Brora Golf Club was definitely the place to be after a day watching the Royal Wedding on the telly.  Members and guests gathered in the bunting festooned club to join Kate and Wills (the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) as they celebrated their nuptials, dancing to Wood n Stone and enjoyed a buffet and wedding cake all washed down with Pimms and Sparkling wine.

Club President Alistair Risk and his wife Fiona were their dressed appropriately as the Father and the mother of the groom complete with medals and Councillor Deidre Mackay was there to judge who should be the Princess of the Ball and our future Queen.  This was quite a task but after very careful thought the prize went to Catlin Kerr from Glenrothes who was there with her family including her Brora grandparents Byron and Gwen Kerr.

Pictured are Deirdre Mackay, Catlin, Prince William, Kate Middleton and Gwen Kerr.

2011 got off to a real swinging start with the annual Hogmanay party attended by 150 members and guests who partied the night away while Lesley Graham entertained a lively crowd.  

On Sunday mornining, the more seasoned playing members pulled themselves together and having gulped down the odd asprin and in some cases the “hair of the dog” 45 of them enjoyed the first competition of the year and found the course to be in excellent condition after its rest under a blanket of snow

Competition for the prizes was intense with 5 players equaling or beating net par in the stableford system event.  Lifting the star prize was last year’s captain Shaun Ashe who won a box of something to warm him up should winter return (a bag of kindlers).  President’s wife Fiona Risk was the leading lady with 30 points and since there were generous sponsors every competitor received a prize worthy of their efforts in a very entertaining and sociable day at Brora Golf Club

The Red Cross Cup is played monthly over the season with the best two nett scores from six rounds counting.  The final round was scheduled for Tuesday, 7th September, but play seemed unlikely with wind and rain forecast and some areas of the Highlands suffering localised flooding.  Prospects for play seemed even less likely when some of our hardy BOBS members were seen walking off the course on Tuesday morning when the wind made play impossible!

Fiona had an unassailable lead with aggregate best nett scores from two earlier rounds of 138 so the cup was awarded to her for the best two rounds from five scores returned.

Second in the competition was Lis Husband with an aggregate score of 145.

 There is an eagerly awaited semi final showdown for the Clynelish Salver in Brora’s five day event between the top two young golfers the Club has produced over the past ten years. The two involved are Euan Polson and Calum Stewart, separated by six years in age, Euan now 23 but when eighteen a finalist in the Scottish Boys Championship at Murcar, and Calum (17) a current Scottish boy’s internationalist. Today in the first semi final at 9.20am they will cross swords for the first time.

 It is Polson’s first return to the event since his shift to Inverness and he secured his last four place with a 19^th hole win over the leading qualifier Simon Harper (Castle Royle) in the quarter finals. Since his rise to prominence, captain of the Scottish under-16 teams  national events has prevented Stewart from showing his talent in front of the members so there is sure to be a good following watching this semi final. Stewart was three under par in his fifteen hole win over Dougie Brown (Prestwick).

 The other semi will also be a new experience for Loch Ness teenager Craig MacDougall (19) when this five handicapper faces up to the 2002 winner Ian Powell (Murcar Links). Powell received a first round walk over from the reigning Sutherland County Champion, Dougall Chalmers (Panmure) when the Dornoch member mistook his first round starting time but after being behind to local member Graeme Grant in his quarter final tie he recovered to win after seventeen holes.

 Golspie’s Alistair MacDougall will meet Alister Fraser (Deeside) in the first handicap group semi final for the McRobert Thistle Cup while also trying to keep an interest in his son Craig’s progress against Powell.  The Deeside member has been left the family job of polishing the cup for another year after it was won last year by his son Sam.  Calum Stewart also has an interest in the second semi final of this group where his younger brother Iain (15) plays the new Brora Postmaster, Andy Stewart, who has just joined the Club from the Dundee area.

 The semi final line ups of the two other handicap sections are: Class 2- Clynelish Shield -  Jamie Malcolm (Prestonfield), the Holder, verses Robert MacDonald (Brora); Peter Kennedy (Brampton Heath) verses Richard Sutherland (Brora). Class 3 - Achroisk Cup -John MacGregor (Brora) verses Calum MacDonald (Notts): George Leonard (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) verses Kyle Sutherland (Brora)

Vicki Saint (RSPB - Golspie) alongside the new signage at the Dalchalm tern colony

Local community work together to protect a Sutherland tern colony through raising awareness

RSPB Scotland and The Highland Council invite you to join them in taking a walk along one of East Sutherlands beautiful windswept beaches and visit the local tern colony to wonder at their aerial acrobatics.  The event is a family-friendly outing along Brora Beach to visit the tern colony and view other wildlife in the area.  It is the culmination of many years cooperative working between local organisations and the community to protect this colony through raising awareness of the bird’s requirements and their human interactions. 

