Scottish Universities Golfing Society (est 1906)
Heriot Watt University - Gullane 2 - 17 February 2008
​
Results from Gullane (SUGS names first)
1) Andrew McKenzie & John Cropper lost to Malcolm Pennycott & Craig Ewing by 1 hole
2) Andrew Landsburgh & David Rennie lost to Andrew Munro & Jamie Bell by 5 and 3
3) Don Reekie & David Greenshields beat Matt Duncan & Ross McDonald by 2 and 1
4) Ben Kelly & Andrew McCrone beat Gavin Dunn & Stephen Crolle by 4 and 3
Result: SUGS 2 - 2 Heriot Watt University
Dublin University GS - Portmarnock - 22 February 2008
​
As usual, the biennial trip to Portmarnock was eagerly anticipated by the SUGS side, which saw Dublin resident (and past of the Baird / Purdie Spring Meeting Trophy) Peter McNeill gain his first "cap" for the DUGS match. Immediate past captain Graeme Belch was in absentia having broken his thumb whilst skiing, but the rest of the side all made it to Dublin injury free. Portmarnock could euphemistically be described as "breezy", perhaps not quite matching Peterhead standards where locals do not consider conditions to be windy until the flags are bent over and touching the green, but not far off it. A number of the SUGS arrived early on Thursday, and acclimatised at Portmarnock on Thursday afternoon with a healthy mix of the green stuff on holes 1-18, and the black stuff on hole 19. A convivial dinner was held in Howth that evening, at which we were joined by a few of the DUGS.
An early start was the order for Friday, with the SUGS team enjoying an excellent breakfast in the Portmarnock clubhouse, thoughtfully organised by G. Caldwell Esq. The visitors were sufficiently restrained not to partake of the local brew at this hour, and fuelled by their fry-up, ventured out in increasingly windy conditions (gusts over 50mph) and returned 3 hours later with a 4-2 lead.
The afternoon pairings were announced during lunch (for the record - Irish stew / bacon & cabbage / fish pie were all on the menu), and the teams ventured out for the afternoon matches in increasing gales (gusting over 65mph). Sadly, this proved too much for the visitors to contend with, as DUGS engineered a remarkable turnaround to take the afternoon series by 4½ to 1½, which was enough to secure a narrow overall win. Prize for quote of the day undoubtedly went to Robin Duncan who, in commendably optimistic form, commented on his 6 & 5 afternoon loss that "it was a match we always looked like winning".
AMT
Results from Portmarnock (SUGS names first)
A.M.
1) Nicky Gold & David Rennie beat David Conway & Liam Canning by 3 and 2
2) David Archibald & Peter McNeill halved with Dougie Heather & Nick Dillon
3) James Haggart & Stuart Farmer halved with Peter Pigot & Jerome Counihan
4) Ian Smith & Niall Farquharson beat Brian Dunion & John Kenny by 2 and 1
5) Robin Duncan & Iain Crawford beat John Conway & Huntly Lauder by 1 hole
6) Andrew Thomson & Richard Inglis lost to Gavin Caldwell & Aedan Jameson by 4 and 3
Morning Result: SUGS 4 - 2 DUGS
P.M.
1) Nicky Gold & David Archibald beat Dougie Heather & Jerome Counihan by 3 and 2
2) James Haggart & David Rennie lost to Liam Canning & Peter Pigot by 4 and 3
3) Ian Smith & Niall Farquharson lost to David Conway & Nick Dillon by 3 and 2
4) Peter McNeill & Robin Duncan lost to John Kenny & Aedan Jameson by 6 and 5
5) Richard Inglis & Stuart Farmer halved with Gavin Caldwell & John Conway
6) Andrew Thomson & Iain Crawford lost to Huntly Lauder & Brian Dunion by 1 hole
Afternoon Result: SUGS 1½ - 4½ DUGS
Overall Result: SUGS 5½ - 6½ DUGS
Strathclyde University - Western Gailes - 2 March 2008
Western Gailes was the venue for this annual encounter, which provided breezy conditions (although nothing compared to the conditions the Captain and Hon. Secretary had encountered at Portmarnock the previous week), and a few heavy showers to contend with. A couple of late calloffs meant SUGS could only field a team of 6, with Stephen Carruthers and Nicky Gold handed the unfortunate task of taking on 2 students each. Sadly, this proved too much for them, and with match 2 also going in favour of the students, it was left to the top pairing of Hunter and Munro to salvage some pride with a well earned half point. In SUGS defence(!), it should be noted that Strathclyde are in the midst of an excellent season, having reached the quarter finals of the BUSF championships at the time of writing, and regained their place in the top division of the SUSF league, and we wish them well for the rest of the season.
