YOUNG GOLFERS DOING ROYAL DORNOCH PROUD

Photo credit: Matthew Harris, Royal Dornoch golfers and coaches gather at the end of season finale.

WHAT a year it has been for Royal Dornoch’s young golfers!

The club’s post-pandemic strategy to encourage local school children into a game which is woven into the town’s fabric has enjoyed remarkable results.

Royal Dornoch has been hailed the Golf Foundation’s UK Junior Club of the Year and our talented youngsters followed up their third successive National Junior Flag Championship at Gleneagles with victory in the final of Scottish Golf’s National GolfSixes at Swanston Golf Club in Edinburgh.

Royal Dornoch’s national GolfSixes title winning team (left to right): Harry Fleming, Charlie Millward, Charlotte Fleming, Molly Lewis, Toby Dingwall and Euan Swanson

General manager Neil Hampton said: “It has been quite a season for our young golfers and they fully deserve the accolades coming their way.

“Their success reflects very well on the great work being done by our teaching professionals Gary Dingwall and Ally MacNaughton to encourage the next generation of Dornoch golfers, along with member and committed volunteer David Diracles.”

With staff furloughed when the pandemic struck, club member Mark McFall stepped up to ensure the older youngsters could still enjoy their golf in a safe and secure environment.

The recovery has been nothing short of remarkable, with up to 130 Junior Section members – boys and girls – now regularly gathering for coaching classes throughout the week.

Royal Dornoch junior coaching with teaching professional Ally MacNaughton

“While our Championship Course is world renowned it is good to put Royal Dornoch on the map in terms of junior development,” said head of golf operations and head teaching professional Gary, who has been a familiar face around the club for 20 years.

“The Council of Management bought into the vision for junior development wholeheartedly, I’m glad to say.

“The club has always encouraged juniors and it has really bought into the recovery programme in recent years. Hopefully we will continue to go from strength to strength.

“Since the Golf Foundation awards ceremony at Wentworth we have already had clubs ranging from Scotland to an Open venue south of the border reaching out hoping to tap into our experience.

“We are proud of what we have done and the more kids playing golf the better.We are delighted to help other clubs in whatever way we can.”