Competitions #1

Unfortunately there was a very poor turnout for the Better Ball Pairs Competition so combined with a weekend of less than lovely weather the members obviously voted with their feet and stayed away.

The committee are charged with compiling a fixture list to offer variety of competitions throughout the season so unless there was a counter-attraction elsewhere of which I am unaware then this format failed to find favour this time round.

However from those who did fancy their chances the winners were the duo of Ross Cumming and Jim Cumming with Iain Douglas and Murdo Gordon as runners-up.

Ross and Jim scored 39pts while Iain and Murdo totalled 34pts.

A few days earlier a seniors midweek competition, the Storr Cup was the feature event. This was the first round of a season-long journey to decide the winner.

Broadford’s Donald Bethune returned the best score of the day with 34pts while playing companion Iain Lewis,Portree secured second place with 31pts.

The raw data for each nine holes is not overly flattering but these are some of our golden oldies so the numbers need not be recorded here in detail.

Competitions #2

The membership of the IOSGC recently received news of a competition review regarding the playing of the innovative Summer League.

Hopefully this will clarify matters and remove some gremlins going forward so well done to those responsible for the tweaking.



There was also a bit of a bombshell revelation that, starting next month we’ll be reverting to drawing lots for competition playing partners with three dedicated tee times each day.

This harks back to the ‘good old days’ and offers certain advantages over the ‘play with your mates’ scenario which was necessarily imposed upon us during the Covid pandemic.

This turn up and play format begins on Saturday 14th June.

As a golf club we are still in the fortunate position of being able to attract new members with some being absolute beginners. Knowledge of what and what not to do will be sketchy to say the least but the biggest argument in favour of the balloted draw is that the dissemination of information will occur almost by osmosis.

That was the way we did things in days of yore with some of our more experienced members now having gone through and survived that induction process.

Experienced and knowledgeable players will be able to advise their various golfing companions as they learn by playing together. Start-up golfers and newcomers to competition play will break rules but they will not be cheating because cheating only occurs when a player is aware of the rule that he is breaking.

We were all beginners once upon a time so have patience whether newcomer or experienced player as this move affords all of us the opportunity to move forward together, not just as players but as a golf club.

Another well done to those involved in making this decision-let’s see how things work out?

Club Stewards
The club is still looking to augment its pool of stewards to share clubhouse duties.

According to our social media page the renumeration is £15 per hour working one or two days per week on a flexible basis.

Several oversees readers have coveted the post with the view to die for but the travelling distance and expenses is proving to be rather problematic.

Please contact the clubhouse if you’d like to join our wee team.


The Reimagination of Sconser Golf Course?

Following on from last week’s thoughts on possible redevelopment and change at the IOSGC it’s seconds out, round two.
I’ve knocked my ball around Sconser for more than 50yrs now and during that time I’ve been right in the mix for some of the biggest decisions that have ever been made in the history of this golf club.
As the layout has developed from the track first envisioned by Dr Frank Deighton in the mid 1960’s to what we have today it would be fair to say that I’ve done my share.

To be honest not all of my/our ideas worked-but at least I/we tried.
Where ignorance was some considerable way short of bliss we sought expertise from those more knowledgeable than ourselves as we attempted to move onward and upward.

Numerous detailed and extended fax machine ‘dialogues’ with the R&A in St Andrews and the Scottish Golf Union come readily to mind.

However a couple of recent developments have been brought to my attention as I continue to report the goings-on at Sconser.
Consider the 4th hole?

At 280 yds it is in modern parlance-a ‘driveable par four’.

The fairway is flat and wide although there’s a penalty area, formerly referred to as a lateral water hazard on the RH side and an out-of-bounds(OB) area running up the LH side for most of the length of the hole.

Only a pretty severe hook puts you OB and if you think your ball is in there you play another ball from the tee as your third shot.

But not any more!
The OB area has gone, mysteriously and I have to say rather secretly ‘downgraded’ in severity to penalty area status. If your ball crosses the boundary now you drop a ball from where it crossed and play on under penalty of one shot.

The simple act of changing the status of that area can afford the player a 200yd advantage so the hole has in fact been made very much easier to play.

To have recategorised the out-of-bounds on the LH side of that hole and also implementing a similar change for the same reason to the RH side of the first hole without informing the membership is surely, to put it mildly, an oversight?

The competition season is well under way now so surely all of our members, not just those ‘in the know’ should be playing to the same set of rules?

A couple of recent events highlighted this disparity.
Two of our number were about to reload off the 10th tee having blazed their drives way right. Fortunately for them John Greens was working nearby so he informed them about the change of status of which neither member was aware.

Instead of reloading from the tee and playing shot number three both men, who were not playing in the same group at the same time simply waltzed down to the spot where their drives had crossed the penalty area, dropped another ball, added a one shot penalty and played their third shots from there.

Neither member was privy to this fairly radical change of status and given that it affects four of our eighteen holes surely it was worth a wee mention in despatches?
How to play hole number four now?

Take the driver off the tee every time, aim slightly left of centre and hit the ball as hard as you can. If it goes into the penalty area up by the green then simply drop out, add one stroke then chip your ball onto the green and sink the putt.

That folks is the new way to play this par four at Sconser!

Within the last year or so two bunkers were strategically placed on the 4th fairway in an attempt to make the tee shot more challenging/interesting.

