The winter months usually mean time is sparse for playing rounds of golf.
And this certainly was the case many years ago for one golf professional.
So much so, that he got involved in a completely different sport – playing ice hockey with the Dundee Rockets!
Graeme Hume was the professional at Downfield Golf Club from 1971-77, and he said: “Regarding playing then with the Rockets, I think I met Tom Stewart when he came to play golf at Downfield with Willie Murray.
“Although I used to go to all the Rockets games, I was not involved, just a spectator, and also went to some away games.
“Anyway, Tom allowed me to come up some Friday nights for a skate and let me have a go at some of the training exercises they did.
“I was not much good I might add but I enjoyed every minute and it kept me fit!”
This attracted Press attention at the time, as Graeme continued: “Ron Skelton, who was The Courier golf reporter at the time did a small article about what did golf pros do during the winter months and that was when he got a photo of me at the rink with the Rockets kit on.
“This was circa winter 1975, I think.
“I never had any thoughts of playing ice hockey.
“I just enjoyed watching the games and a bit of travelling with the team on away matches.”
Some great names were involved with the Rockets then, as Graeme went on: “Other Rockets names I remember were Mike Mazur (player-coach), Charlie Kinmond, Peem Lafferty, Joe Guilcher, Sammy McDonnald, Jimmy Penicuik, Mike Ward, Molly Reid, George Reid and Willie Murray.
“I also got to know Derek Reilly (Murrayfield Racers and GB) later in life and played some golf with him – a great centre ice, poacher!
“Some of the above are still playing hockey with the Old Timers on a Friday afternoon at Dundee Ice Arena.”
Graeme currently lives in the Falkirk area and concluded: “I loved the Downfield club and all the people there.
“We had a great junior section at that time.
“My good friend Bill Barclay was one of those juniors at that time – and he has just won the Senior Club Championship.”
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