Monday, January 19, 2015

Triagh golf course gets an unexpected hole in one


A huge sink hole on a fairway, is to leaving a golf course facing a £16,000 repair bill.


The hazard was caused when a drain was overwhelmed by torrential rain on Traigh Golf Course, near Arisaig in the Highlands, and around 200 tons of sand and peat was washed on to the nearby beach.


The 3m (11ft) deep by 7m (23ft) long sinkhole, which dwarves the average bunker, has been fenced off, but the course remains open to members.


Co-owner David Shaw Stewart said: "We are passionate about the course and determined to keep it going, it is such an important facility for all our friends in the golf club and for the many tourists who play it in the summer, even though it will take a lot of visitor rounds to get the cost back.


"But we find once people have played here they always want to come back, there can be very few golfing experiences anywhere in the world to compare with teeing off on the ninth towards Eigg on a golden summer day."


The nine-hole course is said to be the most westerly golf course on the British mainland, and one of the most beautiful.


On a clear day players can enjoy views of the isles of Skye, Rum, Eigg and Muck, as well as the peaks of South Uist just showing on the horizon to the north-west.


Golf has been played at the site for more than 100 years.


The hole appeared following heavy rain at the end of November.


Greenkeeper Gavin Johnstone said: "I couldn't believe the size of the hole that appeared in just one night.


"The run-off from all the rain we had shifted about 200 tons of sand and peat, and dumped it on the beach. That hole is seven metres long, three metres wide, and over three metres deep."


His dog Corrie has enjoyed exploring the feature.


Mr Johnstone said: "I just hoped he wasn't going to get stuck - I didn't want to have to go in after him to fetch him out."



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