A PEEBLES golfer has broken his local course’s record with an “incredible” score.

Darren Howie, 20, went round Peebles golf course in 59 strokes on Wednesday evening (July 15).

Peebles Golf Club’s marketing convenor Ross Duncan described the 11-under-par score as “incredible”, adding that it is “a very rare feat anywhere in the country”.

Howie told the Peeblesshire News: “It was good fun and those rounds don’t come often, so you enjoy them when they happen.”

Howie’s success comes in the same week that his older brother, Craig, a professional golfer, achieved joint-fourth in the Austrian Open.

In Peebles on Wednesday, Howie finished his shift in the town’s Sainsbury’s store and then teed off at around 5pm with Alan Turnbull and Colin Fraser.

Howie said he would normally be playing in tournaments across Britain and Europe at this time of year, but the coronavirus lockdown has forced him to compete locally instead.

On Wednesday, Howie ended up breaking his own course record of 61 (a record which Jamie Morris recently equalled).

“I got more going my way than what I missed,” said Howie, reflecting on his score of 59.

Weighing up the significance of the achievement, the Scotland internationalist said “it’s definitely up there” among his career highlights.