Results (SUGS names first)
1) Dougie Hunter & Gregor Munro halved with Alistair Pugh & Craig McLaughlin
2) David Rennie & Andrew Thomson lost to Grant Minnes & Paul Robinson 1 hole
3) Stephen Carruthers lost to Fraser Campbell & Mark McCormick by 4 and 3
4) Nicky Gold lost to Richard Grierson & Graeme McDougall by 3 and 1
Result: SUGS ½ - 3½ Strathclyde University
London University GS - Muirfield - 7 March 2008
​
The 21st encounter with LUGS took place at Muirfield on a cold, sunny and windy day, with the occasional squally shower to contend with. The wind, while testing, was thankfully not as strong as had been experienced at Portmarnock 2 weeks previously, and the course was in excellent condition. Fortunately for those who normally struggled to find the fairway, the semi rough had been cut back - a considerable benefit on a such a breezy day, which meant the 5th and the 17th were both reachable with a drive and short / medium iron.
The SUGS side had seen a number of changes in the weeks leading up to the match, with 5 changes to the original line up. Unfortunately, a flat battery in Glasgow at 6.30am on the morning of the match prevented one of the SUGS dozen reaching Muirfield; as a consequence one match was played as a single vs foursome in both the morning and afternoon series. Whilst the LUGS contingent featured 1 new "cap", SUGS introduced 4 new "caps", included SUGS captain David Rennie.
Following some good games in the morning, SUGS went into lunch with a slim advantage, helped by a sterling performance from Inglis playing as a single against the 1 handicap pairing of Kershaw and Nielson, which resulted in a half game. The matches returned to the clubhouse just in time to avoid the rain sweeping down the Forth. SUGS Past President, Archie Baird, joined us for a full Muirfield lunch, and the sides eventually emerged from the clubhouse suitably refreshed for the afternoon matches. Unfortunately for SUGS, the afternoon team pairings proved less successful than their morning counterparts, and the scoreline was reversed, resulting in a 6-6 draw, and retention of the Falconer Ball on "Ryder Cup Rules" to LUGS. Some pride was restored to Scotland with victory in the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield 24 hours later!
Results from Muirfield (SUGS names first)
A.M.
1) David Rennie & Fraser McCluskey beat George Yeandle & Gareth Young by 4 and 3
2) Andrew Jessop & Gavin Greer beat Alastair Wells & Ed Clutton by 2 and 1
3) Ewan Cameron & Mike Morrison beat Nick Yeates & Chris Butler by 2 and 1
4) David McLeary & Andrew Landsburgh lost to Jeremy Smith & Stuart Lloyd by 5 and 3
5) Andrew Thomson & Andrew McCrone lost to Hugh Maurice & Neil Falconer by 4 and 3
6) Richard Inglis halved with Gorm Nielson & Mike Kershaw
Morning Result: SUGS 3½ - 2½ LUGS
P.M.
1) David Rennie & Gavin Greer halved with Hugh Maurice & Chris Butler
2) Fraser McCluskey & Ewan Cameron beat Ed Clutton & Jeremy Smith by 1 hole
3) Andrew Jessop & Andrew Landsburgh lost to Stuart Lloyd & Gorm Nielson by 3 and 2
4) Mike Morrison & Andrew McCrone lost to Mike Kershaw & Nick Yeates by 2 and 1
5) Richard Inglis & David McLeary lost to Alastair Wells & George Yeandle by 6 and 5
6) Andrew Thomson beat Neil Falconer & Gareth Young by 2 and 1
Afternoon Result: SUGS 2½ - 3½ LUGS
Overall Result: SUGS 6 - 6 LUGS
St Andrew University - St Andrews (New & Old) – 15 March 2008
Given the previous 3 matches had been played in "testing" conditions, it was too much to hope that a calmer scene might prevail at St Andrews but that is precisely what greeted the visitors for the annual encounter against the local students. With hardly a drop of wind, acres of blue sky and 2 golf courses in excellent condition, even more so for the time of year, the stage was set. All that was required was golf of similar vintage.
