SLGA ENTRY FORMS ARE AVAILABLE

Entry forms for the 2011 season are now available to download from the SLGA WEBSITE

The first major event of the 2011 Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association season will be the SLGA Under 16 Open Stroke Play Championship from 14 - 15 April at Strathmore Golf Centre, near Alyth, which proved a popular venue in 2010.

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR ENTRY FORMS FROM THE SLGA WEBSITE

R&A TO LAUNCH WOMEN'S WORLD AMATEUR RANKING

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE R and A
The Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking will be launched by The R and A following the success of the Men’s Ranking, now in its fifth year. The Women’s Ranking will be published for the first time in February when a new World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) website for both the Men's and Women's rankings is unveiled.
The Men’s Ranking has grown in stature and today encompasses more than 1,800 counting events, ranking over 5,000 players representing 70 countries worldwide.
The launch of the Women’s Ranking follows an extensive period of testing by The R and A and will provide the women’s game with a way to compare amateur player performance in elite competition over a rolling 52-week period. The Women’s Ranking currently has a calendar of 1,350 counting events with over 3,100 ranked players.
“WAGR has been embraced by both amateur associations and Professional Tours alike in men’s golf, and we are delighted to be able to now offer this same service to the women’s game,” explained R and A Director, Mike Tate.

Gillian Kirkwood, Chairman of the Ladies Golf Union, said, “The LGU welcomes the Women’s Ranking as a very useful tool for the comparison of players, and believes it will become increasingly important around the world in informing decisions on team and field selection.”

Gonzaga Escauriaza, President of the European Golf Association, said, “The EGA welcomes the Women’s Ranking as a means for providing greater scope to our ladies’ European golf rankings as well as giving an incentive to our members who stage counting events and to the elite players who participate in them."

WAGR has become a weekly point of reference for players, championship organisers and golf fans alike and is supported by governing bodies and tournament administrators worldwide.

Clare Queen qualifies for the Australian Women's Open

Clare Queen (The Carrick at Loch Lomond) survived a triple bogey today at her last hole to qualify for the Handa Australian Women's Open which tees off at the Commonwealth Golf Club in Melbourne's sand belt on Thursday.
She joins Kylie Walker (The Carrick at Loch Lomond) who was exempt from pre-qualifying but a third Scot, Lynn Kenny (Archerfield Links), failed to come through.
To read more go to the Gillian Kirkwood Website

Clare Queen and Kylie Walker are playing in Melbourne next week

Clare Queen, Kylie Walker and Lynn Kenny have all entered the Honda Australia Women's Open at the Commnwealth Golf Club on the Melbourne Sandbelt, starting next Thursday.
To read more go to the Gillian Kirkwood Website

Amalgamation Roadshows

Invitations and booking forms (to be returned to the SGU Office at The Dukes by 31 January) have been sent to clubs and counties for the second round of roadshows on the proposed amalgamation of the SLGA and SGU. These will take place at the following venues:

Ladybank GC on Wednesday 16 February at 6.30 pm
Downfield GC on Thursday 17 February at 6.30 pm
Kilmarnock (Barassie) GC on Monday 21 February at 6.30 pm
Turnhouse GC on Wednesday 23 February at 6.30 pm
Dullatur GC on Thursday 24 February at 6.30 pm
Stranraer GC on Monday 28 February at 6.30 pm
Murcar Links GC on Wednesday 2 March at 6.30 pm
Loch Ness GC on Thursday 3 March at 11.00 am
Hilton Park GC on Monday 7 March at 6.30 pm
Haggs Castle GC on Tuesday 8 March at 6.30 pm

Places are limited to 4 per club (men and women) and 2 per county.

