Old Ranfurly pairing - Ann and Sandra win the Kilmacolm Ladies Open Day

Ann McKenzie and Sandra Bell

We welcomed over 100 ladies from far and wide to Kilmacolm for our Ladies Open Day. It was a huge success and despite the deteriorating weather, there was some impressive scoring.

Many congratulations to Ann McKenzie and Sandra Bell from the Old Course Ranfurly Golf Club who were the worthy winners, playing in the worst of the conditions.

It was great to see so many ladies enjoying our course, the catering and clubhouse facilities. Many thanks to all the members who volunteered and the pro shop for all their hard work to help showcase our club.

And here are the results...

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE RESULTS

Nearest the pin

Silver - J Scott (Old Course Ranfurly)

Bronze - S Swinnerton (Old Course Ranfurly)

Longest drive

Silver - A McGonnigle (Cowglen)

Bronze - S McCallum (Barrasie)

Sweep winners

1. S Clayton / V McKinnon (Old Course Ranfurly)

2. E Mundel / L Smith (Troon)

3. J Scott / M Martin (Old Course Ranfurly)

4. C Graham (Whitecraigs)/ A Sutherland (Cathcart Castle)

Well done to all, thank you for supporting this event and we hope to see you all again next year!

Thanks go to  Lyn Reuben for the report

Scotland win the 24th Pheonix Cup International

Scotland win the 2019 Phoenix Cup

full scores and sponsors at http://www.scottishdgc.org.uk/Index.asp?MainID=26519

Derek Milne the Scottish Captain said, “ I’m absolutely delighted to have won the Phoenix Cup and played with a great team of people from around the country, with lots of disabilities and varying abilities.  Such a proud moment to lift the trophy.  Our colleagues from around Europe added significantly to the event and we thoroughly enjoyed the 3 rounds and the 19^th hole, great new and life long friends”  

  The 24^th Phoenix Cup, Scotland v Europe

Cardrona Resort, Peebles, Scottish Borders, Sunday 25 to Tuesday 27 August 2019

+ the 25^th Anniversary Phoenix Cup at Gleneagles, Panmure, Blairgowrie & Carnoustie in 2020 !!!  

Golfers with disabilities from countries including, Germany, Holland, Ireland and England, travelled to Cardrona to play in the 24^th Phoenix Cup International.

The Phoenix Cup is based on the Solheim/Ryder Cup internationals, is played over three days and includes the traditional match play formats of foursomes, fourball and singles competitions.

Team Scotland & Team Europe

Matthew Coleman Kennoway & Jurgen Boon The Netherlands.

Jim Hamill Dumbarton & Jeroen Coumou The Netherlands.

Paul Higgins Motherwell & Stephen Crocker England.

Jim Hopes Dumbarton & Paul Daley England.

Robert Inness Dumfries & Leon Emmen The Netherlands.

Gordon Latto Cupar & Frans Harmsen The Netherlands.

Derek Milne Upper Largo & Trevor Hillen Northern Ireland.

Iain Ross (Kirriemuir & Richard kluwen The Netherlands.

Kerr Scott Busby & Tineke Loogman The Netherlands.

Jim Thomson Millport & Jay Penfold England.

Martin Webb Lanark & Frank Sorber Germany.

Ian White Airdrie & Dave Standing England.

Last October, the SDGC selected a  European team and travelled to the USA, to take on their best disabled golfers, and much like the Ryder Cup in France just before, beat them over the Rotonda Course near Tampa, Florida, 13.5 to 10.5.  

Jim Gales, the event organiser and Captain of the European Team in Florida said, “The Phoenix Cup has been on a wee promotional tour of the country since we returned victorious from the US, and has been pictured with lots of politicians, representatives from the likes of Scottish Golf and numerous golf clubs around the country, so raising the profile of the sport for golfers with disabilities”.

