WHAT A WAY TO END THE WEEK

So proud again today, just received this from the Perth and Kinross Secretary.

Your 2 young lads were a credit to Strathmore today. Blair won the overall handicap & under 14  on the day. Fraser hit the ball well and will get more confidence the more he plays. Blair is another "Strathmore star" in the making. Both well mannered young lads with lots of potential. Keep up the great work you all do at Strathmore.

Pictured below is Blair receiving his trophies from Alan Cargill. What a start to the season. 1 Competition 1 Champion.

Captains Drive In - 30/03/2019

THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET EVEN BUSIER

Today was the Gents and Ladies Captains Drive-In, great day and great fun to get the Season started. Amy was the only Junior playing today and won nearest the pin on the 6th. Another new member was confirmed today, Charlie becomes number 12. He also needs a hire set so that’s 3 fittings to be done.
We are introducing a new competition, The Frank Moran Memorial Trophy, starting on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s on the Rannaleroch Course open all day so during the school holidays you can play anytime. This means that juniors now have the opportunity to play in 4 counting competitions a week, so no excuses for not reducing your handicaps. If boys play in the Gents Competitions on a Wednesday they have to remember to pay £1 entry fee and sign the Gents entry sheet. If girls play in the Ladies they must have paid their annual £5 competition entry fee. The Junior competitions have no entry fees.
Today both Captains agreed to our fundraising for Trust and I would like to thank Christine for informing the Ladies at the New Members Night and Norman for donating a 4 ball at Kirriemuir. The generosity of our members has been amazing and I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart. I get too emotional and Dawn had to stand in but what a great job she did. We raised £439.69 today added to the £488.41 already raised giving us a current total of £928.10.

SSE DUMDERG COMMUNITY FUND

It is with great pleasure that today I announce that my recent application for funding has been successful. We already had £2697.21 built up in my unique Club Hire Scheme and the £6,000 Grant that SSE Drumderg Community Fund have confirmed will allow us to replace and enhance the quality of the clubs currently used and give our youngsters the chance to be the best they can be.
I will forever be grateful to SSE who backed my idea 6 years ago with the original £1,500 they invested, the £225 Strathmore Golf Club Quiz Team donated and the £75 Strathmore Juniors put in we have built up something that makes Golf affordable for all. Last year we had 38 kids utilising the Scheme and this year are on target to surpass that figure.
Thank you again SSE

ANOTHER DAY AND MORE NEWS

Kirsten next week is taking part in a Sports Development level 4 qualification. We have players entered into the P&K Barrie Douglas Coaching Medal at Blairgowrie on Sunday. Players taking part in the Ladies and Gents Captains Drive-in on Saturday and Megan is off South for the Comboy Trophy. Players are desperate for the season to start so they can get their handicaps and the first 2 P&K Junior Opens are next week Craigiehill on Tuesday and Alyth on Friday. This is going to be a busy season !!

TRUST NOW HAS A BRIGHTER FUTURE

Tonight as the Captain of the Strathmore Golf Centre Quiz team I attended the annual prize giving of the Alyth and District Quiz League which runs between October and March. The team decided this year to donate our £200 to Trust to help him rebuild his life after losing everything in Cyclone Idai. At the Junior Captains Drive-In we collected another £175.50 and I had invited Frances Fleming along to accept the donations and the because Strathmore Golf Centre was hosting the event and supplying a free buffet I asked everyone who had enjoyed the tremendous food to make a donation and our Junior Captains Megan and Amy made a great job of collecting another £112.91 which gave him a grand total so far of £488.41. I cannot thank everyone enough for their generosity and we are holding another fund raiser on Saturday at the Ladies and Gents Captains Drive-In where hopefully we can add to the total.

NEW MEMBERS NUMBER 10 and 11 CHECK IN

Huge welcome to sisters Cara and Isla who joined today, both will also take advantage of our unique Club Hire Scheme. The girls attend our first Taster Session and have caught the golf bug. Can’t wait to see how they progress once the Coaching starts. This brings our Girls total back up to 20, amazing.

