AYRSHIRE SENIOR MENS CHAMPIONSHIP - Draw for Prestwick St Cuthbert published

The draw for the 2026 Ayrshire Senior Mens Championship for the Sandy Provan Trophy, to be played at Prestwick St Cuthb ert Gc on Tuesday the 7th of July, has been published and circulated to competitors, with a good field due to contest the event this year.

The trophy will be won by the player returning the best nett score of the day while there will be a scratch prize and handicap prizes in three age categories

The players returning the best eight scratch scores will go forward to contest the 2026 Ayrshire Senior Mens championship later in July

There ar a small number of times towards the end of the field still available for late entries. Entry is open to players over the age of 50 on the day of the competition who are members of any of the 67 member clubs affiliated to The Ayrshirre Golf Association.

Entry for the competition is £10 and entries can be submitted via the Scottish Golf App Open Competitions facility

ENTER VIA THE SCOTTISH GOLF APP

How to enter on the Scottish Golf App

Go to the Events tab. Change the club to Ayrshire Golf Association on the drop down menu and select ‘OPEN’ on the right hands side. Chose your competition then click on the basket on the top right-hand side. Then select your preferred zone and continue to payment.

The draw for Order of Play is:-

AYRSHIRE WOMENS STROKEPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP - Draw for Annanhill event published

The draw for the 2026 Ayrshire Women's Strokeplay Championship, to be held at Annanhill Gc on Sunday the 7th of June, has been published and circulated to competitors.

Trophies and prizes will be competed for on both a scratch and handicap basis, while the players returning the best eight scratch scores will go forward to contest the 2026 Ayrshire Womens Matchplay Championship at Troon Lochgreen later in June.

There are still some spaces available for late entries. Entry fee is £10 and entry is open to any women members of the 67 Ayrshire clubs affiliated to The Ayrshire Golf Association.

Late entries can be submitted either by traditional entry forms, available via the link below, or via the Scottish Golf App open competitions facility.

LINK TO AYRSHIRE WOMENS STROKEPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRY FORM

ALTERNATIVELY ENTER VIA THE SCOTTISH GOLF APP

How to enter on the Scottish Golf App

Go to the Events tab. Change the club to Ayrshire Golf Association on the drop down menu and select ‘OPEN’ on the right hands side. Chose your competition then click on the basket on the top right-hand side. Then select your preferred zone and continue to payment.

The draw for order of Play is:-

THE AYRSHIRE JUG - Three second round results awaited

Just three results are awaited from the second round of the mixed greensomes knockout competition for The Ayrshire Jug, before the third round line up can be confirmed.

In recent matches played, Graeme & Alyson Hutton (Skelmorlie) had a 5&4 away win on their visit to play Douglas & Fay Alexander (Prestwick Centre/Ayr Belleisle Ladies) while William Fleming & Joan McMurdo (Ballochmyle) beat Alyssa Gillies &Andrew Orr (Ballochmyle/Loudoun) by 7&6 to progress to round three.

Elizabeth McConnell & Derek Macpherson (Rowallan Castle) won by 4&3 at home to Lynn & Jordan Callaghan (Loudoun) and will face Jamie & Mya Wilson (Troon Portland/Royal Troon) in round three after the Wilsons were given a walkover by Kevin Flack & Janet Harkness (Skelmorlie) in round two.

In the other second round completed recently, Stephen McCutcheon & Jacqui McDevitt (Ballochmyle) visited Andrew Reid & Orla Moran (Irvine) and recorded a two hole away victory.

The remaining three second round ties are due to be completed by the 31st of May.

AYRSHIRE WOMENS HANDICAP LEAGUE - Both qualifying sections well under way

Matches are well under way in the two qualifying sections for the 2026 Ayrshire Womesn handicap league Championship competition, with several ties already played.

