MORE than 100 women helped mark the beginning of East Lothian Ladies’ County Golf Association’s (ELLCGA) centenary year at a lunch at Marine North Berwick.

Representatives from Fife, Stirling and Clackmannan, Midlothian and East of Scotland Girls attended the event, which took place earlier this month.

Gillian Kirkwood, a former Ladies’ Golf Union president, and Jayne Smith, a former county and Scotland player, were guest speakers.

The idea of ladies’ county golf arose 125 years ago, in 1899, when Issette Pearson and Mabel Stringer drafted the basic Rules of County Golf and presented them to the Ladies’ Golf Union Council meeting.

Fourteen counties in England formed in 1900 but it was not until 1909 that the first counties were formed in Scotland.

Ten counties were formed in Scotland in that year and were divided into two divisions – the east and the west. East Lothian joined in 1924, when three divisions were formed – East, West and North.

It was not until 1973 that four divisions were formed.

The first captain of ELLCGA was Marion ‘Mumsie’ Smith, who had three years earlier been instrumental in the formation of Dirleton Castle Ladies’ Golf Club.

The first county meeting was held on March 28, 1924, on Gullane No 2.

The first county match was played against Fife, in St Andrews on the New Course, on April 9, 1924.

ELLCGA continues to thrive, with spring, summer and autumn meetings each year, as well as Commonwealth Spoons, a foursomes strokeplay competition. It plays inter-county matches each July against Fife, Stirling and Clackmannan, and Midlothian counties.

It has 240 lady members and 10 junior girls, who are members of clubs in East Lothian or live in East Lothian.

Further plans are being drawn up to mark the centenary later in the year.