On Saturday 19th September 2015 Cathcart Castle Golf Club hosted a special Greenlees Anniversary Tri-Am with players from 28 golf clubs to mark 75 years of the West of Scotland Ladies Inter Club Golf League founded by Ysobel Greenlees.
Cathcart Castle also provided a celebratory brochure about the young Mrs Greenlees and her pioneering idea.
Here is an Extract from the brochure - kindly produced by Jean Smith (Cathcart Castle Ladies Handicap Secretary and RLCGA's membership Secretary)
YSOBEL
GREENLEES
THE WEST
of SCOTLAND LADIES INTER CLUB GOLF LEAGUE
75th
Anniversary Year 2015
YSOBEL GREENLEES, golf internationalist
and captain of the British Ladies Team, was born in Glasgow in 1902, the
daughter of building contractor George Findlay (later a Bailie of Troon) and
his wife Jessie Greenlees of Campbeltown and daughter of the late Samuel
Greenlees. In 1919 age 17 she married her cousin Walter Greenlees, a son of the
distiller Samuel Greenlees Jnr who had made Scotch an international drink.
Ysobel and Walter settled in Monkland House, Troon,
and by 20 she had her son and daughter.
The
Greenlees families hailed from Kintyre and developed three
distilleries in Campbeltown (and one in Islay) and were founder members of
Machrihanish Golf Club in 1876. They pioneered the mass-marketing and exporting
of blended whiskies and soon became the largest holders in the world of
thoroughly matured Pure Malt Whisky.
Ysobel learned her golf at Prestwick St Nicholas,
which was instrumental in starting the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association, and
became Club Champion at age 25 before joining Troon where her husband played.
She became West of Scotland Champion in 1932; was a leading member of the first-ever
British ladies team which toured Australasia, via India, in 1935; and captained
Britain playing in France in 1938 when Britain beat France 7 and 2 at Golf de
Morvantaine, where the home nation was captained by Madame Danae Vagliano,
after whom the international Vagliano Trophy is named.
Ysobel founded the West of Scotland Ladies Inter Club League in 1930, for which
her husband donated the Greenlees Trophy. Her purpose in starting it was to give club
players, especially the younger ones, greater experience in playing competitive
match-play golf.
It was first played for in 1931 when Prestwick St
Nicholas won, after a play-off against Troon. From 1939, due to the War, the
League was suspended until 1949, when Troon won. She advertised in the Glasgow Herald inviting
more clubs to join in – creating a second division in 1954, and donating its
trophy, all followed by a third division in 1986.
She was a vivacious, powerful golfer, and when
playing in the Open competitions newspapers reported “her golf gives more
aesthetic pleasure to the spectator than any other of the competitors.”
She
passed on in 1996, and today is remembered for “The Greenlees” league, now of
three divisions, playing in its 75th year of intense competition and
rivalry between 27 clubs across the West of Scotland each summer. It is unique
in Scotland.
FORMAT ---
The format was a Tri -am with the teams being drawn one member from each division - just to mix everybody up.
FORMAT ---
RESULTS PHOTOGRAPHS AND WINNERS :
 |
| Winners: Gill Hendry, Linda McDougall and Sharon Edge |
 |
| Runners Up: Margaret Gray, Alice Brown and Aileen Donaldson |
Only the second prize winners were there and Greenlees Secretary Anne Dunn is going to ask the others if they can come to the lunch on Greenlees Lunch on the 20th October.
Winners: - Gill Hendry ( Douglas Park) Sharon Edge (Lenzie) and Linda McDougall, (Greenock).
Winners: - Gill Hendry ( Douglas Park) Sharon Edge (Lenzie) and Linda McDougall, (Greenock).
2nd: Aileen Donaldson (West Kilbride), Margaret Gray (Old Ranfurly) and Alice Brown, (Bothwell Castle).
3rd: Jill Foggo (Milngavie), Eleanor Inglis (Largs) and Linda Hay (Eastwood).