Whilst SUGS fielded 4 new "caps" for this match - Petersen, Brown, McNeill and Cairns, the students opted for a much greater proportion of "uncapped" players - 8 in total. No doubt all had plenty of rounds over the St Andrews links under their belts, but could SUGS play the 19th hole to their advantage at lunchtime?
The stage was evenly poised at half time, with some comfortable wins for SUGS in a two of the matches, particular so for Steele in the last game, who had not played since the Luffness fixture in December but was in excellent form. This was the first time in some years (ever?) that the morning round had been played over the New course, and there was universal approval that this was preferable to the Strathtyrum course that had been used in previous year. The sides retreated to the R&A and the hospitality offered with the Big Room for pre lunch drinks, before venturing upstairs to the dining room for an excellent lunch.
There was time to introduce some of the "uncapped" students to the delights of kummel afterwards, before heading out for the afternoon matches. The wind had picked up slightly since the morning, but had only reached gentle breeze proportions. The Hon Sec recalled that conditions were a big improvement on the 2007 match, when, after a respectable opening drive he had required 7 more clubs for his 2nd shot on the first (which still ended in the Swilkan Burn!) than was the case in 2008! On this occasion, the resulting birdie was only good enough for a half, and the birdie story was repeated in many of the other matches. Gold was -6 for the first 14 holes thanks to a red hot putter. His partner commented that he had hit his second shots closer, but had been given no opportunity to putt out! For the students, Hetherington eased around in 68, which was too good for the graduates, but fortunately for SUGS, the spoils had been taken in the first 4 matches, enough to secure a rare 7-5 victory.
In the R&A clubhouse afterwards, some silverware (a fine salver gifted to SUGS by LUGS in 2006 to mark the centenary) was presented by SUGS captain, David Rennie, to be competed for in this match going forward. David had reason to be cheerful - not only had he led his team by example to be the inaugural winner of the silverware, but he had also recorded his first team win as captain! And thus concluded a fine day's golf, for which thanks are due to both St Andrews Links Trust in allowing play from the medal tees and providing tee times, especially for the Old Course, the R&A for the use of their facilities, and last but by no means least, Nigel Watt, who multitasked as non playing match organiser, team photographer, official starter, and host inside the R&A clubhouse.
AMT
Results from St Andrews (SUGS names first)
A.M. (New Course - Foursome)
1) Mark Petersen & Dougie Hunter beat Martin Mahar & Jason Edgeworth by 1 hole
2) Nicky Gold & Fraser McCluskey beat James Mann & Tom Noall by 6 and 5
3) Duncan Lawrie & Tom Brown lost to Ned Fox & Vince Semenuk by 1 hole
4) David Rennie & Andrew Hubble lost to James Hetherington & Fergus Evans by 4 and 3
5) Ross McNeill & Ewen Cairns lost to David Jones & Michael Stephenson by 3 and 2
6) Colin Steele & Andrew Thomson beat Jonathan Palmer & Earl Moorer by 6 and 5
Morning Result: SUGS 3 - 3 St Andrews University
P.M. (Old Course - Fourball)
1) Nicky Gold & Dougie Hunter beat Ned Fox & Martin Mahar by 7 and 6
2) Mark Petersen & Andrew Hubble beat Jason Edgeworth & James Mann by 5 and 4
3) Duncan Lawrie & Fraser McCluskey beat David Jones & Jonathan Palmer by 2 and 1
4) David Rennie & Tom Brown beat Michael Stephenson & Fergus Evans by 1 hole
5) Andrew Thomson & Ross McNeill lost to Earl Moorer & Tom Noall by 1 hole
6) Colin Steele & Ewen Cairns lost to Vince Semenuk & James Hetherington by 5 and 4
Afternoon Result: SUGS 4 - 2 St Andrews University
Overall Result: SUGS 7 - 5 St Andrews University
Dundee University - Gleneagles (Queens) – 23 March 2008
Match cancelled due to snow.
Spring Meeting - Prestwick GC - 11 April 2008
​
Unlike previous years, Prestwick was not bathed in wall to wall sunshine. Instead, grey skies, a cool breeze and the occasional shower greeted members at Prestwick for the 2008 Spring Meeting. Despite the weather, numbers were up on the previous year with a total of 22 present, including 2 members making their SUGS debut at opposite ends of the age spectrum - Dr Ronnie Seiler and Michael Choong. The day also marked a return to the golf course for Graeme Belch following a broken thumb whilst skiing earlier in the year. As the winner on the last 2 occasions, he still featured in the reckoning despite this being his first competitive outing of the year, and a number of other low handicappers and previous winners were also present.
