Bernard Gallacher plays Golspie
Former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher played Golspie Golf Course on Tuesday, describing it as "amazing".
His visit was 44 years on from his first round over the challenging links when, as an 18-year-old amateur, he was one of several golfers who played an exhibition match in honour of the opening of the new clubhouse.
He turned professional the same year and went on to accumulate ten wins on the European Tour between 1974 and 1984 and finished in the top ten on the European Tour Order of Merit five times between 1972 and 1982, with a best placing of third in 1974.
In 1969, at the age of 20, Gallacher became the youngest man at that time to represent Great Britain in the Ryder Cup. This record was subsequently beaten by Nick Faldo and others. He went on to play in the Ryder Cup eight times and was non-playing captain of the European Team in 1991, 1993 and 1995. All three of those matches were very close; Europe lost the first two but won the third.
He was the professional at the prestigious Wentworth Club, near London, for 25 years until the end of 1996. At Wentworth he met head greenkeeper, Kevin McGrath, originally from Embo. Kevin’s sister, Jeanette Cumming, also Embo, runs the Golspie Golf Club shop, whilst his nephew, Alexander Macdonald, is head greenkeeper at Golspie and caddied for Bernard during his round.
Gallacher now plays on the European Seniors Tour. His first senior win came at The Mobile Cup in 2002.
* More on this story in this Friday's Northern Times
