Edition 2 Autumn 2023
YOUR LINKS
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We congratulate our winners during what was an actionpacked summer
Celebrate our new local partnership in style as we launch ‘1832’
Reflect back, feel proud and learn more about why over 25 Tour Professionals chose North Berwick in July
Your Tournament Review
Just the (Gin &) Tonic
View from The Tour
I am truly delighted to bring you this second edition of Your Links, the quarterly magazine for The North Berwick Golf Club. Once again we have packed it full of news, views and important updates from our iconic, globally-renowned Club
Welcome! Autumn sees the main golfing season draw to a close, however at North Berwick Golf Club we always keep the positive momentum going with a number of events, social gatherings and delicious new menus – all of which help you make the most of your membership. In this edition of Your Links we hear from Iain, our Golf Administrator, who reflects on the past few months of competitions and celebrates our amazing winners… while also looking forward to the next events you can become involved in. Our Head Chef Jarek and Food and Beverage Manager Andrew explain about the importance of locally sourced ingredients and how these play a major role in our new seasonal menus. Andrew shares more of his expert knowledge by taking us on a journey into the heritage and history of what we’re sure will be one of the most popular cocktail offerings this festive season. With Christmas on the horizon, we highlight ways you can celebrate this special time with North Berwick Golf Club and learn more about a new and exciting collaboration as we continue to forge strong partnerships and relationships with local businesses and the community. Kyle, our Course Manager, reveals what the autumn months mean for our beloved West Links and explains some of the magical tools of the trade used to help present the course to you in the best possible condition. Sally and Debbie are in the spotlight in the Team Profile section, while we congratulate our West Links Juniors, who really have had a year to remember. Team is a keyword at the Club and we all play our part in helping ensure we continue to deliver a Club and the West Links as a first-class experience. We are extremely fortunate to have a very talented team and I am very proud of each and every one of them. Their devotion and dedication to everything we do are one of the main reasons we continue to push forward as an iconic and globally renowned club – one our Members are rightly proud to call home. I am sure you will enjoy this second edition of Your Links and I know it will help you to make the most of Your Membership and, importantly, Your Club. Best wishes and happy reading!
Stuart Bayne, General Manager
Team is a keyword at the Club and we all play our part in helping to ensure we continue to deliver a Club and the West Links as a first-class experience
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We are extremely fortunate to have a very talented team at the Club and I am very proud of each and every one of them. Their devotion and dedication to everything we do are one of the main reasons we continue to push forward as an iconic and globally renowned club – one our Members are rightly proud to call home…
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In this Edition Your Tournament Review
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Your Tournament Review
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Your next Events & Competitions
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From our kitchen to yours
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Your autumn cocktail
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Just the (Gin &) Tonic
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Jingle all the way
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Your West Links autumn months
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Tools of the trade
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Meet your team
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West Links Juniors
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View from the Tour
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Your next Events & Competitions
Your Rules
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Page 6
Just the (Gin &) Tonic
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Join us online: NorthBerwick_GC
Contact Us:
northberwickgolfclub
The North Berwick Golf Club, New Club House, Beach Road, North Berwick, East Lothian, EH39 4BB
NorthBerwickGolfClub
01620 895040
northberwickgolfclub.com
generalmanager@northberwickgolfclub.com
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What a golfing summer we have had! After a scorching May and June the Scottish weather decided to bare its teeth through July and August, bringing us incredibly challenging conditions for many of our ‘summer’ events