SLGA AGM AT PERTH TODAY

Chairman of the SLGA - Shona Malcolm and Vice President of the SLGA Nancy Chisholm

REPORT TAKEN FROM THE GILLIAN KIRKWOOD WEBSITE

SLGA Chairman Shona Malcolm (pictured above with Nancy Chisholm) welcomed a full house to the Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association Limited AGM at the Dewars Centre in Perth this morning.
Before proceedings began, President, Emma Wilson, paid tribute to past Chairman, Anne Fraser, a member of Turnberry and Ayrshire, who died in 2010.
The Chairman's report had already been circulated and Shona picked out particular highlights, including the Scottish Ladies' team victory in the Home Internationals and third place in the European Team Championships, the Seniors' team fantastic victory in the European Senior Team Championships and our Junior team's runner-up spot in the Junior Home Internationals. On the individual front, Pamela Pretswell had won the British Stroke Play Championship and Kelsey Macdonald had been runner-up in the British Amateur and had won the Scottish Championship. Pamela and Sally Watson had represented GB&I in the Curtis Cup at Essex County Club, near Boston, Mass.
Shona also touched on the Performance and Development aspects of the SLGA remit, as well as giving thanks to those who had helped SLGA last year.
Finance Director, Lynne Terry, reported that SLGA Ltd had shown a healthy surplus of £61,000 last year, largely due to prudent cost control and some events costing less than expected. The fall in the number of lady golfers was once again evident at 4.1%, but an increase in subscriptions by £1 had absorbed that potential shortfall.
The report of the Scottish Representative on the Executive Council of the Ladies Golf Union, Janet Wake, had also been previously circulated, and Janet highlighted some of the coming events in the 2011 season, in partcular the Ricoh Womens British Open at Carnoustie, 28-31st July, the Astor Trophy (previously Commonwealth Trophy) at Fairhaven 15-19th June and the Vagliano Trophy Match against the Continent of Europe at Royal Porthcawl, 24-25 June.
Election of office-bearers went through smoothly with June McEwan (East) and Liz Scott (South) coming onto the Board. Lorna Bennett takes over from Janet Wake as Scottish Representative on the Executive Council of the Ladies Golf Union. Cara Gruber is the new North selector.
Amendments to Regulation 3.5 governing County Golf had already been disSL;GHAcussed by the County Captains and were approved at the meeting.
A "tidying up" exercise had been performed on Regulation 7 (National Championships and other Tournaments run by the SLGA) and amendments were approved at the meeting.
The proposal that annual subscriptions and fees for 2012 remain the same was also approved, with the caveat that if the amalgamation goes through then subscriptions would be different.

Amalgamation.
Chairman, Shona Malcolm and Chief Operating Officer, Sheila Hartley, presented a cut down version of the road-show that had already been shown to clubs and counties round the Country in the last few months. There were many questions from the floor. Anxiety that the proposals were proceeding at "breakneck speed" with little time to take it in, were voiced. These proposals are still at the consultation stage, and feedback from the roadshows and the two AGMS (The SGU AGM is next weekend) as well as individual feedback from clubs, counties and members will be examined at a meeting of the Amalgamation Committee at the end of January.
 Sheila Hartley asked that any comments should be made to her before 25th January ----- secretary@slga.co.uk for consideration by this committee. Once the proposal has been refined in the light of feedback, a new round of roadshows will be presented to both men and women together in the spring, with a view to holding Special General Meetings of both organisations in the latter half of May, where 75% would have to vote in favour for the proposals for it to go through. If that happens the Board of the new Scottish Golf Limited would be recruited in the summer with a view to the Amalgamation happening on 1st October.
There were questions of costs, representation, who would pay etc. It was emphasised that the proposal was a "very broad brush" at present, the minutiae of how it will all happen has not yet be finalised. Yes, there would be costs, but they would be kept to a minimum, and absorbed by both organisations. Subscriptions, currently £9 for men and £14 for women would probably settle at £11 for both genders.
SLGA County and SGU Area boundaries would remain the same. There is no proposal for Counties and Areas to amalgamate. Clubs would be the stakeholders in the new organisation, with each club's liability limited to £1.
The move to bring the Scottish Golf Union (SGU) and Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association (SLGA) together as a single governing body has gathered momentum with a formal proposal being delivered to each organisation’s members.
The proposal with details of the roles of Board members and committees and a covering letter from the Amalgamation Group Chair, Donald Turner may be accessed by clicking on the links.

