Two East Vets have qualified to play in the main county championship, and three in the county "B" championship. Noreen Fenton (Dunbar) and Gilly Glen (Craigmillar Park) face Linda Caine - defending champion and Karen Marshall (first seed) respectively. Margaret Thompson (Turnhouse) Isobel Halliday (Merchants) - last years's runner-up - and Sandra Ashurst will play in the "B" Championship and having got through to the next round Isobel and Sandra would have the prospect of facing each other! All of these ties take place at Kingsknowe Golf Club on Saturday morning.
Fiona de Vries who plays for Midlothian in county matters and Midlands for Vets matters (complicated)was due to play in the qualifying rounds but has been unavoidably detained in a US hospital bed having broken her leg in a fracas on the ice. She was representing Scotland in the Word Curling Team Championship - talented lady. This is a very serious blow for Scottish Senior golf in 2011 but we wish her all the best for a very speedy and complete recovery.
Good luck to all thos playing on Saturday.
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
Team for Annual Match Against the British Senior Men at Elie
The East Vets Team to play against a British Senior Men's Golfing Society Select has been picked and should represent a good cross-section of the membership with regard handicaps and clubs and includes serving officials of the East Vets and LGU together with some past Captains. This Elie match is a little different from our other matches in that emphasis is placed on variety and hopefully including ladies who might not be included in our regular games against the West, Borders and Midlands.
The game against the Men is on Thursday 12th May and is always at Elie. The format is a two ball foursome and generally the ladies get strokes but all that apart, this is a very competitive match. This is the team to do the works.
Margo Blair (Baberton)
Phyl Early (Glencorse)
Noreen Fenton (Dunbar)
Katy Gillies (Melville)
Val Hallam (Glencorse)
Isobel Halliday (Merchants)
May Hardy (Baberton)
Gillian Kirkwood (Gullane)
Norma Richmond (Murrayfield)
Margaret Rodger (Turnhouse)
Elizabeth Simpson (Murrayfield)
Katherine Thomson (Murrayfield)
Wish them luck.
The game against the Men is on Thursday 12th May and is always at Elie. The format is a two ball foursome and generally the ladies get strokes but all that apart, this is a very competitive match. This is the team to do the works.
Margo Blair (Baberton)
Phyl Early (Glencorse)
Noreen Fenton (Dunbar)
Katy Gillies (Melville)
Val Hallam (Glencorse)
Isobel Halliday (Merchants)
May Hardy (Baberton)
Gillian Kirkwood (Gullane)
Norma Richmond (Murrayfield)
Margaret Rodger (Turnhouse)
Elizabeth Simpson (Murrayfield)
Katherine Thomson (Murrayfield)
Wish them luck.
Friday, 22 April 2011
Midlothian County Spring Meeting
There was a good turnout of East Vets at the Midlothian County Spring Meeting at Turnhouse on Thursday 21st April - thirty ladies, more than a third of the field. This competition doubles up as the qualifying round for the County B Championship which takes place at Kingsknowe Golf Club on the 30th April and 1st May.
Although it was a lovely spring day, a bit misty early on with a heavy dew to drag the balls to an untimely halt, the late players were at a disadvantage also in that a slight breeze had arisen and the temperature dropped. However for hardy golfers - a pretty good golfing day. The course itself looked beautiful and was in great condition for the time of year. The greens however had suffered a little winter damage and were not at all easy to putt on - possibly one of the reasons why the scoring was on the whole, rather disappointing.