Many thanks go to Cathcart Castle's Graeme and Jean Smith for advertising the Greenlees Trophy Celebration played on the 19th September in the Ayrshire Post.
SOME PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES OVER THE PAST 12 YEARS AND BEYOND !!
2003 WINNERS - COCHRANE CASTLE
2004 WINNERS -- RANFURLY CASTLE
2005 WINNERS - COCHRANE CASTLE
2006 WINNERS - COCHRANE CASTLE
2007 WINNERS - COCHRANE CASTLE
2008 WNNERS - TROON LADIES
2009 WINNERS - MILNGAVIE
2010 WINNERS - MILNGAVIE
2011 WINNERS - MILNGAVIE
2012 WINNERS - MILNGAVIE
2013 WINNERS - MILNGAVIE
2014 WINNERS - CATHKIN BRAES
2015 WINNERS - KILMARNOCK BARASSIE
2016 WINNERS - MILNGAVIE
2017 WINNERS - CATHKIN BRAES
2018 WINNERS - TROON LADIES
2019 WINNERS - CATHKIN BRAES
SOME PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES OVER THE PAST 12 YEARS AND BEYOND !!
2003 WINNERS - COCHRANE CASTLE
2004 WINNERS -- RANFURLY CASTLE
2005 WINNERS - COCHRANE CASTLE
2006 WINNERS - COCHRANE CASTLE
2007 WINNERS - COCHRANE CASTLE
2008 WNNERS - TROON LADIES
2009 WINNERS - MILNGAVIE
2010 WINNERS - MILNGAVIE
2011 WINNERS - MILNGAVIE
2012 WINNERS - MILNGAVIE
2013 WINNERS - MILNGAVIE
2014 WINNERS - CATHKIN BRAES
2015 WINNERS - KILMARNOCK BARASSIE
2016 WINNERS - MILNGAVIE
2017 WINNERS - CATHKIN BRAES
2018 WINNERS - TROON LADIES
2019 WINNERS - CATHKIN BRAES
2020 - No Matches played due to Covid19
2021 WINNERS - WILLIAMWOOD
SOME VIDEOS OF WINNING TEAMS WITH GREENLEES SECRETARIES
2007 LUNCH AT PRESTWICK ST NICHOLAS WINNING TEAM COCHRANE CASTLE -- SECRETARY WILLEEN MCCALLUM
The Presentation Speeches of the Greenlees Trophy to Rosemary Donaldson Troon, Rosa Maxwell Prestwick St Nicholas and Pearl Orr Cochrane Castle . Plus Willeen McCallum (Greenlees Secretary)
2010 LUNCH AT WEST KILBRIDE WINNING TEAM MILNGAVIE - SECRETARY FIONA ROGER
The 2010 West of Scotland Greenlees Trophy Presentations. Fiona Roger the Greenlees Secretary announces the winners and West Kilbride's Ladies Captain Phyllis Howie presents the Trophies to Milngavie (Greenlees Champions), Cathkin Braes (Runners Up), Prestwick St Nicholas (Division 2 Winners) and Largs (Division 3 Winners)
2011 GREENLEES LUNCH AT WHITECRAIGS GOLF CLUB - WINNING TEAM MILNGAVIE - SECRETARY FIONA ROGER
The 2011 West of Scotland Greenlees Trophy lunch and Presentation of Trophies took place at Whitecraigs Golf Club. Sheila Adams of Loudoun Gowf was presented with the Division 3 Trophy, Aileen Donaldson of West Kilbride the 2nd Division Trophy and Anna Telfer from Milngavie the Greenlees Trophy which they won for the 3rd year in a row. Fiona Roger the Greenlees Secretary for the West of Scotland chaired the lunch and presentation.