A fine Prestwick lunch was enjoyed before venturing out onto the course. Despite the relatively calm conditions, Prestwick still proved no pushover, dispensing a medley of multiple shots in the same bunker, walls, gorse and lost balls. Creditably, all bar one of those present managed to return a card, and in the end a clear victor emerged in former winner Peter McNeill, who had made the trip over from his home in Dublin to play, and returned well rewarded with an excellent 70 to win by a comfortable 5 shots.
AMT
Scratch - Baird Purdie Trophy
1) Peter McNeill (70)
2) Nicky Gold (75 - BIH)
3) Gavin Greer (75)
Handicap (best net score outwith other prizewinners)
1) Andrew Thomson (73)
Aberdeen SUGS - Royal Aberdeen - 20 April 2008
An excellent day's golf was enjoyed by all at Royal Aberdeen. Blue skies and plenty of sunshine persisted all day, and the gorse was in full bloom, helping to conceal any errant shots! The team structures could best be described as dubious, with the SUGS Captain, being a true Aberdonian and Aberdeen University graduate, playing for the "opposition", whilst the Hon Sec was also cajoled into playing for the "wrong" side. Graeme Webster and Peter Burnet both made their SUGS debut, whilst David Douglas easily claimed the prize for most committed SUG, having travelled from Guernsey to take part. As ever, the golf on show varied from sublime to "scope for improvement". Comeback of the day (which could also be interpreted as collapse of the day!) went to Park & Webster who were 5 down at one point against the Perthshire duo of Haggart & Duncan (an impressive -2 for the first 7 holes) but recovered magnificiently to win on the 18th. Unlike this year's DUGS match (see report here), Robin Duncan did not provide a post match interview! The final score was an amicable 4 - 4 draw, and post match contemplation took place over dinner in the clubhouse afterwards.
AMT
Results from Balgownie (SUGS names first)
A.M. (Foursomes)
1) Iain Fulton & David Douglas lost to David Rennie & Graeme Webster by 5 and 4
2) Gavin Greer & Robin Duncan beat Willie Park & Niall Farquharson by 3 and 2
3) James Haggart & Iain Currie lost to Andrew Thomson & Alastair Morgan by 3 and 2
4) Sandy Gray & Richard Inglis beat Peter Burnet & Martin Duncan by 2 holes
Morning Result: SUGS 2 - 2 Aberdeen SUGS
P.M. (Foursomes)
1) James Haggart & Robin Duncan lost to Willie Park & Graeme Webster by 1 hole
2) Richard Inglis & Iain Fulton lost to David Rennie & Niall Farquharson by 6 and 4
3) Iain Currie & Sandy Gray beat Alastair Morgan & Peter Burnet by 1 hole
4) Gavin Greer & David Douglas beat Andrew Thomson & Martin Duncan by 6 and 5
Afternoon Result: SUGS 2 - 2 Aberdeen SUGS
Overall Result: SUGS 4 - 4 Aberdeen SUGS
Glasgow University - Glasgow Gailes – 11 May 2008
Glasgow Gailes was in excellent condition for this match, this being the third major event to be hosted on the course this year, the others being the Edward Trophy and the Palmer Cup! Sunshine and blue skies persisted all day, but that did not aid navigation around the course, which with copious amounts of heather and rough was described by more than one participant as "tricker than it looks". For the first time some silverware was at stake - the "Doc Martin" trophy which had been played for in the now defunct Glasgow SUGS match was now the prize to be played for. It was perhaps appropriate then that SUGS managed a narrow victory, helped by local knowledge from Belch and Kinloch (P) in the last game to secure the winning point.
AMT
Results (SUGS names first)
1) Gavin Greer & Donald Reekie lost to Barry Hickey & Sam Binning by 2 and 1
2) Dougie Hunter & Andrew Thomson beat Kyle Taggart & Andrew Williamson by 5 and 4
3) Will McWilliams & Keith Macintosh beat David Taggart & Ali Leith by 2 and 1
4) James Kinloch & Andrew McCrone lost to Simon Kyle & Richard Moore by 5 and 4
5) Graeme Belch & Peter Kinloch beat Robert Hutton & Paul Wilson by 3 and 2
Result: SUGS 3 - 2 Glasgow University
Dispatch Trophy – Braids – May 2008
Lost in 1st round. A diary mix up meant only 3 SUGS turned up to play, giving the oppostion a walkover.
