Women’s Inter-School Golf Challenge Cup (WIGCC)

We recently received correspondence from Helen Smith (nee Dickinson), who finished at Kilbreda in 1963. Helen is the school representative on the WIGCC committee and was interested in hearing from any past pupil golfers who might be interested in participating in future golf days. Next year the WIGCC is celebrating the 90th anniversary of its inauguration and Kilbreda has been a participating school in recent years. The WIGCC originally included Clyde, Fintona, Firbank, Loreto, Melbourne CEGGS (Merton Hall), Tintern, Geelong CEGGS (The Hermitage), Ormiston, PLC, Ruyton and Toorak College.

Originally sponsored by Table Talk, a Melbourne magazine, which closed in 1939 when the WIGCC was in its tenth year, it was taken on by The Sun, who provided the trophies (a silver teaspoon for each of the four members of the winning team, and a silver shield, engraved with the names of the winning team, which was added to the base of the cup each year).

Schools could enter up to 15 players, with the best four scores counting towards the school’s tally. These days, 30 schools compete, entering a four-member team, whose “stableford scores are added to arrive at their result.” 1  Among those, Kilbreda, Star of the Sea, PLC Windsor, Sacre Coeur, Mandeville Hall, Genazzano and Mentone Grammar are some which have been added to the original 12 and with which our past pupils may have connections.

This year’s event was held at Kew Golf Club and photos of the Kilbreda team, comprising Anne Lally, Helen Smith, Helen Leckie and Marcia Griffin, are shown, as is the victorious team from Genezzano.

Money raised each year has gone to various institutions including the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, Prince Henry’s, Royal Melbourne and Queen Victoria Hospitals, and, since “1996 the proceeds of approximately $3,000 per year are donated to the Cottage by the Sea in Queenscliff”.

“The annual match has become a day which everyone looks forward to and enjoys, feeling privileged to have the opportunity to represent their old school and to compete for the much prized trophy. Each year the competition is held at a different golf club with next year’s event to be played on April 1 at Sorrento Golf Club.” 

Helen can be contacted on helen@bighill.com.au or 0402 011 497

1,2 &3 Inside Golf, Club News October 2018

Damian Smith

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