Around the Course – Your club website:

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

Course

Unfortunately the new season at the Isle of Skye Golf Club got off to a stuttering start as the Greenkeeper’s Revenge competition scheduled for last Saturday had to be cancelled. However John Cunningham our greenkeeper has not been idle.

The course has finally emerged from beneath its winter blanket following a period of time when various alterations to the layout are made for protective and maintenance purposes. However, much diligent work has been done, the golf course is once more fully open for play and normal service has been resumed.

The teeing areas have all been ‘rested’ throughout the winter with rather luxurious plastic mats and fairway teeing positions utilised to protect the proper playing surfaces. The tees were double-scarified(a procedure that removes thatch, moss and dead organic matter)and overseeded(a process of sowing new seed on top of the existing stuff to promote new growth)in early March and JG reckons they are looking ‘quite well’ following their period of winter slumber.

The players will be pleased to hear this news.

The maintenance on the greens was completed two weeks ago with double-scarification, overseeding, top dressing(this dilutes the layer of thatch beneath the surface to increase drainage and improve the quality of the soil)and brushing(this raises the grass into a vertical position allowing for a slightly raised ‘cut’ on the mower without compromising the green speed)all done very diligently to prepare the best possible playing surfaces.

The players will be well pleased to hear this news too.

The recent deluge of rain was actually welcomed by John Greens following a recent dry spell so all we need now is for the air and ground temperatures to rise thereby allowing some growth to commence.

Sign

There was a ‘bit of a do’ at Sconser last week when a fine new sign was unveiled on the golf course courtesy of the Gaelic Trust, Urras An Eilein. Established by Sir Iain Noble in 1973 the aim is to promote Gaelic language activities and projects on the Isle of Skye.

This eye catching sign on the golf course set as it is before a background of the historic, photogenic and highly significant Isle of Raasay will hopefully encourage our many visitors to use the photographic opportunity it affords to take home at least one Gaelic memory from the island with them.

The sign was unveiled by Dr Angus MacDonald, Chairman of Urras An Eilein together with long-time club member and Gaelic speaker Calum Beaton on behalf of the IOSGC. The project was managed and brought together by Murdo Beaton who is also a long-time member of the golf club in addition to being the current Trust Administrator.

The ceremony was introduced in Gaelic by club captain Ally Young and the Isle of Skye Golf Club would like to place on record their thanks to Urras An Eilein for this kind, significant and very generous gesture.

Coaching

Craig Lee’s first coaching session of the year has come and gone. Unfortunately it coincided with a particularly raw weekend of weather but it was good to see that some hardy juniors made the effort to attend their class on the Friday.

Next day a returning group of beginners, gratifyingly enlarged by yet more new recruits joined Craig for further coaching and in addition a couple of members who had pre-booked individual lessons took advantage of his vast knowledge and experience.

Craig intends to visit the club on the first weekend of every month throughout the ‘summer’ and members are asked to contact Craig directly for details and to book lessons.

Interestingly, although the competition of the day had been cancelled the car park was full as golfers were on the course and several apparently said to Craig that they would have played had the fixture not been abandoned.

I understand that only one single person had actually entered the competition by adding their name to the entry sheet so with food and Covid access to the clubhouse to be considered the decision was made to abandon ship.

The message here would appear to be clear-if an indication to compete is requested then it would be wise to do so-for the duration of these still necessarily restricted times at least.

The IOSGC would once again like to place on record their thanks to Compass Builders, Inverness for continuing their sponsorship of the coaching programme. The scheme was a great success in 2021 and a significant number of new members were recruited to the club as a result of the company’s generosity in funding Craig’s regular visits to the island.

Clubhouse

The clubhouse is up and running now but sadly with staffing still a problem it is only able to open four days per week for the time being. New stewards Duncan Macrae and Jim Cumming are settling well to the task in hand and although the weather is still cold and wet visitors and members alike are beginning to trickle into the building. The atmosphere within can be staid and rather peaceful or ribald and rather mischievous depending on the ‘inhabitants’ at any particular moment but it’s great to have it back again to offer a friendly welcome to our visiting golfers in particular and our members in general.

As a footnote to this item my own game on course last Friday was rather rudely interrupted before being terminated by an April snow blizzard! Just shy of the second green and a long way from home when the storm commenced I was rather ‘chilled’ by the time I reached the sanctuary of the clubhouse.