In GROUP 1, Largs lead, having had two 3-1 wins at home to Kilmarnock Barassie and Rowallan Castle and a draw away at Troon Welbeck, while Rowallan Castle had a 3-1 win away at Kilmarnock Barassie.

Present positions in Group 1 are:-

In GROUP 2, Caprington are in front following 4-0 home wins over Ayr Belleisle Ladies and Ballochmyle and a 2-2 draw at home to Loudoun. Loudoun also had a 2.4-1.5 home win over Ballochmyle while Ballochmyle won their first home game against Ayr Belleisle Ladies by 3.5-0.5

Present positions in Group 2 are:-

AYRSHIRE JUNIOR GOLF LEAGUE - Competition updates

The Ayrshire Junior Golf League competitions for 2026 are progressing well, with several fixtures being completed recently, as clubs and individuals strive for places in the competition finals at Loudoun in August.

In the AYRSHIRE JUNIOR GOLF LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP Matches have been played recently in both qualifying sections.

In SECTION A, Ayr Belleisle lead the way following a 3.5-2.5 home win over Prestwick St Nicholas, although their hopes of establishing a clear lead in the section suffered a setback with a 3.5-2.5 defeat away to Turnberry.

Turnberry lie in second place at present following a 4.5-1.5 defeat away to Prestwick St Nicholas.

Present postions in Section A are:-

	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
AYR BELLEISLE	3	2	0	1	11.0	7.0	4.0	8
TURNBERRY	3	2	0	1	8.5	9.5	-1.0	8
PRESTWICK ST NICHOLAS	2	1	0	1	7.0	5.0	2.0	4
IRVINE	2	1	0	1	5.0	7.0	-2.0	4
TROON WELBECK	2	0	0	2	4.5	7.5	-3.0	0

In SECTION B, Kilmarnock Barassie maintained their lead and 100% record with a 4-2 home win over West Kilbride while Prestwick St Cuthbert boosted their hopes with a 5-1 home win over Ballochmyle.

Present postions in Section B are:-

	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
KILMARNOCK BARASSIE	3	3	0	0	11.5	6.5	5.0	12
PRESTWICK ST CUTHBERT	2	1	0	1	7.5	4.5	3.0	4
WEST KILBRIDE	2	1	0	1	7.0	5.0	2.0	4
EAST AYRSHIRE	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0
BALLOCHMYLE	3	0	0	3	4.0	14.0	-10.0	0

In the UNDER 16 KNOCKOUT TROPHY competition, Turnberry won the final first round tie by 3-1 away to West Kilbride.

The line up for the quarter finals is:-

Troon Welbeck Vs Loudoun

Turnberry Vs Caprington

Prestwick St Cuthbert Vs irvine

Ayr Belleisle Vs Annanhill

In the WALLACE THORNTON TROPHY competition, the quarter final line up has been confirmed as:-

West Kilbride Vs Ballochmyle

Turnberry Vs Prestwick St Nicholas

Kilmarnock Barassie vs east Ayrshire

Prestwick St Cuthbert Vs Troon Welbeck

In the JUNIOR CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS competition Euan Forrest (West Kilbride) had a win over Orla Moran (Ayrshire Girls Champion) at Irvine (Bogside) at the first extra hole, while Zak McCallum (Loudoun) had a single hole home win over Mason Chisholm (Irvine) to secure his quarter final place.

The result of the first round tie between Findlay Andrew (Ayrshire Boys Strokeplay Champion) and Jake Hendry (Ayrshire Boys Matchplay Champion) has still to be confirmed before the quarter final line up is completed.

The four quarter final ties are:-

Jenson Fergusson (Prestwick St Cuthbert) Vs Harris Vennard (Ayr Belleisle)

Euan Forrest (West Kilbride) Vs Sandi Rogerson (Kilmarnock Barassie)

Adam Balfour (Troon Welbeck) Vs Gregor Hay (Turnberry)

Findlay Andrew or Jake Hendry Vs Zak McCallum (Loudoun)

AYRSHIRE MEN'S HANDICAP LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP - Update for all eight qualifying sections

Matches have been played recently in all eight qualifying sections in the 2026 Ayrshire Men's handicap League Championship.

