Secretary Salvers (Mixed Foursomes) — Sunday 6 September 2026
Domestic Harmony, Near-Misses, and the Great A70 Detour at the Secretary Salvers
Mixed foursomes is widely regarded as the ultimate examination of interpersonal diplomacy. Marriages have wobbled over missed three-footers, friendships have been tested in the heather, and alternate-shot golf remains the purest crucible the game has to offer.
On Sunday 6th September, the great and good of Dun Whinny and Dunbracken assembled over the Queen’s Course to contest the coveted Secretary Salvers. The day began under mild but decidedly gloomy skies, with the ever-present threat of rain politely waiting until the closing holes before dampening the Gore-Tex of the final groups.
There was no shortage of individual heroics—and near-calamity—scattered across the property.
The individual prizes sparked ferocious competition from the outset. On the par-three 2nd hole, Alan Tarney looked to have wrapped up the men’s Nearest the Pin with an absolute dart, only for Stephen Tague to step up and nudge inside him to snatch the honours. On the 3rd, the ladies’ Longest Drive allowed this correspondent’s playing partner, Emma Harris, to loosen the shoulders and unleash an absolute monster down the fairway, a strike that comfortably took the prize at the end of the day.
Not to be outdone in the artillery department, Alan Tarney took aim at the 8th hole, launching a majestic drive straight over the bunkers and bounding down the slope towards the bell. His team walked off with an exemplary, textbook par.
The 11th hole, however, provided pure heart-in-mouth drama. With play bottlenecking ahead, Terri Croft stepped onto the tee and launched a vicious drive straight down the track. At that precise split-second, Ian Ferrier decided it was the ideal moment to stroll directly across her line of fire. It was not merely Ian’s entire life that flashed before his eyes, but the brand-new Titleist ball whistling past his nose at ballistic speed!
Unfazed by her near-rendezvous with the medical services, Terri Croft went on to play the shot of the day on the par-three 13th, firing a pinpoint iron to just four feet from the cup to claim the ladies’ Nearest the Pin prize in consummate style.
Down the stretch on the 16th, the men’s Longest Drive was claimed by Ken Marshall, who arrived in the clubhouse proudly proclaiming that he had outdriven this golf correspondent by "absolute miles."
As the field retreated to Auchterarder Golf Club for a well-earned dinner and drinks, a hush fell over the room as everyone waited for the eventual champions, David and Helen McLeod. Word circulated that the pair had decided a celebratory pit-stop at the A70 was in order before gracing us with their presence.
When they finally arrived, the prize-giving was conducted in grand style. David and Helen were formally crowned the 2026 Secretary Salvers Champions with a superb winning tally of 35 Stableford points.
Hearty congratulations go to our top three pairings:
Champions: David & Helen McLeod (35 pts)
Runners-up: Tariq Ali & Emma Harris (33 pts)
Third Place: Keith Stirling & Yuwaree Brown (32 pts)
A huge thank you to all the players and organizers from both Dun Whinny and Dunbracken for making it such a memorable, entertaining, and highly spirited fixture. We look forward with great enthusiasm to next year’s action!
