Golf: Ice and easy game plan at Swanston

CAPITAL golfers are being urged to tee it up in a "Snow & Ice Open" being staged at Swanston next Wednesday.

The event is being based on Greenland's World Ice Golf Championships and will be a chance for golfers in and around Edinburgh to swing a club again as their courses are closed due to the snow and ice.

"As with most golfers right now, we're frustrated at the lack of opportunity to play golf so we've decided to do something about it," said Colin McClung of Swanston Golf.

"Stuart Campbell, our professional, has organised a 'Snow & Ice Golf Open' next Wednesday and to set up the course we're clearing the snow off six of the greens and Huxley tees on our nine-hole par-3 'Templar' course.

"We will use either tennis balls or golf balls (depending on the snow conditions on the day) with winter mats to ensure a good lie on the fairway!"

Entry for this Open competition is 5 and includes a mulled wine, dram or soft drink. The winner will receive a trophy, 50 per cent of the entry pot will be divided by the best three players and the balance will go to Forth 1's Cash-For-Kids appeal.

Meanwhile, McClung revealed he is considering adding an outdoor curling rink to the facilities at the go-ahead club if winters continue to be as bad as they have the last two years. "This week our greenkeepers have constructed a 40 metre-long ice rink - three inches of ice created by flooding water on to a compacted snow base - for outdoor curling during this cold spell," he explained.