Former Peterculter and Deeside Golf Club professional and Lossiemouth lad Ross McConnachie unveiled as Elgin Golf Club's new head pro
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
ROSS McConnachie says his appointment as Elgin Golf Club’s head professional will be like a homecoming.
For the 38-year-old was brought up in Lossiemouth, where his passion for the sport was ignited.
He won numerous titles at his hometown Moray Golf Club and recalls reaching the final of the five-day open at Elgin, where he begins his new job later this month.
“Growing up in Lossie, all my friends from school played golf and you spent your entire summer playing golf, sometimes against older guys who were pulling you on and many of them who remain friends to this day,” he said.
“I won the junior championship four times at Moray and won the Moray Open when I was just 18. I also won the north district under-14 and under-16 order of merit when I was there.
“But I always liked Elgin when I was younger. I had some good success there, always played their junior opens and though I didn’t always play their five-day, I did finish runner-up one year.
“Andrew Rollo beat me and I spoke to him just the other day. He seems to remember that we both played extremely well.
“The first hole at Elgin is notoriously difficult and I was nervous playing it at the final but I remember making a birdie three to get him on the ropes. But Andrew is a very good player and tough to beat.”
McConnachie was a talented footballer as a teenager, playing Highland League for Lossiemouth as well as starring in the juniors for Lossiemouth United.
But his main focus was golf and he took up a job in the Canary islands, working at a sports holiday complex in Lanzarote.
His boss was Inverness pro golfer Murray McCorquodale who encouraged him to return back to Scotland after almost four years, so he could do his PGA coaching qualifications.
For the next decade he was based in Aberdeen after landing the assistant professional job at Peterculter Golf Club.
Next post was as a teaching pro at Drumoig, near Dundee, for a year before returning to Peterculter for his first head professional position.
Last March he made the switch to Deeside Golf Club as their head pro and he will leave that position this month to make the move to Elgin.
“There’s a great buzz about the club just now and with John (Duguid, club manager) in charge and myself on board as well, there’s a good, positive and forward thinking team in place.
“The committee have been very supportive so far and looking to drive the club forward.
“Just this week, the practise facilities have been upgraded, the greenkeepers have done a great job fixing the practise bunker, levelling the driving range and putting in some baize down at the driving range.
“The club is in a strong position. Membership is really strong and we have a lot of good options with flexible memberships and different age groups.”