With almost indecent haste they were quite swiftly replaced by two large, grassy mounds. Apparently the sand traps failed to find favour with a covert cell of 'influencers' who seem to have gradually morphed into being an item at our place.

The mounds were then planted with heather but they too are no more, presumably because the 'influencers' didn’t fancy that either?
Wonder what’s coming down the line next?

Maybe we could use the winter cups, 6 inches in diameter instead of 4.25 all year round to make putting easier, fix chicken wire mesh to the bottom of the OB fences to prevent our golf balls from going through or maybe install windmills on the greens and clown heads on the holes to make the game more fun?

While I'm blowing hot let us also consider the second hole which runs parallel to the fourth albeit in the opposite direction?

Following more observations by the 'influencers' albeit over a longer period of time the rough has been gradually but very severely cut back and substantially reduced in acreage from tee to green. That's all the way up the RH side of the hole-more than 400yds of it.

How to play hole number two now?

Hit the ball as far right as you wish off the tee because there's no rough to speak of out there. Do likewise for your second shot because the edge of the rough on the RH side of the approach to the green has been cut back by at least 20mtrs in my estimation!

As a consequence of these changes the OB fence running the length of the LH side of hole is almost redundant.

The 'dry ditch', a feature since the course was laid out in 1964 is no more, filled in and levelled so all that remains is for our friends to petition to fill in the lazy beds, that'll be another feature gone and we’ll be ready for action.

Action-what action I hear you say?

After applying the required paint markings and installing runway lights we’ll now be able to offer the Royal Air Force and their Typhoon fighter jets a fine new facility on which to practice their ‘touch-and-go’ landing manoeuvres. The ground will be flat and the grass short so failing that, perhaps we could simply offer parking spaces to a couple of their Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft-there really is that much room out there now.

Gone are the days on that hole when you actually had to shape your tee shot into the prevailing wind to draw it round the corner-all the while trying to keep it on the sliver of fairway.

The OB fence was very much in play off the tee as was the thick and plentiful rough near and around the 5th tee.

A mishit second shot might even trundle into the open dry ditch, annoyingly always doing so with its dying breath. From there it was a gouge out with one foot always way higher than the other just to get a stance.


Finally, although I’ve been critical of the clandestine actions of the ‘influencers’ their ideas show that they do actually care about the golf club of which they are of course full members

There is however a line which cannot be crossed, but unfortunately that has been breached recently.
One habitual miscreant who really does blow hot and cold, but might well have been 'involved' in a more positive role elsewhere in this week’s article, seems to have been up to his old tricks again.

Having made his feelings on his latest bone of contention known to those who are obliged to indulge him, the bold boy didn’t even bother to wait for either response or explanation.

Instead he took matters into his own hands, or should that be his own feet and actually committed what I consider to be an act of petty vandalism on our golf course.

Another self-styled, long-time 'influencer' put pen to paper, albeit some time ago in criticism of quite a few things that he considered to be wrong at the club. He even recorded the names of those in support of his views-presumably to add gravitas to the argument?.

Almost laughably and following due consideration of his gripes it came to pass that most if not all of the people whose names he had added to support his claims were in fact unaware of the existence of said letter!

It’s been a very long time since I was last at the helm of HMS Sconser-maybe that’s just as well.

PS: An 'influencer' is not a committee member.


RESULTS
Better Ball Pairs
1) R Cumming/J Cumming 39pts; 2) I Douglas/M Gordon 34pts

Storr Cup Rd 1
1) D Bethune 34pts; 2) I Lewis 31pts.

FIXTURES
It’s the Highlander Cup, a two-category medal competition for the gents this weekend. The ladies will compete for the First Ministers Quaich.

Come on down?

JOHN MARSHALL

_______________________
Match v Lochcarron


One of my favourite Scottish words is ‘dreich’ and that would have perfectly summed up the weather when Lochcarron GC royally entertained the IOSGC recently.

Conditions for golf were truly miserable but the warmth of the hospitality and the closeness of the competition made it all very worthwhile.

The match ended in a narrow victory for the visiting team by the margin of 268pts to 249pts.

Highest points scorer on the day was our very own Hamish Philp with 33pts.

IOSGC would like to put on record how much they enjoyed the victuals on offer with some of our number apparently taking full advantage of the substantial liquid refreshments which were flowing quite nicely on the day.

I have it on good authority that there were more than a few sore heads come Sunday morning!

A great occasion hugely enjoyed by all who took part-very well done Lochcarron GC.


Summer League

Next day those with a full weekend pass made their way back to Sconser to lodge another score in this embryonic, season-long joust.

Unfortunately the scoring wasn’t brilliant but the best return on the day was submitted by Jim Cumming with a total of 34pts.

His nearest challengers were Iain Douglas and Geoff Williams with 31pts each.

Junior Induction Day


The Junior activities this year kick off with induction sessions for Junior Members on 3rd and 10th May at 3:30pm.

These sessions will give a recap of basic rules, course etiquette and how to play safely. There will be a chat about the different opportunities for Juniors including competitions, coaching and a trip to the National Juniors Competition in Blairgowrie later this year.

All of these activities are open to Juniors who have joined the club this season. If you have not yet signed up for membership and you want to get involved, please email the club for membership details.

