News

The U.S. Kids Golf Foundation will host the first U.S. Kids Golf European Championship May 27-30, 2008, at five historic Scottish courses in and around Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland. The tournament is expected to attract many of the best young players between the ages of 7 and 14 from the U.S. and Europe.

This is the first event outside of North America for the U.S. Kids Golf Foundation, which conducts more tournaments for juniors in the U.S. than any other organization. Thus far in 2007, the foundation has conducted more than 300 events on the local, state and regional levels. The eighth annual U.S. Kids Golf World Championship, which was held in August at Pinehurst, N.C., included more than 1,100 players from the U.S. and 32 other countries.

“Our experience shows that golf’s popularity knows no age barriers or geographic boundaries,” said Dan Van Horn, founder and president of U.S. Kids Golf. “The European Championship is an exciting opportunity to bring positively reinforced, high-quality competitive events to youngsters around the world. We believe this tournament will be an inspiration for youth golf throughout Europe and especially Scotland.”

Competition will be conducted among boys and girls 7 to 14 years of age at the Gullane Golf Club (former qualifying venue for the Open Championship), Craigielaw Golf Club, Kilspindie Golf Club and Luffness New Golf Club, all in the Gullane, East Lothian, area near Edinburgh. The courses will be shortened to age- and gender-appropriate distances. A player’s age as of April 30, 2008, determines his or her age group.
 
The field for the three-day stroke-play tournament will include players who finished among the leaders in the 2007 U.S. Kids Golf World Championship. European players who did not compete in the World Championship can complete a registration form found at www.uskidsgolf.com to see if their experience and past performance qualify for the elite field. 

The tournament’s top players in the older age groups (boys 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and girls 11, 12, 13, 14) will qualify for a spot in the European Van Horn Cup, a match-play event that will be contested on Gullane Golf Club’s No. 1 course on May 30.

North Berwick Named For 2010 The Amateur Championship

North Berwick has been named by the R&A as a qualifying course for The Amateur Championship in 2010.

The West Links at North Berwick, an established Open Championship qualifying venue, will share 36-hole qualifying when The Amateur returns to Muirfield in 2010. The last winner of the championship at Muirfield in 1998 was Sergio Garcia.

The secretary of Royal Liverpool Golf Club came up with the idea of an amateur event in 1885 to which leading clubs were invited to send entrants. A total of 44 players from 12 clubs took part and the winner was Allan Macfie. After the initial success a championship open to all amateurs was held the following year at St Andrews when 24 clubs, one of them being North Berwick Golf Club, subscribed to a handsome trophy. Yet it was not until 1922, in a Championship Committee meeting in the Royal and Ancient clubhouse that it was decided to recognise the 1885 event as the first true Amateur Championship and Allan Macfie's name was added to the trophy.

Special Offers For New Members Joining Haddington Golf Club

Haddington Golf Club has introduced a fantastic range of offers to new members joining the club in 2008.

Haddington is a superb parkland course set in a quiet country estate. The course has undergone considerable enhancements in recent years, with three new ponds and well placed bunkers added in 2004 now established features.

If you have any questions or wish to apply for any of the offers below, do not hesitate to call the Office Manager on 01620-823627 or e-mail info@haddingtongolf.co.uk.

     NEW MEMBERSHIPS FOR 2008

1) NEW 1ST YEAR MEMBER  £333 Two 1/2hour lessons with PGA Professional and 4 free guest vouchers included. No Joining Fee

2) 2ND CLUB MEMBER   £295 April – Sept (Home Club not Haddington)

3) FAMILY    £840 (2 adults & children u-18) 4 free guest vouchers included

4) LIMITED ROUNDS   £150 for 10 rounds or £250 for 20 rounds

5)  WINTER     £125

6) HANDICAP   £50 Play 3 Medals to get Handicap