Women Golfers Energised with New Revive Active Sponsorship

SCOTTISH GOLF NEWS RELEASE

Scottish Golf’s most popular women’s competition is to be energised with a new title sponsor for the next three years thanks to an exciting partnership with leading health foods brand Revive Active.

The Irish-based company, who recently announced a sponsorship deal with three-time London Marathon winner and world women’s marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe, will become headline sponsors of the Scottish Women’s Regional Medal finals, a nationwide event open to all female club members in Scotland.

Revive Active become the first brand to dedicate sponsorship to women’s golf in Scotland since the governing body became amalgamated in October 2015, with the announcement coming quickly after Scottish Golf secured PING as a partner for the revamped national Mixed Championship, which will take place for the first time this season.

As part of the agreement, Revive Active will also become the Official Super Food and Nutrition Partner for Scottish Golf, supporting the governing body’s campaign to encourage playing golf as part of a healthy lifestyle which can increase life expectancy by up to five years.

Revive Active were also one of the partners involved at Friday night's Scottish Golf Awards in Edinburgh, sponsoring the Senior Men's and Women's Orders of Merit Awards.

The Revive Active Scottish Women’s Regional Medal is the biggest event for women golfers in Scotland, with more than 300 clubs taking part each year. It offers the winners of the Silver and Bronze Medals at club level the opportunity to compete in one of four Regional Finals in May and June, with the leading 24 players being rewarded with a place in the Grand Final, hosted at the idyllic Perthshire venue of Crieff Golf Club on Sunday 16 July.

Daithi O’Connor, managing director of Revive Active, said: “Golf is great for your health and requires a keen eye for accuracy and quality. We’re therefore delighted to be partnering with Scottish Golf as the benefits of Revive Active’s Super Supplement range continue to grow in popularity throughout Scotland.

“We are proud to support women’s golf at club level and look forward to welcoming more than 600 competitors to the four regional finals who will hopefully enjoy sampling our products.”

Scottish Golf’s marketing and commercial director Ross Duncan added: “We are delighted to add Revive Active as the first sponsor of the Scottish Women’s Regional Medal which will undoubtedly enhance what is already an extremely popular event among our clubs.

“The brand is a great fit for us as we continue to promote the message that golf is a sport offering many healthy lifestyle benefits. The sponsorship market remains very challenging so we welcome the additional investment from a young, dynamic company and we look forward to working with the Revive Active team to deliver a successful long-term partnership.”

Revive Active’s products are available in pharmacies and health food outlets across the UK and Ireland, as well as online at www.reviveactive.com

This year’s Revive Active Scottish Women’s Regional Medal finals take place at Inverness (2 May), Kirkcaldy (16 May), Largs (26 May) and Torwoodlee (16 June).

Further details on qualifying criteria can be found on the Championships section of the Scottish Golf website.

For more information, please contact:

Ed Hodge
PR & Media Manager

M: +44 (0)7850 772166
E: e.hodge@scottishgolf.org
W: scottishgolf.org
A: Scottish Golf | Caledonia House | 1 Redheughs Rigg | Edinburgh | EH12 9DQ

Be part of the Journey | Join our Board - Scottish Golf

Scottish Golf is seeking enthusiastic candidates who share our passion for leading change and growing the game in Scotland. There's just a week left to apply for the current vacancies on our Board of Directors or nominate someone for the role of Junior Vice-President.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

COURSE RATING - CAN YOU HELP ??

Scottish Golf is looking to recruit new course rating volunteers, and already have had a lot of folk signing up. Some volunteers are still required in a few areas where uptake has been slower (namely Angus, Ayrshire, The Borders and Lanarkshire). The aim is to ensure that lady course raters are being recruited as well as gents so that the best interests of women's golf are served in the course rating process.

If anyone is interested in volunteering for this interesting work, the first step would be to contact Adam Phillips, Golf Administrator at Scottish Golf (contact details - Tel: 0131 339 3987, e mail: a.phillips@scottishgolf.org)

The next step would be to attend an Introductory seminar during March or April - these will be held at various locations throughout Scotland as below.

Murrayshall Golf Club – Tuesday 21st March, 2017
Haggs Castle Golf Club – Thursday 23rd March, 2017
Peebles Golf Club – Tuesday 28th March, 2017
Ratho Park Golf Club – Thursday 30th March, 2017
Elgin Golf Club – Tuesday 4th April, 2017

NEW PING SCOTTISH MIXED FOURSOMES

An exciting mixed team competition for Scottish club golfers is to tee off next season, with Solheim Cup venue, The Gleneagles Hotel, to act as host for the showpiece finale.

