Dear all, the latest draw for Sunday at Dunbar is now here. Please check again on Saturday pm. for late changes. Please report to registration in the Lounge at least 20 minutes before your tee time to collect your score cards.Your current handicap index is shown on the right hand side of the brackets, and the strokes you receive are on the left. These will be shown on your scorecards. Players with lower handicaps play from the white tees. Some younger boys will be playing from the yellow tees. Girls from the red tees. Scoring on the Golf Genius App will not be used on Sunday. Please enter Gross scores only on Scorecards and please keep up with the match in front. Use “Ready Golf.” As it is Easter Sunday, the caterers will be busy with bookings so there is no Junior Menu available, only small portions from the main menu. Good luck! Dave Warren
Results from MD1 at Gullane!
All Players and Convenors, please see attached results from Sunday’s League Match Day at Gullane No. 3. It was a record turnout for any League Match Day with 77 Players competing. Kilspindie Juniors narrowly won the Match Day by only 2 Stableford points from 3 other Teams on the best 4 from 6 scores method. Well done to Kilspindie! Jack Collingswood scored 62 gross, and Harry O’Connor, and Ryan Killorn and Fraser Walters, both only 13 years old, scored gross 65s. Stella Walters aged 11, scored a gross 74. Several net Stableford points totals were in the 40s.Well done to the winners who will receive prizes at the next MD they attend. Please enter the next Match Day at Dunbar through Golf Genius asap as it will be closing on Wednesday at Midday. Late entries may be accepted.
Pinehurst trip report!
Back Row L-R Jamie Barker (Longniddry) Scott McAdam (Kilspindie) Rory Leishman (Royal Musselburgh) Joe MacPherson (Kilspindie) Steve Austin (Haddington Convenor) Gareth Jack (Former Longniddry Convenor)
Middle Row L-R Riley Porterfield (Kilspindie) Angus Waddell (Gullane) Rory Leitch (Haddington) Ryan Pirie (Haddington) Sue Warren,
Front Row L-R Shona Paton (Convenor Gifford and East Lothian Girls) Kate Thomson (Winterfield and East Lothian Girls) Louise Martin (Gullane and East Lothian Girls) Anna Zonova (Royal Musselburgh) Katie Mackenzie (Gullane) and Dave Warren.
In February 2024, 12 Junior Golfers from East Lothian Golf Clubs who play regularly in the (non-profit) East Lothian Junior Golf League, experienced a wonderful trip to Pinehurst, North Carolina.
This was the fifth time the League had taken their Players to the “Home of Golf” in the USA. Our Juniors only have one opportunity to go on these trips and there has now been a total of 84 Juniors who have taken part. Some of our former and current Juniors are attending, or are applying for, golf scholarships at US Colleges and Scottish Universities. Several of the Players have now won Scottish Championships and/or are in the current Scottish Mens, Womens, Boys and Girls performance squads.
Pinehurst No.2 is now preparing for the Mens’ US Open in June, and they have 5 more Mens’ US Opens there before 2047 and a US Womens Open in 2029. I think some Parents of our Players may, in future, be visiting Pinehurst with their sons and daughters!
A total of 39 Players, Parents, Friends and Leaders, including special guest Catriona Matthew, all met for a pre-trip lunch at The Glen Golf Club before the trip after which Dave Warren, the Secretary of the Junior League, gave details about the itinerary of the trip. The 5 Leaders who took part were, Dave and Sue Warren, who are both members of North Berwick and are also Overseas Members of a group of North Carolina resort golf courses – Mid Pines, Southern Pines and Pine Needles, and three other Junior Convenors, Shona Paton, (Gifford and East Lothian Girls) Steve Austin (Haddington) and Gareth Jack (former Convenor at Longniddry) who all voluntarily gave their time to the Juniors to ensure that all went well! Thanks are due to them from the League, and from the Parents and Players. Dave and Sue have some wonderful friends amongst the residents of Pinehurst, several of whom are Members of North Berwick Golf Club.
During their visit, the Juniors played 9 rounds of golf on some world class courses, such as Mid Pines, Pine Needles, Forest Creek, Pinehurst Nos 1 and 4, and Longleaf, where they experienced all that one of the biggest golf destinations in the world can offer. I would like to thank all of the owners, members and staff at all those courses for continuing to host our Juniors so well.
