AYRSHIRE GOLF ASSOCIATION YEARBOOK - 9th edition launched at annual dinner

The ninth edition of the Ayrshire Golf Association yearbook was launched at the recent annual dinner and will be available soon in clubs throughout the county.

The 40 page booklet was produced once again by Ayrshire Media Services in Troon and contains reviews, information, fixtures and contacts for the forthcoming season.

Copies will be distributed to clubs in the county over the next few weeks.

The yearbook is also available to read on line by clicking on the picture on the left of this page.

AYRSHIRE GOLF DINNER - Ryder Cup puts in a guest appearance as Ayrshire honours 2011 winners

President Miller with the Ryder Cup

A capacity audience at the 2012 Ayrshire Golf Association Annual Dinner, held at Prestwick St Nicholas on Friday 24th February, were treated to a surprise appearance of the Ryder Cup, when guest speaker Sandy Jones of the PGA brought the iconic trophy along for the evening to give the members present an opportunity to see it up close and get photos taken with the cup.


The evening opened with President David Miller (Kilmarnock Barassie) carrying the Ryder Cup into the room before Prestwick St Nicholas Club captain Alan Poole welcomed the attendees to the club.

Scottish Club Champions
Ballochmyle

After President David Miller introduced the top table guests, the assembled company enjoyed an excellent meal.

After dinner, President Miller gave a run down of the successes enjoyed by Ayrshire players in 2011 before the company were entertained by guest Speaker Sandy Jones.

Scottish Boys Champion
David Wilson

As the evening drew to a close, President Miller presented trophies and awards to the succesful players from 2011.

Pride of place went to the two national champions present, Scottish Boys Champion David Wilson and the trio of Craig Hamilton, William Fleming and Graham Rowan who won the Scottish Club Championship representing Ballochmyle.


The 2011 Roll Of Honour was :-

Doc Thom Order Of Merit
Michael Smyth

Scottish Boys Champion - David Wilson (Troon Welbeck)
Scottish Club Champions - Ballochmyle (C Hamilton, W Fleming, G Rowan)
Scottish Area Team Championship Bronze Medals - Ayrshire
Scottish Boys Area Team Championship Silver Medals - Ayrshire
Ayrshire Boys Champion - Callum Beveridge (Troon Welbeck)
Ayrshire Boys Matchplay Champion - Callum Beveridge (Troon Welbeck)
Junior Order Of Merit - David Wilson (Troon Welbeck)
Ayrshire Fourball Trophy - Kilbirnie Place (Barry O'Rourke & Robert Nairn)

Sratch Leagues - Div 1 Troon Welbeck (Frank Henderson)
Div 2 - Ballochmyle (Billy Andrew)
Div 3 - Prestwick St Cuthbert (Steven Gillies)
Div 4 - Prestwick St Nicholas (Alan Poole)
Div 5 - Girvan (Gary Bryden)

Ayrshire Club Champions - Ballochmyle
Scratch League Division 1 - Troon Welbeck
Scratch League Division 2 - Ballochmyle
Scratch League Division 3 - Prestwick St Cuthbert
Scratch League Division 4 - Prestwick St Nicholas
Scratch League Division 5 - Girvan
Ayrshire Seniors Champion - Tom McKay (Annanhill)
Ayrshire Matchplay Champion - Michael Smyth (Royal Troon)
Ayrshire Strokeplay Champion - Jamie Mackay (Kilmarnock Barassie)
Ayrshire Champion Of Champions - Scott Brown (Turnberry)
Doc Thom Ayrshire Order Of Merit - Michael Smyth (Royal Troon)

Fourball Championship
Kilbirnie Place

Champion Of Champions
Scott Brown



Matchplay Champion
Michael Smyth

Strokeplay Champion
Jamie Mackay







Club Champions
Ballochmyle







AYRSHIRE WINTER ALLIANCE - Fleming wins February event at Troon

David Fleming

Prestwick Golf Club professional David Fleming won the professional event in the Ayrshire Winter Alliance competition at Troon Portland on Tuesday 14th February.

