Ladies Vets 2nd v Bedfordshire

After the British heatwave it was a shock to arrive at Aspley Guise to be told the course was closed due to the heavy rain! It was to be reviewed at noon, meanwhile both teams waited to see if play would be allowed. It was the first time that Northants had selected ladies for an all-handicaps match and this had taken a lot of organisation from all involved. No one wanted the match to be cancelled.

At 12.05 the course was announced fit for play- all bunkers were declared GUR and placing on the fairways was reintroduced for the day. A sigh of relief went around the clubhouse and ladies prepared to do battle. The hilly course really needed the rain as there were large patches of completely bare earth and this became a difficult surface to play. Luckily, after a very short while of playing in the drizzle, conditions improved and even the sun ventured out.

Our President, Sandy was the starter for the day and had a rather tough time getting on schedule with ladies unsure which footwear was best for the conditions, whether brollies were needed or should a jacket be best? I thoroughly enjoyed my match with Hilary who had 12 shots against the oppositions 8. We made good use of the bunkers as you can imagine! Play was brisk with the promise of a "˜rolling meal' sitting at the end.

After the announcement of the results I took a photo of most of our team before they left. Everyone was in great spirit with our win over Beds as the photo shows! My last match as captain of the Ladies Northamptonshire Vets which I will remember fondly because of the camaraderie shown that day and the fact that I played too. A huge thank you to Sandy for supporting me through all the matches and providing chocolates and companionship throughout. Lastly a huge thank you to Carol for selecting the best and to all the ladies that played in the matches this season.

Lizzie Crow