The Royal Blackheath Invitational Foursomes
Friday 25th July
The 2025 RBGC Invitational Foursomes was held on Friday 25 July with the club represented by Captain Cliff Barrowman and Colin Peddie (scratch pairing) and Chairman Graham McDonald and Vice Captain Stuart Neilson (handicap pairing).
Royal Blackheath has a long tradition of playing Foursomes golf, going all the way back to the original Grand Challenge Match of 1857 played at St Andrews, when Royal Blackheath emerged as the winners. The claret jug won by Royal Blackheath back in 1857 is the design upon which the British Open Championship trophy was modelled (see photographs attached).
In the last 15 years nearly all the 11 Clubs that competed in 1857 have taken part in the Invitational Foursomes.
The event has created new competition and friendship between those Clubs that have participated, with past winners including Bruntsfield Links, Burnham & Berrow, Glasgow, Prestwick, Royal St George’s, Royal Liverpool, and the Oxford & Cambridge Golfing Society.
The 36-hole competition was competed for by 4 representatives of each invited Club or Society with the field limited to 20 teams. The scratch teams played from the 1st tee and the handicap teams played from the 10th tee with each playing a round in both morning and afternoon with lunch in between.
The competition, the social element of which is fundamental was followed by a champagne reception, formal black-tie dinner and the Prize-Giving.
After dinner Colin represented Glasgow Golf Club for the much coveted nearest the pin trophy chipping out of the dining room window to the 18th green, chipping to within 3 feet of the hole, but not close enough, the trophy being won by Prestwick.
The winners for the first time were The Royal Burgess Golfing Society. Glasgow finished a creditable sixth, only 5 Stableford points behind.
Click here to see more from the day Blackheath Photos.pdf
Royal Blackheath has a long tradition of playing Foursomes golf, going all the way back to the original Grand Challenge Match of 1857 played at St Andrews, when Royal Blackheath emerged as the winners. The claret jug won by Royal Blackheath back in 1857 is the design upon which the British Open Championship trophy was modelled (see photographs attached).
In the last 15 years nearly all the 11 Clubs that competed in 1857 have taken part in the Invitational Foursomes.
The event has created new competition and friendship between those Clubs that have participated, with past winners including Bruntsfield Links, Burnham & Berrow, Glasgow, Prestwick, Royal St George’s, Royal Liverpool, and the Oxford & Cambridge Golfing Society.
The 36-hole competition was competed for by 4 representatives of each invited Club or Society with the field limited to 20 teams. The scratch teams played from the 1st tee and the handicap teams played from the 10th tee with each playing a round in both morning and afternoon with lunch in between.
The competition, the social element of which is fundamental was followed by a champagne reception, formal black-tie dinner and the Prize-Giving.
After dinner Colin represented Glasgow Golf Club for the much coveted nearest the pin trophy chipping out of the dining room window to the 18th green, chipping to within 3 feet of the hole, but not close enough, the trophy being won by Prestwick.
The winners for the first time were The Royal Burgess Golfing Society. Glasgow finished a creditable sixth, only 5 Stableford points behind.
Click here to see more from the day Blackheath Photos.pdf