News

Golf Academy Swings into Action at Forres Golf Club

26th February 2020 By Golf Shop

Forres Golf Club has announced that the David Torrance Golf Academy will be opening at the Moray Speyside golf club in the spring of 2020.The golf academy is set to be a welcome addition to the golf clubs excellent practice facilities which includes the addition of a state of the art golf simulator which was added to the golf clubs inventory of practice facilities in April 2019, a driving range, practice green and multiple short game areas.

Manager Sean Blacklaw had the following to say regarding the announcement:

“Everyone at Forres Golf Club is absolutely delighted that David has decided to take his Golf Academy to our facility. Growing the game remains a key focus for everyone involved at the golf club and I strongly believe that The David Torrance Golf Academy will play a major part in providing golf tuition to all levels of golfer and beginners in both Forres and the wider golfing community.

Forres Golf Club has a reputation for developing elite level golfers with many reaching the highest level of amateur golf in Scotland and recently one of our members, Jeff Wright, progressed to the professional tours. It will be great for the next and future generations to have the opportunity to receive professional tuition from the David Torrance Golf Academy at Forres Golf Club and I believe that this collaboration will allow us to provide a golf academy recognised as the premier golf academy in the local area and I am extremely excited to begin work with David.”

David Torrance is recognised as one of Scotland’s elite teaching professionals. He established his reputation as a first class coach whilst Head Professional at Nairn Dunbar Golf Club in The Highlands of Scotland, and in March 2016 he was presented with the Scottish Golf Coach of The Year award. With his reputation assured, he left Nairn Dunbar in 2018 and until now has been based at a championship venue, Spey Valley Golf Club in Aviemore, where he is a full time Golf Coach.

David is a “Fellow Member” of The Professional Golfers Association, an elevated membership status which was bestowed upon him as a result of his commitment to personal development and coaching successes all the way up to national level. He was also one of the first Scottish Golf Coaches to gain the advanced coaching qualification of Level Three Sports Coach UK in 2013. Furthermore, David coached for the North District from 2005-2018, was a coach for the Scottish Golf Academy from 2006-2015 and was a Scottish Golf Performance Coach from 2015-2018.

Despite being a well decorated and nationally renowned professional the opportunity to launch his Golf Academy at Forres Golf Club was an attractive one for David who explained his decision to move to Forres Golf Club and his plans for the David Torrance Golf Academy:

“Forres Golf Club is the perfect place for me to be based and I am so excited and honoured to be given the opportunity to be the clubs’ PGA professional.

The course and surroundings are gorgeous and the all-encompassing facilities provide the perfect venue for my coaching academy.

Coupled with the ideal venue and location, I was enticed by the clubs dynamic and enthusiastic attitude and vision of the future of golfing at Forres Golf Club and the importance they place on growing the game.

In my time in the highlands I have helped to produce over ten Scottish Internationalists and some players mentioned in international dispatches including Russel Knox, Kelsey MacDonald, Hannah McCook and Walker Cup star Sandy Scott. My plan at Forres is to produce more champions from grass roots.

Overall my plan at Forres Golf Club will be to help as many people as possible enjoy their enjoyment of our great game and do my very best to keep golf at Forres Golf Club flourishing.”

Shona Donnelly, who leads the Moray Speyside Golf Development Group added:

“The decision by David Torrance to open a Golf Academy at Forres Golf Club is great news for the Region. The Moray Speyside Golf Development group was set up to promote the area as a ‘must play’ destination within Scotland, attracting golfing visitors to the region and ensuring they have the best possible experience, and the Golf Academy strengthens that offering. I have no doubt that golfers from both near and far will utilize the great facilities it will provide”

The David Torrance Golf Academy at Forres Golf Club is scheduled to begin coaching from the 1^st of April 2020 but both David and Sean have already began planning the future of golf tuition at Forres Golf Club.

Cluny Club January 2020

21st January 2020 By Sean Blacklaw

Congratulations to Alison Black who won the jackpot £400 in the Cluny Club monthly draw.

Well done Alison and thank you to everyone who took part in the Cluny Club, remember all profits go towards course improvements!

Application forms are available from the bar or golf shop.

