Paula Martin Sampedro of Spain emerged as the winner of the 122nd Women’s Amateur Championship, held at Nairn Golf Club, after edging past Farah O’Keefe from the United States in a closely contested final.

The championship was the second time Nairn hosted the Women’s Amateur. Nairn is one of just nine venues to have staged all of the Walker Cup, Curtis Cup, The Amateur, and Women’s Amateur.

The R&A provided live coverage of the final stages and The R&A’s YouTube channel. Sky Sports also broadcasted the event in the UK.

Nairn member, Calum Scott, achieved the greatest amateur feat of any Nairn member so far by winning the Silver Medal in The Open as leading amateur with a score of eight over par at Royal Troon.

A new constitution was passed in 2021, as a result all written distinctions between lady and gentlemen members were removed.This was marked by the Club electing as Captain, Joanna Macdonald, the first lady member to hold the post.

The international golf course architects, Mackenzie & Ebert were engaged by the Club to modernise the course. The majority of the holes were altered in some way, a new style of bunker was introduced, greens and approaches were recontoured, topography was re-arranged

2012 was the Club’s 125^th anniversary which coincided with the hosting of the Curtis Cup, many celebrations were held, particularly when the GB&I team emerged triumphant. A strong team had the likes of Charley Hull, Bronte Law, Leona Maguire and Amy Boulden.

The Club had by then firmly established its position in the golfing world.

The Club’s centenary was celebrated in great style in 1987.

This was the period which cemented Nairn Golf Club’s position in the golfing world culminating in the hosting of the 1999 Walker Cup.

Several successive hurdles had to be negotiated to reach this pinnacle: The Club hosted the British Boys’ Championship in 1989; this exposed members to the rigours of organising a major tournament and set the scene for a close working relationship with the R&A. The old clubhouse, which was no longer suitable for staging major, modern events was replaced by our current magnificent facility in 1991, following which the Club staged the British Amateur in 1994.

The R&A awarded Nairn the 1999 Walker Cup, a tremendous success, particularly as it ended the domination of the USA team. The GB&I team consisted of Paul Casey, Simon Dyson and Luke Donald.

1979 saw the Club hosting the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship which was won by Maureen Madill.

The same year ladies become full members of the Club with equivalent rights.

This was a significant period in the development of the Club: James Braid visited on three occasions further extending and improving the course. A major change was to discard the “loop holes” on the high ground belonging to Newton, to create the distinctive 13^th, 14^th and 15^th hole section and to create the present 9^th, 10^th and 11^th holes.

The 9-hole Newton course was created where the previous loop holes had been, designed by James Nelson, the professional at the time, and overseen by the then Lord Finlay. It opened in 1924, Braid made adjustments when he visited in 1926.

In 1922 the Ladies section was created under the driving force of Mrs W. Whitelaw, whose son “Willie” would go on to become deputy Prime Minister, President of the Club and a life-long advocate of Nairn.

1925 saw the opening of a grand extended clubhouse with full facilities for lady golfers for the first time. This building served the Club honourably over many years.

Old Tom Morris made significant alterations to the course in the summer of 1890 extending further west towards the current bothy and icehouse. This opened up the ground for the more general layout we see today.

In 1905 the Club held its first professional tournament won by Willie Auchterlonie, his brother Lawrence won the amateur prize.

After several preparatory meetings, seventeen gentlemen interested in the game of golf, met in Nairn on 14^th September 1887. They resolved to explore the feasibility of making a golf course on the grounds to the west of the town, running along the shoreline.

The driving force behind this endeavour was RB Finlay, a barrister and the local MP who had just purchased Newton estate for his residence. Finlay went on to rise to the very top of his profession ultimately serving as Lord Chancellor.

Andrew Simpson, keeper of the green from Aberdeen was commissioned to report on the suitability for a golf course, his report was very encouraging, he then went on to lay out the first course.

Following this the Club was then formally constituted at a further meeting on the 28^th of the month when: “proposed by Mr Finlay and seconded by Captain GG Macpherson ‘that a Golf Club be formed to be called The Nairn Golf Club’”.