May 2022 – Your club website:

SATURDAY

As a token of respect for Donnie Martin no competitive golf was played at Sconser on the day of the funeral.

SUNDAY

The Highland Cup was the competition of choice and with a nod to the past a draw was made to determine the day’s playing companions.

The weather was glorious following as it did a whole week of wind and rain but yet again the turnout to play was disappointing.

However you can only beat what’s put in front of you and once more John Finlayson recorded what on paper looks like an easy victory.

Playing in the company of two ‘strangers’ John once again had a minor disagreement with the second hole where he racked up a seven. Another aberration on the sixth hole resulted in quite a demoralising total of 41 shots being required from this normally very steady golfer to complete his first circuit of the Sconser track.

The temporary volatility of this round was to continue but this time on a much more positive note with only a miserly total of 34 blows required to complete a round that was very successfully recovered.

A total of 75 then minus 11 for a winning total of 64 and victory by the considerably large margin of four shots.

Good, stoical effort there from a man who just twenty four hours earlier was attending the funeral of his lifelong friend.

Runner-up was another Kyleakin man Chris Mackinnon who returned a nett score of 68. Off to a slow start on lap one Chris got to the turn with some steady if unspectacular golf signing for 38 shots.

He would have relished the challenge of lap two but a another stuttering start left him with too much ground to make up on his fellow villager as a further 40 blows were required to complete the card.

Third place went to club captain Ally Young whose two ‘nines’ were negotiated in 45 and 41 shots respectively.

‘Nine’ was unfortunately not a good number for the skipper as that was how many blows he struck to complete the 373yd sixth hole which is however one of the real tests on the golf course and is stroke index one.

The stroke index on a golf course is a method of ranking the difficulty of the holes from hardest to easiest. The first nine holes are given the odd numbers and the second nine even numbers for handicap purposes.

Unfortunately Ally topped his tee-shot only as far as the rough and thereafter we draw a veil. In fairness the tee-shot is one of the hardest on the course with the teeing area actually being outside the line of the boundary fence. Now if only it had been a stableford?

WEDNESDAY

The first of very few midweek competitions this season was the first round of the Strath Cup where the best three scores from four will determine the winner.

The morning weather was atrocious and made the course completely unplayable for golf and apparently there was a football match of some significance on tv in the evening but four players still managed to register an afternoon score-in very difficult conditions indeed.

The wind howled all day long but mercifully the rain stopped to allow the boys to play their game. There were puddles everywhere as a reminder of the morning’s deluge but by and large their play was uninterrupted.

The conditions dictated that the winning score would be significantly lower than the normal 40pts minimum required for victory and indeed Andrew Long’s 34pts was good enough to take the day with John Finlayson in second place.

Andrew navigated the first lap in 39 shots converting to 16pts before requiring another 38 shots for 18pts and a three point victory. The second circuit was going very well for the eventual winner until there was a wee incident on the 16th hole(we do like ‘wee incidents’).

Thanks to John Greens there is now a new tee which has stretched the yardage of the hole to 150yds and the shot was into the prevailing hoolie. Andrew is one of the club’s bigger biffers and even he thought he needed a 6-iron for the uphill(meaning there’s not going to be any ‘run’ on the ball)shot.

By this time in the late afternoon the wind was no longer consistent in strength and was gusting and at the last minute he changed to a 5-iron.

Unfortunately just at he was about to pull the trigger the wind dropped and the well-struck shot cleared the green-and the trees behind it never to be seen again!

The result was a triple-bogey six so 38 shots for the second nine holes with that aberration in those conditions was still excellent golf!

John Finlayson’s run of good form continued as he battled conditions for a 40-shot first nine and 17pts but the second nine proved more problematic as conditions took their toll and 43 shots converted to 14pts and second place. Maybe he was distracted by looking forward to watching the football match later in the evening?

Chris Hanley and Willie Urquhart were the other two competitors and great credit must go to all four players who actually submitted scores for every single hole.

In 72 holes of play there was one single birdie and that came from Andrew Long’s final shot of the day!

LADIES

Nothing to report here as a combination of appalling weather, holidays and other commitments means the ladies season is off to a rather prolonged, stuttering start I’m afraid.

