The first match of the season was played on a very cold and windy day at Stratford Oaks Golf Club against the Warwickshire Ladies 2nd team.

There were wins for Jane JONES (Copt Heath) with Cynthia STRATEN, Sheelagh MURRAY with Liz WOOLF, and a halved match for Pat HALE and Stevie PARKER - we are getting closer and only narrowly lost!

The result was:- LOST 2 1/2 - 3 1/2

Vets Colours were awarded to Stevie PARKER (Maxstoke Park GC)

SUNDAY 17th APRIL: WARWICKSHIRE GIRLS (Sutton Coldfield GC)

The sun shone on us for our match against the Warwickshire Junior Girls on Sunday 17th April at a very firm Sutton Coldfield Golf Course. It was a very even match with 2 matches going to the 18th green, but the eventual winners by 4 matches to 2 were the young, talented Junior Girls. There were wins for Carol O'HARE & Glenda LORAM and Jane FRITH & Sylvia EVANS.

The Junior Girls are a very well mannered group, both on and off the course and they are a credit to the County - it was a pleasure to play with them.

MONDAY 16th MAY: OXFORDSHIRE (Leamington & County GC)

Warwickshire Vets hosted Oxfordshire on a dry but breezy day at Leamington & County Golf Club on Monday 16th May 2011. The match was played in a good spirit and Warwickshire proved too strong for the visitors and we won by 7 matches to 1

Warwickshire Vets colours were awarded to Bev BELCHER from Olton Golf Club

WEDNESDAY 8th JUNE:

LEICESTER 1st Team (Glen Gorse GC)

Warwickshire Vets played Leicestershire 1st team at Glen Gorse Golf Club on Wednesday 8th June 2011. The weather was very changeable with all seasons in one day.

The match was played in a good spirit, but the opposition proved too strong once again and we lost the match 2 1/2 to 5 1/2.

There were wins for Sue TIMBERLAKE and Val BARKER, Sheila AARMSTRONG and Jane JONES (Edgbaston) with Sue SHORTT and Stevie PARKER halving their match.

THURSDAY 16th JUNE: LEICESTER 2nd Team (Lingdale GC)

Warwickshire Vets played at the very lovely Lingdale Golf Club against Leicestershire 11 team on Thursday 16th June 2011. Lingdale is an interesting course which requires a great deal of thought into club and shot selection and is well worth another visit - but not under match play conditions!!

We were lucky with the weather as the forecast was awful, but we managed to dodge the showers. We came out on top, by winning the match 5 to 3

There were wins for Sandra KERBY with Anne WARDLE, Mary RANDONwith Chris COPPER, Val BARKER with Lin PILLAGE, Chris LEES with Val CUSHING and Susie ADAMS with Chris MELEN.

WEDNESDAY 29th JUNE: DERBYSHIRE (Mickleover GC)

Another fine day took the Warwickshire Vets to beautiful Mickleover Golf Club for a match against Derbyshire on 29th June 2011.

The match is always played off scratch and unfortunately we had to field a very inexperienced team and Derbyshire proved too strong, with home advantage certainly a factor.

We lost the match 2 to 6 but enjoyed the challenging course and were very grateful for the cakes and drinks at the halfway house provided by one of their older members.

There were wins for Bev BELCHER with Heather BISSENDEN and Carol O'HARE with Liz WOOLF.

Warwickshire Vets colours were awarded to Carol O'HARE

WEDNESDAY 6th JULY: GLOUCESTERSHIRE (The Warwickshire GC)

The forecast was not good for our match at The Warwickshire Golf and Country Club on Wednesday 6th July 2011 against the Ladies from Gloucestershire.

We managed to play an almost rain free Greensome match on the superbly presented Kings Course. There were some very closely fought matches, however we lost 3 to 5.

There were wins for Caroline LASSEN with Christine MACHIN, Mave MENDUS with Gill WINSTANLEY and Barbara JONES with Patricia BROWN.

Warwickshire Vets colours were awarded to Anne WARDLE (Walmley GC) and Gill WINSTANLEY (The Warwickshire)

MONDAY 25th JULY: WORCESTERSHIRE 2nd Team (Robin Hood GC)

A very bright, hot sunny day greeted us for our match against Worcestershire 11 played at Robin Hood GC on Monday 25th July 2011.

