November Update

The Winter League Stableford competition has taken centre stage at Reay Golf Club during the past two weekends, with players competing in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds of the event.

John Nicolson won round four with a fine haul of 37 points in showery conditions. A poor start was soon forgotten and after a fine birdie at the 5th he reached the turn in 40. A second birdie at the 10th, set up a storming inward half of 36, which was good enough to seal the victory by a single point. Cammie Ross was the man edged in to second place on 36 points after a steady round of 76 which was made up of halves of 39 and 37. Colin Munro finished in third place on 35 points after his round of 78 which included a single birdie at the 6th.

Round five was a high scoring affair in calm conditions, with Liam Bremner topping the leaderboard with a superb haul of 40 points. Cammie Ross once again had to settle for second place two points behind on 38, with John Nicolson sharing third place on 36 points with Sandy Chisholm.

Despite some nasty showers, some excellent scores were returned in round six, with Simon Harper finishing on top of the pile with a score of 39 points. The highlight of a very steady round of 73 was a birdie at the short 9th hole. Kenny Farmer took second place on 37 points, with club champion Lee Parnell taking third place on 36 points following an excellent round of 73 which included a brace of birdies at the 3rd and 14th holes.

In the overall standings Liam Bremner leads the way on a total of 112 from his three best scores. John Nicolson occupies second place on 110, closely followed by Cammie Ross on 108 and Sandy Chisholm on 107.

October Update

The October Medal at Reay was an extremely keenly contested affair, with no less than five players tied at the top of the leaderboard after recording nett scores of 68. Following detailed computer analysis, which would have NASA scientists scratching their heads, Cammie Ross was declared the winner following his gross 75.

After a double-bogey at the first, Ross soon found his form and reached the turn in 40. He sealed the victory with a storming inward half of level par 35, which included two crucial birdies at the 13th and 18th holes.

The runner-up spot was claimed by Ian Ritchie, after he carded a fine gross score of 77. Following an outward half of 40, he also did his best work on the back nine covering them in a mere 37 strokes, with a birdie at the 14th the highlight of his round.

Ian Sutherland took third place following his round of 88. He recovered from a shaky start to reach the turn in 45, and played his best golf over the last five holes to card an inward half of 43.

Wayne Mowat had the distinction of carding the lowest gross score of the day, in the shape of a fine 74, but his efforts were still only good enough for fourth place. His matching halves of 37 included a solitary birdie at the 12th hole.

Martin Bain was the man in fifth place, after he carded a round of 81 for his nett 68. He covered the back nine in 42 following a fine outward half of 39 which included an excellent birdie at the 9th hole.

Ian A. Mackay finished a shot behind the winner following his nett 70, with Stuart Grieg and Ross Mackay the next best placed players courtesy of their rounds of 71.

Donald Campbell Open

Reay Golf Club hosted the Donald Campbell Open on Sunday with some excellent scores posted in showery conditions. Winner of the handicap trophy was David Mackay following a superb round of 76 which gave him a nett score off 66. After an outward half of 40 Mackay played some very steady golf to cover the back nine in 36 which included a run of eight consecutive pars from the 10th.

Jimmy Meiklejohn of Thurso took second place after posting a score of 74 for his nett 67. His halves of 35 and 39 included two birdies at the 3rd and 15th holes. Alistair Gunn took third place finishing a stroke further back courtesy of his round of nett 68.

The scratch trophy was won by Dougie Thorburn after he carded a level par round of 69. After a shaky start, a birdie at the 5th helped him to reach the turn in 36. Further birdies at the 13th and 14th contributed to a storming back nine of 33 which was enough to win by a margin of five shots.

Ian A. Mackay posted the best score in Category Two with a topsy-turvy round of 87 giving him a nett score of 70. A birdie at the 15th was the highlight of his day.

Winter League Stableford

The first two rounds of the Winter League Stableford have seen some excellent scores recorded. Round One was claimed by Lee Malcolm with a tremendous score of 44 points. Robbie Swanson finished second on 41, with Leslie Malcolm third on 39 and Jock Eunson fourth on 38.

