Take Part in the Jim Carruthers Memorial Walk

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Peebles Golf Club’s opening remembrance ceremony for the 2018 season will take place at the Millennium Cairn (the 9th tee) at the above time.  All those wishing to participate, golfers and walkers, are requested to arrive no later than 11.00 am.  

Immediately after the ceremony, at around 11.10 am, the Jim Carruthers Memorial Walk - a popular addition to the opening weekend's activities in memory of the current Vice-Captain Gavin Carruthers' late father Jim - will begin for those who are not taking part in the Captain’s v Vice-Captain’s golf match.  The walk is open to anyone, including children, whether golf club members or not.  On this occasion, dogs will be allowed.  From the cairn the route will go along March St, Venlaw High Road towards Glenbield, crossing the burn and returning via Soonhope, Kerfield and the Gytes.  Total distance about 5.5 miles (2.5 - 3 hours).    

Even if the golf is postponed because of unplayable conditions, a walk will hopefully go ahead on the above date.  We do not intend to organise a walk on any subsequent day.

There is no definite plan to return to the clubhouse car park by a particular time.  However, any walkers who wish to visit the clubhouse for food and refreshments are welcome to do so.  A suitable change of footwear should be brought.

For further information, please contact Gordon Sanderson (tel. 720511) or David Brown (721680).

Captain's v Vice-Captain's Team Challenge: Draw

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The draw has now been made for the Captain's v Vice-Captain's Team Challenge, taking place on the second day of our opening weekend on Sunday 25 March.

The matches will commence with a shotgun start at 11.30am following the official opening of the new season at the Millennium Cairn on the 9th tee at 11.00am. We would encourage all players and other members to join us for the opening ceremony.

> Captain's v Vice-Captain's Team Challenge: Draw

For those not taking part in the match, there is the option of the annual Jim Carruthers Memorial Walk, led by Gordon Sanderson and Davie Brown, which will make its way around their walking route before joining the golfers back at the clubhouse for food and drinks and the presentation of the trophy.

New Caterer Joins Peebles Golf Club

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We are delighted to announce the appointment of Gary Moore Catering Services as Peebles Golf Club's franchise caterers, who will join the club in a month's time on Friday 15 March.

A popular name in the Borders and North East of England, Gary is a hugely experienced chef with years of experience in the catering industry. He was Executive Chef at Burts restaurant in Melrose in the late 90s and early 2000s, while in recent years he has managed a thriving function and catering business across the region. He has provided catering at Traquair House, Melrose and Peebles Rugby Clubs and is famous for his Hog Roasts, which many of you may have experienced at local weddings or other functions.

Gary's team beat off stiff competition to be awarded the role at Peebles, having had significant interest since announcing the departure of Rathbone Restaurants, who will leave when the new team commences.

Gary and many of staff will be known to many of our members already and we hope that you will give him your support. He brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and enthusiasm and we are confident that he will deliver great food at the right price, flexibility to meet the needs of members and visitors and some excellent new ideas. 

We hope that many of you will come and sample Gary's new menus on their first weekend, or during the first official weekend of the season, which will take place on Saturday 24th (Opening Day Scramble) and Sunday 25th March (Captain's v Vice-Captain's Team Challenge). Thereafter, we look forward to the team providing an excellent 7-day a week service throughout the season.

If you would like to make an advance booking, or discuss booking a function at Peebles Golf Club this season, please do not hesitate to contact Niall Watson in the office on 01721 720197 or e-mail manager@peeblesgolfclub.com

 

AGM – Meet the new Captain and Vice-Captain Team

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The Peebles Golf Club AGM takes place this Tuesday 13 February, where current Captain Graham Lowther will hand over the reins to a new captain and vice-captain elect team, Ross Duncan and Gavin Carruthers, supported by fellow Board members David Wright (Membership), Jim Dickson (Greens) and Grant Foster (Finance).

