ELEANOR CANNON TAKES UP HER NEW ROLL AS FIRST SCOTTISH GOLF LIMITED CHIEF

Eleanor Cannon

On Thursday morning (1st October 2015 )  Ranfurly Castle's Eleanor Cannon will officially become the inaugural chair of Scottish Golf Limited, what will be – following the long overdue amalgamation of the Scottish Golf Union and the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association – the governing body of amateur golf in this country
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SCOTTISH GOLF AIMS TO BOOST CLUB MEMBERSHIP WITH NEW CARD

Exclusive to members of SGU and SLGA affiliated golf clubs, the new Scottish Golf Membership Card will add value to your membership and bring you a number of national benefits and special offers to enhance your enjoyment of playing golf in Scotland. The Card will be sent to you via your club in June 2014!

Sponsored by SSE Scottish Hydro as part of their support of Scottish Golf, the Card has been created jointly by the Scottish Golf Union and Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association, and is designed to identify golf club members and offer preferential benefits in addition to your existing club membership.

The Scottish Golf Membership Card will be personalised with your name, club and CDH (Centralised Database of Handicap) number. This will help identify you as a member when you are at other clubs, whether playing a Club Open or playing as a visitor, and can be used to access a number of member benefits including:

• Preferential green fee rates at leading Championship golf courses
• Member discounts at other participating Scottish clubs
• Exclusive competitions from our sponsors SSE Scottish Hydro
• Special offers with our partners including TaylorMade, adidas-Golf, Jewson and GolfKings Travel
• Discounted tickets for the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and SSE Scottish Senior Open
• The chance to win a place in the Scottish Hydro Challenge Pro-Am and SSE Scottish Senior Open Pro-Am

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

SGU DEVELOPMENT OFFICERS

SGU SOCIAL MEDIA SEMINAR

AMALGAMATION UPDATE

The Amalgamation Group wants to receive constructive feedback from everyone with the SLGA and SGU, inlcuding Directors, County committees, golf clubs and golf club members.  --- Click on the following link ----- Minutes 12 March
Please send your feedback to secretary@slga.co.uk or by post to the SLGA Office in Perth.

NEW SGU CLUB CARD

2013 SCOTTISH GOLF AWARDS

Sandy Lyle

Sandy Lyle received the Scottish Lifetime Achievement Award last night at the Scottish Golf Awards.
Jack McDonald from Kilmarnock Barassie won the Scottish Amateur Golfer of the year award and Laura Murray the SLGA order of Merit award(see video below)and Jessica Meek the SLGA Girls merit Award

To see some PHOTOGRAPHS from the evening CLICK HERE. Then press SLIDESHOW

LAURA MURRAY RECEIVES HER SLGA ORDER OF MERIT AWARD

SCOTLAND FOOTBALL MANAGER GORDON STRACHAN
PRESENTS SANDY WITH HIS AWARD

DOUGIE DONNELLY INTERVIEWS SANDY LYLE

In the 25th anniversary year of his US Masters triumph at Augusta National, Sandy Lyle MBE spoke of his immense pride after receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the glittering 2013 Scottish Golf Awards.

 Before a sell-out crowd of almost 600 guests at the annual showpiece jointly-organised by the Scottish Golf Union and Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association, the two-time Major champion received a richly-deserved standing ovation as he collected the final award of the night. Lyle, who won The Open Championship at Royal St George’s in 1985 before making history by becoming the first Briton to claim the Green Jacket three years later, became one of the world’s leading golfers in the 1980s and is forever regarded as a member of Europe’s ‘Big Five’ during that era.

After amassing 30 professional wins and playing on five Ryder Cup sides, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012 and has now entered Scottish Golf’s equivalent, joining previous inductees Sam Torrance, Colin Montgomerie and Paul Lawrie. “It was a wonderful night at the 2013 Scottish Golf Awards at the Hilton Glasgow,” said Lyle, 55. “What an honour it was to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award in front of Scotland’s golf fans in Glasgow, so close to my family heritage in Milngavie.

