THE TROPHIES

 

 

 

 

THE GRIGGS FAMILY ROSEBOWL

The Nairn Members and Guests Tournament was initiated by H James Griggs an overseas member of Nairn and for many years a Vice President of our Club. A few un-named members of the Nairn GC were being royally treated as guests of Jim & Gail at their home set above Pebble Beach when Jim asked why Nairn didn’t have a Member / Guest competition.

As they sipped more of Jim’s fine wine the idea got better and better and soon after, during the Captaincy of Harry Sinclair this Members and Guests Tournament was founded and the Griggs Family provided the trophy.

In the first year there were only about 32 players but quickly the event became popular as members from around the world returned with their guests to play. Jim Griggs and his family attended in the early years with 3 generations of the

Griggs family all competing in the same year.

The Griggs Family Rosebowl is now one of the most sought after trophies in the NGC cabinet and the Member and Guests Tournament one of the highlights of the golfing calendar at Nairn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE OVERSEAS TROPHY

This lovely glass trophy bears the inscription – “Kenny Cameron – John Hall Invitational” and began life as an international trophy for matches played between Nairn and Settindown Creek, Atlanta GA.

Teams were captained by James Asher from Nairn and Ralph Romanis from Settindown Creek and included local golfing ‘’greats’’ Kenny Cameron from Nairn and John Hall from Atlanta who played many matches together both home and away.

It is rumoured that the trophy is shaped as it is because if won by Asher it would surely be filled with white wine and not whisky.

With the demise of this match, it was suggested by Ralph Romanis in 2010 that the Trophy should continue to be played for during the Members and Guests weekend and contested by any pairing containing at least one overseas player.

In 2014 Captain Jones raised a few eyebrows within the Club [and not for the first time] by taking the controversial decision to award the trophy to a father and son pairing, Sam and Jack Nelson, from Royal County Down using the simplest of logic that Northern Ireland is ‘’overseas’’ as ‘’you can’t drive your car there without going on a boat’’. On that basis we’d all love to see him drive to Arran, Mull, Orkney etc.

 

 

WALK OF SHAME TROPHY

The cane was donated by Martin W. Lightbody and Crawford Currie and was specially commissioned to be mounted on a walnut plinth, the shape of which was to replicate a fairway. It’s made of silver which we believe originated from the famous Emma Mine in Little Cottonwood Canyon just above the town of Alta, Utah, USA.

The mine is famous for an attempt in 1871 by two American business promoters to make a profit by promoting the depleted silver mine to British investors.

Eager British investors paid some $5,000,000 dollars for the mine. When a short time later the vein was lost, those same, now furious investors, claimed “Swindle!”. The British Government became involved. The U.S. Government became involved. The accusations back and forth were bitter and stinging. Before it was over, the U.S and Britain had nearly gone to war over it! A rich little hole in the ground that maybe wasn’t so rich. Prior to the Emma scandal, British investment in Utah mining operations had been on the rise.

After the scandal, it stopped, almost completely.