The annual tussle between the club in Colombo and the club in the hills gets underway on the 11th of November 2011. The gentlemen play for the Burdett Trophy and the Ladies play for the Puffin Cup. The ‘Burdett’ was inaugurated in 1902 with Sir Francis Burdett, A.D.C. to the Governor of then Ceylon presenting a Challenge Cup for annual competition between teams representing Colombo and Up-country players.
 The first match of the series was played in Nuwara Eliya and won by Up-country.
1903 saw the opening of the light railway, popularly known as the ‘toy train’ from Nanu Oya to Nuwara Eliya and with the advent of the motor car to the island a year later, travel to Nuwara Eliya was revolutionized. By the end of 1904, there were 21 motor cars in Ceylon and the Colombo based Lords and ladies travelled Up-country more often. The speed of the cars varied from 10-12 m.p.h. and Mr Davidson drove his Beaufort from Colombo to Nuwara Eliya in 12 hours! Walkers imported 10-seater Albion buses for hire which was in great demand for week-end trips up-country. With the advancement in transport from Horse-drawn coach and carriage to cars, buses and railway, Nuwara Eliya soon emerged as a holiday location where the whole of Colombo visited for Golfing, Horse Racing, boating and other pleasurable rendezvous.
In 1911 with the improvement of the standard of Golf played, a major change to the Burdett Trophy format was introduced by Resolution. It was decided to be played as International matches were played following the Ryder Cup format with foursomes and singles being played by the 2 teams over 1 day and the results to be decided by matches and not by the number of holes as during the first eight years of the Burdett. The first contest for the Trophy under the new conditions was played in Nuwara Eliya and Nuwara Eliya won by 6 ½ matches to 2 ½ matches. Since then each year the Challenge for the ‘Burdett Trophy has been played alternatively in and between Colombo and Nuwara Eliya – the 2 oldest clubs in Sri Lanka which are 131 and 121 years old respectively.
This year the tournament will be played at Nuwara Eliya and while the Burdett Trophy format has been agreed by the two captains of the respective sides, the two Lady Captains have been huffing and puffing and have yet to agree.
Hopefully, there will be an agreement and the Colombo Ladies will take to the hills to defend the possession of the Puffin Cup which they have successfully done over the last 4 encounters. The Puffin Cup a challenge Trophy to be competed for by the ‘Ladies’ on the same lines as the ‘Burdett’ was first presented by M.H. ’Puffin’ Lushington in 1936 and stimulated considerable interest and enthusiasm among the women golfers. Nuwara Eliya won the first competition by 7 ½ matches to 4 ½ matches.
The Royal Colombo Golf Club too has successfully defended their possession of the Burdett Trophy over the last 4 years. However, the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club, now in the hands of golfers, appear determined to prove a point and re-establish their pride by making a clean sweep of all that’s on offer.
Adding to all this excitement is the 125th Anniversary Trophy which was inaugurated in 2004 to mark 125 years of the RCGC. This tournament enables golfers from both sides to compete in a four ball format on the same day.
A Masters and Senior category was also introduced to bring in additional competition between the rival clubs.
At the end of the day when all is won and lost, the true spirit of the game comes alive at the 19th hole amidst camaraderie, missed putts, lost balls and bad luck misses all drowned on the Rocks, in a barrel of malt and laughed at with a ‘puff’ of smoke!
A happy end to another
Golf challenge.
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