The PING Scottish Mixed Championship is to be a unique new addition to the domestic handicap amateur calendar in 2017, as Scottish Golf brings male and female golfers together in a fun-filled format for all ages and abilities to add further value to club membership.

The innovative new event sees PING become sponsors of Scottish Golf for the first time, with the leading golf brand’s investment providing a welcome boost to the governing body’s partnership portfolio.

American Beth Allen, the Scots-based new Ladies European Tour No 1, and Scottish Golf Men’s Order of Merit winner Euan McIntosh were on hand at Gleneagles today to help launch the event, along with Scottish Golf chief executive Blane Dodds.

The free-to-enter competition will be open to all golf club members in Scotland holding an official handicap, from juniors to seniors. Golfers can compete in a mixed event at local club level (stableford format), with the top 40 club pairings nationwide going forward to the Grand Final over the superb Queen’s Course at Gleneagles.

The event sees a fitting partnership between Scottish Golf, Gleneagles and PING, given the manufacturer was founded by Karsten Solheim, who helped create the biggest team event in ladies’ golf.

Beatson Cancer Charity is the official charity partner for the competition, with Beatson also charity partner for the forthcoming Scottish Golf Awards at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange on 24 February.

The PING Scottish Mixed Championship will see qualifying take place at club level (either using an existing mixed event in the club’s calendar or introducing a new event) from April through to the end of July.

Scottish Golf’s online leaderboard will show the top 40 mixed stableford scores nationwide, with 80 golfers then coming together to contest the Grand Final over the idyllic James Braid-designed Queen’s on Monday 18 September 2017.

Blane Dodds said: “We’re pleased to launch this new mixed event for club golfers in 2017, one which adds further value to club membership and offers the chance to compete at a world-class venue for the final.

“We are delighted to be working with PING for the first time and it’s great to have such a strong global golf brand supporting grass roots golf in Scotland. The environment remains challenging for attracting investment from sponsorship, but these partnerships illustrate our continued determination to grow the game and enhance the golfing experience for club members.”

John Clark, PING Europe Managing Director, added: “We’re delighted to be supporting this new mixed event which will bring together both female and male golfers from around Scotland in a competitive, yet fun format at one of the UK’s most iconic venues.”

Beth Allen said: “It’s great that Scottish Golf, PING and Gleneagles are doing this event for club golfers in the build up to the Solheim Cup. It would obviously be great for me to represent the United States of America here in 2019 and I’m sure the players who qualify for the final of the PING Scottish Mixed Championship will have an amazing experience at Gleneagles.”

With the Perthshire property staging the Solheim Cup – only five years after hosting The Ryder Cup – and the inaugural European Golf Team Championships in 2018, the new PING Scottish Mixed Championship adds to Gleneagles’ illustrious event history across the amateur and professional game.

Event information will be issued by Scottish Golf to all affiliated clubs early next year, who are encouraged to add the event to their club calendar.

SCOTTISH GOLF -- VOTE NOW

Has your golf club achieved success in 2016?

Do you know someone who has made a significant contribution to the sport at local, regional or national level?

Nominations are now open for the Scottish Golf Club and Volunteer of the Year awards which celebrate those who have gone above and beyond to make a difference over the past year.

Four finalists, plus their guests, in each category will be invited to attend the 2017 Scottish Golf Awards where the winners will be presented with their accolade on stage. The Club of the Year will also receive a grant of £1,500 to support a future club project or local initiatives.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Scottish Golf Handicap Seminars

To help your club gain a better understanding of the Unified Handicapping System (UHS), Scottish Golf are running a number of Handicapping Seminars across Scotland.

The two-hour regional seminars are free of charge and are open to Match and Handicap Convenors from any affiliated golf club (Places subject to demand).

 The two hour seminars will be dedicated to providing a generic overview on the CONGU Unified Handicapping System and will also look at a number of changes introduced in 2016 and how they affect your club.

Workshop topics include: Club Handicaps; 9-Hole Qualifying Competitions and Supplementary Scores; Alteration of Handicaps; Multi-Tee Competitions; and Initial Handicap Allocation.

Go to the Scottish Golf Website to book your place

Scottish Golf 2017 National Championships

Scottish Golf has announced a number of changes to its national championships following a comprehensive review, with several to come into effect from the start of next season.

The governing body has engaged with players, clubs and other stakeholders to help shape the changes, helping to provide a better platform for the nation’s amateur golfers to perform on while showcasing some of the country’s outstanding courses.