Hugh Clark

The IOSGC was sad to hear of the passing of Hugh Clark.

He was a long-time member of the golf club and was Club Captain in 1992 and 1993.Our thoughts are with his wife Anne, daughter Carole and son Andrew at this time of great sadness.

Back to the Future?

In 1998 I was one of three ex-captains, the others being Ian Stephen and Calum Macaskill, charged with the task, as the Course Development Committee, of investigating the possibility of expanding our golf course from 9 to 18 holes.

To that end we purchased an additional 22 acres of land(bordered by the Meall Rd, the River Tormichaig and the A87 trunk road through Druim nan Cleochd as far as the white parapet crossing the river).

We engaged an established Scottish golf course development company whose brief was to design and construct a new 18 hole layout incorporating some of the existing holes from our original 55 acre plot of land.

Planning permission was granted for the project and it was included in the local development plan for Skye and Lochalsh but unfortunately, for a variety of reasons the project failed.

Before we bought Sconser golf course and fenced it in 1984 the township sheep grazed happily and well on our leased plot of land. However as the club and the game of golf grew we wanted to improve the quality of our layout.

Now it’s all very well battering the ball miles off the tee then launching a nice iron shot that comes to rest on the green but if the putting surfaces are poor then the game’s a bogey?

Unfortunately sheep do what sheep do and bare patches of ‘burned’ grass on the greens were irreparably damaged. At some considerable expense we purchased electric fences and slowly but surely the quality of the grass on the greens improved and became more consistent.

Golfers will put up with the odd wonky teeing ground or occasional hairy fairway but the greens are of paramount importance as they are the main scoring areas.

Each and every greenkeeper we’ve had during the 60yrs of the club’s existence has improved the course in some way or other. With the greatest respect to those fine men though, the appointment of John Cunningham has taken the whole course but the quality and condition of the greens in particular to a new level.

In fact a couple of our gentlemen ‘golf raiders’ recently tried their luck in competition on a prestigious Highland track. The feedback received suggested that both the speed and condition of the putting surfaces at Sconser were in fact better and quicker than the course they had played-and it is a regular home to a TartanProTour event!


One wonders what the future holds for our pride and joy then:


Continue to modify and improve what we already have?

Resurrect the 18 hole development?

Bring to fruition the four new proposed holes on the as yet unused 22 acre plot of land?

Develop said portion of land as a coaching/practice/junior area?

Create a holiday pod development on said pocket of land or create/develop house sites?


Or we could just go ‘back to the future’ and reintroduce the sheep, install electric fences, borrow Hector’s Hielan’ Coos from across the road-and charge £100 per round?


Apparently that formula works!

Results

Inter Club Challenge Match


Lochcarron GC-249pts:IOSGC-268pts.



Summer League



1) J Cumming 34pts; 2) I Douglas and G Williams 31pts.




Fixtures



This weekend it’s the RNLI Charity Trophy and it is accessible to both ladies and gentlemen.



JOHN MARSHALL






Competition


Not a great fan of Americanisms here -‘two nations divided by a common language’ comes to mind-but how else to describe the result of the Anniversary Quaich competition than Groundhog Day?

Kyleakin’s John Finlayson eased to a comfortable victory,as he did more than a few times last season and although ‘newcomer’ Murdo Gordon split the good friends, Geoff Williams, another serial winner from 2024 took third place.

John’s two nines were 38 and 38 again for a gross score of 76 minus 11 for handicap and a nett score of 65.Nothing special or extraordinary to report here just a ready, steady chef's selection of pars and bogeys.

Portree’s Murdo Gordon, making an earlier than usual competitive return to the Sconser track this year had two loops of 38 and 37 to secure the runner-up spot.

Things are rarely quiet when Murdo’s about and I’ll bet it was quite ‘entertaining’ downbye when against a par of 4,4,3,4,3,4,3 our man started 5,7,3,2,5,3,5.

That is a somewhat combustible broth of bogey, triple bogey, par, eagle, double bogey, birdie, double bogey!

Iain Douglas, Murdo's playing companion for the day reported that the eagle two on the 4th hole was the result of a good drive followed by a holed wedge shot!

Good to see Iain back after a few years away from the game and good too that's he's persuaded a few of his and Murdo's workmates to come aboard and join the club as new members.

Geoff Williams took third place with lap scores of 38 and 39-and all was calm for the quiet man from Dunvegan.

Honourable mentions go to Ross Cumming for birdies at 4 and 9 while Club Captain Chris Hanley birdied 9 and 13.

You've got to hand it to our transatlantic cousins though as some of their golfing terminology beggars belief.

Even the ‘hallowed’ Masters is not immune-consider some if these beauties from last weekend?

Did John F sink any ‘clutch’ putts, did Murdo feel a ‘ton of wind’, did Geoff experience a ‘bunch of weather’?

The Masters
Despite some very familiar names carrying on from where they left off in the Winter League I can confirm that some new blood arrived for the Anniversary Quaich competition which coincided with the Masters golf on tv.

For many part-time golfers throughout the land that usually indicates that it’s time to dust down the golf sticks and prepare once more to try to get the handicap down.

The tournament was won in dramatic fashion by Rory McIlroy who joined a very small but elite group of golfers to have won all four Majors-The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and the Open Championship.

For the record these Grand Slam winners are Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and now Rory McIlroy.