The match was very tight with 3 halved matches and one going to the 18th, but in the end, the match was lost 3 1/2 to 4 1/2.

There were wins for Sue WESTALL with Chris LEES and Linda CORNICK with Joan ALLEN.

The lovely meal afterwards went some way to making up for the disappointment of the loss!!

MONDAY 1st AUGUST: NORTHAMPTONSHIRE (Walmley GC)

The hottest day of the year greeted us at Walmley Golf Club, which was very dry and hard, for our match against Northamptonshire on Monday 1st August 2011. Yet another close encounter, with the last match determining the overall result and unfortunately another defeat of 3 1/2 to 4 1/2.

There were wins for Paula WINWOOD with Daphne SMITH, Sue SHORTT with Mave MENDUS and Sandra KERBY with Gill WINSTANLEY.

THURSDAY 11th AUGUST: STAFFORDSHIRE 2nd Team (Onneley GC)

Staffordshire's best kept secret was the description given to Onneley Golf Club for our match against Staffordshire 2nd team on Thursday 11th August 2011. This was a new fixture so we did not know quite what to expect. We had a very warm welcome from this small, but friendly Golf Club who excelled in food. The course had panoramic views across Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire but most of the time we had views of rain and /or clouds and mixed with strong winds, we did not see the course at its best and it was a course you needed to have played before.

However we did enjoy our matches but again were on the losing side going down 2 1/2 to 5 1/2.

There were wins for Liz WOOLF with Mary O'NEILL and Val BARKER with Rosemary COLE and a halved match for Lindsey BROOKES with Mary FISHLEIGH.

Warwickshire Vets colours were awarded to Greta BAND (Walmley GC)

THURSDAY 8th SEPTEMBER: STAFFORDSHIRE 1st Team - Tri Counties Trophy - (Branston GC)

At last we got it right and in the most important match of the season..

The Warwickshire Vets team travelled to Branston Golf and Country Club on Thursday 8th September 2011 for our 1st Tri Counties match. Staffordshire had already beaten Worcestershire so we needed to win this match to stand a chance of winning the trophy. The weather brightened up and we had a lovely sunny finish and although Branston has 16 water holes we did not succumb.

The match was played in a very competitive but friendly spirit and we won 5 matches to 3.

There were wins for Marilyn Fielding with Di McCormick, Sheelagh Murray with Liz Moverley, Gill Thorpe with Gill Clayton, Sue Shortt with Mave Mendus,and Sandra Kerby with Stevie Parker.

We now play Worcestershire on Monday 19th September at Olton?..

MONDAY 12th SEPTEMBER WARWICKSHIRE SENIOR MEN (Robin Hood GC)

Extremely windy conditions greeted the Vets at Robin Hood Golf Club on Monday 12th September 2011 for our annual match against the Warwickshire Men. The match, as usual was played in good spirit, however the gentlemen again proved too strong and retained the Carl Bretherton Trophy by winning the match 4 to 2.

There were wins for Sheila Armstrong with Gill Thorpe and Sue Shortt with Carol O'Hare.

Warwickshire Vets colours were awarded to Jenny Roberts (Henley Golf Club)

MONDAY 19th SEPTEMBER WORCESTERSHIRE 1st TEAM - Tri Counties Trophy - (Olton GC)

Disaster struck for our last match, when the Warwickshire Vets hosted Worcestershire and Herefordshire Ladies at Olton Golf Club on Monday 19th September 2011.

On a cloudy chilly day we had a very close encounter for the final trophy match with both Counties fielding very strong teams. Worcestershire was the eventual winner 3 games to 5, with all matches very close and which could have gone either way.

All three Counties ended up with a win and a loss, so there was a count back on individual matches - results as follows:

Staffordshire: 7 1/2

Warwickshire: 8

Worcestershire: 8 1/2 - Worcestershire retained the 'Glass Lady Trophy'

All 3 counties enjoyed their matches and are very evenly matched

Warwickshire Vets Colours were awarded to : Di McCormick (Nuneaton) and Mary O'Neil(Olton)

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the ladies who have supported me during the 2011 season and I hope my successor Liz Woolf has better luck in 2012

Mave Mendus, Captain WVLGA, September 2011