The handicap prize was won by Margaret Clark of Merchants of Edinburgh with a nett 68 but second handicap was won by Margaret Thompson of Turnhouse with a great 69. The scratch prize and the Cormack Salver was won by Noreen Fenton of Dunbar/Swanston New with a gross 77. The CSS was 73
Leading Vet scores
Division One
69 Margaret Thompson (Turnhouse) 82 - 13 - 69
71 Morag Wardrop (Turnhouse) 80 - 9 - 71
73 Noreen Fenton (Dunbar/Swanston New) 77 - 4 - 73
73 Isobel Halliday (Merchants) 87 - 14 - 73
76 Libby Campbell (Baberton) 90 - 14 - 76
76 Sandra Ashurst (Murrayfield) 89 - 13 - 76
76 Kate Johnston (Baberton) 88 - 12 - 76
77 Sydena Cullen (Turnhouse) 89 - 12 - 77
78 Rita Dee (Kingsknowe) 88 - 10 - 78
78 Pam Townsend (Murrayfield) 89 - 11 - 78
79 Caroline Kinnaird (Glencorse)89 - 10 - 79
79 Anne Brownie (Comiston) 86 - 7 - 79
80 Barbara Halliday (Murrayfield)92 - 12 - 80
81 Denise Mitchell (Murrayfield) 94 - 13 - 81
82 Katy Gillies (Melville) 98 - 16 - 82
Bronze Division
74 Margaret Dalrymple (Baberton) 98 - 24 - 74
76 Ann Hanna (Murrayfield) 97 - 21 - 76
81 Vivien Mitchell (Prestonfield) 102 - 21 - 81
81 Maureen Stewart (Glencorse) 103 - 22 - 81
Draw for Midlothian County 'B' Championship
Margaret Thompson v Carole Mason
Lesley Campbell v Janet Collin
Isobel Halliday v Isobel Blyth
Sandra Ashurst v Elaine Lumsden
This is a great vets challenge. Good luck to all!
Although it was a lovely spring day, a bit misty early on with a heavy dew to drag the balls to an untimely halt, the late players were at a disadvantage also in that a slight breeze had arisen and the temperature dropped. However for hardy golfers - a pretty good golfing day. The course itself looked beautiful and was in great condition for the time of year. The greens however had suffered a little winter damage and were not at all easy to putt on - possibly one of the reasons why the scoring was on the whole, rather disappointing.
The handicap prize was won by Margaret Clark of Merchants of Edinburgh with a nett 68 but second handicap was won by Margaret Thompson of Turnhouse with a great 69. The scratch prize and the Cormack Salver was won by Noreen Fenton of Dunbar/Swanston New with a gross 77. The CSS was 73
Leading Vet scores
Division One
69 Margaret Thompson (Turnhouse) 82 - 13 - 69
71 Morag Wardrop (Turnhouse) 80 - 9 - 71
73 Noreen Fenton (Dunbar/Swanston New) 77 - 4 - 73
73 Isobel Halliday (Merchants) 87 - 14 - 73
76 Libby Campbell (Baberton) 90 - 14 - 76
76 Sandra Ashurst (Murrayfield) 89 - 13 - 76
76 Kate Johnston (Baberton) 88 - 12 - 76
77 Sydena Cullen (Turnhouse) 89 - 12 - 77
78 Rita Dee (Kingsknowe) 88 - 10 - 78
78 Pam Townsend (Murrayfield) 89 - 11 - 78
79 Caroline Kinnaird (Glencorse)89 - 10 - 79
79 Anne Brownie (Comiston) 86 - 7 - 79
80 Barbara Halliday (Murrayfield)92 - 12 - 80
81 Denise Mitchell (Murrayfield) 94 - 13 - 81
82 Katy Gillies (Melville) 98 - 16 - 82
Bronze Division
74 Margaret Dalrymple (Baberton) 98 - 24 - 74
76 Ann Hanna (Murrayfield) 97 - 21 - 76
81 Vivien Mitchell (Prestonfield) 102 - 21 - 81
81 Maureen Stewart (Glencorse) 103 - 22 - 81
Draw for Midlothian County 'B' Championship
Margaret Thompson v Carole Mason
Lesley Campbell v Janet Collin
Isobel Halliday v Isobel Blyth
Sandra Ashurst v Elaine Lumsden
This is a great vets challenge. Good luck to all!
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Monday, 18 April 2011
Mary McKenna Perpetual Trophy Sails West
Slide show coming
Scotland, after their disastrous fourball result yesterday made a tremendous fightback, only to lose out on the last hole. They won five out of eight of the matches but they needed to win six!
