Well I certainly didn’t count on being home by this time of night and having to prepare my own dinner! I had it all planned – I’d eat at Baberton! But as we all know even the best laid plans go awry.
Who’d have believed that today was Midlothian’s Summer Meeting? What dreadful weather we had. For those of you who braved the golf course, the above is a picture of Baberton in somewhat sunnier times! Only those who went out in the first 3 or 4 games got round dry, everyone else came in looking like a drowned rat. Some only held out for 4 holes, some braved all 18. But still there was the odd good score, but only from the early starters! A couple of net 69s led the way, one by Margaret Clark (Merchants) and the other by Morag Wardrop (Niddry Castle) and both were out around 10 am. Another early starter, Jane Neville (Murrayfield), scored a net 71, but the conditions really were miserable. As the day went on, more and more No Returns were being recorded, more and more golfers were walking in from all over the course and more and more greens were reported to be flooding. However, everyone bravely continued. The evening girls arrived and paid their dues. They took to the first tee. The Captain was taking phone calls telling players that the skies were looking brighter and then ……… the heavens opened once more. This time, it was not to be. The decision was made that the course was to be closed and for the first time in at least 4 years, the hooter was sounded to call an end to the day.
But don’t fret, we will not be defeated! We will try again on Tuesday 24th August and Agnes or your Club Reps will be in touch shortly regarding play that day.
As for today, according to CONGU Part 4, Section 18.6 “if a Qualifying Competition is abandoned for any valid reason, the Competition Scratch Score shall be regarded as equal to the Standard Scratch Score and players returning Nett Differentials of less than zero shall have their Exact Handicaps reduced to the extent dictated by the Nett Differential. A Nett Differential of zero or above shall not result in a handicap increase.” So basically, it counts as a reduction only competition but rather than the CSS going up, it stays at the course SS of 72. Therefore, only the three girls mentioned previously will have any change to their handicap.
On an even happier note, there were 4 x 2’s by Jenny Taylor and Louise Wells at the 14th hole, Marge Gammie at the 17th hole and, after her drive left her 40 yards to the pin and she nipped a little gap wedge into the hole, Fiona de Vries at the 4th. Many congratulations to you all; each wins £14.75 which will be winging its way to you over the coming month or so.
Anne Brownie has asked that I thank you all for your kind support of Breakthrough Breast Cancer. The balls for guessing the number of tees in the bottle are divided between Barbara Lyle (Comiston Ladies) and Sheila Halliday (Kingsknowe) who each guessed within 7 of the exact number of 571. Nearest the pin at the 17th and the prize of pink champagne and champagne truffles goes to Elspeth Johnston (Broomieknowe) who hit her ball to 5 ft 6″ from the pin.
We hope you all manage to dry out and hope you can all make the rearranged date of Tuesday 24th August, again at Baberton.
MCLGA Not-so Summer Meeting!