FIXTURES

This Saturday’s fixture is a Two-Person Scramble and is available to both gents and ladies.

The following day both sections offer their respective Stableford competitions for play.

RESULTS

Gents Section

Sunday 15th May, Highland Cup

1) J Finlayson 75(11) nett 64; 2) C Mackinnon 78(10) 68; 3) A Young 86(17)69.

Wednesday 18th May, Strath Cup, Round One

1) A Long 34pts; 2) J Finlayson 31pts.

JOHN MARSHALL

Start of the season
Several weeks on

A clear pattern is developing in the ‘new normal’ format for weekend golf competitions at the Isle of Skye Golf Club.The smaller version attracts a mere handful of competitors while the bigger one attracts significantly more with very few members playing both.

However these are still the embryonic days of the 2022 season with a decent amount of regulars still waiting to break their competitive ducks.

SATURDAY

And so it came to pass that ‘strokeplay Saturday’ saw only a handful of players tackle the Sconser course-and that on a fine morning of weather.

Archie Macaskill was victorious when an excellent first lap of the track was navigated in a mere

33 strokes with an additional 36 required to complete his morning’s task.

69 then minus 5 for a nett score of 64 and a two shot victory over playing companion Alex Munro.

Birdies at 1, 8 and 10 were the undoubted highlights of his very tidy round of golf.

Alex gave the young fellow a decent run for his money though by going out in 37 shots and back in 36 and although it could have been better, it could have been worse as he signed for a nett 66.

SUNDAY

A new day dawned and a gentle zephyr greeted the early morning starters but as the day went on so the intensity of the wind increased and play was certainly affected-one group describing their last few holes as “brutal”.

Playing mid-morning Jim Cumming shot the lights out and his total of 41pts was good enough to win the RNLI Shield.

One wonders if in his new role as a club steward Jim is actually working on his short-game skills on and around the practice green when things are quiet in the clubhouse?

Additionally it appears that ‘our man’ is no stranger to playing in strong, gusty winds as his formative days in blustery Braemar were spent learning how to flight the ball down as and when conditions dictated.

Whatever the reason he played the first nine holes in 38 shots more properly converted to 18pts as it was a Stableford competition before igniting the after-burners in his accumulation of a massive 23pts from his circumnavigation of the second nine in just 34 more blows. Three birdies too for good measure so very well played sir.

The runner-up was the man who secured second place 24hrs earlier but this time instead of only a fistful there were nearly twenty competitors.

Alex Munro negotiated lap one in 34 strokes before falling away a little in requiring 37 more next time round and the points harvests were 21 and 18 respectively.

Alex has always been a regular combatant on the Sconser scene but for several months now he has been conspicuous by his absence due to a succession of long-term injuries.

However it looks as if ‘the boy is back in town’-as the song goes?

A good effort by the Breakish man-welcome back.

The judges were required to separate Chris Mackinnon and Ross Cumming with the latter getting the nod courtesy of two more points scored on the second circuit.

Ross only secured 14pts from the first nine holes but a great effort second time round garnered 22 more to secure third place.

Chris too had a weakish first effort for 16pts but another 20 on the way home would have boosted his confidence.

LADIES

Only the two old soldiers again as early-season rustiness combined with an ever strengthening wind led to below par performances from both ladies.

In the unforgiving format that is medal-play each player suffered a blowout on one particular hole that resulted in them leaking oil for the rest of the round.

Jill Mackinnon’s wobble came as early as the ‘second’ when the fairway just wasn’t quite wide enough to accommodate her shots while Donalda Johnston required her bucket and spade before completing the ninth hole.

After that the ba’ was well and truly burst for both girls.

ADVENTURE

Following on from Ryan and Archie MacAskill’s outing at Fortrose recently four of Sconser’s ‘finest’ headed to Inverness Golf Club, there to throw their hats into the competition ring in an Open Texas Scramble.

On a lovely sunny day on a course apparently in extremely rude health the team of Alastair Sutherland, John Maclean, Andrew Long and Chris Hanley acquitted themselves and the Isle of Skye Golf Club extremely well by finishing in 11th place out of 56 teams in the Scratch Division.