Families of the Players all paid for the Players’ airfares and for their dining costs whilst abroad, and the Leaders also paid for their own costs. The League receives some generous donations from Marine and Lawn Hotels and from Dan Van Horn, the founder of US Kids Golf, and these donations form the basis of the League being able to subsidise most of the other costs for the Players. One Player received financial help from the North Berwick Rotary Club and in one case of hardship, all of another Player’s costs were paid by donations from Members of their Club, backed by subsidies from the League’s funds. Parents of Players who have been on these trips also donate occasionally. Other donations came from many guests whom David and Sue have hosted at North Berwick and they are delighted to help fund these trips when they hear about the opportunities the League gives to young people. Thanks to all of them as well.
After travelling from Edinburgh on Friday the 9th February, via Heathrow to Raleigh Durham, a wee problem at US Customs arose where the soles of all the Players golf shoes had to be scrubbed clean by a very enthusiastic Customs agent, which delayed us for an hour or more! Two rented people carriers, a taxi, and a luggage trailer then ferried the group to Pinehurst where we arrived about 9:30 pm. We then split up and checked into three addresses provided by friends. One house provided rooms for all 10 Boys and for Steve and Gareth, and another family shared their home with Shona and the 4 Girls. Dave and Sue were given the use of a 3 bedroom Condominium on Pinehurst No.5 Golf Course, together with the loan of a car. Thanks again to all those wonderfully generous friends, who even got together later with other Pinehurst friends to fund the closing dinner on our last night in Pinehurst.
After a good rest, the golf commenced on Saturday on the Pinehurst No.1 Course in the “Winternationals,” a series of seven 36 hole events played, as the name suggests, during the fairly mild North Carolina winter, on various courses at the Pinehurst Resort and surrounding courses. These scratch events are expertly run by veteran organiser Peter De Young, and by Pinehurst Head Pro, Matt Nunez.
For many Players, their first exposure to US golf courses was hard to handle, with different types of grasses, and hard to read grainy greens, so scoring was high. The Leaderboards are here – https://wjsp.bluegolf.com/bluegolfw/wjsp24/schedule/index.htm All of our Players were in the “Junior/Senior” Division, and 84 competitors in total competed in the various divisions. Joe MacPherson, a scratch player from Kilspindie, coped extremely well with jet lag and the unfamiliar greens and scored 74 and 70 to tie for first place! Joe received a trophy and some prizes from the League. Katie Mackenzie was our top girl and also received a prize from the League. Almost all of the Players improved their scores on day two.
The Players also enjoyed social mixed four-ball golf at Pine Needles (the host course for 4 US Womens Opens), Mid Pines, and Forest Creek South. The 8 Boys had our annual Match against the local Pinecrest High School over Pinehurst No.4 where we came a distant second to the State Champions! Meanwhile, the Girls ventured back to Mid Pines for another round.
Then on the 2nd weekend, there was a practice round and 2 more rounds in the Winternationals at Longleaf, the HQ of US Kids Golf. The scores of the 69 competitors can also be seen on the Leaderboard link above. Sadly we had no success at that venue.
The weekdays were filled with various activities, including playing the sensational 9 hole Cradle course at Pinehurst, using all the Pinehurst practice facilities and the 6 hole “Bottlebrush” short course at Longleaf, a visit to the Donald Ross Museum with a talk from the Curator Audrey Moriarty, a visit to the Golf Pride offices, which is their Research and Development centre, with a guided tour from Katie Hoadley. Some Players had clubs re-gripped at Golf Pride. We also had a talk from Jaime Diaz, a renowned golf journalist and TV pundit for the Golf Channel in the USA. Jaime donated a huge box of brand new logoed golf shirts which he had built up over the years. Our Players were delighted to receive these.
Players appetites were well served with breakfasts at the Pine Crest Inn, at the Villager Deli, and with several dinners at The Pinehurst Brewing Company, The Sly Fox English Pub, and at other superb restaurants. On one evening, a generous couple, Charles and Cami Gregg, provided a superb BBQ which was swiftly devoured! Nothing matched the final dinner at the Pine Crest Inn, expertly provided by Drew Gross and his Staff, which was generously funded by all of our Pinehurst friends, and attended by most of them. Thanks to JJ Jackson and Eric Carrier for organising a great evening. The Juniors presented them all with gifts to show their appreciation for the hospitality shown throughout their visit.
