It will be hard to top 2019!
2019 was another superb season for Junior Golf at Crail Golfing Society with our busiest fixture list of events to date.
The Junior Academy was full again for the Tuesday sessions with 491 attendees attending over the 15 week programme.
Our juniors played friendly matches against Royal Dornoch, St Andrews Links, Carnoustie, Ladybank and Lundin Ladies to name a few. Over the 19 team matches we had 34 different juniors representing Crail Golfing Society in 2019.
Due to strength in numbers we were able to field a team in the Fife Boys Team Championship for the first time in a number of years. Our team finished as Runners Up, just missing out on winning on count back to the New Golf Club, St Andrews.
Golf Sixes Leagues, a new initiative was set up by the Golf Foundation in their efforts to continue to grow the game which we field a team in. This was perfect for us as it consisted of a squad of 12 juniors aged 12 and under, with no handicap or handicaps of 36 and higher. Our team enjoyed fixtures at Balgove (St Andrews), Caird Park, Kinross, Milnathort and Scotscraig.
This year’s Junior Open had its strongest field size for a long time with over 100 juniors taking part. 84 juniors played in the 18 hole event over Balcomie while 18 younger golfers tackled 9 holes over Craighead. Our own Abigail May won the Margaret Hunter Trophy, awarded to the Girl with the lowest score with a superb score of 73 (one over par).
The Junior Outing to Blairgowrie Golf Club was very popular again with a full bus load going over to Perthshire to play over the 9 hole Wee Course. The Ethan Allen Trophy that the juniors compete for was won for a second year in a row by Ross Mallory.
The Junior and Adult Foursomes for the MacKenzie Trophy was won by Father and Son combination Craig and Cameron O’Connor.
Callum Wishart finished his last season as a junior member by winning the 18 Hole Order of Merit. Anna McKay won the Junior Club Championship double by winning both the Match and Stroke Play Championships.
The climax of the Junior Season was the annual Junior Prize Giving where each of our Junior Academy attendees were presented with a personal Season Review Booklet containing their scores and feedback.
Special mentions must go to the Most Improved Girl of the Year, Katie Graham and the Most Improved Boy of the Year, Jack Guthrie.
It will be hard to top 2019!
David Snodgrass
1 January 2020
Assistant PGA Professional, Crail Golfing Society