ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR AT GIRLS' HOME INTERNATIONALS

       View of Blackpool rollercoaster from St Annes Old Links

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Any links which has the Blackpool Tower and a giant roller-coaster on its skyline is bound to be a fun course and Scotland skipper Laura Walker, originally from Nairn, says she shares her team members' delight at St Anne's Old Links being the venue for the girls' home internationals.

"Fiona Liddell, having travelled all the way from Germany where her father is a club pro, could hardly believe her eyes. She has never been to Blackpool so she's thrilled to be so close to such a holiday resort," said Walker.
"They've had a lot of rain down here in Lancashire so the course is not so brown as some of ours are back in Scotland but there is still a bit of bounce on the fairways. And I like the greens. Some are raised but the putting surfaces are all flat, no undulations."
It's an old fashioned links with no hills and only wispy grass as rough. It's a what-you-see is what you get links. No St Andrews-type, well-hidden, deep pot bunkers you don't see until your drives land in them.

"England are bidding to win the Stroyan Cup for the sixth year in a row and are obviously favourites with their strength in depth. But we don't play them until the second day and hopefully we will have a win against Ireland under our belts by then," said Walker who was Scottish Under-18 girls champion at Powfoot more years ago than she cares to remember.

She has been captain of an Under-16 Scotland team, so this is her next step up the captaincy ladder. Who knows how many rungs on the ladder?

TEAMS

SCOTLAND - Lesley Atkins (Gullane), Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies), Fiona Liddell (Schloss Vornholz), Tara Mactaggart (Minto), Heather Munro (Monifieth), Nicola Robertson (Dunblane New), Lauren Whyte (St Regulus), Clara Young (North Berwick).
Team captain: Laura Walker.

ENGLAND - Gabriella Cowley (Brocket Hall), Annabel Dimmock (Wentworth), Samantha Fuller (Roehampton), Alice Hewson (Berkhamsted), Sophie Keech (Lyme Regis), Sophie Lamb (Clitheroe). Sophie Madden (West Essex), Olivia Winning (Rotherham). Team captain: Chris Pascall.

IRELAND - Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe), Ariana Coyle Diez (Elm Park), Mary Doyle (The Heath). Olivia Mehaffey (Royal Co Down Ladies), Julie McCarthy (Forrest Little), Niamh McSherry (Lurgan), Niamh Ward (Lurgan), Chloe Weir (Shandon Park). Team captain: Darragh McGowan.

WALES - Sadie Dewington-Davies (North Wales), Nia Greville (Ashburnham), Ella Griffiths (Vale Resort), Georgia Lewis (Llanishen), Megan Lockett (Huddersfield), Emma Miller Newport), Bethan Morris (Tenby), Chloe Williams (Wrexham). Team captain: Kay Bradbury.




PROGRAMME

WEDNESDAY - England v Wales, Scotland v Ireland.
THURSDAY - Ireland v Wales, Scotland v England.
FRIDAY - Wales v Scotland, England v Ireland.

  WEDNESDAY MORNING FOURSOMES MATCHES

ENGLAND v WALES
8.30 Gabriella Cowley and Sophie Lamb v Chloe Williams and Ella Griffiths.
8.42 Annabel Dimmock and Sammy Fuler v Nia Greville and Megan Lockett
8.50 Sophie Madden and Alice Hewson v Sadie Dewington-Davies and Emma Miller.
SCOTLAND v IRELAND
9.00 Lauren Whyte and Connie Jaffrey v Olivia Mehaffey and Ariana Coyle Diez.
9.10 Clara Young and Tara MacTaggart v Mary Doyle and Niamh McSherry.
9.20 Fiona Liddell and Heather Munro v Shannon Burke and Niamh Ward.