Each Junior and Leader was given a dozen golf balls by the League, and souvenirs – a Pinehurst No. 2 pin flag for Boys, a Pine Needles pin flag for Girls, and a No.2 Course Planner for everyone, so they can watch the Mens’ US Open with the aid of the planner!
The Players and Leaders, apart from Dave and Sue who stayed on for a further week, all returned to Edinburgh on Tuesday the 20th February, all no doubt reminiscing and regaling their parents and friends with stories of their “trip of a lifetime!” We hope that fond memories of Pinehurst, their enthusiasm for the game of Golf, and the friendships they made on this trip, will last for the rest of their lives.
Later, Dave and Sue tackled the Pinehurst No.2 Pro Shop and found that some items remained after the Juniors had been shopping! We were still able to buy a substantial quantity of merchandise, discounted thankfully by another good friend, which the League will give out as prizes at our League and at other events this year.
If any young Boys and Girls living in East Lothian are thinking of taking up Golf then, after they join a local Club and obtain a handicap, they can play in our League’s “free to enter” events, on many different courses in “Scotland’s Golf Coast” which events are all on our website at eastlothianjuniorgolf.org.uk There are also “Get Into Golf” programmes and “Golf Camps” held by local Clubs, and Schools Golf competitions through “Active East Lothian” There are some excellent Children’s courses in the area where players can start the game. Kate Green, our EL Council Golf Development Officer, runs Schools Competitions and Coaching events through the winter.
The League depends on donations to keep these trips affordable, and we want to take larger groups there when appropriate. There is a “Donate” button on the League’s website, or donations can be made direct to the League’s “Winternationals” account. Donors would need to contact Dave directly to arrange payment by this method.
Dave Warren 07595 301425 [email protected]
https://eastlothianjuniorgolf.org.uk/wp-admin/?nextgen-attach_to_post=1&nonce=7e7bff1547&KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=600&width=1000
In the meantime, here are 3 photos from day 1.
Golf Genius mobile App live scoring
For our newer Players especially, this link takes you to a short video on how to use the Golf Genius mobile App for live scoring. It will be used more often at our events as in future, most of the competitions you will be playing in anywhere, will have similar scoring systems in place. It is very easy to manage, and your playing group will be given a GGID code to access the scoring function. If one volunteer Player in each group double checks with their playing partners their scores after each hole, and keeps entering those scores as play continues, then it will be easier, and quicker, at the scoring desk, to accurately process the scores. However, all Players in the group should still exchange traditional scorecards and each Player should record a playing partner’s score as well as their own, in the correct “Player” or “Marker” columns. This process is essential in the case of resolving any disparities in scores. You will also be able to see Leaderboards in the App. So please use the App in 2024 as much as you can. Feb 29th 2024.
Grace signs for Alabama!
North Berwick West Links golfer Grace Crawford, who is currently on a Scholarship at the Windsor School at the Albany Club in the Bahamas, has just verbally committed to go to the University of Alabama on a fully paid scholarship and will commence studies there in August 2025. This is great news for Grace and the League wishes her success when she embarks on the next stage of her golfing career. The photo below shows Grace’s new Coach and Assistant Coach at Alabama. And above that is an earlier photo of Grace taken when she started to play in our League! Grace’s news exemplifies the benefits of children starting golf early, and of being dedicated to the game. Well done Grace! Grace’s resume can be seen here.
Fantastic Coaching on YouTube!
After playing golf for 65 years, it is not often that I see a coaching video which inspires me to try the advice but two such videos have come to my attention this year which are amongst the best I have ever seen and I have been trying these out with good results! Click on the links to view these. They are lengthy but well worth a concentrated look and storing them in your “Favourites!)
The two videos deal with the “Optimal Impact Position” and it is on YouTube entitled:-
IF YOU PLAY GOLF YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS VIDEO
and “Secrets of The Short Game” by Phil Mickelson which is on YouTube entitled:-
Phil Mickleson Secrets Of The Short Game-Part 1 FULL
Winter programme 23/24!
