Introduction

The RLCGA holds Medal’s and Team competitions on different Renfrewshire courses during the season (CLICK HERE for the 2023 Fixtures).

Venue Management System (VMS) and Scottish Golf (SG) App

In 2021 we moved to SG's VMS to manage our membership and competitions. Integral to this is the SG App, which is used by members to book and view competition draws and results, as well as managing their County membership and accessing their Handicap Index record. The App also provides a mobile scorecard facility that members use to record their score at the end of their round or alternatively they can use the County iPad for score entry.

Booking for competitions usually open 6 weeks before the event and close 8 days before with the draw being done shortly after this. Members are advised when competitions are open for entry and reminded of impending closing dates. 

Now to an overview of our competitions, including our most recent winners;

County Championship

A major highlight of the year is the County Championship that is held over three days - Wednesday to Friday - in May, where members compete for the Championship Trophy, The Peggy Clark Trophy (lowest net qualifying score) and The Handicap Irvine Trophy.

The first day is a stroke play qualifying competition that is open to all members with the player with the lowest handicap score winning The Peggy Clark Trophy. The players with the 16 top gross scores, who are available to play in the next two days of match play, compete for the County Championship with the final being held on the Friday afternoon. The top 8 handicap scoring players compete for The Handicap Irvine Trophy with this final being on the Friday morning.

County Championship 2023

The 2023 County Championship Qualifier was over Cochrane Castle GC with the winner being for the first time Liz Stewart (Greenburn), who beat Julie Wilson (Williamwood GC) on the 18th hole to win by 1 in what was a very close and exciting Final.
 

Liz Stewart - County Champion 2023 (Photo courtesy of Fiona Armour)


The Peggy Clark Trophy for the lowest nett qualify score was won by Lyn Reuben (Kilmacolm GC) (photo courtesy of Fiona Armour)

The Handicap Irvine Handicap Trophy was another closely fought battle between Tracy Masterton (Milngavie GC) and Lyn Black (East Ren GC) with Tracy winning by one on the 18th hole.

Tracy Masterton (Milngavie GC), the Handcap Irvine Trophy winner (Photo courtesy of Fiona Armour)

For more information on the Championship and a link to an album of photographs taken on the day  CLICK HERE to see the associated news article.

KNOCKOUT COMPETITIONS

Over and above the County fixtures, we have two Knockout competitions during the year;

The Challenge Cup (also known as the Rosebowl)

The eight players with the best net aggregate from the Championship Qualifying round and the Spring Meeting (Medal) qualify for the match play stages.

This competition was played on 21st September 2023 at Elderslie GC between Brenda Duthie (Cathcart Castle) and Jan Macnab (Ranfurly Castle) with Brenda the victor.  

Brenda Duthie (right) being presented with the Challenge Cup by Honorary President Pearl Orr.  

CLICK HERE to view the related news article.

The Winter Foursomes

In addition to the above fixtures there is a Winter Foursomes knockout competition which is held between November and April each year.

The 2023/2024 final was played at Cochrane Castle GC on 4th March 2024 between Jan Macnab (Ranfurly Castle GC) and Marianne McKelvie (Elderslie GC) and the East Renfrewshire team of Linda Ellery and Liz Munro with Jan and Marianne being the eventual winners. For additional information CLICK HERE to see the related news article. 

Marianne McKelvie (left) and Jan Macnab (right) holding the Foursomes trophy (photo courtesy of Sandra Littlejohn)

OTHER COUNTY RELATED CHAMPIONSHIPS

Throughout the season there are a number of regional competitions that County members and teams compete in. A list of theses competitions with the dates and venues is included in a table on our Fixtures Tables 2023 page (CLICK HERE).  

The following is some background to these competitions and notable Renfrewshire performances during 2023;

West Championship 2023

The West of Scotland Championship is open to all West Division County Ladies and Junior Members with a maximum Handicap Index of 20.4. The 2023 Championship took place over Milngavie Golf Club on 8th May 2023 with the winner being Lanarkshires Susan Woodhouse, who narrowly beat last year's winner RLCGA County player's Jennifer Rankine (Haggs Castle GC). Lanarkshire's Senior and Junior Teams also lifted the team trophies this year with last year's winners Renfrewshire finishing runners-up.

(L to R) Runner-up Jennifer Rankine with winner Susan Woodward, Ruth Hunter (3rd place ) and Fiona Rattray (4th place)  (Photos courtesy of Jean Macintyre)

CLICK HERE for a fuller report on Lanarkshire Ladies County Golf blogsite.

Inter-County Foursomes and Commonwealth Spoons

Renfrewshire and the other three West Division counties run a Foursomes competition in April/May every year as pre-qualification for the above events.

Based on the team scores and availability to play, the top two gross scoring teams and the four teams with the best net scores go forward to play in the Inter-County Foursomes against the similarly placed teams from the West Division counties.

The 2023 Inter-County Foursomes was played on 5th June 2023 at Ballochmyle GC and was won by the Renfrewshire pairing of Jennifer Mack and Jennifer Rankine with Captain Donna Jackson and Vice Captain Liz Stewart coming second.   

(L to R) Jennifer Rankine and Jennifer Mack

(
L to R) Vice-Captain Liz Stewart and Captain Donna Jackson

Third in the Handicap Division was another Renfrewshire pairing Morag Little and Maureen McDevitt pictured below.



(l to r) Maureen McDevitt and Morag Little (photo courtesy of Fiona Armour)

For further information CLICK HERE to visit the related news article.

The Commonwealth Spoon Qualifiers are the four best top net scoring teams again who are available to play on the day of the competition. The 2023 event was played at Kings Acre GC on 4th September 2023 and involved teams from all the Scottish Counties. Two teams represented Renfrewshire with pairing Fiona Armour and Brenda Conway finishing 5th.

(L to R) Brenda Mulholland and Fiona Armour

Kennedy Salver (Juniors)

This long-standing competition between the West Division County Junior teams is included under the Juniors Girls Sub-menu.

Inter-County Team Matches (now known as Jamboree) and Scottish County Finals

This is another highlight of the year with County teams of eight made up of, where possible, their best low handicapped players, who over a three day event play foursomes and singles matchplay competition against the teams in the West Division counties; Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Dunbartonshire and Argyll. The team with the most points at the end of the divisional Jamboree wins and goes forward to the Scottish County Finals to play against the winners of the other divisional finals.

The history of the Jamboree and Renfrewshire Counties successes over the years can be found in the Jamboree Sub-menu.  The follow photograph is of the 2023 Renfrewshire Jamboree team;

(l to r) Rosie Maguire, Carol Whyte, Jennifer Rankine, Vice-captain Liz Stewart, Honorary President Pear Orr, Captain Donna Jackson, Julie Wilson, Gillian Kyle  and  Emma Thomson Burns (Photo coutesy of Fiona Armour)