However a warm welcome was received from Duncan, the duty steward and John Greens had popped in for a mid-morning cuppa too. Club member Andrew Long, masquerading as a joiner for the day was installing new windows in the building and then club secretary Iain Lewis joined the gathering.

The craic, which was of course socially-distanced was of good order and one was reminded of just what we’ve missed by not having the clubhouse available to use for the last couple of years.

Hopefully that wee session was a harbinger of better times to come?

Competitions

This weekend sees the ‘new normal’ for most weekends throughout the season.

On Saturday the men will be competing for the Anniversary Quaich and on Sunday they will have an opportunity to compete in a Stableford competition.

The ladies will also play a Stableford competition on Sunday.

JOHN MARSHALL

Many Members, along with Visitors, will have sat on the memorial seat by the 10th Tee, either to reflect on a good score or to pass the day discussing the round that was.

It was a sad miss and resting point very much absent from the Club in recent times when the advice from Scottish Golf was to remove all course furniture. Anyone who has played the course in the past week will see the seat back in its appropriate resting point. promoting the fabulous view towards Raasay and North Skye.

The seat is in memory of Eric McGlone placed there by his family. Eric and his wife were both born in Scotland in villages outside of Glasgow. They didn’t actually meet until they ran into each other in London. Eric’s daughter Heather wrote to me, telling me of when she and her husband visited Skye as a favourite holiday destination in the 1980s, and so too did her parents and younger brother. Every year they stayed at then Skeabost Hotel.

There they did a lot of salmon fishing and Eric and his son would also travel to Sconser to play at the Skye Club.

Heather mentioned “Wherever he went in the world with his golf clubs they always had the Isle of Skye Golf Club tag attached to them”.

Eric travelled the world a lot. He worked for a computer company, at the time called Burroughs, travelling from his London home. In the end he moved to Sydney, Australia for a few years and then to the USA before finally coming back to London.

Heather added “Skye was such a love of theirs that when my father died we asked the Funeral Director Donnie Macleod if the club would let us scatter his ashes on the course and we were given permission to do so. It was a really wet day, with torrential rain and my mother kept saying, “Your father would like this, as his ashes will help nourish the fairways”.

Eric’s widow thought it would be nice to have a memorial of some sort at the clubhouse for a man that had spent so many happy hours there. She thought a bench might be nice if players wanted a little break and to admire the view. They located a local carpenter who loved the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and had converted an old schoolhouse in Skye into an amazing home and workshop. His name is evident on the base of the bench on one of the legs. The beautiful bench was hence constructed and every time Heather and her family (and there are several groups of family members) who at different times come to Skye, the first thing they do – after breathing a huge sigh of relief that they are on the island – is to stop at ‘Grandad’s bench’ as the younger members of the family call it, and just breathe in the moment. Heather always takes a moment to reflect on her father. It is the last thing they all do before also leaving the island.

Sadly, Heather’s Mum died two years ago. The Family couldn’t get up to Skye last year due to the Covid restrictions, so it was wonderful for them to get back this summer.

Heather commented, “My father was a very wise and shrewd man. For all the hectic and busy lives we all lead he would always say to me, never forget to take time to stop and smell the flowers. He was so right. Just taking time to sit and pause on Grandad’s bench is inspirational. He was a very clever person, who absolutely loved Skye and loved his golf. I hope some of your Members will take time to stop and smell the flowers too, and watch the bumble bees too”

It’s funny how much history and how many stories there are behind a simple inscription on a bench!.

My thanks to Heather for her contribution to this article and thanks to those who helped restore the seat after the lifting of Covid restrictions.

Sconser Golf Club was formed at a meeting held in Sligachan Hotel on 23rd November 1964 and the course was later constructed on a piece of land leased to the club by Ian Campbell of Sconser. Shortly afterwards Mr Campbell found himself in conversation with Neil Maclean, a fellow Skye man who was a surgeon in Glasgow. Mr Maclean suggested that a medical colleague of his was also an avid golfer, who had represented his country at international level and who, if approached, might be willing to assist in the project.