The 25^th Anniversary Phoenix Cup in 2020 will be played at four venues, at Gleneagles Centenary, Panmure, Blairgowrie Rosemount and Carnoustie Championship Courses from 15 to 20 September and will be played between Europe & The USA.  The Scottish Captain Iain Ross of Kirriemuir will face Dan Aldrich from California over the week long festival of inclusive golf, with golfers qualifying from over a dozen countries.  

“The SDGC was the first fully inclusive disabled golf group in the world and created the Phoenix Cup to incorporate anyone of any age with any type of sensory, intellectual or physical disability.  To date, the Phoenix Cup has involved 693 golfers from 18 nations and has been staged in 6 countries, like the US, Canada, Scotland and Spain”. 

M: +44 (0) 7903 596 552  US/Can 330-288-7072

A Registered Scottish Charity SC 041000

Susan Ramsay wins the Haggs Castle Championship

Susan Ramsay - 2019 Haggs Castle Champion

Haggs Castle GC held it's Finals Day 2019 on Sunday in glorious sunshine.

In the Ladies Championship Final held over 18 holes, we had two players new to the Final, Susan Ramsay, formerly a four times women's champion at Williamwood GC and Jeannie Tsang. 

Susan played extremely well with solid pars forcing Jeannie into mistakes. Susan ran out the winner by 9 and 7.

Thanks go to Neal Stewart for the report and photograph

PERTH & KINROSS TEAM FOR SCOTTISH COUNTY FINALS

Peebles Golf Club

The Scottish County Finals will be held at Peebles Golf Club this week, from Friday 30 August to Sunday 1 September.

Four County teams will do battle over the three days in the Scottish Borders. They are Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire, Fife and Perth & Kinross. Each of the four finalists won their Division's Inter-county Jamboree to qualify.

Order of Play
Day 1: Ayrshire v Fife - and - Perth & Kinross v Dumfriesshire
Day 2: Dumfriesshire v Fife - and - Ayrshire v Perth & Kinross
Day 3: Perth & Kinross v Fife - and - Ayrshire v Dumfriesshire

Tee Times (all three days)
Morning Foursomes: 09:00 to 09:37 - Afternoon Singles: 13:30 to 14:52

The team selected to represent Perth & Kinross at the Finals is:

Perth & Kinross Team
Katy Alexander  (Blairgowrie)
Megan Ashley  (Strathmore)
Laura Campbell  (Pitlochry)
Steph Crolla  (Muckhart)
Amy Mitchell  (Strathmore)
Isla Moncrieff  (Pitlochry)
Jen Saxton  (Muckhart)
Laura Walker  (Muckhart)

All spectators are welcome. Good Luck everyone!

Jane Yellowlees

Hon. Secretary
Perth & Kinross Ladies' County Golf Association
https://pandklcga.blogspot.com

Orla Rooney wins the 2019 Renfrewshire Junior Championship and the Campbell Clock Stableford

Campbell Clock winner Orla Rooney [Cowglen]
with Whitecraigs Lady Captain Helen Daye

Nine girls participated for the Renfrewshire County Junior Campbell Clock Stableford competition over 18 holes, at Whitecraigs Golf Club yesterday afternoon (25th August). 

This was won by Orla Rooney (Cowglen) with a fabulous 41 points. 

Jennifer Lynagh (Caldwell) with 37 points won 2nd prize winning in the BIH over 3rd prize winner Ava Graham (Paisley). 

Orla also won the Junior County Championship trophy --  this was awarded to the best 18-hole gross score, 

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS 

To read the full report go to the RLCGA Website

AYRSHIRE COUNTY TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR THE COUNTY FINALS IN PEEBLES

Ayrshire County Team -- Click to enlarge

Ayrshire LCGA, won the West of Scotland Inter County Championship at Prestwick GC in June  -- Click to read more

They now go on to represent the west against Fife, Perth & Kinross and Dumfriesshire in the Scottish Inter County Finals at Peebles from Friday 30th August to Sunday 1st September

The team will be without Hazel McGarvie, Jane Finnie and Alex Glennie who played in the West Jamboree and are replaced by  Roz Purdom (Prestwick St Nicholas) and Luisa Gibson and Pauline Patrick both from Irvine Golf Club.

