The Lothians Lowdown - all the local golf chat
Martin Dempster’s weekly round up of golf matters in the Edinburgh area
Jack Gallacher’s 25th birthday to cherish
Jack Gallacher enjoyed a 25th birthday to remember as it coincided with him getting a first hole-in-one in the company of two DP World Tour winners.
His ace, which was at the ninth on Gullane No 1 with a 4-iron, came in a birthday match along with his dad Stephen, Marc Warren and Chris Hair, Jack’s cousin.
“We saw it bounce and, right away, my dad thought it had a chance,” said Gallacher, who caddies for Stephen, having started out with him on the DP World Tour and now working for him on the Legends Tour.
“He was the one that looked in the hole as I was looking at the run-off area at the back of the green!”
Jack has grown up in golf and was on the bag when his dad landed the last of his four DP World Tour title triumphs in the 2019 Hero Indian Open.
“It was a brilliant but slightly surreal feeling and nice to do it playing with my dad as well,” he added of joining the ‘Hole-in-One Club’ on a sun-kissed day in East Lothian.
“It’s been funny as all the people I play golf with have had one, so I was getting a bit of stick for never having had one. So at least that stops now!”
Stars have been out at North Berwick
It’s been a spell of star spotting for North Berwick members, both in the clubhouse and out on the West Links.
Gil Hanse, one of golf’s top architects, recently paid a visit to talk about the work he will be carrying out after being hired to oversee a project aimed at “polishing and protecting” the course.
It was hosted by Dougie Donnelly while Catriona Matthew, the club’s most-famous member, also took part in the Q&A.
More recently, a group of Hibs players visited for a game with Martyn Huish, the club’s head PGA pro and a fan of the Easter Road side.
Josh Campbell, Nicky Cadden and Dan Barlaser enjoyed some early Spring sunshine, as well as a few tips from their playing partner.
Andrew Oldcorn still going strong
There’s life in the old dog yet! Andrew Oldcorn may be on the Legends Tour these days, but he’s still capable of competing against the young guns.
The former BMW PGA champion got his hands on some silverware - The T C Jordan Trophy - by winning on the Edinburgh & East of Scotland Alliance circuit at Kings Acre.
On a rare sunny day this season, Oldcorn carded a one-under-par 69 along with Kingsknowe amateur Craig Surgeon, with the Ratho Park man prevailing in a card play-off.
In another recent event, Bathgate’s David Thomson carded a superb six-under-par 66 at Eyemouth to claim The Berwickshire Trophy.
Tantallon talent shines through
Let’s call it Tantallon talent! That’s because the group of players representing the North Berwick club at the moment are making people sit up and take notice.
“This current crop certainly bears comparison with the team that won four league titles back in the 1990s,” observed Torquil McIlroy, a man in the know.
He was commenting on Tantallon winning the East Lothian Winter League for a seventh time but a first for four years after dethroning Gullane.
That talent includes Aidan Lawson, winner of the 2024 European Young Masters, while Nathan Tait, Ellis Tate, Seb Harvey and Oliver Wilkinson are other youngsters in the team.
They’ve teamed up with seasoned campaigners in the likes of Keith MacKenzie, Malcolm Pennycott, Gareth Pugh, Dunc Searle, Fraser Henderson and team captain Michael Davidson to great effect.
Club/Course of the week
It took me a while, but it was nice to pay a first visit to Baberton’s ‘new’ clubhouse as it staged this year’s Lothians Golf Association Executive Dinner hosted by president John Hall.
It actually opened in 2013, when Sky Sports Golf commentator and honorary member Ewen Murray did the honours, and what a fantastic facility, with a refurbishment of the lounge having just been completed and providing superb views of a new 18th green.
The place was buzzing for a Friday night and that was partly due to the fact that residents at Merrilees Gate, the retirement living facility built by McCarthy Stone on the site of the old clubhouse, were in for a fish tea!
If you’ve got something you’d like to be included in ‘The Lothians Lowdown’, drop me an email at [email protected]