The first two played before I even started watching golf but I’ve seen the rest up close and personal.

Add in other big names and Major winners like Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros and Greg Norman with varying degrees of power, style and precision and I’ve seen them all hit golf balls.

One man stands abin them a’ for me though and that is Rory McIlroy.

While some were blessed with unbelievable raw power and strength that was often done at the expense of elegance and style so for me the man from Northern Ireland has the perfect fusion of the two.

While Rory is listed as being only 5’9” tall and weighing 11.5st his playing companion on Sunday, big-hitting Bryson DeChambeau comes in at 6’1” and 15st yet the former ‘had’ him off the tee nearly every time-such is the sheer quality and purity of his ball striking.

It’s not often that you will see a caption on tv that reads 'this putt for a career Grand Slam' though it might have appeared on our screens when Tiger Woods completed the Grand Slam at St Andrews in the year 2000.

Perhaps Rory’s victory will inspire some of our very own junior golfers who will begin their coaching sessions again very soon.

Juniors

There has been an encouraging response from youngsters wanting to join the 2025 coaching programme at Sconser. Plans are well underway for pre-coaching induction sessions where members of the committee and other helpers will meet with the children in the clubhouse before venturing out onto the golf course itself.

Health and safety are of paramount importance and it is essential that the youngsters know how to behave and how to respond to certain situations on a golf course.

More details will be coming down the line and will be reported in these pages anytime soon.

Footnote

Consider greenkeeper John Cunningham praying for rain during that recent, prolonged dry and windy spell of weather.He was super keen to get fertiliser on the putting surfaces but required optimum conditions in which to do so.

Nae luck then when with a long-standing arrangement to go south on Masters weekend the heavens opened on Skye.

Just as keen to watch the final round of the golf as the rest of us he could well have just gone to his house as his kids did on Sunday evening when they returned home.

Not Johnnie Greens though-he continued up the road to Sconser!

In absolutely perfect conditions he treated all the putting surfaces before returning home to watch the conclusion of the golf.

When next you seek to criticise-think on.

Result

Anniversary Quaich
1) J Finlayson 76(11) nett 65; 2) M Gordon 75(6) 69bih; 3) G Williams 77(8) 69.

Fixtures

The ladies will be playing a qualifying round for their Club Championship this weekend while the gents have an interesting if rather cumbersomely titled-‘Four-ball, better-ball, pairs, medal’ competition.

Do not be confused gents-just get a partner, book a tee time and try to pair up with another couple of guys to confirm your score.

It does what it says on the tin-the better team score for each hole counts so it’s a pressure-reduced event.

Come on down.

JOHN MARSHALL








Opening Day Competition

The new season at the Isle of Skye Golf Club got underway recently when the players gathered early morning at Sconser. Not only would they golf their balls but in doing so they would raise money for Skyeman James Coull to access the medical treatment that he so urgently requires.

The format for the day was a two-person scramble.

New clubhouse manager Fiona Macleod had prepared breakfast for the players before battle commenced. On completion of the game soup and sandwiches were on offer in the increasingly welcoming clubhouse thanks to the presence of our new and innovative manager.

On the field of play in a decent day of weather there was a tie for third place between the teams of Ally Young/Jill Mackinnon and Hamish Philp/Alec Fenwick with a draw having been made to decide the pairings. The third place score was 65.

Second place went to Chris Hanley and Ross Cumming with a score of 63 but the winners were Iain 'Baker' Maclellan and Andrew Long with 62.

Closer examination of the scorecards indicated steady if unspectacular scoring.

A goodly sum of money was raised and all who took part should be congratulated.

Club captain Chris Hanley thanked the committee, the greenkeeper and the clubhouse manager but particularly the players who made the grand effort to participate.

Summer League

Next day it was game on for this new addition to the fixture list and it was to be an excellent weekend of golf for Peinness man Andrew Long who added victory here to his shared triumph 24hrs earlier.

The format this time was Stableford, where points win prizes and Andrew whizzed round the first nine in only 34 shots which converted to 20pts.En route to the turn he birdied the 6th and 9th holes.37 more blows saw Andrew safely into the house with a winning total of 37 pts.

The runner-up was Broadford's 'finest'-Jim Cumming. His two nines were 39 and 40 strokes converting to 17pts for each lap of the track.

Club Championship

Looking at the 2025 fixture list it occurred to me that the battle for the club championship could be a mighty joust this year.

On the last six occasions the brothers Macaskill have dominated with Archie winning two and Ryan winning the previous four.

No pressure on dad Robbie this year then?

The men's handicap list on HowDidIDo indicates there are more than a few candidates who will fancy their chances once their games get into gear. I also saw names and very low handicaps for people with whom I am not yet familiar.

Are they recently come to Skye or members from faraway places one wonders?

Non-golfing readers should be aware that the club championship is the blue riband competition of any season and is played off scratch. There are no handicap allowances meaning that the lower handicap players would be favourites because of their proven higher level of skill.

I think it was Ally Young, a refugee from the east coast and their ’traditions’ who changed the format for deciding our champion golfer at Sconser.
A day is now dedicated to the playing of the semi-finals and final allowing members, friends and supporters to enjoy the occasion. In all the years prior to this innovation the two finalists simply agreed time and date then it was game on.