This will be an exciting weekend for Team Ayrshire as they will be up against the cream of ladies amateurs golfers from all over Scotland.

We wish Ayrshire the best of luck from all the Counties in the West of Scotland --- D&A, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire.

Thanks go to Captain Liz Wilson for the info.

Carly Booth wins the Czech Ladies Open

Scotland’s Carly Booth ended a seven year wait for her third Ladies European Tour title with victory in the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open, a dual-ranking event with the LET Access Series.

Booth carded rounds of 68, 69 and 70 for a 54-hole total of 207, nine-under-par, at Golf Resort Karlštejn to finish a stroke ahead of Finland’s Sanna Nuutinen, France’s Anais Meysonnier and English pair Charlotte Thompson and Hayley Davis.

Germany’s Olivia Cowan ended in sixth place and amateur Patricie Mackova was the leading Czech player in a share of 12th.

Booth won both of her previous titles in 2012, at the Scottish and Swiss Opens, and was overwhelmed with emotion when she realised that she had posted the winning total. After completing her final round, she asked the tour photographer what the leading score was and then how many people were on it. He said, “Just you: you’ve won,” and she burst into tears.

Her topsy-turvy round included seven birdies and five bogeys and she asked her caddie, Andy Carter, the golf professional at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, “Have I just played golf, or been at Alton Towers? I never want to go on a rollercoaster again.”

She began the final round tied for the lead with Nuutinen on seven-under-par but had a nervy start, hitting her first drive right, out of bounds and then dropping three shots in her first four holes.

However, she produced a gutsy fightback with brilliant birdies on the fifth, seventh and ninth holes, to make the turn in level par, regaining a share of the lead.

At the fifth, she made a birdie putt from eight feet and then on the par-5 seventh, she holed a massive left to right breaking putt from 20 feet, before hitting a punch wedge in to five feet at the ninth and converting the putt.

She took the outright advantage after birdies on the 11th and 13th holes, playing a 5-iron shot into within six feet of the flag on the 11th and then chipping in on the long 13th, but hit a wall at 14 with a bogey, followed by another on the 15th, where she made another great up and down from 54 yards.

From that point, the game plan was to birdie each of the final three holes and she managed two further gains, on the 16th and 17th, before finishing with a par on the last. “It was probably just as well I didn’t know what the situation was,” said Booth.

“I’m a little bit flabbergasted by the whole day. I played good golf and I really had to dig deep in the final round. I’m overwhelmed with happiness,” she said.

“It’s been seven years, so it’s a bit of a shock. Not knowing what the winning score was, I didn’t know anything about the leader board and I made a really solid par in the end.

“It’s a country that I love to visit, I’ve had some great results here in the Czech Republic in Pro-Ams and to win the tournament means more than anything. After seven years, finally, to get another victory, it’s amazing.”

Booth, originally from Comrie in Perthshire, said that she was heading home to Manchester the same evening, where she would celebrate over the Bank Holiday with her friends. 

Shannon McWilliam Tied 2nd in English Strokeplay Championship

Hertfordshire’s Rebecca Earl survived a late scare to claim the first international title of her career at the English Women’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Ipswich Golf Club yesterday. 

The 19-year-old from Bishops Stortford bogeyed the last for a one over par 73 and then faced an anxious wait to see if Whitley Bay’s Rosie Belsham could catch her but in the end her two-under par total of 286 proved to be enough to give her a one-shot victory over Belsham, Stoke by Nayland’s Lily May Humphreys, Scotland’s Shannon McWilliam from Aboyne and Sharna Dutrieux from Wrotham Heath

Humphreys made a late charge in a bid to add to the Welsh and Irish Women’s Stroke Play titles she won earlier in the season but in the end a birdie at the last for a 68 was not quite enough.

