WEST OF SCOTLAND GREENLEES TROPHY 75th ANNIVERSARY - DETAILS AND DRAW

by Carol Fell

On Saturday 19^th September 2015 Cathcart Castle Golf Club hosts a special Greenlees Anniversary Tri-Am with players from 28 golf clubs to mark 75 years of the West of Scotland Ladies Inter Club Golf League founded by Ysobel Greenlees. 
Cathcart Castle is also providing a celebratory brochure about the young Mrs Greenlees and her pioneering idea. 

Here is an Extract from the brochure - kindly produced by Jean Smith (Cathcart Castle Ladies Handicap Secretary and RLCGA's membership Secretary)

YSOBEL GREENLEES

THE WEST of SCOTLAND LADIES INTER CLUB GOLF LEAGUE

75^th Anniversary Year  2015

YSOBEL GREENLEES, golf internationalist and captain of the British Ladies Team, was born in Glasgow in 1902, the daughter of building contractor George Findlay (later a Bailie of Troon) and his wife Jessie Greenlees of Campbeltown and daughter of the late Samuel Greenlees. In 1919 age 17 she married her cousin Walter Greenlees, a son of the distiller Samuel Greenlees Jnr who had made Scotch an international drink.

Ysobel and Walter settled in Monkland House, Troon, and by 20 she had her son and daughter.

The Greenlees families hailed from Kintyre and developed three distilleries in Campbeltown (and one in Islay) and were founder members of Machrihanish Golf Club in 1876. They pioneered the mass-marketing and exporting of blended whiskies and soon became the largest holders in the world of thoroughly matured Pure Malt Whisky.

Ysobel learned her golf at Prestwick St Nicholas, which was instrumental in starting the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association, and became Club Champion at age 25 before joining Troon where her husband played. She became West of Scotland Champion in 1932; was a leading member of the first-ever British ladies team which toured Australasia, via India, in 1935; and captained Britain playing in France in 1938 when Britain beat France 7 and 2 at Golf de Morvantaine, where the home nation was captained by Madame Danae Vagliano, after whom the international Vagliano Trophy is named.

Ysobel founded the West of Scotland Ladies Inter Club League in 1930, for which her husband donated the Greenlees Trophy.  Her purpose in starting it was to give club players, especially the younger ones, greater experience in playing competitive match-play golf.

It was first played for in 1931 when Prestwick St Nicholas won, after a play-off against Troon. From 1939, due to the War, the League was suspended until 1949, when Troon won.  She advertised in the Glasgow Herald inviting more clubs to join in – creating a second division in 1954, and donating its trophy, all followed by a third division in 1986.

She was a vivacious, powerful golfer, and when playing in the Open competitions newspapers reported “her golf gives more aesthetic pleasure to the spectator than any other of the competitors.”

She passed on in 1996, and today is remembered for “The Greenlees” league, now of three divisions, playing in its 75^th year of intense competition and rivalry between 27 clubs across the West of Scotland each summer. It is unique in Scotland.

FORMAT ---

The format is a Tri -am with the teams being drawn one member from each division - just to mix everybody up.

GREENLEES CELEBRATION TRIAM

Time	Name	Club	H/C	Result
9.30	Angela Fergusson Fiona Maclean Audrey Barclay	Troon Hilton Park East Renfrewshire	18 9 14
9.37	Lisa Blyth Janette Stark Dorothy Winton	Cathkin Braes Largs Cawder	9 18 14
9.45	Chris Auld Carol McNally Mo Neilson	Kilmarnock Barassie Williamwood Greenock	14 7 11
9.52	Joanne Sharp Robina Gilbertson Anne Aitken	Kilmarnock Barassie Prestwick St Nicholas Eastwood	10 5 14
10.00	Elizabeth Simpson Linda Thompson Marie McConnell	Whitecraigs Prestwick St Nicholas Bothwell Castle	11 19 9
10.07	Anne Robinson Carolyn Mackay Sandra MacDougall	Ranfurly Castle Lenzie Greenock	9 12 16
10.15	Jill Foggo Eleanor Inglis Linda Hay	Milngavie Largs Eastwood	7 16 11
10.22	Helen Faulds Christine Leitch Irene Boyd	Douglas Park Williamwood Bothwell Castle	7 12 13
10.30	Eleanor Bremner Gail Thomson Carol Fell	Troon Ayr Belleisle Guest	16 4 9
10.38	Fiona Roger Diane Baldwin Lori Macdonald	Ranfurly Castle Hilton Park Cardross	13 16 7
10.45	Katy Macaulay Diane McLean Vicky Hendren	Milngavie Cathcart Castle Cardross	7 16 12
10.52	Barbara Aird Gilliam Henderson June Forrest	Cathkin Braes Ayr Belleisle Lanark	10 7 18
11.00	Eileen Atkinson Sharon Mitchell Morag Turner	West Kilbride Cathcart Castle Kilmacolm	15 9 13
11.07	Gill Hendry Sharon Edgar Linda McDougall	Douglas Park Lenzie Greenock	12 16 7
11.15	Jane Alexander Jane Green Willeen McCallum	Cathcart Castle Eastwood Guest	9 18 18
11.22	Debbie Peberdy Maureen Mitchell Pat Hutton	Kilmarnock Barassie Old Ranfurly Lanark	10 18 6
11.30	Gilly Macrae Maureen Mitchell Lynne Macdonald	Troon Cathcart Castle Cardross	14 9 21
11.38	Lorna Howie Jean Sloan Marion Stewart	Whitecraigs Cathcart Castle Kilmacolm	10 11 13
11.45	Aileen Donaldson Margaret Gray Alice Brown	West Kilbride Old Ranfurly Bothwell Castle	15 19 11
11.52	Pauline Warlow Jean Capes Elma Perry	Cathkin Braes Largs East Renfrewshire	8 13 14
12.00	Joyce Mitchell Mary Scott Fiona Butler	Whitecraigs Williamwood Guest (Paisley)	19 9 16
12.07	Leslie McLatchie Marilyn Muir Dale Reid	West Kilbride Old Ranfurly East Renfrewshire	9 11 16
12.15	Elinor Grant Aileen Baker Carol Smith	Douglas Park Hilton Park Haggs Castle	17 6 15
12.22	Anna Telfer Mary Cowan Jennifer Graham	Milngavie Lenzie Haggs Castle	6 13 12
12.30	Anne Hunt Evy Park Trish Brown	Lanark Haggs Castle Kilmacolm	14 14
12.38	Sarah Eckford Winnie Patrick Fiona Scott	Ranfurly Castle Cawder Cathcart Castle	9 19 12