MIDLOTHIAN COUNTY LADIES' GOLF ASSOCIATION

NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2004

MCLGA is committed to supporting and developing county golf by providing training for junior girls and ladies - particularly those aspiring to play for the County Team and for National or International Honours. Each year we work towards the East Division County Matches and encourage our players (Junior and Ladies) to play and complete and the highest level they can in local, national and other events. Individual members are also very important and we do rely on your support and thank you for what you contribute to the Association. We wish all our members a happy and successful golfing season for 2004.

Inter-County Matches 2004

Membership

Our current membership stands at 384 with 86 names on the Waiting List. In each of 2002 and 2003 we admitted 50 from the waiting list. Over the last few years we have not used all the tee-times available for our Meetings (Spring, Summer and Autumn). Numbers entering the Midsummer Foursomes Competitions and Hole and Hole Competitions have remained fairly constant. We have therefore decided to admit a further 50 from the waiting list in 2004.

Handicapping System Changes

The Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU) and the Ladies' Golf Union (LGU) has agreed on a Unified Handicapping System to become effective on the 1st February 2004. The new booklet has been sent out to clubs Copies can be now purchased from the SLGA. Information on the changes is enclosed with your subscription notice.

Champion and Championships

We were pleased to hold our Championship at Duddingston Golf course again in 2003 and were made very welcome. The qualifying was held over 36 holes for the first time - and 38 entered and played. We had two excellent qualifying scores from Claire Hargan (Prestonfield) on 155 (78 77) and Fiona de Vries (St Rule) on 159 (80 79). Claire, who joined Midlothian last year from Dumbarton and Argyll, went on to win the 2003 Midlothian Championship. Well done Claire, who is to be congratulated for the golf she played in 2003, for reaching the final of the Centenary Scottish Ladies Amateur Championship at St Andrews and on her selection for three of the Scottish International Team Matches.

16 players in handicaps categories 3 and 4 qualified for a 'B' Championship from the Spring Meeting held at Broomieknowe and went forward to compete in the knock-out match-play at Duddingston. Sandra Ashurst (Murrayfield) beat Margaret Ritchie (Harburn) in a closely contested final.

Champion of Champions

Karen Marshall (Baberton) became our Champion of Champions for 2003 and won the Antonio Vase when she beat Kate Rorke (Kingsknowe), in for what was for both their first appearance in the Final. Karen won the match by 2 holes finishing with a superb 2 at the 233 yard 18th hole

County Team

The 2003 County Team comprised Louise Fraser (Kingsknowe), Claire Hargan (Prestonfield), Vikki Laing (Musselburgh), Tracy Laughland (Prestonfield), Karen Marshall (Baberton), Belinda Murphy (Prestonfield), Jane Williamson (Mortonhall), Pamela Williamson (Baberton). Reserves were Kate Rorke (Kingsknowe) and Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse). The Inter-County Matches were held in Kirkcaldy (Balwearie) Golf Course from June 18-20. Our team was superb. Excellent team spirit was shown and everyone contributed and played their hearts out. Midlothian beat Stirling and Clackmannan on the first day and East Lothian on the second day. Unfortunately we lost to Fife on Day 3 and finished runners up. Vikki Laing (Honorary Member of MCLGA) has now joined the Professional ranks and we wish her every success in her future career on the LPGA Tour and thank her for the contributions she has made to MCLGA..

Five-Aside League Matches

After a nail-biting finish the Midlothian Inter-Club League Division 1 matches (and Macfarlane Trophy) were won by Baberton (13 match points) with Prestonfield runners up (12 match points). The Division 2 winners (Thomson Trophy) were Broomieknowe (12 match points), with Glencorse runners up (11 match points). Musselburgh Golf Club will be affiliated to East Lothian Ladies County Association from January 1st 2004 and will no longer play in the Interclub League Matches. We are pleased that Mortonhall will join Division 2 in 2004 and compete in these matches.

Draws for Meetings

Arrangements for the draws for all three meetings will be the same as last year. Members can indicate up to two preferred times when they enter these competitions and we will do our best to accommodate their wishes. As far as possible, individuals will continue to be drawn with a player(s) in the same handicap category. Tee-off times are available from 0800-1630 for the Spring and Autumn Meetings, and from 0800-1730 for the Summer Meeting. You can submit a block of entries, and enclose one cheque for all entries. If you do this, then please do put the competition dates firmly in your diary!

Junior Girls

Dorothy Fraser continues as Junior Secretary for one further year and we are pleased to welcome Amanda (Mandy) Easton as Assistant Junior Secretary. We have again been delighted with the progress of our junior members and we continue to offer coaching at the Braid Hills Golf and Driving Range as well as organising 9-hole competitions at the new Princes Golf Course at the Braid Hills. Membership has remained around 70 and we have a higher percentage of girls gaining handicaps than previously. Three of our girls have handicaps of 5, 7 and 7 and are members of our County Squad. A number of girls this year gained first handicaps of 24, 25 or 26. Others have reduced their handicaps from the 40s to the 20s All this bodes well for the future of the County and of ladies golf. However, we recognise the need for younger girls and boys (particularly those in the 8-12 age group) to be encouraged to play golf and to join a golf club if they show interest and commitment to the game. Golf clubs are concerned to keep up their membership and many now have no waiting lists, so they are beginning to be more pro-active in encouraging younger members to join. Please, if you can, encourage your own clubs to look seriously at this.

Thanks to the raffles organised by Dorothy Fraser, and the support given by the members of the Association, we arranged for Alan Murdoch to give eight short-game coaching sessions at the excellent King's Acre facility in 2003. This coaching was offered to girls with handicaps and each girl received at least two sessions. More short-game coaching will be offered to selected girls in 2004.

The Cuthbertson Cup Competition will be held at The Glen Golf Club on Sunday 18th April 2004 (This competition is played by teams of four girls, representing the junior sections of the counties of Midlothian, East Lothian, Fife, and Stirling & Clackmannan). Do come along and support the girls at this event.

Help would also be appreciated at some of the Sunday 9-hole sessions held on the third Sunday in the monther and the Princes Golf Course at the Braid Hills. Anyone who would be free to come along should contact Dorothy Fraser (0131 449 4918).

Youth Membership

MCLGA is aware of the need to attract more young members in the Association and to do what we can to encourage those between the ages of 18-30 to play golf. A category of youth membership has been established (for those aged between 18 and 23 and in full-time education) for the same subscription as junior members. Those who are working will be encouraged to either retain their membership or join the waiting list. We are also aware that some clubs have Student Membership with reduced subscriptions, although with restricted playing conditions. This is a way of encouraging young people to keep up their club membership during their years of study and is something that clubs should be encouraged to think about.

Seniors

In August the Scottish Vets retained Veteran Ladies Area Team Championship (the Miller Stirling Trophy). In September Karen Ballantyne (Craigmillar Park), our immediate past Captain, won the Scottish Senior Women's Amateur Championship at Ballater She had scores of 69 and 70 for an aggregate of three-under-par 139. Karen, Noreen Fenton and Pamela Williamson were then selected for the Team of six who represented Scotland in the first Senior Home Internationals played at Whittington Heath in October. Ruth Brown was a reserve. All three greatly enjoyed the experience of playing for their country.