Welcome to Grantown Golfing Society

The Grantown Golfing Society (GGS) comprises a disparate bunch of golfing enthusiasts primarily from Edinburgh. The society was formed in 1980 largely as a spin-off from the Grantown-On-Spey tennis tournament which had been popular with several players from the Merchiston and Thistle tennis clubs in Edinburgh. As interest in the tennis tournament waned, two of the Edinburgh stalwarts, Jim Kay and Donnie McGougan, decided to continue the pilgrimage north each year, this time to the golf course and the rest, as they say, is history.

Until 1999, the main event of the year was a week of intensive golf in Grantown-on-Spey in the Scottish Highlands in late August/early September with a weekend in May also at Grantown, plus other ad hoc gatherings in the Edinburgh area throughout the year. During the main week, two "major" competitions were held - the Open, a 72 hole stroke play contest held over the Thursday and Friday at the Grantown course and the Masters, 36 holes of stroke play held at a different course in the Moray Firth area. A Spring Stableford "minor" was held on the Saturday of the Spring weekend, and the remainder of the time spent in slightly less serious competition including team scrambles and limited club events. A new competition was introduced in 1999 for the senior citizens, i.e. those who reached the ripe old age of 50, but has since fallen into disrepair, a bit like some of the participants!

However, the Millennium year changed the tried and tested format forever with the guys jetting off for a week in the Algarve in late September/early October. Inevitably, this set the standard for the years to come and after a second visit to the Algarve in 2001, the overseas tour became firmly established as part of the calendar, with trips to Grantown being reduced to two long weekends. Also, with the general onset of old age and infirmity, the Open was reduced to 36 holes (still strokeplay!), and the Masters is played over 18 holes of Stableford at one of the overseas courses. The overseas excursions continued for several years with Turkey, mainland Spain, Portugal and Tenerife benefitting from the annual GGS invasions.

Sadly time has taken its toll on some of the group with Joe Wilson, Ian Wilson, Dougie Pritchard and Gordon Nicol no longer with us. Others have retired from golf due to health issues, whilst fresh faces have been recruited along the way. Although the group has not dismissed further overseas tours completely, shorter UK tours are more the norm these days, and the competitions generally reduced to 18 holes of Stableford.

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