"Vowel, Consonant, Consonant, a Vowel, Consonant, Vowel, and a Consonant, another Consonant please, and another, a Vowel, and, eh, a Consonant"
I got an 11, a triple word score and a sentence describing a rather large farm rodent! He got his third European Tour title and Murcur got a new hero. Yes of course I`m talking about that `affie barn rat! It was Kiredech Aphibarnrat, the Thai Loon that coped best with the North East`s Typhoon as he became the inaugural winner of the Paul Lawrie Saltire Matchplay Championship at nearby Murcar Links. Unfortunately local hero and host, Paul Lawrie couldn`t make it to Sundays showpiece and it was the boy from Bangkok that made sure there wasn`t any Scottish representation in the final as he took out Marc Warren in the Semi`s.
I hope the engraver didn`t have as much of a problem getting his name right on the trophy as some of the locals did trying to pronounce it! Needless to say his name got a few people a bit Tongue-Thai`d (and no, not Thongchai Jaidee - That`s a whole different word score!!)
I think on the whole the new addition to the European Tour Schedule was a great addition and a success. Hopefully it will grow into a popular event, however I`m not sure our `incredible` climate did anything to convince the players and visitors to come flocking to Scotland in July! Our 4 Seasons in as many minutes possibly wasn`t the best marketing strategy! And I also wonder just how much the Sales & Profits have gone up in Farmfoods since its worldwide exposure!? "Hey, honey lets pack our bags and head for Scotchland….apparently it`s not just the weather that`s frozen over there!!`
And speaking of our transatlantic cousins there were some rumblings of resurgence as a certain Mr Woods seemed to be regaining form and focus in the eye of the Tiger! 3 Rounds in the 60`s and a Top 20 Finish were much more positive headlines to make. Throw into the mix that considering that Tiger scored 13 strokes more in the 3rd round than eventual winner, Troy Merritt, and only finished 10 off of top spot come Sunday then he is definitely not far from Tournament winning form…….if he can keep it up! (Not something he struggled with in the past!)
Perhaps his peak in form is happening just in time for the upcoming USPGA Championship at Whistling Straights (certainly not a phrase that could be used to describe Tigers Drives of late!!) The seasons last Major returns to another American Attempt at Links Golf at the Herb Kohler owned resort. You may remember the last Major they hosted was the infamous USPGA Championship won by Martin Kaymer. He beat Bubba Watson in a Playoff. But that playoff should`ve been 3 players but Dustin Johnston was penalised for grounding his Club in a bunker as he had mistaken it for one of the many hundreds of `Scrub Areas` that are strewn around the course that look like bunkers but were in fact treated as through the green. Although hindsight has shown us that it`s not the only powdered problems that Dustin has stumbled upon of late!
Will the venue and the tournament spark another European win with Kaymer the last Major Champ at Whistling Straights and Rory McIlroy defending his USPGA Crown! There are still question marks whether the curly haired cracker from Cork will make it after his recent injury layoff but I`m sure, like most Majors, it will provide us with another fantastic spectacle.
Who`s your money on? Why not have a flutter in my USPGA Sweepstake?
USPGA Sweepstake
There will be 156 squares for all the players.
These can be bought for £2.50 per square or 5 for £10. Make sure to be quick as these sell out fast. There will be prizes available for:
1st = £80, 2nd = £60, 3rd = £40
Best Score Each Round = £15, Worst Score Each Round = £15, Leading Amateur = £15
We had our own little bit of the US here at Portlethen over the weekend with our Texas Scramble Open. It wasn`t quite the 26*C of Austin, but the sun shone all day and we had enough bare arms and bear legs on show to know that the temperature was better than it has been. It was also great to see lots of visiting golfers coming to visit Portlethen and take advantage of the fantastic value that playing in an Open provides. They were all extremely complimentary about the course and its condition, and there were quite a few who have gone away with prizes!
Texas Scramble RESULTS
1st: 55.7 (Newmacher/Craibstone/Murcar)
K Robertson, A Turner,C Robertson, A Holbrook
2nd: 55.9 (Portlethen)
R Fraser,D Small,A Legge,M Legge
3rd: (Portlethen/Nigg Bay)
M Summers,R Summers,P Jamieson,R Forbes
Scratch: 60 ACB (Newmacher/Portlethen/Bon Accord/Old Meldrum)
W Bolton, R Inkster, G Somers, G MacLeod
Because of the Scramble there was no Sunday Medal but we still had Results from Wed and Sat.
