SATURDAY AFTERNOON - TROON LOCHGREEN

Lochgreen is the best of the trio of municipal courses on the east side of the popular holiday town of Troon. They each offer an excellent golfing experience and at a fraction of the royal fee charged at their more aristocratic neighbours.

Lochgreen is the longer course, a Par 74 running parallel at points to Royal Troon and used for several years as a qualifier for the Open. Jack Nicklaus shot an 82 here in an Open Qualifier followed by a more appropriate 68 making the cut buy one shot.

Although Lochgreen is predominately a links type course, the layout is truly varied, with one stretch - known as the 'Dovecot Section' - providing holes of a more parkland type character. The course has several holes that are reminiscent of its royal neighbour and one hole in particular - the fifth - would do justice to any championship test.

At well over 400 yards the hole runs parallel to the same railway that borders the championship course, with bunkers and gorse providing additional hazards. The par three that follows offers no respite and the golfer who misses the gorse-surrounded green would do well to play a provisional ball.

It was during the 1962 Open qualifier that Australian Kel Nagle set the present course record of 65, with the amateur record of 66 being set at the same time by Martin Christmas. Both golfers doubtless celebrated their feats in the Bunker Bar and Restaurant that forms part of the spacious clubhouse shared by Darley, Lochgreen and Fullarton.

Lochgreen has been used as an Open Qualifier and is a course of links quality with many holes reminiscent of its close neighbour Royal Troon. You don't get away with anything less than confident driving and commanding second shots.

The afternoon round started well enough in sunshine, but by hole 11 or so the clouds that had been threatening for an hour or so turned the entire sky black and thunder could be heard approaching. After a short break to see if the storm would pass, we eventually had to carry on the tournament in an unpleasant mix of steady rain and brisk winds.

Grips became wet, footholds slippery and rain so heavy that is was pooling on some of the greens. It is a testament to the quality of these players that scores for this round were actually better on average than the morning round in good weather, The lowest at 22 and the highest at 34 points. Bates didn't quite live up to his early promise, but still carded a respectable 26 points to come 5th.

Slow Hand Erdal came out with all guns blazing to score 27, equalled by Shades Clark in 4th place. Bridges, who had been concerned about his lack of pre-match practice, was in 3rd place with 30 points, equalled by a very steady Jennings. Harper too seemed to have made consistency his by-word, and hit a 33 to equal Jennings.

But it was the WD40 smooth swing of Mr Sparks that won the round with a commendable 34 points. So at the end of two rounds the scores were already starting to even out, thanks to our "eclectic" scoring system. Taking the best scores of both rounds, the leader board showed that Jennings and Bates were neck and neck at the top on 43 points (even though Jennings actually wore the overnight leader shirt on the night!), ahead of Harper (42), and Monaghan whose generous scatterings of "4s" (= a net Eagle!) gave him 39 points! Wilson, Sparks and Bridges all tied on 38 points, followed by Clark on 35 and High on 34. Not much in it then, and the contest still wide open.