It was also wonderful to have my wife, Jolande, and four children present at the awards dinner. “It really doesn’t seem like 25 years ago that I won at Augusta National, but it’s obviously a memory that will live with me forever. “I’ve been lucky to have enjoyed a great career and it was nice to reflect on it in Glasgow.

Well done to all the award winners and thank you to the Scottish Golf Union and the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association for organising a fantastic occasion.” During a night to celebrate Scottish golf at all levels after a fantastic 12 months at amateur and professional level, Lyle was reacquainted with the Claret Jug and the Ryder Cup – among six trophies on show for dinner guests during a wonderful evening which raised thousands of pounds for junior golf in Scotland. Lyle also presented Alford’s Laura Murray with the SLGA Ladies Order of Merit award, before accepting his own Lifetime Achievement accolade from another icon of the 1980s, the Scotland football manager Gordon Strachan.

Other famous personalities from across Scottish sport who gathered included Stephen Gallacher, the recent winner of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, who presented the Amateur Golfer of the Year award to Jack McDonald of Kilmarnock (Barassie). Gallacher walked away with the Shot of the Year award after his heroics in Dubai, while Ryder Cup hero Paul Lawrie won the prestigious Player of the Year award. Craig Brown, manager of Lawrie’s beloved Aberdeen, received the award on his behalf, with other sports celebrities in attendance including golfer Alastair Forsyth, Scotland’s curling queen Eve Muirhead and Grand Slam winning rugby hero Tony Stanger.

 Among other awards presented on the night, Scotland’s victorious Men’s Home Internationals team won the fierce fight for Team of the Year, while Bradley Neil accepted the Boys’ Order of Merit title on behalf of his Team GB gold medal-winning team-mate Ewan Scott from St Andrews. The awards also recognised the efforts of those involved at the grass roots level of the game, with the RBS Volunteer of the Year award going to Shirley Murray from Torvean, while Central region club Strathendrick triumphed in the RBS Junior Club of the Year.

 Another St Andrews player, Lauren Whyte, the 2012 Scottish Girls champion, was also the second recipient of The Adam Hunter Award, created following the death in 2011 of the ex-European Tour player and coach. Stephen McAllister, a former close tour colleague of Hunter’s, was appropriately on hand to accept Whyte’s £500 grant towards her coaching and development.

 Meanwhile, proceeds from the Jewson Long Putt Challenge went to Lyle’s nominated charity – The Brain Tumour Charity. On the day of Bandanas for Brain Tumours, Sandy and dinner guests donned bandanas for the second biggest Brain Research Charity in the world focussing on research.

 The full list of winners from the 2013 Scottish Golf Awards reads below:

 2013 Scottish Golf Awards – List of winners 

 Amateur Golfer of the Year - Jack McDonald
 SLGA Girls Order of Merit - Jessica Meek
 Team of the Year - Scotland Men’s Team
 SGU Seniors Order of Merit - David Gardner
 SGU Boy's Order of Merit - Ewan Scott
 SLGA Ladies Order of Merit - Laura Murray
 SGU Men's Order of Merit - Scott Borrowman
 Junior Club of the Year - Strathendrick
 Volunteer of the Year - Shirley Murray
 Adam Hunter Award - Lauren Whyte
 Shot of the Year - Stephen Gallacher
 Player of the Year - Paul Lawrie Lifetime Achievement Award - Sandy Lyle