Scottish international McWilliam also moved up the field with four birdies in the opening 15 holes of her final round but a bogey at the last meant she had to settle for a 69 which left her one shot short.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE SCORES.

Click Here to read the full report

Great win at St Andrews by Isla McCulloch

By Colin Farquharson

Isla McCulloch, winner of this year's St Andrews Junior Ladies Open Quaich, plays most of her golf at Moray and Rothes golf clubs but is also  a member at Cruden Bay where she first learned to swing a club.

At St Andrews, she qualified on the Monday round the Strathtyrum Course where she shot a net 69 ( 2 under) and gained one of the eight spots for the open Quaich quarter-finals.

In a hard-fought quarter-final match against Dominica Bobrikova (a member of the Slovakian team) Isla  came out on top by 2 and 1.

In the semi-finals she beat 18-year-old Taylor White from Cathkin Braes by 2 and 1 after a fantastic match.

The final was held on the Old Course where she met Lucy Hall from Gullane. 

Despite being two down after only four holes, Isla won the match on the Road Hole 17th with a par to clinch the title 2 and 1.

It was Isla's first competition in an international field. To qualify was a great achievement but to go on and win was unbelievable.

She has just started third year at Elgin Academy and has joined Elgin Golf Club which is now her nominated club.

SCOTTISH GOLF WOMEN'S AND GIRLS GOLF HUBS ARE NOW UNDERWAY

Douglas Park, Mearns Castle, Kingsknowe and Dunblane are currently local Hubs --Find out what it's all about and how to sign up for your local Hub 👉 Scottish Golf Website

Listen to Lynn's Story (below) from Douglas Park

Carnoustie Golf Links to Host New Elite Female Tournament

Leading Scottish female amateurs and select professionals are to tee it up at Carnoustie in a new 36-hole event.

30 of the country’s best female golfers will compete in the inaugural ‘The Carnoustie Autumn Test’, which is being staged on the Buddon Links Course in October.

The event will be an Order of Merit event counting for the 2019 Scottish Women’s Order of Merit and will be the last event on the calendar.

Players will play two rounds over the newest of the three 18-hole courses at Carnoustie on 6th October, with official practice days on 4th and 5th October.

Keir McNicoll, PGA Head Professional at Carnoustie Golf Links and Tournament Director for The Carnoustie Autumn Test, said: “It’s fantastic to be hosting The Autumn Test at Carnoustie Golf Links, especially with one of our key objectives being to promote participation in golf.

“The event will give us an opportunity to showcase the Buddon Links Course while allowing Scotland’s best woman amateur players to battle it out in the final event of the season for the National Order of Merit.

“The Ladies Amateur schedule is quite sparse after the Home Internationals, so we felt this event would be a good way to keep the players competitive right through until the end of the season.

“It will be a great time of year for women’s golf too with the Solheim Cup taking place only a few weeks prior to the Autumn Test and who knows, we might just have a few future Solheim Cup stars in the field.”

Carnoustie native and leading amateur in this year’s Scottish Women’s Amateur Championship Stroke Play, Jess Meek, said: “It’s brilliant that Carnoustie are hosting this event and it’s fantastic that it is going to be part of the Scottish Women’s Order of Merit.

“I think the Buddon Links Course is a great test of golf. It’s not the longest course but it requires well placed shots and the greens are always in great shape.”

Prizes will be awarded to the leading five players and the leading under 18 player.

Players have until Sunday 1st September to enter the ballot for the event. Players can enter BY CLICKING HERE

Rachael Livingstone wins the Babe Zaharias Tournament

Rachael Livingstone

The Babe Zaharias Tournament was held at The Musselburgh Golf Club yesterday, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. The competition took place in somewhat mixed weather conditions, ranging from torrential downpours with high winds to dry with a light breeze.

