Strath Cup
Following a bit of a hiatus the Strath Cup competition has been reintroduced to offer golfers the occasional opportunity to play a midweek golf competition at the Sconser home of the Isle of Skye Golf Club.
It would appear to have been a successful experiment with a decent turnout-perhaps in some way thanks to a wee social media nudge at the eleventh hour?

There were some very lightly-raced runners amongst the sundrenched starters though and with the greatest possible respect it threw up an unexpected but very worthy victor in the first of five rounds to be sprinkled throughout the season.
It was no great surprise that podium-position regulars Chris Hanley and Geoff Williams were to occupy the prize list in second and third places respectively but who would have picked Donald Bethune to top the lot?

Now very much a retired gentle-person his forays round the Sconser track these days are almost exclusively confined to the social golfing scene.
Donald’s two nines were 44 and a well-crafted 40 converting to 19 and 21pts respectively from his new ‘playing handicap’ of 19.
One of the many advantages of being a social golfer like Donald is that with one’s companion of choice one tees off on the opening hole and hits one’s ball until one holes out on the final green a few hours later.
The social golfer’s life is brimful of joy especially when compared to that of his current competing contemporary.
That poor fellow’s game now involves at least a basic but working knowledge of the following:
Handicap Index: Course Rating: Slope Rating: Playing Handicap: Course Handicap-that’s a pretty fair bit of unwanted baggage I’m sure you’ll agree?

But it actually gets worse-consider this explanation of one single component part courtesy of our friends at the national golf union:

Course Handicap: For example a golfer with a Handicap Index of 12.0 playing a course with a Slope Rating of 127, a Course Rating of 71.5 and a par of 70,the calculation would be:

[12.0 x (127/113)] + (71.5-70.0)=14.9867257 so this means the player’s Course Handicap will be 15!
Moving swiftly on-Chris Hanley’s two nines were 34 and 37 which converts very nicely to 20 and 17pts respectively.

Geoff Williams’ two nines were 38 and 38 resulting in a haul of 17pts and 18pts.
Honourable mentions too for Kyleakin’s Jonathan Mackinnon who signed for two very nice birdies at 11 and 15 while travelling companion and son of Kyle, Stewart Johnston Jnr recorded birds on holes 9 and 12.
Let’s hope we can build some momentum for the midweek fixtures when round two swings along sometime soon?

RNLI Charity Shield
The IOSGC would like to thank Organic Sea Harvest for very kindly and generously agreeing to sponsor this year’s competition. Gratifyingly there was a good turnout to support the cause and to compete for the trophy on offer.
The winner by one single point was Jim Cumming with the comparatively modest points accumulation of 36-but more on that another day.
The chief club steward took 38 shots for each of his two laps of the Sconser track with a display of decent, steady if unspectacular golf. He was rewarded with 18pts for each circuit he completed.
Ten pars, seven bogeys and one ‘double’ indicates a solid performance with neither fireworks nor disaster.
However in victory it matters not whether it’s by a margin of one or by ten but he certainly dodged an intricate scrutineers investigation when three players rocked up level-just one point behind him.
After VAR had concluded its deliberations and the lines were duly drawn the verdict for second place went in favour of Jonathan Mackinnon. His first nine took 39 biffs followed by a sterling 34 coming home. He scored 15pts for the outward half and a much merrier 20pts second time round.
Jon also birdied the 9th and 12th holes.
Third place went to Willie Urquhart with his two laps of 43 and 41 shots.This looming ‘birthday of some significance’ seems to be focusing his attention to good effect as his game rolls on in its current state of rude health.
He harvested 16 then 19pts for his efforts on the day.

Fourth place went to Chris Hanley with a 37-shot first nine and a second half of 35 that included a less than magical 7 on the par five 11th hole. There’s a killer game just around the corner methinks?
Like Willie Chris scored 16 and 19pts.
Chris birdied the 9th and 10th holes.

