NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 2005
We wish all our members a happy and successful
golfing season for 2005
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 compete at the highest level they can in local,
national and other events. Individual members are also very important and we thank
all members for their support and valuable contribution to the Association.
Inter-County
Matches 2005
The East Division Inter-County Matches will be held
at Alloa Golf Club (Schawpark) from Monday July 4th to Wednesday July 6th 2005.
Our County Team would like your support and you will see some excellent golf.
If you can't manage to come on all three days, then do come for at least one day.
Membership and Subscriptions
Our
current membership totals 418 with 48 names on the Waiting List. In each of the
last three years we have admitted around 50 new members. Numbers playing in our
Spring, Summer and Autumn Meetings have not increased and entries for the Midsummer
Foursomes and Hole and Hole Competitions have remained constant. We have therefore
decided to admit all those currently on the waiting list to membership at the
beginning of 2005. A short waiting list will continue to operate and will be kept
under review. The subscription for full members has not been increased for 9 years
and the Committee decided unanimously that it should be increased from £18 to
£20 in 2005. The subscriptions for Associate Members (£3) and Junior/Youth Members
(£10) remain unchanged.
MCLGA Championships
Champion
for 2004: Claire Hargan (Prestonfield)
The 2004 Championship
was held at Newbattle Golf Course. The qualifying was held over 36 holes for the
second time - and 32 entered and played. There were excellent leading qualifying
scores from Karen Marshall (Baberton) on 150 (76 74) and Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse)
on 151 (79 72). Many closely contested matches were played throughout the Championship.
Claire is to be congratulated on winning the Midlothian County Championship for
the second time by beating Kirsten 3&2 in the Final. The two finalists had 9 birdies
between them and their best ball was six under fours. Karen Marshall and Fiona
de Vries were the beaten semi-finalists.
16 players in handicaps
categories 3 and 4 qualified for a 'B' Championship from the Spring Meeting held
at the Braids No 1 and competed in the knockout match play at Newbattle. In the
Final Jill Ireland (Newbattle) beat Pam Townsend (Murrayfield) in a tightly contested
match, which went to the 20th hole.
County Team 2004
The
2004 Team comprised Kirsten Blackwood (Glencorse), Fiona de Vries (St Rule), Louise
Fraser (Kingsknowe), Claire Hargan (Prestonfield), Tracy Laughland (Mortonhall),
Claire MacDonald (Gullane), Karen Marshall (Baberton), Belinda Murphy (Prestonfield).
Reserves were Jane Turner (Glencorse) and Jane Williamson (Mortonhall).
Midlothian
hosted the Inter-County Matches at Mortonhall Golf Club from June 28-30. The course
was in excellent condition and everyone at Mortonhall was unfailingly courteous
and helpful. On Day 1 Midlothian beat East Lothian 5-4. In the morning foursomes
the team finished up 2:1 and in the afternoon gained 3 points out of 6 in the
singles. On Day 2 Midlothian had a halved match against Stirling & Clackmannan,
halving both the foursomes and the singles. On Day 3 Fife won the East Division
women's inter-county team championship by scoring a 7 to 2 win over Midlothian.
In a series of very tight and closely contested matches, Fife took the morning
foursomes 3-0, with Midlothian winning 2 of the 6 afternoon singles. The Midlothian
Team all contributed well and played their best, including the new caps (Kirsten
Blackwood and Claire Macdonald). There is depth in the existing squad with good
new players coming along and we believe that the County Team will go on from strength
to strength.
East of Scotland Championship
Midlothian will host the East of Scotland Championship at Murrayfield Golf Club
on Sunday 25th September 2005.
Five-Aside League Matches
The Midlothian Inter-Club League Division 1 matches (and Macfarlane Trophy) were
won for the third year in succession by Baberton (12 match points), with Kingsknowe
runners up (11 match points). The Division 2 winners (Thomson Trophy) were Craigmillar
Park (12 match points), with Mortonhall just beating Murrayfield on game points
for the runners up position (10 match points each).
Champion
of Champions
Liz Stewart (Greenburn) became our Champion
of Champions for 2004 and won the Antonio Vase when she beat Noreen Fenton (Merchants
of Edinburgh). Liz, appearing in her first final, played very steady golf and
was one over 4s for the holes played, winning by 6&5.
Draws
for Meetings
Increasingly we have to pay clubs a per capita
amount for the use of courses for our meetings. This charge will be passed on
to those who are playing and will range in 2005 from £5 to £10 per competition.
Arrangements for the draws for all three meetings will be the same as last year
and are detailed on the entry form. Tee-off times are available from 0800-1630
for the Spring and Autumn Meetings, and from 0800-1800 for the Summer Meeting.
If you submit a block of entries, then please do put the competition dates firmly
in your diary! We look forward to seeing you at our Competitions in 2005.
Handicapping
System
The Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU) Unified
Handicapping System has been in operation for the past year. Hopefully you now
all know and keep a record of your exact handicap, ensuring that all your away
scores are reported to your home club Handicap Secretary.
Junior
Girls
Dorothy Fraser completed three years as Junior Secretary
and has been succeeded by Mandy Easton. Our sincere thanks to both for all the
work they put in for the Girls. We are delighted with the progress of our junior
members and continue to offer coaching at the Braid Hills Golf and Driving Range
as well as organising 9-hole competitions at the Princes Golf Course at the Braid
Hills. Membership has now increased to around 95. 26 girls have CONGU handicaps.
Five of our girls have handicaps between 3 and 6; are members of our County Squad
and SLGA Winter Training Squads. Many girls reduced their handicaps in 2004 and
played in local and national competitions. Amanda Edwards is our
Junior Champion for 2004. Rachael Livingstone and Sally Watson played
for the Scottish Team in the Girls' Home Internationals at Strathaven and gained
great experience. This is most encouraging for the future of the County and of
ladies golf. It is exciting to see the enthusiasm of our girls and we will give
them every encouragement to keep playing, to join a golf club and to sustain their
interest in the game.
Thanks to the raffles organised by Dorothy
Fraser, and the support given by the members of the Association, in 2004 we were
able to arrange a 9-hole coaching lesson for three girls; and six short-game coaching
sessions at King's Acre to girls with handicaps, who were playing golf and showing
commitment and promise. Further coaching will be offered to selected girls in
2005.
The Cuthbertson Cup will be held at Dunfermline
Golf Club (Pitfirrane) on Sunday 10th April 2005 (The competition is played by
teams 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.
Youth Membership
Youth
Membership is available to those aged between 18 and 23 in full-time education,
for the same subscription as junior members. Those in this age group who are working
are encouraged to join the waiting list and/or proceed to Full Membership. Please
encourage any younger players to apply.
Seniors
In
August, the Scottish Vets, captained by Joan Marshall, retained the Veteran Ladies
Area Team Championship (the Miller-Stirling Trophy). Noreen Fenton and Pamela
Williamson were selected for the Team of six who represented Scotland in the Senior
Home Internationals played at Kilkeel, County Down in October. The whole team
played well and Scotland finished in second place behind England.
