Bishopbriggs produces more winners

A year on from Bishopbriggs Golf Club’s celebration of its best junior result in 22 years, two other juniors have kept the Club in the history books.

In August, 18 year old Graeme MacDougall became the Club’s first member to win the Glasgow Stroke Play event at Cathkin Braes Golf Club. A week before, James Monaghan, just 16, became the first Bishopbriggs junior to win the Glasgow Boys Stroke Play since 1973.

The teenagers complete a fine trio of titles from the past 12 months. Last August, 17 year old Gerald Cameron won the Glasgow Boys (under 19) Match Play Championships.

“I’m the second junior to ever win it,” said Graeme, who won the Stroke Play at Cathkin Braes Golf Club. “I beat Lindsay Miller from Cawdor then Stephen Keane from Cathkin Braes who obviously knew the course quite well.

“I was playing well and had just sorted out my putting after struggling with it all season. So the fact I played well and putted well for three rounds was just as pleasing as winning the event.”

In the quarter finals MacDougall had met and edged out his club mate, James Monaghan. But 16 year old James remained in buoyant mood having won the Boys Stroke Play at Bishopbriggs the week before.

“It was a very wet day and everyone was struggling in the wind and rain and getting bad scores,” said James. “I just stuck in, I knew how to play around it and I think I won by two strokes. I played really well and my putting was really good; I was constantly holing my birdie putts and made about six birdie putts on my first round.”

These fine junior performances are a direct result of the Club’s attitude to juniors. By starting a junior coaching programme in 2001 and adopting the national junior golf programme, clubgolf, in 2003 it is no surprise to those involved that the Club is beginning to yield results.

“I went to the clubgolf coaching in my first year at the Club and it was very good,” said James, a 4.4 handicapper. “It got me off to a good start.”

If the junior coaching programme provided the perfect foundation the addition of the Club’s Academy practice facility two years ago was nothing short of a Godsend.

Supported by a Lottery award of £146,750 from sportscotland’s Sports Facilities programme, a boggy, low lying area of rough ground was developed into a practice area with six mini holes, a driving range, and short game area.

“On most practice facilities you can only practise up to a certain club but I can practice anything in our area, driving as well as chipping and putting,” said Graeme, who joined Bishopbriggs as a 10 year old.

James is equally enthusiastic, “It’s brilliant, one of the best in the area and it’s got everything we need. Instead of just going out on the course and fooling about you get good practice there and it gets you off to a good start.”

The Academy also plays an important part in the local community. It is available to two local schools and is open to Glasgow City Council for its junior development programme.

With more Bishopbriggs juniors having single figure handicaps, more involved in competitions (the juniors won the JJ McCarry league for the second straight year) more playing at county level than anyone can remember everyone seems to be happy.

Said Bishopbriggs Secretary, Andrew Smith, “It’s been an exceptional year and as one of the first clubs to deliver clubgolf four years ago I’m sure these boys had a great start to their golfing careers.”