Your Tournament Review July kicked off with the inaugural Ladies Summer Stableford, with 9 hole option. This took place on July 5 with Gwen Stewart winning the 18 hole section with an excellent 38 points. Jill Rankin came first in the 9 hole option with 15 points. The All Clubs Gents Gold and Silver Challenge Medals took place on Saturday, July 8. More than 80 players took part over the two events, with John Joe Lockie winning the Gold Medal. His two rounds gross aggregate was a very impressive 137 in tricky conditions. Gordon Blair won the Silver Medal with an excellent nett 65. The Ladies Summer Meeting on July 12 was played in very blustery conditions. The Silver Scratch winner was Kay Lannin, who won the Scratch tankard with a gross 77. Chandrika Monro won the Silver Handicap prize, the Jean Anderson Cup, with a nett 72 BIH. Alison Di Rollo won the Bronze Scratch Tankard and Catriona Thomson the Summer Meeting Cup for the best bronze handicap score. The weekend of July 22 and 23 brought us, firstly, the Men’s Summer Meeting. Our scratch winner and winner of the Club Gold Medal was Michael Gray with an excellent 68. Neil Wilson won the Old Gold Medal with a nett 67. Sunday was the Ladies Senior Championship – the first time it had been played over a single round. 6
The conditions were, again, far from easy. Kay Lannin won the Anne Chainey Trophy with a gross 87 to be crowned champion. This year’s Vanreenan Tankard was won by Harry Bent and Sally Tait. The first big event of August was The Ladies Boyd Salvers, which took place on August 9. This popular foursomes stableford was won by Sue Robertson and Lesley Ross with 36 points. On Sunday, August 13, a very busy week teed off when we held the Greenhythe (McEwen) Mixed Greensomes Stableford. The trophy was won by Elizabeth Eckles and Andrew Hall with 44 points. This was truly great scoring! Our Ladies Autumn Meeting was held on Wednesday, August 16. Elinor Blair won the silver scratch prize, the Gold Medal, with a score of 81. Gwen Stewart took the silver handicap prize with a nett 73, winning her the Dalziel Rosebowl. In the bronze section Christian Blake won the scratch trophy, the Beddows Quaich and the Scroggie Cup, while Catriona Thomson shot a nett 76 to win the Addie Handicap Cup. Saturday, August 19, brought us one of our biggest competitions of the year, The Members Invitation Day, a pairs stableford, with two shotgun starts, one in the morning and one in the afternoon – all playing for the prestigious Alberto Peruzza Trophy. This year’s winners were Martin Douglas and
Christopher McKerrow with 45 points. They pipped Alan Meikle and Chad Ryan, who also scored 45 points by a single shot on the inward half. The Pimm’s truck was a very popular spot out by the 12th tee! Flynn and Jamie did sterling work manning it through the day. The rest of the Food & Beverage team were back at the Club House, manning the barbecue and supplying drinks to the terrace. Many thanks for a sterling job from everyone! The month culminated with the Wedderburn Bowl on August 27. A very strong mixed field battled it out in pleasant, if not altogether summery weather and the winner of this sought after trophy was J. Richard Johnston, with a nett 68. Michael Gray won the additional scratch CHAS Trophy with a 69. September was ushered in with the promise of some much more seasonal weather. The first event of the month was also our biggest event of the year: the North Berwick Cup. Sixty four couples from all over the UK came together to battle out their matchplay rounds over three days. The first two rounds took place on the Friday, the round of 16, quarter finals and consolation plate on the Saturday and the semi finals and final on Sunday, September 3. The competition was certainly fierce but friendly and at the end of the three days West Links pairing Gwen Stewart and Fraser Skene triumphed over Grace and Andrew Reid from Castle Royle Golf Club to lift the North Berwick Cup.
The Cup was presented to them by Counsellor Carol McFarlane from East Lothian Council. Counsellor McFarlane also presented the Consolation Stableford Plate to North Berwick’s Jenni Ray and John Stewart, who scored 37 points. The three-day event was another great example of the fantastic teamwork between the greenkeepers, golf operations and our food and beverage teams. Their dedication and hard work provided a fantastic service for all of those playing and many well-deserved compliments from the competitors were gratefully received. The Ladies September Medal took place on September 6 with Keren Ward winning the scratch prize with a score of 79. Elinor Blair and Christian Maher won their respective handicap sections. The Gent’s Corfu Cup, another incredibly popular event in the North Berwick calendar, was held on September 23. A full field from all of the clubs fought it out for stableford points, with Neil Wilson pipping Nathan Pike on the inward half to add his name to this prestigious trophy. Both players scored an excellent 43 points. On Saturday, September 30, The Gents Autumn Meeting took place, bringing the month to a close. The New Club Gold Medal was the scratch prize and was won by Andrew Hall with a great score of 71. The handicap section was won by Chris Wilson, who received the prestigious Sir Hew Dalrymple Cup for a score of net 68.
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Your next Events & Competitions Let’s meet Iain Prime With almost four years of experience working at the Club, our Golf Administrator Iain Prime is a familiar figure to many of our Members. Behind the scenes, Iain works to ensure all our competitions and matches are prepared, while also helping to ensure all of the Wee Course events are managed throughout the year. Here Iain looks forward… and highlights the key events you can still enjoy this year.