Initially I was not fascinated by the new format-but I am now.


Long Par 3 Holes

Fairly recently I extolled the virtues of very short and famous par 3 holes but at the other end of the scale there are some beasts.

The aim on any par three hole is to hit the green with your tee shot, take two putts then move swiftly on to the next challenge but that’s not so easy on these monsters.

There’s a 300yd par 3 hole at Oakmont GC,Pittsburg,USA home to this year’s US Open Championship not forgetting the 240yd par 3 16th hole, home to the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

I have not played the former but the latter is quite the challenge.

Between the tee and the small green there is 200yd ‘carry’ over a yawning chasm 75ft deep so if you don’t make it to the green you might as well reload because there’s no way down to the jungle below!

* When next you pass the golf course at Sconser the distance from the clubhouse to the shore is just a tickle over 300yds.It’s not just getting the distance on a long par 3 that’s the challenge it’s making your ball come to rest on a green that will be surrounded by deep bunkers.


Course

”There are new blades on the rough mower and all the other machines are sharpened and ready to go”.

A quote from greenkeeper John Cunningham which should see the course in the very rudest of health for the start of the season and be music to the ears of the golfers.

Embryonic signs of fairway definition is now evident following the recent cut but the ground temperature is still too low to allow any significant early-season growth. I was on the course in that very dry, sunny and windy spell last week when JC had just ironed/rolled the greens.

The subject of some recent mirth from me I dropped a ball from knee height at the top of the 7th green. It rolled very gently before gathering pace as it passed the hole and but for the fringe bordering the front of the green it would have been off back down the fairway!

I did not even touch the ball so gravity takes full responsibility!

I can see the slick, slopey surfaces of the 3rd and 7th greens in particular causing a few problems to iffy putters this season-particularly if we are fortunate to enjoy an extended period of dry, sunny weather.

Memorial Bench

When the players climbed the hill to board the 14th tee on the first day of the new season they would have been able to rest on a bench erected in memory of Ian Marr who passed away two years ago.

Ian won the club championship back in the day and captained the club with distinction on three occasions. The bench materials were sourced in Fife by Ian’s elder son Thomas and erected in a splendid spot on the course by his younger son John who was ably assisted in the task by greenkeeper John Cunningham

Results

Opening Fixture

1) A Long and I Maclellan 62; 2) C Hanley and R Cumming 63; 3) A Young/J Mackinnon and H Philp/A Fenwick 65.

Summer League

1) A Long 37pts; 2) J Cumming 34pts.


Fixtures

On Saturday there's a club match ‘away’ versus Lochcarron with the gents also being able to submit scores for the Summer League on both days.

The ladies Summer League is available for play on Saturday while on Sunday there's a Ladies Monthly Social.Unfortunately I have no further information re the latter.

JOHN MARSHALL


Club Championship

Looking at the 2025 fixture list it occurred to me that the battle for the club championship could be a mighty joust this year.
On the last six occasions the brothers Macaskill have dominated with Archie winning two and Ryan winning the previous four.

No pressure on dad Robbie this year then?

The men's handicap list on HowDidIDo indicates there are more than a few candidates who will fancy their chances once their games get into gear. I also saw names and very low handicaps for people with whom I am not yet familiar.

Are they recently come to Skye or members from faraway places one wonders?

Non-golfing readers should be aware that the club championship is the blue riband competition of any season and is played off scratch. There are no handicap allowances meaning that the lower handicap players would be favourites because of their proven higher level of skill.

I think it was Ally Young, a refugee from the east coast and their ’traditions’ who changed the format for deciding our champion golfer at Sconser.
A day is now dedicated to the playing of the semi-finals and final allowing members, friends and supporters to enjoy the occasion. In all the years prior to this innovation the two finalists simply agreed time and date then it was game on.

Initially I was not fascinated by the new format-but I am now.


Long Par 3 Holes
Fairly recently I extolled the virtues of very short and famous par 3 holes but at the other end of the scale there are some beasts.

The aim on any par three hole is to hit the green with your tee shot, take two putts then move swiftly on to the next challenge but that’s not so easy on these monsters.

There’s a 300yd* par 3 hole at Oakmont GC,Pittsburg,USA home to this year’s US Open Championship not forgetting the 240yd par 3 16th hole, home to the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

I have not played the former but the latter is quite the challenge.

Between the tee and the small green there is 200yd ‘carry’ over a yawning chasm 75ft deep so if you don’t make it to the green you might as well reload because there’s no way down to the jungle below!
* When next you pass the golf course at Sconser the distance from the clubhouse to the shore is just a tickle over 300yds.It’s not just getting the distance on a long par 3 that’s the challenge it’s making your ball come to rest on a green that will be surrounded by deep bunkers.


Course
"There are new blades on the rough mower and all the other machines are sharpened and ready to go”.

A quote from greenkeeper John Cunningham which should see the course in the very rudest of health for the start of the season and be music to the ears of the golfers.

Embryonic signs of fairway definition is now evident following the recent cut but the ground temperature is still too low to allow any significant early-season growth. I was on the course in that very dry, sunny and windy spell last week when JC had just ironed/rolled the greens.

The subject of some recent mirth from me I dropped a ball from knee height at the top of the 7th green. It rolled very gently before gathering pace as it passed the hole and but for the fringe bordering the front of the green it would have been off back down the fairway!

