Golf: Rain brings autumn early to West Lothian

Sep 3 2009 Golf column by Russell Cameron, West Lothian Courier

LOCAL courses are playing as long as they have ever done at this time of year because of the deluge we have had to suffer throughout August.

It is really autumnal and it will be only a matter of weeks before greens staff start digging up putting surfaces – the season seems to get shorter every year.

A great amount of “shower dodging” continues to go on though Bathgate did well with a busy competitive weekend comprising their big Pro Am on Saturday and a Tri Am for members the next day.

Saturday’s event had Heil Europe as its main sponsor and there were 48 pros involved in what ended up a very successful exercise despite the intermittent rain and heavy wind.

Top pro at the end was Cowglen’s Mark Loftus with a very commendable five under the card 66, one better than runner-up Greig Hutcheon of Banchory.

Third went to Archerfield’s Lee Harper for his 68 and he was also in the winning team which included father and son pairing Gordon and Calum Nisbet. Young Calum is a familiar face to members at Bathgate as he helps out in the shop for pro Stuart Callan.

On Sunday there was a three-way tie in the Tri Am with Jim and Gordon Clark, and Stephen Feeney getting the nod from Willie Henderson/Jamie Bryant/ Andy Galvin after a tie on 59 had been resolved by a countback.

Third place, again on an inferior back nine, went to Craig McLaren, Henry Dunsmore and Andrew Brown.

Shotts meantime has had the Jamie Dolan Memorial Stableford to commemorate the passing at far too young an age of the popular footballer who, among other teams, was in the local Motherwell side of the nineties.

Danny Kenmure’s 41 points won on a countback from A Chester with Tom Millar and Brian McNally next on 40 points.

At Harburn they’ve had the final of the season-long Kirk Rosebowl and winner in the end was G Thomson who, off nine handicap, finished with a birdie three to pip both Neil Rennie (16) and Andrew McGregor (10) by a single shot.

The club’s Scott Medal Qualifier has been won by no fewer than six shots by Mike Hewitt (12). Mike’s stunning 63 left both Alec Fraser (14) and former club champion Ian Milne (4) trailing in second place.

And there was an ace in the competition too. Tommy Woods holed his tee shot at the little Question Mark hole, the 15th.

The latest episode of the Cross Creek Spoon was played on a difficult evening at the West Calder course with Linda Boyle’s 85-14=71 coming out on top in the end. Shelagh Lee (26) was runner up a shot off the pace with Ashley Montgomery (11) in third on 75 net.

Down at Queensferry Dundas members were playing in the two-round Burgh Trophy and it was Alistair Lawson’s opening 64 net off his 10 mark which carried the competition for him in the end.

David Spink’s 66, also off 10, was the closest to Alistair after the opening encounter but he fell from the leaderboard in the second round and allowed a couple of the nine players who had been on 69 net to enter the frame.

Second went to Bob Robertson (19) with a 71 to add to his 69 and Mark Hunter’s 141 aggregate off seven took third.

John Pryde at Niddry Castle has continued his recent good form at the club with a victory in the Summer Rosebowl. His super 70-5=65 was two better than runner-up Danny Smith (14) with David Brown (11) and F Hendry (21) coming in joint-third on 69 net.

Meanwhile at West Lothian Ken Milligan (4) had a very good net return of 65 to win the most recent Wednesday Bowl by a couple of shots from SS McKay (13). Alan Campbell (23) and Gregor Liddle (10) were next placed, both on 68 net.

Then in Saturday’s blowy conditions it was C Hunter at the top of the board in the Jack Galloway Trophy after a net 69, two better than joint-runners-up George Frank (7) and W White (12). CSS was up one on SSS at 72.