Nairn set to create history
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NAIRN will become the first Scottish club to compete in the prestigious Women’s International Team Challenge.
The landmark invitation to this event, which takes place at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, was received during Pat Cornett’s visit to the club as captain of the USA Curtis Cup team that lost to Great Britain and Ireland in the summer.
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 that saw Nairn celebrate its 125th anniversary and witness the dramatic conclusion of the 37th Curtis Cup.
Played over the links 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, women’s captain at Nairn, Jane Rhodes, and her six-strong squad are busy putting in final preparations ahead of the event, which takes place from Tuesday 16th to Thursday 18th October.
"We’re really looking forward to it," said Rhodes, whose two-year tenure as captain of the women’s section at Nairn 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."
Women’s vice captain Nan Burtwell, Yvonne Gunn, Gillian Jones, Alison Kerr and Eileen Manson will join Rhodes on the trip as Nairn prepare to make history.
The club 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 at 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."
A firm favourite in the top 25 courses of Britain and Ireland, Nairn Golf Club is one of Scotland’s best-known links courses.
The club itself also has a proud tradition that fits perfectly with the objectives of the Women’s International Team Challenge.
Indeed, the link between the two has resulted in Nairn 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," said Burgess.
"We look forward to welcoming those clubs to Nairn and the beautiful Moray coastline in the not too distant future."