ICING ON THE CAKE

Past Junior Captain and Junior Champion Alex Simpson today takes his first steps into a career in golf as he becomes the first PGA Apprentice in Perth and Kinross. He will join Niall McGill's team at Noah's Ark and our best wishes go to him. That takes our total number of past juniors now working in Golf to 6.

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THIS WEEKEND JUST GOT EVEN BETTER

Today we had our first family Fun Competition and what a success. 3 dads, a granddad and a grandmother took out their juniors and Dawn, Jackie, Frankie and I took out the others. 11 Juniors took part and we played the Golfsixes format which is brilliant for the younger players to get a taste of competitive golf in a fun environment. I will come back to the results later. On Friday night I took a Taster Session and we started off with putting and a girl called Harriet really impressed with her distance control, we then went to the range as it was quite cold and started full swings. Over the years I have had 100’s of youngsters coming through and know natural talent when I see it. She started hitting 7 irons and I then gave her a driver to hit and knew then that we had someone really special. I asked her parents how old she was and was shocked to find out she was only 8 !!! I retuned home and Dawn asked me how it had went and I told her we might have just discovered another potential Internationalist. I sent her parents all the information about joining and was delighted when her mum emailed back to say she was going to join and would like to come along and play today. So we now have new member number 9.  As we were coming off the Course today another of the other mums who attended our parent taster sessions informed me she was also going to join so that will give us a 75% success rate and brings new parent members for 2019 up to 5. To see so many youngster and parents out playing together and having fun is what golf should be all about.
Back to the results today Euan and his dad Scott finished 3rd with 66 points, Camryn, Lochy and their dad Jim finished 2nd with 67 points and Harriet and myself won with 70 points thanks to some great putting from Harriet, a lovely tee shot on 8 after I lost a ball over the hedge and a fantastic pitch from 60 yds to 10 inches on the 7th. Her 1st competition and her 1st Trophy. This season just gets better and better

CAPTAIN DRIVE IN

Brilliant turn out for Megan and Amy. So pleased for them. They do so much to help the youngsters improve and offered to take any of them out for a practice or a game. It was very appropriate that as they are sharing Captaincy this year that the result was a draw. I would like to thank the Centre for the excellent buffet they provided and finally the generosity of the parents who attended and the kids who paid a £1 entry fee to be donated to Trust. We raised £127 today and this is just the start. Thank you everyone this money will make a huge difference to a young lad who lost everything in Cyclone Idai which hit Zimbabwe last week.

We also had Blair celebrating his 13 birthday 🎂

Brilliant news Cammy’s Mum and Dad both joined Leitfie today so they can take part in our family competition days. If you want to grow golf club membership come to Strathmore and we will show you that it can be done. Make golf fun and inclusive. 

ANOTHER TASTER SESSION TONIGHT

Harriet and Owen attended tonight and we had a brilliant session. Both are keen to join and fingers crossed will. Really looking forward to tomorrow’s Captains Drive-in and hopefully Megan and Amy get a good turnout.

TASTER SESSION UPDATE

3rd session was held tonight with 3 girls and 2 boys attending. Great fun and some really good prospects. It’s brilliant to see kids out enjoying themselves. Our recently achieved Level 1 Coaching qualifications are coming in handy during the sessions. Again thanks to the Centre for the complementary chips and juice for the kids and the coffee and teas for the parents, it was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

SLIGHTY BETTER NEWS FROM TRUST

Let him tell you the story

For someone who had very little to have everything including his home and his prized Golf Clubs swept away by a torrent of water to now have nothing but hope is heart wrenching. I have told Frances to let him know I will replace his clubs which will hopefully give him a boost in his fight to a full recovery. Next problem will be how to get them there but where there’s a will there’s a way. Get well soon Trust, love from us all at Strathmore

