The Laing Shield, a Challenge Trophy for “competition among Golf Clubs south of Clutha River” was presented by J H Laing, Esq., of Invercargill in 1909.

The rules governing play were either not recorded or were lost, and over the years differences of opinion thereon arose. In 1956 affiliated clubs authorized the Association to control the competition and formulate rules and conditions. The Ohai Golf Club had then held the shield since 1952.

Accordingly, in February 1957 the Association approved certain rules, which with subsequent amendments now read as follows: 

1. The Laing Shield shall be competed for between golf Clubs affiliated to the Association.
2. The Association shall have full and complete control of competition and its rulings and decisions shall be conclusive and binding. "The Association" means the Golf Southland (Inc.) and/or it's Management Committee and its Permanent Sub Committee for this time being.  Golf Southland is empowered to alter, add to, rescind or otherwise amend these Rules and Conditions from time to time.
3. Challenges, in writing to be made directly to Golf Southland
4. Should the challenger win the shield, then that club (as the Holder) shall take over all challenges in the order they were received by Golf Southland.
5. The holder shall play one challenge a month, except in the months of December and January when one challenge shall be played in this period.
6. The shield to be played over the full year.
7. Any failure by the holder or the challenger to meet the other, or for either to comply with the Rules and Conditions, shall be referred immediately to Golf Southland, each party giving written versions of the circumstances.
8. Challenge matches shall be played as follows
   1. Between teams representing the Challenger and the Holder, each team consisting of 6 amateur men who are full financial members of the clubs concerned.
   2. Each Member of each team shall meet his opponent in match play on current handicap. Play shall be over 18 holes only, each individual match being determined as a win, loss or draw.
   3. The Holder shall retain the Shield unless the Challenger's team has more individual wins than losses against the Holder.
   4. In every match the Rules of the game of   Golf (as modified by valid local rules) shall be played and observed.
   5. Challengers must declare team with handicaps to the holder at least 7 days before the challenge.
   6. Players comprising each team shall be "seeded" with the lowest handicapped player as No .1 and the highest as No 6. In the event of identical handicaps the playing order shall be decided by the team captain. Maximum handicap index to be 36.3
9. All Disputes and questions shall be referred (in writing) to the Association for determination.
10. Any club winning a Laing Shield Challenge match shall have its name engraved on the Miniature Shield once for the year.

Invercargill

Amended March 2003