The SGU and SLGA have delivered a formal proposal to member clubs, Areas and Counties this week outlining plans for amalgamation as a single governing body from 1 October 2011. Click Here to read more

PROPOSED SLGA-SGU AMALGAMATION ARTICLE

TO READ MARTIN DEMPSTER'S ARTICLE IN TODAY'S "THE SCOTSMAN" NEWSPAPER WITH REGARD TO THE
PROPOSED AMALGAMATION OF THE SLGA AND THE SGU, CLICK HERE

Fixture List 2011 --- SLGA

The fixture list for the 2011 season is almost complete and can be found at the following link:

FIXTURE LIST 2011 (SLGA WEBSITE)

Please note - there have been corrections to the dates for the Girls' Home International Matches (3 - 5 August) and the Senior Ladies' Home International Matches (28 - 30 September) on this list.

Entry forms will be available to download from the SLGA web-site from early February.

First Tournament in Florida for West of Scotland's Alyson McKechin

A women’s golf squad, headed by Scottish champion Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar),are currently taking part in three events on the women's amateur Orange Blossom Tour in Florida. Stirling University students who are on this trip along with Kelsey are: Rebecca Wilson, Jordana Graham, Eilidh Mackay, Harriet Beasley, Flore Lafaille
Two guest golfers are also part of the Stirling squad - Renfrewshire's Scottish Junior Internationalist Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), who intends to apply for a September 2011 entry place at Stirling, and English Curtis Cup player Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa).
The squad is competing in the following events: the Harder Hall Invitational, Sebring; the South Atlantic Championship, Ormond Beach; and the Doherty Championship match-play event at Fort Lauderdale.
The Stirling women's squad is accompanied by Renfrewshire and Lanarkshire's coach, Stirling graduate and former British amateur internationalist, Lesley Mackay who is now the Head Coach at Playsport in East Kilbride.
The first event which was completed yesterday was the the 56th annual Harder Hall Women’s Invitational and it had an outstanding beginning with record setting scores in the first round and ended with a most exciting finish with the top three players all having the opportunity to win in the last three holes.

CHAMPIONSHIP SCOREBOARD LEADERBOARD
Par 288 (4x72) Yardage 6,151.
1 Albrecht, Ashleigh J Murrieta, CA 63 74 69 72 278
2 Woods, Cheyenne Phoenix, AZ 67 69 70 73 279
3 Roig, Kyle Pembroke Pines, FL 67 73 68 73 281
T4 Clyburn, Holly England, 70 72 69 74 285
T4 Popson, Erica Davenport, FL 67 73 73 72 285
6 Maguire, Leona Ireland, 72 69 72 74 287

Scots:
MacDonald, Kelsey, 77 73 76 71 297
Graham, Jordana, 82 76 86 76 320
Wilson, Rebecca, 84 74 78 85 321
Watson, Rebecca, 82 74 86 82 324
McKechin Alyson , 84 78 80 84 326
Mackay, Eilidh, 86 84 85 81 336

To see all the results go to the Gillian Kirkwood Website

SLGA / SGU Amalgamation Roadshows

The Amalgamation Roadshows postponed because of the snow have now been re-arranged and invitations sent to the affected clubs and counties. The new dates are:


Dunbartonshire & Argyll - 2.00 pm on Monday 10 January at Douglas Park Golf Club
Perth & Kinross - 2.00 pm on Tuesday 11 January at Blairgowrie Golf Club

It would be helpful if those planning to attend would confirm their attendance by email to secretary@slga.co.uk as soon as possible.