Round Two was won by Danny O’Hagan with a fine score of 39. Ron Matheson took second place on 37, with John Nicolson and Sandy Chisholm sharing third place on 36.

Wood Group MacRobert Thistle Open

The summer golf season at Reay ended in spectacular style with some excellent scores and a hole-in-one recorded in the Wood Group MacRobert Thistle Open. Tain player Dougie Thorburn claimed the scratch prize thanks to an excellent round of 71 which included the first competitive ace of the season at the club, thanks to his tee shot at the 15th which flew straight in to the hole. His outward half of 35 included a single birdie at the 6th, and he carded another birdie at the 14th, during his inward 36 which was good enough to take the spoils by a margin of 4 shots from Lee Parnell and Bryan Fotheringham, who both carded rounds of 75.

The handicap prize was claimed by Bob Earnshaw courtesy of a superb nett 66. After a steady outward half of 38, a double-bogey at the 10th looked to have derailed his challenge, but he recovered well and a birdie at the 15th hole helped him to come home in 38 for a gross score of 76. Eanrshaw’s nearest challenger was Wayne Mowat who finished a distant 4 shots behind after his round of 76 was good enough for a nett score of 70. Alistair Gunn took third place a stroke further back after carding a nett score of 71.

Autumn Open Scramble

This weekend saw the course host its Autumn Open Scramble, with players from visiting clubs dominating the prizes. Winners were the Thurso trio of Ian MacDonald, Andrew Lannon and Michael MacGregor, after the combined beautifully to record a gross score of 66 which gave them a nett total of 57.6. Runners-up were the Lybster team of Alan Larnach, Dan Miller and Steven Cunnigham who finished on a tally of 58.4. Another Thurso team comprising Stanley Ross, Pat Valentine and Euan Sutherland, took third place on 58.8.

September Medal

The September Medal at Reay was contested in showery conditions, with a stiff breeze from the west making life difficult for competitors. The lowest scores came from Category One players, with Murdo Macdonald finishing at the top of the standings with a superb nett 64 following a gross tally of 76. After a double-bogey at the tough second, Macdonald found his form and reached the turn in 37, helped on his way by a birdie at the 6th. A steady inward half of 39 made up of five pars and four bogeys was enough to seal the victory by a convincing 3 strokes.

David Mackay finished runner up courtesy of a round of 77 which gave him a nett score 67. His round, made up of halves of 40 and 37, included two birdies at the 6th and 13th holes. Steve Efemey claimed third spot after his 76 was good enough for a nett score of 68. Efemey also managed to bag two birdies at the 11th and 14th holes.

In Category Two Jock Eunson emerged victorious following a steady round of nett 70. His gross score of 84 was made up of matching halves of 42. The in-form Lee Malcolm took second place following a round of 85, which was good enough for a nett score of 72. Billy Moore, who has also been playing well of late, took third spot with his nett score of 73.

Pilkington Cup

A small field of players braved a strong westerly wind to compete for the Pilkington Cup. Bob Earnshaw sealed victory with a nett 71 to win by a single stroke from Murray McGlasson and Ian Ritchie. Steve Efemey and Alex Mackay finished a shot further back on 73.

Jacobs Summer Cup

The end of August saw the Jacobs Summer Cup reach an exciting climax at Reay Golf Club. Since May, players have been competing in this competition every Tuesday night with their best 8 nett scores from up to 18 rounds counting towards their overall aggregate score.

The standings could not have been any closer going in to the final round with youngster Lee Malcolm and John Nicolson tied on an aggregate score of 544. Nicolson had topped the Summer Cup standings since Round One, and a number of superb scores earlier in the season had given him a healthy advantage over the rest of the pack. However, Malcolm found his form in June and July, with some great scores allowing him to gradually erode the lead held by Nicolson.

Other contenders with an outside chance of victory going in to the final round, included Lee Parnell on 550, and John O’Brien on 553.

