Hazlehead Golf Club’s senior men’s section have competed for the Bobby Auld putter to mark what would have been the club legend’s 100th birthday.
Along with being a Hazlehead Golf Club member for many years, Auld was also a former footballer with Dundee and Buckie Thistle and a member of the Fraserburgh side that defeated Dundee in 1959 in one of the great Scottish Cup upsets.
When Auld died in 1995, a specially-made hickory-shaft putter was donated by American Karsten Solheim, inventor of the Ping putter, to Auld’s family for an annual competition at Hazlehead Golf Club.
Seniors at the Aberdeen club play a greensomes competition for the putter, which was handmade at Ping’s factory in Phoenix.
The competition was extra special this year as Auld would have turned 100 later this month.
Auld’s son, also named Bobby, said: “My father played with a Ping putter which had Auld written down the side.
“My father died in April and later that year I was down at the Open at St Andrew’s at the Ping stand.
“I was speaking to one of their representatives and telling them we wanted to get one of these Ping Auld putters for the Hazlehead seniors to play for in memory of my father.
“The representative said that type of putter was now out of existence and wasn’t being made anymore.
“I wasn’t aware but Karsten Solheim, the chairman of Ping, was listening to the conversation.
“He came over and told me he would ensure that the putter was made by hand in their factory and flown across to me.
“They had to get a hickory shaft flown to the factory to finish it off. We received the putter in November with no charge to me whatsoever.
“It was a gift from Karsten Solheim.
“We got a certificate made out and signed by Karsten and my mother which is on display at Hazlehead Golf Club along with the putter.”
A teammate of Celtic hero
A greensomes competition has been held every year with Mike Falconer and John Dewar triumphing at this year’s tournament on Thursday.
Auld added: “The day was perfect and I think the seniors really enjoyed it.
“The putter stays in the glass cabinet in the Hazlehead clubhouse.
“It comes out for about five minutes for the prizegiving and is presented to the winners before being put straight back into the cabinet.”
During Auld senior’s football career, he also had a spell at Welsh side Llanelli Town, playing in the same team as Celtic’s legendary manager Jock Stein before his transfer to the Hoops.
