Happy Birthday Sandra !!!!!!!!!!!

Hi again,

Well Sunday dawned, a lot drier than Saturday. The Sandy Hills at Rosapenna is challenging at the best of times .. but with gale force winds as well, it was extremely interesting !! Here we are on the first tee. And here's the Guest of Honour at the start of what would prove to be a brilliant round - a fantastic 35 points in very tricky conditions, easily the best of the day .. but then, you can't win your own prize .. so I'm afraid Sandra's prize was the satisfaction of a wonderful (dry !) round of golf on an amazing course. We saw a lot more of the magnificent views around the course on Sunday, and really enjoyed the game. We did have a few dodgy moments when the trolleys blew away leaving golf bags abondoned on the fairways ! but all good fun and we were delighted to get in dry from a terrific golfing experience.

I had a chat with Old Tom Morris afterwards and asked him his views on the course and the day .. I asked his advice on a few golfing matters, but got no answer. He didn't say much. I don't think he was listening !







After the golf, we relaxed over lunch and watched the golf from Wentworth. Then we got into our glad rags and assembled in Sandra's suite (and it WAS a suite !) for Champagne, nibbles, prizes and some nice words .. Drawing from her vast experience as Lady Captain at Wimbledon Park, Sandra assembled a very interesting and eclectic prize table ! Here she is in Lady Captain pose, with the assembled Press Core on view in the mirror ! Then down to business .. the team prize for the Satuday round was won by the Dublin team : Jill, Helen and me. It must have been the 2 pars on the 8th, which Helen had predicted would save us from the potato peelers .. but she was wrong !!!!









The big winner of the Sunday individual round was Rosie, who had a brilliant back nine to sail home. As well as the golfers from Wimbledon Park, it was great to have Anna Bananna and Claire with us to (provide ! and ) enjoy the craic ! We had some really nice 'cupla focail' from Corinne and Helen and Champion Rosie, to express how we all feel about Sandra .. our best friend. Happy Birthday Sandra !!!!! Then it was time for her birthday present .. amazing what you can fit in a small envelope !!









So after a wonderful reception in Sandra's suite, we moved to the dining room for our final dinner together at the wonderful Rosapenna Hotel. The food as always was fantastic (far too good actually !) and we again had no option to retire to the bar for a few farewell drinks. In the absence of our friends from Wexford, we had to provide our own entertainment, but that was no bother to Flops (the Chicken !), Jill (Patricia), Jane (Men & Chocolate !) and Ricky Dicky Do from Anna and Helen. Another great night's craic and slightly earlier to bed this time around for the journey back on Monday, starting in the very elegant Bus and trailer !! A fantastic weekend, great fun and some good golf too in a magnificent location. Thank You Sandra and Very Happy Birthday !!

Soft Day in Donegal !

Hi again,

Well, we survived, and arrived on the first tee at about 10am this morning, all fired up and ready for our Team Competition. The rain very kindly waited for us and didn't start until we were just about to tee off. We got very wet, and then wetter still. Here's Helen singing in the rain ! We persevered and managed to complete the front 9. After serious consultation with the Commander in Chief, Sandra, we decided to call it a day and come in, thoroughly soaked ! The Sandy Hills course at Rospaenna is stunning and even though we didn't see it at it's best today, you could still appreciate it and the wonderful views of the hills and the sea from all around the course. We're all really looking forward to playing it again tomorrow, hopefully in better conditions (and maybe with the benefit of a few more hours sleep !).

The hotel's gone very quiet now, as everyone has gone off to watch the Heineken Cup final .. and hopefully a Leinster win ! Jill's looking very dapper in her Leinster shirt ..

All the best for now - will check in again tomorrow after the final round of the 'Drum Classic' (starting the novenas for a drier day tomorrrow),

Kate.

The Hills of Donegal & a great night's craic !

Hi again, from Donegal,

I drove up from Belfast yesterday afternoon and passed some magnificent scenery on the way to Rosapenna. It was a lovely clear and sunny evening .. absolutely beautiful, and the Rosapenna Hotel is fantastic. The gang from London arrived about 10pm and we retired to the bar for a quite coffee and sandwiches before bed .. except, it didn't work out that way !

Here's the crew over snacks in the bar.









We'd only just arrived when we were joined in the bar by a group of golfers from Wexford and thereabouts, who came complete with guitars, tin whistle and Bodhran and were obviously very well practised in their use ! The guys were terrific musicians and singers and we were treated to a fantastic session that lasted well into the wee small hours. We had no option of course but to join in and contributed quite a few including The Fields of Athenry from Helen and Jill, my party piece, Danny Boy and a rousing version of I'll Tell My Ma .. from all of us. Terrific night's entertainment. Unfortunately the musicians left for home this morning - so it may be a quiet night tonight !



So the early night didn't quite materialize and some of us felt it worse than others on the tee this morning !! But more of that in the next post ..

Bye for now.

End of a Wonderful Week

Hi,

We left Bonnie Scotland today at the end of our wonderful week of golf. We had a leisurely breakfast and a stroll around St. Andrews, for some last minute shopping before a very quick dip in the roof top hot tub (definitely better weather than our round at St. Andrews on Friday ! ). A great week's golf, which we both thoroughly enjoyed and we'll definitely be back next year if not before.