Midlothian Ladies - Gullane 2 - 6 June 2008
A squeeze on numbers resulted in a reduction to 8 aside as oppose to the normal 10, but the competition remained keen for this foursomes match over Gullane 2. The course was in excellent condition, included the rough, which was significantly thicker than normally experienced during the winter months when SUGS is a more frequent visitor to Gullane. A further change was the introduction of a number of new men's medal tees which stretched out a number of the holes. The Stags Trophy was up for grabs, and with a final score of 2 points each, SUGS retained it on "Ryder Cup" rules. The match was followed by a buffet supper in the Visitors' Clubhouse.
AMT
Results (SUGS names first)
1) Neil Steven & Andrew Landsburgh lost to Karen Marshall & Claire Hargan by 5 and 3
2) Andrew Thomson & John Wood beat Noreen Fenton & Kirsten Blackwood by 1 hole
3) Jim Barnet & Sandy Kirkwood beat Tracy Laughland & Kate Rorke by 2 and 1
4) Don Reekie & Douglas Duncan lost to Ellice Cackett & Ann Brownie by 3 and 2
Result: SUGS 2 - 2 Midlothian Ladies
Oxford & Cambridge Golfing Society – Ganton – 17 August 2008
With a new trophy at stake ("The Centenary Quaich") and coming off the back of a win at St Andrews the previous year, SUGS travelled south to Ganton full of optimism. This represented a first visit to Ganton for a number of the SUGS team, and fortunately, given a considerable amount of effort had been expended by many in getting there, the venue did not disappoint. Ganton is set in rural North Yorkshire, and provided a long, challenging course in excellent condition despite the wet summer, and a worthy location for the match.
Dinner was taken on the evening prior to the match in the Ganton clubhouse, before returning to a local hotel for a nightcap (or two in some cases!). Although the pre-match build up was running according to plan at this point, events took a turn for the worse in the early hours of Sunday morning when the teams were awoken by a terrific downpour outside, and by 8am the situation had not improved. Sanctuary was sought in the Ganton clubhouse with bacon rolls, coffee, and the Sunday papers. In due course, the match meteorologist, Robin Lawson, made a course inspection and proclaimed that the rain was relenting (marginally!) and the course was playable. The teams thus ventured out around 10am to play the morning matches, and whilst wet conditions persisted until noon, they were by no means unpleasant, and sunshine duly prevailed in the afternoon. SUGS, perhaps more used to inclement conditions north of the border, took a very flattering lead into lunch given 3 of the matches finished on the 18th, and managed to build on this further in the afternoon foursomes, thereby becoming the inaugural winners of the Centenary Quaich when played for under match conditions.
With this fixture now back on a more regular footing (for which credit is due to Robin Lawson and Gordon Simmonds), and a fine trophy to play for, the return fixture north of the border in 2009 will be eagerly awaited by all.
Results from Ganton (SUGS names first)
A.M. (Foursomes)
1) David Rennie & Anthony Shields beat Tom Woolsey & James Partington by 4 and 3
2) Ian Attoe & Andrew Thomson beat Matt Webster & Robin Lawson by 1 hole
3) Gordon Simmonds & Michael Brown beat Rob Mann & Rob Simpson by 4 and 3
4) Ewan Cameron & David McLeary halved with Mike Cowman & Claire Forryan
5) Niall Farquharson & Keith Oliver beat Richard Palmer & Tim Hanson by 2 and 1
Morning Result: SUGS 4½ - ½ OCGS
P.M. (Foursomes)
1) Ian Attoe & David McLeary lost to Matt Webster & Tom Woolsey by 4 and 3
2) Anthony Shields & Ewan Cameron beat Rob Mann & Robin Lawson by 2 and 1
3) Niall Farquharson & Michael Brown lost to Rob Simpson & Mike Cowman by 3 and 2
4) Gordon Simmonds and Keith Oliver beat James Partington & Tim Hanson by 1 hole
5) David Rennie & Andrew Thomson beat Richard Palmer & Claire Forryan by 1 hole
Afternoon Result: SUGS 3 - 2 OCGS
Overall Result: SUGS 7½ - 2½ OCGS
St Andrews SUGS - St Andrews (New) - 24 August 2008
After several years gap the match for the GUR Trophy returned to the New Course at a slightly later time than normal, partly at the St Andrews Captain’s request as he wanted a long lie, full breakfast and thinks his St Andrews team needs an hour on the range to warm up!!
