There are hundreds of Junior Opens every summer and if you are having a holiday in the UK, and wish to try some different courses, then check out this website – “Golf Empire.” This link takes you to the page listing JOs in the South East of Scotland which includes 6 of the venues in the ELJGL. These events would love to have your participation. Entering them is easy using the links on the Golf Empire website and entry fees are very affordable. When you are older you will wish you had played these courses – at these prices!
MD4 at Craigielaw – Results
These are the results of MD4 at Craigielaw. After 2 abandoned Match Days, it was great to see 77 Juniors out playing golf in good weather. Thanks are due to Craigielaw for hosting us and being very welcoming to the League! Thanks also to John Murdoch, Chris Barker, Iain Crawford and Scott Lothian for assisting on the day. We will need similar assistance at every MD this year, usually involving local Junior Convenors and other local volunteers.
Well done to both West Links Teams for consistently high scoring at Craigielaw, and to the Juniors with the best scratch and net individual scores. Prizes will be handed to winners at our next event. Individual and Team Scoring can be seen on your Golf Genius App. The League table, which can be viewed on this website, has been updated. Scores have been submitted to WHS.
Please remember to enter our next 3 events at Kilspindie, Winterfield and Haddington, using your Golf Genius App. Our annual League Championships are going to be held at Haddington on Sunday June the 29th. In view of the increased number of Players now registered with the League – now standing at 217, there may be a surplus of Players wishing to play in that event. There may have to be a ballot of Players by handicap indexes, in the various age groups. So please enter this event if you wish to play. Registration on Golf Genius is now OPEN! In the event of excessive numbers of entries, we may look at hosting the U12s Boys, and the Girls Championships, at other MD venues.
ELJGL Girls vs. St Andrews!
On Saturday the 28th March, a Team of 6 Girls ventured to the Jubilee Course at St Andrews for a match vs. the St Andrews University Ladies Golf Team. The University Team were led by their Captain, Kate Thomson, a recent ELJGL Player from Dunbar. The 3 pairings consisted of Anna Zonova and Lydia Pickett vs. Louisa Forman and Palakshi Siingh, Chloe Adams and Phebe Pickett vs Helen Boyd and Abi Mitchell, and Maisie Witt and Louise Martin vs. Clara Goldstein and Meili Fabre-Marques. The St Andrews University raised 8 Players so together with Gareth Jack, former Longniddry Junior Convenor, I played against Kate and Jemima Bullock. The overall result was 2 matches each. After a round played in very windy conditions, with sand from the beach stinging our faces, we adjourned to the One Under Bar in the Rusacks Hotel for soup and sandwiches. We were grateful for the support of several parents, George Adam, Chris Martin, David Witt and most of the Pickett family! We anticipate having a return match in 2027 in East Lothian. Photos attached in order as per the Teams listed above with a stand-in from another Pickett sister for a St Andrews Player who had to leave! Dave Warren, Jt. League Secretary.
MD1 at Gullane No. 3 Results
Our 1st Match Day was successfully completed last Sunday at Gullane No.3. The weather was kind and the tee sheet was full but a few Reserves missed out! We will request more tee times next year. The scoring was good as can be seen on this table of results.
Girls’ Junior Framework!
Scottish Golf have recently announced by email their new funded pathway for “Girls to enter, stay and thrive in Golf.” All Convenors should have received this through their Clubs, but I have sent it to all our Convenors just to be sure they see it. The complete information on how to apply for funding etc is at this link
Ava Paterson in Dubai!
Ava, a recent Junior at Kilspindie, and now a student at Heriot Watt University, was in touch with me recently. Ava told me she was heading to Dubai, where Heriot Watt have a Campus, for a semester from January till the Spring. Ava’s Mum Eleanor, asked me if I knew anyone in Dubai, as Ava had expressed the wish to help to coach Junior Golfers whilst she is there. I recalled that Euan Bowden, and Ryan Gallacher, both former ELJGL Juniors, were working in Dubai. I viewed the “Tommy Fleetwood Academy” website where I saw that both of them are working there as PGA Professionals – see their full Team here! So, I put them in touch with each other. I believe that Ava will be seeing both soon Ryan and Euan soon, but in the meantime, Ava has met the Boss! Good luck Ava!