From the word go they were out of the starting blocks at full pelt and at the ninth hole, the Irish management (Roma English) must have had some niggling doubts of cashing in on their overnight lead. All but one game at the turn was in Scotland's favour. But no one who has ever been involved with our Irish friends would ever count their chickens, which was just as well. Holes up became holes down. Our own Moira Thomson of Gullane was up at the turn against Mairead McNamara, who hit the ball much further off the tee, but a visit to the pond at the 13th - there was a lovely little chirpy reed warbler there - saw the game into reverse. But adversity is Moira's middle name and she dug in her heels to produce a two and one victory at the 17th - and the first point on the board. The early lead by May Hughes of the West over one of Ireland's strongest players, Sheena McElroy was also dealt a heart-breaking blow when she also visited that pond . Likewise this game finished at the 17th but sadly with a negative result.
The Irish fightback was demonstrated yet again when a mid-term lead by Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) of five holes - in part thanks to a class Hole in One at the sixth - was not an automatic ticket to a deckchair in the sun in a good vantage position whilst she watched her team-mates fighting their way round the remaining holes. Lorna's opponent, Niamh Giblin had no such ideas of lying down and giving up. She raised her game and took Lorna to the 16th.
The Russell dynasty in the form of Anne Ryan and her sister Mary Smith from Tain had equally close games which could have gone either way. Anne took Violet McBride from a losing position to a winning one with a successful putt on the eighteenth for a third point. Unfortunately Mary went from holes up to holes down in the face of an Irish attack in the form of Pat Doran - known as "Lighthouse Doran" and lost on the 17th - the hillock beside the 17th green was actually a great place to stand for spectators!
"Newey" Alison Bartlett from Highland was not in the slightest awed by her debut appearance and overpowered Irish stalwart Valerie Hassett with an assured 6 and 4 win. The other New Blood, Elaine Allison of Stirling, who at one point looked positively frozen in her skort when the sun disappeared and the wind changed, was one down at the 16th. Showing great composure, she converted a lovely long iron at the short 17th which only just slid off the back of the slopey green, into a safe par three. Her opponent Phil O'Gorman, failed to get a chip from the heavy greenside rough to roll near enough the pin. She required two putts. All to play for down the eighteenth. Whereas Phil kindly chose the tourist route down the rough, Elaine hit a lovely drive followed by a corker of a second almost pin-high, which with two putts and a resulting four gave her another great point for Scotland. Well done the New Bloods.
Poor Heather Anderson,with the weight of the match on her shoulders and just back from golfing success in South Africa, gamely stood on the 18th tee, one hole down against Irish dynamo Helen Jones. The latter had placed a lovely tee shot square in the middle of the 17th green. Helen converted a fairway drive into a birdie opportunity at the long 18th whereas Heather made rather heavy weather of her drive by sliding into the rough. She came out well enough but rather cut off her options of getting close to the pin with her third, when the ball stopped with a greenside bunker bang in the middle of her line. These greens did not permit the soft drop wedge shot she needed. Two down and Ireland had won the trophy for the second year running after one of the tightest games ever! Captain Pamela Williamson will have been exhausted, taking herself from one end of the course to the other, extolling her troops to greater things. Disappointed to have just lost at the last fence, she will have been proud of their efforts. Well done everyone.
Results Scotland first.
Moira Thomson beat Mairead McNamara 2/1
May Hughes lost to Sheena McElroy 2/1
Anne Ryan beat Violet McBride 1 hole
Lorna Bennett beat Niamh Giblin 3/2
Mary Smith lost to Pat Doran 2/1
Elaine Allison beat Phil O'Gorman 1 hole
Alison bartlett beat Valerie Hassett 6/4
Heather Anderson lost to Helen Jones two holes
Scotland 5 1/2 Ireland 6 1/2
There's always next year at Templepatrick in Ireland.
