Carnoustie Caledonia - Shetland Connection

One April in the early 1970s, two gentlemen, one of whom was a Shetlander, on a golfing holiday in Scotland visited Carnoustie on the recommendation of Ron Moir, a Caledonia member who had strong business and social connections in Shetland. Ron introduced them as visitors to the club. The name of the Shetlander was G.W. 'Dodie' Leask, who made the acquaintance of several club members on this first visit. Thereafter, Dodie returned each April accompanied from early days by his two sons and by his stalwart friend, Jimmy Burgess - fellow past Guiser Jarl of Up Helly A, and accordionist extraordinaire.

This group who became regular and popular frequenters of the club, increased in number year by year to an extent that an official inter-club match was instituted, on a purely personal basis, between Caledonia members and visiting Shetlanders whole home club was Dale Golf Club, just outside Lerwick. Dodie Leask donated the 'Viking Trophy', a Norseman's helmet in silver, crafted by Jim Kerr, a Lerwick art teacher and silversmith of Angus extraction, for annual competition. In its heyday, the Wednesday evening of the inter-club match was a social highlight of musical and other entertainment. The whole event came to acquire semi-official status.

In 1996, the Shetlanders' visit was moved from April to September for consideration of weather and course condition. Reciprocal visits by Caledonia members to Dale Club in Shetland were much less frequent - an initial match in September 1984 being followed by sporadic visits over subsequent years.

Reflecting changing times and the dispersal of some of the early enthusiasts, the Shetlanders intimated that their visit in September 2001 would be their last. Farewells were said by Jimmy Burgess and by Dodie Leask, who left his 'Viking Trophy' in the club's trophy cabinet as a memento of a long association.

The Shetland Connection