an organisation that supports thousands of men across the UK. (www.prostatecancerukuk.org)

Note: For the avoidance of doubt, Mind Body Golf is the organisation with whom members will be interacting. Accordingly, the SSGS does not hold any liability in respect of this offer.

The Society has teamed up with Mind Body Golf to offer members an exclusive opportunity to be in peak physical shape for the start of the new season.

The Troon-based consultancy is running online fitness and flexibility classes with a generous 25% discount for members who sign up for the four sessions to be staged over consecutive weeks starting in January, 2026.

Prominent SSGS member Paul Moultrie, the founder and owner of Mind Body Golf, will lead the sessions which are being offered to members at £30 for all four classes. 

One class will run on Mondays at 9.00am and a second on Tuesdays at 6.30pm, commencing January 12 and January 13.

Each class will be limited to 12 golfers to ensure participants receive close tuition and derive optimum benefit. Places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to play your best golf in 2026 and beyond.

Click here to find out more and book your spot.

Additionally, SSGS members who might prefer one-to-one fitness and flexibility tuition, or would like to take advantage of MBG’s exclusive Inner Caddie Programme - online or in person - will receive a 10% discount on regular fees. If interested, drop an email to MBG at info@mindbodygolf.co.uk.

Further information about all services offered by MBG can be found on its website, www.mindbodygolf.co.uk

Many of you will recall that Paul, who has been through treatment for prostate cancer, raised around £14,000 in sponsorship from SSGS members and the wider golfing community for Prostate Cancer UK by running the London Marathon in 2024.

As an ongoing commitment to the charity, a percentage of all funds that Paul raises through his business interests goes to Prostate Cancer UK. Accordingly, by taking up this offer to enhance your own golf fitness and flexibility, you will be helping an organisation that supports thousands of men across the UK. (www.prostatecanceruk.org) 

Note: For the avoidance of doubt, Mind Body Golf is the organisation with whom members will be interacting. Accordingly, the SSGS does not hold any liability in respect of this offer.

GALLACHER CROWNED SCOTTISH SENIORS MATCHPLAY CHAMPION - AND TOPS THE ORDER OR MERIT

Scotland internationalist Kenny Gallacher made it a double celebration when he won the Scottish Seniors Matchplay Championship at Strathmore, guaranteeing him top slot in the national Order of Merit table.

The East Kilbride stalwart defeated three-times champion John Mathers in a final in which both players had to battle heavy rain and wind as well as each other.

The match came to an end at the 15th hole, securing a 4&3 victory for Gallacher after he had chipped in at the long, difficult 14th for a birdie three. The result denied Mathers a fourth successive matchplay title, but he was magnanimous in defeat.

‘I am disappointed to have fallen at the final hurdle, but in Kenny I lost to the best player of this year,’ he said.

Gallacher, who was first capped for Scotland in 2018, said: ‘Last year after my performance at the British Seniors I was so fed up with my game I seriously thought about chucking competitive golf. I stopped practising and just started playing for fun. And then things started to turn around. I was enjoying my golf again and thankfully the results followed.

‘John is a great champion, having won this trophy for the last three years. This win, and being back in the Scottish team, tops off a very satisfying season for me.’

In the semi-finals, Mathers took on new Scotland cap Graham Bell who, in the quarter-finals, beat reigning Order of Merit champion Paul Moultrie. Mathers, aiming for his fourth successive matchplay championship, came through 2&1.

The second semi-final went all the way to the fourth extra hole before Gallacher and two-times matchplay champion Stewart Henderson could be separated, with Gallacher holing a bunker shot to progress to the final.

In the other quarter-finals, Henderson beat Stirling’s Phil Hendry while Scotland team player David Thomson and Gallacher had to go to the 19th before the latter clinched the tie with a birdie.

Last year’s Super Seniors handicap champion Lindsay Gordon contested the scratch final against Inverness’s Laurie Chancellor. Again, the match had to go to extra time before Gordon claimed the title at the 19th for a spectacular double.

The Super Seniors handicap final was between Kilmacolm’s Neil McGarva (9) and Ian Jeen (3), New Club St Andrews, with McGarva emerging victorious with a 3&1 win.

The finalists, as well as the Super Seniors contending for third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth places, had to battle heavy rain and gusting winds as Storm Amy made her presence felt.

The championship trophies were presented by Society Chairman Alan Michie who thanked competitors and all at Strathmore Golf Centre for hosting the championship for the second consecutive year.

Accepting the Super Seniors scratch trophy, Lindsay Gordon paid special thanks to competitions secretary Ian Kerr for all his hard work during the championship as well as throughout the year.

Gallacher’s victory means he tops this year’s Order of Merit table for players aged 50 to 64. Laurie Chancellor is crowned Super Seniors’ Order of Merit champion. Congratulations to both for magnificent performances throughout the season.

The Society is grateful to all at Strathmore Golf Centre for hosting the championships and for their excellent hospitality. Special thanks, also, to the greenstaff for presenting the course in top-class condition despite some challenging weather conditions.

Ken Gallacher (East Kilbride) emerged as narrow winner of the 2025 Seniors Order of Merit following his victory in the Matchplay at Strathmore.

