Wendy Carrigen (left) and Phon Green were among the 250 women golfers at the centenary lunch.

Over 250 women golfers got together for a celebration lunch to mark the centenary of the Norfolk Ladies’ County Golf Association.

The event brought together everyone who’s anyone to do with golf in the county, from club members to county officials and county players past and present. Among them was 93-year-old Greenie Roberts, who has been county champion, captain and president – and who travelled from her home in France for the occasion.

The celebrations at the Top of the Terrace at Carrow Road, were an opportunity to reminiscence, swap golfing gossip – and much hilarity was had when local broadcaster Helen McDermott entertained with an after-lunch speech.

Today, there are around 1,900 women and girl members of the association, who belong to 32 clubs. One hundred years ago, the organisation was started by 15 ladies from five clubs – Hunstanton, Great Yarmouth, Mundesley, Royal Norwich and Sheringham – who met at the Norwich Library. The individual subscription was half a crown – 12½ pence in today’s currency – and Mrs Sumpter and Mrs Oppenheimer offers silver cups for the three-day prize meeting, now the county championship.

The first inter-county matches were held at Sheringham in 1923, when Norfolk won and qualified for the first County Finals. The team also qualified in the 30s, 50s, 60s and in 1971. The inter-club competitions, which have become such a part of Norfolk golfing life, started in the 50s, when Violet Gillieson gave the trophy for the inter-club foursomes knockout. Early in the 60s, Joy Boult started the inter-club league, which has grown into today’s tournament of six divisions.

As well as the lunch, the association is celebrating with a centenary am-am, a centenary competition for clubs, reduced individual entry fees for county events and mementoes for the winners of all individual competitions.

Guests at the lunch raised £1300 for the East Anglian Air Ambulance and East Anglian Children’s Hospices.

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