Royal Co Down, in all its spectacular beauty of 70 years ago, is recalled by one of the great, but largely forgotten champions of women's golf. Now 89, Simone Lacoste's unique contribution to the game has been overshadowed by the exploits of her daughter, Catherine.

As Simone Thion de la Chaume, however, she made history in 1924 by becoming the first foreign player to capture the British Girls' title. And three years later, she also became the first such competitor to win the British women's crown - at Newcastle.

"Everyone falls in love with Newcastle," she enthused. "I remember the rhododendrons were in full bloom, all over the Irish countryside. It was mid-May and they were so lovely, simply spectacular."

She went on: "We (she and her mother) stayed at that wonderful, old hotel (the Slive Donard) which practically overlooked the golf course. We walked to the course from the hotel every day. It's just a short walk.

"The first two days we walked on the left side of the garden. On the third day, however, I wanted to go right and my mother said, `No, no, no. You can't. You've got to go the same way.' I had no superstitions, but she did."

The 36-hole final, in which she beat Britain's Dorothy Pearson by 5 and 4, drew an attendance of 3,000. And apart from a medal, the winner retains a wonderful memento of the occasion. Madame Lacoste has a 20 by 30-inch vellum drawsheet, folded into quarters and containing the entire draw, completed in the handwriting of her youth.

Not surprisingly, Newcastle became one of her favourite courses and her success there had much to do with precise approach play, arising from admirable control of the mashie niblick (seven iron), her favourite club.

In their report of the match, the Belfast News Letter observed of the French winner: "She has youth and enthusiasm, is not afflicted with a `temperament' like others of her race, and looks on life as a joyous adventure."

It went on: "She is a new star in women's golf and that, in spite of the regret which was felt at the passing of yet another championship into foreign hands, her win was most popular. Her's is a charming, unassuming personality.

"Small in stature, she is sturdily, though not heavily nor clumsily built and the strength of her game lies in its consistency with all the clubs. The keynote of her golf, as so it seems of her life, is its neatness, its polish, its logic, its comprehension of the difficulties of the game and its avoidance of trouble."

Interestingly, her semi-final and final opponents at Royal Co Down were the same as at Stoke Poges, where she beat Enid Wilson and Ms Pearson on the way to the British Girls' title. "Dorothy was such a charming person," she recalled.

Mlle Thion de la Chaume was born in Paris on November 24th, 1908, and was introduced to golf as an eight-year-old on a visit to Bournemouth in 1917. She went on to capture the French Close title from 1925 to 1930 and was French Women's Open champion in 1926 and 1927. "She was great fun, ever so chic, so Parisian," remarked the great American, Glenna Collete Vare, who beat her in the 1925 French Open final.

She took part in a famous exhibition match in 1938 in which she, Joyce Wethered and Ms Wilson matched their best ball against Henry Cotton. Sadly for the women's cause, Cotton won.

Her late husband, Rene Lacoste, was one of the so-called Four Musketeers of tennis and went on to establish the famous clothing company which bears his name. He led France to Davis Cup success, was Wimbledon champion in 1925 and 1928 and won back-to-back US titles in 1926 and 1927.

Simone first met him in Paris, but a romance began to blossom when they met again in the US. They were married in 1930 and their daughter, Catherine, born in 1945, became the greatest player of her era.

In 1969, she became one of only three women to capture the British and US titles in the same year. More significantly, she and Simone became the only daughter-mother combination to be crowned British Women's champion.

Meanwhile, at a time when so much about sport is taken so seriously, it is refreshing that Madame Lacoste should say of her career: "You have to sacrifice much to be a champion, but it was just fun, great. Just putting the ball in the hole as quickly as possible was fun."