From a Warwickshire County perspective, winter is the time when much preparation takes place and your Committee has worked hard to ensure that everything is in place for 2008. County Booklets have been distributed this week with a preface from our new President Angela Dawson. As usual, they contain all the information required regarding fixture lists, competition entry forms, Club Open dates and meeting dates. There are sponsors and advertisers to whom we are extremely grateful and other odd snippets of information. Please take some time to look through your Booklet and appreciate what is going on, not only for the teams but also for you, the Warwickshire club golfer.

Four of the five Winter Alliances have now taken place - none, as yet, have succumbed to the weather! Training is well under way for all teams including the juniors. The Handicap Secretaries' Seminar was held at the end of January, the first County Delegates meeting of 2008 was held in mid February and the County Golf Partnership steering group has been set up. Two Rules refresher courses are scheduled for March and April and our competition year starts with the County Championship in May. Who said this was a quiet time of the year!

I hope throughout the next two years the website will be regularly updated to let you know exactly what is going on within your County. So this is just for starters! We will post competition results and resumes, tell you all about our exciting young juniors, have daily reports from County Week at Wellingborough in June and lots, lots more.

Having taken over as your County Captain in November, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every minute so far. I am really excited about the year ahead and hope to pass on some of my enthusiasm, not only to the teams, but to you too. So out you go - enjoy the fresh air and the golf, and who knows those handicaps may come tumbling!

I wish you a very healthy and successful season and look forward to meeting many of you in the forthcoming months.

Bev Belcher