THE COURSES

Records & Holes in One: 2005

The first congratulations of the new golfing year are belatedly extended to Glenn Sherwood of Rushcliffe Golf Club, Nottinghamshire. On August 8, 2004, during a practice round for last season's Eden Tournament, he aced the notorious 17th hole of the New Course from the medal tee using a 3 wood. It was Mr Sherwood's second hole in one in a fortnight.

The opening hole in one of 2005 fell to Philip Wilcock of Wigan, whose home club is Dean Wood. He used an 8 iron to ace the 5th hole of the New Course on March 22.

The New Course gave up a further hole in one on April 8, when James Slade of The Bristol knocked in a 4 iron shot on the par 3 13th hole. On April 13 local golfer George Morrison had reason to celebrate on the Balgove Course, when his 6 iron shot found the bottom of the cup at the 8th hole. Perthshire-based St Michael's GC member John Scott returned home to Inchture on April 23 with an eagle in his pocket after playing the 5th hole of the Eden in a perfect stroke with his 7 iron.

On May 9 Rorie Evans from Largs scored a rare victory over the 17th on the Jubilee using a 4 iron. Friday the 13th of May was the lucky day for Nova Scotian Robert Hawkins who put a one on his card using a 5 iron at the 15th on the Eden. High Hole, the 11th on the Old Course, was overcome twice in a week, on May 27 and June 4. First up was Donald Fagnan of Lower Gwynedd, Pennsylvania, using a 5 iron. Next came George Platt of the Pinnacle Club in Texas, who repeated the feat using a 6 iron.

There then followed a remarkable spate of one-shot scoring. On June 5 Marian Wass of the Hinckley Club, Leicestershire, triumphed at the 15th on the Eden using a 7 iron. Basil McNamee of Dunsannon GC in Northern Ireland holed out on the 10th of the Eden with a 4 iron on June 6. On June 7 local golfer David Walker pitched in at the 7th on the Balgove. Congratulations also to Tom Swartzbaugh of Meridian GC, Colorado, who polished off the 8th on the Old Course with a pitching wedge on June 9. That rare bird, an albatross, descended on the Jubilee on June 30th courtesy of Bret Peden of Arlington, Texas, who needed a mere two strokes to finish the par 5 11th hole.

Craig Low of Ellon took the quick route to the cup on July 4 while playing the 3rd on the Balgove. The 12-year-old Cruden Bay member lives in a house called Golf View.

August 1 marked a further triumph on the Balgove, this time for Martin Dunn of Cathcart who watched his pitching wedge shot disappear at the 7th. David Herd of St Andrews had the next ace of August, using a 7 iron to conquer the 5th hole of the Eden on 5 August. On 8 August David Murtagh of Trentham Park marked his appearance in this year's Eden Trophy with a hole in one at the notorious ninth on the New Course. He used a 3 wood. Well-known local golfer Norman Dobson extended his hole in one career on 16 August, when he took a single stroke at the 7th on the Balgove. Mr Dobson used a six iron. A nine iron was in the hands of Danny Campbell when he sent his ball off on the perfect arc at the 15th of the Eden, also on 16 August. Mr Dobson and Mr Campbell, who is from Falkland, are both members of St Andrews Golf Club. On the 23rd of August visiting golfer Colin Currie from Winchester, Massachussetts, marked his first visit to the Home of Golf with a hole in one at the eighth on the Balgove. Mr Currie used a 9 iron. Alan Bremner of Ballater Golf Club had his stroke of good luck on the 13th hole of the New Course during an inter-club match with the New Club on 28 August. He also used a 9 iron.

13 was also the mark of good fortune for Sarah Attwood from Babraham. The Gog Magog member, who plays off 2, used her 8 iron to conquer the 124 yard 13th on a misty Jubilee on 5 September. The following day Scott Harris of San Francisco triumphed at the 5th hole on the Jubilee. Mr Harris, who is a member of the Peacock Gap club, also wielded an 8 iron.

Whilst playing in the R&A Mixed Foursomes on 23 September, Stuart Lloyd struck the perfect shot on the 8th hole of the Old Course. Dr Lloyd used a 6 iron. On 24 September Ian Thwaites of St Andrews saved himself the bother of putting on the 8th of the Balgove, driving his 7 iron shot straight into the hole.

St Andrews golfer George Cunningham aced the 16th of the Strathtyrum on 26 October. Mr Cunningham, who plays off 10, used a 7 iron. His run of good form continued at the next hole, where he recorded a birdie.

The seasonal festivites started early for Michael Stephenson of St Andrews when he holed out on the 11th of the Old Course on 17 December. New Club member Mr Stephenson, who plays off a 4 handicap, showed that the trend to do away with long irons does not apply to him when he punched his 2 iron shot under the wind and into the hole at the most famous par 3 in golf.