An old friend of the club, Inverness GC Professional Mel Douglas, will be back up here in Stromness on Thursday 12th to Saturday 14th of May and at Orkney GC on Sunday the 15th May.
He will have with him the usual vanload of the latest golfing goodies from Taylormade, Callaway, Ping, etc. Clubs, shoes, waterproofs, balls, trolleys and much more will be on display and available to purchase upstairs in the clubhouse. You can even trade in your old clubs for something new and shiny!
Mel also has a limited number of lesson slots available so you can get a new swing to go with your new clubs or even your existing ones. A poster is up on the clubhouse noticeboard to book a slot – first come first served.
Two positions available for a Junior Convenor and
Safeguarding Officer
Stromness GC has a large and active Junior section. Juniors are able to learn the game, and can
receive coaching to get them off to a good start, and to help them reach their
full potential. More advanced players
are able to travel and receive tuition from top professional coaches. There’s also a full calendar of Junior
competitions, including its own Winter League.
All this takes some organising, and of course it relies on
voluntary help to keep the whole thing going.
If you’d like to get involved in the Junior section, or just want to
give something back to the Club, we’re looking for willing volunteers to take
on one of two roles (descriptions from Scottish Golf website):
The Junior Convenor is responsible for
organising and co-ordinating junior activity within the club. Within this role
the individual will regularly come into contact with children and may be involved
in supervising and/or having unsupervised contact with children and young
people. Duties may include:
Co-ordinating and promoting activities of the
Junior Section, including Open competitions and coaching from visiting
professionals
Liaising with schools to promote Open Days and
Taster sessions
Liaising with other Junior Section volunteers to
ensure events are properly supervised
Communicating with the Safeguarding Officer to
ensure good practice is being followed and that all documentation/PVG disclosures
etc are up-to-date
Checking on funding opportunities for the Junior
Section, and submitting applications where appropriate
A Safeguarding Officer (Children &
Protected Adults) is responsible for the implementation and awareness of
safeguarding policies and procedures within the organisation. Within this role
the individual will regularly come into contact with children and may be
involved in supervising and/or having unsupervised contact with children and
young people. The Scottish Golf website
has lots more information about Safeguarding at Safeguarding |
Scottish Golf, including a detailed description of the role, and what’s
involved.
Please contact any member of the Committee if
you’re interested, or you need more information.
Use the Scottish Golf app to enter and score each week.
This year handicaps will remain as your normal handicap – no winter handicap and no cuts!
Open to all club golf memberships including Associate & Winter members.
Once the course shortens instead of the usual 95% of your Course HC you’ll get 75% (Winter tees with normal greens) and 65% (Winter tees with Winter greens).
Winner will get 5 bonus points and the points are issued depending on how many play in four bands (up to 15, 16-25, 26-40, 41-60). Tied scores are shared points (no beloved countback!).
As normal half the entry fee each week is paid back to the winners and half kept for the overall league winners at the end of the winter. £2 entry each week (again payable through the app).
Special rules we use just in the Winter League:
Bunkers are out of play – if you go in one you can take a free drop out of it but not nearer the hole.
Preferred lies – if your ball is on cut grass (tee, fairway, fringe, green) you can mark, clean and place your ball within 6 inches of where it lay (not nearer the hole).
Plugged lie – if your ball is plugged (broken the surface of the earth NOT just a bad lie in the rough!!!) you can lift, clean and drop the ball from knee height anywhere (inc rough). If it’s on a cut grass area you can still take a preferred lie of course.
Lost ball – if you lose your ball instead of going back you can just drop another ball in the area it was lost and add a penalty shot. So if you lost your tee shot you’d drop a ball and be playing your third shot.
The first weekend in August is traditionally the spot for our biggest event of the year in the Mens, Ladies & Juniors sections with our Stromness Opens. After a year out we’re grateful to see them return this year.
Mens Stromness Open (36 Holes) Saturday 7th, August.