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Dates for your diary October 29
All Club Captains Fun Day
November 24
The North Berwick Golf Club Prize Giving Good luck to all competitors through the next quarter! Your Captains Jenni Ray and Graeme Stewart, and the entire team at the Club, look forward to welcoming you at your next event… Please visit the Members’ area of the website for more details and event entries
The final three months of the year will bring us cooler and wetter weather so it will feel not unlike our summer just past. Competitions still come thick and fast, however, and although there are not so many of the high-profile events that dominated summer there are still plenty of favourites to keep your swing going heading for the festive season. Some of the highlights in October are The Ben Sayers Salvers, which is an All Clubs Gent’s strokeplay competition that has been very well supported historically. Spaces are limited for each club so get your name down fast. Our last ‘blue riband’ event in October is the All Club Captain’s Fun Day. This is a Texas Scramble competition with lots of fun aspects thrown in. Players will enter individually and be drawn to create teams including players from different sections, clubs and abilities. The captains are very keen to integrate members who might not normally play together within a less serious format of play. Punctuating these larger events are the Ladies October Stableford, a West Links Junior Medal, two All Clubs
Stablefords and the start of the Winter Fourballs competition. October concludes with the North Berwick Member Ladies 3 Club Challenge at the Wee Course. A very popular fun competition, this brings ladies from all the membership groups together for nine holes. November and December see the competitive events move forward with Ladies Stableford competitions in both months. These are offered with alternate day times to accommodate those who have work commitments during our shorter days. Our All Clubs Stablefords, in both 18 hole and 9 hole forms, are dotted through the lead up to the festive season. Each week we have a Ladies and a Gents Roll Up for those looking for a bounce game with like-minded colleagues and the Winter Fourballs continue on a weekly basis with the league table updated after every competition to be viewed in the main hallway of the club house. Winter golf is a very important part of our calendar. We like to offer plenty of options for people who tend to be spending more time indoors, to get out, swing a club and enjoy some social interaction. It is good for your body and your mind, so we encourage all our members to utilise the options available. The lounges will be warm and cosy and the Food & Beverage team ready to welcome you back from a brisk trek around the links.
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From our kitchen to yours A date for your diary Bistro Evenings These nights will be French in leaning, with a small and delicious menu of classical bistro cuisine. Two nights to look out for so far are November 3 and December 8. Reservations can be made via Andrew at fandbmanager@ northberwickgolfclub.com on a first come first served basis.
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Our Head Chef Jarek Lisiecki has been using his years of experience and expertise to look even more closely at how he can continue to elevate your menu offerings at the Club. Spending time with local suppliers and sourcing only the freshest, local, seasonal ingredients is a focus this autumn. All of these feature in our new autumn-winter menu, Bistro Evening offerings and popular festive menu Our brand new winter menu will be rolled out from October 30 and will feature an array of wonderful winter classics, such as locally sourced, succulent sausages made by Anderson’s butchers.
Just one of the many new dishes that celebrates ‘‘local”, is the hearty winter warmer classic, Sausages and Mash.
I am sure you will all agree by sourcing fresh and local ingredients – and celebrating our fantastic East Lothian larder – ensures the highest quality produce being served.
These truly delicious Cumberland sausages are made from the locally sourced pork from outdoor-reared breeds of traditional local pigs. In natural skins and made by hand in North Berwick at Anderson’s naturally means their sizes may vary slightly.
Thankfully, we are blessed in this area with many great farms and suppliers. In fact, it’s no wonder our very special location has the title Market Garden of Scotland.
Served with the pan juices, the dish is finished with silver skin onions, a generous side of mashed potato, and topped with onion rings. Mustard is optional.
Let’s meet Jarek Having spent more than 20 years inspiring kitchen brigades in some of the nation’s best restaurants, Jarek now leads our talented team at the Club as our Head Chef. Jarek’s passion for creativity and delivering dishes differently is one reason why he loves the bespoke dinners and events that are so loved and appreciated by Members and guests alike.
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Let’s meet Andrew Carson With a wealth of knowledge and first-hand experience leading industry-renowned hospitality experiences all across the world, Andrew is now delighted to be back in his home town as our Food & Beverage Manager. Andrew’s love of Food & Beverage is infectious and our team are enjoying learning and developing their own skills on everything from the perfect coffee right through to your ideal festive cocktail.
