Historic first for Scottish GC
The Nairn Golf Club will round off an historic year for European golf by becoming the first Scottish club to compete in the Women's International Team Challenge. The landmark invitation to the prestigious event at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa was received during Pat Cornett's visit to the Highland golf club as captain of the USA Curtis Cup team.
The Women's International Team Challenge, which was launched to bring together golf teams from the world's most historic golf clubs, will be a fitting end to a remarkable season which saw The Nairn Golf Club celebrate its 125th anniversary and witness the dramatic conclusion of the 37th Curtis Cup. Played over the picturesque Moray course in June, Great Britain & Ireland's thrilling victory meant all four premier team events were won, for the first time, by teams on this side of the Atlantic.
Hoping to emulate that extraordinary triumph, Ladies Captain Jane Rhodes said The Nairn Golf Club's six-lady team was ready for their transatlantic date with destiny. "We're really looking forward to it," said Rhodes, whose two-year tenure comes to an end five days after returning from Tulsa. "It will be good fun and very exciting, but I think it will be played at a level where the emphasis will be on the enjoyment and camaraderie surrounding the event rather than winning or losing."
The Nairn Golf Club will become the first Scottish club to take part in the Women's International Team Challenge and will make its inaugural appearance alongside fellow debutant and host venue for the 2014 Open Championship Royal Liverpool Golf Club. The two clubs join Lahinch Golf Club as the only European representatives at the international event.
"It's a great honour to be the first Scottish club to play in this exciting tournament that was specifically set-up to bring together clubs from around the world with noteworthy histories," said Andy Burgess, marketing convenor of The Nairn Golf Club. "As this is our 125th year, it seems appropriate to finish off what has been an exceptional season with a tournament celebrating historical links in golf."
Fashioned by the likes of Archie Simpson, Old Tom Morris, James Braid and Ben Sayers and a firm favourite in the top 25 courses of Britain and Ireland, The Nairn Golf Club is one of Scotland's most treasured links courses. The club itself has a proud tradition that fits neatly with the objectives of the Women's International Team Challenge. In fact, the link between the two has resulted in The Nairn Golf Club agreeing to host the event when it is played for the first time on Scottish soil in either 2016 or 2018. "This is a fantastic event that brings together clubs with similar legacies to compete in friendly competition," Burgess concluded. "We look forward to welcoming those clubs to Nairn and the beautiful Moray coastline in the not too distant future."
1) The Nairn Golf Club was founded in 1887 and is made up of 1,500 members.
2) It consists of the 18-hole Championship Course and the nine-hole Cameron Course.
3) The club is placed at No 23 in Golf World's definitive list of the Top 100 Courses in Britain & Ireland 2012/2013.
4) The Nairn Golf Club hosted the 2012 Curtis Cup from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th of June.
5) The Women's International Team Challenge brings together women's golf teams from historic golf clubs in friendly competition. There are six founding clubs: the Olympic Club, Fisher's Island NY; Southern Hills, Oklahoma; Merion, Pennsylvania; Brookline, Massachusetts; and Lahinch in Ireland. This year's event will be held on 16th-18th October at Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
6) For further information about The Nairn Golf Club, please visit www.nairngolfclub.co.uk