Kate Green has just set up a new winter Competition for Players who attend East Lothian Schools. This event involves a lot of our present and future Players in the East Lothian Junior Golf League. This may be the first time that some of you play under the Foursomes format! It requires a totally different mindset to that required for individual golf. Good luck to all! Thanks Kate!

Kate also advises you all have a look over the rules of Foursomes and Match Play in advance of your match… any questions let Kate know and she will try to help!

–          Foursomes (Also Known as Alternate Shot) (randa.org)

–          Match Play (randa.org)

All players should download the R&A’s rules app on to their phones if they can as you can type questions into the app and hopefully find guidance if you need it:  Rules of Golf App (randa.org)

 

County Cup 2023/24 – This year the County Cup for 2023/24 will again be staged over the winter months and the final must be completed before the end of March 2024, just in time for the new League season starting. The draw and amended rules have been prepared and now appear below. Please read them. Each Junior Convenor has been sent an email containing the information. NOTE – an example for calculating the strokes to be given in any match can be seen on this page after the Rules.  See recent change to Rule 14.

 

RULES FOR THE COUNTY CUP 2023/24. (AMENDED 15/11/2023)

1. ELIGIBILITY – Golf Clubs situated in East Lothian, who have Junior Sections, and who have playing rights on courses in East Lothian, and have paid their annual subscription to the League, may play in this Team competition.  Clubs in East Lothian currently not in the League, may enter a Team by invitation, on payment of a £30 entry fee.
2. Team Members must be under 18 years of age on the 1^st of January 2023 for the purposes of this competition which will run from when the draw is published until the event is completed, which must be by 31st March 2024 at the latest.
3. The seeded draw has been made with reference to the finishing positions in the 2023 League, so the 4 leading Teams have been given “Byes.” 
4. A “Player” may play for any League Club where the player is a bona fide member but will be “Cup Tied” for the remainder of the event once they play for any Team.
5. FORMAT – Each “Team” will consist of 4 players. The format is Double Aggregate Handicap Foursomes (alternate shot) so each Match will involve two Foursomes “Games.” 
6. The two lowest handicapped Players in each Team, MUST play in the first game. If Players have identical Handicap indexes on the day of the event, the Convenor may choose who will play in the first game.
7. VENUE – Matches are to be hosted by the Team first named in each tie, and courtesy of the Course will be given to the visiting Team. In the case of Musselburgh Toun being the host Team, their Matches can be played at either of the Musselburgh courses, at any stage of the competition. 
8. Matches will be played as per the conditions in place at that venue e.g. fairway mats, preferred lies etc.
9. TEES – These will be the Mens and Ladies “Medal Tees” or any Mandatory “Winter Tees” unless both Junior Convenors mutually agree that another set of Tees will be used. Convenors can agree that each Game might be played from different Tees. 
10. If any Girl plays in a foursome, the Girl will drive off the Ladies’ medal tee when the playing order dictates. Rules Note – any “”Provisional Ball” MUST be played by the partner from the SAME tee where the original ball, which might be lost or out of bounds, was played from. 
11. RESULT – The winning Team is decided by aggregate “holes up” over both Games. 
12. TIES – In the event of a tie on aggregate after 18 holes, both Games must complete extra holes until a clear aggregate result is obtained. For example if in Game 1, Team A wins the 19th hole, and in Game 2, Team B wins the 19th hole, then both Games have to proceed to play the 20th hole etc etc until a winning aggregate is evident. Handicap strokes will again be given at extra holes where the stroke indices dictate.
13. HANDICAPS – Both Games will be handicap Games in which the maximum handicap allowed for any player is 24. Players off higher handicaps may play, but they will be limited to a handicap of 24 before any calculation of handicap strokes to be received is made.
14. CALCULATION OF HANDICAP STROKES – Foursomes. Playing Handicaps for each side in Foursomes are 50% of the combined Course Handicaps of the two players concerned. If multiple tees are in use, then an adjustment for any difference in the C.R. is required. The first step is to calculate the allowance as 50% of the combined Course Handicaps and then to apply any adjustments using the different Course Ratings depending on which tee are being used. To achieve equity any adjustment is half the combined adjustments for each side. The Playing Handicap is always rounded to an integer value. (See example below.)
15. STROKE INDICES – Handicap strokes are to be taken at the holes indicated by the Stroke Index for Men on the card of the course unless any Game involves only Girls in which case the Ladies Stroke Index will apply. 
16. STROKES RECEIVED – Any strokes to be received by a Girl in a mixed gender game will be taken at the appropriate holes using the Mens’ Stroke Indices. In any all Girls match, the Ladies’ Stroke Index will be used.
17. COSTS -The costs of catering and refreshments at a match will be shared by the two Teams involved. 
18. FINAL – The Club hosting the final will provide soft drinks and a snack for the finalists after the final but this will be paid for by the League.
19. REFEREE – The Referee will be the League Secretary who should be contacted on any Rules issue which cannot be resolved between the Players, or any attending Convenors. The League Secretary will be in attendance at the Final to decide on any rules issues or disputes. 
20. PRIZES – Prizes in the form of vouchers will be awarded to the Convenors of the finalists for fair distribution to the Players who have represented their Team during any stages of the Competition.
21. RULES – The Rules of Golf as approved by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, together with any Local Rules, will apply to the Matches.
22. Distance measuring devices (DMD’s) which comply with the Rules of Golf are allowed in this Competition.
23. No Caddies are allowed. 
24. Junior Convenors, other Team Members or Reserves, Parents or Relatives or any other Club representatives, are not allowed to offer “Advice” to players in either Team during any Match. The definition of “Advice” is: – “Any counsel or suggestion that could influence a player in determining his play, the choice of a club, or the method of making a stroke.” BUT: – Information or interpretation of the Rules or on matters of Public Information, such as the position of hazards, or the flagstick on the putting green, or the shape of dog-leg hole, yardage from sprinklers, and encouragement etc IS NOT advice. In addition, Parents and Relatives are expected to keep a discreet distance from any Matches so as not to influence any Players in any way.

