Scotch College

Old Scotch Golf Day Tests the Best

The new layout at St Andrews beach starts to take shape

Over 50 brave (or mad?) golfers survived the toughest of conditions to compete in the 2003 Old Scotch Golf Club at the Dunes. Chris Bailey ('64) playing off 6 won the Individual Scratch with –3. Not content with that he also won the longest drive and nearest the pin competitions. Ian Shannon ('50) off 18 won the Individual Handicap with +2, whilst the Four Ball Best Ball was won by Ian Shannon and Richard Tindale ('54) with +8. Michael Fitchett ('45) won the '50 years on' award with –5 whilst Simon Hosking ('97) won the Under 25 award with –2. Rob Hiddlestone ('62) managed to bring up the rear of the field with –14!

The day started with an inspection of The Golf Club's new golf course at St Andrews (pictured right). All present were in awe of the landscape that is just asking to be turned into a golfcourse. The first of two courses should be completed by late next year. Tom Doak and Mike Clayton ('74) are designing the courses and emphasis is clearly on the natural lie of the land in their design work.

Mike Clayton ('74)

Mike Clayton ('74) spoke at the dinner about some of his experiences on the golf tour, some of the characters that he has played with and against, his theories regarding golf course design and the harrowing experience of competing in his first Old Scotch Golf Day in conditions that can only de described as testing!

Mike has won eight major tournaments since turning pro in 1981, including the Australian Open and the Heineken Classic, and canvassed the aforementioned topics in an open and relaxed manner. Of the current new talent on the Australian scene he rates Geoff Ogilvy as good a player as Adam Scott and Aaron Baddeley. He rates the Alistair Mackenzie designed Royal Melbourne as his favourite Australian course and tries to implement Mackenzie's design principles when developing new golf courses today. Tom Doak is also a great fan of Mackenzie's work. Mike in particular rates the composite course 5th hole at Royal Melbourne as one of the great golf holes that he has played. With regard to the opening of so many new golf courses in Melbourne Mike commented that 'there can never be too many great golf courses – what you will see happen is some of the poorer ones will be forced to up the ante or drop out of the picture'.