My Weekly Newsletter

What do Darren Clarke and Ian Cruickshank have in common?

No, it`s not their putting touch (I`d put my money on Ian every day of the week.) Nope, it`s not their love of fast cars. Nuh-uh, it`s not even their penchant for a pint of something dark and bitter, nor their unbelievable tolerance for it.

It is in fact that both Clarke & Cruickshank have just recently had to hand back a prized trophy following a right royal whooping from the opposition.

Move over Samuel Ryder, it`s all about The Cappro Cup this week.

Yes, my end of season Ryder Cup style match finally hit the fairways last weekend and there were many parallels with the worldwide sporting spectacle that went down in Hazeltine, Minnesota. Ok, so some of the parallels were not sold-out tickets, vociferous and hostile spectators, no-expense-spared Opening & Closing Ceremonies or a global TV audience. But the story of the match, the weather and the alcoholic intake (albeit the players not the spectators this time.) was almost a carbon copy.

The two Teams gathered in the early morning gloom on Saturday and as the sun rose they lined their stomachs for battle. A quick photo call in front of the Clubhouse and we were ready for the off.

The teams:

The Togetherness:

Unlike at Hazeltine the Cappro Cup was only played over 2 days, but if we had split the 6 morning matches and the 6 afternoon matches in half, then the ebb and flow of the Cappro Cup was much like the comings and goings at the previous weeks Ryder Cup.

It was Fourballs in the morning and my Professionals Team got off to a flier winning the first 3 Matches. But undeterred the Captains Team came storming back by winning the last 3 Matches to get right back into the match. 3-3 at lunch and all to play for in the afternoon.

Morning Results: Captains Team v Professionals Team

Match 1: Cameron Grant & Ryan Penny v Robbie Murdoch & Clark Brechin - 2Up Pros
Match 2: Jack Douglas & Michael Edwards v Jay Donald & Stephen Cook - 2Up Pros
Match 3: Willie Somers & Scott Sinclair v Stuart McLaughlin & Grant Munro - 5Up Pros
Match 4: Brian Wood & Tony Storey v Mike Cameron & Chris Scouller - 4Up Captain
Match 5: Mark McDonald & Simon Jolly v Gary Duncan & Mark Wallace - 1Up Captain
Match 6: Mark Clubb & Bruce Harwood v Ian Elmslie & Norman McBain - 2Up Captain

The format switched to Greensomes and the Captains Team carried the momentum into the early matches of the afternoon session. This time claiming 2 ½ Points out of the first 3. Thankfully my Professionals Team picked wins in the next two otherwise a drubbing could`ve been on the cards..

The Captain took the last point of the day to get his nose in front and take a 1 point advantage into the Sunday morning singles.

Perhaps where The Cappro Cup deviated away from the parallels of the events in Hazeltine was that virtually all the players retired to the Bar where a few showed they were better equipped to execute shots correctly in the Clubhouse rather than out on the Course..

The only thing hotter than the golf over the weekend was the weather, which for October was ridiculously good……but you won`t see me complaining, as it made an excellent event into an amazing one.

The sun was beating down again on Sunday morning and the air was fresh, unfortunately the same couldn`t be said for all the heads. Some worse than others, and as you can see despite it being blue skies and bone dry some of the golfers still had to take relief from the odd bought of casual water.

So it was all to play for in the Singles but I needed my guys to make a fast start. They didn`t disappoint. In Match 1 the ghost of Robbie Murdoch (only because the real one was still in a roadside skip from the previous night`s frivolities) literally came back from the dead when, having been 2 Down with 4 to play, he managed to square the match by the 16th and make an amazing escape for half at 17 then, and rightly so, both he and Cameron Grant made fabulous birdies @ 18 to share a Half Point each. Stuart McLaughlin took care of Willie Somers, as did Gary Duncan over Mark McDonald which meant I was ahead for the first time since mid-morning on Saturday.

When Chris Scouller won the last to Square his match with Tony Storey it had been 3 points (and no defeats) from the first 4 matches. But I knew the Captains troops would rally at some point. Jack Douglas tied things up when he defeated Jay Donald 2Up, but Ian Elmslie restored the 1 point advantage for the Professionals Team with a convincing win over Mark Clubb.

Stephen Cook and Michael Edwards played out their 6th match against one another in 2 Cappro Cups. Stephen`s 2&1 victory meant Michael is still searching for his first full point having shared 3 halved matches and suffered 3 defeats. Stephen`s 2 ½ Points from 3 was the best return of any player this year, and that point got me within 2 of outright victory.

But once again the Bright Blues came bouncing back, this time in the shape of Simon Jolly over Mark Wallace 4&3 and Scott Sinclair 2&1 over Grant Munro, although it took Scott longer to close out the match than anyone expected having been 7Up on the 11th Tee. Grant dug deep and almost pulled off an incredible fight back.

