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The Spiers Championship Golf Cup is very much a part of our Renfrew Golf Club's history. Created in 1909, Elderslie golf course was the last to be built on the policies of Elderslie Estates.
Following Elderslie's establishment, a letter from Elderslie Estates was sent on 16 January 1911 to the Secretaries of the five golf clubs -Kilmacolm, Renfrew, Fairfield, Bankhead and Elderslie. It asked if all the clubs would entertain a proposal to play for a trophy presented by Mr Hagart Spiers of Elderslie Estates.
The letter called for the Captains of the five clubs to assemble in the Smoking Room of the Central Hotel in Glasgow on 19 January 1911. Assuming this letter arrived at the clubs on the following day, it only gave them 48 hours notice. Assemble they did, as if by Royal command, the offer was accepted with delight.
A further meeting on 12 April in the Central Hotel - luncheon provided - agreed the competition's constitution and rules. They laid down that the competition would be played against Bogey with the team scores aggregated. The results of all annual competitions since 1911 have been recorded in a journal retained by Elderslie Estates.
It is the duty of the Captain of the host club to write up the match result and comment on weather conditions and any other features of the day's play before returning the 'Bible' to the instigators of the trophy.
Unfortunately Kilmacolm's clubhouse was destroyed by fire in 1912, and all that was left of the Spiers Trophy, which they had won that year, was a rough blob of silver. The blob is still attached to the plinth of the replacement cup.
The trophy is played for in June of each year, and over the years Renfrew have won the trophy on nine occasions, and usually on home territory - 1937, 1952, 1956, 1963, 1980, 1984, 1988 and 1992. To mark its Centenary Year, Renfrew Golf Club hosted the 1994 Spiers Championship Golf Cup competition.
Only three of the founding five clubs still exists - Renfrew, Kilmacolm (1891) and Elderslie (1909). However, Hilton Park GC (1928), located on the Stockiemuir Road past Milngavie, plays in the Spiers Championship today due to its foundation from the now defunct Bankhead GC. Bankhead was situated at Scotstounhill, Glasgow. When Glasgow Corporation acquired Bankhead's land, the club joined with the old Glasgow North Western Golf Club at Ruchill, to purchase land on the Stockiemuir Road.
The Hilton and Allander Courses were built using some of the greens from the Bankhead course. As these greens were part of the lands of Elderslie Estates, the new club retained its link with the remaining three clubs.
Renfrew Golf Club's successful Speirs team of 1937 which won the Speirs Championship Golf Club for the first time.
Left to right standing: J M Taylor (Match Secretary), J C MacColl (Vice Captain), R Paton, A Rodger.
Seated: H MacDonald, J Fletcher, B Gourlay (Captain), A Donaldson, W Thomson.