Kelsey MacDonald out to impress Curtis Cup selectors with Hacienda del Alamo Festival performances. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency (click to enlarge).

Kelsey Macdonald is fifth Curtis Cup squad player to enter

Hacienda del Alamo

February Festival

Dulcie & Daisy bid

for girls' titles, and

welcome to four

seniors from Lancs

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Scottish Under-21 champion for the past two years, Kelsey MacDonald, Stirling University & Nairn Dunbar Golf Club, has become the FIFTH member of the GB&I Curtis Cup squad to enter the 3rd Hacienda del Alamo Winter Festival, supported by Glenmuir, at the five-star golf resort in the Spanish south-east province of Murcia.

Kelsey, flying from Prestwick to Murcia Airport, won't arrive in time for a free practice round for the 36-hole Murcia Open on the Monday and Tuesday (February 15-16) but she will be fully tuned up over the Dave Thomas-designed course which hosted a European Tour Qualifying School Stage 2 event last weekend by the time she plays in the 54-hole Hacienda del Alamo Open on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday (February 18-19-20).

Other Curtis Cup players who have entered are English amateur champion Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall), English girls champion Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa), Amy Boulden (Maesdu) and last year's English women's title-winner, Hannah Barwood (Knowle).

The Curtis Cup selectors will be keeping a close watch on the form of the competitors at the Festival because they have to name their team of eight to tackle the Americans at Essex County Club, Massachusetts from June 11 to 13 on Sunday, April 25 and British & Irish domestic season has hardly begun by then. Hence the importance of playing in early-year golf tournaments such as the Hacienda del Alamo Winter Festival.

Dulcie Sverdloff from Southend, Essex and a member of Balards Gore Golf Club has entered the Under-16 girls' sections for the 36-hole and 54-hole competitions at the Festival.

Dulcie will play with her dad Aaron in the better-ball pairs which rings up the Festival curtain on Saturday, February 13

Dulcie is the current East Region Under-15 champion and was runner-up to Daisy Dyer in the Under-18s' section of that event at Newmarket Golf Club earleir this year. Daisy has also entered the Festival (Dulcie, left, and Daisy are pictured above).

Good news too that we have also received our first entries for the seniors' sections which run in conjuction with the Under-16s, the Under-18s and the ladies' events at both the individual stroke-play competitions.

For some reason senior entries have been slow to come in this year but perhaps the example of Linda Marr, Gillian Gardiner and Audrey Lee - all members of Fleetwood Golf Club, Lancashire - and Linda Wilson (Ashton & Lea GC) will stir many more over-50s to go out to the Festival.

Entry forms are available by clicking on the appropriate words at the top of the left-hand column of this website's Home Page.

If you have any queries, E-mail Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Entries will close in mid-January.

Incidentally, we are quite prepared to run lady professional categories at the Festival if they are interested.

Those who are WPGA-trained and working at clubs might consider going out to Hacienda del Alamo with a party of lady club members. The practice facilities, including a six-hole academy course, a two-tiered driving range, where it is possible to play off grass, a dedicated bunker practice facility and two big practice greens, one for putting and the other for chipping.