About the Seniors Section

The Seniors Section is an independent and informal group, separate from the main club sections. It was established in 2003 during Mick Wood’s time as Club Captain. The initiative came from Eddy Yates and Derek Shipley — Eddy acted as Convenor and organiser, while Derek served as Match Secretary.

From the start, it was agreed the Seniors would not be a formal section like the Ladies. Initially, play was on Wednesdays, before moving to the now-traditional Thursdays. During the winter league, a unique handicap system was introduced: the winner of each week’s game had their handicap cut by 2 shots, and the runner-up by 1 shot. The weekly winner received £10, and there was a draw for a sleeve of club-branded golf balls.

At the beginning, the group was gentlemen-only, but it soon became a mixed section — keeping the focus firmly on social golf and camaraderie.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

The first Borders trip was arranged by Eddy Yates and held at the Castle Hotel in Coldstream. The hotel had plenty of charm — with sloping, creaky floors and paper-thin walls — except for the spacious end room, where senior member Roddy Hermon held court.

Pre-dinner drinks were hosted in Roddy’s room, and dinners were a lively affair, with the entire hotel effectively ours for the trip. Let’s just say most found their way to bed in high spirits. Highlights included Roddy’s rousing rendition of “On Ilkla Moor Baht’at” and Eddy’s unforgettable mouth organ performances.

History of the Seniors Section

The Seniors Section has its origins in a group led by Roy Howes and Norman Harvey, the Dalry postie.

Roy subsequently moved back south, and Eddie Yates and Derek Shipley took over the running of the section. Derek introduced a handicap system whereby the winner’s handicap was reduced by two shots. A player could regain one shot after four weeks, and the second shot a further four weeks later. The idea was to give the less competitive players a better chance of winning.

Early on, the section introduced a league in 2000. Roddy Hermon had a great run of form at the beginning of the season, scoring an outstanding points total from the stipulated six cards. He then went on holiday to Australia and New Zealand. When he returned, he was still leading the league and subsequently became the winner.

Roddy bought a small cup as a trophy. It was named the Brown Cup after the then Secretary, Alan Brown.

At the time, the relationship between the Seniors Section and the Club Committee was not particularly good. Meetings were held to discuss the relationship. The outcome was that the Seniors Section would run its own affairs independently and would not be required to follow rules similar to those applying to the Ladies Section.

The Roddy Hermon XV Cup was presented to the Club for a golfers’ competition over 15 holes, played from the yellow tees and using the lower first green. The first winner was Gavin Aitkenhead.