2011 SLGA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Papers for the Annual General Meeting to be held in the Dewars Centre, Perth on Saturday 15 January 2011 have been sent out on, 20 December 2010. The following were enclosed in the mailing and may be accessed by clicking on the links:

• The agenda and Board & LGU reports
• The minutes of the 2010 meeting
• The audited accounts for the year ending 30 September 2010
• The proposed revised Regulation 7

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL ALL READERS

CLICK ON THE PIPER TO SEE YOUR CARD

Advertise your Unwanted Golf Gear

Dear Fellow Golfer

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Any golf related products can be advertised ie equipment new and old, clothing, books, games, memorabilia, accessories etc.

You may have a item of golf gear that you wish to giveaway to a good home, advertise free.

The Happygolf Team

Merry Christmas to all our Readers

1st Tee at Esporta Dougalston - Click to enlarge

1st Hole at Esporta Dougalston - Click to enlarge

To see your Christmas Card --- CLICK HERE

Computer Nativity !!!

Clare Queen had a 2 under par final round and makes the full European Tour for the Seventh time

Clare Queen, made it and can look forward to a seventh successive season on the Ladies European Tour. Rookie Carly Booth failed by the narrowest margin, one shot outside being involved in a play-off for the last of the 30 Category 8a memberships.
Clare, who is attached to The Carrick at Loch Lomond, tied for 16th place with scores of 74, 70, 77, 76 and 71. Her last round, under pressure after her third and fourth rounds had her slipping into the danger zone, for a 368 aggregate showed the former British girls champion still has what it takes. She will gain full access to all the events on the LET schedule for 2011.
Young Carly has had to settle for Category 9b membership which will give her a number of outings but not to the bigger events where she will be too far down the pecking order to get into them.
Many congratulations Clare


 CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE RESULTS

Ladies European Tour -- Clare Queen needs one more good round in the Qualifying School

The European Tour Qualifying School has been held at La Manga Spain this week and after 4 rounds Clare Queen is on 297 - one shot inside the projected cut-off mark. She started well at La Manga with opening rouns of 74 and 70 for 144 but her third and fourth rounds of 77 and 76 have totalled nine shots worse - 153.
The Carrick at Loch Lomond player, a former British girls champion, just needs to keep her nerve in Sunday's crunch round and she can be back where she belongs for a seventh season on the LET.
Carly Booth from Comrie is one shot outside the leading 32 and ties at the moment with a 72-hole tally of 299 but she had a fourth-round of 71 which will give her some confidence for the showdown run. She had earlier scored 75, 75 and 78.
Pamela Feggans and Heather McCrae both missed the cut.

SLGA NAMES SQUADS FOR 2011

The Scottish Ladies Golfing Association has named the following players in selection and training squads for 2011:
National Women's Squad
Megan Briggs (Kilmacolm), Louise Kenney (Pitreavie), Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), Laura Murray (Alford), Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle), Jane Turner (Craigielaw), Rachael Watton, Sally Watson (Elie and Earlsferry) (USA-based)
National Girls' Squad
Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies), Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw), Hannah McCook (Abernethy), Rebecca McGeehan (Hummelbachaue, Germany), Alyson McKechin (Elderslie), Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies).
Scottish Golf Academy Year 2
Ailsa Bain (Peebles), Alison Goodwin (Glenbervie), Connie Jaffrey (West Kilbride), Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe), Tara McTaggart, Jessica Meek (Carnoustie Ladies), Samantha Munro (Aberdour), Rachel Polson (Peterculter), Linsey Stevenson (Elie and Earlsferry), Eleanor Tunn (Reay), Eilidh Watson (Muckhart), Lauren Whyte (St Regulus), Clara Young (North Berwick).
Scottish Golf Academy Year 1
Katie McGarva (Troon Ladies), Eva O'Connor (Bothwell Castle), Emma Hale (Troon Ladies), Emma Greenlees (Dumfries and Galloway), Rachel Walker (Dumfries and Co), Chloe Goadby (St Regulus), Tegan Seivwright (Deeside), Kimberley Beveridge (Aboyne), Claire Gadsby (Crieff), Heather Munro (Monifieth), Sophie Maguire (St Regulus).