In windy conditions, Fleming had seven birdies in a five under par score of 66, to win by one shot from Graeme Fox (Rowallan Castle), who was a junior clubmate with Fleming at West Kilbride a number of years ago.

Leading Scores :-

PROFESSIONALS/ASSISTANTS			CLUB	SCORE
1	DAVID	FLEMING	PRESTWICK		66
2	GRAEME	FOX	ROWALLAN		67
2	DAVID	ORR	E RENFREWSHIRE		67
4	ALISTAIR	BROWN	WHITECRAIGS		68
5	CAMPBELL	ELLIOT	HAGGS CASTLE		70
5	MARK	LOFTUS	MEARNS CASTLE		70
5	IAN	COLQUHOUN	DUNDONALD		70

			KERNEL ROSEBOWL
	AMATEURS		CLUB	NET
1	HARRY	MILLER	ROYAL TROON	71
2	JOHN	MATTHEWMAN	BARASSIE	72
3	BOB	GRASSOM	ROYAL TROON	73
3	ROBERT	KERR	WELBECK	73
3	IAN	McCONNOCHIE	WESTERN GAILES	73
3	COLIN	McLATCHIE	W KILBRIDE	73

SGU BOYS ORDER OF MERIT - Former invitational event now open to all

The 2012 SCOTTISH HYDRO BOYS ORDER OF MERIT, formerly the SGU Boys Order of Merit, will break new ground this year with significant changes in in conditions and counting events.

Entry Forms for Scottish Hydro Boys Order of Merit events are available to download by visiting the SGU website www.scottishgolf.org   and it should be noted that Scottish Hydro Junior Tour events now require eligible players to enter by completing the relevant entry form i.e. entry to Junior Tour events is no longer by invitation only.

In addition, for the first time Area Association Boys Stroke Play Championships and the individual round in the Dunfermline Building Society Scottish Boys Area Team Championship will be included in the Order of Merit. The Ayrshire Boys Championship, scheduled for Thursday 2nd August at Largs, will therefore be a counting event in 2012.

Furthermore, conforming distance measuring devices (DMDs) will be permitted in all championships/events organised directly by the SGU.

They will not however be permitted in The Boys Amateur Championship organised by The R&

DOC THOM AYRSHIRE ORDER OF MERIT - Stevenson Trophy added to counting events

The counting events for the 2012 Doc Thom Ayrshire Order Of merit have been boosted to 17 counting events with the recent inclusion of the Stevenson Trophy competition at Girvan.

The Stevenson Trophy will be contested over one round strokeplay on Sunday 5th August at the Girvan golf course, and is included as a Doc Thom counting event for the first time.

AYRSHIRE JUNIOR GOLF LEAGUE - Draws made for 2012 competitions

The draws for the 2012 Ayrshire Junior Golf League competitions were made at the AJGL Executive meeting on Tuesday 7th February.

With 15 member clubs this season, the League Championship has four sections, with the winner of each section progressing to the semi finals.

Defending champions Irvine will contest Section C along with local rivals Troon Welbeck and Troon St Meddans, whilst 2011 Runners Up Annanhill have been drawn in Section A along with Ballochmyle, Irvine Ravenspark and Prestwick St Cuthbert.

Section B matches Ardeer, Largs, Loudoun and Prestwick St Nicholas whilst Section D will be contested by Ayr Belleisle, Caprington, Kilmarnock Barassie and West Kilbride.

In the Under 16 Knockout Trophy competition, holders Kilmarnock Barassie open their defence with a home match against Ayr Belleisle whilst the 2011 runners up, Prestwick St Nicholas, face a home tie against near neighbours Prestwick St Cuthbert in round 1.

The full draw for Round 1 matches, to be played by 3rd June, is:-

Ardeer Vs. Troon St Meddans

Troon Welbeck Vs Largs

Irvine Vs West Kilbride

Irvine Ravenspark Vs Loudoun

Prestwick St Nicholas Vs Prestwick St Cuthbert

Ballochmyle Vs Annanhill

Kilmarnock Barassie Vs Ayr Belleisle

Caprington - bye to quarter finals

In the Champion Of Champions Trophy competition, Ayrshire Boys Matchplay Champion Callum Beveridge leads the chase for the title, opening his bid with an away tie against Ian Napier (Ayr Belleisle).