SGU February Newsletter

Send to Committee FEBRUARY 2013 - ISSUE NO 61 Welcome to the SGU Club e-bulletin Welcome to February’s SGU Club e-bulletin. The new golf season is fast approaching and this month’s newsletter endeavours to help you and your committee keep up-to-date with the latest advice and support on offer from your governing body. Committee Update – Winning the Membership Numbers Game The new SGU Committee Update (Issue 16) is now available to download with our regular compilation of features timed to coincide with some of the challenges faced by clubs ahead of a new golfing season.  »Find out more Club Feature of the Month - Elmwood Golf Fife club Elmwood are celebrating this month after being awarded golf’s international ecolabel, GEO Certified. In our latest monthly club feature, check out the story behind their success.  »Find out more Final Leg of the SGU Club Seminar Roadshow The final two dates of our popular Club Seminar Roadshow take place next week, with a limited number of spaces still available at Renfrew GC (19 February) and two sessions at Bothwell Castle GC (20 February). Hurry to book your place!  »Find out more Climate Change Fund – Your Club Could Qualify Clubs that set themselves up as a community group or allow the wider community to use their clubhouse could benefit from a new Government fund aimed at improving energy efficiency in facilities. »Find out more Forthcoming CMAE Seminars – Book Your Place The CMAE is staging two seminars on Wednesday 13 March. The first, held during the day at Dunblane New GC, will focus on Retention, Recruitment and Revenue Generation with Quantum Marketing’s Glen Cook, while the evening seminar sees the return of leading speaker Greg Patterson discussing ideas learned at the recent CMAA World Conference.  »Book your place  New Free Golf Course Management System Available SGU Golf Services Manager Kevin Weir helped launch a new free and easy to use online system which helps courses manage themselves more sustainably and efficiently. Promoted by the R&A, CourseTracker is designed for course managers and club secretaries to monitor performance.  »Find out more Win £2,000 at the Community Sport and Recreation Awards Golf clubs can now apply for the 2013 Community Sport and Recreation Awards, designed to highlight work across the two sectors. Applications from all types of sport are being encouraged, with the overall winner banking £2,000 and other £1,000 prizes on offer.  »Find out more ClubGolf Summer Festival Returns Following on from last year’s great success, ClubGolf will again be staging its ClubGolf Festival this summer from 1 – 31 July to encourage even more youngsters to take up golf and join their local club. Find out how your club can get involved and benefit from the forthcoming activities.  »Find out more New Advice for Handicap Convenors New information packs are now available online for handicap convenors, highlighting some key aspects of handicapping – including an adverse weather pack and information for running a competition where players play from different tees.  »Find out more Promote Your Club on Twitter – Free of Charge! A growing number of Scottish golf clubs are taking to social media to promote and market their clubs for FREE. Over 70 clubs are now ‘following’ the SGU on Twitter @SGUGolf, so sign up to enjoy the benefits.  »Find out more Jobs in Golf – Secretary/Treasurer at Largs One of Ayrshire’s premier golf clubs, Largs, is currently recruiting for a new Secretary/Treasurer. If you are interested in a key position at this historic club, then please apply before the 21 February closing date. »Find out more Vote for Scotland’s Best Experience Our friends at Bunkered and VisitScotland are seeking to find the golf club you think offers ‘Scotland's Best Experience’, from the quality of the course to the catering in the clubhouse. Place a vote before the 28 February closing date and you could win a round with Sam Torrance.  »Find out more Scottish Golf Awards – See Sandy Honoured in Glasgow Next month’s Scottish Golf Awards are nearly sold out, but a limited number of tickets are still available if you want to join the 500+ crowd to pay tribute to Sandy Lyle as he receives his Lifetime Achievement Award and the rest of the 2012 winners.  »Find out more Keep visiting scottishgolf.org for all the latest news, results, offers and information from the Scottish Golf Union. THE SGU TEAM Send to Committee Unsubscribe Now SCOTTISH GOLF UNION, The Dukes, St Andrews, KY16 8NX Tel: +44 (0)1334 466477 | Fax: +44 (0)1334 461361 | SGU Enquiries: sgu@scottishgolf.org

