THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: Ladies’ golf championship to be held at Portrush

From the News Letter, December 19, 1902
The council of the Ladies’ Golfing Union had fixed the dates of the championship meeting at Portrush this week in 1903, reported the News Letter. Picture: Coleraine Times archiveThe council of the Ladies’ Golfing Union had fixed the dates of the championship meeting at Portrush this week in 1903, reported the News Letter. Picture: Coleraine Times archive
The council of the Ladies’ Golfing Union had fixed the dates of the championship meeting at Portrush this week in 1903, reported the News Letter. Picture: Coleraine Times archive

The council of the Ladies’ Golfing Union had fixed the dates of the championship meeting at Portrush this week in 1903, reported the News Letter.

The meeting was to open on Monday, May 4, 1903 with the championship proper teeing off the following day and would continue through the week and into the next until the final day on Friday, May 15. It was the third time that the Ladies’ Golfing Union was to visit Ireland, observed the News Letter.

In 1895 at Portrush, Lady Margaret had made her last competitive appearance.

In 1899 Newcastle had been the venue and the union had spent “a glorious week” at the Co Down links.

Entries for the competition would close on April 21 and the draw for the championship would take place three days later, noted the News Letter, at the annual meeting of the union which was to be held in London.

No mention had been made of any international players planning on travelling but the union assured that public that they would be working hard to attract big names to Portrush.

In 1901, it was noted, at Deal a three-cornered international had been held between England, Scotland and Ireland, although an outcry had been raised by the Scots owing to alleged unrepresentative character of the Scottish team.

The News Letter noted: “Irish golfers naturally are counting upon another triumph, for the form of the fair is always a fickle element.”