I did not even touch the ball, gravity takes full responsibility!

I can see the slick, slopey surfaces of the 7th and 3rd greens causing a few problems to iffy putters this season-particularly if we are fortunate to enjoy an extended period of dry, sunny weather.

Memorial Bench
When the players climbed the hill to board the 14th tee on the first day of the new season they would have been able to rest on a bench erected in memory of Ian Marr who passed away two years ago.

Ian won the club championship back in the day and captained the club with distinction on three occasions. The bench materials were sourced in Fife by Ian’s elder son Thomas and erected in a splendid spot on the course by his younger son John who was ably assisted in the task by greenkeeper John Cunningham.

Fixtures
The Anniversary Quaich will be the competition of choice for both ladies and gents this weekend. Members should note that the fixture is open for play on both Saturday and Sunday.There are more than a few subtle changes to our schedule of play this season so players would be well advised to take some care when deciding when and where to compete.

The format of the competition is strokeplay.


JOHN MARSHALL

Juniors/Coaching
Good news!

Thanks to more funding from Scottish Golf and a very generous donation from Jewson(Portree)-with special thanks to Tracey for facilitating the sponsorship-professional coaching will once again be available at the Isle of Skye GC this year.
Junior competitions will be also be reintroduced after a bit of a hiatus.

In order to take advantage of this great opportunity boys and girls will be required to join the golf club and attend an induction session at Sconser. For those not currently members of the club details are available from the Secretary and on the IOSGC website.

The clubhouse has just reopened for the new season so you could also pop in for a face to face chat with one of the stewards?

As more detail becomes available it will appear on the club website and will be included in these pages.
Over the decades since the club was formed structured coaching seems to come in waves with some being stronger than others as enthusiasm for the game ebbs and flows.
Writing about the current situation with the juniors brings back many happy memories for me.

Like many others in the club I took my turn to work with and encourage young golfers and it was a rewarding experience. The fact that I was a schoolteacher at the time made organising the boys and girls groups very easy indeed as they were readily to hand.

Communication was straightforward.
From a grass roots beginning at Sconser we were awarded Starter Centre status by the Golf Foundation of Great Britain entitling us to 25hrs of free professional coaching per annum.

That alternated between Sconser and Inverness GC/Fairways Golf Centre in Inverness.
Monday was junior golf night at Sconser and the minibus left the school at the conclusion of the school day.

On arrival at the club(‘packed lunches’ having been devoured before we even reached the outskirts of Portree) and with energy to burn we ‘released the hounds’ onto the course to do their own thing with their own pals.

Once they’d all played at least nine holes we’d reconvene for coaching tips,mini comps and various drills and challenges.

I still reflect with amazement nay incredulity at the effort some of the kids from outlying areas would make to get to Sconser for their weekly golf fix.

I doff my cap to one lad in particular who cycled from Portnalong to join us.He had what was known as a ‘racing bike’ and although he was only the proud owner of a handful of clubs he strapped them to the crossbar of his bike and pedalled the 13 miles to join us before the return journey home!
Eventually we used the school minibus to transport the youngsters for our monthly sessions on the mainland. With yours truly at the helm of a bright yellow bus we departed from PHS at 7:30am returning c.4:30pm.Some of the kids had long journeys to even get to the school for departure time but there was always great craic on the bus because we all had a day off school!

Drinks, crisps, chocolate and sweeties were guzzled all the way there and back(the kids had some too) and I don't remember ever having to pick up any litter from the floor when our journey reached its conclusion.
On arrival in Inverness we met Mel Douglas, our coach who is now the Head Professional at Inverness GC and the two-hour sessions commenced.

In addition to several boys groups there was keen interest from one group of girls so they too became part of the coaching scheme.
One episode with the young ladies still makes me chuckle.

We were stuck in traffic in Academy Street and I noticed that the guys in a service bus moving slowly in the opposite direction were staring at us

After their coaching session the girls had been on a shopping spree to TopShop and/or Miss Selfridge(time for retail therapy was factored into the trip)and were very keen to wear their new tops so they were trying them on in the back of the minibus!

I should add that it was only several years later that I was made aware of this event by one of the young ladies who was involved!
I took groups to the Dunhill Cup at St Andrews on two occasions and I’ve always wondered how the PT Music managed to wangle these three day trips-during term time.

Prior to the first one I contacted Sky Sports re ‘Skye junior golfers to attend a tournament at St Andrews’.

They had a weekly golf magazine programme so my suggestion of ’Skye on Sky’ did the trick and they despatched a cameraman-who turned out to be a former pupil-and a reporter to the island to film the golf group at work, rest and play.

I still have a VHS tape of that tv programme but I haven't seen it since VHS ‘was no more’.Now if someone out there still had a video recorder I'd love to relive old memories?

I also contacted the Alfred Dunhill company who sponsored the event and they very kindly provided us with free tickets so it was game on.

Amongst the stars we met, chatted to and watched at the pro-celebrity event were John Daly, Kenny Dalglish, Bernhard Langer, Alan Hansen, Ian Woosnam and Andy Gray.

To be honest the boys were probably happier in the company of the footballers than the golfers.
Happy days.