SGU JANUARY NEWSLETTER

Happy New Year and welcome to the first edition of the SGU Club e-bulletin in 2013. We hope you enjoyed the festive period and are looking forward to the new season with optimism. Our monthly newsletter will continue to bring you the latest news, guidance and club services from the SGU for you and your committee.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE NEWSLETTER

SGU December e -Bulletin

Send to Committee DECEMBER 2012 - ISSUE NO 59 Welcome to the SGU Club e-bulletin Welcome to the December edition of the SGU Club e-bulletin, keeping you and your committee up-to-date with the latest news, services and resources for affiliated clubs across Scotland. It may be a quiet time of year on the playing side, but there is much activity going on behind the scenes both at clubs and here at The Duke's as we plan ahead to the 2013 golf season. Download the Latest Committee Update This month's SGU Committee Update features a look at how your club can prepare for competitive golf this winter – weather pending of course, the opportunity to win a round at Turnberry by taking part in the National Golf Monitor and details of funding available to assist you with the installation of internet tee-time booking.  »Find out more Joint Group Re-Established to Progress Amalgamation Discussions The process for exploring the possible amalgamation of the SGU and SLGA has moved forward with the re-establishment of a Joint Group while Alastair Thornton, a Sheriff (Kirkcaldy) and former solicitor, has been appointed the new independent chair of the group.  »Find out more Win £1500 for your Club's Junior Section Nominations for this year's RBS Junior Club of the Year are now open, with £1500 up for grabs to the winning club, while we are also looking for your club's unsung heroes for the RBS Volunteer of the Year Award, offering a prize of £500 for the club and £100 for the top volunteer. Shortlisted finalists will be invited as guests to the prestigious Scottish Golf Awards, where the winners will be presented on stage alongside some of the leading names in the game.  »Find out more Club Seminars Back on the Road in January Our club seminars, hosted by our Development Officers Claire Middleton, Iain Evans and John Kemp with the support of Kevin Fish, have been a big success with 168 clubs and nearly 400 delegates attending to date. We have five more to follow in the New Year. Don't miss out – book your place now! »Find out more Make Sure your Club's Details are Updated on SGU Golf Central With golfers already planning their outings and open competitions for 2013, now is the time to ensure your Club's details are up-to-date on the popular SGU Golf Centralsection of our website. With 27,000 unique users per month, the website provides your club with free marketing to prospective customers and a great way of connecting with an enthusiastic golf audience. If you need a reminder of your log-in details for SGU Golf Central, please contact Audrey Rees, Marketing Administrator on 01334 466481 or emailsgugolfcentral@scottishgolf.org. Look Back on the Golfing Year with the Scottish Golf Press SGU TV caught up with The Scotsman's Martin Dempster, The Herald's Nick Rodger, The Courier's Steve Scott and Daily Express writer Jock MacVicar, who swapped their pens for the lens to give us their views and light hearted anecdotes on a very successful year for Scottish Golf.  Definitely worth a view of their rare TV appearance...  »Find out more Take Advantage of the Year of Natural Scotland 2013 VisitScotland's third of four focus years will be 'Year of Natural Scotland' providing the opportunity to celebrate our reputation as a land of outstanding beauty and promote ways in which visitors can enjoy our beautiful landscapes, wildlife and heritage responsibly. A range of marketing tools are available to clubs to help them capitalise, while a Growth Fund will support marketing projects aimed at increasing tourism spend while showcasing natural heritage.  »Find out more PGA Coaching Audit Now Live in Scotland We would like to invite clubs to encourage their PGA professionals, assistant professionals and volunteer coaches to complete a short questionnaire, designed by the PGA to gain a better understanding of the coaching landscape in Scotland. Its findings will ensure the PGA can better support coaches and inform future coaching plans centred on retaining more adult and junior golfers. »Survey for PGA Professionals & Assistant Professionals »Survey for Volunteer Coaches Proposed Rules of Golf Change to Prohibit Use of Anchored Strokes The R&A and USGA have announced proposed changes to the Rules of Golf that would prohibit anchoring the club in making a stroke and preserve the nature of 'the Stroke' as the swinging of the entire club at the ball.  The proposed new Rule 14-1b, would: prohibit strokes made with the club or a hand gripping the club held directly against the player's body, or with a forearm held against the body to establish an anchor point that indirectly anchors the club not alter current equipment rules and would allow the continued use of all conforming golf clubs, including belly-length and long putters, provided such clubs are not anchored during a stroke Prior to taking a final decision on the proposed Rule, which would take effect on 1 January 2016, the R&A and the USGA will consider any further comments and suggestions from throughout the golf community. »Find out more Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year! We would like to wish all club managers, secretaries and committee members all the best for the forthcoming festive season and thank you for continued support of the SGU during the past 12 months. Here's to a prosperous 2013 for all clubs in Scotland...   Keep visiting scottishgolf.org for all the latest news, results, offers and information from the Scottish Golf Union. THE SGU TEAM Send to Committee Unsubscribe Now