Otherwise pretty much the usual formula, meeting at Ma Bell’s for drinks, dinner in The New GC overlooking the 18th fairway on the Old Course and accommodation in New Hall. A fine dinner, served by very attentive staff (!!), was attended by twelve players and the draw for the four-ball pairings was made following the dinner in time honoured fashion.
Given the very wet summer the match was played in warm sunny conditions, the course and greens in splendid condition. The first four games were won convincingly by SUGS, with Fraser McCluskey (SUGS Team Captain) & Keith Macintosh winning comfortably in the top game, thus ensuring SUGS retained the impressive GUR Trophy. St Andrews narrow avoided the whitewash when Alastair Russell (St A Team Captain) & John Hall squeezed through by 1hole in the last game. This victory makes it seven matches in a row without defeat for SUGS and as one football pundit put it, SUGS must make nine in a row our target!!!
FH McCluskey
Four-ball Results (SUGS names first)
1) Fraser McCluskey & Keith Macintosh beat Graeme Murray & Ian Kerr 5&4
2) Andrew Landsburgh & Mike Mullins beat Hamish Phillips & Doug Reid 6&5
3) Andrew Thomson & Mike Reid beat Craig Fotheringham & Hamish McNaughton 3&2
4) Ed Clutton & Doug Ross beat Mike Todd & Alan Williamson 6&5
5) Robin Duncan & Steve Govenlock lost to Alastair Russell & John Hall 1 hole
Result: SUGS 4 – 1 St Andrews SUGS
Gullane GC - Gullane 1 - 7 September 2008
Results (SUGS names first)
1) David Rennie & Hugh Harvie beat Alan Macdonald & John Macdonald by 2 holes
2) Richard Inglis & Will McWilliams lost to Neil Davidson & Mike Corrie by 3 and 2
3) Neil Steven & Andrew Thomson beat Ronnie Garrett Jnr & Stephen Lindsey by 1 hole
4) Andrew McCrone & David Jarvie beat Len Ramanauskas & Jordan Ramanauskas by 1 hole
5) Don Reekie & John Wood lost to David Kirkwood & Sandy Kirkwood by 2 and 1
Result: SUGS 3 - 2 Gullane Golf Club
Queens University GS - Royal Portrush / Royal County Down – 25-26 September 2008
Day 1 - Results from Royal Portrush - SUGS names first
A.M. (Dunluce)
1) Stephen Carruthers & Michael Choong beat Keith McGarry & Gary Jones by 1 hole
2) Will McWilliam & Jim Kinloch beat Alistair Dick & James Currie by 1 hole
3) James Haggart & Colin Steele lost to Colin Darrah & Nick Fazakerly by 5 and 4
4) Andrew Landsburgh & Andrew McCrone lost to Peter Dick & John McNeill by 1 hole
5) David McLeary & Peter Kinloch lost to Eoin McCoy & Ian Dick by 3 and 2
6) Robin Duncan & Richard Inglis lost to Arthur Bell & Ian Young by 3 and 1
7) Ian Crawford & Andrew Thomson lost to Andrew Dick & Alan Irwin by 1 hole
8) Douglas May & Ken Chrystie beat Geoff Todd & Ian Sanderson by 2 and 1
Morning Result: SUGS 3 - 5 QUGS
P.M. (Valley)
1) Stephen Carruthers & Will McWilliams lost to Keith McGarry & James Currie by 4 and 2
2) Michael Choong & Jim Kinloch beat Gary Jones & Martin Hopkins by 2 holes
3) Colin Steele & Andrew McCrone lost to Colin Darrah & Alistair Dick by 2 and 1
4) James Haggart & Andrew Landsburgh halved with Ian Young & Nick Fazackerly
5) David McLeary & Richard Inglis beat Eoin McCoy & Arthur Bell by 1 hole
6) Peter Kinloch & Andrew Thomson lost to John McNeill & Andrew Dick by 4 and 2
7) Robin Duncan & Douglas May lost to Geoff Todd & Alan Irwin by 5 and 4
8) Ian Crawford & Ken Chrystie lost to Ian Sanderson & Peter Dick by 2 and 1
Afternoon Result: SUGS 2½ - 5½ QUGS
Day 1 Result: SUGS 5½ - 10½ QUGS
Day 2 - Results from Royal County Down - SUGS names first
A.M.
