Ayrshire County Championship Qualifier - Rachael McQueen is the Top Seed

Rachel McQueen (Troon Ladies), who has never won the title, headed the 16 qualifiers for the match-play stages of the Ayrshire women's county golf championship at Glasgow Gailes Golf Club today.
Playing off the blue tees, scratch player Rachel returned a six-over-par 77 on a relatively wind-free day over a course in excellent condition, particularly the greens.
Hard on Rachel's heels were two former county champions, Lesley Hendry (Routenburn), who has a handicap of 2, with a 78 and six-handicapper Alex Glennie (Kilmarnock Barassie) a 79.
Morag McPherson was unable to defend the title due to examinations.
MATCH-PLAY QUALIFIERS
Blue tees: Par 71
77 R McQueen (Troon Ladies).
78 L Hendry (Routenburn).
79 A Glennie (Kilmarnock Barassie).
80 H Gaunt (Troon Ladies), R Purdom (Prestwick St Nicholas).
83 A Thompson (Loudoun Gowf).
84 G Smith (Ardeer).
85 L Keohone (Loudoun Gowf).
86 L Parry (Irvine), J West (Irvine).
87 R Donaldson (Troon Ladies).
88 L Williamson (Kilmarnock Barassie).
89 B Beckett (Caprington), E Taylor (Troon Ladies), L Allan (West Kilbride), G Arnott (Kilbirnie).
DRAW (9am) (Yellow tees)
McQueen v Arnott, Parry v Keohone, Purdom v Williamson, Beckett v Gaunt, Glennie v Taylor, Donaldson v Thompson, Smith v West, Allan v Hendry.
Thanks go to Colin Farquharson for the report

Mark Your Members Card for Scottish Golf

The SGU and SLGA have launched the Scottish Golf Card exclusively for golf club members as an added incentive, enabling them to take advantage of a 50% reduction off standard green fees at golf clubs participating in the programme. To read more go to the SGU Website

Eighteen Great Benefits of Joining a Golf Club

As part of the Golf Awareness Week campaign, the Scottish Golf Union has compiled a list of eighteen compelling reasons why you should join a golf club, so if you are still undecided, here’s why you should decide yes!

Go to the SGU Website to read more

Spring Chicken Tri-am Competition - Douglas Park

Gladys Speedie --- Lady Captain of Douglas Park

This fun competition was played over 12 holes on Friday 10th April (Good Friday)
Winners: Nett 46 (after countback) Norma Campbell Elaine Park Nancy Smith
Runners up: Nett 46 Anne Fergusson Edith Monachan Norma Vallance
Congratulations go to the winners and their Lady Captain Gladys Speedie for her well planned organisation of this fun event.

Happy Easter to all our Readers

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Radio Scotland Interview of your webmaster

Radio Scotland Interview of your webmaster --- Please let it be noted that I did not set up the Centralised Handicapping System --- I was only a part of a technical group looking at it. Andy Salmon of the SGU is the main person involved

West Vets Spring Meeting

The West Vets Spring Meeting was held over Sandyhills Golf Club yesterday and West Vets Captain Helen Faulds (Douglas Park) had the best score of the day in difficult conditions. To read the full report go to the West Vets Website

D&A INTER COUNTY FOURSOMES QUALIFIERS

The D&A Inter County Foursomes was played over Cardross GC yesterday in rather wet and windy conditions. Joan Gemmell and Anne Fergusson (Douglas Park) were the scratch winners and I.Keywood & M.Duncan(Cardross)were the Handicap Winners

Inter County Foursomes - 3 Scratch & 3 Handicap Qualify

Scratch
1. J. Gemmell & A.Fergusson (Douglas Park.) 93
2.I. Harvey(St.Rule) & A.Baker (Hilton Park) 94(BIH)
3.F.McLean & C. MacPherson (Hilton Park) 94

Handicap
1.I.Keywood & M.Duncan (Cardross) 96-15-81
2.P.Cawley & P.Craig (Cardross) 97-13.5-83.5
3.D.Woodger & M.Grant (Hilton Park) 100-15.5-84.5

Live Scoring from the Under 16's Open Stroke Play Championship

Live scoring is available from the Under 16 Open Stroke Play Championship at Craigielaw

Listen to Radio Scotland this Saturday

Scottish Golf Development Manager Andy Salmon --- and your Webmaster Carol Fell were interviewed today by John Beattie ex Scottish Rugby Internationalist about the 2009 Scottish Golf Awareness Week and the new Centralised Handicapping System--- You can listen to the interview this Saturday (11th April) at 9am - 10am on Radio Scotland --- Click on the photos for enlargements

9 Hole Stableford -- Douglas Park

9 Hole Competition Played 06/04/2009 CSS:72
1st 19pts Brenda Murray
2nd 18pts Marjorie Lockhart
3rd 17pts Anne Strathdee

Renfrewshire County Medal over Caldwell

Played over Caldwell Golf Club on the 5th April 2009, SSS 72, CSS 75 (Reduction Only),
48 Entrants
Division 1: (Handicap Scratch - 12)
1st Sally Foster (Kilmacolm) 85 (11) 74
2nd Linda McDougall (Greenock) 84 (8) 76
3rd Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) 84 (6) 78