We thought it would be helpful to give some background on Ross and Gavin ahead of the AGM…

Ross Duncan – Captain elect:

Ross has been a member of the club since joining as a junior in 1985. His first ever job was as a glass collector in the old clubhouse under the stewardship of Terry McIntosh and worked as greenkeeper at Peebles during his summer holidays whilst a student at the University of Strathclyde, where he studied Marketing. His finest golfing achievement was winning the Boys Championship in 1990, although his golfing highlight was partnering current US Open Champion Brooks Koepka in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open Pro-Am at Gullane (finishing fourth!). Ross will take over as captain exactly 30 years after his dad Stuart served in the same role.

Captain elect for the next two years, Ross Duncan

Ross has been on the club committee for the past 10 years, supporting the club as Marketing Convenor where his role has covered website development, design, photography, Peeblesshire News reports, social media communication across Facebook and Twitter and all the Howie brothers updates! He is also one of the ClubGolf volunteer coaches involved in junior coaching on Sundays and is on the junior sub-committee. Ross is co-organiser of the Odd Shaped Ball, which has generated more than £28,000 for junior sport in Peebles, and also runs the Odd Shaped Golf Day, which has become one of the club’s most popular team events. Having previously worked at Sunderland Football Club, he is currently Marketing & Commercial Director for Scottish Golf, where he has worked since 2004.

What one thing would you like to see change in golf?

“On a local level, I would like to see our members enjoying themselves more! The golf club should be a place where you are relaxed, having fun and happy, not a place to moan and grumble. We have a fantastic golf course which has been in great condition for the last few years with amazing views, and there is no better place to be when the sun shines. We have a lovely clubhouse, a great practice facility and a diverse community of members. I speak to many other clubs across Scotland in my job and Peebles is very highly regarded across the country because of the work we’ve done and changes we’ve made over the past few years. We have a great team of volunteers at the club who put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes to make the club as good as it can possibly be. It’s never going to be perfect, but I think we all need to appreciate what we’ve got a little bit more.”

Gavin Carruthers - Vice Captain elect:

Gavin joined the club in 1980 as a fresh-faced 10-year-old and quickly became a regular in junior competitions, encouraged by his Dad Jim, who was a long standing member. A prolific performer on the competitive junior circuit, Gavin’s first major achievement was winning the Boys Championship in 1984. From 1985, he qualified for match play stages of Club Championship for no fewer than 25 consecutive years, reaching the final on 3 occasions, eventually becoming Club Champion in 1998, the proudest moment of his golfing career. Indeed Gavin and his late dad Jim are the only father and son combination to have both won the Championship. Gavin is also a twice winner of the Thorburn Cup. Other notable achievements include twice winning the Balfour Beattie with Colin Fraser and being a member of the winning Borders Summer League team on three occasions.

Vice-captain elect Gavin Carruthers and wife at last year's 125 Anniversary Ball

His first spell on the Committee was from 1988 – 1994 where he was heavily involved with competitions and handicapping, then re-joined in 2014, taking on the challenging role of Junior Convenor. Gavin has been a driving force in the growth of the ClubGolf programme, taking junior membership from 60 to 130 kids and was on stage at the Scottish Golf Awards to receive the Junior Club of the Year award in 2015. He has restructured the junior sub-committee and is also a PGA Level 1 coach. Outwith golf, he has served as Treasurer of Peebles Football Club for many years, while his working life has all been with Standard Life, where he works in the role of Change Manager.

What one thing would you like to see change in golf?

“Golf is facing significant social and economic challenges: fewer people are joining Golf Clubs than ever before. Peebles Golf Club is not immune to this and I want to ensure we remain financially strong and a prize community asset for many years to come.  In order to achieve this, the club need to do things differently which might not always sit comfortably with all our members. I would ask every member to be an advocate for the club, promote positive messages to their friends and relatives and ask themselves - what can I do for Peebles Golf Club?”

