Cameron claims RDGC medal honour
ROYAL Dornoch Golf Club junior member Cameron Welsh made a 60-yard dash across the first fairway of the course to retrieve the first golf ball struck on the course this year.
On returning it to the club captain, he was rewarded with an engraved silver medal.
The memorable occasion was watched by a large number of club members.
The captain, James Seatter, opened play in a season of celebrations to mark 400 years from the first recorded golf in the ancient royal burgh by driving a gutty golf ball from the first tee last Saturday morning using a specially crafted hickory replica club.
The burgh’s records show that in 1616 a young boy who rose to become Earl of Sutherland had spent £10 on bows and arrows and golf clubs, to play and practise with on the links of Dornoch, which 400 years later are now ranked the sixth best golf course in the world, attracting thousands of visitors each year.
The club professional, Andrew Skinner, accompanied Mr Seatter to the tee and, as they did in olden times, teed up the ball on a little mound of sand for the captain to play from.
Among the a group of youngsters waiting down the fairway to retrieve the ball, was 12-year-old Cameron who got to the ball first.
Following the drive, the captain raised the special 400th anniversary flag, while piper Gillian Sutherland played.
During the coming season’s celebrations, special competitions will be held for members.
The course will be visited by the Scottish PGA who will host the Northern Open Championship from June 21-24.
Then from September 22-24, the club hosts the Northern Counties Cup men’s foursomes competition, in which Royal Dornoch has been the most successful club, with 21 wins since 1900. Ten of these were in succession from 1903 to 1912 and their last triumph was at Nairn in 1988.
The senior version of the cup is also being played in Dornoch for the first time (May 18-20).