In SECTION 1,  West Kilbride still lead the way while Ardeer and Kilmarnock Barassie boosted their holes with home wins over Largs by 4.5-1.4 and 3.5-2.5 respectively.

Present positions in Section 1 are:-

In SECTION 2, Beith extended their lead with a 3-3 draw away at irvine Ravenspark.

Present positions in Sewction 2 are:-

In SECTION 3,  Ayr Seafield and irvine both recorded 4-2 home wins over Troon St Meddans.

Present positions in Section 3 are:-

In SECTION 4, Tam O Shanter maintained their challenge with a 5-1 home win over Crosshouse.

Present positions in Section 4 are:-

In SECTION 5, caprington opened their campaign with a 5.5-0.5 home win over Redburn, while Kilbirnie Place bounced back from theoir opening defeat to record a 6-0 win at Girvan in their second fixture.

Present positions in Section 5 are:-

In SECTION 6, Ayr Belleisle maintained their unbeaten start with a 5.5-0.5 home win over Royal Troon.

Present positions in Section 6 are:- 

In SECTION 7, Routenburn maintained top spot with a 4-2 home win over Troon Welbeck.

Present positions in Section 7 are:-

In SECTION 8, Alton opened their campaign with a 3.5-2.5 home win over Troon Portland.

Present positions in section 8 are:-

DOC THOM AYRSHIRE ORDER OF MERIT - Alan Mclean leads after three events

Alan Mclean (Largs) leads the way in the Ayrshire order of Merit for the Doc Thom Salver after completion of the first three events.

His win in the 2026 Ayrshire Mens Strokeplay Championship and qualification for the Ayrshire Mens Matchplay Championship was followed by a joint fifth finish in the recent Prestwick St Cuthbert Open to give him a clear lead over calum Nairn (Prestwick St Cuthbert), the new Ayrshire Men's Matchplay Champion.

The last weekend in May sees four qualifying events being played with the Scottish Open Strokeplay at Glasgow Gailes Links from the 29th to the 31st and the West Kilbride mens Open, The West of Scotland Mens Strokeplay, and The Belleilse Cup all being held on the 31st.

Present positions in the Doc Thom Ayrshire Order of Merit are:-

PRESIDENT'S PUTTER - Second round ties completed as third round line up is confirmed

All the second round ties in the 2026 handicap club team knockout competition for The President's Putter have been completed, with the line up for the first round being confirmed this week.

Tam O Shanter and Irvine had 2-1 away wins over Portmann and Wallacetown respectively while Caprington won their home tie by the same score against Alton.

Drongan booked their place in round three with a 2.5-0.5 home win over The Chase.

The full list of second round results and the line up for the third round is:-

GARY BRYDEN MEMORIAL SALVER - Kilbirnie Place first into quarter finals

Kilbirnie Place 

are the first club to book their place in the quarter finals of the 2026 scratch club team knockout competition for The Gary Bryden Memorial Salver.

Playing away from home against Troon Portland in their second round tie, the Kilbirnie team recoirded a 2-1 victory to set up a quarter final tie away to either Kilmarnock Barassie or Ballochmyle

In the first round, Girvan were awarded a walkover by Skelmorlie and now face a second round tie at home to Irvine.

The remaining first round ties between Turnberry and West Kilbride, and Ardeer and Prestwick St Nicholas, are due to be played by the 31st of May. 

AYRSHIRE SCRATCH LEAGUES - Latest update

Several fixtures in the four Ayrshire Scratch Leagues have been completed recently, with all four leagues well under way.

In DIVISION 1, Ayr Belleisle continued their good start to the campaign with a 3.5-2.5 away win over Irvine.