Dave Warren and Jack Rogan, Co-Secretaries. 21st October 2023.

Please see the following from Katy McNicoll and Kate Green – Golf Sixes Leagues A and B results.

League A had their final day at Wee Course. Their Match day 5 results and final league placings are below.

League B had their final match at Longniddry Gullane and Musselburgh have both qualified for the regional final.

The final placings can be seen on Scottish Golf’s website here. Well done to both Gullane and to Musselburgh, and good luck to both who will be playing in the Regional at Dundas Park Sunday 17^th Sept.

. The Regional Final and National final are as follows:-

Golf Sixes Regional Final      

Dundas Park Golf Club – 17^th of September   

 

Golf Sixes National Final

Gleneagles – 1^st of October

LEAGUE A Final Table

1st – Gullane 23 points
2nd – Glen 17.5 points
3rd – Craigielaw 15 points
4th – WLJ – 13 points
5th – East Lothian Virtual – 6 points

LEAGUE B Final Table

1st – Musselburgh 20 points
2nd – Royal Musselburgh 19 points
3rd – Haddington 15.5 points
4th – Longniddry 10 points
5th – Musselburgh Old GC 9.5 points

LEAGUE A Match day 5 results

Gullane 133
Glen 128
WLJ 127
East Lothian 126
Craigielaw 125

Nearest the pin winners
1st – Brodie (Craigielaw)
8th – Bella (East Lothian Virtual)
9th – Harry (Glen)

We have concluded the OOMs for 2023, after MD10 at The Glen. You can see the full list here on your Golf Genius App, by viewing “Standings” under “Season Points.”  The scoring was based on Players’ 6 best placings out of the 10 MDs. Well done to Jack Collingswood for leading the way in the Scratch version, winning by only 15 points from Michael Coulter, who logged 3 wins from his 6 appearances, but Michael could not discard any of his poorer rounds. Jack played in 9 MDs, and had 4 wins, but he was able to discard 3 of his poorer rounds. In the Handicap section, Rory McArdle was victorious but only by 4 points from both Kole Henderson and Sam Ratcliffe. Anyone with only 5 appearances could not count in the totals, so please try to play in as many events as you can next year! The generous prize list can be seen below. Trophies will be engraved and delivered to the winners. Those voucher numbers in green fill will be delivered or sent to the winners. Dave Warren.

Photo of the Order of Merit trophy winners and other prizewinners who were present at the Prize-giving. L-R Luke McLaughlin, Rory McArdle, Jack Collingswood, Andrew Irvine, Harris Munro, all West Links Juniors Angus Waddell, Gullane, and Finn Ryan, Glen.

 

 

The East of Scotland Girls Team recently defeated the West Girls by 6- 2 to win the Mhairi McKay Trophy at Cathkin Braes, in Glasgow. Well done to all the Team especially 3 of the Girls in our League, Ellie Bent, Louise Martin, and Katie Mackenzie who all won their matches. A report and the results can be seen here.

Abigail May beat Ava Graham 3 & 2

Erin Huskie lost to Neve Marshall 2 & 1

Carly McDonald beat Lucie Barclay 7 & 5

Katie Mackenzie beat Melissa Keay 3 & 2

Lara Douglas lost to Kate Dunne 1 hole

Lucy Fraser beat Mia McElwinay 6 & 5

Louise Martin beat Orla Moran 7 & 5

Ellie Bent beat Ellie McManus 7 & 5

This link will take you to the downloadable complete list of fixtures for our County kindly prepared by Kate Green. It contains many fixtures – the free-to-enter League events, Junior Opens, Wee Wonders, Stephen Gallacher events, Fun and Order of Merit competitions, etc. Players and Parents can fill their Calendars with the best value golf in the World for Juniors! Dave Warren. Jt. League Secretary.

 

Congratulations to Jack Collingswood who has finished as the top Scots player in the Scottish Boys Open Championship at Lundin GC in Fife. Jack was T12 after rounds of 78, 70, 70 and 73. Fergus Brown, James Wood and Cameron Mukherjee all finished in the top 20. The Scottish Boys Open and the Scottish Girls Open Championships, each had 144 contestants from many countries. The Boys played 72 holes at Lundin GC and the Girls played 54 holes at Longniddry. The contestants can be seen on the Scottish Golf website here for Boys and here for Girls. The full scores can also be followed at those links. Our League was well represented by 3 Girls and 16 Boys who currently play, or have played, in our League. 10 of the Boys made the 36 hole cut.

The first event of the year for JTS was held at Golspie and Royal Dornoch at the weekend. Some League Players were there competing, and the results can be seen here. We will keep this page refreshed after every JTS event. The rest of the JTS fixtures can be seen on our Calendar. 

Congratulations to League Player James Wood who won the Scratch event at the recent Lothian Junior Champion of Champions event held at The Merchants GC in Edinburgh with a score of 66. Sean Gallacher and Alexander Yuill were 2nd and 3rd. Cameron Brown won the handicap prize with a net 63. The scoring can be seen on the Lothians website here.