> Click here for the Annual Report

Annual General Meeting - Notice to Members

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Vice-captain Ross Duncan and Club Captain Graham Lowther

At the Annual General Meeting of the Club, to be held on Tuesday 13th February 2018, the following positions on the Club Committee require to be confirmed by the meeting under the terms of the Articles of Association:

BY ROTATION:

Election of two General Committee Members (Three year term)

TO FILL VACANCIES

Election of two General Committee Members (Three year term)

In line with the Articles of Association of the Club, the Committee is required to post, prior to the 31st December 2017, the names of those members whom it recommends to fill any of the above vacancies on Committee.

The Committee recommend that the following nominations be accepted.

  • General Committee - David Tait
  • General Committee - Donald Alexander
  • General Committee - James McQuaker

Any two Ordinary Members of the Club may nominate a member or members to fill any of the above places having previously obtained the consent in writing of such member or members. Notice of such nomination (together with the written consent of the nominee or nominees) shall be submitted to the office not later than the 19th January 2018.

Catering Franchise Opportunity at Peebles Golf Club

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Peebles Golf Club is a vibrant and family-friendly club with a first class clubhouse facility to match its beautiful golf course. We operate at the heart of the local community with over 800 members across our various categories.

Bucking the national trend, our membership has grown in recent years, allowing us to invest in our facilities, including a major clubhouse refurbishment to the bar, lounge, restaurant and kitchen, as well as a new driving range, both of were completed last year. The club is located close to the town centre, making us a popular venue for food and drink, to complement our popular golf course.

We have an excellent reputation for customer service, delivering a good quality product for members, visitors and guests. We are proud of our reputation as one of the town’s best facilities and are a popular choice for other social functions and events.

The recently refurbished lounge within the clubhouse

A fantastic opportunity has arisen for our Catering Franchise and we are seeking suitable candidates to work in partnership with the club to provide the following:

  • A full 7-day-a-week catering service to meet the needs of our members, visitors and other customers;
  • A range of good quality catering to include short order items, breakfasts, bar snacks, light meals and dinners, across our bar, lounge and restaurant;
  • A full catering service for member and non-member functions including: competition days, team matches,  visiting golf parties, club functions, birthday parties, theme nights and wakes;
  • A flexible and proactive approach to the club’s catering requirements.

The ideal candidate(s) should:

  • Have a proven track record in catering operations, preferably in a golf club or large restaurant environment;
  • Have the manpower to  deliver a consistently high standard of catering to meet the needs of our members and other customers;
  • Be innovative and creative to ensure the club thrives in a highly competitive environment;
  • Be commercially minded to grow clubhouse revenues in partnership with the club’s management team (club manager, bar staff, PGA professional, committee);
  • Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
  • Have a proven record of Food Hygiene and compliance to Safety Standards with working experience of all relevant regulations;
  • Have high personal and professional standards and be able to demonstrate excellent customer service;
  • Be compliant with all pertinent employment regulations relating to its staff and have a proven track record in the management of its staff.

To find out more or apply for the role, please contact Niall Watson, Club Manager, on 01721 720197 or e-mail manager@peeblesgolfclub.com. Formal applications must be received by Monday 12 February and the preferred starting date for the new franchisee to commence the role is early April.

 

 

Rathbone restaurants

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It is unfortunate that I have to announce the resignation of Rathbone Restaurants as the contract caterer at the club. Having provided an excellent service for the club, our members and visitors for the past year, it will be sad to see Ally McGrath and the team leave. They leave with our best wishes and on behalf of the club we would like to wish them well with their future endeavours. Their last day will be 4th April 2018, until then the catering will operate as normal.

The club has already started the process of finding new caterers and we are consulting with relevant parties in the golf industry and beyond. We will keep members updated with our progress. However, if any member has any suggestions or recommendations, we would gladly consider them.

I’m sure you will agree, it is vitally important for the club that we find the right catering partner who can continue to provide the best level of service for our members and visitors.

If any members have any queries regarding the catering situation, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards

Niall Watson
Club Manager