Division 2 (Handicap 13 upwards)
1st Mary Gildea (Caldwell) 99 (19) 80
2nd Fiona Roger (Ranfurly Castle) 95 (13) 82
3rd June Irons (Caldwell) 101 (18) 83

Scratch :Donna Jackson 82

Click on this link to see the full results All The scores

SLGA April Medal -- East Renfrewshire Golf Club

SLGA April Medal Played 1st April 2009 (SSS 71, CSS 72)
Silver: Ann Harvie (18) [acb] 73, Gillian Kyle (4) 73, Audrey Barclay (13) 79,
Bronze : Liz McShane (33) [acb] 78, Fiona Leslie (30) 78 , Alison McKellar (30) 79.
Best Scratch Player: Gillian Kyle 77

April Medal --- Bearsden GC

Played 2nd April 2009: SSS 69, CSS 72

Silver:
Lynn McColl (8) 82
Pat Hutton (20) 86
Bronze :
Fiona Alexander (28) [acb] 71
Sheila Mumford (24) 71
Janet Wotton (29) 73

Daily Exercise for Golf !!

I came across this exercise suggested for the over-37s to build muscle strength in the arms & shoulders. The article suggested doing it 3 days a week, but I do it daily. 
 



1. Begin by standing on a comfortable, flat surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 2kg potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to hold for a full minute, then relax.



2. Each day, you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit 
longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 5kg potato bag. Then a 25kg potato bag and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 50kg potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. (I'm at that level).



3. When you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the 
bags.

Thanks go to Moira Jakobsson from Enjoy Music for that one

SLGA Medal - Prestwick St Nicholas

Played 2nd April 2009 ,SSS 72, CSS 73

Silver:
C Malcolm (3)70
W Hollingworth (14) 74
J Brown (13)75
Bronze:
M White (28) 73
P Baxter (30) 76
K Hodge (24)76

Scratch : C Malcolm 73

Medal 1 --- Douglas Park Golf Club

Played 4th April 2009, SSS 72, CSS 73, 40 Entrants
Silver:
1st 74-5=69 Helen Faulds
2nd 82-10=72 Carol Fell (bih)
3rd 91-19=72 Christina Graham

Bronze:
1st 101-30=71 Yvonne Currie
2nd 109-35=74 Denise Macnaughton (bih)
3rd 101-27=74 Anne Stevenson

Scratch: Helen Faulds 74

Scottish Golf Awareness Week -- Some Ideas

The Scottish Golf Awareness Week, 13-20 April, is an initiative to encourage those golfers who are not club members to join their local golf club. The campaign will start the week after The Masters and clubs are encouraged to embrace the "Love Golf? Join the Club" campaign throughout the year.
Here are some ideas to help clubs with a local campaign. Go to the SLGA Website to read all ablout it.

March Medal - Greenock

Played 2nd April 2009: (SSS 71, CSS 73)
Scratch: Mo Neilson (8) 74
Silver: Margaret Austin (17) 71< Mo Neilson (8) 74
Bronze: Sandra Cook (24) 80, Jessie McKillop (34) 80

Stableford - Cathcart Castle Golf Club

Stableford (SSS 69, CSS 72)Played 1st April 2009

Silver:
S. Mitchell (12)34
A. Ritchie (17) [acb] 33
M. Mitchell (10)33
Bronze:
M. McMurtrie (26)38
D. Sim (22)31
M. Madill (36)30

Denim Day at Hilton Park launches Scottish Golf Week

Scottish Golf’s Awareness Week gained momentum with the launch of the ‘Love Golf? Join the Club’ campaign on April Fools Day at Hilton Park Golf Club.

The joint SGU and SLGA campaign which was recently boosted by a £10,000 grant from the R&A, is the first of its kind and aims to promote the benefits of golf club membership, while helping clubs recruit and retain members.

In a break from tradition, SGU and SLGA executives sported jeans and T-shirts to demonstrate the sort of thinking which is helping clubs widen their appeal to a new target audience.

At a press conference officials of Hilton Park and Swanston New, another of the clubs that have embraced Golf Awareness Week, outlined some of the methods they have used in recent years to build their memberships at a time when the trend has been toward declining membership across Scotland.

Scottish Golf Development Manager Andy Salmon who is spear-heading this campaign, said: “The majority of clubs are already using our free of charge service within the Scottish Golf web-site, to market themselves and there are currently 300 clubs advertising membership vacancies. This is helping to break down the myth that clubs are difficult to get into because of closed memberships or lengthy waiting lists when many are actually actively looking to recruit new members.

“Swanston New and Hilton Park are great examples of clubs that are reaping the benefits of innovative thinking by adopting a more customer focussed approach to their membership. What we are keen to do is provide as many examples as possible of best practise so that other clubs can choose what best suits their particular needs.

“We are not suggesting that many clubs are likely to start allowing members or guests to turn up in T-shirt and jeans, but the purpose of today’s event was to invite them to think differently about how they promote themselves to a wider market, specifically targeting the nomadic golfer A more relaxed dress code is just one example of a successful change in golf clubs.”