The winner of the scratch prize and The Babe Zaharias Trophy was Rachel Livingstone from Baberton. Last year’s winner Leanne Wilson was runner up.The winner of the handicap prize and The Ultraplast Trophy was Helen Warnock from Harburn. 
Prizewinners

Scratch

1st Rachel Livingstone (Baberton) 73

2nd Leanne Wilson (Kelso) 78

3rd Dulcie Barnes (Gullane) 80

Handicap

1st Helen Warnock (Harburn) 71 BIH

2nd Lynn Logan (Musselburgh)

3rd Gill Fisher (Pumpherston) BIH

Link to the full results including 2’s.

Gross results

Nett results

To read the full report go to the East Lothian County Website

Katy Alexander wins the Junior Tour Event at Bruntsfield

Blairgowrie's Katy Alexander won the Junior Tour girls' event at Bruntsfield Links. Over a par 71 course (CSS 70).

She had rounds of 77 and 78 for a total of 155.

She won by two strokes from Megan Docherty (Bishopbriggs) 76-81

Third on 158 was Grace Crawford (Gullane) with scores of 78 and 80.

OTHER SCORES IN TOP 11 WERE:
160 Luisa Gibson (Irvine) 81 79, Robyn Fowlie (Edzell) 80 80
163 Sophie Murphy (Clydebank and Dist) 85 78, Porscha Wilson (Burntisland Golf House) 84 79, Katie Graham (Hamilton) 83 80.
164 Freya Russell Royal Troon) 81 83
165 Orla O'Leary (Torwoodlee) 89 76
167 Rachel Mathieson (Hazlehead) 84 83.

Click to enlarge

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE SCORES

Golfing prodigy Hannah Darling meets First Minister ahead of Solheim appearance

From the ScottisGolf View Website 

DREAM COME TRUE FOR YOUNG EDINBURGH GOLFER - CHOSEN FOR JUNIOR SOLHEIM CUP  

 

Hannah Darling and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

Teenager Hannah Darling will be the sole Scot representing Team Europe at the 2019 PING Junior Solheim Cup. Hannah has been chosen as a wildcard for the all-female event.

 

The young golfer, who at the age of 16 is currently ranked 116th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, was invited to meet First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at Bute House today  (August 19) ahead of the competition, which takes place on September 10 and 11 at Gleneagles Hotel's King’s Course.

 

Hannah’s place on the team comes after a four-year campaign she headed via a WhatsApp group named #Project19, made up of six aspiring young female golfers aiming for a coveted spot in the competition.

 

With six Scottish titles to date, Darling is recognised as one of Scotland’s most talented young golfers – one who has realistic ambitions of becoming “the best female golfer in the world.”

 

Aged 13, the Edinburgh golfer – who plays at Broomieknowe Golf Club in Bonnyrigg, claimed her first national title and became the youngest-ever winner of the Scottish Girls’ Amateur Championship. Last year she won the inaugural R and A Girls’ U16 Open Championship and successfully defended the Scottish Girls’ Amateur Championship she won in 2017. 

 

In December 2018 she was picked for the Great Britain and Ireland women’s squad for the first time at the age of just 15.

 

She was supported in her attempts to qualify for the PING Junior Solheim Cup by both Scottish Golf and the Scottish Government through the Solheim Cup Golf Development Programme, which facilitated a support fund to allow aspiring Scottish golfers to play in qualifying events throughout Europe.

 

Speaking after the announcement, Hannah said: “This is pretty much all I’ve been working towards for the past three or four years - I can’t really put into words what it means to me. The experience I will gain from it will be invaluable, coming so early in my career. 

 

“This is the pinnacle of women’s amateur golf. It is the biggest tournament, being played by the top players and the fact it is being played here, at Gleneagles, just makes it even more special. I have had incredible support over the past few years and learned so much from our experience at the Solheim Cup in 2017. 