Next golfing action is Rosapenna in Donegal in Ireland next weekend - 23/24th May.

All the best till then,

Kate & Martina
(email : catherine.docherty@tinyworld.co.uk)

Glorious Gleneagles

Hi Again,

We rounded off our Scottish Golf adventure today with a really enjoyable round at the King's Course at Gleneagles. There were a few intermittant showers, but nothing like the downpours and winds we had lastnight on the Old Course ! Most of the round today was dry and in sunshine. Here we are at the Starter's box on the first. Cameron, our caddy (here he is lining up a putt with Martina) steered us around with great ease and skill and we enjoyed millionaire's golf, with no one in front or behind for most of the round. Gleneagles boasts some spectacular scenery, which we had the luxury of enjoying to the full on the way around. A well timed break at the half way house saw the only real rain of the day and we sheltered until it blew over.

By the 18th tee, here, the sun had come out again and we finished in style.

So a very enjoyable end to a great week's golf in (mostly) sunny Scotland. Special thanks again to Stuart who organised the round for us today. We're back home tomorrow and will definitely be sad to leave this all behind. However, we'll be back !

Thanks for reading the blog and Bye for now,

Kate & Martina.

A Different Ball Game on the Old Course

Well - it had to happen ! After 4 days of wonderful sunny golf in Scotland, we drove down to St. Andrews this morning for our round on the Old Course. We were drawn to play at 5.20 pm with Alistair, our pro. It was raining as we drove down. It was absolutely lashing at 5.20 ! Nevertheless, we braved the elements and persevered. Here we are on the first with Alistair. Ian, my caddy, who looked after me so well last time around, was also with us as we made our way down the first. It didn't look quite so magical this time around, driving towards the burn, over Grannie Clake's Wynd, in driving rain. The rain was heavy and icy, the wind up to about 50 mph at times. Driving with the wind was virtually impossible since you couldn't make any kind of back swing .. and as for driving against it .. forget it !! Here's some brilliant evidence of the wind. Martina's trolley ditched the golf bag and made it's way into a bunker, of it's own accord . ...priceless. I bet Tiger doesn't have to cope with this kind of hazzard ! This drive too, gives an idea of how dark it was in late afternoon. All part of the wonderful game of golf ! and believe it or not, we actually enjoyed the round and learned some good tips from Alistair who was a terrific teacher and guide. Here's the must have photo on the Swilkin bridge .. a different kettle of fish altogether from last time ! Another great day nevertheless and one to store in the bank of exceptional golfing memories ... We've now thawed out, had hot showers and 2 large juicy steaks and downed the Champagne we won yesterday !

The last leg of this adventure is Gleneagles on Saturday afternoon. We're starting the novenas for at least some reasonable weather ...

We'll check in after the round,

Bye for now,

Kate & Martina.

Final Day of Carnoustie Country Classic

Hi,

Sorry for the delay in reporting on the final day of the Carnoustie Country Classic .. it's been a long day (and night !). Yesterday, Thursday, we played the Monifeith Medal Course. Here we are on the first tee with the starter and our charming young caddy, Ross, a member of the Angus County team and a 4 handicapper. Here's Martina on the tee, following her new routine of the blessing on the first tee, after her traumatic experience at Carnoustie the day before. Unfortunately, it didn't really do the trick and she couldn't get the rhythm going today (she managed the rhythm quite well later in the bar - see below !). Here I am too on the first - doesn't the practise swing look great ! We had another wonderful sunny round on a terrific and challenging course (another Open Qualifier). Ross looked after us very well and we really enjoyed the round. On Thursday evening we had the gala dinner and presentation of prizes for the week. We had a lovely meal in an excellent atmosphere, with lots of fun and games, orchestrated by our organiser in chief Stuart. I think our recent training at Adrglass, Royal County Down and Portrush must have stood to us, as we managed to scoop most of the ladies prizes between the 2 of us. Here we are at the presentations .. we won 2 individual day's prize each. Martina was runner up in the Ladies championship and I emerged as the Ladies Champion. There was obviously no option but to retire to the bar afterwards for a few celebratory drinks and a bit of a sing song. This is where the rhythm well and truely returned and Martina is now contracted to return next year and bring the guitar. (some of the guys volunteered to bring the guitar and leave the golf clubs behind !). Another is threathening to take up dominos (there was a donimos game underway in the club house at Montrose), on the basis that there's no Out of Bounds on a Dominos board ! Here's some of the action from the sing song in the bar .. great craic. We finished up the Carnoustie Country Classic early on Friday morning after a truely wonderful week's golf in magnificent sunshine, on some fantastic courses, all Open Qualifiers and the one and only Carnoustie Championship Course. It's been a wonderful week, superbly well organised, great value and fantastic fun .. we can't recommend it highly enough.We certainly plan to return to Bonnie Scotland next year to defend our titles. Our thanks to all of the organisers from Angus Council and all the golf clubs involved, but particularly to Stuart French, pictured with us here, for an unforgettable week's golf and fun.

Signing off from Carnoustie Country,

Kate & Martina.