The Archie Baird Trophy
For the first time in the history of the World Hickory Open, this year a major trophy is to be awarded for the leading Amateur score.
Archie Baird is a name that has been associated with the Open Championship since its inception in 2005. This great supporter has not only attended every event but he has also ennobled the proceedings by saying the Grace at every Gala Dinner.
And the world of hickory apart, Archie Baird has long been one of the most celebrated names in contemporary Scottish amateur golf. An avid collector, Archie’s enthusiasm for the history of the game borders on that of Roget for the English language. Interestingly, the two men have more in common for Archie, like Roget many years earlier, also studied medicine at Edinburgh University. It must be something in the air.
A founder member of the BGCS, sometime curator of the Heritage of Golf Museum and a former Captain of Gullane, Archie Baird is a deserving ambassador for the amateur golf in general and the hickory game in particular.
And, as a footnote, we might point out, to those of you meeting Archie for the first time, that the lady at his side, his wife Sheila, is the great grand-daughter of the legendary Willie Park Senior.
Provenance is rarely better confirmed.