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Your autumn cocktail Having travelled all over the world and experienced all types of flavours, our Food & Beverage Manager Andrew Carson is always looking at new ways to continue enhancing our offerings at the Club
As we approach the festive season we stay with the locally sourced theme as Andrew talks us through your perfect cocktail and the history and heritage that lie behind it. This is my go-to cocktail, the one drink that really does tick all the boxes for me, poured and served over ice, all spirit, no added sugar, salt, juice or mixer. It’s simple… it has to be Negroni! Originating from Florence, Italy, it all began in 1919, when it is rumoured to have been first made at Caffè Casoni. The bartender had been asked to strengthen the Americano and he achieved this by substituting the soda water with gin. He also added an orange garnish rather
than the typical lemon garnish of the Americano to signify that it was a completely different drink. Sounds so simple, tastes so good! It’s a fantastic drink to enjoy before and after a meal, or to sit with and slowly sip. Cold to the lips, it then warms you from the inside, making it a perfect winter cocktail to enjoy watching what the colder weather has to offer. If you would like to make a delicious Negroni, take equal measures of North Berwick gin, Campari and sweet vermouth and simply pour in that order over ice in a goodsized rocks glass. It should be stirred to mix the spirits, not shaken. Finish it all off with a generous wedge of orange added as a garnish. It really is that simple… and, yes, amazingly delicious!
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Just the (Gin &) Tonic We are constantly looking at ways to further improve our offerings and the brands with whom we partner. Our latest partnership is local and we are delighted to be working closely with multi-award-winning NB Gin
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To help celebrate our newest partnership, our General Manager Stuart Bayne explains why we have been ‘Ginspired’ to work extremely closely with the award-winning team at NB Gin.
tour, guests will hear more about the NB ‘story’, the amazing journey and successes. It also includes a behind-thescenes look at production to learn how they make their world-class spirits. The experience concludes with time to relax and sample all of the lovely NB Gins and NB Rum in their beautiful tasting lounge.
North Berwick Golf Club has always had a close relationship with the local community and this new partnership helps to develop even stronger links with the North Berwick economy and businesses.
As part of our partnership, we are also extremely proud to introduce our very own 1832 gin. This new collaboration celebrates our own historic past and the important links to the town, while also aligning the Club with a world-renowned and award-winning brand.
Anchored in North Berwick, NB Distillery proudly presents a range of world-class spirits to the world of sophisticated drinkers. Their NB Gin has even been voted the best London Dry Gin in the world. This new partnership will allow the Club to provide you, our Members, with everything from gin tasting events, specially themed dinners, event support and elevation – right through to one of the very best gin options available and served within our very own Club House. To celebrate this new partnership, we are pleased to be able to offer you a 10% discount from the NB distillery website. This offer also extends to their excellent Ginspiration Tour of the distillery, located just on the outskirts of the town. Visitors from all over the world have already been welcomed to “Learn, Sample & Relax” on the tour. During the
Created, distilled and bottled in the town, this is a truly local collaboration that supports local businesses and provides something unique, attractive and of the highest standard of quality, that both our Members and guests from around the world can enjoy. As part of this exciting process our own Team spent time with the NB Gin Team learning about the distilling process, while also picking up more skills and knowledge on the art of creating the perfect G&T and other cocktails. The first limited edition 1832 bottles will be available to buy from the Club at the start of November. We expect a high demand , so please contact Andrew our Food & Beverage Manager to reserve your own by emailing fandbmanager@ northberwickgolfclub.com These limited first editions bottles really do make the ideal Christmas gift!
Members Discount 10% off NB Spirits
We have set up a special code to offer our Members 10% off all NB Spirits online, including free delivery on all purchases to the UK mainland and with no minimum spend. Please note this discount excludes tours and gift vouchers and is valid for one use for each customer. Code NBGC10 should be applied at the checkout.
Group Tours Discount
Enjoy a discount on group bookings for a tour for 8+ people – for example, 8 for price of 7. Members can also bring guests and please email visit@nbdistillery.com, and let NB know you are from The North Berwick Golf Club. 15
If there’s one course our panelists said they would return to again and again and still get unbridled enjoyment playing it, this was it Today’s Golfer
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It is one of the most memorable courses in the world and East Lothian, Scotland and Great Britain are fortunate to call it one of theirs. We believe there is no more fun course on this island! Golf World
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Dates for your diary throughout the festive season December 7
Christmas in the Community Evening
December 10
Ladies Christmas Dinner
December 15
Seniors Christmas Lunch Please visit the Members’ area of the website for more details and event entries
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Jingle all the way… Christmas is, of course, a special time of the year and so we have planned events that will help you make the most of Your Club this festive season
Our popular Christmas Festive Menu returns from Monday, December 6, and Jarek and his team will be offering all your usual festive classics. Our Christmas Menu runs alongside our Club House winter menu and we ask anyone wishing to enjoy these delicious dishes. To book in advance by calling or emailing our Team – fandbmanager@northberwickgolfclub.com Our Ladies’ Christmas Lunch returns on Sunday, December 10, and is certain to be another wonderful social event at the Club. More details will follow very soon and I hope everyone can join us and celebrate Christmas in style. The Seniors Christmas Lunch follows on Friday, December 15, so please ensure you add this date to your diaries. A brand new event to this year’s festive calendar is our North Berwick Golf Club Christmas in the Community evening. This year we invite all Members, as well as their families and
friends, along with our neighbours and local residents, to join us at 6pm on Thursday, December 7. Our new Scots Pine Christmas tree on the outside terrace will be the meeting point. A group of our Members will lead the carols and a selection of mulled wine and mince pies, supported by our partners at NB Gin, will be offered during this 30-minute event. Please do add this not-to-be-missed event to your dairies and we look forward to seeing everyone joining in the community Christmas spirit. Talking of spirit… of course, it almost goes without saying that the new North Berwick Golf Club 1832 gin makes the ideal Christmas Gift. This, along with a number of ideas and vouchers from our very well stocked Professionals Shop, means you have to look no further than your very own Club for all of your Christmas Gifts this year.