Keep improving your game through the Winter! See PAIS and U14 Winter Series info below –
From Kate Green 4th October 2023 – Hi there, just a quick reminder that our 2023/24 (PAiS) Performance Athletes in Sport (Golf) Squad and Winter Development Squads @ Loretto Academy closes for registrations this Friday 6th of October.
Details also online: Active East Lothian | 2023 PAiS Golf Performance and Winter Development Squads
I am also looking to try to pull together girls that are in P7 – S6 that either have a handicap or the ability to gain one. If you could let me know if you have any girls in this category at your club or ask them to contact me so I can gauge numbers that would be great.
The 2023/23 Junior Golf East Lothian (Schools) Order of Merit is underway.
This is open to any junior who lives in East Lothian and has an official handicap.
Secondary aged pupils are given priority and then if I have space I can include P7’s.
These competitions are a mixture of 9 and 18 holes and count towards handicap.
Details again online: Active East Lothian | Junior Golf East Lothian Order of Merit
I am also running a series of Winter Stablefords for U14s with or without handicaps.
Flyer attached and below.
To book in families can just email me and let me know which they can attend.
Please see the attached from Kate Green.
Morning All. Please find below details of the 2023/24 Junior Golf East Lothian Order of Merit events. I run these events free of charge from September to May with the support of our local clubs. These events are open to juniors that attend high school in the first instance but primary aged juniors with handicaps can be accommodated if space allows. This information has been circulated to eligible juniors that I have on my register as well as to all high schools. If you can also share this information with your juniors as appropriate this will help raise the profile of these opportunities that will help to ensure that we don’t miss anyone that might like to play. There are a few dates that I’m still firming up venues for which I’ll update online in due course. We are looking for courses that have a measured 9 hole course for these dates which are in the depth of winter so any suggestions would be welcome. The pupils have to be able to get round 9 holes straight after school on a Friday so time is tight if we tee off at 1pm. Any questions just let me know. Best wishes, Kate
2023/24 Junior Golf East Lothian Order of Merit
Format: Stableford (Handicap counting)
Criteria: Players must have a handicap and live in East Lothian
Divisions: Scratch and Handicap
Max handicap: 36
Price: FREE
To enter email: [email protected]
Closing date for entries: 1 week prior but please book further in advance if possible
Tee times from approx: 1330 – 1430
2023/24 Order of Merit Events
- Mon 18th September @ Musselburgh GC (Monktonhall)
- Fri 29th September @ Winterfield GC
- Fri 6th October @ Longniddry GC
- Fri 13th October @ The Glen GC
- Mon 23rd October @ Royal Musselburgh GC
- Fri 3rd November @ Haddington GC (9 holes)
- Fri 10th November @ Musselburgh Old (9 holes) TBC
- Fri 1st December @ NB Wee Course
- Fri 12th January @ Musselburgh Old (9 holes) TBC
- Fri 26th January @ Musselburgh Old (9 holes) TBC
- Tues 13th February @ North Berwick GC
- Fri 1st March @ Gifford GC (9 holes)
- Fri 8th March @ Gullane Golf Club
- Fri 15th March @ Kilspindie GC
- Fri 22nd March @ Craigielaw GC
- Mon 6th May Final @ Renaissance
These events are a great opportunity to play with golfers from across East Lothian on a variety of local courses free of charge.
They count towards handicap and are 9 or 18 holes depending on the light.
We use the East Lothian Junior Golf Order of Merit to select players for opportunities such as East Lothian performance squads and teams for opportunities offered to the council such as Pro Ams etc.
To enter just [email protected] confirming:
– Name
– CDH Number
– Current handicap
– Home club
– School
– Date of Birth
– Mobile contact number
You can enter all of the events as a block booking and let me know by the closing date (a week prior) if you can’t attend for any reason or you can enter each individually.
Kate Green, Golf Development Officer, East Lothian Council
Website: Active East Lothian | Golf Development
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JuniorGolfEastLothian
Instagram: www.instagram.com/juniorgolfeastlothian
SJTC at Elderslie – Results!
