West Inter County Matches

The west inter county matches are over for another year. It was a privilege to host the event in the centenary year of all four counties. We had exceptional weather over the three days and the course at Strathaven was presented to us in fantastic condition. Stephen Hunter the head green keeper certainly concentrated our minds. He either has a wicked sense of humour or a sadistic streak, I'll leave everyone to make up their own mind on that one. It was a test for all the players but one i know they relished and enjoyed.
I would like to take this opportunity to first of all congratulate Renfrewshire on retaining the salver and wish them all the very best for the finals at Baberton in September, hopefully they can bring the county shield back to the west. On behalf of the team i would also like to thank all the members of Lanarkshire who took the time to come to Strathaven to offer support and encouragement. Unfortunately it was not one of our better weeks and i know the team are disappointed with their performance but i cannot fault their effort and 100% commitment.
My thanks also to Vice Captain Lesley (the star of the week with the most points on the board) for support and assistance not only this week but in the weeks leading up to the jamboree. To Liz Lees who does a fantastic job organising caddies and many other tasks behind the scenes. Our caddies are a great bunch of individuals who make the occasion enjoyable with their banter and great sense of humour. I would also like to acknowledge the contributions by Margo Bauer, Pam Rice, Margaret Noblett and Anne Lloyd. There really was a lot of work to be done and they could not have been more helpful. My thanks also to Jean Cameron for refereeing duties, to Irene Nisbet for the flower displays at the entrance and around the first tee, to Jenifer Wiles for the flower arrangements in the clubhouse, to Marion Porter the lady captain Strathaven for support and good humour and to the members of Strathaven for allowing us to take over their locker room for the week. To Carol Fell of Renfrewshire for photographs and to Isabel Crawford our non opinionated hard working west division secretary for her usual dry wit. And last but not least to Jean Macintyre who rises to every challenge and has organisational skills second to none. She really is worth her weight in gold and a great asset to our association.
We maybe didn't win, but everything that was within our control was carried out without a hitch -- even down to the weather. I hope the prayer mat continues to work until the end of the season.

May Hughes
LLCGA Captain