Ishga extending its links with top-level golf

​Isgha’s involvement in the PGA Seniors Championship gave the Lewis-based cosmetics brand world-wide television exposure – and its founders an opportunity to play with the stars.
By Brian Wilson
Published 1st Sep 2023, 19:33 GMT
Hans Riessman, James Nesbitt, Gary Orr, Malcolm Macrae and Martin Macleod on the teeHans Riessman, James Nesbitt, Gary Orr, Malcolm Macrae and Martin Macleod on the tee
Hans Riessman, James Nesbitt, Gary Orr, Malcolm Macrae and Martin Macleod on the tee

​The Seniors Open, now part of the Legends Tour, is also linked to the WAPP Celebrity Series in which guests and sponsors play with pros and celebs over four days.

Last week’s event was held at Trump International in Aberdeenshire. Ishga co-founder, Martin Macleod, said: “Women’s golf has been a tremendous platform for Ishga and taken us into places we wouldn’t otherwise be.

“The Seniors Open was a natural extension to promote our men’s range, particularly as it was being played in Scotland. It’s another good event and tour for Ishga to be part of and there’s a big charitable element mixed in”.

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Martin and Ishga co-directors, Malcolm Macrae and Hans Riessman, teamed up with Irish actor James Nesbitt and tour pro, Gary Orr from Helensburgh, two-time seniors’ circuit winner.

It was a bit nerve-wracking”, said Martin (handicap 11). “The biggest gallery I had played to was the four coming behind on the first tee in Stornoway but there were about 300 watching when I drove off – straight down the middle”.

A few days hob-nobbing with the likes of Gordon Strachan, Damian Hill, Gavin Hastings and Teddy Sheringham was an acceptable break from processing seaweed, rounded off by a slightly surreal episode after play finished. A Trump staffer called for silence while “we take an incoming call” at which point a familiar voice boomed out from the speakers, welcoming them to “the most beautiful golf course in the world”.