COURSE

Good news on the leatherjacket front.

Thanks to a programme of overseeding, top-dressing plus much rolling to bind the crumbling soil together and flatten the ground there has been a remarkable transformation on the affected areas of the course ie. the 3rd green and the practice putting green.

Our greenkeeper has been swapping tales of woe with colleagues the length and breadth of the UK as they work together to find a solution now that the relevant pesticides have been withdrawn from availability and banned.

More good news.

Club member Calum Beaton has been engaged to work two days per week to assist John Cunningham. Calum has volunteered his services to the club for several years, mainly cutting the fairways and the rough so it’s great for all concerned that now he’s officially part of the team.

While John Green’s kids might consider their dad to be a super-hero when the grass starts to grow there is way too much work for any one man to do.

Hats off then to the committee for this appointment which will ensure that our course is in the best possible condition for members and visitors alike.

FIXTURES

This weekend the Saturday competition is open to those ladies and gentlemen who declare themselves to be fit enough to go round four laps of the Sconser circuit in the only 36-hole competition on the club’s fixture list.

The David Murray Quaich is played for in honour of one of the club’s greatest servants back in the day and if the weather holds fair it’s usually a very enjoyable experience.

Usually played with a shotgun start the craic in the clubhouse between rounds is usually of a very high order as copious amounts of Texas strawberries and assorted goodies are consumed.

On Sunday the gents can compete in a strokeplay competition.

The ladies have the second in their series of events where each player with a golf handicap will adopt a group of newbies as the integration process continues apace and they play and chat their merry way round the golf course.

The kick-off for the ladies is 1pm and all involved will be hoping to build on the success of the previous outing.

DONNIE MARTIN

We at the Isle of Skye Golf Club were saddened to hear the tragic news of the death of Donnie Martin.

Although he played and enjoyed the occasional game at our Sconser course it was to Skeabost Golf Club that he belonged.

We send our condolences to his wife Alice, to Scott, Kim and the extended family.

RESULTS

Gents Section

Sat 7th May, Strokeplay Competition.

1) A Macaskill 69(5) nett 64; 2) A Munro 73(7) 66.

Sun 8th May, RNLI Shield.

1) J Cumming 41pts; 2) A Munro 39pts; 3) R Cumming 36pts bih; 4) C Mackinnon 36pts.

Ladies Section

Sun 8th May, Ladies Championship, Rd One.

1) D Johnston 95(19) nett 76; 2) J Mackinnon 95(16) 79.

JOHN MARSHALL

Almost unbelievably there hadn’t been a single drop of rain on the Sconser home of the Isle of Skye Golf Club for almost two weeks but one single day before the first of the scheduled weekend fixtures the weather forecast was grim and the skies darkened.

Consequently those who had booked their competition slots for the morning and were aware of the forecast began to delete their names one by one till eventually the booking sheet almost looked ‘live’ as the countdown to zero continued.

Cometh the morning the remaining names quickly disappeared as the heavens dutifully opened and the much needed rain dribbled down.

Greenkeeper John Cunningham was absolutely delighted though as had the precipitation not arrived as predicted he had planned to go to Sconser on Saturday evening-yes that’s correct, Saturday evening-to continue his hand-watering of the course!

With the lack of heavenly moisture the water level in the river had been way too low to allow the irrigation system pump to operate effectively so John ‘Greens’ and his trusty water-bowser had continued to empty tank upon tank of water onto the putting surfaces-seemingly for ever.

However the ground had become so hard and compacted that the water just puddled so JG had to use a brush to disperse it. I know-I wouldn’t have believed it either had I not seen it with my own eyes!

SUNDAY

Thankfully 24hrs later the rain had come and gone, the wind had died down and then the sun made a shameless appearance. In fact one of the competitors described the conditions to me as being ‘perfect’-and he wasn’t even the winner!

Frustrated by no action the previous day there was a healthy turnout for the May Monthly Medal which was kindly sponsored by club captain Ally Young. His ‘good lady’(will I get the gender polis chapping my door for that?)Norma has kindly offered to sponsor the Ladies Medal so thank you both very much for your act of generosity.