Round 18 was played in pleasant sunshine and the favourable conditions were reflected in the CSS which dropped to 68. Tim Hawes and Gregor Munro had the distinction of posting the best score of the day, after both carded scores of nett 66, with Hawes edging the win on countback.  However, the real competition was between Malcolm and Nicolson, and both players posted excellent scores. In the final analysis, it was Malcolm who took the silverware courtesy of his nett 68, to give him an aggregate score of 540. Despite posting a score of nett 71, Nicolson was unable to improve on his aggregate score of 544 and had to settle up for the runners-up spot.

Summer Cup - Final Standings

Best 8 Rounds from 18 - Full report to follow

JF Nuclear Reay Safari Open

On Saturday players from near and far gathered at Reay Golf Club to play in the JF Nuclear Safari Open. In one of the most unique events in the golfing calendar, players compete in teams of four over 36 holes, with the three best nett scores from the morning and afternoon rounds contributing towards the team total.

RGC Club Championships

Last Friday night saw Reay Golf Club host its Club Championship finals night for both Gents and Ladies in bright conditions, with the course in perfect condition.

Read on for the full story, more photos and more stuff...!

Summer Cup After 16 Rounds

It's all over bar the shouting!

Leslie Malcolm claimed victory in Round 15 of the Jacobs Summer Cup following a superb round of 78 which gave him a nett score of 62. His halves of 40 and 38 were also good enough to secure a well-deserved handicap reduction to 14. John O’Brien finished a distant second after his nett 67, but he did have the consolation of recording the lowest gross score of the day, a fine 74 which included a brace of birdies at the 6th and 14th holes. Lee Malcolm and John Nicolson shared third spot after carding rounds of nett 68. In the overall standings Nicolson holds a commanding 13-shot advantage over his nearest challenger, Lee Malcolm, with Fred Groves a further 2 shots behind.

Reay Sweep

Murray McGlasson made a welcome return to form to win the Reay Sweep with an excellent round of 74 which gave him a nett score of 65. McGlasson did his best work during an inward half of 35 which included two birdies at the 14th and 17th holes. Colin Munro took second place after also carding a round of 74 which gave him a nett score of 66. Jock Eunson took third place on 67, with Danny O’Hagan and Ian Ritchie finishing a further two strokes back in fourth place.

August Medal

A tricky wind and showery conditions meant good scores were at a premium in the August Medal at Reay. The prize for Category One was bagged by Ian Ross with a fine round of 78 which gave him a nett score of 66. The highlight of an outward half of 40 was a birdie at the short 5th hole, and he played some steady golf for an inward 38 to claim the win by a comfortable two shot margin. Gregor Munro took the runners-up spot after carding a 73, the lowest gross score of the day, which gave him a nett 68. His halves of 36 and 37 included a solitary birdie at the 14th hole. Three players, Donald Mowat, Stuart Grieg and Alistair Gunn finished a stroke further back after carding nett 69s.

In Category Two, Billy Moore blew the competition away after his nett 70 was good enough to win by a margin of 8 strokes. Kenny Farmer and Jock Eunson shared second place after their rounds of nett 78.

Presidents Salver

Players gathered at Reay on Saturday in bright and warm conditions to compete for the Presidents Salver. 

Several players took advantage of the calm conditions with several low scores recorded. Finishing on top of the pile was Lee Parnell, who has been enjoying an excellent season to date. His superb gross score of 69 comprised halves of 37 and 32, and included no less than four birdies at the 7th, 10th, 11th and 14th holes. His nett tally of 65 was good enough to secure victory by a single shot from brothers Euan and Ross Munro, after both carded scores of nett 66. Euan took the runners-up spot on countback after his gross 74 which included two birdies at the 14th and 17th holes. Ross bagged four birdies, at the 6th, 14th, 15th and 17th, on his way to a gross score of 69. Donald Mowat and John Disbury finished a stroke further back after both carded scores of nett 67.

LIVE: Club Championship Semi-final

Lee Parnell vs Gav Sutherland

It's a 2:30 tee off for the second of this years scratch semi finals. Lee faces Gav for a place in the final against the in-form Cammie Ross:

Birdie Tree

Here's the top 20 birdie bad boys of the season so far...!