Heather Anderson Celebrates a "Big Birthday"

Heather Anderson (Troon Ladies and Caldwell) is 80 tomorrow. To read more go to the Renfrewshire County Website

Douglas Park Christmas Lunch in Snowy Bearsden

This slideshow generated with Smilebox

Alternatively CLICK HERE to see the photos

Kevin Craggs DVD - Christmas Special Offer

Click to enlarge

email Kevin at kevincraggs@btinternet.com to order a copy

Phoenix Hail Storm

What ya all moaning about - YOU just have some snow and it is a wee bit cold. Here is Florida we have frost!!!! but I ain't complaining!!!! yet!!!!!

A true golfer wouldn't let this stop him, however, locating the golf ball would be very difficult.

Thanks go to D&A's Jean Campbell for this one

2011 MOROCCO GOLF FESTIVAL

Request from Colin Farquharson, Tournament Director of the 2011 Morocco Golf Festival, to be played over five courses in the Marrakech area from October 8 to 15. We had only four Scots in a total entry of 47 for the inaugural Morocco Golf Festival last October. Click Here to see the Prizes to be won I would like to see many more from Scotland participating in the 2nd Festival and, to that end, I would be very grateful if you could print off THIS POSTER and display it on your club's men's and women's noticeboards. Thank you in anticipation. COLIN FARQUHARSON Editor www.scottishgolfview.com www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk Telephone 01224 869782

SLGA Amalgamation Roadshows Postponed

The SLGA's Amalgamation Roadshows scheduled for Tuesday 7 December at Douglas Park Golf Club and Thursday 9 December at Blairgowrie Golf Club have been postponed due to the weather. They will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

News From D&A's Jean Campbell from Florida

Click to enlarge

"Good Morning Everyone- well how are you doing with all the snow? 

I hope everyone in D&A, Milngavie, Bearsden, Hayston Golf Club, West of Scotland are surviving the cold weather ---  mind you, it is still a wee bit on the cool side in Florida !!!

luv Jean

The 200 Gong Shot

Clare Queen qualifies at La Manga

Clare Queen (The Carrick on Loch Lomond),and Heather MacRae (Downfield) qualified comfortably today (Thursday) from the four-round Ladies European Tour pre-qualifying event to claim a place in the field at the Final Q School, also at La Manga, Spain, from December 15-20.
But fellow Scots Gemma Webster (Glasgow), Majorca-based amateur Lauren Mackin and Carnoustie's Katy McNicoll failed to figure among the 73 qualifiers.
Clare Queen finished eighth in the South-North group with scores of 73, 71, 75 and 71 for two-over-par 290, 13 shots behind the runaway winner of this section, Sweden's Caroline Hedwall.
To read the full report go to the Gillian Kirkwood Website

Skelmorlie send in their Mail on Sunday news from Spain

 Skelmorlie GC  Players and Caddies    - The  Mail on Sunday Team - Click to enlarge

Sorry we are a few days late with our news, but as you heard from the victorious Murrayfield ladies, our short time in Spain was wonderful but very wet and we are still trying to dry our gear out!
 
Well we didn’t quite make it this time but the whole experience was amazing and has only made us more determined to try again next year. Firstly, we would like to formally congratulate Murrayfield on winning, especially in far from ideal conditions, against some tricky opposition and without the help of caddies. We were fortunate to have ladies from our club to caddy for us and they really proved their worth when the rain gods decided to vent their wrath on this normally dry and sunny part of Spain. The Mail on Sunday has been going to El Rompido for the past 8 years and this was the first rain in all that time!

