Inverallochy......Sunday 22nd August 2010
Of all the ways to finish the Paul Lawrie Stableford Tour, this was possibly the nicest setting to do so.
After a long drive up north, to our least well known location, we were greeted by a great course, fantastic hospitality and amazing weather. The scoring was once again spectacular (woah I've said that a lot!) with Nicole Yeats coming in with a fantastic 46 points, narrowly beating Craig Watson by a point.
So, how cool was the 10th! Easily drivable for the longish hitters...well that was as long as you didn't slice it OB right or hook it down the hill to the left. Paul was around the course encouraging the players and stayed for the prize-giving. Anyway, I think alll the competitors will be back to this coastal location next year. At least we all know the way....!!!!!
This is the last you'll hear from me this season. It has been a pleasure to write this blog. If I'm asked to write a blog next year, I'd like a bit more feedback/participation, please.
Maybe see some of the "braver" U15's, at Deeside, on Sunday 19th September 2010. It's an U18 Open....nowhere to hide the bad scores.....but a great chance to play Deeside again.
Happy "winter" Golfing
Golfy McTeepeg
McDonald (Ellon) .......Sunday 15th August 2010
So.....what did we think of Ellon? Or was it the McDonald Club. Woah, was I confused when I saw the bin on the first tee! Well, me being a kind person, thought it would be nice to enlighten you as to why it's called the McDonald Club. Well the land (forest) was given to the people of Ellon by Sir James McDonald in 1926. Originally the course was only a 9 holer (the 9 holes being the back 9 which was our front 9) before it was extended to the other bit of land across the road.
There was a good turn out on Sunday, despite some people not turning up. Now, I know it's difficult remembering where all us kids have got to be, so next season I believe there's going to be an online booking system. Cool or what?
Now remember, if you have any suggestions on how to improve the Paul Lawrie Foundation you can email me.
See you at Inverallochy. Ha, it's so far away, you better start going now!
Happy Golfing
Golfy McTeepeg
ROYAL ABERDEEN.....Sun 25th July 2010
A VERY early start on a beautiful sunny morning. We registered "outside" as the Silverburn Club House (Aberdeen Ladies) was not open. Silverburn proved to be an enjoyably short course with many breaking their handicaps.
Well done to Scott Watson who shot an unbelievable 51 points.....I'm sure his handicap has been chopped!
Some fun facts about Royal Aberdeen - It was founded in 1780 which makes it the 6th oldest club in the world!
- The 5 minute rule for searching for a lost ball was introduced here in 1783!
See you at Ellon,
Golfy McTeepeg
FRASERBURGH.....Sun 18th July 2010
A long drive up North was rewarded by another long round of windy links golf. The course, tricky enough, was made even more difficult by the greens having been vandalised ("someone" had apparently gone round and put weed-killer on the greens!)
This evidently didn't phase local Euan Fraser, who managed a staggering 49 points !!!!!
I believe, many of us were inspired by watching the competitors struggling with the conditions in the Open this week.
See you next week at Royal Aberdeen.
Happy Golfing
Golfy McTeepeg
KEMNAY....Sat 3rd July 2010
After all the tough links courses, an inland Kemnay challenge came as a great relief. The weather was sunny, which showed in the amount of people wearing their shorts.
How do you feel about Saturday events? To be honest, I prefer a Sunday. A couple of competitors didn't show up, as they thought the competition was the next day!
Well done to Joint winners Paul Morgan and Patrick McKenna with 42 points.
If you want to have your views spoken about in this blog, then contact me at the following :-
golfymcteepeg@gmail.com
See you at Fraserburgh.
Golfy McTeepeg
Newburgh
So this week's "links challange" was a warm(ish) Newburgh. Well, from inside the conditions couldn't have looked better...then you got up to the 1st tee....WOW, it was windy. Well, nothing compared to Cruden Bay, but still the uphill 1st wasn't the most inviting way to start off your round, straight into the wind.
Although it was the warmist, there were still a few who were wearing shorts (well done to you for trying to bring summer to the North East). Despite the wind, the golf was still as good as ever, with Dylan Smith shooting an amazing 43 points!
Now, let's be honest, was the 12th really the most difficult hole out there today? I don't think so, with that wind behind you, all you've got to do is hit a good drive and you'd probably be green-side! Oh yeah and how easy was the 9th!? With that down-wind, that par 5 was reachable in 2, for some. Then again, the wind was a bit of a pain at times. One of those times would have been on 6th. With that pin at the back, it was pretty much impossible to get it near.
Anyway Kemnay next, so hopefully we'll get a break from the wind.
See you there
Golfy McTeepeg
Cruden Bay......
Yay, it wasn't too rainy....Instead we had gale-force winds to contend with !!!!!! It was so windy, that only one person shot buffer! (Well done to local boy Craig Watson for keeping the scoring relatively acceptable). Thankfully, it was "reductions only". This weather is genuinely starting to annoy me now. That's four weeks on the trot that we've had pretty poor weather. Hopefully, now that we're further into summer, the weather will start to get better.
Enough of the weather, more about the golf.........WHAT A COURSE !!!!! Crazy to think that we paid four pounds (!) to play a golf course that has been ranked number 12, in the top 100 courses in the world!! (It would usually cost a junior £35!)
Did you notice how the club logo had lots of random Viking things, well they aren't random at all. During the viking age (whenever that was) there was a huge viking fight right on where the course is now. Picture the 17th hole in your head...you got it? Now, do you remember how there's a massive mound in the middle of the fairway. Yes? Well that is apparently a Viking burial grave thing! Mental or what? Oh yeah and you know the burn on the par five 6th. Well that burn is called Bluidy Burn because it used to run with blood during the battle! That kinda freaked me out!
Another fun fact...Did you see the castle that you could be seen up the coast. Well, Slains Castle inspired Bram Stoker to write the novel, Dracula. Wow, Cruden Bay is full to the brim with random historical information!
Right Newburgh on Sunday. See you all there.