The walk meets at the car park by Brora Golf Club on July 14th at 10.00, finishing ~12:15.  Bring appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear, binoculars if you have them, a couple of telescopes will be available on the day.

Arctic terns, along with many other coastal birds, make their nests on the ground and as such are very vulnerable to disturbance from walkers and dogs not under close control - nests are sometimes only a scrape in the sand and eggs can appear stone-like.  Fencing has been erected in an attempt to demark the colony and additionally, the 2010 breeding season has seen the arrival of new signage, a limited edition pin badge and an information leaflet on this special bird is being produced. 

Tony Gill, Secretary of Brora Golf Club said: “We are delighted to be working with RSPB Scotland and other community groups to safeguard these amazing birds. The terns have been regular summer visitors to Brora for as long as anyone can remember and have been used as the club logo (crest) for many years. We look forward to them continuing to be our neighbours for many years to come.  We are proud to have jointly commissioned a limited edition pin badge with the RSPB.” 

The RSPB’s Vicki Saint said: “The terns spend the winter in the Antarctic and travel at least 10,000 miles to breed here in Sutherland. That must be even further than the most enthusiastic golfer and these guys have no carbon footprint. Research suggests that some of the longer-lived birds could commute up to 300,000 miles during their lifetime; this is quite amazing when you consider that these birds weigh only a few ounces (about the same as a mobile phone).  In order to celebrate the tern partnership we have organised this family activity to promote the coastal wildlife in the area.” 

These projects would not have been possible without the cooperation of Brora Golf Club, the East Sutherland Bird Group, East Brora and Dalchalm Links Grazings Committee, The Highland Council, Scottish Natural Heritage, RSPB Scotland and other local organisations.  Funding has been secured through the East Sutherland Bird Group, Sutherland Leader and in-kind time from RSPB Scotland.  Pin badges and leaflets will be available from Brora Golf Club, Brora Heritage Centre, Brora Caravan Park and RSPB Scotland’s office in Golspie.

Picture: Vicki Saint, RSPB Scotland with Tern warning signage or Tern eggs in the sand 

Overview

With its long tail streamers and general shape the Arctic tern deserves the local name of ’sea swallow’. Appearing white with a black cap, it is largely coastal although it can be seen inland on migration. It depends on a healthy marine environment and some colonies have been affected by fish shortages. Arctic terns are the ultimate long distance migrants - summer visitors to the UK and winter visitors to the Antarctic.

When to see them

European birds start to arrive back from their Antarctic winter break in May, with northernmost birds getting back in June. Many birds occur inland during their migration north, passing through central England in late April/early May. Migration south commences after breeding in late July and August.

What they eat

Mainly fish - birds often seen in display flights with sandeels and / or sprats

Where to see them

In east Sutherland, Arctic terns can be found nesting along sandy and rocky shorelines and hunting offshore.  This local colony is located on the shoreline at the mouth of the Clynelish burn, adjacent to the 4th and 5th holes of Brora Golf course.  Fencing and signage directs people away from the main nesting area and around the back of the colony.

Breeding status

Monitoring is currently underway for the 2010 season and to date numbers are up on last year for this colony.  RSPB Scotland report these figures formerly back to SNH and informally to the East Sutherland Bird Group during the winter meetings.

For further information, please contact:

Vicki Saint, Assistant Conservation Officer, RSPB Scotland - North Region. Telephone: 01408 634404 or email: vicki.saint@rspb.org.uk

Iain Stewart (Overall winner) and Michael Maclean (Winner Class II) with Marjorie Mackie (James Braid's granddaughter) and Malcolm Campbell (James Braid Society Captain)

Twenty four hours after the official opening of Brora Golf Club’s Junior Clubgolf Academy two of the club’s promising junior members, Iain Stewart and Michael MacLean, who have come through the Academy won three of the trophies in the Royal Marine Hotel “James Braid” Open at Brora last Saturday.

Iain Stewart (15) won two of the trophies, the Royal Marine Hotel Trophy for overall net and the Kidd Cup for best in the Class 1 handicap section and an even younger Michael MacLean (12) who won the Dunrobin Cup in Class 2.

Play for the field of over 100 competitors began at 6.30 am and in the first group on the course was local member Roddy Cameron who faced a strong outward half breeze to be three over par after nine. But with a helping wind for the next nine holes he birdied two of them to come home in 33 for 71. Adding a second round 73(36/37) in the afternoon Cameron’s gross of 144 led for the remainder of the day and was favourite to win the Howey Cup for a second time twenty years after he won it last. The home member’s anticipated celebration was ended when the last player from the course at 8.00pm, Chris Mailley, (Royal Dornoch), matched Cameron’s first round score with halves of 34&37and when added to his opening 73 (37/36) tied Cameron on 144 to retain the scratch cup he had won twelve months ago, on this occasion on the better second round score. Not exactly the fairest way to sort out ties but now the accepted solution when players can’t hang around for play-offs.