Our gallant ladies, captain Kath Mackellar, Gillian Pollock, Aileen Donaldson, Janet Harkness and Alex Sargent fought bravely on both days, only narrowly missing out 2-3 on each occasion.
Alex won both her matches and even although we knew we had lost out on a third place on the Wednesday by the 17th hole, she played on gamely to seal her individual win on the 18th green. We would like to pay tribute to all our ladies, and three lovely gents, who paid their own way to Spain in order to either caddy for us or just to be there with encouragement and lots of patriotic flags, banners and mascot bears
.
As Norma said, the Mail on Sunday team were superb and treated us royally, so we feel we were winners in just reaching the final stages in Spain. It is an extremely well run competition and gave a small club like ours the opportunity to enjoy matchplay against more prestigious clubs and to make many new friends as a result.

We were overwhelmed by the number of Good Luck cards from many of the clubs we had beaten on the way to Spain and from clubs in our local area who had watched us progress over the past nine or so months.
We are far from despondent and have also been enjoying more than a few glasses of Fizz since our return, despite not winning. As I said before we can’t wait to start all over again in the early new year, and now we know what awaits in El Rompido next November, we will be trying even harder next time.
 Kind regards, Jenny McGee.

Milngavie Captain Anna shares her 2010 Greenlees Success

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Milngavie Celebration Party - Click to enlarge

Buffet Supper - Click to enlarge

" Thought this might interest folk (apart from the Cathkin Braes team!!!!)

The Milngavie team held a fun filled celebration night at Captain Anna's house on Friday. The champagne flowed, the food was plentiful and delicious, and the laughter never stopped!!!!

Roll on 2011"

Cheers Anna Telfer

Murrayfield are the Mail on Sunday Champions

Murrayfield Ladies  - The 2010 Mail on Sunday Classic Winners - Click to enlarge

Murrayfield Ladies have won the Mail on Sunday Classic!
Murrayfield beat Beau Desert (Staffordshire) 3 1/2-1 1/2 in the final - the 11th round of the national inter-club competition - at El Rompido, Huelva on Spain's Costa del Sol.
Scotland's other qualifiers for the last four - Skelmorlie Ladies from North Ayrshire - lost narrowly in the other semi-final. They were beaten 3-2 by Beau Desert.
Well done, Murrayfield! And well done Skelmorlie to reach the last four from such a huge, national entry.
Norma Richmond reports:
Murrayfield played their semi final match at El Rompido in the most amazingly foul weather - heavy, heavy rain, sodden ground, bunkers being pumped out, not helped by everyone saying that part of Spain gets only 30 days rain a year and it was all coming down when we were there!
After the dinner the previous evening the draw was made for the semi-finals and Murrayfield drew Wildwood GC from Surrey, and Skelmorlie drew Beau Desert from Staffordshire.
The Murrayfield team on the semi-final day was made up of Margaret Fergusson, Rosie Dennis, Lynn Wilson, Norma Richmond and Caroline Johnstone.
Our opponents all had caddies which, although we had decided not to have any, we slightly envied as they managed to keep things drier than we did. However, we beat Wildwood 5-0 which we were delighted about!
Beau Desert beat Skelmorlie 3-2 in the other semi-final.
The Murrayfield team for the final was: Margaret Fergusson, Ray Lynch, Lynn Wilson, Norma Richmond and Caroline Johnstone.
Our first two players, Margaret Fergusson (5 and 4) and Lynn Wilson (2 and 1) won their matches. Ray Lynch halved her match on the 18th, having fought back from two down on the 17th tee.
Norma Richmond lost 4 and 3 and Caroline Johnstone won 4 and 2 which clinched Murrayfield's overall victory 3 1/2 to 1 1/2.
As you can imagine were were absolutely thrilled and spent the rest of the day drinking champagne.
The team who won the men's Mail on Sunday title, the Vale of Glamorgan, very kindly presented us with a bottle of champagne, having already had the one produced by the Mail on Sunday organisers. We had a gala evening with the presentations - and turned into a very late, noisy night.
Thanks for the report -- Hopefully Skelmorlie will submit ther version