In DIVISION 2, Loudoun, Royal Troon, and Turnberry had 5-1 home wins over Royal Troon, Kilmarnock Barassie, and West Kilbride respectively, while Royal Troon also had a good 4-2 away win over Kilmarnock Barassie.

In DIVISION 4, Annanhill had a 5-1 home win over Redburn while Ardeer beat their visitors from Troon Welbeck by 5.5-0.5

The latest standings in the four Scratch Leagues are:-

  

THE AYRSHIRE JUG - Harris & Wilson through to last sixteen

Patricia Harris & Neil Wilson (Ballochmyle) are the latest pairing to secure their place in the last sixteen of the 2026 Ayrshire mixed greensomes knockout competition for The Ayrshire Jug.

A single hole victory away from home against Debbie Watt and Michael Malone (Ayr Belleisle Ladies/Golf South Ayrshire) set up a home tie in the last sixteen for Harris and Wilson against David & Margaret Crookston (Skelmorlie).

The remaining second round ties are due to be completed by the 31st of May.

SCOTTISH OPEN STROKEPLAY PRE QUALIFYING - Six Ayrshire players negotiate St Nicholas to book places at Gailes Links

Six Ayrshire players successfully negotiated the Scottish Open Strokeplay pre Qualifying event at Prestwick St Nicholas GC on Tuesday the 26th of May to book spots in the main event over Glasgow Gailes Links beginning on Friday the 29th of May.

The qualifiers were led with a four under par score of 65 by Wigtownshire County GC member Kyle McClung, who now resides in Ayr, being employed as a greenkeeper at nearby Western Gailes GC.

Best of the Ayrshire players was Craig Hamilton (Ballochmyle) whose score of 67, two under par, saw him finish in joint fifth place to easily secure one of the thirty seven spots available for the main championship.

Finlay Watt (West Kilbride) finished joint seventeenth with a level par round of 69 while three Ayrshire players were joint twentieth with one over par scores of 70, including Cameron McGarvie (Prestwick) and Ayr Belleisle GC brothers Gregor and Jamie Hay.

Ten players finished in joint 35th position, with qualifying being decided by the usual process of better inward half etc.

The outcome saw Daniel Forbes (Irvine) secure the final place, while Calum Nairn (Prestwick St Cuthbert) missed out, following a very expensive three putt on the final hole for a bogey four. 

Other Ayrshire scores :-

72 (+4) - Jenson Fergusson (Royal Troon)

73 (+5) - Harvey McDonald (Loudoun)

77 (+8) - Kevin Thomas (Troon St Meddans) 

Another to miss out was former Ayrshire Boys Champion Scott Newman (Gourock) who was joint forty fifth on 72 (+3) 

PETER J. BOND - Ayrshire saddened by passing of Irvine Ravenspark professional

Golfers throughout Ayrshire were stunned and saddened to learn of the untimely passing of PGA Professional Peter Bond on Saturday the 16th of May at the age of 73, just weeks after he retired from his position as club professional at Irvine Ravenspark Golf Club where he had worked for forty five years.

Peter's connection with the Irvine Ravenspark club spanned a period of sixty years, since he started playing at the club as a fourteen year old schoolboy, and his period as professional at the club will stand as one of the longest period of service to one club in recent times.

His skill in the game saw him qualify as a PGA professional at the same time as fellow Ayrshireman Sam Torrance,  just four years after taking the game up, and he went on to play in many European Tour and Scottish Tour events in the 1970's and 1980's, before eventually retiring from competitive golf in 1994 after which his full time was dedicated to his club job at Irvine Ravenspark where he became a much liked and respected fixture at the course where he coached, supported and inspired countless members over the decades, and provided the foundation for many good amateur, and some professional, careers in the game. 

In 2016 Peter combined his love for golf and his passtime of writing poetry to produce a delightful book entitled Ayrshire Golf Chapter & Verse, which provides a poetic and informative guide to good course management for golfers, covering some of the most memorable holes and courses in Ayrshire.