Scotland, after their disastrous fourball result yesterday made a tremendous fightback, only to lose out on the last hole. They won five out of eight of the matches but they needed to win six!
From the word go they were out of the starting blocks at full pelt and at the ninth hole, the Irish management (Roma English) must have had some niggling doubts of cashing in on their overnight lead. All but one game at the turn was in Scotland's favour. But no one who has ever been involved with our Irish friends would ever count their chickens, which was just as well. Holes up became holes down. Our own Moira Thomson of Gullane was up at the turn against Mairead McNamara, who hit the ball much further off the tee, but a visit to the pond at the 13th - there was a lovely little chirpy reed warbler there - saw the game into reverse. But adversity is Moira's middle name and she dug in her heels to produce a two and one victory at the 17th - and the first point on the board. The early lead by May Hughes of the West over one of Ireland's strongest players, Sheena McElroy was also dealt a heart-breaking blow when she also visited that pond . Likewise this game finished at the 17th but sadly with a negative result.
The Irish fightback was demonstrated yet again when a mid-term lead by Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) of five holes - in part thanks to a class Hole in One at the sixth - was not an automatic ticket to a deckchair in the sun in a good vantage position whilst she watched her team-mates fighting their way round the remaining holes. Lorna's opponent, Niamh Giblin had no such ideas of lying down and giving up. She raised her game and took Lorna to the 16th.
The Russell dynasty in the form of Anne Ryan and her sister Mary Smith from Tain had equally close games which could have gone either way. Anne took Violet McBride from a losing position to a winning one with a successful putt on the eighteenth for a third point. Unfortunately Mary went from holes up to holes down in the face of an Irish attack in the form of Pat Doran - known as "Lighthouse Doran" and lost on the 17th - the hillock beside the 17th green was actually a great place to stand for spectators!
"Newey" Alison Bartlett from Highland was not in the slightest awed by her debut appearance and overpowered Irish stalwart Valerie Hassett with an assured 6 and 4 win. The other New Blood, Elaine Allison of Stirling, who at one point looked positively frozen in her skort when the sun disappeared and the wind changed, was one down at the 16th. Showing great composure, she converted a lovely long iron at the short 17th which only just slid off the back of the slopey green, into a safe par three. Her opponent Phil O'Gorman, failed to get a chip from the heavy greenside rough to roll near enough the pin. She required two putts. All to play for down the eighteenth. Whereas Phil kindly chose the tourist route down the rough, Elaine hit a lovely drive followed by a corker of a second almost pin-high, which with two putts and a resulting four gave her another great point for Scotland. Well done the New Bloods.
Poor Heather Anderson,with the weight of the match on her shoulders and just back from golfing success in South Africa, gamely stood on the 18th tee, one hole down against Irish dynamo Helen Jones. The latter had placed a lovely tee shot square in the middle of the 17th green. Helen converted a fairway drive into a birdie opportunity at the long 18th whereas Heather made rather heavy weather of her drive by sliding into the rough. She came out well enough but rather cut off her options of getting close to the pin with her third, when the ball stopped with a greenside bunker bang in the middle of her line. These greens did not permit the soft drop wedge shot she needed. Two down and Ireland had won the trophy for the second year running after one of the tightest games ever! Captain Pamela Williamson will have been exhausted, taking herself from one end of the course to the other, extolling her troops to greater things. Disappointed to have just lost at the last fence, she will have been proud of their efforts. Well done everyone.
Results Scotland first.
Moira Thomson beat Mairead McNamara 2/1
May Hughes lost to Sheena McElroy 2/1
Anne Ryan beat Violet McBride 1 hole
Lorna Bennett beat Niamh Giblin 3/2
Mary Smith lost to Pat Doran 2/1
Elaine Allison beat Phil O'Gorman 1 hole
Alison bartlett beat Valerie Hassett 6/4
Heather Anderson lost to Helen Jones two holes
Scotland 5 1/2 Ireland 6 1/2
There's always next year at Templepatrick in Ireland.