Captain's Fourball

Pete McCartney and Sandy Chisholm emerged victorious after posting an excellent better ball score of 62. Fred Groves and John Disbury were pipped in to second place after their score of 63, with Fraser Organ and Ian Ritchie taking third spot on 64.

Walk On Open

On Sunday the course hosted a Walk-On Open with several of the prize-winners coming from Thurso Golf Club. Pat Valentine won Category One with an excellent score of nett 65. Stanley finished in second place after carding a nett 67, with Ron Matheson third on 68. Alex Mackay restored some honour for the home club, winning Category Two with a score of nett 70. Jack Johnstone finished runner-up on 71, with Willie Allan edged in to third place on countback after he also scored 71.

July Medal

Saturday saw players at Reay competing for the July Medal in bright and breezy conditions. The fast and firm conditions, coupled with some unforgiving rough ensured that good scores were at a premium and this was reflected in the CSS which rose to 70.

In Category One, Gavin Gunn took top spot with a superb nett 66 courtesy of a gross score of 75, which included a brace of birdies at the 10th and 13th holes. The in-form Tom Ross took second place on nett 68 after he also posted a gross 75, with a solitary birdie at the 5th the highlight of his round. David Mackay finished third on 69. 

In Category Two, Pete McCartney finished head and shoulders above the rest with an excellent nett score of 67. Billy Moore finished a distant second on 74, with Jock Eunson claiming third place on 76.

Summer Cup 10 & 11

Round Ten of the Jacobs Summer Cup was claimed by Euan Munro with a fine round of nett 67. Cammie Ross finished top of the leaderboard in Round Eleven also courtesy of a nett 67. In the overall standings John Nicolson maintains a commanding 5 stroke lead over the chasing pack which is led by Lee Malcolm.

Ross Bogey

Tim Hawes took the glory in the Ross Bogey after finishing with a score of 2up. This tally was matched by Grant Maxwell who had to settle for second place on countback. David Mackay finished in third place after he finished all square with the course, with Pete McCartney edged in to fourth on countback.

Inverness Golf Centre Open

The Inverness Golf Centre Open attracted a healthy entry of players, with Ross Munro posting the best gross score of the day with his round of 72. Lee Parnell topped Category One with his nett 69, with Pat Valentine claiming Category Two on countback from John Disbury after both carded rounds of nett 68.

Beinn Ratha Trophy

The final weekend in June saw Gavin Gunn winning the Beinn Ratha Trophy with another excellent round, on this occasion his nett 65 was good enough to win by 2 shots from James Hawes. Alex Macaky and Alistair Gunn finished a shot further back after both carded nett 68s.

Summer Cup Standings - After 9 Rounds

Nuvia Reay Open

On Saturday players were competing for glory over 36 holes in the annual Nuvia Reay Open. The early showers soon disappeared and golfers were treated to bright skies and light winds, and with the course in excellent condition, the scene was set for some low scoring.

In the scratch event Ross Munro took the lead after Round One following a superb 69. A steady outward half of 36 included a birdie at the 4th hole, but his best golf came during a blistering inward half of 33 which included a further three birdies at the 13th, 14th and 16th holes. Gavin Sutherland occupied second place after his opening round of 73, which was made up of halves of 35 and 38 and included a single birdie at the 16th. Fred Groves and Lee Parnell carded opening rounds of 75, to leave them in joint third spot, with Tom Ross and Colin Paterson a further shot behind.

In Round Two, Parnell came roaring to life with his own fantastic round of 69. A magnificent opening half of 33 included a birdie at the 4th and a splendid eagle at the 6th hole. A steady inward half of 36 gave him an aggregate score of 144. The challenge of Munro suffered a severe setback after an ugly 8 at the 6th hole, but despite this he managed to reach the turn in 37. An inward half of 37 followed, which included a chip-in birdie at the 16th, and this was to prove crucial in the final analysis as his aggregate score of 143 was good enough to pip Parnell to victory in the scratch section by a single stroke. Parnell was at least able to console himself with the fact that his aggregate nett score of 136 was good enough to secure him the Handicap Trophy.