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Your West Links Autumn Months As the days start getting shorter, mornings become darker and the air is cooler. However the course work continues as normal. The months from September to December still provide opportunities for golf. It simply means adding more layers to enjoy your golf… Our September maintenance window gave us a great opportunity to get some aeration work done and seed into the ground. This will help to create a more desirable surface to putt on… but better to manage from an agronomical point of view. During this maintenance window, as always, the Team showed great flexibility and patience as we set up machines, dealt with breakdowns and changes of plans. All of our greens and approaches were treated to some TLC, as listed.
• Scarified using scarifier units on a triple to -12mm • Solid-tined with a blunt 12mm tine known as pot-seeding • Overseeded using a drop seeder using BAR Fescue • Overseeded using the Blec Multi-seeder (dimple) using BAR Fescue • Brushed to drag the seed into the holes • Double Rolled using our new rollers • All greens and approaches fertilised using a 6.5.11 granular to help boost recovery
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The tees were overseeded prior to the maintenance using a new Vredo seeder the week prior to closing, using a DwarfRyegrass/Fescue mix called the BAR Ultrafine 60. We managed to make a good start on overseeding the fairways again using the Vredo overseeder on holes 1-8 and 16-18, using a BAR SGT Fine Fescue. This is a mixture that utilises a particularly drought-tolerant and low-input species of fescue. These fairways were then sprayed with a wetting agent and seaweed mix and will be fertilised as soon as we see some germination. We were very lucky that the weather during maintenance week was in our favour, with dry days and wet evenings, which will help aid the recovery of the greens. You can read more about some of the amazing equipment and practices we utilised in the Tools of the Trade section. Autumn is a time where, although the grass is still growing, we have to prepare the turf for winter. With the weather being unpredictable, we obviously never know what lies in store, whether it means a fairly mild and wet winter, prolonged periods of ground frosts or a long period of snow cover, so we must be prepared for all eventualities. The aeration work that we do helps to create an airflow in the soil, breaks up any compaction and improves the soil’s ability to soak up the larger amounts of rainfall we get. Continued use of wetting agents keeps the soil moist and gives us a head start ,if we have a dry spring, to allow root development. As we continue to promote finer grasses on all surfaces, Fescue and Bents give us a great sward mix of fine grasses and are more drought tolerant, with a higher disease resistance. BAR Ultrafine 60 is a Fescue/Dwarf Rye mixture.
The Dwarf Rye is a genetically modified species that has been adapted to look like a fescue but have the wear tolerance of a ryegrass. It germinates fairly quickly and will tolerate close mowing at heights down to 5mm. Autumn can be a great time to carry out overseeding works as the soil still has a relatively warm temperature, which will help seed to germinate compared to early spring where the soil temperature is relatively low. There is also a great chance of recovery from maintenance works again due to these temperatures still being optimal for grass growth. Autumn also brings some disease pressure with prolonged periods of moisture in the air or on the turf and increased and heavier dews on the ground. If the weather is mild, it creates perfect host conditions for diseases such as fusarium and anthracnose. • Fusarium (microdochium nivale) – a fungal disease that affects all cool season grasses and produces spores that can be spread by machinery and golfer’s footprints during prolonged periods of leaf wetness. Most prevalent in cool and wet conditions, it forms a circular patch of yellow or brown discolouration with a pink mould present on the leaf blades. The back of the 12th green is used as a good indicator to show when fusarium conditions are right. • Anthracnose (Colletotrichum Cerale) – a fungal disease that affects bent grasses and poa annua, with orange or yellowing of individual plants in a non-descript pattern. Black hairs (setae) can be seen on leaves and basal rotting occur when present this can be seen on most greens during an outbreak, however the front of the 13th is often the most affected.