The action began very early with form-horse Geoff Williams making yet another statement of intent by going to the turn in 38 shots. Fairly recently come to the club but a frequent player Geoff would have been unhappy with too many fives on the card. He certainly got his act together second time round when thanks to a strong 3,3,3, finish in particular-the last two numbers being birdies-he signed for a 34 shot second loop, a gross score of 72 and with handicap deducted a winning nett score of 61.

Well played Mr Consistency.

Interestingly he was partnered with the ‘first of the paramedics’(Last of the Mohicans eat your heart out!) to bite the bullet and try competition golf for the very first time.

A little nervous on the first tee our newbie struggled early on but the fact that he had played a few bounce games with Geoff eased his discomfort. As expected off a high handicap our man recorded a robust total but readily admitted to enjoying the occasion so much so that next day when the booking sheet became available his was the first entry to be made for the RNLI Shield competition the following Sunday!

I use ‘competition’ and not ‘competitive’ golf because most if not all golf is competitive to a degree and a game between two or more people can be competitive outwith the formality of a competition.

Can I also repeat for the final time that starting to play the game of golf does not necessarily have to lead to getting a handicap and playing in competitions. As mentioned here several times before national stats show that only between one quarter and one third of golfers have the desire to compete on a regular basis.

As long as you play the game of golf please enjoy it in whatever form you choose-whether it be recreational, competitive or indeed both.

The runner-up was victor ludorum last time out so despite a non-golfing holiday overseas(he really must do better next time especially as his ‘better half’-gender polis chapping again?-is one of our newbie golfers)the old magic is still there.

Chris Hanley’s two laps of the track were negotiated in 38 and 34 shots respectively and minus his handicap he signed for a nett score of 64.

Three nice birdies too including one each time at the statistically difficult 6th and 15th (same hole different tees) plus a cheeky wee finish on 18 for good measure.

Two players submitted scores of nett 65 with the scrutineer giving the nod to Robert Macaskill over Ross Cumming via the better inward half.

Like Geoff Williams and Chris Hanley last week’s ‘pairs’ winner Robbie continues on a good streak of form.

He navigated the first part of the examination in 39 shots but required three shots less to complete the paper before signing for a 65.

Like the winner Robbie birdied the final two holes which would have seen him exit the course with a bit of a spring in his step.

Ross’ two nines were 39 and 38 the second number inflated as the result of a nasty seven within sight of and only four holes from home. Otherwise for an ‘injured’ man his performance was eminently satisfactory as he treads the slow road to recovery.

LADIES

Three ladies came out to compete for the May Medal and in an exciting finish it was Jill Mackinnon who edged out her old rival Donalda Johnston for the prize.

New member Helen Hamilton completed the trio on the day but it might take her a few more outings before she settles into the peculiarities of the Sconser layout.

Unfortunately two of the other ladies were unavailable on the day and that makes a significant difference when numbers are so small. However the green shoots of development in the ladies section are slowly beginning to emerge from their subterranean resting place as they steadily rise towards the light.

Could one see a competition result here anytime soon without Jill or Donalda featuring? Quite possible and I’m sure the two stalwarts would very much welcome being ‘so rudely interrupted’.

The girls were a bit rusty first time out this season and the scoring was modest. Jill’s two loops were 43 and 47 for a gross total of 90 minus 16 and nett 74.

Donalda’s two laps were each negotiated in 47 biffs for a gross total of 94 minus 19 and nett 75.

CRAIG LEE

Our very own Roving-Pro golfer Craig Lee has, as is the norm visited to club on the first weekend of the month to continue to coach and inspire those who avail themselves of his services.

The feedback from his pupils is always very positive and the club would like to put on record not only their thanks for his sterling coaching efforts but also the manner in which he conducts himself as he goes about his business.

Grateful thanks also to Compass Builders, Inverness for continuing their sponsorship of Craig’s visits to our golf club.

ADVENTURE

This is the time of the year when our more adventurous golfers flap their collective wings and fly off to try their luck on the mainland competition circuit.

First up were the Macaskill brothers who competed in a Junior Tour Scotland tournament at Fortrose and Rosemarkie GC.