UPDATE REGARDING TRUST

Had Frances in the office today with a video her niece Jane had sent when visiting Trust in hospital. He is making slow progress and is still bandaged up but is managing to take fluids and wanting to eat. Because the road system has been destroyed getting any medical supplies or even food to the affected areas is proving impossible and the hospital is running out. The Nurses are working 24/7 and have patients sleeping on floors as there aren’t enough beds. Trust is devastated not only has he lost his home but all his possessions including his golf clubs which were washed away in the flood. I will replace them but getting them to him is going to be difficult. The Golf Course he played on has also been destroyed and there is no way of knowing yet whether it will ever come back into use as it is strewn with boulders washed down from the hillsides. Hopefully help will reach them soon as conditions are desperate.

DEVASTATING NEWS FROM ZIMBABWE

Just had this message from Frances regarding Trust. 

I’m afraid the news from Chimanimani is chilling. There is loss of homes and life. No power so no communication now. Don’t have much news but I know Trust has been badly injured and is now in hospital. Jane is getting food to him. I have a feeling his accommodation was washed away. Tomorrow I am going to see if I can get some decent collections for a cyclone fund. Could you think of any way of a collection through the golf. Hate asking Iain but it’s dire straits these people find themselves in.

Let’s see if we can help. 

This Saturday is Junior Captains Day and we normally do not have an entry fee but to help Trust we will ask each player to pay £1 and have a collection on his behalf. I will also ask the Ladies and Gents Sections to help. 

LETTER FROM GARETH RE COACHING

Hi All

Due to my slow recovery PGA Professional Rory Tinker has agreed to step in and take the Monday evening coaching sessions. I should manage Saturdays fine.

He will take the first 6 weeks upon which time I will review my physical condition and resume if possible. Otherwise Rory will continue.

Monday Dates:

April 15,22,29

May 6,13,20

Timings:

1st group - 5.40 - 6.40

2nd group - 6.40 - 7.40

3rd group - 7.40 - 8.40

Message from Iain,

We wish Gareth a speedy recovery and hopefully he will be back to full fitness soon. I am very happy he has secured Rory’s services in the meantime and look forward to working with him. 

Rory is a past Strathmore Junior member, Junior Captain and Junior Champion. He is PGA Professional at Piperdam and will be a very capable substitute. 

FIRST COUNTY COMPETITION AND STRATHMORE WELL REPRESENTED

Superb, we currently have Kirsten, Blair, Conan, Stuart and Fraser entered.

THIS IS AN UNBELIEVABLE FIRST FOR STRATHMORE JUNIOR GIRLS

Testament to how far our girls have progressed. Strathmore Gents were struggling to field a Scratch League team and Gents Captain Norman Dyce suggested to the Perth and Kinross Executive that if Strathmore were to include Ladies or Girls then they could field a team. Being one of the most forward thinking Counties in Scotland this was agreed and as Junior Convenor I am personally delighted as I was instrumental in having Girls included in the Junior Scratch League 11 years ago.
This year we will field the first ever all Girl Junior Scratch League team and will have 2 Girls in the Gents Team and 3 in the Ladies Team. This is unprecedented and probably does more to enhance the amalgamation currently going on within Golf. We have recently started including Family Competitions within our Junior Section where parents and grandparents can join in and these are gaining in popularity so if you want to grow golf make it inclusive. Strathmore and P&K are leaders not followers. Maybe the Girls could see into the future ?