The stiff SE wind made for some tough conditions but yet
still scorable, but this may have accounted for high percentage of home players
in the prize lists as a bit of local knowledge went a long way.
The first round belonged to one person, Andrew Woodward. His
level par 65 nett 61 was the best in both sections and was a joy to watch.
Straight off the tee and perfect distance control on approaches led a stress-free
round while those around him scrambled best they could. Next best in both gross
and nett was Stuart Thomson who also eased round in 67 nett 62 thanks in no
small part to a stunning birdie, par, birdie start to his day! In the nett
section home players Robbie Stanger and Steven Poke were the only other players
to break their HCs both with 62 netts while in the gross it was plus
handicapper Gavin Sutherland that was the only other player to break 70 with
his 69.
Round two saw a best nett of the day from Erlend Grieve (nett
59) propel him up the leaderboard and set an early target of 133. This was
beaten by former Nett Champion Paul Robertson who added a 67 to his 64 for a
131 total and he was joined on this by Angus Sutherland but by this stage Angus
was eyeing up the gross as his +11 total found himself well and truly in the
mix.
The Nett Championship however was won by Richard Linklater
who added a 64 to his 65 for a 129 total. Remarkably steady scoring in the
tough conditions despite opening with a double bogey in round two he ran out
with pars and bogeys for the remainder of the round to win the trophy by 2
clear shots. His name on the cup and a rather nice bottle of 18yr old HP to sip
out of it – Well played Titch!
Over in the gross section things were hotting up with Andrew
struggling and nobody else capable of making a charge. The +11 total set by
Angus was starting to look like the score to match. Stuart Thomson managing to
par the last 4 holes however to add a 73 to his 67 for a +10 overall and those
still out on the course knew what was required. In the third last group both
Denis Harvey and Andrew Woodward fell just one shot short with +11 totals while
in the penultimate group Kenny Inkster got the birdie at 17th he required
but then 3 putted the last to fall a shot short. It was then left to the last
group. Gavin needed to finish with an eagle/birdie finish to tie and remarkably
chipped in for Eagle at 17th but could only par the last. Michael
Schinkel needed a birdie, birdie finish to tie and actually managed it! So that
stunning finish meant we had ourselves a sudden death playoff.
The 18th was the scene of drama in normal time so
only fitting the playoff should begin there too with a large Covid protocol obeying
crowd watching! Stuart stepped on to the tee first and promptly stuck his 300yd
driver onto the back of the green. Michael’s hybrid found the right rough 50
yds short. A flicked wedge found the green around 20ft from the hole. Faced
with a tricky 35ft putt over the hump in the middle of the green Stuart showed
the short game touch that had got him this far today and laid his putt to the
side of the hole. After Michael’s attempt slid past, Stuart tapped in to win
the Stromness Open and join the major club. 45 years ago Stuart’s grandad Stewart
Young had also won the Open against a strong field so this must now qualify as
a family tradition…?!
A complete list of prize winners:
Gross:
1 Stuart Thomson
2 Michael Schinkel
3 Kenny Inkster
4 Denis Harvey
5 Gavin Sutherland
6 Andrew Woodward
Nett:
1 Richard Linklater
2 Angus Sutherland
3 Paul Robertson
4 Erlend Grieve
5 Ronald Thomson
6 Kris Bevan
7 Robbie Oag
8 Eddie Dunnett
9 Gerry O’Connor
10 Graham Bevan
11 Paul Kemp
Specials:
Best Gross out with prize list: Steven Walls (68)
Best Nett out with prize list: Robbie Stanger on
countback (last 6) from Steven Poke (62s)
Nearest the Hole – Jim Winterburn & Kenny
Inkster (8th), Jordan Youngston & John Norquoy
(18th)
Now for the thanks of which there are many. Firstly, to all
the competitors, from our friends at OGC to those from further afield who came
and took part in the event. It’s your presence that makes this event so special
and the highlight on our golfing calendar. The Club greatly appreciates your
support and hopes to see you all again soon. A huge thanks next to our sponsors
Highland Park and the Bank of Scotland. Both have been long time supporters of
this event and in these tough times your continued sponsorship is very much
appreciated. Thanks also to the Peedie Chippy for the catering, barstaff and
George & Eric for giving up their day for starting and finishing duties!
