Lawrie banned for doing what most of us do every year!

[Dodger]

Next time you think about slagging the Greeny off think twice!!

Lawrie falls out with Meldrum House head greenkeeper.

- membership is terminated

FROM TODAY'S PRESS AND JOURNAL
Former Open champion Paul Lawrie has been banned by an exclusive Aberdeenshire golf club for criticising the condition of its greens.
The Aberdonian, a member of £1,500-a-year Meldrum House Golf Club at Oldmeldrum, had a row with its head greenkeeper.
But his comments about the conditon of the greens angered the club's directors who terminated his membership. Mr Lawrie was also told he is no longer welcome to use its practice facilities or work with coach and club head professional Neil Marr at the Aberdeenshire course.
The golfer is understood to have send head greenkeeper Kenny Harper a series of text messages from his mobile phone.
A club source said: " Apparently, it all started off as a bit of a joke, a bit of friendly banter. Paul has known Kenny for years but had not been in touch with him for a while.
"So when the greenkeeper got a text from him saying the Meldrum House greens were in a bit of a state, he was not a happy man.
"Kenny sent an irate text straight back, saying he did not think much of Paul's golfing abilities."
It is understood one of Mr Lawie's texts read:
"Deeside greens awesome, Meldrum House s****."
The source added: "Hopefully, Paul will be man enough to apolgise and the matter will soon be resolved."
Last night, the club said in a statement:
"Meldrum House Golf Club has extended courtesy of its golf course and extensive practice facilities to Paul Lawrie for more than five years and in that time enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship.
"While the club recognises that any member, or qualified individual, has the right to offer constructive input into the course and facilities at Meldrum House, it finds Mr Lawrie's recent conduct towards members of staff wholly unacceptable and certainly not befitting the status he has been granted at the club or as a professional golfer.
"As a result, the directrors have asked Mr Lawrie not to return to Meldrum House. This situation would be reviewed if a full and unreserved apology was made to the club and staff.
"Mr Lawrie's relationship with the club's professional, Neil Marr, his coach for the past two years, is subject to another matter and not for discussion at this time."
Paul Lawrie was formerly attached to Meldrum House but is now affiliated with The Carrick at Loch Lomond course

 

[stevek1969]

A bit of dummy spitting there me thinks ,good post that.

 

[USER1999]

? Wtf? Not sure who has what end of the stick here. A bit of banter gone wrong? A complaint that hurts? a leaked private message?

This whole thing stinks.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

If every club banned a member everytime one of them critiscised the greens there would be a lot of empty clubhouses up and down the nation. I think its clearly a bit of banter that has got out of hand and the pink gin brigade have got involved and made a bit of publicity for the course and themselves.

Personally I think it would surely have been better for their image to keep this in house and to at least get the reflected glory of having a European Tour player attached to the club.

Very poor show all round (including Lawrie)

 

[mono217]

Absolutley stupid we the juniors text bob the greenkeeper all the time and tell him about the course he explains why an well have banter and we all take it in our stride.

 

[stevek1969]

Not just a European Tour player Homer but a former Open Champion not many clubs in this country can claim that.

 

[GRAEMBO]

Serves him right!! Useless no-mark of a golfer!!

 

[mono217]

Serves him right!! Useless no-mark of a golfer!!

Do you play golf or what because he is no no mark it seems you have come on here to sell an xbox and thats that because you havnt a clue he is an open champion you dont get one of them every 10 mins.

 

[Golfmmad]

Nice one mono

Bet you give him some stick, scouse style

Golfmmad.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Mono I take it back. Finally a post with some balls. Well said.

 

[KeefG]

To be fair to Graembo, he has a point!

Apart from a decent spell around 1999 & 2000 when he won 2 top events and the Open, what has he achieved in golf?

He couldnt hack it on the PGA Tour and lost his card there in 2004 and hasnt won a single thing since 2002....

He hasnt exactly set the golfing world alight has he?

 

[Atticus_Finch]

Serves him right!! Useless no-mark of a golfer!!

Do you play golf or what because he is no no mark it seems you have come on here to sell an xbox and thats that because you havnt a clue he is an open champion you dont get one of them every 10 mins.

Touché

 

[KeefG]

And, whilst I'm on the subject....he didnt exactly "win" The Open did he? He had it handed to him because Van de Velde made a pigs ear of his 72nd hole.

Lawrie was never in the lead or tied for the lead for 71 of the 72 holes....a fluky win if ever there was one!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

At the end of the day (it gets dark!) it still says Paul Lawrie - Open Champion. Bit like Man Utd tonight - didn't set the world alight but got the job done. I agree he hasn't set the world alight but look at Andrew Coltart. Dropped out of the game completely after losing his card and then suddenly comes back a Q school last year and is back out there. Just because a player has a dip doesn't make him a non-entity

 

[KeefG]

Just because a player has a dip doesn't make him a non-entity

A dip? For 7 years i'd say that was more than "a dip" wouldnt you?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I agree that it has been a long time but there are many others on tour that haven't one in ages or at all so you can't take away what he has acheived. His is still a major winner and I think the club in question acted hastily to cut their ties to that link.

 

[Herbie]

It is a little bit of a surprise and I think there is an awful lot more to it that we may never know about.

A member should have the right to make comment on the facilities/greens etc and a green keeper should not command such influence to bring about such decisions unless they are an owner. I think there is a lot more to this.

 

[GRAEMBO]

mono i do play golf yes, forums are all about opinion my friend and if you dont agree with mine then fine...no need for the aggressive/slanging post!

what has he won since he was handed the open on a plate? how many top tens has he had?

he was at a coaching day with clubgolfer that i was at and is an arrogant prat! so thats why i have my opinion...

 

[Smiffy]

Was someone selling an x-box?
Bugger. I missed out on that

 

[Atticus_Finch]

And, whilst I'm on the subject....he didnt exactly "win" The Open did he? He had it handed to him because Van de Velde made a pigs ear of his 72nd hole.

Lawrie was never in the lead or tied for the lead for 71 of the 72 holes....a fluky win if ever there was one!

Utter Tosh!

I was there the day Lawrie won his Open and to say his win was "Fluky" is utter codswallop!
He came from 10 shots back on the final day.(something Tiger's yet to do BTW)
Anyone who hits a 67 at Carnoustie in those conditions deserves everything that's coming to him.
It's not his fault that some French guy lost his head.

Incedently, his 4 iron to the last on the play off is still one of the greatest shots I've seen under pressure and very much overlooked in the melee that followed Van de veldes collapse.