Sad passing of Dale Reid

Below is a post from Ladybank Golf Club in respect for Dale Reid 

Our thoughts are with all Dales family & friends at this sad time

DALE REID OBE       Ladybank Golf Club Honorary Member, Dale Reid OBE, sadly passed away on Tuesday, 8th November in Queensland, Australia, where she had lived after retiring from golf since 2010. Aged 64, Dale had battled cancer with the courage and humour she was so well known for.   Coming from a strong and supportive family embedded in Ladybank and the golf club, Dale was bound to play golf and she did so from the age of 4, going on to become a junior member of Ladybank Golf Club. She progressed through the amateur ranks winning the Ladies’ Club Championship in seven consecutive years from 1973 to 1979, playing regularly for the Fife County Ladies’ team and in 1978 and 1979 for Scotland in the Ladies’ Home International matches. Then, in 1979, still relatively young at 20 years of age, she turned professional - a brave decision considering the Women’s Professional Golf Association had been founded only one year earlier with few players and a schedule of only twelve 36 hole events and a prize fund of £80,000.   In 1981 Ladybank Golf Club recognised her achievements by making her an Honorary Member of the club and she continued to be a great ambassador for the club throughout her golfing career.   As the women’s professional tour grew, so did Dale’s success and she became one of the  most celebrated players in the Tour’s history topping the Order of Merit in 1984 and 1987 and winning 21 times between 1980 and 1991 when she was made a Lifetime Member of the Tour. Her wins in 1991 included the Bloor Homes Eastleigh Classic when she recorded her lowest round on Tour – a 7 under par 58 - all the more impressive that being in the final round. In 1992 Dale represented Scotland in the World Team Championship in Taiwan and in 1996 she successfully came through the Qualification process to gain her “card” to play on the American Ladies’ Professional Golf Association Tour following that up with her US career Tour best finish of tied fourth in the SAFECO Classic. In 1999 she came close to winning her first victory in eight years finishing tied second in the Austrian Open. Throughout her whole career Dale performed to a consistently high standard marked by her record number of 135 top ten finishes recorded between 1979 and 2005.   The Solheim Cup was where Dale was perhaps seen at her best. She played in the European team in 1990,1992,1994 and 1996 and contributed a vital point to the Europeans’ first victory in the Cup at Dalmahoy in 1992 when she defeated by 3&2 the USA’s fieriest and possibly best player, Dottie Pepper. It was a great win to witness. Later, in 2000 at Loch Lomond, Dale captained the European team to a glorious second win of the Cup defeating the USA by 14.5 to 11.5 points. It was fitting that these achievements were recognised and honoured in 2001 when Dale was awarded an OBE.   Dale was a popular character, highly regarded and respected by everyone she came into contact with in her outstanding golfing career. She was honest and straight-talking but always with humour and never any malice. She enjoyed life and she did things her way – a way that worked. She never forgot her Ladybank roots of which she was very proud. She kindly gifted the ‘Dale Reid Salver’ to the club and it is competed for annually by the club’s ladies and more recently Dale generously donated to the club the replica Solheim Cup she received as a player in the inaugural Solheim Cup match of 1990 at Lake Nona and which the club is very proud to display in the clubhouse. She will be greatly missed.

2023 AGM and Dinner - Friday 27th October at Dunnikier Park

The Fife County Ladies Golf Association 2023 AGM will take place on Friday 27th October at Dunnikier Park Golf Club, 6:30 for 6:45pm with the AGM first and dinner to follow. 

Dinner is a 2 course set menu for £17, payment to be made by BACS - Acc no: 00132081, Sort Code:  83-15-08 

To register your attendance and select your menu choices, complete the form, please do so by Friday 20th October

For any issues using BACS or any other queries, please email memberships-fclga@googlegroups.com

Winter meeting / Ann Smith Quaich report from Captain Susie

13 brave ladies played the Ann Smith Quaich today at St Michael's Golf Club in both strong wind then later on heavy rain. Well done to all who completed the course in fairly unpleasant weather conditions, and were still smiling when they came in. The course was in good order and congratulations go to the winner Margaret Mackenzie with runner up Ruth Kinnell.

Thank you to the staff in the golf club for looking after us and as always the chips were very popular! Finally thank you to Jackie Sheach for entering the scores whilst I dried out!

We hope to see many of you at the prize giving dinner on the 27th. Please watch the website for cost and menu hopefully posted soon.

Susie

Draw for Winter Meeting / Ann Smith Quaich

The draw for the Winter Meeting / Ann Smith Quaich St Michael's on the 4th of October is now available here. For any queries or problems, please contact the convenor at fclgaentries@googlegroups.com

Last call for East of Scotland Championship entries

Entries for the East of Scotland championship to be held at Bathgate golf club on Sunday 8th October, will close on 23rd September. If you wish to enter, follow the link, handicap limit is 26. Entry is £15.

Results from Centenary Cup

18 ladies enjoyed a day of sunshine at Balbirnie Golf Course on Thursday, 7 th September.

The course was in good condition and provided a few challenges for the ladies. Thanks go to

all the staff for looking after us and to George (Captain) for his kind assistance.

The winner was Dianne Watson (Leven) with a nett score of 69, winning on the back 9.

Runner up was Margaret Mackenzie (Kirkcaldy) also with a nett score of 69.

Congratulations to our winner and well played to all the ladies who took part.

Jackie Sheach (Secretary)