Kent Golf Limited
Kent women's team won the Inter-County National Championship for the first time in July 1956
Date published: 13 Mar 2024
Left to right back row: Mrs. Betty Townsend, Mrs. Jean Wood, Bridget Jackson, Sheila Bryan-Smith
Left to right centre row: Angela Ward, Mrs. McLennan (Captain), Mrs. Cosmo Falconer
Front: Mrs. Zara Bolton
This Kent women's team made history when they won the Inter-County National Championship for the first time in July 1956! It was a win that was described as ‘long overdue’ by Enid Wilson, a long standing Knole Park member, journalist, and one of England’s finest golfers. Read Enid's article below.
FIRST TIME EVER
Kent win Ladies' County Championship (1956)
Up to this year one of the major mysteries of women's golf has been the omission of Kent from the list of holders of the English Women's County Championship.
Since the event started in 1903 Kent has been the home of many of Britain's best women golfers, and many of the games outstanding organisers and administrators, yet until this season they have never contrived to provide a team in the County Finals. Having reached the County Finals, at the West Sussex G.C., Pulborough, they proceeded to beat Lancashire 6-3 and Derbyshire by 7½-1½ and thus had the satisfaction of gaining an honour that by common consent was long overdue to them.
They began their programme in May at the S.E. Jamboree at Princes by defeating Surrey, the champion county, by 5-4, and followed this by beating Middlesex 6-3, Hampshire 8-1, and Sussex 8-1, and went onto bear Essex 6-3 in the S.E. Area Final. In achieving their success they have had no easy path to victory, and therefore have every right to be jubilant at the result.
Mrs. McLennan, Kent's non-playing captain, and Mrs. G. D. S. Wood, their vice-captain, did everything in their power to ensure the success of the side, and they were aided by the wise counsel of Miss Wanda Morgan, who has worked tremendously hard in imbuing the younger members of the team with the right spirit.
Their champion, Miss Angela Ward, and Mrs. S. M. Bolton formed an unbeaten foursomes partnership. Miss Ward lost only one of her singles, and Mrs. Bolton survived the season with an undefeated record in her singles. Their second pair, Mrs. Cosmo Falconer and Miss Bridget Jackson, performed many doughty deeds for their team.
This quartete, which formed the spearhead of Kent's attack, were ably supported by Mrs Wood, Mrs. W. H. Townsend, Miss Sheila Bryan Smith and Mrs. M. Richards.
The West Sussex G.C., Pulborough, proved a tremendously popular venue for the county finals.
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