Isle of Skye Open
It was a still, dry and overcast day that greeted the players for the annual Open which yet again was sponsored by our friends just across the water at the Isle of Raasay Distillery. From all of us at the IOSGC we say thank you.

The action got underway at 8:30am and although the field was not full nearly 40 competitors took part putting it on a par with the entries for the recent Senior Open.

Lest readers think there's not too many participants for these rather special annual events consider that most clubs in the land are advertising frantically for late entries to their opens in order to maximise revenue on the day.

In fact to my certain knowledge two of the very biggest clubs in the Highland area are not just trying to shake down late entries but are actively rethinking the future for some of their premier competitions because of the diminishing response to their once classic and previously always over-subscribed competitions.
The men's Isle of Skye Open Champion is Alistair Sutherland from Broadford.
His gross score of 74 was one better than Kyle's Stuart Johnston Jnr with Portree's Alan Maclaine in third place.

With the greatest possible respect to all the competitors, not just these three gentlemen the scoring on the day was poor. I've asked several participants and the conditions were mostly conducive to good play-it just did not happen.

Nevertheless the best score always wins and Alistair's two nines were 38 and 36 for the winning score of 74.One shot behind was Stuart with nines of 38 and 37 containing birdies on the 11th and 18th holes while Alan's two loops were 36 and 42.
In the men's handicap section the winner was Peinness man Andrew Long with son of Breakish Alex Munro in second place and Bernisdale's Neil Macfarlane third.

Andrew's two laps were 39 and 37 which reduced to nett 69 with handicap applied. Alex signed for two loops of 38 and a nett score of 70 with two nice wee birdies on 11 and 13 while Neil shot 39 and 41 for nett 71.

Unfortunately very few ladies played in the competition but there were more than two but less than six with Kyleakin's finest Jill Mackinnon winning the section quite comfortably by either the scratch or the handicap configuration. Let the record show that Jill's numbers were 48/43 for gross 91 and nett 73.

Jill Mackinnon is the ladies Isle of Skye Open Champion.
I'm puzzled as to why all the scores are way higher than they might be and indeed a wee comparison with the numbers over the last three years adds fuel to the fire?
The last three men's Open Champions have won with scratch totals of 69,69 and 72 respectively to win the coveted trophy while in the handicap section the winning scores have been 63,63 and 65.
I asked Ally Sutherland for his reflections of the day.

He said that he was rather surprised albeit pleasantly that he had submitted the winning score. He was four over par after just five holes but managed to steady the ship. Like one or two others he thought that some of the pin positions were on the tough side and any ball in the longer rough was-lost.

But in conclusion he added that the greens were the best that he had seen in 35yrs of playing golf at Sconser and he commended the greens staff for their amazing work in this continuing non-summer

Iain Campbell Memorial Trophy

As competition attendances plus uncertain and unstable weather patterns continue to fluctuate wildly this season the 'powers-that-be have to be constantly on the alert in order maintain the integrity of some of the fixtures. To that end this competition, played in honour and in memory of a club member who died tragically young was adjusted to a singles Stableford at the eleventh hour.
In a small field, the day after the Lord Mayor's show Robert Macaskill was the winner with Andrew Long as runner up.
Robert's two nines were 37 and 37 which translated into a pts total of 34. Andrew, who had won the handicap section of the Open the previous day submitted scores of 38 and 40 for his two laps of the track and that equated to a 31pt total.

Ryan Macaskill
This young man has stepped up a level this year to play on the TartanProTour-the brainchild of Open Champion Paul Lawrie. The great man himself plays the occasional tournament and indeed he was 'in the field' for Ryan's latest event played at Schloss Roxburghe-no, not in the Bavarian Alps-the Scottish Borders!
Eighty players were in the event and day one was a good one for the Skye youngster when he played very well and signed for a three under par score of 69. That put him in 6th place.
With dad Robert 'on the bag' it was a good chance to make the ‘cut’ where the top thirty players and ties progressed to the third and final round.
Unfortunately in round two Ryan couldn't deliver as he did the previous day and a three over par score of 75 saw him sit rather uncomfortably on level par for the tournament and that is where the computer was predicting that the axe would fall.

