The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
History made at Deeside
First female captain
Elaine Farquharson-Black has become the first woman to be elected club captain in the 117-year history of Deeside Golf Club.
The appointment has traditionally been held by a male member but Farquharson-Black, who has been a member of the club since the age of 10, has been given the honour.
Farquharson-Black is thrilled to be given the accolade.
She said: “I am honoured to be asked to be the captain of Deeside. I see this as an opportunity for me to give something back to the club for the tremendous support which members have given me during my golfing career.”
Farquharson-Black won the Deeside Ladies Championship for the first time at the age of 14 and repeated that success for five consecutive years until national and international events began to take precedence.
She was victorious in the championship again in the club’s centenary year while six months pregnant with her second son.
The Deeside member has represented the club in junior, ladies and men’s matches, then went on to become a Scottish and British internationalist, first as a player and latterly as captain.
She became an honorary member at Deeside in 1990, the same year she won the Scottish Ladies’ Amateur Championship.
In 2013, FarquharsonBlack was appointed captain of the Great Britain and Ireland Junior Vagliano team, becoming captain of the Ladies Vagliano team in 2015 and 2017 and captain of the Curtis Cup team in 2016 and 2018.
She is the only GB&I player to have both played in and captained a winning Curtis Cup team.
An active supporter of junior golf within Deeside, FarquharsonBlack was junior convener in 2016-2017 before being appointed vice-captain in 2018.
Deeside club manager Debbie Pern said: “As a progressive and vibrant club, we are delighted that Elaine has accepted the captaincy at Deeside. She has earned the respect of members both on and off the course.
“During her time as vice-captain, Elaine has been instrumental in the preparation of a strategic plan to secure the future success of the club and she will take the lead in its implementation as captain.”