The 47-year-old won the title by four shots after carding a three-round total of 238.

The 3-handicap has dominated the club championship event since winning her first title as a 17-year-old in 1978.

However the postal worker's achievement in winning this year's event is all the more impressive given that her time on the golf course this season has been severely limited because of a back problem.

She said: "My back has been troubling me for about two years now and I'm going to be getting steroid injections soon. I saw a consultant a couple of months ago and he was hoping to get the injections done by the end of May but I still haven't had anything done yet.

"I just felt that if I didn't get playing now the season would be over by the time I have had these injections and fully recovered.

"However I have hardly been able to play this year because of my back. The ladies championship was only my sixth competition of the year. Normally I would be playing every week."

Linda believed the lack of playing time this year, coupled with her back injury, meant she didn't score as well at the club championship as she felt she could have.

"If you haven't played for a while it tends to be your short game that you struggle with the most," she explained.

"My long game was fine but I struggled a bit with my putting and chipping which you have to expect if you aren't playing regularly.

"The first nine holes weren't too bad but after that my back was getting a bit more painful and the pain was working its way down into my hip. Anytime we had to wait between shots I would rest one foot on the wheel of my caddy car which seemed to relieve the pain."

Linda vowed to try to retain her crown next year but said she is quite content if she doesn't win a 26th title.

She said: "I'm happy with the 25 championships. I will continue playing and see what happens but any more would just be a bonus."

Linda was also delighted to see Banchory youngster Louise McGillivray perform well in the event. The Banchory Academy pupil, who is only 15, finished second in the scratch competition and won the handicap event.

Linda said: "Louise played very well in the competition and I think she will become a very good player if she sticks at it.

"The junior girls get a lot of coaching now which is something that we were not as fortunate to get when we were younger. A lot of girls play until her age and then leave it behind once they get a boyfriend or head away to university but hopefully Louise keeps going with her golf because she has done really well already this year in getting her handicap down from 12 to eight."

Linda is now hoping her back responds positively to the steroid injections so that she can get back to enjoying a round of golf without the pain.

She said: "Hopefully the injections will go well as it depends on the individual and how their body responds to it. With some people the injections cure the back problem completely but for others it sometimes doesn't work. If that's the case for me then I will have to get keyhole surgery where they will shave a bit off of a disc in my back.

"Hopefully I get it sorted and get back to playing two or three rounds a week like I used to do."