Margaret gets Ladies ready for golf return

THE East Cheshire Ladies Golf Leagues are one of the biggest and most active organisations of its kind in the country working closely with the Cheshire County Ladies Golf Organisation to provide competitive team matches for hundreds of ladies, of all golfing abilities during the summer months.

Their action in 2020 was wiped out by the Ccoronavirus but their committee is looking to resume full action in April with a fully prepared programme.

This culminates in matches for the East Cheshire champion clubs to play their counterparts in West Cheshire for the respective county team championships

Organising the East Cheshire programme is secretary Margaret Worrall (Heaton Moor GC) who said: “For my sins and other members of the Committee we are continuing through with the 2021 ECICS Season and truly hope that the matches will go ahead. The Match Secretaries have done so much work in getting their matches scheduled in so all we need to do is get them played.

“The East has 37 Clubs and within the A, B, Plate and Business Ladies categories put in a total of 98 teams - this equates to playing over 300 matches (home and away) matches during the season.

“I am not really sure how to get any more clubs on board that are within East Cheshire but not subscribed to the league - we are not a profit making organisation and the subscriptions paid are just to run operating costs.

“The ECICS Committee is:-Chair - Hazel Dooley (Wilmslow Golf Club), Treasurer - Olwen Sandiford (Davenport Golf Club), Secretary - Margaret Worrall (Heaton Moor Golf Club)A Team Co-ordinator - Liz Halstead (Ringway Golf Club) B Team Co-ordinator - Louise Gerald (Hale Golf Club) Plate Team Co-ordinator - Ann McCormick (Disley Golf Club) Business Ladies Team Co-ordinator - Pauline Walker (Romiley Golf Club).

“After the league fixtures and the subsequent knockout rounds have been competed Wilmslow

GC (The home club of chair Hazel Dooley) will host the East finals in September and Romiley GC will host the East v West finals later in the month.”

Hazel Dooley added: “I have played in the East Cheshire League for years in many of the matches, some successfully and some not, but I find the experience of playing on different courses with members of that club most enjoyable. The organisation that goes into setting up the matches, getting the right teams in the right place is quite extraordinary and all done on a voluntary basis.

“The number of people involved from the committee members of East Cheshire, the match secretaries at the golf clubs who select the teams, usually of seven ladies plus a reserve, for A, B and Plate teams, not forgetting the friendly matches, is incredible.

“I am delighted to have been asked to play a part in this and represent Wilmslow Golf Club. Along with Wendy Taylor, SueMilroy and Pauline Clegg, there are several other members from Wilmslow who are involved in county associations.”

One of the highlights for mixed teams in clubs affiliated to the Manchester and District Golf Alliance is to play in the Archie Preston Mixed Foursomes Inter Club Knock out.

It features seven pairs in each team led out by their Captain and Lady Captain and they aim to reach finals day in Autumn when the current holders, Alsager GC who won the coveted trophy in 2019 will be the hosts.

This season the rules have been changer regarding entries and players under 18 years can play for their club teams and the Alliance has also issued guidance and regulations re Covid regulations.

In the preliminary round Alsager are straight into action when they host Knutsford.

Bramall Park v Davyhulme Park, Cheadle v Ashton-on-Mersey, Disley v Marple, Glossop v Buxton High Peak, Hazel Grove v North Manchester, Heaton Moor v Pleasington, Reddish Vale v Mellor and Townscliffe, Romiley v Tunshill, Stamford v Bramhall,

Stockport v Cavendish.

THE REST OF THE DRAW FEATURING OUR LOCAL TEAMS:

Getting byes into the last 64 in round one are:Chapel en le Frith, Houldsworth.