1) Stephen Carruthers & Jim Kinloch lost to Alistair McKinley & Gary Jones by 4 and 3
2) Michael Choong & Andrew McCrone lost to Martin Hopkins & Alistair Dick by 6 and 5
3) Will McWilliams & Andrew Landsburgh beat Ian Young & Kieran Magennis by 2 holes
4) Robin Duncan & James Haggart lost to Tim Browne & Alan Irwin by 4 and 3
5) Colin Steele & Andrew Thomson halved with Arthur Bell & Andrew Dick
6) Peter Kinloch & Richard Inglis lost to Geoff Todd & Peter Dick by 3 and 2
7) David McLeary & Ken Chrystie beat Frank Fleming & Peter Watson by 2 and 1
8) Douglas May & Ian Crawford lost to Eoin McCoy & Nick Fazackerly by 1 hole
Morning Result: SUGS 2½ - 5½ QUGS
P.M.
1) Stephen Carruthers & Michael Choong beat Alistair McKinley & Martin Hopkins by 3 and 1
2) Jim Kinloch & Will McWilliams beat Ian Young & Gary Jones by 2 holes
3) Andrew Landsburgh & Andrew McCrone lost to Kieran Magennis & Tim Browne by 4 and 3
4) David McLeary & Robin Duncan beat Alistair Dick & Nick Fazackerly by 3 and 2
5) Colin Steele & Richard Inglis beat Alan Irwin & Peter Watson by 2 and 1
6) Peter Kinloch & Douglas May lost to Andrew Dick & Peter Dick by 3 and 2
7) Ken Chrystie & Andrew Thomson beat Eoin McCoy & Geoff Todd by 5 and 4
8) James Haggart & Ian Crawford beat Arthur Bell & Frank Fleming by 4 and 2
Afternoon Result: SUGS 6 - 2 QUGS
Day 2 Result: SUGS 8½ - 7½ QUGS
Overall Result: SUGS 14 - 18 QUGS
Aberdeen University - Royal Aberdeen - 19 October 2008
Originally scheduled for November 2nd, this year's match against Aberdeen University was brought forward to October 19th to accommodate a clash of fixtures for the students' team. The plus point here was that we'd now be playing from the Balgownie summer medal tees; the drawback was that we were now scheduled during the mid-term school holidays. Despite this, an encouraging and healthy response was received from SUGS members, and we welcomed two debutants namely Ian Esslemont and Donnie Mackay. Target numbers of 12 per side were achieved. According to my son, this made the match 'exactly like the Ryder Cup', although it was explained that qualification requirements were slightly less rigorous and media attention a bit less intrusive.
The weather forecast throughout the preceding week was predicting extreme gales and torrential rain, so when merely confronted with gales varying from standard to strong, and with the rain taking a weather-window break, it was regarded as being quite acceptable. The University boast a very strong pool of golfing talent and are currently fielding two quality sides in competition. They paid SUGS the compliment of selecting their strongest side with handicaps ranging from +3 to 3, and although Alex the Greek did admit to being without handicap at present, I can confirm that it will be low when awarded. Given the SUGS team's handicap range of 2 to 10 (we didn't tell the students !), perhaps a defeat of 4 matches to 2 can be viewed as bearable.
In the lead match, SUGS Captain David Rennie and John Johnston reached the turn in 31, but their high quality play was matched by John Duff and Stuart Leslie, who then continued in similar vein on the back nine, with the students eventually prevailing by 3 and 2. Gavin Greer and Donnie Mackay, although both playing well, were also defeated by some first class golf from the students. SUGS's first full point in this match for 3 years (regrettably true) was achieved by the strong pairing of Willie Park and Ian Esslemont, but even they would admit that they had to work hard for that point in a tight match finally settled on the 18th green. Two halved matches followed, with Chris Watson and Peter Burnet resilient in match 5 recovering well from a 3 hole deficit at the turn. In the final match, birdies from the students were again a feature with the University pair winning by 3 and 2.
The match was played in a friendly but competitive manner and the students appeared keen and enthusastic about playing in this match, so I hope we can look forward to seeing them on the graduate side of SUGS matches in coming years.