The Scottish Junior Team Championships have been organised by our League since 2017, and the 2023 event has now been held at Elderslie GC, near Paisley. Both West Links Junior Teams, Bass and Fidra, took part in the field of 20 Teams, each with 6 Players. All the scores, both Team and Individual, can be seen on the free Golf Genius App by signing in with the code JMTJYY. Below is a copy of the e-mail sent to the host Club, together with a photo of all the prizes, a photo of the winning Team Braehead with the donor of the Trophy Ian Howarth, past President of the SGU, and Douglas Ross, Captain of Elderslie, and lastly a list of winners and prizes.
MD10 at The Glen – Results!
A big thanks to all at The Glen for hosting our final MD for 2023. Although the West Links Bass Team had already clinched the League Championship before MD10, there was still a tense climax to the season, as 3 Teams battled for 2nd place in the League. The West Links Fidra Team were 5 points ahead of Kilspindie, and 7 ahead of Craigielaw before play commenced. The 4 Players from Craigielaw managed a great total of 160, taking the honours on the day, and they caught and tied the Fidra Team, as both had 75 League points for the season, which you can see in the League table in sidebar of this website. Under our rules on ties, the Team with the better stableford points total at the final MD are offered a place in the Scottish Junior Team Championship, so both West Links Bass and Craigielaw will be offered the chance to play in that event. If a third spot in the SJTC becomes available, then it might be offered to West Links Fidra. The Orders of Merit were decided on the day, and these results can be seen in another article on this website. The League Table has been updated. All scores have been uploaded to WHS. Thanks also to our season long helpers, L-R in the photo below, yours truly, Sue Warren, Shona Paton, Steve Austin, and Ric Foulner. Our Starter John Anderson, Lynne Malcolm, and David Brady of The Glen also assisted during the day. Jack Rogan was sadly absent, as he was playing in an event in the North East. Jack is now going to live in Peterhead, so we will miss you Jack! Prizes for the 8 Players mentioned below will be given to them no later than the first event of next season! Most of the West Links Juniors Teams stayed for the presentation of the League Championship Trophy, which was attended by Graeme Stewart, the Captain of North Berwick Golf Club. The only Craigielaw Player who remained at the end was Michael Lothian, pictured far left. The others in the photo are all West Links Juniors, front L-R Oscar Wilkinson, Luke McLaughlin, Harvey Blair, Rory Papakyriakou, Hudson Blair. Back row L-R, Graeme Stewart, Ben Churn, Jack Collingswood, Rory McArdle, Andrew Irvine, Junior Convenor Ride Foulner, Harry Dunkinson, Harris Munro, David Li Ferguson and yours truly. The Team Strokeplay, and the League Championship trophies, are in the foreground together with other trophies the West Links Players won at the League’s individual Championships.
MD9 – Bass Team – League Champions!
Many thanks to Gifford GC for hosting our MD7 on Sunday 20th August. And thanks are due to our usual helpers, Shona, John, Jack, and Ric. This was Jack’s last event as Joint Secretary before he moves to Aberdeenshire. Thanks for your commitment to the League Jack! We will find a nice gift to mark your departure. Jack will still be involved in arranging the 2023 County Cup, and our Watson Cup Match in the USA in 2024. The results of MD9 can be seen below. The League table has been updated. Scores have been uploaded to WHS. Well done to Musselburgh Toun for winning the event, with West Links Bass close behind. David Ferguson (33) and Harvey Blair (41) had the best scratch and handicap points totals. Sadly, because of conflicting events, several Clubs did not have the minimum of 4 Players to count, so West Links’ strength in depth was very apparent by the Teams finishing 2nd and 3rd on the day. This means that the Bass Team will be the League Champions for 2023. Well done to Ric and his squad! The results enhances the chances of both the West Links Teams qualifying for the imminent Scottish Junior Team Championships on the 24th September at Elderslie. But both Kilspindie and Craigielaw may have something to say about that at MD10! Please get your entries in on Golf Genius for the final MD10 at The Glen on Sunday 27th August. All outstanding prizes can be collected there. Trophies for Championships should also be available there. The Orders of Merit tables have been updated. You can see this on Golf Genius under “Season Points” where there are now quite a few Players who can win! It’s getting very close there! Dave Warren 07595 301425.