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Greentek Scarifier Units
Toro Pro-Core
Overseeding
Vredo Super compact 140
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Tools of the trade We get asked a lot of questions about the magic machinery we use out on the course. These tools allow our team to conduct efficient maintenance projects and our Course Manager, Kyle Cruickshank talks us through how each machine helped to make the difference
Greentek Scarifier Units
Wiedenmann GXi8
Part of a versatile range of cassettes that fit into the same chassis, we used the scarifying units to scarify the greens to a depth of 12mm. By driving the Toro 3250 triple mower very slowly over the green, the blades dug their way into the surface and removed organic material such as decaying grass leaves/ shoots. The units left a really tidy finish so it is a practice we may look to undertake more often going forward.
A tractor-mounted aerator, this can be used in a wide range of different ways. The blocks that hold the tines can have either 4 or 2 tines on them depending on the size of the tine. It can go down to a depth of 250mm and can even be used to core greens using smaller tines. We have seen the benefit of deep tining with longer roots and better water movement through the rootzone.
Toro Pro-Core
Blec Multi-Seeder
This is probably one of the best pieces of equipment in our entire fleet of specialist machinery. The Pro Core punches holes to a variety of depths using a variety of tines such as pot seeding, solid, hollow or chisel tines. As the Pro-Core is a powered unit, it can aerate many places a tractor mounted aerator can’t, meaning it can be utilised in a range of versatile areas.
This is a dimple seeder that creates a hole using spiked rollers for the seed which is dropped from a hooper to go into. There is a roller and brush on the back of the unit to drag the seed into the holes before smoothing the surface, but we have set the unit up so that all the weight goes onto the front spiked roller, creating a larger hole for the seed to go into before being dragged or brushed into the holes.
Smithco Rollers
Vredo Super compact 140
These new rollers were used again to smooth the surface after all the works. There is a lot more weight in these rollers compared to our older ones, which helps to smooth the surface out more quickly post-renovation.
Greentek Brush
This is a disc seeder and it uses 2 discs to create a slit, which the seed again is dropped into. Again, there is a roller on the back of the unit to smooth out the surface after the slit has been made. We have used this machine on the tees and fairways and germination can already been seen on the tees 10-14 days post seeding.
This multi-purpose brush can be used on fairways to stand the grass plant upright for a better quality of cut. It can also be used to drag in topdressing or drag seed into holes, which is what we used it for during maintenance week. The brush is 1.8 metres wide but can go up to 3.2 metres wide with the two side wings down.
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Meet Your Team We are proud of each and every one of our Team, whose dedication and love for the Club is one of the main reasons why the West Links is so revered around the world. Here we learn more about one of our longest-serving Members of our Office Team and a familiar face on the 1st tee…
Name
Sally Hawes
Position Advance Bookings Time at North Berwick 16 years
Previous Job History
My working career began with the RBS for 18 years, then 2 years in the Post Office before spending 8 years with the Bank of Scotland.
Favourite Part of the Job
Booking visitors in and knowing that they will have a great experience when they visit. For many, this is the highlight of their golfing trip.
What other job you’d like to do at the Club for a day?
Welcome Host (meet the people I make bookings for)
Favourite Hole
19th or the first. Great views!
Favourite food in the Clubhouse? Fish & Chips
Which colleague would you choose to hole a match-winning 6-footer?
Debbie Ward!
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Name
Debbie Ward
Position
Starter and 1st Tee Supervisor
Time at North Berwick Since May 2015
Previous Job History
I spent 21 years with HM Customs and Excise and 12 years as the Manager of the local Sports shop before joining the team at North Berwick Golf Club.
Favourite Part of the Job
I enjoy the interaction with the Members and Visitors. It’s great to welcome them to the 1st tee and help them on their way.
What other job you’d like to do at the Club for a day?
I love the job I do, but if I really had to choose, I would like to be a greenkeeper… but only on a bright sunny day!
Favourite Hole
I would say the 11th. The views are spectacular and the fairway is wide!
Which colleague would you choose to hole a match-winning 6-footer? Well, I haven’t seen many of them putt, but I would hope that either of the Stuarts wouldn’t let me down!
Highlight of your golfing career so far?
I won the Ladies Scratch Championship at the Glen in 2003.
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Learn how to play out of the newly refurbished bunker at the 17th hole, with Your 123 Checklist for ensuring success every time!
Your Professional golf tips
01 Set up for Success
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Widen stance with more of your weight on the lead foot and keep it there during the swing to make consistent contact. Make sure your ball position is forward of middle to help get the ball up quickly.
