Home Internationals

I have been asked by the very able manager, Claire Hargan, to remind you all of the Home Internationals. I posted an item about this last week but remember, it is being played next week, that's on Wednesday 9th, Thursday 10th and Friday 11th September and is being held at the Irvine (Bogside) Golf Club - on home soil! The Scots have not won this event since 1991 but the 2009 team includes Curtis Cup players as well as winners of several international amateur events. The team must have an excellent chance of winning!

If you want to see some great golf and some fantastic matches, why not head over to Irvine next Wednesday to see England against Wales and Scotland against Ireland, on Thursday to see Ireland take on Wales and Scotland take on England or on Friday when Wales will face Scotland and England will face Ireland? The foursomes matches (3 per match) tee off at 8.30 am, with the singles (6 per match) starting at 1.10 pm.

To remind you, the fantastic Scotland Team who will be playing its heart out to win this event is:
Lesley Nicholson (Captain)
Carly Booth (Comrie)
Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm)
Louise Kenney (Pitreavie)
Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar)
Laura Murray (Alford)
Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle)
Jane Turner (Craigielaw)
Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle)

So as you don't have any excuses not to go (!), the directions for reaching the golf course are:

From Glasgow take M77 then A78 to Greenock. Bypass Irvine. 500 yards after Eglington Interchange travel under a bridge then turn off at the Re-cycling sign "Bogside". Continue for 3/4 mile along this road until you reach a sign for Irvine Golf Club.

Go on, support the girls. It is only once every 4 years that this is held in Scotland. Take a picnic, wear purple or tartan and have a great day out!

Scottish Schools

The Scottish Schools Golf Association take on their English counterparts in the annual schools golf international match on Monday 14th September. Being held at Westerwood Hotel and Golf Course in Cumbernauld, Gabrielle Macdonald (Craigielaw) and Rachael Watton (Mortonhall) are two of the six girls in the team of 18. Good luck to you both.

Irish Senior Women's Open Strokeplay

Good luck to Pamela Williamson who takes part in the Irish Senior Women's Open Strokeplay which is being held at Laytown and Bettystown Golf Club from the 8-10th September. Two stroke play rounds will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday with the top 40 qualifying for the final 18 holes on Thursday.

Five-aside leagues

Congratulations to Mortonhall and Liberton Golf Clubs who won the Division 1 and Division 2 five-aside league titles respectively with 13 and 12 match points respectively. Division 1 runner up was Kingsknowe Golf Club who won on game points having had the same number of match points as Baberton and Harburn. Division 2 runner up was Murrayfield with 10 match points. Prestonfield and Craigmillar Park Golf Clubs are the teams relegated to Division 2 next year.

European Senior Ladies Team Championship

Scotland, represented by MCLGA members Fiona de Vries (St Rule) and Fiona Hunter (Baberton), finished in 6th place in the European Senior Ladies Team Championship in Ireland this week.

Scotland had qualified for the championship flight in 5th place. They unfortnately went down to England 3½ - 1½ on Wednesday but then defeated top qualifiers Ireland 3-2 on Thursday to reach a play off with France for 5th place. They lost 4-1 to the French - oh la la!

The Gibson Cup

The Gibson Cup is again being held at the Braids Golf Course on Saurday 26th and Sunday 27th September 2009. The entry fee is £22/couple and guarantees you at least 2 rounds of golf. The closing date is Friday 11th September and the entry forms have to be returned to Edinburgh Leisure, at the address given on the form. Paper copies of these entry forms should be at your clubs, however, if there are none there for whatever reason, please e-mail Anne Brownie who will happily send you a form by return e-mail.

MCLGA Autumn Meeting

A great day was had today at Kingsknowe Golf Course where the MCLGA Autumn Meeting was being held. The weather almost held out for the entire day but it would not have been the Scottish Summer we have come to know and love if there had not been the couple of exceedingly heavy showers towards the end which brought the evening players in soaking wet. As well as that there was a wee bit of wind, which one member, who shall remain nameless, had a tussle with! The Captain, Vice-Captain and President all watched in a fit of giggles as she was seen to cross the 18th fairway and head towards the 9th green at great speed after her umbrella which had decided to part company with her, leaving her trolley to then overturn in the wind.

However, despite the wind and, latterly, the rain some great scores were recorded with Fiona McLaren (Baberton), Karina Matson (Lothianburn) and Susan Dalrymple (Craigielaw) all returning net 69s to the CSS of 72, and Louise Fraser's (Kingsknowe) scratch score of 74 holding out for the whole day. In the bronze section a net 73 by Pat Jackson (Kingsknowe) led the way with Carol Clark's (Craigmillar Park) 96 being the best gross score.

Thank you to Kingsnowe Golf Club for all their help throughout the day and for the use of their course. Thank you also to everyone who turned out to support the competition. Also for the raffle prizes - it was a great raffle today with a lot of prizes. We raised £150 for the County Juniors.

The results are as follows:

CSS 72 (counting competition)

Overall:

Best Overall Net and the McIntyre Trophy: Fiona McLaren (Baberton) - 83 less 14, net 69 (on the better inward half)
2nd Overall Net: Susan Dalrymple (Craigielaw) - 84 less 15, net 69 (on the last 6 holes)

1st Scratch and Lady Ford Cup: Louise Fraser (Kingsknowe) - 74
2nd Scratch: Gabrielle Macdonald (Cragielaw) - 77 on better inward half

Silver Division:

1st Handicap: Karina Matson (Lothianburn) - 80 less 11, net 69
2nd Handicap: Sandra Cackett (Broomieknowe) - 89 less 17, net 72

Bronze Division:

1st Scratch: Carol Clark (Craigmillar Park) - 96
1st Handicap: Pat Jackson (Kingsknowe) - 99 less 26, net 73

There was only one two - Catriona Shedden (Murrayfield) at the first hole.