Saturday required them, plus fifty other boys to play 36 holes in rather miserable weather on a tight course before a redraw was made to determine the playing companions for Sunday’s final 18 holes.

Although both Ryan and Archie finished on the same ‘number’ and in the middle of the pack they enjoyed the thrill and the experience of playing the course in competition trim and alongside some very talented and low-handicapped players from throughout the country.

With live-scoring available from the course and my own football team in dire straits Saturday afternoon was spent keeping a wee eye on the boy’s progress.

How very nice it was to see the Isle of Skye Golf Club name alongside some of the bigger clubs not just in the region but in the land.

COURSE

Apart from the continuing low temperatures and a biting cold wind the rainfall patterns are gradually starting to return to normal and slowly but surely the course condition is improving considering our geographical location and the fact that we are highly susceptible to the vagaries of the weather.

Indeed we are not alone in bemoaning the unseasonably cold weather. The much-vaunted new creation at Dumbarnie Links in Fife announced last week that it was closing the course till June as the anticipated arrival of warmer weather had failed to materialise and the young grasses on the greens just weren’t growing.

This on a course where one single round of golf can cost as much as the annual subscription at the IOSGC!

However there is one major and potentially serious problem with two areas of our golf course ie. the 3rd green and the practice putting green. Unfortunately both have both succumbed to an infestation of leatherjackets.

Not only do these pests eat the roots of the grass plant they also become a very tasty amuse-bouche for our feathered friends so the grass is being attacked both from above and below the surface!

A recent survey of golf courses throughout the UK reported that less than 1% were unaffected by these destructive grubs that leave the ground pitted and bumpy.

A European ban on the effective pesticides several years ago has left greenkeepers throughout the UK virtually powerless to act as they work together to find a solution to the problem.

Something worth bearing in mind next time you start mentally drafting a letter of complaint when you’re out on the course and things aren’t quite as you’d like them to be?

FIXTURES

The Highland Cup is Sunday’s rearranged competition for the gents.

According to the fixture list a draw will be made for partners at 9am on Sunday 15th.

Intending participants would be well advised to check the up-to-date arrangements.

Good news too as the first midweek competition of the season will be Wednesday’s first round of the Strath Cup.

As I understand it following very poor attendances for last season’s midweek fixtures, with the laudable exception of the Plockton passel who were regular and enthusiastic adherents to the cause the committee took this into account in their reimagining of the fixture list.

Perhaps a larger and regular midweek turnout might lead to a rethink?

The ladies will be playing a Sunday Stableford with the Lochalsh Leisure Stableford competition on Tuesday.

RESULTS

Gents Section

Sunday 1st May, Monthly Medal.

1) G Williams 72(11) nett 61; 2) C Hanley 72(8) 64; 3) R Macaskill 75(10) 65 bih; 4) R Cumming 77(12) 65.

Ladies Section

Sunday 1st May, Monthly Medal.

1) J Mackinnon 90(16) 74; 2) D Johnston 94(19) 75.

JOHN MARSHALL

All Gents please note the Highland Cup Medal shall take place on Sunday 15th May. This is a return to a drawn event format taking place from 9am. Would all members registering to play in the event please complete their entry on VMS by 8pm on Saturday 14th May

SATURDAY

It was a sunny but bitterly cold morning that greeted the players for the Saturday Stableford-a competition which unfortunately attracted only a modest number of competitors throughout the day. However the scoring was extremely tight with the top eight players separated by only four points.

The winner was John Finlayson who, playing in the final group of the day breasted the tape just ahead of the field in a feat he’ll no doubt be hoping to replicate in the imminent Local Government Elections.

With a new Callaway Rogue driver in the bag-despite a presentiment of doom by his learned friend the Skeabost soothsayer-it was to be a day for keeping the ball as near the ground as possible and that was John’s adopted strategy as the round began.

The course is running hard and fast because of the persistent, prolonged drying wind and lack of rain. In these conditions the wise man adapts his game-even putting from off the green when necessary if that is deemed to be the percentage shot.

