"To Win
Is Good, But To Compete Is The Great Thing"
The Ayrshire Junior Golf League history goes back to
1968, when a conversation between Andy Nimmo and John Cowan, two members of
Prestwick St. Cuthbert Golf Club, led to a number of clubs being approached
to form a league
“With the object of stimulating interest amongst juniors, and of it making possible to meet and play golf with junior members of other clubs“.
The six founder member clubs were Prestwick St. Cuthbert, Prestwick St. Nicholas, Ayr Belleisle, Irvine Ravenspark, Troon St. Meddans and Annanhill. Annanhill withdrew after the first season of competition whilst the other five founder members have competed in every season to date, and were rejoined in the league by the other founder member, Annanhill, a number of years ago.
The membership of The League grew steadily over the years until the mid 1980's when the membership was further increased due to the demise of the North Ayrshire Junior League, leading to The League being truly representative of the entire county, and boasting a record membership of 20 clubs in the early 1990’s.
Early in the history of The League the present crest of a three towered castle was adopted. Based on the seal of the Royal Burgh Of Ayr, the symbol is instantly recognisable throughout the county.
Throughout the history of The League, the number and variety of competitions available to member clubs has increased.
The premier event is still the Ayrshire Junior Golf League Championship, competed for since 1969, on a handicap basis by teams of six players representing member clubs. The original trophy, a shield, was presented by the Wilson Sporting Goods company from Irvine, who also undertook the replacement of the original trophy with the present one, in 1998.
In 1977 the Wallace Thornton Trophy was donated by a local sports shop owner, to be played for on a scratch basis. The original trophy was destroyed in a fire at Loudoun in 1985 and has subsequently been replaced twice, whilst the names and former winners have been retained on the present trophy. Like the trophy itself, the competition has seen a number of different formats over the years, from a single stroke play event, through a knockout matchplay format to the present strokeplay qualifying followed by a league competition and culminating in a single match final.
The Champion Of Champions Trophy was inaugurated in 1980, by the donor of the Wallace Thornton Trophy, who ran the event himself for a few years before handing over the administration to The League, who run the event to this day.
The Under 16 Knockout Trophy dates from 1984, having been presented in memory of founder member John Cowan. The competition format, for teams of four players under the age of 16, has remained largely unaltered since its inception.
Since the mid 1980’s The League has worked closely with The Ayrshire Golf Association and one of the events which both bodies administer is the Ayrshire Boys Team Championship. Inaugurated in 1988, the championship boasts two individual and two team trophies which are competed for in a stroke play format. The Prestwick Circuits Trophy was initially associated with the Wallace Thornton competition when it was first presented in 1987 and was awarded to the best individual scratch score in the competition, as it still is to this day.
The Matt Lygate Trophy for the best scratch team score was supplemented in 1991 with the Andrew D. Nimmo Trophy for the best nett team score, and in 1993 by the Carrick Trophy for the best individual nett score.
The Macrobert Thistle Junior Golfer Of The Year Trophy, given by The National Playing Fields Association, was first awarded in 1989 and continues to be presented to date.
The remaining League award, The Silver Jubilee Trophy , was presented by honorary member Sam Coulter and his wife, to mark the Silver Jubilee of The League in 1993. The trophy is competed for each year by the club convenors and representatives of member clubs.
Throughout the history of The League many lasting friendships have been formed by young golfers throughout Ayrshire as a result of playing in it, which is entirely in keeping with the ethos of the founder of The League, Andrew D. Nimmo, who, when asked about golf and The League in particular, was once quoted as saying;
“To win is good, but to compete is the great thing”.
With this ethos at the heart of the organisation, The League will continue to thrive and develop for many years to come.