This year’s South Australian Amateur will have a strong country flavour to it, thanks to a practical and constructive repurposing of a beautiful old trophy.

Golf Australia has made arrangements to have the SA Country Championship included as part of the SA Amateur at Kooyonga Golf Club in Adelaide from 26-29 September.

The trophy, which will go the top country-based player after two rounds of stroke, has a long history, first awarded in 1909.

In more recent years the trophy was played for during Men’s Country Week, but this event was discontinued after last year because of low playing numbers.

From 2023 it will return as the SA Country Championship coinciding with the SA Amateur at Kooyonga, the club celebrating its centenary.

Golf Australia hopes that the repurposing of the trophy will have an historical feel because the Kooyonga club hosted the SA Country Championship in its inaugural year, 1923.

The winner was Carl Faehrmann, whose grandson, Alan Reddy, is a social member at Kooyonga.

Reddy was invited by Golf Australia to present the trophy in September and duly said he would be “honoured” to attend the occasion.

“We’re delighted to have the family involved, and to have this very historic trophy being presented again,” said Colin Anderson, Golf Australia’s Events Manager SA.

“The centenary for Kooyonga and the fact that it’s 100 years since the country championship was played at the same venue just adds to the story.

“It feels good to have the trophy back in circulation and we look forward to a fabulous week at Kooyonga in September.” SA Amateur information