ClubGolf name award nominees

• Nominees for Junior Club and Volunteer of the Year awards named
• Winners to be revealed at 2015 Scottish Golf Awards in Edinburgh
• Last year’s event raised more than £40,000 for good causes

The 2014/15 RBS Junior Club of the Year and Volunteer of the Year finalists have been announced by ClubGolf, featuring eight golf clubs and individuals who have made a real difference to the sport over the past 12 months.

For the first time, the public are being asked to vote for their choice, which will help the judging panel determine the award winners.

The £1,500 first prize for RBS Junior Club of the Year will be contested between Gairloch, Peebles, Ratho Park, and Rothes, who all enjoyed an outstanding year in attracting youngsters to the game and engaging their community. They are already guaranteed £500 for their junior sections for reaching the final four.

In the Volunteer of the Year category, the four finalists are Rothes’ Neal Anderson, Stewart Cameron from Bridge of Allan, Maitland Pollock of Lochmaben, and Evan Sutherland of Reay. The winner will receive £100 and £500 for their club.

The winners will be crowned at the 2015 Scottish Golf Awards at Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange on Friday, March 20, alongside others who have achieved excellence at all levels of the sport. Among those vying for Player of the Year are Stephen Gallacher, Kylie Walker, and Amateur Champion Bradley Neil.

Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club won the RBS Junior Club of the Year award last year and Alistair Tait, ClubGolf coordinator, said: “It was a great boost and put us on the map, and there’s no doubt the wider public is now aware of the success of the club.

“The prize money meant we could buy training and warm up equipment including sets of junior clubs for children ranging from aged five upwards, which has freed up other funds to improve the practice area for ClubGolf coaching and our 117 junior members.”

Current Volunteer of the Year Liz Taylor, who was the first ClubGolf coordinator at Prestonfield Golf Club in Edinburgh, said: “Winning meant so much to all the volunteers and coaches because of what we do for the club and the local community, which resulted in junior membership going up from 10 to 155 in three years.

“The prize money is being used for wet weather facilities and for new equipment for the younger children, something we could not have done without the award.”

ClubGolf manager Jackie Davidson is delighted the hard work being done for junior golfers and the tireless enthusiasm of Scotland’s volunteers is being recognised once again.

She said: “The RBS Awards are one of the highlights of the year as it gives us an opportunity to showcase those who have dedicated so much time to their clubs and the ClubGolf programme.

“It is always a difficult task to choose the finalists as there are so many people committed to improving golf at the grass roots throughout Scotland. Our shortlists represent those clubs and individuals who we feel have done the most to encourage participation in the past year and we look forward to seeing the winners crowned at the Scottish Golf Awards.”

Last year’s glittering event, organised by the Scottish Golf Union and Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association, raised more than £40,000 for the game’s good causes through the Scottish Golf Charity.

Voting is now open for the RBS Junior Club and Volunteer of the Year on the ClubGolf Scotland website and tickets for the Scottish Golf Awards on Friday, March 20 are available here.