ALL THE LATEST NEWS ON AMATEUR GOLF IN AYRSHIRE

Saturday, December 25, 2010

HAPPY CHRISTMAS !!!

Hope all our readers get all the golfing gifts they hoped for today.

We're sure that a couple of these elves could be very much in demand amongst the dodgy putters of the world !!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

AYRSHIRE SUMMER LEAGUE - New format agreed for 2011

The Ayrshire Summer Scratch League will be competed for under a new format in 2011.

Since its innauguration in 2003 the Summer Scratch League has involved an all in draw for qualifying sections, with the winners progressing to the latter stages of the competition.

Whilst the format for playing individual matches will remain the same, the format of the event itself will alter considerably.

After seeking the views of competing clubs in early 2010, it has been agreed that the 2011 competition will be played in League Divisions, with promotion and relegation between leagues coming into operation, the winning team in the league gaining promotion to a higher division and the bottom team being relegated to a lower division.

It is anticipated that the formation of a such a league set up will promote keener competition throughout the competition, with all matches being closely contested and meaningful throughout the full league programme.

It is envisaged that the initial championship will involve four leagues of five teams, with the lower two leagues possibly involving more or less teams depending on the number of entrants, although there will be the option of introducing a fifth league if interest demands.

For the 2011 competition, the teams entering the event will be placed in divisions using a formula based on performance and position in the competition over the last three years of the event, and this will be agreed by the AGA Executive once all the entrants for 2011 are known.

The present Summer Scratch League trophy will be presented to the winner of Division 1 in 2011, with new trophies being introduced for the winners of the other divisions also.

Entry forms for the 2011 competition were distributed to club secretaries in early November. The closing date for entries is 31st January 2011.

Friday, December 17, 2010

SEARCH IS ON TO FIND SCOTTISH GOLF’S UNSUNG HEROES - New award announced

(SGU press release)
A new award is being launched by the Scottish Golf Union to honour the country’s unsung golfing heroes with the inaugural winner to be presented alongside the stars of the game at February’s XOS Scottish Golf Awards.

The Scottish Golf Volunteer of the Year Award has been created to recognise the contribution made by thousands of club volunteers up and down the country whose efforts give so much to the running of the game, both locally and nationally.

The SGU is inviting clubs to nominate their unsung volunteers for this prestigious new award, with the fantastic prize of two places on offer at the XOS Scottish Golf Dinner on Friday 18 February at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow. The leading five nominees as selected by our judging panel will be invited to attend the event with a guest and the winner being presented with their award on the night by one of the leading names in Scottish Golf.

The Volunteer of the Year will also receive a fantastic individual prize, in addition to a donation towards golf development at their home club.

“We’ve seen so many fantastic examples of volunteering at clubs across the country that we felt it was important to recognise the commitment of these individuals. Like many sports, golf relies on the contribution of so many people at a local level and so we are delighted to launch this new award.” said Andy Salmon, Scottish Golf Development Manager.

“Next year’s XOS Scottish Golf Awards will be a fantastic occasion and it’s important that we honour golf club members involved in the grass roots of the game as well as those performing at the highest level. We look forward to receiving many nominations from clubs and while there can only be one winner, it will be great to recognise all our volunteers’ outstanding efforts through this award.” he added.

Nomination forms will be available on-line at http://www.scottishgolf.org/ and clubs will also be sent information on the Awards through the post and via e-mail. Entries for the Award will close on Thursday 20 January with the five leading volunteers selected by our judging panel to be profiled on the website and the winner announced on Friday 18 February.

Entry is open to anyone aged 16 or over who is a member of an SGU or SLGA affiliated golf club and an active volunteer on a club committee, junior section or another recognised unpaid position within the club.