Finally, a special mention to Rae and Lee our greenstaff who
despite the harsh conditions this year have somehow managed to get the course
and greens looking the best they have ever been. Stunning effort guys.
Sponsored by:
Ladies Stromness Open (18 Holes) Sunday 8th, August.
Thankfully the forecast was as
accurate as my putter and it turned out to be a lovely day for the 47 who took
part in this year’s Stromness Open.
In the gross a birdie at the last
capped a wonderful day on the links for Kathleen Sutherland who eased round in
73 shots, four strokes clear of Audrey Poke’s 77 with Thurso’s Laura Durrand the
only other player to break 80 with her 79. Shona Slater’s 80 was next best
while Adele Flett’s 83 rounded out the top 5 scores on the day.
In the Nett, Audrey’s 77 gross
resulted in a nett 64 which proved easily the best of the day and it was regular
visitor Angela Williamson from Thurso who claimed 2nd Nett with her
90 nett 70. Karen Dunnett’s nett 71 proved good enough for 3rd Nett
while the beloved countback was finally brought into operation to separate the
nett 73s of Ann Sinclair and Marina Stanger and it fell in Ann’s favour this
time as they rounded out the top 5.
Sponsored by: BDS
Junior Stromness Open (18 Holes) Sunday 8th, August.
Just five competitors in this year’s event but still we saw a great couple of winning scores.
In the Gross section it was Thurso’s Ben Durrand who knocked it round in 80 (+15). Not bad off a 12 HC on a foreign course! While in the Nett Archie McDill obviously learned from his caddying the previous day and showed how it should be done with a nett 60 ensuring his HC will continue to shrink this season.
86 men & 41 ladies plus 6 juniors turned out for today’s (not in Shopping Week) Shopping Week (not a week either its 3 days this year) Open!
Firstly, a HUGE thanks to everyone involved in the ladies section and Karen from CLAN plus everyone who donated bottles/cash for the fundraising today. Not sure just yet what the final total is but it looks to have been a great day.
On to the golf and ladies first:
It was newly crowned putting champion Nicola Sutherland who blew the field away in the gross with a 71 beating not just her mum Kathleen who finished 3rd on beloved countback from Lynn Slater (81) but also her Dad’s gross score! Runner-up with a 78 gross was OGC’s Shona Croy.
In the Nett it was OGC’s Jane Nelson that took the Cup with
her 66 nett just a shot clear of Lynn Slater with a Dounby countback showdown
required to separate Audrey Poke from Tina Smith. Audrey’s 69 nett getting the
nod for third.
Mens section next and in the gross it was OGC’s in-form Lee Findlay that claimed the cup for a first time with a one under 64. Two shots back in second was Steven Rendall with a 66 while our own Denis Harvey(1) was third with a 68. Andrew Groundwater’s Lazarus-like recovery from injury was rewarded by 4th gross with his 70. All that practice on Saturday paying off…
In the nett Mike Rae’s 59 was pipped right at the end (via the beloved countback) by Stephen Shorter’s 59. Paul Robertson’s nett 60 grabbed third while the countback was deployed again for an OIC battle and it was Steven Poke who evaded the desperate lounge of Dougie Slater to slot home 4th Nett after both finished tied on 63s at full time.
Thanks to our sponsors JW Gray (mens section) for their generous and continued support and to all our visitors for taking part today. Thanks again to Rae & Lee for having the course in great condition despite the great drought of 2021.
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This is a short but imaginative 18 hole parkland course and will challenge players of all levels."