‘Steady as she goes’ golf then from John with 39 shots required for lap one and 38 more to complete the task with one single blemish-a triple bogey seven as early as the second hole.

Apparently the Rogue driver tee shot was dispatched with some aplomb but the ball came to rest on the upslope of a lazy bed plumb in the middle of the fairway.

Decision time then-to lay up or give it the full Monty? With an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other it was to be the latter’s persuasive powers that won the day.

However, off the up slope with a three-wood being the club of choice the ball drifted left before banking then bidding a fond farewell to the ‘cut-and-prepared’ as it vanished over the boundary fence.

Maybe we should consider filling in the centuries-old undulations to create a flatter landing strip?

Nevertheless and thereafter good steady golf is what John does-and he did it again en route to a narrow but well deserved victory.

Four players pulled up one point behind but Andrew Long’s 19pts harvest for the second lap edged the other three boys who all scored 18pts for each of their two circuits.

Andrew’s two nines were 38/37 while John Maclean’s two loops were 37/38. Jim Cumming’s tallies were 38/39 while Ally Young didn’t record a score on one hole so no comparable numbers are available for him.

Non-golfing readers should be aware however that the Stableford points method of scoring does not require a number to be recorded for every single hole hence the reference to it being a more forgiving form of play when compared with medal/strokeplay where every single shot counts-no allowances for aberrations.

For the record John Maclean(no repeat of last week’s horror finish), Jim Cumming and club captain Ally Young were the players who just missed out on the prizelist but as mentioned earlier the turnout on the day was modest so there was no requirement for forensic investigation to determine the minor placings

LADIES

The ladies came out to play in the afternoon in the first of a series of planned events aimed at linking the players who already have a golf handicap with those from among the ranks of the newbies who are interested in acquiring one.

The four ‘handicappers’ present each took a group of new recruits under their collective wings as they made their merry way round the golf course. The emphasis was on enjoyment of the experience and that seemed to meet with the approval of those who were in attendance.

In fact several days later, in the club car park I met one of the ladies who had been part of the ‘occasion’. She was effusive in her enthusiasm for the project before adding that she couldn’t wait to get her handicap.

The same lady also confirmed the feedback I had received from the organisers and offered that although there was evidence of nerves and understandable initial apprehension that soon dissipated when the fun began!

Indeed one woman felt inspired and ready to grasp the nettle so she completed her lap of the track before submitting her scorecard for handicap assessment purposes.

Apparently the break for tea and biscuits was very well received too.

Sunday 22nd May is the next date in the diary for those ladies who are interested in this aspect of the game.

Good effort there and very well done to all involved.

SUNDAY

Next day’s scheduled Fourball Better Ball competition was shelved at the eleventh hour and replaced by a Pairs Strokeplay event. Four gents and two ladies teams participated.

Yet again a sunny day was cunningly disguised as ‘inviting’ but once more the Baltic hoolie made it another challenging experience for the golfers of Skye and Lochalsh.

No problem though for the team of Robert Macaskill and James Colven. The latter played the best round of his life breaking 80 for the first time ever and Robert’s contribution wasn’t too shabby either as they ‘ham and egged’ their way to a three stroke victory over Alistair Sutherland and Alex Munro.

The Borve/Portree duo roared off to a great start registering six nett birdies and a nett eagle in their first nine holes.

Robbie,or should it be Eddie was the nett eagle ‘man’ with a towering 6-iron tee shot right over the pin on the seventh hole. The resulting putt was a cheeky wee downhill, left to right, six-footer but Robbie relished the challenge and the putt was duly drained.

An outward half of eight under par nett 25 was a superb effort by the two good and long-time friends.

The wheels nearly came off early second time round though as they started with a careless bogey before composure recovered they registered another four birdies to redress that unforgivable blemish on their scorecard.

Overall they recorded an eleven-under-par total of 56.

The Broadford/Breakish duo of Alistair Sutherland and Alex Munro recorded five birdies but sadly one bogey en route to a nett four under par 29 for the first of their two circuits followed by a further two nett birdies and a nett eagle for a nett four under par 30.

Overall they recorded an eight under par total of 59.

