On the occasion of its 130th anniversary, the RCG Las Palmas hosted an emotional tribute and recognition ceremony to the families of the founding members of the Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas and to the centennial Spanish clubs.

In a simple and emotional ceremony, attended by the president of the Gran Canaria Island Council, Antonio Morales; the mayor of Santa Brígida, Miguel Jorge Blanco; and the presidents of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, Gonzaga Escauriaza, of the Canary Islands Golf Federation, Diego Cambreleng and the presidents of the honored clubs, among other guests, Margarita Bravo de Laguna Blandy, descendant of the first president of the Club, Richard Blandy, accepted the distinction on behalf of all the families of the founding members, from the president of the Royal Golf Club of Las Palmas, Salvador Cuyás.

Moments before the award ceremony, Alberto Cabrera, the master of ceremonies, outlined the figure of Richard Blandy, highlighting "his love and dedication to this sport and to the club," and that "thanks to his effort and tenacity, along with that of the other founding members, he managed to make a dream come true and turn this golf club into a benchmark for Spain and Europe.".

Next, the president of the Canary Islands Golf Federation, Diego Cambreleng, presented a commemorative plaque to the president of the Tenerife Golf Club, Gaspar Cólogan, for the ninetieth anniversary of the club's founding.

The ceremony continued with the presentation of awards to the presidents of the centennial Spanish clubs: Juan Moreno, president of the Bellavista Club (1916), Juan Carlos Larrañaga, president of the Real Club de Zarauz (1916), José Miguel Torres, president of the Sant Cugat Golf Club (1914), Pancho Schröder, president of the Real Club de Golf el Prat (1912), Guillermo Oraá, president of the Real Sociedad de Golf de Neguri (1911), Elena Arocena del Campo, vice-president of the Real Golf Club de San Sebastián (1910), Diego Arangure de Miricua, director and president of the Competitions Committee of the Real Sociedad Hípica Española Club de Campo (1901) and Fernando Ramírez de Haro y Valdés, president of the Real Club Puerta de Hierro (1895), were in charge of collecting the awards.

Finally, Salvador Cuyás presented an award to the president of the Gran Canaria Island Council, Antonio Morales, as an honorary member of the Real Club de Golf de las Palmas, recalling in his speech that the Island Council “is the first institutional partner of the club”.

After thanking all the guests for their presence at the beginning of the event, Cuyás outlined a brief history of the club and related some of its main milestones, while expressing his commitment to the modernity and sustainability of this century-old entity.

Presentation of the Spanish Open Golf Cup

During the event, the president of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, Gonzaga Escauriaza, took advantage of this historic occasion to present the 2021 Spanish Open Golf Cup to Rafael Cabrera from the Canary Islands, winner of the last edition of this tournament held last October at the Madrid Country Club.

It should be remembered that a special edition of the Walter Palmer Cup, the oldest golf and sporting tournament in Spain dating back to 1894 and a historical reference point for European golf, was held at the Bandama golf course.

On the last day of the celebration, Gonzaga Escauriaza Barreiro, President of the RFEG, was honored for his national and international importance, being named an Honorary Member on the occasion of this anniversary, and Salvador Cuyás Jorge, for his management work during 17 years as president of this sports entity, being also named Honorary President of the Club.

Javier Suárez, general manager of RCG Las Palmas, expressed his gratitude at the closing ceremony for the involvement of players, clubs, and institutions. “We want to share this historic moment for Spanish golf with the group photo of the nine centennial clubs united for the first time ever. Our deepest gratitude goes to all the golfers, golf promoters, the media, and the institutions that have made it possible for Spain to become a global golf powerhouse over these 130 years.”.

SOURCE: RCG Las Palmas