WALK ON MEDAL Wednesday 29th July `15
Division 1 (10 & BELOW)
1st: Donald Smith = 73(5) - 68, 2nd: Callum Westland = 75(6) - 69, 2nd Sweep: Graham Innes = 70(0) - 70, 3rd Sweep: Steven Wallace = 75(4) - 71
Division 2 (11-15)
1st: Lee Stewart = 82(11) - 2nd: Craig Guthrie = 86(14) - 72 3rd: James West = 85(12) - 73
Division 3 (16 & ABOVE)
1st: Steven Campbell = 88(22) - 66 2nd: Connor Leslie = 94(25) - 69 3rd: Stan Lenort = 92(10) - 73
Photos -Donald Smith, Callum Westland, Graham Innes, Steven Wallace, Lee Stewart, Craig Guthrie & Stan Lenort
STROKEPLAY CHAMP RD3/AUGUST MEDAL Saturday 1st August`15
Division 1 (10 & BELOW)
1st: Gary Esson = 68(2) - 66 2nd: David Methven = 77(9) - 68 3rd: Andrew Tremain = 77(9) - 69 ACB
Division 2 (11-15)
1st: Chris Stoddart = 82(15) - 67 ACB 2nd: Mark McCusker = 78(11) - 67 ACB 3rd: James Steel = 83(13) - 70
Division 3 (16 & ABOVE)
1st: Paul Singer = 86(19) - 67 2nd: Brian Alves = 88(17) - 71 3rd: Dennis Riddell = 89(18) - 71 ACB
Photos - Gary Esson, David Methven, Mark McCusker, James Steel & Paul Singer
Again it was really pleasing to see pupils performing well and prospering with their golf. Donald Smith followed up his lesson last week with another solid round whilst Steven Wallace & Gary Esson continue their journey south, chipping away at their handicaps.
As we are essentially halfway through the search for my "GAME IMPROVEMENT CHAMPION!" I decided to see how the progress was going. To date there are 3 players jostling for the top spot.
Russell Prosser started his Coaching program on 7th May and so far has seen his Handicap drop from 17 to 15 in 3 months and made his way to the final of the Handicap Championship.
Rob Anderson has also seen his handicap fall from 17 to 15 having started his program on 20th May, whilst Bruce Johnston has brought his handicap down from 10 to 18 and only started his program on the 9th July! Looking at all the results there are some who haven`t quite had the same progress and are either still teetering around the same handicap or have crept up a point or 2, but the majority of players have managed to improve their scores, stop the slide and make small reductions in their exact handicaps which is pleasing to see. There are still 2 months for this to run and some people take longer than others to reap the rewards of instruction so this will all be reviewed again and could change dramatically if someone clicks with their game changes!
Russell, Rob & Bruce
The race is also hotting up for places in the Cappro Cup Team, and after Saturdays August Medal there was more movement in the automatic places again!
For Full Standings click here.
I hear the Captain is taking this seriously and has already commandeered all the Buggies and appointed 5 Vice Captains! So I`ve taken steps of my own and I`m trialling some new Caddies for the event. They do the usual stuff like tend the flags but they`ll take no nonsense if the opponents try and start any intimidation tactics ! Click here to watch.
Don`t worry, that was all just a roos!!
So from Kangaroos to Kamrans News..
Well I`m off on my Tournament Travels again this week. I`ve made the trip down to Coventry to play in the British PGA Assistants Tournament that I qualified for back in April. Hopefully I can take the form I showed at Duddingston with me.
I think lots of the kids have been on their travels too as holiday time seems to have kept a few regulars away from last weeks Medal. It was a change from the normal scoring system and the kids played a Bogey Competition. This threw a few of them, but for those of you who perhaps haven't heard of it either it isn`t a competition to see how many bogeys you can score (or as one of the kids though as many as you can pick!!)
It is infact a form of Medal Matchplay where you use your handicap in a away that allows you to play Matchplay against the Golf course. (Way back in the day `Bogey` was the term used to describe what is now known as `Par`) So you take your strokes at your Stroke Holes and if your Score beats Par then you win that hole, if your nett score at that hole is worse than Par you lose that hole and obviously if you shoot nett Par you half the hole. At the end of the round you are either so many holes `Up` or `Down` or you may be `All Square` with the Course. If you`re Up your Handicap will get cut.