Gavin Sutherland took the runners-up spot in the scratch competition, after his second round of 74 left him on a total of 147. Other notable nett scores were recorded by Gregor Munro who finished on a tally of 138, and the trio of Colin Paterson, Euan Munro and Cammie Ross who finished a stroke further back on 139. Prizes for nearest the pin at the 5th and 18th holes were bagged by James Hawes and John Nicolson.

More photos...

Summer Cup 8

Round Eight of the Jacobs Summer Cup was won by Donald Mowat after a superb round of nett 66. Ross Munro carded a nett 67 to take second spot, with Colin Chessor finishing in third place a stroke further back. In the overall standings John Harper remains in the lead, with Lee Malcolm, Tim Hawes and Lee Parnell leading the chasing pack.

Parry Trophy

Overcast skies and damp weather did not put off a large entry of players competing for the Parry Trophy at Reay on Saturday. The tricky conditions were reflected in the CSS which rose to 70, with players also looking to post a good score in an event which doubled up as the final qualifying round of the Club Championships.

Match Secretary Andy Bain made a welcome return to form to claim the silverware following a blistering nett 66, courtesy of a fine gross score of 76. Bain did his best work during a steady outward half of 37, and a birdie at the short 15th helped him to an inward half of 39 which was good enough to seal the victory by a solitary shot.

Murray McGlasson was the unfortunate player edged in to second place after he posted a round of nett 67, also courtesy of a gross 76. His halves of 39 and 37 included a solitary birdie at the 17th hole. Danny O’Hagan took third place on countback from John O’Brien after both carded rounds of nett 68. O’Brien had the consolation of recording the lowest gross score of the day in the shape of a 74, a score which was matched by the club Captain Graeme Dunnett.  

Club Championship Qualifiers - After 3 Rounds

Top qualifiers for the scratch Club Championship were Ross Munro, Lee Parnell, Gavin Sutherland, and Graeme Dunnett. In the handicap section, leading qualifier was Ruari McCartney, closely followed by Jake Watson, Euan Munro and Andy Bain. Qualifying players should indicate their availability to compete in the knock-out stages on the sheets posted in the clubhouse.

Here's the full results from all 3 qualifying competitions...

Summer Cup 7 & Standings (4 from 7)

Round Seven of the Jacobs Summer Cup was won by Colin Chessor with an excellent nett 67. Tim Hawes took second place with his nett 69, with Parnell third on nett 70. In the overall standings, John Nicolson still holds a handsome lead with a total of 267 from his best four scores.

Current standings, best 4 scores from 7 rounds:

Sandside Challenge Trophy

Overcast skies and mild temperatures greeted players competing for the Sandside Challenge Trophy at Reay on Sunday. The favourable conditions were reflected in the CSS which dropped to 68, and countback was required to establish the victor after two players finished on nett 65 at the top of the leaderboard.

In the final analysis the in-form Ross Munro took the spoils following a tremendous score of 70, the lowest gross tally of the day. His efforts were good enough to secure a handicap reduction to four. Ten-handicapper Alistair Gunn was the unfortunate man edged in to second place after his excellent gross score of 75. Another member of the Munro Clan, Gregor, took third place after his round of 75 was good enough for a nett score of 69. A trio of players, Leslie Malcolm, Grant Maxwell and Lee Malcolm shared fourth spot after recording scores of nett 71.

Summer Cup 6

Round Six of the Jacobs Summer Cup was won by John Nicolson who has been producing some of his best golf in this competition. A double bogey at the first hole was soon forgotten and birdies at the 5th, 14th and 16th holes helped him to record a superb round of 72 for a nett score of 64. David Craig took second place after carding an excellent nett 65 which was good enough to secure a handicap reduction of two shots. Ross Munro took third place on nett 68.

In the overall standings Nicolson currently holds the lead with his best three rounds giving him an aggregate total of 196. The chasing pack is headed by Lee Malcolm on 204, with Colin Paterson on 205 and Summer Cup specialist Lee Parnell on 207.