It was all tied once more. Brian Wood was producing his own fight back having been as much as 4 down to Mike Cameron, perhaps helped by the small fact that I discovered that pouring Peroni into Mike all weekend has the same effect as filling up a Turbo Diesel Car with Unleaded.. Needless to say I`ve now christened him Mike Cameroni. That match was All Square climbing aboard the Medal Tee at the 18th…… I purposely referred to it as the 'Medal Tee' because following their drives they both then had to climb aboard the forward Tee as well...

While this was going on, Game 12 between Ryan Penny & Clark Brechin had finished 3&2 in favour of Clark in the Professionals Team. The Captain needed both remaining points, now I only needed 1.

Half was guaranteed when Norman McBain took a Dormie 2Up lead going to 17, which he then closed out 2&1 over Bruce Harwood. The Professionals Team had done it, the Cup was mine again.

The result was actually secondary to the whole weekend, because as Mike & Brian were finishing their match on the last (a match that Mike managed to eek a win out of) the scene that was created meant more to me than the victory.

As I followed that match down the 18th we had all 24 players and the Captain on the hole and surrounding the green watching their Team mates finish. That was what I wanted from the Match, bringing Members closer and the Club together. Many of these guys now know the person better and not just the face, they now know the person and the face and not just the name, they now know the person, the face and the name.

A Club is not just something to belong to, it`s something to be part of. And I like to think that events like this match help that.

They guys then devoured some well-earned lunch before the Winning Team were presented with the Trophy.

I`d like to take this opportunity to again thank Captain Ian for also embracing the Match and his involvement last weekend.

The Qualifying for the 2017 Cappro Cup will start again on the April Medal next season so my advice - GET INVOLVED. For only £5 you could be part of this fabulous weekend of fun.

I`m also putting together a little highlights video of the weekends play so look out for that over the next week or two.

There were actually still Saturday and Sunday Competitions running last weekend too.

On Saturday it was Stableford time and the scoring was as good as you would expect given the weather and course conditions.

Division 1 saw Grant Blackwood continue his recent good form with 40 points. One less on 39 was good enough to top Division 2 for Steven Jackson who has also found some late season form. Jean-Marie Prieur was the best of the bunch in Division 3 with an excellent 42 Point haul.

Division 1
1st - Grant Blackwood - 40 Points, 2nd = Nick Mackie - 38 Points, 2nd = Tony Lee - 38 Points

Division 2
1st - Steven Jackson - 39 Points, 2nd - Chris Lobb - 38 Points, 3rd - Peter Will - 37 Points

Division 3
1st - Jean-Marie Prieur - 42 Points, 2nd = Colin Beaton - 37 Points, 2nd = John Cormack - 37 Points

Sunday was back to strokeplay and surprisingly the lower handicaps struggled on another excellent scoring day.

Ian Logie`s 71 was good enough in Division 1. It was a different story in Division 2 where Robert Innes posted the low round of the day with 65. That pipped Bill Brechin by a stroke but Bill`s 66 was good enough by 4 in Division 3.

Division 1
1st - Ian Logie - 79(8) - 71, 2nd - Martin Shand - 76(4) - 72, 3rd - Lewis Shand - 75(2) - 73

Division 2
1st - Robert Innes - 80(15) - 65, 2nd - Scott Bremner - 80(13) - 67, 3rd - Gordon Gunn - 83(11) - 72

Division 3
1st - William Brechin - 88(22) - 66, 2nd - Steve Crawford - 90(20) - 70, 3rd - Graeme Garrett - 96(24) - 72

Season Extention

The last fixture Medal was scheduled to be the 15th October however with the 'Indian Summer' we have been blessed with the Club have decided to make the most of the excellent condition of the Course so have made the remaining weekends (22nd, 23rd, 29th & 30th) counting competitions/sweeps.

This means if anyone really has struggled to post 3 Competition rounds for handicap you now have an extra 2 weekends (4 competitions)

The Winter League starts as scheduled on Saturday, 22 October.

Another decision the Club have decided to take is the option to introduce 'Preferred Lies' from Saturday, 15 October. This is not a reflection of the playability of the Course and fairways, as they are as firm, lush and dry as they have been all season, however it was felt that following the recent treatment (aeriation & sanding) of the Approaches it would be fairest to give the Golfer that opportunity to lift & place in these areas.

Remember: 'Preferred Lie Relief' only applies to 'Closely Mown Areas' (Fairway, Approach & Fringe) and you must follow the correct Preferred Lie procedure when taking this relief.

If you are unsure, click here to find out more.

But here are the key ones:

Mark the position of your ball before you lift - Failure to do so is a Penalty Stroke.
You may clean your ball.
You must replace the ball within 6 inches NOT NEARER THE HOLE.
You are only entitled to Prefer your Lie ONCE.
Once you have replaced your ball it is IN PLAY - Anything that happens thereafter could incur Penalty Strokes.

Although the playing conditions are still holding on there are still plenty of signs that Winter is just around the corner. So in store we have just launched much of our new Autumn/Winter ranges.