The most significant developments concerns changes to the formats and timing of the major national match play championships, while the Scottish Youths Championship will be removed from the schedule, with the category no longer complimenting the national structure or international amateur calendar.

In line with a number of other countries, the Scottish Boys and Men’s Amateur Championships will change from straight knock-out to 36-hole stroke play qualifying, with the leading 64 players (and ties) reaching the match play stages. The Scottish Boys Championship also moves from its traditional April slot into the school summer holidays, to be played for the first time alongside the Scottish Girls Championship, running concurrently on two neighbouring courses, with Scotscraig and Drumoig named as the 2017 host venues. The boys’ field size will reduce to 180, with the girls at 64.

The Scottish Women’s Amateur Championship will be held at Royal Aberdeen (6 – 10 June) for the first time since former Solheim Cup star Janice Moodie won the event there 25 years ago, while Royal Troon’s Old Course will continue to host the prestigious Helen Holm Scottish Women's Open Stroke Play Championship accompanied by the Troon Portland course.

Also in Ayrshire, Prestwick will be joined by Prestwick St Cuthbert in hosting the stroke play qualifying for the Scottish Men’s Amateur Championship (31 July – 5 Aug) and Western Gailes welcomes the leading male amateurs for the Carrick Neill Scottish Stroke Play Championship in early June.

Like their match play equivalents, the Scottish Boys and Girls Stroke Play Championships will be played on the same dates, moving to the Spring (Easter) holiday slot of 10 - 12 April next year, with Monifieth welcoming the boys and Montrose staging the girls.

 To read all go to Kirkwood golf Website

TROON'S HAZEL MACGARVIE WINS THE 2016 GIRLS MERIT AWARD

Hazel MacGarvie - 2016 Scottish Girls Champion
Photo - courtesy of Scottish Golf

Scottish Golf’s Orders of Merit have been finalised with Hannah McCook, Hazel MacGarvie and Sheena Wood winning the respective womens', girls and senior domestic titles for 2016.

Troon’s Hazel MacGarvie has won the 2016 girls’ merit award  with 902 points from four events, ahead of Jasmine Mackintosh from Hazlehead on 834, and Gullane’s Joanne Free on 759 who pipped Shannon McWilliam (Aboyne) by one point.

She said: “I am delighted to win the Girls’ Order of Merit especially since I didn't play in many counting events. I think this season has been successful. I really just wanted to do the best I could bearing in mind I was sitting my Highers, my last one not being until the beginning of June.”

The 17 year-old’s season included winning all six of her matches at the Home Internationals, and she even squared a match with Thomas Pieters in practice ahead of the Open Championship. But it was her victory in the weather-disrupted Scottish Girls Amateur Championship which was key in topping the girls’ Order.

“I was really pleased to win the Scottish Girls, particularly finishing on three under and then going onto win with an eagle at the par four first. Next year I just want to continue to improve my game.”

To read the full report go to the KIRKWOOD GOLF WEBSITE

Douglas Park get a mention on Scottish Golf Radio Podcast

The interview with Douglas Park Golf Club Secretary Anne Scott  is about 27 Minutes into the program

WEST OF SCOTLAND PLAYERS SELECTED FOR LADIES AND GIRLS HOME INTERNATIONALS

WEST OF SCOTLAND PLAYERS SELECTED FOR HOME INTERNATIONALS

Scottish Golf has announced its teams for next month’s Ladies’ and Girls’ Home International matches in Wales.

Carnoustie Ladies’ Jessica Meek is Scotland’s leading ranked player in the ladies’ team, given Germany-based Rachael Taylor is unavailable for selection as she prepares for LPGA Q School. Women’s Order of Merit leader Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) also features.

The Girls’ team is headed by newly-crowned Girls’ Amateur champion Hazel MacGarvie (Troon Ladies), pictured, and features five 16-year-old’s as well as 15-year-old Jennifer Rankine from Haggs Castle, winner of the Paul Lawrie Foundation Scottish Schools.

The matches will be played at the same time over the same course, at Conwy Golf Club in Wales, but will retain the format of three morning foursomes followed by six afternoon singles.

The Ladies’ and Girls’ Home Internationals take place from 3 – 5 August.

