ELCGA County Archive

MUNRO FOURSOMES

In 1950 Mrs Olive Munro from Thorpe Hall Golf Club was County Champion.  At that time, the County did very well at inter-county matchplay singles, but their foursomes play let them down.

Mr Munro, who was a great supporter of women’s golf, discussed the results with his wife and between them they came up with the idea of an inter-club foursomes competition to give the County players more practice at the techniques of foursomes match play.

The competition was first played in 1951 when the entry fee was 10/- (50p).  It proved very popular with all the clubs and players involved and quickly became an annual competition.  Mr and Mrs Munro very generously donated the Shield.

The records for the first year of the competition are missing but in 1952, 16 clubs entered the competition.

Belfairs                 Boyce Hill            Chelmsford           Chigwell

Colchester            Frinton                 Maylands              Orsett

Rochford               Romford              Thorndon Park     Thorpe Hall

Upminster             Warren                 Wanstead             West Essex

Originally the competition was called the Inter-Club Foursomes but was renamed to the Munro Foursomes in 1956. Over the years the numbers of entrants have grown and in 1980 24 clubs entered. By 1995 there were 43 clubs playing with Stock Brook Manor, Weald Park and Basildon entering for the first time! By 1998 over 50 clubs were playing.

Mrs Munro continued to attend the final each year and present the Shield until her death in 1983.

Since then the County has seen a demise of several clubs and that coupled with the reduction in size of ladies’ sections has seen the annual entry level off around 35 clubs.   

The only Clubs to have won the shield more than twice are Thorpe Hall and Chelmsford.  They won’t be the last!

THE WINDFALL TROPHY

The Windfall Trophy was first played for in 1999 when it was won by Maggie Pattison from Boyce Hill.  

As its name suggests The Windfall Trophy came about as a result of a ‘windfall’ which the ELCGA received from The Halifax Building back in the late 1990s when some building societies were re-inventing themselves into banks.   The windfall was substantial and it was decided that a trophy should be commissioned and played for by the members of the ELCGA.  A local silversmith created a very beautiful water jug that comes with its own wooden box. The silversmith was very keen that it should be used for its original purpose and not just sit on a shelf to be admired as he was of the view that the odd dent here or there would show that it WAS used and enjoyed.

So every year each affiliated club holds a qualifying round (18 holes Stableford) and the winner from that competition goes forward to take part in the Windfall Trophy Final which is arranged by the ELCGA and held in early October.