Golf Monthly Digest

Mini tour for elite women

Entries are still being accepted for the Hacienda del Alamo Women?s Winter Golf Festival next February.

The festival comprises a series of tournaments open to lady professionals and lady amateurs (with single-figure handicaps) and runs over two weeks from February 10 to February 23. There will be six separate competitions with cash prizes for pros and vouchers for amateurs.

The concept of the festival is to give elite players an opportunity to compete at a high level in a warm climate during the off-season. ?We came to the conclusion that the women's golf calendar in Europe, certainly northern Europe, needed some kind of mini-tour in a warmer climate during late January/early February,? says tournament organiser Colin Farquharson. ?The idea is to give the players a chance to put a competitive edge on their game for the new season.?

For more information or to enter contact Colin Farquharson at colin@scottishgolfview.com

Ryder Cup clubhouse opens

A brand new clubhouse has been opened overlooking the new Twenty Ten Course at Celtic Manor, the venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup.

The purpose-built facility overlooks the 18th and has been fitted with every mod-con. ?This is an incredible golf facility of which the whole of Wales can feel proud,? said Gareth Edwards, the Welsh rugby legend and first honorary captain of the Twenty Ten Club, which will have a membership of just 450 golfers.

Botham event raises thousands

Over ?60,000 was raised for Leukaemia Research at the Sir Ian Botham Charity Golf Classic in October. Held at Desert Springs Golf Club in Spain, the event was attended by numerous golf icons, including Peter McEvoy, Malcolm MacKenzie and Paul Way. More information on the charity is available at www.lrf.org.uk.

CONGU publishes new handicap manual

CONGU, Britain and Ireland?s governing body for handicapping matters, has created a new manual on the handicap system that will be in place from 2008 to 2011.

Changes to the previous manual include an entry for nine-hole competitions and the creation of a new competition scratch score (CSS) system for "home" and "away" players in open-style tournaments.

All changes to the CONGU manual can be accessed at the organisation?s website, www.congu.com.

Freestyle Golf tour begins in China

PGA professional Jeremy Dale will travel throughout Asia and Oceania this winter on his Freestyle Golf Roadshow, starting at the Mission Hills World Cup in China. Led by Dale, the Freestyle Golf Roadshow is a three-man team of golf trick-shot professionals that has travelled to 23 nations around the world.