The Carnoustie Golf Memories group was launched in 2015. It uses golf to help people affected by dementia or memory loss come together on a weekly basis and share their personal recollections. Golf Memories is organised and run entirely by volunteers and financed by donations from the local community.
The majority of those who attend the group are in their late 70s.
Follow this link to read a heart-warming story about the group: Awakening Carnoustie golfing memories
It is a long established practice to give every hole on a golf course its own name. Carnoustie’s 10th takes its name from the last-night celebrations of a local lad, David Nicoll who was about to emigrate to South America.
He was due to sail from Dundee, but after spending the night out on the town with friends he staggered west towards Dundee but fell asleep on the 10th hole of the links. He awoke the next morning to find that he had not got far and had missed the boat. News of this unfortunate outcome reached his amused friends who laughingly renamed the location South America.
At the 1999 Open at Carnoustie, Jean Van De Velde, was a relatively unknown French golfer ranked 152 in the world, but his outstanding performance led to him approaching the last hole with a three shot lead. All he needed to win was a 6. The crowds were welcoming an almost certain champion, but that last hole went very wrong. His first shot was wayward, his second hit the grandstand, his third landed in the Barry Burn, then in a bunker. He eventually scored a 7 but despite this disastrous sequence, he managed to hold on to tie, only to lose the play-off to Scotland’s Paul Lawrie.
BBC commentator, Alex Hay while observing the unfolding disaster said ‘This could be one of the saddest moments in sport.’
Watch Jean’s unfolding disaster hereA few months after this infamous collapse, Jean returned to Carnoustie and played that notorious 18th hole again, this time using only one club… his putter! What did he score? A six! If only…