Lynn Kenny, one of Scotland’s leading female professionals on the Ladies European Tour who was supporting today’s launch, added, “The Love Golf? Join the Club campaign is a great idea for Scotland’s clubs. Being a member of a golf club is a fantastic way to make life-long friendships and is often great value for money compared to other leisure pursuits.

“Attitudes within golf clubs have changed significantly for the better towards women and families and I’m sure this campaign will help attract many new members whilst also convincing existing members that they should remain at their club.”

April Medal - Ranfurly Castle

Played Sun 29 Mar 2009 [CSS 76 RO] and Wed 1 Apr 2009 [CSS 75], 34 Entries

Silver Winner: Mary Craig (11) 65
Runner Up: Anne Judge (7) 77
Bronze Winner: Agnes Williamson (21) 70
Runner Up: Karin MacKenzie (28) 77
Best Scratch: Mary Craig 76

New Scottish Golf Card

The SGU & SLGA have teamed up with clubs across Scotland to launch the new Scottish Golf Card, exclusively for members of SGU & SLGA affiliated golf club members. At just £10 per annum, it’s a fantastic way to play more golf, with ‘Less Wedge Required!’

The Scottish Golf Card gives you 50% off standard greens fees at many golf courses in Scotland, including Blairgowrie, Crail, Dalmahoy, Glenbervie, Lanark, Newmachar, Whitekirk as well as Slaley Hall in the north east of England. A total of 74 courses have now signed up with many more to follow over the coming months.

For a list of participating clubs please go to SGU Golf Central scroll down to the Scottish Golf Card icon, tick the box and click on Advanced Search.

All you have to do to apply for the card is fill out an application form with your payment details or call the SGU on 01334 466 477 with your credit card details. We will contact your club secretary to verify that you are a member of your home club and your card will be posted out to you within 7 days.

The Scottish Golf Card is a great way of playing some of the courses in Scotland you’ve always wanted to visit, or organising an outing with your friends.

You’ll find all the information you need on the SGU’s fantastic website, http://www.scottishgolf.org/, whether you are looking for details on courses you plan to visit, competitions you want to enter or news, views and results from championship golf in Scotland.

The Wee Art Show

Lois Brown (Kilmacolm and Ranfurly Castle Golf Club) has informed me that the “The Wee Art Show” which is an innovative art sale will take place on 24-26th April 2009 at Wilson Davis Fine Art, Quarriers Village, Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire.
The show will be an exciting mix of anonymous postcard art from many talented professional and amateur artists and celebrities and contemporary art.
To read all about it go to The Wee Art Show Website

Also here is a Flyer that you can print out.

You will know & love many of the artists who have contributed.!! Gladys Speedie (Captain of Douglas Park) is one of them. The website has all details & a lot of sample paintings that enlarge if you click on them.
They are selling tickets for the opening night for £10 each [with amazing prize for lucky ticket!]. They are going like hot cakes so let Lois know very soon if you want one.
Otherwise please come along during the weekend for a leisurely ‘browse & buy’!!

There is a New restaurant just opened 100 yards from gallery, serving coffees, brunches, pm tea, & Bistro dinners . Cail Briuch 01505 610956
Also, just beyond the restaurant, a lovely place for dog walking over Gryffe river, with history of Quarriers along the pathway! That’s the plug for Quarriers over!!

Thanks go to Lois Brown for all the details of the event --- Sounds like a good day out

Ranfurly Castle Golf Club win Junior Club of the year award

Ranfurly Castle Golf Club won the Junior Club of the Year Award at the Scottish Golf Dinner in Glasgow on Friday, 27th March
Please see the Gillian Kirkwood Website for further information.

NFL Fantasy Files: The Best Players

I think John Beattie has a little more practice to do!!!
Unbelievable!



Thanks go to Anna Telfer for that one !
? Do you think it will help with my pitching ?!!!

Kylie receives her award at the Scottish Golf Dinner

The Scottish Golf Dinner in Glasgow was held on Friday 27th March.
Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) and Kelsey MacDonald, won the ladies and girls Order of Merit titles respectively by impressive margins.
To read all about the dinner go to the Gillian Kirkwood Website

Photograph above, courtesy of www.idealimages.co.uk/

Golf Festival at Ballachmyle Golf Club

Ballochmyle Golf Club with support from East Ayrshire Council, clubgolf, and East Ayrshire’s Active Schools Department, will host and welcome all young people in the region to use this fantastic opportunity to discover if they have the drive to play golf during a special festival at Ballochmyle Golf Club, Mauchline, East Ayrshire on Monday 25th May 2009.
To read all about it go to the Gillian Kirkwood Website

Commonwealth Games 2014

John Beattie who was the guest speaker at the D&A Centenary Dinner talks to John Scott, Chief Executive of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.



Commonwealth Games Website

Some added rugby videos !!

Some more short videos have been added to John Beattie's coaching of the D&A County Players -- Thanks go to Douglas Park's Olive Mackay for these ones (These are the 3 at the end of the post)