It’s the taking part that counts at Rotary Am Am
Oban’s amateur golfers will be teaming up and teeing off at Glencruitten Golf Course on Sunday, August 29, for Oban Rotary Club’s annual Am-Am competition, writes Fiona Scott.
The competition, now in its 35th year, will feature players from around the country as well as many well-known local players.
Since 1985, the event has raised £200,000 for good causes as the main fundraiser for Oban Rotary Club – accounting for around 60 to 70 per cent of the charity’s annual funds.
Around 40 teams are expected to compete this year with each team consisting of four golfers, and the best two scores from each hole will be taken into account.
George Graham, Wyvex Media’s director for Wyvex Media’s newspaper and tourism products division, has played in the competition on and off for the last 20 years.
This year he will team up with Sandy ‘Frankie’ Gow and Jim McGleish and at the time of writing was still looking for a replacement for John ‘Blink’ Tannahill.
George’s biggest haul in the competition was six cans of Magners and 15 miniatures.
He told The Oban Times: ‘It is a great day that the players very much look forward to. It’s no great disaster if you don’t return a good score; that’s if you return a score at all.
‘It is a very well run and enjoyable day with the added bonus of raising a huge amount of money for local charities.’
The competition supports many events, including the Highlands and Islands Music and Dance Festival and youth and sporting activities, and regularly contributes to the Laurinburg/Oban High School exchange as well as high school outdoor trips and events.
Rotary funding has also helped the West Highland Tennis Week, Glencruitten Junior Golf coaching, Oban High School and its pipe band, and the Dove Centre.
On top of this, Rotary Club of Oban also funded the provision of a defibrillator at Ganavan Sands beach.
The competition is also dependent on the co-operation of the members of Glencruitten Golf Club, who make their facilities available, and the generous contributions offered by many local businesses which sponsor the event including The Oban Times.
George added: ‘The Oban Times is very proud to be the principal sponsor for Oban Rotary’s Am Am competition.’
A raffle and auction, presided over by Donald Morrison, will also held on the day in aid of Mary’s Meals, which supports children throughout the world.