Scotland team: Ladies’ Home Internationals (club and age in brackets)

• Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm, 23)
• Chloe Goadby (St Regulus, 18)
• Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies, 19)
• Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies, 22)
• Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey, 23)
• Heather Munro (Monifieth, 20)
• Clara Young (North Berwick, 19)

Scotland team: Girls’ Home Internationals

• Louise Duncan (West Kilbride, 16)
• Jillian Farrell (Cardross, 16)
• Joanne Free (Gullane Ladies, 18)
• Hazel MacGarvie (Troon Ladies, 16)
• Jasmine Mackintosh (Hazlehead, 16)
• Shannon McWilliam, Aboyne, 16)
• Jennifer Rankine (Haggs Castle, 15)

To read more --  including the exclusion of the Scottish Champion Ailsa Summers  Go to Kirkwood Golf Website

SCOTLAND WOMENS TEAM WIN IN FINAL OF FLIGHT B AGAINST ITALY

Scottish Team -- Courtesy of Scottish Golf

Scotland finished their European women's amateur team championship campaign at Oddur Golf Club, Iceland with a 3.5-1.5 win over Italy in the final of the Flight B matches.
By winning in the final of Flight B they were then place 9th overall in the European Team Championships.

Jess Meek and Heather Munro halved the foursome.
In the singles, Hannah McCook won by 4 and 3, Rachael Taylor by 3 and 2 and Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) by 2 and 1.
Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) lost by 3 and 2.

Scots girls lose to Swiss
Scotland lost 3-2 to Switzerland in a Flight B tie in the European girls team championship at Oslo Golf Club, Norway.
Kirsty Brodie (Strathaven)  and Jasmine Mackintosh lost the foursomes by one hole.
Jillian Farrell (Cardross) and Hazel MacGarvie (Troon Ladies)  both won their singles by 3 and 2 but Joanne Free lost by 1 hole and Louise Duncan(West Kilbride) lost by 2 holes.

SCOTLAND GIRLS LOSE TO SLOVENIA

Scotland lost their matchplay tie today 3.5 - 1.5 against Slovenia in the European girls team 1st round of the Flight B championship at Oslo Golf Club, Norway.

Details:
Foursomes
Kirsty Brodie and Jasmine Mackintosh won by two holes.
Singles:
Hazel MacGarvie lost 4 and 3
Joanne Free lost 2 and 1
Louise Duncan halved
Jillian Farrell lost 4 and 3.

OTHER RESULTS
Ireland 3.5, Switzerland 1.5
Austria 1.5, Netherlands 3.5

Flight B is seven-team table so Scotland may not have a match tomorrow

SCOTLAND REACHES SEMI FINALS OF 2ND FLIGHT IN ICELAND

From the Scottish Golf Website

Singles wins for Hannah McCook and Eilidh Briggs helped Scotland’s ladies to an enthralling 3-2 win over The Netherlands in their opening match play bout in the European Team Championship Flight B.

The foursomes pairing of Jess Meek and Heather Munro gave the Scots a flyer as they cruised to a 5&3 win in the top match, before Hannah McCook secured a second point with a dramatic 19th hole victory.

The Dutch levelled the match as Connie Jaffrey and Rachael Taylor found themselves on the wrong ends of defeats, but recent University of Stirling graduate Briggs held her nerve to post a 3&2 win in the final match to give Scotland a chance to top the second flight.

CLICK HERE FOR RESULTS AND SEMI FINAL MATCHES

WEST OF SCOTLAND GIRLS ARE DOING WELL IN NORWAY.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Scotland have chance of making the top-eight championship match-play flight in the European girls' tournament at Oslo Golf Club, Norway after good performances by Louise Duncan and Hazel MacGarvie.
The Scots team are lying 10th on 382 after the first qualifying round. Sweden (356) lead. England (371) are sixth and Ireland (392) 14th of the the 18th teams.

Team: Kirsty Brodie (Strathmore), Louise Duncan (West Kilbride), Jillian Farrell (Cardross), Joanne Free (Gullane Ladies), Hazel MacGarvie (Troon Ladies), Jasmine Mackintosh (Hazlehead)

Scots' scores
par 72
72 Louise Duncan, Hazel MacGarvie (T13)
76 Jillian Farrell (T42)
79 Joanne Free (T66)
83 Jasmine Mackintosh (T92)
85 Kirsty Brodie (T102)

SIX QUALIFIERS AT KILMACOLM IN THE WOMEN'S REGIONAL WEST MEDAL

SSS 72, CSS 75 (Reduction only)
The six qualifiers for the Grand Final at Blairgowrie from today's Women's Regional Medal (West) Final at Kilmacolm were:

Silver Class -
Katie Scott (Strathaven) (6) 70; Margaret Locke (Kirkcudbright) (10) 73; Anne Gilbert (Kilbirnie Place) (16) (better last 6) 75

Bronze Class - Rona Sarafilovic (Muckhart) (29) 71; Zoe Kemp (Helensburgh) (21) 73; Barbara McCrory (Uphall) (32) 75.