The full draw for first round matches, to be played by 3rd June 2012, is:-

(Largs) - bye into quarter finals

Christopher Murray (West Kilbride) Vs (Loudoun)

Greg Vernon (Annanhill) Vs Stuart Walsh (Irvine)

Stephen Hill (Prestwick St Cuthbert) Vs Daniel Forbes (Ardeer)

(Caprington) Vs Callum Gorrie (Kilmarnock Barassie)

Louis Murray (Troon Welbeck) Vs Andrew Davidson (Ballochmyle)

Ian Napier (Ayr Belleisle) Vs Callum Beveridge (Ayrshire Boys Champion)

(Prestwick St Nicholas) Vs Craig Reid (Irvine Ravenspark)

EAST AYRSHIRE JUNIOR GOLF DEVELOPMENT - Grant funding boost for new partnership

(From the East Ayrshire Council website)

A newly-formed partnership to promote golf for youngsters in schools has got off to a great start, having already won £10,000 of funding.

East Ayrshire Junior Golf Development Group (JGDG) was established with key local clubs, ClubGolf and East Ayrshire Council, to engage with children, clubs and coaches to develop a stronger junior golf development programme.

Active Schools Manager Cheryl Brady said: “Our aim is to improve golf and make it more accessible and fun for young people”.

The JGDG includes Rowallan Golf Club, Loudoun Gowf Club, Annanhill Golf Club, Ballochmyle Golf Club, Caprington Golf Club, New Cumnock Golf Club, Loudoun Driving Range and Doon Valley Golf Club.

The partnership recently received £10,000 from Awards for All to encourage more young people to participate in the sport, to improve local club structures by providing training for coaches, to increase the number of volunteers at each club and to provide suitable age-related equipment to make the game more accessible to all.

Cheryl Brady added: “The establishment of this group has been an important step in developing golf at grass-roots level. With the grant, we want to engage young people in golf by taking the sport into the school setting and local communities.

“The Active Schools team looks forward to working in partnership with the development group to enhance and support golf provision throughout East Ayrshire”.

Gavin Scott, JGDG chairperson, said: “We will support the introduction of golf to local schools by offering coaching sessions from club members and PGA professionals, via festivals and competitions at the clubs.”

Councillor Jim Roberts, Spokesperson for Lifelong Learning, said: “This is yet another example of good partnership working led by Active Schools. I’m delighted that local clubs are joining us in encouraging young people to be more active, more often, in taking up golf. I look forward to seeing how the sport develops with this strong backing”.

The Ayrshire Ladies County Golf Association fixtures for 2012 have been announced.

The season begins with the Ayrshire Ladies County Championship at Troon Portland from 10th to 12th April.

The Ayrshire Ladies County team - pictured right - bid to defend their West Of Scotland title, won last year at Kilmarnock (Barassie), when the inter county matches take place from 18 to 20 June at cardross.


The girls team - pictured left - will defend the Kennedy Trophy on home ground in the corresponding junior matches, when the girls inter county matches are held at West Kilbride on 6th August.



The full ALCGA fixture list for 2012 is :- 

10-12 April - Ayrshire Ladies County Championship (Troon Portland)

6 May - West Of Scotland Ladies Championship (Renfrew)

8 May - Inter County Foursomes & Commonwealth Spoons (Ayr Dalmilling)

12 June - Quaich & Bronze Quaich Finals (Annanhill)

18-20 June - West Of Scotland Inter County matches (Cardross)

10 July - Summer Meeting (Kilmacolm)

6 August - Junior Inter County matches (West Kilbride)

14 August - Coronation Medals (Loudoun)

11 September - Thistle Brooches (Brunston Castle)

9 October - Quaich (Irvine Ravenspark)