Play Better Golf

With Niall McGill

Blairgowrie Golf Club has teed-up an innovative strategy designed to encourage more youngsters into the sport.

The measures being promoted at the Perthshire club include the appointment of a member to an ambassadorial role promoting golf in local schools and to community groups.

Club captain Brian Wesencraft said the wide-ranging measures were designed to boost not just juniors membership numbers but to encourage participation in golf.

Mapping out a range of initiatives at the 2014 Junior Ryder Cup venue, he said: “Junior members are the lifeblood of the game and with the support of members we are doing our very best to reverse the general decline in membership among youngsters.”

Junior fees, which include courtesy range balls, have been fixed at just £75 for the nine-hole Wee Course and £125 for all three Blairgowrie courses, when youngsters have secured a handicap of 18 or better.

Brian said:“We are also encouraging youngsters to make use of our four-hole Academy set-up at the Carsie range. The beauty of this is that novices can sample the game without the challenges a mature course presents.

“Our investment in the Junior initiative links into discounted fees designed to retain 18-30 year olds through to full membership and protect the long-term financial wellbeing of the club.”

Blairgowrie is also introducing a three-month taster package, including coaching and improvement benchmarks. The club is welcoming donations of golf clubs suitable for juniors.

GOLF RESULTS Dunkeld and Birnam

DABS (Seniors) Winter League week 8 - John Young (92-years-old) took the honours, beating 80-year-old David MacDougall to first place. 1st J Young 41pts, 2nd D MacDougall.

Winter League week 8 – 1st Scratch - R Lambie 68. 1st Handicap - D MacDougall nett 61 (bih), 2nd T Lindsay nett 61, 3rd A Wood nett 61.

Club closed from December 24, but course remains open for play.

King James VI

Winter League R38 (CSS 63) A Section - B. Grieve 57, D. Cargill, J. Taylor 58, I. Law 59, T. Gregerson 60, C. Low, T. McLaren 61, R. Macleod, F. Craig, P.F. Robertson, R. Patterson 62. B Section - W. Reoch 55, R. Hughes 57, A. Hall 58, R. Smith 59, N. Barlass 60.

Winter League R39 (CSS 63) A Section - D. Cargill 59, J. Sands 62, J. Pettigrew, F. Craig, J. McLaren, W. Leaver, R. Macleod, D. Brown 63. B Section - M. Butler 58, D. Hogg 59, A. Hall 61.

Winter League R40 (CSS 63) - A Section - P. Shand 56, J. Dunbar 57, T. Gregerson, R. Patterson, R. Macleod 58, D. Brown, J. Sievwright 59, C. Hammonds 60, S. Scrim, C. Taylor 61, S. Fenton 62. B Section - J.J. McBean 59, S. Murray, A. Cunningham 60, N. Barlass, D. Lackie 61, N. Gibbons 62;.

Winter League R41 (CSS 63) - A Section - S. Sturrock 57, R. Robertson 58, P. Shand, A. Paterson,C. Taylor, I. McClelland 61, M. Turnbull, B. Fairley, I. McPhee 62. B Section A. Birrell 57, B. Swan 59, H. Harcus 62, S. Urquhart, S. Murray 63.

Winter League R42 (CSS 63) - A Section - I. Law 59, S. Robertson, I. Murray, D. Robertson 61, S. Mill 62. B Section - D. Lackie 64, I. Short 65.