02 Swing like you Mean It
Dates for your diary Wednesday, November 22 An Evening With…
This new series of events offer informative and fun nights where our Team of Professionals help to provide more insight into the game in a relaxed and enjoyable social setting.
Imagine a line 1” before the ball and 1” after the ball. This is the entry and exit point for the club. Splash the sand with a full swing to ensure there is enough power to get the ball up and out
03 Positive Mindset
Please keep a watch on the weekly updates for more details on how to become involved
Believe you can! Confidence along with the correct set-up and swing will help you get that ball on the green
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As much enjoyment as you can have on a golf course. Expectations were high for North Berwick and it somehow exceeded expectation Xavier Frawley, Top 100 review
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I’ve found my happy place! Challenging, quirky, sensational views over the coast, friendly staff and bags of history Dan, Top 100 review
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Your Rules
North Berwick West Links is a challenge that is full of fun and enjoyment, which keeps Members and guests alike coming back time and time again. It is fair to say the West Links experience is different each time you play, providing a unique test to golfers day after day. Alongside this unique test, we have a number of rules that are more common at the West Links. To help give everyone a wider knowledge of the rules, while also highlighting some of the magnificent features on our Links, our Head PGA Professional Martyn Huish brings you this new ‘Your Rules’ feature.
The Beach Here we highlight what you should do if your ball enters or comes to rest within the red penalty areas of the surrounding beaches at North Berwick West Links, in accordance with the R&A. Penalty areas are defined as either red or yellow (in the instance of the beach, red stakes). Rule 17.1 Options for Ball in Penalty Area 17.1a When Ball Is in Penalty Area
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A ball is in a penalty area when any part of the ball: Lies on or touches the ground or anything else (such as any natural or artificial object) inside the edge of the penalty area, or Is above the edge or any other part of the penalty area. If part of the ball is both in a penalty area and in another area of the course, see Rule 2.2c. 17.1b Player May Play Ball as It Lies in Penalty Area or Take Penalty Relief
The player may either: Play the ball as it lies without penalty, under the same Rules that apply to a ball in the general area (which means there are no specific Rules limiting how a ball may be played from a penalty area), or Play a ball from outside the penalty area by taking penalty relief under Rule 17.1d (1. Stroke-and-Distance Relief or 2. Back-on-the-Line Relief) or Rule 17.2 17.1c Relief for Ball Not Found but in Penalty Area If a player’s ball has not been found and it is known or virtually certain that the ball came to rest in a penalty area: The player may take penalty relief under Rule 17.1d or 17.2.
The Fence In this section, we look at what relief you receive should your ball, stance or swing be affected by the fence that lines the 1st fairway. Rule 16-1 Abnormal Course Condition (including Immovable Obstructions) Across the West Links there are several immovable obstructions where a player can receive relief from, which are all available to view on the back of our scorecards. We are going to focus on the fence on the 1st fairway though. 16.1a When Relief Is Allowed (1) Meaning of Interference by Abnormal Course Condition. Interference exists when any one of these is true: - The player’s ball touches or is in or on an abnormal course condition (in this case the fence),
- An abnormal course condition physically interferes with the player’s area of intended stance or area of intended swing (the fence), or - Only when the ball is on the putting green, an abnormal course condition on or off the putting green intervene on the line of play. Should the fence simply distract the player rather than physically interfere then there is no relief. 16.1b Relief for Ball in General Area If a player’s ball is in the general area and there is interference by an abnormal course condition (the fence) on the course, the player may take free relief by dropping the original ball or another ball in this relief area (see Rule 14.3):
Limits on Location of Relief Area: - Must be in the general area, - Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point, and - There must be complete relief from all interference by the abnormal course condition. It is certainly worth reminding everyone that the fence on the right of the 18th fairway does not have the same set of applicable rules, as it is an out-ofbounds boundary line. However, if a parked car encroaches beyond this fence line, then a player can take relief as above.