 

“Now, to be a part of this competition, which will be the biggest single sporting event in Scotland this year, is a dream come true. I have had so much support to reach this stage, from my parents and family, from my coach, Ian Muir and my club, from the Scottish Government and Scottish Golf and I cannot thank them enough for the opportunities they have given me. Now I am looking forward to competing next month.”

 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says, “There has been an increasing level of interest in women’s sport recently and more and more girls are seeing what is possible to achieve.  To have a Scottish player in the European PING Junior Solheim Cup can encourage other girls to take up golf.     

 

“Hannah has done exceptionally well to make the team and I look forward to her doing Scotland proud in the competition.”

 

Entry to the PING Junior Solheim Cup is free. For more information visit www.solheimcup2019.com  

  

BACKGROUND

    

Hannah has had ambitions of playing in the Junior Solheim Cup since she was 12 years of age. In 2015, when it was announced that Scotland was bidding to host the tournament, she and five other young female golfers embarked on what became known as ‘Project 19.’ 

The group initially set up a WhatsApp group to help motivate each other, help each other improve their amateur ranking, with the aim of earning their places and competing at the 2019 PING Junior Solheim Cup at Gleneagles. 

Their game has improved significantly during that time and with the support of the Scottish Government, VisitScotland, Scottish Golf and the Ladies European Tour, the girls were able to attend the 2017 Solheim Cup at Des Moines Golf & Country Club in Iowa.

 

The group, comprising of Hannah Darling (Broomieknowe), Rachel Foster (Turnberry), Eilidh Henderson (Kirkcaldy), Evanna Hynd (Balbirnie Park), Carmen Griffiths (Aboyne) and Anna McKay (Crail Golfing Society), all played in the star-studded Women’s British Open Pro-Am at Kingsbarns Golf Links in August 2018 and have enjoyed further, first hand, experience of the senior game through Project 19. 

 

All six are Scottish Golf Academy players and all but one has come through the ClubGolf national junior programme for promising young players, which is run by Scottish Golf.

Linlithgow Pairing are the 2019 Ping Mixed Champions

Gill Scott and Alasdair Mackenzie - Photo courtesy of Scottish Golf

Linlithgow duo Gill Scott and Alasdair Mackenzie were today crowned Scottish PING Mixed Champions at Gleneagles.

On a breezy day in Perth, 40 club pairings teed it up on The Queen’s Course, in the free-to-enter national event for club golfers.

For the second year in the row, the winning team’s round included a remarkable hole-in-one, this year from Scott on the par-3 17thhole.  Scott’s ace helped the Linlithgow pair to an impressive 44-point total.

Finishing in a tie for second place were Dennis and Ivy Donn from Musselburgh Golf Club, and Innes and Morag Cowie from Buckpool Golf Club who finished on 42 points.

Speaking to Scottish Golf after the victory, Linlithgow’s Gill Scott said, “It was a fabulous event to be a part of here at Gleneagles today, we had a really great day.” 

On carding her first hole-in-one ever, Scott added, ‘To get my first hole-in-one in a National Championship is absolutely amazing, I still can’t quite believe it. The wind was behind us and I just thought I am going to have to take my driver here and hit the ball, as we walked on to the green our playing partner gave me the thumbs up and said you have just got a hole-in-one which was quite surreal really, I am still shaking.” 

Following a successful day at Gleneagles, Scott’s playing partner Alasdair Mackenzie added,“Playing mixed golf is always a lot of fun, if you have a playing partner who has a lot of fun it makes such a difference and that it was mixed golf is all about. All in all, it was just a brilliant day out and to win it with Gill was really special.” 