Reay Gala Open

On Sunday the club hosted the Reay Gala Open, which was again staged in fine conditions. Parnell continued his current rich vein of form to claim the scratch prize after an excellent score of 73. Euan Munro won Category One with an excellent nett 66, with Thurso pair Michael MacGregor and Innes Mitchell claiming second and third places after rounds of nett 67 and nett 68 respectively.

Caegory Two was won by Donald Mackay on countback from Clark Grant and A.S Mackenzie after all three players posted scores of nett 70. The prize for nearest the pin at the 18th went to David Dunbar of Thurso.

June Medal

Bright skies and a gentle wind greeted golfers at Reay on Saturday as they gathered to compete for glory in the June Medal. The benign conditions were definitely a factor as a number of very low scores were carded in an event which also doubled up as the second qualifying round for the Club Championships.

The lowest nett score of the day was an outstanding 62 recorded by John Disbury which gave him the victory in Category Two by a margin of two shots. A steady outward half of 43 was followed by an excellent inward half of 41. As well as the silverware Disbury received a well-deserved handicap reduction of 2 shots for his efforts. The runners-up spot went to Jake Watson who has returned several excellent scores since joining the club this season. His nett 64 came courtesy of a gross 84 made up of halves of 43 and 41. Lee Malcolm took third spot in Category Two following an excellent nett 66, after a gross score of 82, with the highlight of his round coming in the shape of a birdie at the 13th.

Category One was dominated by a trio of the clubs promising young players, with Ruari McCartney emerging victorious following a superb round of nett 63. His gross round of 74 was made up of halves of 38 and 36 with a single birdie at the 13th. Ross Munro was edged in to second place on countback following his nett 63, courtesy of the lowest gross score of the day a blistering 68. Matching halves of 34 included birdies at the 4th, 16th and 18th holes. Third place was claimed by Euan Munro after a super round of 76 gave him a nett 65. Euan bagged a brace of birdies at the 5th and 17th holes.

Summer Cup Round 5

Round Five of the Jacobs Summer Cup was won by Lee Malcolm with a round of nett 67. Ross Munro took second place after a nett 69, with Cammie Ross and Gavin Gunn a stroke further back. In the overall standings John Nicolson currently leads the way with a three round aggregate score of 203. Lee Parnell, Lee Malcolm, Andy Bain and Tim Hawes lead the chasing pack.

Captains Prize

A large field of golfers gathered at Reay on Saturday to compete in the Captains Prize which doubled up as the first qualifying round of the Club Championships. The calm and bright conditions ensured that it was a day of low scores, with no less than 14 players carding nett scores in the 60s.

Lee Parnell has been enjoying some fine form in recent weeks, and he secured yet another visit to the winners’ enclosure after posting a nett 65 courtesy of the lowest gross score of the day, a blistering 70. Two dropped shots at the 5th and 7th holes during an outward half of 36 were soon forgotten after a brace of birdies at the 10th and 13th. One more bogey came at the tricky 17th, but an inward half of 34 ensured Parnell took the silverware by a single stroke.

Runner-up was Ross Munro, who got the defence of his Club Championship crown off to an excellent start with a round of 72 for a nett tally of 66. Birdies at the 5th, 16th and 18th were the highlights of a round made up of matching halves of 36.

Ruari McCartney claimed third place on countback ahead of Tim Hawes after both players posted scores of nett 67. McCartney had a single birdie at the 14th during his round of 79, which was made up of halves of 39 and 40. Hawes produced matching halves of 40 during a steady round which was blighted by double bogeys at the 2nd and 14th holes.

Fraser Organ, David Mackay, Jake Watson and Cammie Ross, finished a stroke further back after carding rounds of nett 68.

Summer Cup 4

Round 4 of the Jacobs Summer Cup was won by Jake Watson with a score of nett 68 in tricky conditions. Colin Paterson was edged in to second place on countback after his nett 68, but he had the consolation of carding the lowest gross score of the day with his round of 73. Gregor Munro continued his rich vein of form to come third with a nett 69.