Honourable mention too for Andrew Long who birdied the 8th and 12th holes.

Jim Rodger
Jim was one of the most influential figures in Sconser Golf Club during the 1970’s and 1980’s and we were saddened to hear that he had passed away recently.
He was very much a hands-on member of the committee and captained the club in 1976 and 1977.
Together with his good friend and trusty lieutenant Davie Murray Jim was nearly always the first man to add his name to the list for the many work parties that were very necessary back in the day.
Whether we were building tees, re-turfing greens, building bridges, digging drains-whatever was required to be done to improve our golf course Jim was rarely if ever absent from proceedings.
He was also a very good golfer and won the first ever Club Championship which was played in 1976.He went on to dominate that event in its early days winning in seven of the next nine years.
Only Michael Whatley was able to halt his almost complete domination at that time.
When he retired from his post as long-time Headmaster of Portree High School he was made an Honorary Member of the Isle of Skye GC.
On a personal note we were professional colleagues for many years in addition to being golfing companions.
On numerous occasions when he was in need of a break from education, education, education or we had urgent golf business to discuss the ENGAGED red light would be illuminated outside the headmasters office and the Venetian blinds would be closed.
The world was then set to rights.
Sometimes the putter would be fetched from his back room and it was game on with the latest grip or technique. It could have been mayhem on the school campus-but we didn’t care!
If it wasn’t golf then the chat was about football.
I’ve been a Pars fan since childhood and among other football-related topics we would talk about the games he played for Hearts and St Mirren against my team.The insight was fascinating.
As a wee boy I remember seeing Jim playing football, running down the right wing with that bustling gait of his plus sharp elbows going like pistons to repel any wannabe tacklers.
He was quick, he was hard and he was a very good footballer.
Jim Rodger made a major contribution to what is now known as the Isle of Skye Golf Club and we are grateful to him for his efforts on our behalf.

RESULTS
Strath Cup Rd.One.
1) D Bethune 40pts; 2) C Hanley 37pts; 3) G Williams 35pts.

RNLI Charity Shield
1) J Cumming 36pts; 2) J Mackinnon 35pts bih; 3) W Urquhart 35pts bih; 4) C Hanley 35pts.

FIXTURES
It’s monthly medal time this weekend for both the gents and ladies sections

Advance notice too that on the weekend of 25th/26th May the David Murray Quaich will as ever be a 36-hole competition but round one will be played on the Saturday with round two the following day.
Another heads-up too for the first of this years IOSGC@60 celebrations featuring a North v South challenge match for Skye and Lochalsh.
JOHN MARSHALL




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Club Championship sponsors 2024

Isle of Skye Golf Club are delighted to announce their new Club Championship sponsors as Torabhaig Distillery based at Teangue on Isle of Skye. This will cover the Ladies and Gents Championship for their Anniversary 60th year event marking golf played at Sconser. The game has been played at the Sconser location since 1964 since the origins of Sconser Golf Club and several events are in place to mark the Anniversary year.

At Torabhaig, we are pleased to support the Isle of Skye Golf Club Championship in celebration of the 60th Anniversary events. With the release of our third expression of the Legacy Series, Cnoc na Moine, we continue to explore the elegant side of peat smoke in our whiskies, made at Torabhaig and shaped by Skye.



Torabhaig Distillery is the second ever licensed Single Malt Scotch Whisky distillery on the Isle of Skye. The water, the land, the climate, all play a part in the character of the whisky produced which has been captured by Torabhaig. Isle of Skye Golf Club is proud to be associated with the Skye distillery and to be part of such a local, vibrant produce. Torabhaig Distillery are producing their own distinctive character whiskies which are evolving into a distinct signature style from a flavour profile known from what they call 'Well-Tempered Peat'.

Capt Robert MacAskill said 'It is a great opportunity for the Club to be associated with Torabhaig and to be part of their 'Legacy' portfolio'. We look forward to combining with Torabhaig and thank them for their generosity'