It`s a fun format as you can have a disaster on a hole and it only is a `Loss of Hole` (a little like a Stableford but instead of losing 2 points you only lose 1 hole!)
Junior Borland Bogey Saturday 1st August
1st: Louise Cook = 1 Down 2nd: Lewis Sinclair = 2 Down 3d: Murray Sinclair = 4 Down
Louise Cook, Lewis Sinclair & Murray Sinclair
I mentioned last week about my end of holidays Junior Camp but I would like to highlight that I`ve tweaked the Timings a little. They are now 9-11am & 11-1pm.
Junior Development Camp
Date: Monday 10th August - Friday 14th August
Time: Group 1 - 9-11am Group 2 - 11-1pm
A fun engaging week of Professional coaching for children aged 8-14 (or 9 hole handicap) to help develop their skills and get them excited about progressing further and for some kids getting ready for the 18 holes. Each day will consist of learning a new technical skill, fun warm up activities, skill tests and challenges. £40 per person for the week.
Spaces are limited. To book please call the Professional Shop on 01224 782571 or email kamranzeno1992@yahoo.co.uk
"All the Golfing Gossip from the Powder Room" by Aileen McVey The Pro Shops 1st Lady
The Ladies also mixed things up a little in their Competitions this week too when we played for the Craig Plaque on Tuesday. This was a Stableford with a twist. The twist being you were only allowed 3 Clubs and a Putter! I suppose the worrying thing is that when you look at some of the scores you start to wonder what you need all the other ones for in your Bag!
Julie Brimble showed us all how it was meant to be done with a back nine of 19 Stableford Points. Craig Plaque Tuesday 4th August
1st: Julie Brimble = 32 Points, 2nd: Pat Penfold = 30 Points, Wendy Plevey = 30 Points, Elaine Stoddart = 30 Points
Julie Brimble, Wendy Plevey & Elaine Stoddart
The Ladies also were able to announce their Club Champion and Handicap Champion. These tournaments are contested from the best 3 scores from 4 and it produced Rowena Keith as our Ladies club Champion and Kathleen Johnston as our Handicap Champion. Well Done Ladies!
It`s all hands to the pump again as the Greenstaff have to cope without the services of the seasonal worker again. The course is just going through the cycle of continual daily maintenance to keep on top of the growth rates. And whilst it`s been a pretty dreary and overcast Summer every cloud has a silver lining in that following the good news from the STRI that Aggressive Coring normally scheduled for this time of year does not have to be done so there will be very little disruption to the playing conditions of the course. Neil is still planning on administering a scarifying and dressing program for the greens but it will be virtually unnoticeable.
Well it seems we are losing or grip (no, not our marbles) on a few things! Portlethen has slipped, or been knocked, off the top of the Cads League but there is still time for us to regain that position. Our efforts in the Senior Team event at Royal Aberdeen didn`t fair much better where we finished 9th out of 14. The highlight was probably the Professionals stopping over the wall at Murcur to allow us to drive off!
Senior Stableford, Thursday 30th July
1st: Les Alves = 41 Points, 2nd: Graeme Smith = 40 Points, 3rd: Robert Read = 40 Points
The season might be nudging past it`s midway point but my aim is to always keep things fresh and along with the help of one of the manufacturers in the Pro Shop I`m able to do just that.
PING have a tradition of allowing the 2 different Head styles in their range to leap frog one another in their production cycles. So following on from the success of the G30 Range they have given their i-Range an upgrade too and I`m delighted to say we have both a full Trial Set and all the Custom Fitting Components for the new PING i-E1 Iron. This Iron has an unrivalled combination of incredible forgiveness but with tradition looks and feel, meaning it has something to offer for a huge spectrum of golfers.
And where better to try them than on YOUR OWN Golf Course! That's the level of unrivalled service I`m trying to provide here for you guys, and add in my comprehensive GC2 Assisted Club Fitting Service you will get no better value for money anywhere else.
PING haven't just stopped at a new traditional Club, they have also introduced what can only be described as a rocket launcher! Their new GMax Iron has also arrived in a Trial Set and boasts some serious distance and ridiculous forgiveness. Essentially just wave it in the general vicinity of the ball and it`ll go!!
But if looking good is more your thing then I`ve also just taken delivery of some fantastic new Ladies & Gents Portlethen Crested Shirts & Sweaters to brighten up your wardrobe! These will be out on show as soon as we can get the chance to do it so why not pop in and check them out.