MD
Results (SUGS names first)
1) John Johnston and David Rennie lost to John Duff and Stuart Leslie by 3 and 2
2) Gavin Greer and Donnie Mackay lost to Aaron Koch and Keith Shanks by 5 and 4
3) Willie Park and Ian Esslemont beat John Wybar and Craig Young by one hole
4) Niall Farquharson and Hamish Macnaughtan halved with Blair Mackay and Neil Gordon
5) Chris Watson and Peter Burnet halved with Douglas Ibbotson and Duncan Arthur
6) Robin Duncan and Martin Duncan lost to Alex 'the Greek' Antzoultas and Keith Spence by 3 and 2
Result: SUGS 2 - 4 Aberdeen University
Autumn Meeting - Gullane 1 & 2 - 23 October 2008
It was only possible to complete the morning round. Gale force winds in the afternoon caused play to be abandoned.
W N Boase Putter:
1) Anthony Shields - 34 scratch stableford points
R S Sloan Trophy:
Cancelled due to weather - not subsequently played for
C R Duncan Leeds Trophy:
Cancelled due to weather - played for at 2009 Spring Meeting (Prestwick), and won by Jonathan Palmer
Seniors Salver:
Cancelled due to weather - played for at 2009 Spring Meeting (Prestwick), and won by Robin Duncan
Edinburgh University - Gullane No 2 - 22 November 2008
The annual encounter for the Roy Thompson trophy took place over Gullane 2 in very cold conditions, still seeking the first win since 1997. Although match organiser Dougie Hunter was absent on holiday, he had picked a strong team which included a mix of recent and not-so-recent graduates, and it proved to be a winning combination, with victory for SUGS in the first 3 matches being enough to secure a 3-2 win overall. Ironically, this a reversal of 2007, when the first 3 matches were lost and the last 2 matches were won! This ends a good year for SUGS against the students, with victory in all the matches with silverware at stake. In addition to Edinburgh (Roy Thompson trophy), this includes Glasgow (Doc Marshall trophy) and St Andrews (LUGS Salver), and will be a tough act to follow in 2009!
AMT
Results from Gullane (SUGS names first)
1) Nicky Gold & Dave Greenshields beat Ross Macdonald & Mark Dickson by 2 and 1
2) Neil Steven & Stephen Govenlock beat Keith Godley & Scott Henderson by 5 and 4
3) Mike Grunwell & Alan Crawford beat Roddy Forgie & Robert Gallon by 1 hole
4) Andrew McCrone & David Jarvie lost to Andrew Ponsonby & Ravi Coutinho by 5 and 4
5) Richard Inglis & Chris Boyce lost to Sam Best & Richard Pentecost by 5 & 4
​
Result: SUGS 3 - 2 Edinburgh University
Luffness New GC - Luffness – 30 November 2008
The 30th dawned a very cold day, with Scotland bathed in equal amounts of clear blue sky and freezing fog. Fortunately the fog stayed away from Luffness, and SUGS were welcomed with a blazing fire in the clubhouse, and an equally warm welcome from the Luffness Captain, Alastair Milne, and his fellow members. An excellent lunch was enjoyed, followed by a "sticky" (apparently the post lunch golfing drink is known as this because in days of old, rubbing one's hands in a little kummel improved the adhesive qualities of leather grips!), before the matches proceeded swiftly to the course, mindful that afternoon daylight is a precious commodity at this time of year. Despite the hard conditions underfoot, the course played well, and Captain Inglis led by example to secure SUGS their second victory in as many weeks. As always, this proved to be a very enjoyable and friendly fixture.
AMT
Results (SUGS names first)
1) Richard Inglis & Hugh Harvie beat Alastair Milne & Richard Dickinson by 4 and 3
2) Alistair Low & Will McWilliams beat Colin Cuthbert & Peter Grant by 1 hole
3) Mike Mullins & Colin Steele halved with Pat Lawrence & Keith Yuille
4) Mike Reid & Charles Hammond lost to Peter Hastings & Colin Wood by 6 and 5
5) Andrew McCrone & Robin Duncan beat Andie Macfie & David Halkerston by 4 and 3
6) Andrew Thomson & John Wood lost to Ian Park & David Loudon by 6 and 5
Result: SUGS 3½ - 2½ Luffness New GC
​
​