Pinehurst trip Feb 2026
It is not long now till some of our League Players leave on our annual trip to Pinehurst on February the 13th 2026. The group will be led by Chris Barker and Jim Wilkinson. Sadly, there are not enough Girls in the right age group to be considered this time. However, their opportunity will surely come round in due course. The 10 Boys going this year, and their affiliated Clubs are:- Dunbar – Shane Hay, Gullane – Jamie Sievwright, Daniel Hogg, Kilspindie – Finlay Perry, Cameron Brown, Musselburgh – Max Elgin, Royal Musselburgh Ewan Stone, West Links – Seb Harvey, Ben Harley and Oscar Wilkinson. They will be met at Raleigh Durham Airport by League Secretary Dave Warren and his wife Sue. This trip is slightly shorter than previous trips and will incorporate 7 rounds of Golf, 2 at Longleaf, and 1 each at Mid Pines, Pine Needles, Southern Pines, a match vs. the local High School on Pinehurst No.4 or No. 8, and the final round will be at Forest Creek North, followed by a dinner on our last evening there, hosted by all the friends of the League in Pinehurst. There will also be visits to the Cradle short course, the USGA Golf Hall of Fame etc etc. The photo is of the house where the group will be staying and it is a few yards from the centre of the village of Pinehurst, North Carolina. 
Goodbye to 50Juniors in 2025!
The Secretary sent this note below to the 50 Golfers who will now be too old to compete as Juniors in 2026! It was copied to Parents and there have been some very nice responses from them, attached below, stating the effect the League has had on their sons and daughters.
Dear Players, the time is near when you are leaving Junior Golf and your time competing in ELJGL events is over! On behalf of the League and all the volunteer Junior Convenors and Helpers at our Member Clubs, I would like to thank all of you for your commitment to the League, and I hope you enjoyed competing in it. We wish you well in your further education and careers, and hope that you continue to improve your golf and become regular players in your Club Competitions, in Inter-Club matches, and compete in County and National events. Many of our recent Juniors are attending University or Colleges in the USA or in the UK. Good luck if you are planning a similar future.
I keep a record of attendances at League events and I mention below a few of those who are leaving the League. The most frequent participant was Harris Munro, with 55 appearances, followed by Jamie Barker and Rory Leishman 49, Ryan Pirie 45, Angus Waddell 39, Rory Leitch 38, Scott Porteous 37, James Hamilton 35, Harry O’Connor 31, Robbie Landles, Riley Porterfield, Rory McArdle and Ellie Bent on 30, Murray Bowsher 26, Liam Graham 21, Ava Paterson and Jamie McLaren 19, Kai Lang 18, Rory Burns and Josh Murray 16. All 20 of these Players, and some others, took part in one of our annual trips to Pinehurst. Hopefully, you all made long-term friends in our events and on our trips, and will remain so. Brodie Cunningham also made 31 appearances, but as he excelled at National level as a Junior, he was unable to continue in the League. Brodie is now off +3.8 and we will follow his career in golf in future. Good luck Brodie!
Jack Collingswood’s record of 81 appearances can still be beaten by a few of the really young Players who, like Jack, started early with their participation in the League. Contenders include Hudson Blair 39, Rory Papakyriakou 35, but my bet would be on Harvey Blair, still age 12, with 36 appearances from 2022 to date!
Regards to all of you, and to all the patient Parents who financed and encouraged you, and drove you to and from our events! Dave Warren.
P.S. Keep an eye on our website to stay aware of what we do in the League – still one of the best in Scotland – thanks to you. There is a “Roll of Honour” there, where, if you won any of our trophies, your name is there for posterity!