Dr Frank Deighton, a former Walker Cup player, was then asked by Mr Campbell to design and lay out nine holes for the purpose of playing golf – a challenge he enthusiastically accepted. As the course developed Mr Campbell generously allowed members to use part of one of the outbuildings beside his house as a club room – the original 1st tee was near the site of the present 7th tee. George Gibson – a founder member of the club who lived in Portree but now resides in Inverarnie – remembers the early days. He said that there were no fairways as only tees and greens had been partially prepared and he recalls with some amusement memories of cutting the greens with a hand mower on balmy summer evenings – barefooted!

Over the next 20 years the club grew and became established. In 1984 the land was purchased from the Campbell family and a fence erected to remove the sheep which had traditionally grazed on the course. Electric fences, which had been installed around the greens to prevent damage from the animals, became a thing of the past. Mr. Alastair MacDonald, Sconser, was employed as a part-time greenkeeper. Mr MacDonald’s son, Donnie, eventually became our full time greenkeeper up until the early 2000s.

Mrs Margaret Foskett (nee Maclean) – a founder member from Sconser township, and one of the original ‘gang of four’ who approached Mr Campbell to discuss the idea of creating a golf course – remembers some disquiet in her family as she prepared to attend the inaugural meeting to form the club. Some of her close relatives had sheep that had grazed happily and undisturbed on the site of the course for many years!

Two years later mineral extraction on the shore (beside what is now the 2nd/11th fairway) resulted in significant coastal erosion and threatened part of the golf course. Thankfully remedial work was carried out, the problem was resolved and no further damage has been done to the course.

At about the same time, and as tourism was becoming more and more significant to the economy of the area, it was felt that the club’s identity required clarification. In 1987 Mr Murdo Beaton, who was then Secretary, proposed that the name of the club be changed from Sconser Golf Club to The Isle of Skye Golf Club. This proposal was approved at the AGM and the present club officially came into existence. Mr Beaton also became the first member of the new club.

In 1988 the present clubhouse and car park were constructed with the help of MacFarlane Builders and the playing order of the holes was amended to its present day layout. Dr Deighton was invited and graciously accepted an invitation to return to the island to open the new clubhouse and did so in some style, launching the ceremonial drive from the tee just in front of the new building.

Ten years later and once again, as interest in the club and golf in Skye and Lochalsh continued to bloom, additional land was purchased with the aim of creating an 18 hole course which it was hoped would attract more visitors to the area. A funding submission was prepared and submitted to the Sports Lottery Fund but unfortunately, as the government funding resources were reduced, the criteria for financial assistance changed. So too did the general economic situation and gradually and sadly the proposal became unrealistic.

In 1999 a tearoom and small golf-related shop were created in the clubhouse and, with seasonal stewards on site. With this enhanced facility, the club was able to increase revenue from members and visitors alike.

Today the Isle of Skye Golf Club has around 150 members and employs one full-time greenkeeper and one part-time seasonal assistant to keep the course in excellent condition. Three ‘seasonal’ stewards are employed in the clubhouse to take green fees, process memberships, hire clubs and trolleys and sell sweets and soft drinks.

However by far the most popular items for visitors are the club’s own-logo golf merchandise products which are hopefully used as souvenirs to remind people of their pleasant experience of playing a round on the picturesque course at the Isle of Skye Golf Club in Sconser.

In conclusion – when contacted recently about the club’s anniversary, Dr Deighton was delighted to hear that his creation had stood the test of time and requested that we pass on his very best wishes to all involved with the celebrations.

April 2018

Dr Deighton, our golf course designer, passed away peacefully on 23rd February 2018 aged 90.

His daughter, Nicky, and her husband ,Justin, contacted us to see if we were available to meet with them at the clubhouse prior to their scattering Dr Deighton’s ashes on the golf course. On Thursday 5th April on behalf of the club we did so and spent some time with them both before and after the ceremony.

Nicky produced a scrapbook of memorabilia relating to her father’s golfing exploits and we were pleased to see included some photographs of the clubhouse opening ceremony, some other photographs of him in action (one with Jack Nicklaus), one of our scorecards/course maps and a ‘cutting’ from the WHFP edition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the IOSGC.

Both Nicky and Justin have been captivated by the club and the island itself and are very much looking forward to visiting us from time to time in the future.

With many thanks to John Marshall and Ian Marr

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Category: Around the Course

Road to recovery on the Greens at IOSGC and RNLI Benefits

A mixed bag of weather, scores and venues at IOSGC

Failte gu Raon-Goilf An Eilean Sgitheanach

Gallery

A seat with a view

Our Club History