Thurso's Mark Parsonage practising at the club's new David Lyall indoor facility

Thurso 12 year old wins senior club medal

Thurso Golf Club 12 year old, Mark Parsonage, won the Club’s opening senior medal of the year this month, consigning his runner up positions in the November and December events - both decided on countback - to distant memory.

In what his father, Bob Parsonage, the Club’s vice-captain and one of its seven clubgolf Level 1 coaches, describes as “bitterly cold, treacherous conditions with some ice on the fairways and the greens”, Mark finished four ahead of his nearest opponent with a net score of 67.

 

Thurso has a number of very talented adult members making his feat even more creditable.

 

His first medal completes a successful membership year for the youngster who achieved his first handicap (which he has since reduced to 20) and won the Club’s Ronnie Williamson Cup.  Equally audacious, he knocked out his school maths teacher from the first round of the Club’s knock out championships in the summer.

 

Mark, who first played golf with a set of plastic clubs as a 12 month older toddler, was one of Thurso Golf Club’s first intake of children through the clubgolf. He progressed quickly through the programme and together with his 10 year old sister, Lindsay, makes the regular trip to Royal Dornoch for coaching with Professional Gary Dingwall.  Lindsay also won the regional final and played in the 2007 Grand Final of the HSBC Wee Wonders at St Andrews

 

“Mark has set himself the target of getting his handicap into single figures this year,” said Mr Parsonage.  “He wants to get into the Nick Faldo Junior Series which means he has to get to eight before June.  It’s a tall order but you never know; the lesson he had yesterday at Dornoch put an extra 20 yards onto his game.”

 

Complementing his practice at the club, and that of another promising youngster, Peter Sangster (aged 13), is the new David Lyall indoor coaching facility, opened last summer after funding from the Highland 2007 Caithness Community Programme, Highland 2007, Awards for All and clubgolf.

 

“Before we had the range it was impossible to practice in the winter,” said Mr Parsonage.  “The new range is fantastic and Mark goes up there three times a week, warming up for between 10 or 20 minutes.”

 

As one of the Club’s seven six clubgolf Level 1 coaches, Mr Parsonage and the other coaches spend much of his their spare time on Friday evenings at the Club coaching the ever expanding junior section.

 

“We have 76 junior members and a good proportion of girls,” he added. “The challenge was always going to be getting more coaches on board and this year we are trying to get more parents involved.  We have another two, possibly three, coaches going through the training this year."