The Grand Final will be held at Blairgowrie Golf Club on Sunday, September 11.

Other leading net scores:
Silver Class - Lindsay McCubbin (Hilton Park) (16), Kirsty Stewart (Clydebank and Dist) (15) 75; Anne Lloyd (Hayston) (14), Shona Morland (Ravelston) (9), Lorna Howie (Whitecraigs) (10), Lorna McClymont (Dumbarton) (5) 76.
Bronze Class - Susan Johnston (Lanark) (24) 76; Betty Johnson (Greenburn) (21), Claire Peebles (Alloa) (24) 77; Fiona MacFarlane (Kirkintilloch) (23), Alison Watt (Whitecraigs) (22)

WEST MEDAL FINALS KILMACOLM

The West Regional Medal finalist tee off on Tuesday 28th June at Kilmacolm
To see the Time Sheet  CLICK HERE

WEST OF SCOTLAND'S RACHEL MCQUEEN AND CLARE- MARIE MACAULEY ON ALAN TAITS PODCAST

Tune into this week's bonanza of a show featuring World Champion curler Eve Muirhead, pro-golfer Rachel McQueen, Ratho Park ClubGolf Team, and we visit the first ‪#‎ThisGirlGolfs‬ coaching event at Paisley with PGA pro Clare-Marie Macaulay and LET star Kylie Walker! 
Plus win a 4 ball at Ranfurly Castle

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN -- 7th June 2016 episode

WEST OF SCOTLAND WINNERS AT WEST KILBRIDE - CLARK ROSEBOWL AND GRAINGER CUP WINNERS

Jennifer Rankine (Haggs Castle)  - Winner of the Clark Rosebowl
Photo courtesy of June Kerr

Catherine Garett and Louise Duncan (West Kilbride) - winners of the Grainger Cup

Photo courtesy of June Kerr

All the winners - Photo courtesy of June Kerr - click to enlarge

22 year old Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie) beat the 2014 champion, 23-year-old Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) in the final  of the 2016 Scottish Championship today at West Kilbride Golf Club and was then presented with the Championship Trophy for the first time.

Jennifer Rankine (Haggs Castle) was then presented with the Clark Rosebowl which she won yesterday by beating Wendy Nicholson (Barberton)  3&1

Catherine Garrett and Louise Duncan, (West Kilbride), won the Grainger Cup which is awarded to the team with the best nett aggregate in the qualifying rounds.

It was an older and younger team combination with  Catherine who is 61 and Louise who is 16!!

To read the full report of the Championship final today -- go to Kirkwood Golf

DRAW FOR SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP AT WEST KILBRIDE

Scottish women's amateur close championship at West Kilbride
FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND
TUESDAY, MAY 31

08.30 Wendy Nicholson, Stacey Cameron, Eilidh Briggs.
08.40 Eilidh Watson, Katie Reid, Hannah Scott.
08.50 Joanne Free, Rachael Taylor, Megan Briggs.

09.00 Rachel Foster, Dawn Young, Lorna Ronnie.
09.10 Connie Jaffrey, Ailsa Summers, Karen Marshall.
09.20 Katie Scott, Carys Irvine, Amy McDonald.
09:30 Lauren Whyte, Jennifer Rankine, Alison Bartlett.
09.40 Louise Fraser, Catherine Garrett, A Glennie.
09.50 Gabrielle MacDonald, Rachel Polson, Cara Thompson.

10.10 Claire McLaughlin, Lorna Munro, Eva O'Connor
10.20 Jennifer Saxton, Samantha Leslie, Margaret Sievwright.
10.30 Kimberley Beveridge, Jennifer Allan, Karen Ferguson-Snedden.
10.40 Chloe Goadby, Nicola Callander, Gillian Paton.
10:50 Porscha Wilson, Margo Gardner, Lori Macdonald,

11.00 Susan Wood, Emma Hale, Jess Meek.
11:10 Nicola Robertson, J Graham, Lesley Atkins.
11:20 Rachel Walker, Kate McIntosh, Ruth Hunter
11.40 Louise Duncan, Elaine Moffat, Kirsty Brodie
11:50 Clara Young, Alison McBride, Tara Mactaggart.

12:00 Hannah McCook, Molly Stewart, Jasmine Mackintosh

SCOTTISH GOLF LAUNCH NEW RADIO SHOW PODCAST

NEW PODCAST LAUNCHED TODAY - WITH ALAN TAIT