Sunday, 17 April 2011
Foursomes Don't Go Scotland's Way
Day One at an absolutely beautiful Craigielaw and Scotland are faced with a fairly substantial uphill battle tomorrow in the singles. The fourball first round went Ireland's way with a scoreline of three and a half points to a half. One the whole the driving was good for both teams but the Irish were more accurate with the shot to the green and getting the ball in the hole - a somewhat necessary requirement. When the iron or wood to the green failed to come off, this was often followed by an initially good-looking chip which unfortunately didn't stop close enough to the pin for holing out. Even the gentlest of pitches could quite often roll off the green whereas putting needed a strong positive stroke. Hopefully tomorrow will see a more successful outcome.
Results (Scotland first)
Lorna Bennett and Elaine Allison lost to Sheena McElroy and Phil O'Gorman 2 and 1
Heather Anderson and Anne Ryan lost to Niamh Giblin and Mairead MacNamara 4 and 3
Moira Thomson and May Hughes lost to Valerie Hassett and Violet McBride 3 and 2
Mary Smith and Allison Bartlett halved with Helen Jones and Pat Doran
The singles matches were drawn out of the hat. That makes it sound rather like finding Houses for the new pupils at Hogwarts and actually there was no hat, all the Scottish names were in one brandy glass and all the Irish in another. This is how they are placed tomorrow starting at 9.00am.
Moira Thomson v Mairead McNamara
May Hughes v Sheena McElroy
Anne Ryan v Violet McBride
Lorna Bennett v Niamh Giblin
Mary Smith v Pat Doran
Elaine Allison v Phil O'Gorman
Alison Bartlett v Valerie Hassett
Heather Anderson v Helen Jones
Lots of great tussles there.
Results (Scotland first)
Lorna Bennett and Elaine Allison lost to Sheena McElroy and Phil O'Gorman 2 and 1
Heather Anderson and Anne Ryan lost to Niamh Giblin and Mairead MacNamara 4 and 3
Moira Thomson and May Hughes lost to Valerie Hassett and Violet McBride 3 and 2
Mary Smith and Allison Bartlett halved with Helen Jones and Pat Doran
The singles matches were drawn out of the hat. That makes it sound rather like finding Houses for the new pupils at Hogwarts and actually there was no hat, all the Scottish names were in one brandy glass and all the Irish in another. This is how they are placed tomorrow starting at 9.00am.
Moira Thomson v Mairead McNamara
May Hughes v Sheena McElroy
Anne Ryan v Violet McBride
Lorna Bennett v Niamh Giblin
Mary Smith v Pat Doran
Elaine Allison v Phil O'Gorman
Alison Bartlett v Valerie Hassett
Heather Anderson v Helen Jones
Lots of great tussles there.
Saturday, 16 April 2011
Scottish Vets v Irish Senior Select at Craigielaw
At the moment of posting, Scottish Vets - including our own Moira Thomson of Gullane and the team captain Pamela Williamson of Baberton will be finishing off their practice round at Craigielaw, having waved (in possibly a somewhat false guise of camaraderie) to their Irish contemporaries, mid-course. No such social niceties tomorrow when they meet seriously to contest the Mary McKenna Perpetual Trophy (which our ladies lost last year - small blip). Tomorrow, at 11.30 is the four ball, better ball first round, to be followed on Monday by the singles matches between 9.00 - 10.00 where all eight team members from each side meet to battle it out. Previous readers will remember these match draws are generally drawn out of any old hat so bring it all on. Why not come along and spur them on with your support? The weather forecast is just right for a day (within shouting distance) at the seaside. It's going to be a great weekend for photography!
Unfortunately the Scottish Vets Champion, Karen Ballantyne of Craigmillar Park is in sunny Oz but sends her good wishes to the team.
