14 February 2007

Craigie Hill Golf Club have announced a major initiative which not only enhances their growing membership but builds on Perth’s strong Links with the Fair Citys German Twin town by entering into a Twin Club arrangement with Aschaffenburg Golf Club.

Members of each club will enjoy reciprocal rights of each others clubs and it is hoped that both clubs can benefit from the many cultural visits which take place between each town.

The links between the clubs were first forged in 2003 when members of Craigie Hill were amongst a party of ten golfers from Perth who found themselves bound for Germany to play against a team from Aschaffenburg Golf Club.

In the spirit of the twinning agreement which exists between The Fair City and its German counterpart, it was a memorable trip not only for the fact Perth won the inaugural Friendship Cup match, but also because of the exceptional hospitality and friendship shown by their hosts.

It was very quickly decided that the event would become an annual fixture and in 2004, the event was held in Perth where the home team golfers found it difficult to match the high level of hospitality shown the previous year although the friendships were as strong and the result was another Perth win.

2005 saw a German victory on home soil against a changed Perth side of 2 KJVI, 2 Murrayshall and 6 Craigie Hill members with St.Johnstone chairman Geoff Brown making his debut.

In 2006 and the Perth team returned to form, when after tiring the opposition out with games at Carnoustie and Muckhart, before the competition proper, the Perth team had a convincing win, and it was at the Final Nights Dinner that the idea of the twinning agreement came to fruition.

Only three Perth golfers who played in the original ties remain, Murrayshall’s Mike McLaughlin and Craigie Hill's Andy McDonald and Tom Reddie, although many have now had the honour of being involved.