SCOTTISH GOLF UNION, The Dukes, St Andrews, KY16 8NX Tel: +44 (0)1334 466477 | Fax: +44 (0)1334 461361 | SGU Enquiries: sgu@scottishgolf.org

SLGA-SGU AMALGAMATION

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SLGA AND SGU
The process for exploring the possible amalgamation of the Scottish Golf Union (SGU) and the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association (SLGA) has moved forward with the re-establishment of a Joint Group tasked with developing an amalgamation proposal.
Substantive discussions on the formation of a single governing body for amateur golf in Scotland can now resume in a positive atmosphere.
Alastair Thornton, a Sheriff (Kirkcaldy) and former solicitor, has been appointed as Independent Chairman of the Joint Group. Thornton, a keen golfer, was for many years a partner in the Edinburgh solicitor practice, A abd W M Urquhart, where he specialised in litigation and mediation. He is also Past President of the Law Society of Scotland.
The SGU chairman, Tom Craig, said: “The SGU, in partnership with the SLGA, is committed to working towards a unified body in the Home of Golf.
“There is a great deal of common ground, and both bodies are ready to re-commence detailed consideration by means of a Joint Group. Alastair Thornton’s credentials are impressive and we look forward to working with him.”
Shona Malcolm, SLGA Chairman, added: “Alastair expressed an enthusiasm for being involved in the process. He is an excellent choice for this role and we are confident that our discussions, as a Joint Group, will enable us to progress this already lengthy amalgamation process to a conclusion which is in the best interests of Scottish amateur golf.”