Ryan had teed off at 8am,in the first group of the day so there must have been an excruciatingly long wait as the the boys hung around to see whether they were playing in the final round-or commencing the long journey home.
The news came through eventually and it was good-Ryan had made the cut for the first time this season and right on the mark-alongside Paul Lawrie no less.

I must confess that for the purposes of this article I was rather hoping he would be drawn to play with Mr Lawrie but he missed the connection by one group. The Open champion teed off in the group before Ryan.
The third and final round must have been a wonderful spectacle to behold. I was occasionally monitoring the scores coming and I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
Two double bogeys and three birdies-in the first nine holes alone and the second nine was no less dramatic with three bogeys, two birdies-plus an eagle!

Unbelievable-it was a true Bertie Bassett round(for those of a certain vintage).
I spoke to the boys as they were travelling back home and one could hear the great sense of exhilaration and achievement in both their voices.
Having made his first cut of this embryonic season then Ryan finished in 23rd place and was literally 'in the money'.

The Milky Bars will be on him(like the earlier Bertie Bassett reference this is another one for the golden oldies)?

More importantly though that will give him a tremendous confidence boost as instead of packing his bags like the majority of the field and heading home on Wednesday night he got to dine with the bigger boys at the top table and be in contention for prizes and ranking points.

A word of praise too for dad Robert who it would appear is more than just a bag carrier. I’ve noticed that Ryan’s performances are usually stronger when team Macaskill is operational so dad’s also a sounding board, a companion and a buffer while the wee fella continues to learn his trade.
Ryan finished ahead of Paul Lawrie.
Finally how very nice to see Ryan's ID displayed thus on the TartanProTour website: Ryan Macaskill-Isle of Skye Golf Club.
Footnote: only seven days later Ryan bombed in his very next competition-hard work is not going to be easy?

MATCHPLAY DOUBLES
Following the completion of some preliminary ties here are the latest fixtures:

Iain Lewis and Donald Bethune will play Iain MacLellan and Willie Cowie.
Jonathon Mackinnon(son) and Stuart Johnston Jnr will play Chris Mackinnon(father) and Mick Coe.
James Colven and Neil Macfarlane will play Andrew Long and Chris Hanley.
Danny Steele and Donnie McPhee will play Willie Urquhart and John Finlayson.

FIXTURE

This weekend the players will compete for the Ian Fullarton Trophy-named in honour of one of the club's greatest servants as a very long-time treasurer back in the day.
It is a lovely trophy and very well worth winning.

JOHN MARSHALL









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Club Championship sponsors 2024

Isle of Skye Golf Club are delighted to announce their new Club Championship sponsors as Torabhaig Distillery based at Teangue on Isle of Skye. This will cover the Ladies and Gents Championship for their Anniversary 60th year event marking golf played at Sconser. The game has been played at the Sconser location since 1964 since the origins of Sconser Golf Club and several events are in place to mark the Anniversary year.

At Torabhaig, we are pleased to support the Isle of Skye Golf Club Championship in celebration of the 60th Anniversary events. With the release of our third expression of the Legacy Series, Cnoc na Moine, we continue to explore the elegant side of peat smoke in our whiskies, made at Torabhaig and shaped by Skye.



Torabhaig Distillery is the second ever licensed Single Malt Scotch Whisky distillery on the Isle of Skye. The water, the land, the climate, all play a part in the character of the whisky produced which has been captured by Torabhaig. Isle of Skye Golf Club is proud to be associated with the Skye distillery and to be part of such a local, vibrant produce. Torabhaig Distillery are producing their own distinctive character whiskies which are evolving into a distinct signature style from a flavour profile known from what they call 'Well-Tempered Peat'.

Capt Robert MacAskill said 'It is a great opportunity for the Club to be associated with Torabhaig and to be part of their 'Legacy' portfolio'. We look forward to combining with Torabhaig and thank them for their generosity'