The Highland Tour

Click here for the Captain’s Report of The Highland Tour

At last we are back in Brora and the first day of the Highland Tour is dawning:

Taken at 2.58am from the apartment window looking across the course

And then daylight dawns …

Day 1 Tuesday 22nd June and it’s off to Golspie

Malcolm & Mike Harris with Len Bunton & Roy Pickavance
They look happy, was this before or after their game?
The Captain with the Davids – Thomas and Grounds on the tee.

Also having fun on a lovely sunny day was Tommy Brown with Alistair Picken and Iain Farquhar. Tommy had a fantastic score (75 net 64) there – well done Tommy.

Here we go – first day on the Highland Tour
This is good – Iain relaxing during the round

Day 2 Wednesday 23 June and today we missed seeing our friends in the usual Match against Fortrose and Rosemarkie, but we made the best of it with a match against the members at Brora GC.

Warming up JBGS style – the it’s good to see you, how are you exercises?
Still doing the chatting exercises – how is it going?
And then finally, it’s the arm exercise – handing over the card.
And then, off we all go!

And after all that warming up did we win the match? No. Did we win a match? No – local knowledge prevailed, well played Brora GC.

Others couldn’t miss the opportunity of going to Fortrose and Rosemarkie so Tommie showed his mates Alistair Picken and Iain Farquhar around the course. They used various navigational aides so as not to get lost.

Starting from the new Pro Shop
Where are we?
Lighthouse hole

Day 3 Thursday 24 June Today 20 fit and strong men set out to wrestle The Friendship Trophy from Royal Dornoch GC in our eagerly awaited and most enjoyable contest. Neil Hampton, secretary at Royal Dornoch very kindly started us all off.

Father and son Tim and Ed Hamilton set out on their campaign against David Fleming and Colin Chesser

Father and son Malcolm and Jonny Harris against Derek MacDougall and David Bone watched by Neil, Kim Harris

Bill Stephens and Ken Williamson on the tee with Barry Kerr and Alick MacKay

Animated conversations on the tee as Roy Pickavance & Iain Farquhar set out against Alan Farrer & Sinclair McKay
And finally the ladies appear. Alison Stanbrook, Barbara Grounds and Chrissie Perry took the opportunity to team up with, rather than against, Rosemary Muschamp – a friend and Royal Dornoch member. Thank you Neil for seeing us all off.
And the Friendship Trophy? It stayed with Royal Dornoch by 6½ to 3½ points. Well done to the Harrises, David Thomas and Chris Taylor, and David Grounds and Paul Melding for making it a respectable outcome for the JBGS side. And many, many thanks to all at RDGC for their help and support in enabling this most enjoyable encounter to go ahead.

Day 4 Friday 25th June The JBGS Founding Meeting followed by dinner at The Royal Marine Hotel.

The day for the Founding Meeting dawned wet, windy and cold prompting Tony Gill later to suggest that next year we hold the meeting in the Summer! But out go the intrepid JBGS members in search of trophies.


Peter Stanbrook, Tim Hamilton and Malcolm Harris, all set to enjoy themselves out on the course.
Next come Alistair Picken, Barrie Thomas and Richard Perry.
Jane Campbell nobly walked round with them – was she set to be Malcolm’s secret weapon?
Next came Ed Hamilton, Tommie Brown and David Grounds all kitted out to deal with the weather.
Jackson Harris, Paul Jones and Bill Stephens
John Rankin, Chris Taylor and Mike Harris
Bill Maitland, Iain Farquhar and Len Bunton all looking very chipper.
Chrissie Perry with Paul Melding and Jonny Harris
Barbara Grounds with Paul Melding and Jonny Harris

And here come the ladies, playing in fourballs with a change of photographer for the penultimate group, but (un)fortunately no photo of the last group!

The dinner in the evening was done a little differently with no more than 3 households sitting at the same table in order to meet the Covid requirements. It worked well.

Barrie Thomas, John Rankin and Peter Stanbrook –
Ali Stanbrook had gone AWOL taking the photo!
Len and Sheila Bunton with Iain Farquhar and Ken Williamson
Jackson, Helen, Kim, Malcolm and Mike Harris with Roy Pickavance just visiting – hence the mask.

Roy is looking the real deal in his kilt – worthy of an award I would say. Great stuff Roy. And Jonny? He had gone AWOL at the time.


David and Barbara Grounds with Alistair Picken and Chris Taylor
Malcolm and Jane Campbell with Tony Gill and Robert Powell
Suzanne with Roy and Paul, seen with Malcolm and Robert
Richard & Chrissie Perry with David Thomas and Paul Jones
A view of the Captain’s back, but clearly Tony is chuffed with his 150th Anniversary gift.

The last and first speeches begin

Captain Peter Stanbrook’s handover speech
New Captain Barrie Thomas making his acceptance speech

And here come the winners and don’t forget to check if the secret weapon worked.

Malcolm Campbell winner of The Thomson Memorial Trophy
Barbara Grounds won the Captain’s Pink Balls

So the moral of the story is – we all need our secret weapon with us!
The Curate’s Egg was awarded for 3 x 7s, 2 other blobs but a 2 at the 18th
The Groovy Uwe Award for the triumph of style over substance, was for wearing his kilt at dinner and for several unsuccessful attempts to chip up to the 18th green from the valley.

Chris Taylor winner of The Curate’s Egg
The Groovy Uwe Award was won by Roy Pickavance
Tommy and Iain enjoying each other’s company
Ali Stanbrook was there after all!

Tommy and Iain putting the world to rights Alison and Barbara having a chat Covid style

Bill Stephens was winner of The James Braid Trophy awarded for the best score by a JBGS member in the Brora Open. Bill also won the Marco Polo Award (a combination of golf and travelling to the venue) – for always travelling with his kayak and commonly approaching Brora from even further north.


Barrie Thomas hands over The James Braid Trophy to Bill
The Daffodils celebrating with Bill
Chrissie & Richard in on the action

And finally, as sunset falls it is goodbye to Brora until next time. Take care all and thanks for the fun and friendship we shared during our time on the links.

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