HOW TO GROW GOLF MEMBERSHIP 🏌️‍♂️🏌️‍♀️⛳️

2 Taster sessions Saturday with 5 attending each. 4 Girls 6 Boys. Amazing success. Putting, Chipping and full swings followed by complimentary chips and juice and warm drinks for the parents. Strathmore know how to run Taster Sessions. We have another 13 already booked in for the next 4 sessions and not only were some of the kids asking about joining but so were the parents.
Frankie and I then took 5 of the development squad out for a Texas Scramble and Conan, Archie and I ran out winners with a 37. Sunday we have another Taster Session followed by our weekly Fun Texas Scramble which is growing in popularity. Fraser has outgrown his Hire clubs so will be fitted for another set today and Kian requires a trolley. Last year 38 Juniors took advantage of the Scheme which was just over 50% which is amazing and making golf easily affordable and better value than a lot of other sports.
Junior Membership of Leitfie £82 (equivalent to £1.57 per week)
Include a set of Clubs and a bag for £25 (equivalent to £0.48 per week)
Total £107 (equivalent to £2.05 per week)
Included is 17 hours of group tuition from a PGA Professional, 24/7 use of the facilities, organised fun competitions, Certificates of achievement, fun and Congu Handicaps, competitions for both non handicap and handicap players, inter club competitions, Scratch League and a pathway from Club to County and National Levels.

P&K SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

Perth and Kinross Sports Personality of the year. Team of the Year, sponsored by Springfield PLC
Finalists
Perth City Swim Club Premier Division Team
Craigie Primary School Gymnastics Team
Perth and Kinross County Golf Boys Area Team

And the winners are P&K County Golf Boys Area Team 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Strathmore played a huge part in this success with Alex Simpson (past Junior Captain) and still a member and Cormac Sharpe who began his golf here ⛳️🏌️‍♂️🏌️‍♂️⛳️ So proud of these boys being the first P&K team every to lift this Trophy and make Alex our first National Champion. This award is the icing on the cake.

YET ANOTHER NEW MEMBER

Iain becomes number 8

NEW FUN HANDICAP

Well done Euan, fun handicap of 50.

IT’S OFFICIAL

Confirmation arrived today that all 4 committee members have successfully achieved a PGA Level 1 Coaching Qualification. Myself, Dawn, Jackie and Frankie worked hard to pass the course and although we already knew we had passed the practical exam we still awaited the result of the written one.
For Strathmore to have four qualified coaches at this level is amazing and we all hope you take full advantage of what we have learnt.
Looking forward to seeing you all on the golf course at the weekend.

OFFICIALLY AMAZING

2nd New Lady member joins courtesy of the Junior Sections Family member Taster Sessions !!! 4 attended yesterday and already we have a 50% success rate which I believe could go up. Not only that but another junior came along today for a try out of our Fun Texas Scramble and could become our next New Junior member.
Great turnout today with 5 teams competing and some great scoring. Amy’s team of Blair and Zoe won with a 29, Dawn with Eva, Lochlan and Louise came 2nd with a 30 and Jackie, Anne, Fraser and Megan came 3rd with 31.
Chloe Gordon became the first Junior of 2019 to achieve a 1st Certificate (holes 1&9 in 12 shots or under)

INSTANT SUCCESS

4 Ladies joined us today for the first Family Taster Session and we used some of the tips we picked up at the Level 1 Coaching Course and applied them to each skill. First up it was putting, then full swing and finally chipping. The Centre provided courtesy coffee and teas and it was great that all 4 enjoyed the experience and to round of a very successful morning 1 of the Ladies decided immediately to join the Club.
Next up it was the development squads turn and 4 of them joined us for a 9 hole Texas Scramble. Blair, Conan, Dawn and Jackie ran out winners with an impressive 35. Stuart and Lochlan both played well and it’s great to see the week on week improvements.

UPDATE BEFORE A BUSY WEEKEND

Golfsixes - Ballumbe Castle become the 6th and final Club in our Section.

P&K Junior Meeting was held at Craigiehill last night and a lot of discussions took place on various aspects. Meeting was well attended and hopefully some new ideas will be put in place to enhance the transition from coaching to playing.
Bill Little and Mark Tinker kindly donated an assortment of Clubs and a full set of irons to our Club Hire Scheme.
2 more enquiries for membership !!! Have invited them both along on Sunday.
Our development squad are out tomorrow after the Family Taster session and on Sunday we have our Fun Texas Scramble where we predict a record turnout.