Hole in One
For which the plural incidentally is ‘holes-in-one’ came to mind in a book I was reading recently pre- Masters.The tale concerns the first ever hole in one recorded during that prestigious Major golf tournament and it took place on the particularly photogenic par three 12th hole.

The year was 1947 and the player concerned was Claude Harmon, father of occasional Sky Sports golf pundit Butch Harmon.His playing partner was the legendary Ben Hogan.

While the former was cheery, talkative and a much-loved and charming teacher the latter on the course had all the personality of a fish supper.

Playing first, Harmon’s ball went straight into the hole.Hogan didn’t say a word.Not a shake of the hand or a well done. Instead he hit his shot which landed a few feet from the cup.Harmon retrieved his ball from the hole then Hogan tapped his in for a birdie.

As the pair made their way to the 13th tee Hogan finally broke his silence. “You know, Claude, that’s the first 2 I’ve ever made on that hole”.

They were close friends.


Winter League
Although this was an unofficial competition it certainly appealed to some members of the club and it gave them a target to aim at during the long, cold, dreich winter months.

The winner was the Free Press’ own Willie Urquhart with a total of 424pts.The runner up was John Finlayson with 422pts while Geoff Williams and Hamish Philp shared third place with 417pts each.

Between them these four guys submitted 50% of the registered scores where the best 10 counted for competition purposes.

Willie played 28 times, John 34, Geoff 36 and Hamish 20 so a really good effort there by Hamish.

Based on this format there will be a Summer League at Sconser for the first time ever.

This time though it will be an official club competition so all returns and handicap adjustments will be made in accordance with normal procedures.

STOP PRESS
For a golfer at Sconser summer is officially declared when all the winter restrictions are lifted and the whole course is commissioned and ready for play.

I happened to be there when the greenkeeper was adding the finishing touches but unfortunately my view of the proceedings was rather hampered.

Not only were my eyes watering because of the intensity of the brutally cold north wind but my face was being battered by a hailstorm of decent intensity.

Perhaps it’s not quite summer yet?


Fixtures
Hopefully the weather gods will smile on the players who roll up to Sconser this Saturday morning.Not only will they be playing in the opening fixture of the season they will also be helping raise funds for James Coull to access the medical treatment he requires.

Sunday sees the start of the Summer League for both ladies and gents.



JOHN MARSHALL





The new season at the Isle of Skye Golf Club begins on Saturday 5th April.

Two teams will be selected from those present on the day and all monies raised will be donated to help Skye man James Coull get the medical treatment he requires.

A good turnout would be very much appreciated with soup and sandwiches being provided in the clubhouse at the conclusion of the day’s play.

The Golf Course
Greenkeeper John Cunningham identified a rather daunting programme of work to be done on the course during the winter months. However the weather was so inclement for so long that he roped in his seasonal assistant Calum Beaton to ensure that the jobs would be completed timeously.

Calum is usually to be seen manning the mowers cutting the fairways and rough on the course in the summer but a lifetime working in the building trade means that his expertise and knowledge of the practical work and equipment required for part of the winter schedule was much appreciated and greatly admired by Johnnie Greens.

Together they worked on upgrading and redoing many paths and walkways to ease movement around the course for both golfers and machinery alike-then they built a new footbridge over the burn beside the second tee.



New Tee

They transported the spoil from their toil to a point beside the left hand side of the seventh fairway and there they have constructed a new tee.

To the same green that we target twice playing holes 7 and 16 we now have the opportunity to rest and rotate three tees in addition to providing a trio of testing shots to the 'cut and prepared'.

We have the straightaway and longer option of 146yds from the 7th tee, the shorter straight option of 110yds from the new tee plus the standard longer option and somewhat more awkward angled and uphill tee shot of 142yds from the 16th tee.

There could well be much girning coming down the line when 'shortie' is commissioned for play because only one of the very most lofted clubs in the bag will be required to propel the ball towards it's intended target. The green slopes rather mischievously from back to front and can be very fast when weather conditions are dry. Factor in the built-in spin from the loft on the club and cue several/many balls spinning back down the banking and rolling ever so tantalisingly further away from the green.

In that eventuality the choice would likely be one of two:

Only the most delicate of chips with a wedge will be required to regain the putting surface but with respect one wonders how many players at Sconser currently have that shot in their locker-especially if the hole is located near the front of the green and the lie is bare?

Alternatively of course there’s the option of using the Texas wedge-that is when a putter is used from off the green-instead of the precision chip. That choice means you must belt the ball along the ground and up the banking hopefully to scramble aboard the putting surface. There is much less chance of ‘fluffing’ this particular shot but with the ball travelling over a variety of uneven surfaces you’ll require a fair bit of hope and luck to get it anywhere close.

The old golfers maxim that ‘a bad putt is always better than a bad chip’ might be tested anytime soon at Sconser.

I confidently predict a chef's selection of expletives and bestial laughter coming from that end of the course once the action gets underway so Johnnie Greens would be well advised to don a bulletproof vest, a safety helmet and install earplugs.

If this were to be labelled a 'quirky' hole then it is not without precedent as several very short par 3 holes on bigger and better golf courses than ours come readily to mind:

The 7th hole at Pebble Beach measures only 106yds, the 17th ‘island’ green at Sawgrass comes in at 127yds while the Postage Stamp, 8th green at Royal Troon plays to 123yds.