Cluny Club December

12th December 2019 By Golf Shop

Congratulations to Keith Pick who has just won £400 in the Cluny Club monthly draw.

Keith said he would put the prize towards a holiday.

Well done Keith and thank you for supporting the Cluny Club.

Remember all profits go towards course improvements.

Application forms are available from the bar or pro shop.

Cluny Club November

9th November 2019 By Golf Shop

Congratulations to Jim Gibson who has just won £400 in the November Cluny Club draw.

Jim says that this will go towards a very nice Christmas present for his wife, lucky for you Kay.

Many thanks for supporting the Cluny Club Jim, where all profits go towards course improvements.

If you want the chance of a £400 win then forms can be collected from the bar or pro shop.

Local golfer drives ahead to turn professional

23rd October 2019 By Sean Blacklaw

Local Forres Golf Club member and Scottish Internationalist, Jeff Wright, will be turning his attention to professional golf in 2020 following a successful trip to Germany for the Pro Golf Tour qualifying school. Jeff finished inside the Top 20 positions earning him full playing rights for the 2020 season.

The Pro Golf Tour is a German PGA run tour with more than 20 tournaments across 7 countries with competitors coming from over 25 different countries. Recognised by the European Tour as a gateway to the Challenge Tour, the Pro Golf Tour is one of four official satellite tours alongside the UK based EuroPro tour. The top 5 competitors from the season long order of merit will progress to the challenge tour and then play for the right to reach the highest level of European professional golf on the European Tour itself.

Forres Golf Club manager Sean Blacklaw had the following to say:

“We at Forres Golf Club are absolutely delighted for Jeff. It has always been a long-term goal for him to take the step into Professional Golf, to achieve this with full playing rights at the Professional Golf Tour Qualifying School is testament to his undoubted ability and continued commitment to making this goal a reality”.

Forres Golf Club has a reputation for developing elite level golfers with many reaching the highest level of amateur golf in Scotland and this is something which the amazing volunteer team at the golf club continues to work hard on with our junior section to ensure that every child in Forres, and the surrounding areas have the same opportunity that Jeff had. It will be great for the next, and future generations to be able to look at Jeff as a role model representing the golf club on a recognised professional tour.

We will be keeping up with Jeff and his progress on the Professional Golf Tour through a monthly blog which will be available through our social media channels and website. This will give every golfer a brilliant insight into the hard work, determination and sacrifice that a professional golfer makes when beginning life on tour.”

The season will start for Jeff in Egypt in January before heading to Morocco for February and March them returning to Europe for the main part of the season. April to September includes events in Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria and the Netherlands.

Despite being a well decorated amateur golfer the step up to a professional tour has excited Jeff who explained his plans between now and the beginning of the 2020 season:

” I am really looking forward to playing professional golf next season as it has always been a goal for me and something that I have been working towards for a few years now. I have worked hard with my coach, Neil Marr at Meldrum House, to get my game to a level where I feel I am ready to leave the amateur ranks and take on a new challenge.

In the coming months I will also be busy getting everything I need in place to travel and compete across Europe and North Africa, with my main focus being securing sponsorship to help me get started. On the satellite tours it is unlikely that I will make a profit for the year as the prize funds are modest in comparison to the main tours however, expenses are similar. The satellite tours are there to get people like myself started in professional golf and promote them on to greater things. That is why securing sponsorship is crucial to progress as quickly as possible to the main tours where there is money to be won.

I know of a few of the current Scottish professionals who started out on the Pro Golf Tour who now compete on the main European Tour and I aim to follow them there.”

Shona Donnelly, who leads the Moray Speyside Golf Development Group added

“We congratulate Jeff on this amazing achievement and wish him every success in his future blossoming career. It is great to see one of our own progress and we hope that his success helps to demonstrate the quality of courses we have here in Moray Speyside. This is also a great opportunity for local businesses to gain international exposure, and we would urge any potential sponsor to contact Forres Golf Club or Jeff directly”.

Cluny Club October

16th October 2019 By Golf Shop

Congratulations to Jenny Maclennan who has just won £400 in the October Cluny Club draw. Jenny is naturally delighted with her win and said she may treat Robbie and Stuart to something special. Thanks for supporting the Cluny Club Jenny.