At work at 4.00am to present the course in first class condition were the greens staff headed by James MacBeath. MacBeath the reigning Brora club champion was back out on his links competing at 11.00am but his golf did not match the high standard of his course and after a tired looking first round 77, 41 of the strokes taken on the back nine holes he was just a spectator to playing partner Mailley in the second round.

Through both rounds visitor Stephen Burt of Murcar Golf Club was the only player to match the par of 69. After getting to know his way about in Round 1 with a 76 the North east scratch player completed his second round with a birdie two on the 18th green to match par with halves of 35&34 to move him up the field into third place. In a rare outing local member George Duncan took five shots of his first round 75 to claim fourth place with a fine one over par 70.

Iain Stewart, the younger brother Scottish junior internationalist Calum Stewart is getting closer to his brother’s scratch rating every season and Saturday’s momentous win gets his handicap into single figures for the first time. A gross 78 in Round 1 posted a nett 68 but then followed a super gross 74 in Round 2 from halves of 39 & 35, his finishing birdie two the climax to lifting the Sponsor’s main trophy by two shots, 132 to 134 from Stan Dodd (Royal Dornoch).

Twelve year old Michael MacLean distinguished himself with a handicap bursting gross 85 in round one for nett 66 then followed it up in round two with nett 71 for 137 holding off another club junior Kyle Sutherland (13) by a shot for a treasured win of the Dunrobin Cup. Many putts have been holed on the Brora greens since this cup was presented to the club 75 years ago by the Duke of Sutherland and its first winner Alec MacLean a great uncle of Michael’s!

The Braid Society’s own winner of the James Braid Trophy had it’s first overseas winner. Society member Bill Case from The Lakes Club in Ohio, USA, won with net cards of 70&71, off 7 handicap, to put his name on the hand modelled statuette of the renowned course architect and five time Open Champion. The trophy shows Braid sitting on the steps outside his Walton Heath shop and was made by the Dunrobin Cup winner’s mother, local talented artist and sculptor Shirley MacLean.

2010 also marked the centenary year of Braid’s fifth and historic Open Championship win in June 1910 at St. Andrews. His granddaughter Marjorie Mackie from Cardross was the guest of honour to present the trophies and she was accompanied by her daughter Fiona Collins and Fiona’s husband Ronnie,also Cardross. To remind her of her visit to Brora Mrs. Mackie was presented with a length of a newly designed tweed the pattern named “James Braid” which has been produced by the Club Captain’s Tweed and Wool company, Kincraig Fabrics of Brora.

On conclusion of the prize giving ceremony, presided over by Club Captain Shaun Ashe, Fiona Collins and her husband Ronnie, both accomplished musicians on fiddle and guitar, treated, an appreciative clubhouse audience, to a first performance of a tribute song they have written and set to music in praise of the five time Open Champion James Braid to end another successful tournament at Brora.

Results. (All Brora unless stated) CSS 71 Rd 1/ 70 Rd 2 (both home and away) Scratch: Howey Cup - 144 C. Mailley (RDGC) 73/71, R. S. Cameron 71/73. 145 S. Burt (Murcar) 76/69, G. Duncan 75/70.
Handicap Class 1 -S. Dodd (RDGC) (9) 134 (69/65). A. MacDonald Jnr. (12) 134 (67/67). R. Sutherland (10) 136 (69/67) A. Fairburn (KG V1 Perth) (12) 138 ( 67/71) O. MacLennan (8) 139 (69/70).
Class 2 (Dunrobin Cup) - M. MacLean (19) 137 (66/71). K. Sutherland (20) 138 (73/65) B. Ross (Dunfermline) (14) 143.
Royal Marine Hotel Trophy & Kidd Cup – I. Stewart (10) 132 (68/64).
James Braid Trophy (Confined) B. Case (USA) (7) 141 (70/71)
Best Morning and Afternoon rounds out with winners.- Round 1. R. Mackay (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) R. Mackay (5) 68. Round 2 – J. Turner (Tyneside) (5) 68.

Pictured are the greenkeeping team, sporting their new uniforms - an initiative introduced by James.  “I am pleased that the club was happy for me to use a modest part of the greenkeeping budget to kit out the team with a Brora Golf Club uniform.  This is all part of my continuing endeavour to demonstrate the professional way in which we are managing the course”

James’s team comprises (left to right) Andrew Wilson, Alan Murray, Steven MacLeod and James MacBeath.