BGCS Awards

The British Golf Collectors Society, at its discretion, awards annually two medals for literary contributions to golf heritage. These are the Murdoch Medal and the President's Medal.

The Murdoch Medal

This is the Society's most prestigious award and is made simply in recognition of a 'contribution to the heritage of Golf' and is usually, though not exclusively given for what the Committee regard as the outstanding publication on the history of golf in the previous year. Originality and substance are important considerations, but other, more general, contributions to golfing heritage are often taken into consideration. There are some years in which we do not make the award. The Committee considered it particularly appropriate that the medal named after our late Honorary Member, Joe Murdoch. The selection is made by a small sub- committee and then endorsed by the BGCS Main Committee.

The President's Medal

This medal was instituted to stimulate research and generate material for Through the Green. It was agreed that the President would offer an annual award (a medal) to the contributor of an article of nt less than 1000 words published in TTG, which is considered by a selection panel to be outstanding for its :

 

  1. General interest
  2. Investigative quality
  3. Literary content

 

The panel will consist of the President, the Captain, and the Editor of TTG. In recent years it has also been awarded for a series of articles during the year.

Murdoch Medal Winners

Year Winner Book Title or Reason for the award
1994 Alistair Johnston "The Chronicles of Golf 1457-1857" (co-authored with J.R. Johnston) Sept 1994 4/5
1995 David Hamilton In recognition of David Hamilton's contribution to the literature & history of the game of golf through his own Partick Press. Mar 1995 3
1996 John Behrend "The Amateur" (The History of the Amateur Championship) Sept 1996 3
1997 Fred Hawtree "Triple Baugé" & overall contribution to golfing literature Dec 1997 3
1998 Jeff Ellis "The Clubmakers Art" Sept 1998 3
1999 Peter Lewis "The Dawn of Professional Golf " (also for his work on" Challenges & Champions") Sept 1999 3
2000 Archie Baird For his work in promoting the history of golf. An author, a lecturer, and a voluntary tour-guide to hundreds of people who visit his Heritage of Golf Museum in Gullane Sept 2000 3
2001 Not Awarded  
2002 Not Awarded  
2003 Phil Pilley & Philip Truett "Heather & Heaven - Walton Heath 1903-2003" Sept 2003 4
2004 Kevin McGimpsey "The Story of the Golf Ball" Sept 2004 5/6
2005 David Hamilton "Precious Gum" (also for his researching, writing, printing, & publishing original works on the history of the game) Sept 2005 6/7
2006 Not Awarded  
2007 Dick Donovan & Rand Jerris "The Game of Golf & the Printed Word 1566-2005" Sept 2007 3
2008 Not Awarded  
2009 David Malcolm & Peter Crabtree "Tom Morris of St Andrews - The Colossus of Golf 1821-1908" Sept 2009 6
2010 Donald M. Cameron "Social Links"
2011    

President's Medal Winners

Year Winner Book Title or Reason for the award
1997 Dick Durran Maponite Balls Mar 1997 15-17
1998 Tim Smartt For his Captain's Letters
1999 John Hanna For his Irish Musings
2000 Alan Jackson For his contribution to the success of TTG
2001 John Cubbage For his series of articles on old clubs Mar 2001/28-30, Sep 2001/33-5
2002 Anthony Barnie-Adshead Why Four and a Quarter Inches? Jun 2001/30-2
2003 Ros Weston For her father's, Jack Urry, description of playing in the 1946 Open Dec 2002 8-16
2004 Gillian Kirkwood For her contributions to TTG
2005 John Moreton For his articles on Edward Blackwell Mar 2004 17-23
2006 Christopher Ibbetson For his two articles on J. Michael Brown Jun 2005 22-8, Sept 2005 20-4
2007 Dr Eiron Morgan For his article "St Andrews Entire" Dec 2006 20-3
2008 Liz Pook For her article on Lottie Dod Sept 2007 22-25
2009 Bobby Burt For his article on Dr A.J.T. Allan - Nae Tackety Boots & Alister Mar 2009 22-7 and Mackenzie's Early Professional Life Dec 2008 50-55
2010 Richard Williams Bowls from O'er the Boundless Sea March 2010 pages 32-35 
2011 Peter Lewis The Whins of Change
2012 Neil Millar  'The First Edition of the Rules of Golf