Their score might look modest when compared to the winners but handicap-wise they play off much lower numbers than their ‘opponents’ and if higher handicappers hit a bit of form on the day they will always be difficult to beat, carrying as they do several extra strokes.

The main difference between the higher and lower calibrated players is the high men will come good only occasionally whereas the lower men will return better scores with greater consistency.

Old habits die hard for this bodach so I attempted to apportion each of the four players handicaps for illustrative purposes but thanks to the WHS(World Handicap System)every result I perused had the players down for a different number!

FIXTURES

The gents will be playing a strokeplay competition this Saturday when, with a nod to the past a draw will be made at 9am to determine the playing partners. Those members who may not be a natural part of a group are particularly encouraged to come along and throw their hats into the competitive ring, play their round of golf, enjoy the game, the craic and the company.

However those who do have regular playing companions are also asked to support the cause and make a special effort to join the happy band of fellow members in playing their game of golf by mixing with players in the best interest of engendering a healthy and vibrant club spirit.

We have recruited more than a few new members, both male and female recently who might flourish and benefit from a degree of social and golfing integration. Most of us wizened, old members now were young once upon a time and we were both influenced and encouraged by older and wiser men back in the day.

In my own experience I will always be grateful to George Gibson and Ian Fullarton in particular for the tutelage and encouragement they freely offered to me when I started playing the game.

I’d like to think that over the years in my own small way I’ve maintained and contributed to the upkeep of that tradition.

From my current vantage point on the sidelines I cannot help but notice that several pre-Covid regular competitors remain conspicuous but their absence albeit it’s still very early in the season and the weather conditions have been less than attractive thus far.

Additionally we are all two years older and while that matters not when you are but a bairn in your twenties and thirties it becomes much more significant for the sexa-and septuagenarians!

Maybe, just maybe it’s time to get the clubs out, roll up at Sconser and see if the old magic is still in the fingers?

You’ve already watched the Masters on television-it’s a good opportunity to give it a go this weekend.

On Sunday it’s back to the familiar auld claes an’ parritch booking procedure for the RNLI Shield which is a Stableford competition very kindly and generously sponsored by the Organic Sea Harvest company.

The girls will play round one of the Ladies Championship on Sunday then two days later they will play the first round of the Glamaig Cup. Both competitions are medal play.

RESULTS

Saturday 23rd April, Stableford Competition.

1) J Finlayson 37pts; 2) A Long 36pts bih; 3) J Maclean, A Young and J Cumming 36pts.

Sunday 24th April, Pairs Strokeplay Competition.

1) R Macaskill and J Colven 56(-11); 2) A Munro and A Sutherland 59(-8).

JOHN MARSHALL

New sponsorship

(Evelyn Crate Associate M&M with club Secretary Iain Lewis)

Isle of Skye Golf Club are pleased to introduce MacLeod & MacCallum (Portree) as new sponsors.

Macleod and MacCallum have been serving clients across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland for over 50 years.

During this time they have developed a full range of legal and property services enabling them to effectively and efficiently deal with and respond to all of their clients needs whether they are an individual or a business.

They are the largest local legal practice in the Highlands of Scotland, and with offices in Inverness and Portree located in Somerled Square, Isle of Skye they are able to bring services closer to the communities throughout the Highlands. The sponsorship will bring the opportunity for the club to host several events over the next few seasons as well as enhanced signeage at the Clubhouse thanks to the sponsors generosity. Our thanks to go Evelyn Crate at the Portree Office for her contributions in arranging the sponsorship and to the management team at M&M.

Craig Lee – Roving Pro

Craig Lee
Thanks to Thom MacLeod

Craig Lee will be returning to the course on Friday the 6th May with coaching available to ALL members throughout the two day period. We again extend our thanks to Compass Building & Construction who have supported IOSGC for a second year in bringing a former European tour player to the club. This has enabled members throughout the Skye and Lochalsh area of all standards to receive coaching and advice from Craig. The Club has also benefited from his knowledge and advice as have beginners and new members.

Club Competitions

For any new members or members seeking to find a playing partner, the SG App is the best place to look for a playing partner. Through the App you can text members and enquire about playing together. Where you see a single player entered with a tee time, please feel free to join with them. They may also be looking for a playing partner.