November Issue of the SGU e-bulletin

NOVEMBER 2012 | ISSUE NO 38

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Welcome to the SGU Golfers e-bulletin The cream of European golf are sunning themselves in Dubai for the Tour finale, but there is still much to warm you all here in Scotland so keep reading to be kept up to date with all the latest news, competitions and offers from the SGU. Sandy to be Honoured at the 2013 Scottish Golf Awards Take your seat at the Glasgow Hilton on Friday 1 March and see Sandy Lyle receive a richly-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award – 25 years after his Masters win. The Scottish Golf Awards are a night not to be missed for a great evening of celebration and entertainment.  The package includes a four-course meal, wine and glass of champagne on arrival.  Book your ticket now!  »Find out more Win a Signed Paul Lawrie Book We have teamed-up with Paul Lawrie for a Christmas cracker of a competition! The former Open champion and Ryder Cup hero at Medinah has his new autobiography on the book shelves... and you can claim one of two personalized copies! To win a superb Christmas present, either for you, a family member or a friend, all you have to do is answer our question and enter. »Find out more Special Offer Winter Tee Times We have some fantastic course offers to entice you and your friends onto the course this autumn. Exclusively for members of SGU & SLGA affiliated clubs, why not play at the first Open Championship venue, Prestwick, for £280 for a fourball? Or try the fantastic test of The Duke's in St Andrews, priced just £25 for Scottish golf club members in January and February. »Find out more Want a Job in Golf? Check out our new Jobs in Golf page on the home page of the SGU website and see the latest senior vacancies. ClubGolf, the national junior programme, are currently recruiting for the roles of Scottish Golf Development Centre Project Manager and ClubGolf Events Coordinator. Falkirk and Windyhill Golf Clubs are also seeking new Club Managers.  »Find out more Win £500 as RBS Top Volunteer! As part of the 2013 Scottish Golf Awards, nominations are now open for the RBS Volunteer of the Year. Do you know any worthy candidates? Or why not self-nominate yourself? There's plenty of incentive, with £500 up for grabs for the top volunteer, plus invites to the awards night for all short-listed finalists. Download a nomination form now! »Find out more Festive Goodies in the Scottish Golf Shop Christmas is not far away now, so make sure you visit the Scottish Golf Shop to stock up on presents. Purchase clothing, caps and other accessories for the golfers in your life. You can also purchase the popular Scottish Golf Card and Life Membership via the Shop.  »Find out more Log in and register to the CDH The Scottish Golf Centralised Database of Handicaps (CDH) is live with more than 400 clubs now uploaded. If your club is on the system, you can receive your own individual, unique CDH ID Number to access and register. Among its aims, The CDH will provide a wide and vitally important range of benefits to affiliated golf club members.  »Find out more New-look Scotland Squads Announced Following a media launch in St Andrews, the SGU has announced expanded National Squads for 2012-13 with four pools now in place in pursuit of success – Men's Performance and Men's Transitional and Boys' Performance and Boys' Development. The changes have been designed to offer more players the chance to access support appropriate to their performance. »Find out more SGU Seals Four-Year Agreement with TaylorMade-Adidas Golf The SGU has extended its partnership with TaylorMade-adidas Golf, signing a notable four-year deal for the support of the National Squads with regard to clothing, shoes, equipment and accessories until the end of 2016. TaylorMade and adidas are recognised as two of the world's leading golf brands and squad players will also benefit from additional support and advice from the TMAG staff team.  »Find out more SGU Club Seminars Reminder The annual SGU Club Seminars are continuing across Scotland, so don't forget that you could attend to represent your club. This year's focus is on helping clubs run their businesses more effectively via the SGU support tools. Forthcoming seminars are at Glencorse GC (5 December) and Hirsel GC (6 December). Four representatives per club can attend.   »Find out more Are You on Camera on SGU TV? Highlights of the Belhaven Best Scottish Club Handicap Championship Grand Final 2012 are now showing on SGU TV in glorious HD format. Played at the Fairmont St Andrews, golfers from across Scotland gathered for the final showpiece. See if you are filmed in action at Scotland's biggest participation golf event. »Find out more Check out the latest Scottish Club Golfer Read a copy of the latest issue of Scottish Club Golfer magazine in clubhouses up and down the country. It features the latest news and views from the SGU and Scottish Golf as a whole. Alternatively, view the current issue on line by registering via the link.   »Find out more Meet the Press on SGU TV With the curtain coming down on the golf season, SGU TV is now screening a light-hearted chat with four well-known Scottish golf journalists as they reflect on their highlights of the year and offer some predictions for 2013. A TV experience not to be missed! »Find out more Join us on Twitter and Facebook The SGU's social media numbers continue to increase. Make sure you join us to keep up to date with the latest news across Scottish Golf – including events, players and clubs. Follow the SGU onTwitter @SGUGolf or Like us on Facebook. Keep visiting scottishgolf.org for all the latest news, results, offers and information from the Scottish Golf Union. THE SGU TEAM

SCOTTISH GOLF UNION, The Dukes, St Andrews, KY16 8NX
Tel: +44 (0)1334 466477 | Fax: +44 (0)1334 461361 | SGU Enquiries: sgu@scottishgolf.org
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