Shire golf club to get the full Monty

Oct 10 2008 by Les Stewart, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

Shire golf club to get the full Monty

A PERTHSHIRE golf club, which celebrated its centenary last year, has pulled off a major coup by lining up top golfer Colin Montgomerie to play an exhibition match later this month.

The former number one on the European Tour’s Order of Merit every year from 1993-1999 will take part in a foursomes match at the nine-hole Dunning Golf Course on Saturday, October 25.

Teeing off at 10am, he will be partnered by the club’s lady captain, Moira Aitken. They will face ladies’ champion Lynne Sharp and gents’ champion Sandy Hunter.

They will be joined at the fourth and fifth holes – two of the course’s par three holes – by up-and-coming juniors Elise Henderson and David Morrison.

The event will help raise funds for a new clubhouse. It is hoped that work on the six-figure building, to be called the Rollo Park Community Pavilion, will start early in the new year and be completed by the start of the summer.

Club captain Dave Taylor, of Primrose Crescent, Perth, said yesterday they were “delighted” that Monty had accepted their invitation to take part in the event.

“Our secretary Dugald Cantlay wrote to him – he now lives in Dunning with his new wife – and within a couple of days he had telephoned back personally, saying he would be more than happy to come along.

“Following the match, he will hold a golf clinic for our rapidly expanding junior section – we have 64 youngsters aged between eight and 17. That will take place at the eighth hole.

“Entry to the exhibition match will be by a £5 prize draw ticket, with all the proceeds going towards the clubhouse fund.

“But children under 16 will be admitted free.”

A planning application has already been lodged with Perth and Kinross Council and are hoping to get a positive decision next month.

The new pavilion will replace their present facilities clubhouse which was last refurbished in 1974.

The new facilities will include ladies, gents and youths’ changing rooms, a room for the starter, toilets, including those for the disabled, a kitchen and lounge, which will be made available for local pensioners and the community council during the winter months.

“We have already held a number of fund-raising events and we have already approached several organisations for cash, including the RolloTrust.

“Dunning Tennis Club, which also has a flourishing youth section, along with the community council, have also agreed to help.”

“All going well, we will have a new clubhouse fit for the 21st century well before this time next year,” added Dave.

While building work is ongoing, temporary changing rooms will be available for club members and visitors.