The new season got underway with a charity fundraiser for Kyleakin Connections and congratulations to Chris Hanley who picked up the first of the Gents silverware on offer for the new season, a fitting reward for Chris’s efforts in running the Black Rock winter league. All the fixtures and scores are available via this website or through the SG App. The fixtures committee has also taken the opportunity to add some mixed events, some competitive, some non qualifiers amongst them as well as a return on some days to a members draw. Weekends now mostly host two separate events.

The Committee have established sponsors for all the Monthly Medals both Ladies and Gents with MacGregor Industrial Supplies, North 57 Gins, Scottish Co-op Broadford, JCM Plumbing, JR Gilles Groundworks Sartle all new medal sponsors. The Club wishes to thank them for their generosity. We also have two ‘Memorial’ Medals thanks to Nicky Deighton in memory of her late father Dr Frank Deighton most involved in establishing the course and Heather McGlone and family in memory of their late father , whom you will recall we remember through the seat at the 10th Tee.

We have retained all our sponsors for 2022 including those that have supported our fundraising and charity events as well as our three main Opens namely Isle of Skye Distillers, Hebridean Distillers – Raasay Distillery and Craig Campbell Opticals Ltd. Our Club Championship events will again be sponsored by the Gaelic Whiskies & Gaelic Gins of Eilean Iarmain.

Upgrading Facilities

The Club recently purchased 5 sets of better quality golf clubs in a bid to enhance the visitor experience at the course. These match up with the hire trolleys that became available to us from Royal Dornoch GC mid Covid. Our thanks to Neil Hampton and the Dornoch club for their generosity.

The first of the clubhouse windows have been installed by local joiner and club member Andrew Long with further improvements to follow soon across all the windows. The introduction of stewards namely Jim, Duncan and George has enabled us to open the clubhouse on an almost 6 day basis per week. Any members wishing to add to the numbers are most welcome. Simply get in touch with the club for more information.

Finally the Club received a small grant which will allow better marketing of the course and our facilities. We intend to put the funding award towards the opportunity to have a professional photographer attend who will spend some time on presenting a portfolio of IOSGC.

Around the Greens

From the start/middle of March we moved onto the main greens. Mid March all greens were double scarified, blown, over seeded, top dressed, brushed, rolled and pre/post seeded applied. Towards the end of April Greens were cut three times a week and due to the low level of rainfall in April hand watered by John Cunningham regularly. The 3rd green and practice green have both suffered from leatherbacks over the winter. Leatherbacks are the larvae of daddy long legs. The larvae cause damage to the greens by feeding on the roots of the grass over the winter months.
Fairways are all slit again start of April. Thanks again to Calum Beaton who has started cutting the semi rough which is appreciated. The drier spell brought a reward to John Cunningham who has worked relentlessly through an extremely wet winter, though the dry spell brings a new challenge in ensuring that the greens receive watering on an almost daily basis for their growth.

Dates for your Diary

Note: Gents changing room closed Thurs 5th May – Polling Station

Fri 6th May Sat 7th May – Craig Lee at IOSGC (Contact Craig – 07725 360583 email craiglee77@hotmail.com)

8th May 1st Round Ladies Championship

8th May RNLI Stableford with Organic Sea Harvest

21st May David Murray 36 Hole Gents

Fixtures are available at the web pages

All members are asked to collect their annual bag sticker and membership card from the clubhouse

A word of thanks………………

I’d like to than Danny Steele for his time on the Committee at IOSGC and wish the soon to be, Mr & Mrs Steele all the best for their big day.

And final word of thanks goes to those that helped throughout the winter at the ‘Members Shed’ days. Though the weather was often challenging it was rewarding to see those that volunteered.

A Young

IOSGC

A warm welcome to the

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Month: May 2022

Kyleakin Golfers on the Podium and a Long lead in Strath 1st Rnd

Road to recovery on the Greens at IOSGC and RNLI Benefits

A mixed bag of weather, scores and venues at IOSGC

Highland Cup Medal Sunday 15th May Drawn Tournament

It’s by a point at IOSGC

May 2022 Newsletter