Scottish Team
Elaine Allison (Midland)
Heather Anderson (North)
Alison Bartlett (Highland)
Lorna Bennett (Midland)
May Hughes (West)
Anne Ryan (Highland)
Mary Smith (Highland)
Moira Thomson (East)
Non-playing captain Pamela Williamson (East)
Non-playing Vice-captain Helen Faulds (West)
Irish Team
Pat Doran (Donabate)
Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire)
Valerie Hassett (Ennis)
Helen Jones (Strabane)
Violet McBride (Belvoir Park)
Sheena McElroy (Grange)
Mairead McNamara (Woodbrook)
Phil O'Gorman (Laytown/Bettystown)
Non-playing captain Roma English (Larne)
Unfortunately the Scottish Vets Champion, Karen Ballantyne of Craigmillar Park is in sunny Oz but sends her good wishes to the team.
Scottish Team
Elaine Allison (Midland)
Heather Anderson (North)
Alison Bartlett (Highland)
Lorna Bennett (Midland)
May Hughes (West)
Anne Ryan (Highland)
Mary Smith (Highland)
Moira Thomson (East)
Non-playing captain Pamela Williamson (East)
Non-playing Vice-captain Helen Faulds (West)
Irish Team
Pat Doran (Donabate)
Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire)
Valerie Hassett (Ennis)
Helen Jones (Strabane)
Violet McBride (Belvoir Park)
Sheena McElroy (Grange)
Mairead McNamara (Woodbrook)
Phil O'Gorman (Laytown/Bettystown)
Non-playing captain Roma English (Larne)
Monday, 4 April 2011
East Vets Spring Meeting
At last, a semi-acceptable day for the Spring meeting with 69 completing the round. That compares most favourably with last year's 32. The weather, always that most convenient of conversation topics, was downright cold and very windy for those first out. Either one got used to being blown about or it became less windy and a bit warmer. Then, in accordance with BBC Weather, rain clouds gathered so those going out in the middle felt very aggrieved at getting wet,but at least they weren't frozen. Those later in the day possibly got more of the sun and less of the wind and exhibited a very healthy glow when they got in. The main thing is the Spring meeting was played. Hurrah.Moira Thomson (Gullane) lifted the Scratch prize, which she won on the better inward half from Noreen Fenton (Dunbar). They both had scratch 75's. In general the scores were quite high so the Silver handicap winner, Katy Gillies (18) from Melville caused quite a stir with her nett 65. She had three's at four out of the five par three's - always a help - but still managed this lovely score despite an eight at the uphill 14th. There were many stories of balls in bunkers and ladies being lost without trace but still, there were plenty smiling faces in the clubhouse afterwards.
One lady - shall we name her? - yes we will - it was Rosemary Denny of Murrayfield - she had a fairly forgettable/unforgettable round which became a No Return because of one of the afore-mentioned bunkers. After having a somewhat disconcerting first hole with a ten which she described as typical army golf (left, right, left, right) she proceeded in orderly fashion, hoping as we all do, for improvement. The ninth was the bunker hole. She had an encouraging three at the plateau 11th, a six at the longish 12th where the pheasants were getting blown backwards, then a two at the short 13th where she had what was described as a huge and curling putt. Disregard the 14th (an easily attained nine). Then the saucer-shaped 15th where the drive,not exactly by the book, rolled, and rolled, and rolled, on to the green, hopped over the hole and stopped dead for another two. The ups and downs of golf. Someone might have wished she had come out of that bunker on the ninth. Isn't golf a bundle of laughs!
Very many thanks to Ethel Jack who was of most enormous help assisting the committee at the desk.
By the way, who was it who paid the balance of the entrance fee not with a pound but with a 20 euro coin? CCTV in operation next year!
CSS for Gullane members was unchanged at 69
CSS for all others was +1 at 70
Results
Scratch
Moira Thomson 75 (bih)
Silver Division
1st Handicap Katy Gillies (18) 65
2nd handicap Barbara Halliday (13) 67
3rd handicap Margo Blair (20) 68
4th Handicap Molly Woolgar (20) 69
Bronze Division
1st Handicap Judy Cuthbertson (29) 69
2nd handicap Anne Patrick (21) 71
All individual scores have been emailed to the relevant club. This includes all adjustments.
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