Going into the final event of the year, Graham Bell (Bathgate) was leading the race, but his defeat in the semi-finals at Strathmore by defending matchplay champion, John Mathers (Haggs Castle) left the door slightly ajar for Ken to take advantage, but only if he could defeat  John in the final. The final was played in terrible weather courtesy of Storm Amy, but Ken capped of an excellent year by holding his nerve to win by a margin of 4&3. 

Graham had an excellent 1st year in the seniors and only missed out on top slot by 40 points. He did have the consolation however of winning the Handicap Order of Merit for 2025 by an even slimmer margin of 13 points from Ken Milligan (Kingsfield Golf Centre)

In the Super Seniors Order of Merits, Laurie Chancellor (Inverness) was a clear winner of the scratch OOM with a total of 1595 points, some 3685 points ahead of David Imrie (Lundin) who finished in 2nd place.

In the Handicap OOM Colin Halcrow (Largs) was the winner on 830 points, 35 points ahead of David Imrie (Lundin) in 2nd place.

Congratulations to all the winners and to all other players who competed throughout the year.

The fifth annual match between Scottish Super-senior (over 65) and UK Super-seniors (England and over 65) took place at Haggs Castle Golf Club on Monday 1^st September and Tuesday 2^nd September. The club hospitality was exemplary. The course was in excellent condition. The players coped well with a course meandering through trees with numerous tricky dogleg holes. Intermittent rain and wind added to the challenge for the players.  Scotland won the match 6 and a half to 3 and a half. The real winner, however, was the camaraderie between the teams and the wonderful welcome from Haggs Castle Golf Club. The photograph shows the two teams along with club captain Craig Morrison.

Brian Bingham 

The Swinging Sixties: Can senior golfers really improve with age? Foreword by David Livingstone former Sky Sports Golf presenter
https://amzn.eu/d/hJDhF3P

A book featuring some of the society's leading players and their approach to the game has just been published.
The Swinging Sixties - can senior golfers really improve with age? has been written by SSGS member Ian McKerron after a year-long research project.
McKerron, who most of you will know as one of our starter/scorers, interviewed 15 SSGS members and four women from the SSWGA about how they've risen to the top of seniors golf.
The book looks at their approach to aspects of the game such as physical fitness, mental application and pre-round preparation.
Among the players who took part in the project are Scotland's most successful senior amateur Ronnie Clark; 2024 Senior Order of Merit champion Paul Moultrie; and three-times Senior Matchplay winner and leading sports psychologist Dr John Mathers.
McKerron, a former Fleet Street journalist, said: 'The book was inspired by the great Tom Watson when he came within a whisker of winning The Open in 2009, just a few months short of his 60th birthday. But the idea didn't really crystalise until I joined the SSGS and realised what a huge reservoir talent it represented.
'It's not, of course, an instructional book. But I hope it does offer an insight into how top senior amateurs not only maintain performance but, in many cases, continue to improve as they grow older.'
The book is available to purchase as a paperback on Amazon. https://amzn.eu/d/hJDhF3P

The event was held between 5-th August at Strathmore Golf Centre. As always the course was in excellent condition and the players were well looked after in the clubhouse throughout the 3 days of competition.
We again made some changes to the format for both the main draw and the Super Seniors draws in response to members that played in the matchplay events last year. The 32 qualifiers in the main draw were divided into 8 groups of 4 on an Order of Merit ranking basis with each player playing 3 group games before the top 8 moved through to the knockout stages through to the final. 
In the Super Supers events we introduced a scratch event in addition to the usual handicap matchplay event for the top 8 qualifiers from the respective Super Seniors scratch and handicap Order of Merits. In each event, the 8 players contested matches each day to arrive at event winners through to the players in 8th place.

John Mathers (Cathcart Castle GC) beat Derek Paton (Dunnikier Park  GC) 3&2 in the final to win the matchplay for the 3rd year in a row....an outstanding achievement by John.

In the Super Seniors matchplays, the scratch event was won by Ian Brotherston (Dumfries & County GC) beating Willie Irvine (Lanark GC) at the 19th. In the handicap event the winner was Lindsay Gordon (Turnhouse Ltd) who beat Neil McGarva (Kilmacolm GC) 4&3.

Congratulations to John, Ian and Lindsay, and thank you to all the players for supporting the event.

Should also mention that Rob Ford had a hole-in-1 at the 6th on Tuesday....well done Bob!

A big thank you to David Norman, his green keepers and all the staff in the clubhouse and pro shop at Strathmore Golf Centre for helping make the event a success.
We are planning to check with John Mathers to see when he is on holiday next year so that we can hold the event when he is away, and give someone else a chance!!

The 2024 AGM is due to take place at the Autumn Meeting in August. As 
advised in the Members Update in April, there are Committee members that 
have stepped down this year or will be stepping down at the AGM. We need 

nominations to fill these positions urgently so that everything is approved at 

the AGM and in place for the 2025 Tour and beyond. 

Failure to fill all positions would be a serious issue for the continued success 
of the SSGS Tour. 

