Dun Whinny vs Seniors Golfers' Society (Away)
The first club match of the season was played in bright and slightly windy conditions at Luffness GC.
DWGC fielded an experienced team, determined to improve on a 5-1 defeat in very stormy weather in the last away fixture there in 2023.
The pre-match hospitality was first class as usual and we were provided with a lovely meal accompanied by some libations.
The course was in excellent condition and the fairways and greens were typically very firm.
Ken Marshall and Ken Swa led us out and had a tough match against William Loudon and Richard Fenton. The Kens took the home duo to the last hole but eventually lost 2 down.
Next up were Douglas Laing and David McLeod who played Keith McIntosh and Tom Walker. Again it was a very cagey game and again it made it down the last. Douglas and David managed to halve the match to get our first score on the board.
The third match saw Iain Aitchison and Tariq Ali take on Roddy McDonald and Jim Patrick. The home team got off to a fast start and after being 4 up early on they were pegged back to 2 up mid round. The SGS team then put on a putting masterclass and pulled away, eventually winning 4&3.
The fourth match saw the comparatively youthful DWGC team of Rob Simpson and David Mitchell (Captain) take on Richard Muckart (Captain) and Graham Duncan. The away team got off to a fast start in this one and were two up after two. Richard, a Luffness member, used his local knowledge well and his excellent short game kept him and Graham in it on the front 9. Rob and David then won two of the first three on the back nine and ultimately won 4&3 to get a full point on the board for us.
In the penultimate match we were represented by Keith Stirling and David Watt who took on Alistair Lockhead and Alistair Milne. In keeping with some of the early games this was a tight affair and neither team was able to forge a sizeable lead. The last hole again came into play and again the teams couldn’t be split. Another half point was secured.
The final match featured Paul Kelly and Paul Lewis versus Mark Dobell and Nigel Watt. Typically there wasn’t much between the two sides, however home advantage eventually told and saw the SGS team prevail 2&1.
The final score was therefore 4-2 to the SGS (better than 2023 - just!).
All of the matches were played in a great spirit and both teams adjourned to the bar prior to us taking on the Edinburgh City Bypass.
We very much look forward to welcoming the SGS back to Gleneagles in 2026.
David Mitchell