View all the results from today’s Scottish PING Mixed Championship at Gleneagles HERE

🎥 | Hear from your 2019 Scottish @PINGTourEurope Mixed Champions after Gill Scott's hole-in-one helped the team to victory at @GleneaglesGolf 👇 pic.twitter.com/t1yohwjvlf

— Scottish Golf (@ScottishGolf) August 19, 2019

Williamwood and Glenbervie in Scottish Golf Club Classic Annodata Final

Williamwood Team -Lorraine Morris, Diane Dryden,

 Gill McLeod, Mary Scott and Gill Unick

Congratulations to West of Scotland's Williamwood GC Ladies on their away win against Ravelston Golf Club in Edinburgh in the 5th round of the AnnodataLtd UK Golf Club Classic. 🏆⛳️👏

They now meet the 2018 Scottish champions Glenbervie in the 6th round to win a place in the finals of the Annodata Golf Club Classic  at  Montecastillo Golf Resort in Cadiz, Spain.

Dunbracken GC and Glenbervie GC

Glenbervie won against Dunbracken Golf Club 4 - 1 in the 5th Round

SIXTH ROUND DRAW

Click to enlarge

Orla O'Leary of Torwoodlee is Number One in Week 33 of 2019

mygolfranking.net SCOTLAND LADIES GOLFER of Week 19/33 is ORLA O’LEARY of Torwoodlee Ladies who is NUMBER ONE on SCOTLAND Ladies MGRanking and in the TOP 50 of the OVERALL MGRanking at No 39. 

Click to enlarge

For up-to-date ranking lists of Clubs, Regional, National and International Rankings,

How It Works and free registration for golfers and Clubs, visit mygolfranking.net

DRAW FOR WEST VETS AUTUMN MEETING

The draw for the West Vets Autumn Meeting has been done -- Go to the West Vets Website for details 

Solheim Putting Championship on August 25

The race is on to find Perthshire’s champion putter.

The finals of the 2019 Solheim Putting Championship will take place at Gleneagles on August 25, in advance of the Solheim Cup.

Finalists will pit their skills against each other and the undulations of the 18th green of the PGA Centenary Course.

 

Blairgowrie Golf Club, which is marking the 43rd anniversary of the celebrated Lansdowne championship course by offering rounds at £43 per head to visitors for the rest of the month, hosted their club qualifiers on Friday and Saturday, with categories for Women, Men and Children (under-14).

Mount Ellen Golf Club closes its doors.

By Martin Dempster 

Mount Ellen in Gartcosh is set to become the latest Scottish golf club to close its doors due to dwindling membership.

Founded in 1904, the shutters will be brought down at the Lanarkshire club on Sunday due to financial problems.

A club spokesman said: “Unfortunately, Mount Ellen Golf Club is closing its doors on Sunday.

“We’ve had the same problem as a number of golf clubs. Membership numbers have fallen over the years and it has come harder and harder.

“Basically, we are not bringing in enough money to cover our costs to be able to continue.

“In total, the membership was round about 300, but, out of that, we only had 196 paying full fees.

“We had seniors, juniors, associates and flexible memberships as well. If we had 300 full paying members, I think it would be a different story.”

Sandy Jones served on the Mount Ellen committee before becoming PGA in Scotland secretary then going on to serve as PGA chief executive at The Belfry.

Peter Lloyd, who was one of Jones’s successors in the PGA in Scotland post, was also a long-time member at the club.

“Listen, I am in the golf club today and it’s like being at a funeral,” added the spokesman. “The place is really busy and everybody is in a state of shock.

“It’s only 10 years since Paul Lawrie opened our new clubhouse. It has just happened so quickly and we are devastated, absolutely devastated.

“We’ve got a visiting party here on Sunday and, if the weather is good, I am sure members will be out for a game. But most of the members have already been up to clean out their lockers.”

The news comes hot on the heels of an announcement earlier this week that Camperdown in Dundee is set to be closed.

Earlier this year, Eastwood on the outskirts of Glasgow also went out of business while other Scottish clubs to close down over the past few years have included Carrick Knowe in Edinburgh and Brunston Castle in Ayrshire.