The 2024 Committee: 

• Chairman: Ronnie Clark (stepping down at AGM) 

•  Secretary: Ian Johnston (stepping down at AGM) 

•  Tournament Secretary: Ian Kerr
  

• Treasurer: Jim Patterson
  

• Area Rep West: Jim Devaney (stepping down at AGM)
  

• Area Rep Central: Vacant (Alex Hogg has stepped down)
  

• Area Rep East: Bill Barclay (stepping down at AGM – Ian Jeen and Derek 
  Paton have agreed to take up the role from the AGM)
  

• Area Rep South: Ian Fraser (stepping down end July)
  

• Area Rep North: Gordon Grimmer (in position and will be ratified at the AGM) 

Other Attendees: 

Honorary President: George Rodaks 

Honorary Vice-Presidents: Jim and Peter Kinloch 

Super Seniors 

There is also a Super Seniors Sub-Group in place that is led by John Fraser. John 
and the group have done a great job in developing interest in Super Seniors 
golf with increased fields for the 4 main SS events, a new scratch and handicap 
matchplay event, the successful 54-hole Masters event on great golf courses 
and 3 matches against England, Wales, and Spain. 

John will also be stepping down from the Sub-Group at the AGM and we 
therefore, require someone to step up and lead the Sub-Group. At the AGM we 
will propose the Sub-Group Leader position is added to the SSGS Committee. 

We therefore require nominations for Chairman, Secretary, Area Reps Central, 
West and South, and a Super Seniors Rep. 

Key tasks for each role:- 

Chairman: Chair Committee meetings and generally ensure SSGS is managed 
well, all issues are dealt with in a timely manner and continue to improve and 
develop the Tour. 

Secretary: Meeting agendas and minutes, co-ordinate Tour schedule and work 
with Area Reps and club venues, produce prize vouchers and winner 
summaries, organise medals and trophies, engraving, update SSGS Facebook 
page (can be covered), and deal with any member issues that arise. 

Area Reps: Secure course venues for events, complete event checklists, contact 
point for members in the area with any issues and liaise with the 
secretary/committee accordingly. 

Super Seniors Rep: lead the Super Seniors Sub-Group and continue to develop 
SS events as interest continues to grow. 

Any member interested in taking up any of the vacancies can of course contact 
those stepping down - Ronnie, Ian, John or any of the Area Reps – for an 
informal chat about their roles. 

There is no doubt the SSGS Tour has continued to grow and develop over the 
past few years with increased interest and improvements along the way, but 
this has also meant organising and managing the Tour takes time and effort 
from members that have volunteered to make sure members can just turn up 
for events and enjoy their golf. Hopefully some members will now step up to 
fill these vacancies and ensure the continued success of the SSGS Tour. 

Please come forward and play your part in supporting SSGS - we would ask 
for nominations by 31st July. 

 Ronnie Clark 
SSGS Chairman 

“I want to extend a huge thank you to all the members of the Scottish Seniors Golfing Society who supported my London Marathon fund-raising effort for Prostate Cancer UK.

We started with a target of raising £5,000.Through the amazing generosity of the SSGS membership, as well as many other supporters, the total accumulated so far is just under £13,000. Magnificent!

My heartfelt gratitude to you all for supporting such a worthwhile cause. Your contributions will help make the early detection and successful treatment of prostate cancer more of a reality for many men in the future.

If anyone wants to add to the fund-raising pot, the Just Giving page is still open until the end of June. justgiving.com/page/paul-moultrie-london-marathon-2024

With regard to my own journey, I am currently undergoing hormone therapy treatment which will continue for about a further 18 months. I completed my radiotherapy at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow on April 15, six days before the London Marathon. I am extremely grateful to the staff at both the Beatson and Ayr Hospitals for their world-class service, care and expertise.

This was my fourth London Marathon. While it was a memorable experience, I can safely say it will be my last….until the next time!

My sincere thanks again for all your support, including the many messages of encouragement I received.

I look forward to seeing everyone on a golf course as the season continues.”

Kind regards

Paul

Is your game affected by lower back pain or sciatica?
Lost confidence in your lower back?  Missing time on the golf course?

Active X Backs is planning to launch a service specifically targeted towards the needs of Scottish Golfers.

Former Scottish Rugby and British and Irish Lions Captain Gavin Hastings OBE says "As a keen golfer, and long-term lower back pain sufferer, I am really optimistic that Active X Backs has something special to offer Scotland's senior golfers."

If you'd like to help shape the service and get a free copy of The Golfer's Guide to Mastering Lower Back Pain & Sciatica, which they have put together for Scottish Golfers, fill in their waitlist questionnaire here>>  https://golf-waitlist.scoreapp.com/ 

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SUPER SENIORS TEAM VICTORIOUS IN WALES

Day 2 resulted in a 2.5 v 2.5 tie so the SSGS team won the match 5.5 v 4.5. Congratulations to the SSGS on winning the match and to Wales Seniors for hosting the inaugural match which will hopefully continue to take place in future years.  Big thank you to Royal St David's Golf Club for hosting the match and their hospitality throughout the 2 days.