- Reference Point: The nearest point of complete relief in the general area. - Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: One club-length, but with these limits:
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West Links Juniors
West Links Junior Winners The Cranston Cup was won by Sebastian Harvey with a gross 73 and The Thorburn Cup by Angus Waddell with a net 70
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August started with a bang! On the 1st we had the biggest junior competition of the year – The West Links Junior Open including 67 competitors. The Home Scratch Cup was won by Maggie Whitehead from Close House GC, who shot a terrific 67 in tricky conditions. The Home Handicap Cup was won by Harry Ovenden from Longhirst Hall GC who shot a spectacular nett 60! The Elcho Medal, for 14 and under, was won by JinHang Wang from Tyneside GC with a scratch 83 and the Residents Medal was won by our own Charlie Macintyre with a nett 67. This has been a great year for our juniors in the East Lothian Junior Golf league. Our West Links ‘Bass’ team won the league, so many congratulations to them! Our West Links ‘Fidra’ team were only beaten into second place on countback by Craigielaw so a well-deserved round of applause to all our juniors for this fantastic effort! Four West Links Juniors made the top five places in the scratch individual Order Of Merit, which is a tremendous feat. Jack Collingswood (North Berwick ‘Bass’) won the OOM. Very well done to him. Harris Monro (West Links ‘Fidra’) was third, Andrew Irvine (West Links ‘Bass’) fourth and Robbie Landles (West Links ‘Fidra’ fifth.
Rory McArdle (West Links ‘Bass’) won the handicap Order Of Merit to complete a clean sweep of the top places for West Links ‘Bass’. We are sure you will all agree this is a fantastic effort by our junior teams, and they have been a credit to the West Links this year. Well done, all! North Berwick West Links ‘Wee Course’ hosted the 50th Anniversary of the Malcolm Cup on Saturday, August 12. Fiona Stephenson, the daughter of Lady Malcolm, who donated the trophy in 1973, attended to present the winners with their trophies and prize vouchers. The competition was won by Luke McLaughlin. The Malcolm Cup was the fifth of the summer ‘major’ competitions for under 14’s at the Wee Course this year. There was a very high standard of play throughout the summer holidays, with Aedan Halliburton completing a hat trick of victories in the Esmond Cup, Balfour-Melville Trophy and the Cree Medal. First played for in 1904, the Cree Medal is one of the oldest junior competitions in the world. These exciting and fun events are open to under-14’s from all clubs and next summer’s dates will be published early in 2024.
Wee Course Major Winners July Cup Hudson Blair Esmond Trophy Aedan Halliburton Balfour-Melville Trophy Aedan Halliburton The Cree Medal Aedan Halliburton Malcolm Cup Luke McLaughlin
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View from The Tour
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We are very fortunate that the West Links is a bucket list destination for many famous names and golfers from across the world. As an iconic, globally renowned course, the Scottish Open week was a reminder to us of how lucky we are to call the West Links our home. To celebrate this special week, we don’t just hear from one ‘view from the tour’, but reflect back on the many Professionals who made time during the tournament week to visit and play the true icon that is our West Links.
This was truly a special week that reminds us all how lucky and proud we are to call the West Links home… “I ended up taking my bag and played all 18 holes. Played the first few and was, like, I can’t really quit on nine on a links like you can in the States and I know that the last five, six holes are just incredible. I went out there and we were with Justin and his dad as well. It was just a fun evening to play golf. We don’t really get a lot of fun, random rounds on the road, and that was one to take advantage of. 15 and 16 were pretty incredible.” Jordan Speith
“Play 9 and practise in the morning… Having a nice stroll around North Berwick in the evening is as good as it gets! It was even better than I remember from last time” Justin Thomas
“North Berwick is just perfect, it really is. Every single hole seems to be memorable. I feel like I’ve been in golf heaven … every golfer should try and experience it at some point in their life.” Smylie Kaufman
“North Berwick was a treat today! Couldn’t have been more fun and what an experience!” Dylan Wu
“Played one of the most incredible courses in the world yesterday – North Berwick West Links. I have to say my favourite hole was #13, a 400-yard par 4 called ‘The Pit’.” Brad Faxon
“How do you not go to North Berwick? It’s been on my bucket list forever” Max Homa, Live on Sky Sports
Visit bit.ly/48S5kgs to watch the view from the tour Thank you to all the Professionals who took the time away from their tournament week to visit and experience the West Links: Rickie Fowler Jordan Spieth Justin Thomas Justin Rose Sahith Theegala Nick Dougherty Rich Beem Cam Davis Jimmy Walker
Min Woo Lee Dylan Wu Brandon Wu Luke List Dan Bradbury Adrian Otaegui Brad Faxon Trevor Immelman Lee Hodges
Will Gordon Scott Stallings Zac Blair Gunner Wiebe Garrick Higgo Andrew Putnam Robby Shelton Joel Daymen 35
This is one of the best links courses and most iconic golf courses in the world Rick Shiels
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A huge thanks to all the organisers at the 71st North Berwick Cup. Pat, who has the warm smile as you arrive, has the neatest bag park in golf. Paul and Brian in the starters hut had great craic and introductions on the 1st tee Competitor, North Berwick Cup