It might be interesting to compare the stroke averages for these three teeing positions come season's end. My bet is that the ‘wee one’ causes the most problems.

When/if that happens then cue an outcry from the usual suspects to have it removed-because that's exactly what happens at the very top end of our game!

If the big boys are required to address something, anything even slightly off piste re the set-up of a particular tournament course the sound of dummies stotting off the ground having been declared surplus to requirements is deafening.


Bunkers
Over the years I have played our golf course when it had no bunkers till at one point last year we had four. The only remaining sandy grave stares one right in the face sitting defiantly as it does embedded in the steep slope fronting 9/18 green.

The two bunkers on 4/13 fairway have only very recently been removed and converted into heathery mounds to make players think just that wee bit harder about where to position their tee shots on that hole.

All the tees have been scarified, cut and reseeded and the greens have been scarified, cut several times already and ironed in preparation for the new season.

As I was preparing this article word reached me that players were already moaning that the ‘big’ greens were too fast to putt on!

This is Sconser in mid-March and our greens are flat.

If you want quick greens then have a wee look at the Masters in Augusta, Georgia coming to our tv screens very soon.Their greens are rather euphemistically described as being quick and that combined with some severe undulations makes putting on them like hitting a ball down a marble staircase and trying to get it to come to rest on the second from last step
Pristine greens and tees are all very well but for me the season is only fast-approaching when the fairways are newly cut for the first time(in six months) giving full definition to our short but challenging littoral layout in a location of absolutely stunning splendour.

Competitions
In a rather interesting addition to the summer schedule of competitions an extension of the Winter League format has found it's way onto the Fixture List. Details of the proposed Summer League I have no doubt will be coming down the line for those members who feel enthused by this fresh new challenge. Otherwise it will be the usual mixture of medal/strokeplay and Stableford events with a liberal sprinkling of ‘sponsored’ majors to add an extra edge for those members who remain compellingly competitive.

I hope that this year we can persuade more members to become competitors in both the gents but particularly the ladies sections.

To that end I understand that there could be some fresh competitive blood incoming plus some more membership interest from the shinty community.

How very nice that golf and shinty complement one another so well in Skye and Lochalsh.

Most if not all of the youngsters in our area receive at least some basic shinty tuition at school and it’s quite an easy progression from learning to swing one stick to another although of course there are subtleties of technique peculiar to each game.

Some players move effortlessly between the two sporting disciplines and indeed some of our members are also currently still strutting their stuff for Skye Camanachd in the national leagues.

The most prolific winner of the Isle of Skye Golf Club Championship is Ally Grant who moved easily between the two sports before wisely opting for golf as the sheer physical effort of shinty began to take its toll.

New bodies, in addition to making the groupings more competitive will give the club scribe more names and material to work with.

Good luck to all as the big day approaches.



The Clubhouse

Some dates are more significant than others:

1964-Sconser Golf Club was formed and a famous man wrote a song called ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’’

1984-golf course purchase completed

1987-Sconser Golf Club became the Isle of Skye Golf club
1988-new clubhouse erected

1998-additional 22 acres of land purchased with a view to extending the course from 9 to 18 holes.

1999-interior of the clubhouse remodelled to create the tearoom and a small shop that gets busier year on year.

Will 2025 join that list of significant dates?

For the first time in our short history a Clubhouse Manager has been appointed to cope with the increasing demands of both members and visitors alike.

Fiona Macleod has taken on that responsibility as one of a bunch of new brooms who are now responsible for running the club.

For more than 20yrs now the IOSGC has been ticking over quite nicely thank you very much but maybe the times really are a-changin’ and we're ready once again to move the whole entity up to the next level?



AOCB

While some of us ploughed our lonely furrows throughout the winter months others competed in the Winter League. The majority of S+L golfers wisely opted to stay at home deciding to wait for the Masters to appear on tv in April before starting the search for the clubs that were so readily abandoned in September/October of 2024.

However we do have some more adventurous players in our ranks and recently 8 bold boys headed for the sunnier climes of Turkey there to golf their balls in the comparative warmth of that faraway land.

Led by Robbie Macaskill the trip was a great success although true to form 'what goes on in the tour stays on the tour' so there are few tales to tell.

There were no arrests.

The word has spread like wildfire and thanks to the organisational flair and precision of the group leader 12 bold boys already have flights, hotels and even tee times booked for next year.

Thank you for reading.


Fixtures

Sat 5th April
Opening Fixture/Fundraiser
Sun 6th April
Ladies Summer League/Gents Summer League


JOHN MARSHALL

New Clubhouse Manager

We are pleased to welcome Fiona MacLeod as a new, part time Clubhouse Manager. Fiona will start in April and work with the other Stewards throughout the Season. Her responsibilities will be mainly connected with maintaining the Clubhouse, welcoming visitors and Members and ensuring that as far as possible, we have good coverage of stewards in the busy months when we have the most visitors.



Stewards
It would be helpful to have a couple of other clubhouse assistants/ stewards who could fill in for a day or so a week throughout the season. If any Member would like to do this, or knows of anyone who might be interested, please let Chris Hanley or Fiona know. It would be great to have full coverage in the season. “

A full fixture list is now available at this website for 2025 at our
Book all golf here tab - Club events Main Fixtures
https://www.isleofskyegolfclub.co.uk/main-fixtures