1 “Lovely to hear from you Dave and again thank you so much for everything you do for EL juniors.”
2 “You have been a very large part of my boys childhood and I know they will look back on their participation in the ELJGL events with a lot of affection. I know probably more than most the effort and energy you have put into running the league and the Pinehurst trips. Those trips to North Carolina will undoubtedly be a memory for the children that will last their lifetimes and something you should take so much pride and satisfaction from.”
3 “XXX would like to thank you and the entire ELJGL team for providing so many wonderful opportunities to play at amazing golf courses. These experiences have helped him improve his game and build many lasting friendships. A special thank you for giving him the opportunity to visit Pinehurst, it’s a memory he will cherish forever. What ELJGL does for all the juniors is truly remarkable. Lovely note Dave thank you.”
4 Sort of sad this is all over! We are so grateful for everything you have done.
Photos of Pinehurst trips!
Some Pinehurst trip photos:- can you name the people you went with?
SJTC 2025 – Results!
Apologies, this post about the results of the SJTC on Sunday the 28th September has been delayed. But the following message was sent out later on the day of the event to all the participating Team Convenors. The individual scores were posted to WHS on the day of the event so Players’ handicaps were updated. The full prize list can be seen below.
“Dear Convenors and others, thanks to you and all your Juniors for making the journey to compete in the 2025 SJTC. It was great to meet you all and see your young Golfers enjoy their experience over the famous links of North Berwick.”
I attach the final Team results on Golf Genius here at this link. Click on the Team names and you can see how the Team scores were tallied. The individual Boys’ and Girls’ leading scratch and net scores can also be seen there. Well done to all the Teams and Individual winners who have been awarded prizes. Some Teams had to leave early so prizes not awarded on the day, have been delivered in person to local Clubs, or sent out by post to those further afield. Regards all, Dave Warren, SJTC Tournament Organiser.
The winning Team were Drumpellier, pictured below with the trophy. L-R Mason Angus, Declan Slavin, Carrick Watson, Matthew O’Neill, Dave Warren (ELJGL Secretary) Alexander Watson, and Kenny McLean (Junior Convenor, Drumpellier.) The individual scores were excellent with 3 scores exceeding 40 points.
Photo of the 3 All-Girls Team who participated from West of Scotland, East of Scotland, and Angus.
Thank you for all the positive feedback, which I copy below.
FEEDBACK – Many thanks for everything on Sunday! All our girls enjoyed their day!! Well done to you and all your team for an extremely well organised tournament. Amazing to see so many talented young players from all over Scotland. East of Scotland Girls.
Thanks for all your hard work David. The Borders team really enjoyed coming up and playing such a great course and I have to say the event was very well run and organised. Borders.
Many thanks for yesterday, the organisation was first class as always and the course was a fantastic experience for our boys who really enjoyed the day. Dumbartonshire
Really wonderful to see the young players-that is exactly what we set out at the Glen 12 years ago and you and your small team have given your all in taking this from strength to strength.—great work. Ian Howarth. Donor of the Trophy.
I would just like to thank you and all involved, for having us. Our Juniors really enjoyed the competition and playing North Berwick golf course, great course! Superb job.You are doing thanks so much. Portlethen
Thank you for organising this amazing day. The Juniors loved it. Your hard work and efforts are thoroughly appreciated. Barassie.
On behalf of the Boys and myself, just a quick thanks for yesterday. The Course was superb, made all the better by the weather, and the competition was so well organised. Thanks again. Great to meet you earlier and thanks for bringing the prizes from the weekend in for the team. Turnhouse.
Thank you for organising. The girls had a great day and the course was fantastic. Angus Girls.
Thanks to you and your team for organising today. Strathmore juniors loved the course and the condition it was in. Please pass on our comments to the North Berwick Golf Club and their green staff. We will certainly be desperate to win our League next season and make next years event. Strathmore
Once again thank you for the invite and also your time and effort organising a wonderful event. Lenzie
