It is a rematch 122 years in the making. Probably.
Sixteen Otago Golf Club women will tomorrow go into battle at Balmacewen against golfers from the Christchurch Golf Club.
There is no specific trophy (yet), no prize money, and certainly no recent form in the fixture to discuss.
The reason for the latter is that this match has, as far as can be ascertained, not been played since August 27, 1900.
"We’ve got some some old photos but they don’t have years on them," Otago Golf Club general manager Shelley Duncan said yesterday.
"From what we can see, from our records, it hasn’t been played since then."
The idea to renew the interclub fixture came last year, which was to feature Otago’s 150th celebrations before they were delayed by Covid.
"Some Christchurch women came down last year and we were looking through old photos and realised, wow, we used to have this interclub fixture," Duncan said.
"And we were just, right, let’s get it going again."
Records indicate the first "ladies" clash between the clubs was on August 18, 1894, when Christchurch won by 25 holes on home soil.
A cup was presented to the winning team by the Countess of Glasgow — the president of the Christchurch club at the time — and another trophy given to "Mrs Woodhouse" for her record round of 99.
Neither club has been able to locate either trophy, but there are plans afoot to sort something for the revived clash.
"The Christchurch club donated a silver platter to the Otago club last year," Duncan said.
"It hasn’t been assigned to anything, so we might use that as one of the trophies, and I think there’s another trophy coming from the Christchurch club too."
It will be a social occasion but Duncan, who will be part of the home squad, said there was no doubt the golf would be competitive.
There will be senior teams and "friendly" teams, each with eight women, playing foursomes tomorrow afternoon and Sunday morning, split by a dinner tomorrow night.
The Otago Golf Club will head north for a return fixture next year as the Christchurch club celebrates its own 150th.
"I think it will be back on a regular rotation now," Duncan said.