2012 GREENLEES LUNCH AT WILLIAMWOOD GOLF CLUB - WINNING TEAM MILNGAVIE -- SECRETARY ANNE DUNN
The 2012 Greenlees Lunch and Presentation of Trophies. Milngavie win the Greenlees Trophy for the 4th year in a row and Anna Telfer (Team Captain) gives her vote of thanks. Loudoun Gowf win Division 2 and Liz Keohone gives her vote of thanks. Anne Dunn the Greenlees Secretary reads out the winners and Williamwood's Jinty Roger presents the trophies
2015 GREENLEES LUNCH AT CATHCART CASTLE GOLF CLUB - WINNING TEAM KILMARNOCK BRASSIE - SECRETARY ANNE DUNN
The 2015 Greenlees Trophy Winners are presented at the annual Greenlees Lunch. This year it was held at Cathcart Castle in its 75th Anniversary of the Greenlees Matches -- Winners were the Greenlees Trophy Kilmarnock Barassie - 1st Division - Cathcart Castle and Division 3 Haggs Castle. Cathcart Castle's Pat Lavelle presented the prizes and Greenlees Secretary Anne Dunn announced the winners
SOME VIDEOS OF WINNING TEAMS WITH GREENLEES SECRETARIES
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| L TO R : Willeen McCallum, Anne Dunn and Fiona Roger |
2007 LUNCH AT PRESTWICK ST NICHOLAS WINNING TEAM COCHRANE CASTLE -- SECRETARY WILLEEN MCCALLUM
The Presentation Speeches of the Greenlees Trophy to Rosemary Donaldson Troon, Rosa Maxwell Prestwick St Nicholas and Pearl Orr Cochrane Castle . Plus Willeen McCallum (Greenlees Secretary)
2010 LUNCH AT WEST KILBRIDE WINNING TEAM MILNGAVIE - SECRETARY FIONA ROGER
The 2010 West of Scotland Greenlees Trophy Presentations. Fiona Roger the Greenlees Secretary announces the winners and West Kilbride's Ladies Captain Phyllis Howie presents the Trophies to Milngavie (Greenlees Champions), Cathkin Braes (Runners Up), Prestwick St Nicholas (Division 2 Winners) and Largs (Division 3 Winners)
2011 GREENLEES LUNCH AT WHITECRAIGS GOLF CLUB - WINNING TEAM MILNGAVIE - SECRETARY FIONA ROGER
The 2011 West of Scotland Greenlees Trophy lunch and Presentation of Trophies took place at Whitecraigs Golf Club. Sheila Adams of Loudoun Gowf was presented with the Division 3 Trophy, Aileen Donaldson of West Kilbride the 2nd Division Trophy and Anna Telfer from Milngavie the Greenlees Trophy which they won for the 3rd year in a row. Fiona Roger the Greenlees Secretary for the West of Scotland chaired the lunch and presentation.
2012 GREENLEES LUNCH AT WILLIAMWOOD GOLF CLUB - WINNING TEAM MILNGAVIE -- SECRETARY ANNE DUNN
The 2012 Greenlees Lunch and Presentation of Trophies. Milngavie win the Greenlees Trophy for the 4th year in a row and Anna Telfer (Team Captain) gives her vote of thanks. Loudoun Gowf win Division 2 and Liz Keohone gives her vote of thanks. Anne Dunn the Greenlees Secretary reads out the winners and Williamwood's Jinty Roger presents the trophies
2015 GREENLEES LUNCH AT CATHCART CASTLE GOLF CLUB - WINNING TEAM KILMARNOCK BRASSIE - SECRETARY ANNE DUNN
The 2015 Greenlees Trophy Winners are presented at the annual Greenlees Lunch. This year it was held at Cathcart Castle in its 75th Anniversary of the Greenlees Matches -- Winners were the Greenlees Trophy Kilmarnock Barassie - 1st Division - Cathcart Castle and Division 3 Haggs Castle. Cathcart Castle's Pat Lavelle presented the prizes and Greenlees Secretary Anne Dunn announced the winners