We have some great new clothing from Under Armour & Galvin Green with some adidas still to arrive.

The key thing is to remember and layer up properly and keep those extremities cozy too. So we have a fabulous selection of Beanies, Pom Pom`s, Winter Gloves, Mitts & snoods to choose from.

Lastly, we have a comprehensive Waterproof Range for both Ladies & Gents which includes suits from Under Armour, Sunderland & Galvin Green and also the 'Exclusive' ProQuip Pro-Flex Range.

These feature, Jackets, Playing Tops, Lined Merino Sweaters & Performance Fleece Jackets all of which come at fantastic price on top of which I am offering the following amazing deals.

Buy a ProQuip Waterproof Suit - And receive a FREE ProQuip Umbrella (Worth £35 )
Buy a ProQuip Lined Sweater - And receive FREE ProQuip Mitts (Worth £20 )
Buy a ProQuip Performance Fleece - And receive a FREE ProQuip Beanie (Worth £15 )

Click here to find out more about our superb ProQuip ranges.

More great deals also still running from in store include the TaylorMade FREE M1 Hybrid with any set of Custom Fitted PSi Irons. I can endorse these irons first hand as I`ve been playing them for a little while now, and can confidently say that not only have they increased my Iron distances, but the distance and forgiveness that you get from mishits (and I`ve REALLY tested this feature out) is the best I`ve ever experienced in a traditional, dare I say, good players style of Club.

They look great, feel great, play better.

So why not take them for a Test Drive with our Trial Set, or better still book in for an expert Custom Fit Session where we will tailor these TaylorMade's exactly to your swings needs.

Click here to find out more about the PSi irons, or click here to get in touch if you would like to arrange a fitting session here at Portlethen.

On that subject I have also been able to secure a Date for a second TaylorMade Fitting/Demo Day

Here are the details:

Thursday, 20 October from 12pm-4pm

If you would like to book a FREE fitting Appointment, click here to get in touch

Not very often do the stars of tomorrow and the kids of today get the chance to try and be fitted for equipment that will give them the very best introduction to this game that we all know can be difficult. So on Saturday, 15 October from 2pm - 4pm we would like to invite all boys, girls, sons or daughters, grand kids, niece`s & nephew`s, and the accompanying adults, to our Golphin Trial Day.

On the day the kids, whether they golf already or not, will get a chance to test out different Golphin products. It`s a great opportunity for them to compare these fantastic and fun clubs against their own.

We tend to find most kids are introduced to the game, and playing with, clubs the wrong size and weight. The Golphin products are the perfect solution to this and with Christmas just around the corner could also provide the perfect solution to the 'Present predicament' too.

As well as finding the most suitable clubs for each individual there will be games such as Closest to the Pin and Longest Drive to keep them entertained and also to see if they can improve their performance with Golphin.

Here is a little bit about Golphin, but the best thing is to check them out through a short video. Click here to find out more.

Golphin, based in Scotland, the Home of Golf, designs and manufactures innovative kids' golf clubs. In particular, the company focuses on beginners ages 3 to 12. The award winning GFK helps young kids fall in love with golf. Golphin Advanced clubs are designed to help kids realise their dreams to be champions.

Golphin integrates a revolutionary clubhead design that gets the golf ball up in the air very easily. A larger lightweight clubhead with a big sweet spot and wider grooves all assist in getting the ball flying through the air. Combined with a flexible lightweight shaft, Golphin clubs are the best option for beginner golfers.

Easier to swing, helps maintain balance (22% lighter than standard junior clubs)
Oversized club heads make it easier to connect with the ball and get it airborne (35% larger club heads)
Wide range to suit any kid from 3 - 12.

The Golphin Trial Day will be on 'til 4pm. Please arrive 1.45/1.50pm for a 2pm start. For those who already attend on a Saturday it is the usual meeting point, for anyone new just report to the Professional Shop.

We hope to see you all there.

I can confirm that Kamran is Back (woo-hoo) from Bacu.

Just in time for the October school holidays, so hopefully the kids will get more of this nice weather so they can keep golfing.

Their Competitions are almost finished too and on Sunday they had the last of their Trophies to play for, the wonderfully named 'Tattie Trophy' - I wonder if Aidan won this because of some nice crisp chips?

Division 1
1st - Aidan Fulton - 87(19) - 68, 2nd - Finlay Wallace - 83 (12) - 71, 3rd - Murray Sinclair - 90(17) - 73

It was also Stableford time for the Ladies on Saturday. Julie Brimble showed them how to do it with a best of the day 34 in Division 2, while in Division 1 Kate Craig got the better of Elaine Stoddart thanks to the Countback after both had tied on 32.

Division 1
1st = Kate Craig - 32 Points, 1st = Elaine Stoddart - 32 Points, 3rd - Heather McCabe - 30 Points

Division 2
1st - Julie Brimble - 34 Points, 2nd - Morag Cammack - 30 Points, 3rd - Pat Penfold - 28 Points