Peter announced his retirement at the end of March 2026 but sadly was not spared to enjoy a long retirement, passing away less than two weeks after the members of the Irvine Ravenspark Club officially maked his retirement with a farewell ceremony within the clubhouse on the 3rd of May.

Peter will be very muched missed at Irvine Ravenspark and within the wider Ayrshire golfing fraternity, and beyond, and sincere condolences are extended from all at The Ayrshire Golf Association to Peter's family and close friends at this very sad time.

In Peter's published book he did of course cover his own club at Irvine Ravenspark, and concluded his hole by hole assesment of how to play the course with a couple of lines which may prompt a smile from friends when remembering Peter.   

'Then into the Nineteenth where each stroke you'll recall,

And when taking refreshment reflect, you cant win them all".

AYRSHIRE MEN'S FOURBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - Four more clubs book third round places

Four more clubs have booked their places in the third round of the 2026 Ayrshire Men's Fourball Championship this week, with the remaining six second round ties due to be completed by the 31st of May.

Scott  & Ross Chesney (Kilbirnie Place)  and Alan Muir & Gordon Christie (The Chase) had 3&2 away wins over Allan Clark & Kyle Finnie (Troon St Meddans)  and Darren Mallinson & Jason Stevenson (Irvine) respectively to progress.

Thomas Kelly & John McKenna (Beith) also had an away win, by 2&1, to progress at the expense of  Jack McNeill & Alexander Gemmell (Irvine Ravenspark), while Alan Parsons & Thomas Anderson (Glacier) were awarded a walkover by William Smith & Billy Smith (Stewarton).

SAFE GOLF - Ayrshire Golf Association attain Safe Golf Accreditation

The Ayrshire Golf Association has recently been awarded Safe Golf Accreditation by Scottish Golf.

SafeGolf is a partnership of UK golf bodies committed to promoting a safe and positive environment for all those participating, working and volunteering in the sport.

Scottish Golf has launched a SafeGolf Accreditation programme, which will enable all affiliated clubs and facilities to complete a self-evaluation of their current safeguarding practices through an online self-assessment tool to support them with implementing the standards set out by Scottish Golf.

The process covers three topic areas essential to delivering a safe environment where children and young people can enjoy the game:

1. Junior Workforce

2. Safeguarding Policies

3. Safeguarding Procedures

The Ayrshire Golf Association undertook a comprehensive review of policies and procedures which resulted in the awarding of SafeGolf Accreditation in early May 2026.

The Safeguarding Policies and Safeguarding Procedures will be reviewed and updated every three years.

The implemented policies and procedures and Safe Golf Accreditation are designed to help The Ayrshire Golf Association provide a welcoming and safe environment for all juniors.

All Executive members who are involved in junior coaching and junior team matches are registered with the PVG scheme and, where appropriate, have attended suitable training events.

All the relevant policies and information are available in the Safeguarding section of the Ayrshire Golf Association website at 

www.ayrshiregolf.org

Link To A.G.A. Safeguarding Policies

 

AYRSHIRE WOMEN'S CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS TROPHY - Two more players through to quarter finals

Two more players have booked their places in the quarter finals of the 2026 Ayrshire Women's Champion of Champions Trophy competition.

Orla Moran (Irvine), the title holder, had a 4&3 home win over Kema Genda (Troon Bentinck Ladies)  and will play clubmate Pauline Patrick (Irvine), who won her first round tie at home to Sandi Rogerson (Kilmarnock Barassie) by 2 holes, in the quarter finals.

The remaining first round tie is due to be played by the 31st of May.

AYRSHIRE MENS CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS TROPHY - Round two completed

All of the second round matches in the 2026 Ayrshire Mens Champion of Champions Trophy competition were completed this week, with the last sixteen competitors in this years event identified.

The full list of second round results , and the line up for the third round is:-