Golf Monthly News Digest

Desert Springs to host Beefy?s Big Day

Sir Ian Botham?s ever-popular charity golf day will be held at the former England cricketer?s home course of Desert Springs Resort and Golf Club in Almeria, Spain.

The event, which will raise money for Leukemia Research, will attract an all-star cast to Iberia October 11-13, with the likes of Sir Viv Richards, Peter Baker and Nasser Hussain all confirmed.

Desert Springs is one of the only luxury desert resort in Europe so those taking part will be in for a treat as they wander the hot sands and lush green grass in the name of charity.

?The commitment of my sporting celebrity friends to give up their time and the players that have entered the event will guarantee, great golf, great fun, great friendship and most of all, the raising of those much needed funds for the charity,? said Botham, recently honoured with a Knighthood by the Queen.

For more information on how you can get involved visit: bothamgolf.com.

Brocket Hall Pearson team record overdue victory

Brocket Hall?s Pearson team coped best with the torrential downpours and constant drizzle that threatened to mar the Four Counties finals day to emerge victorious at Hadley Wood.

The finals and semi-finals took place on arguably the wettest day of the year and after a one-and-a-half hour delay to the start of their semi-final with Hampstead (Middlesex), Captain Sarah Terry eventually led Brocket Hall to the final.

The final was a tense encounter but Brocket Hall scraped past Foxhills (Surrey) to claim the Pearson Trophy ? at the third attempt ? at the end of a long day?s golf.

Brocket Hall?s Lady Captain Anne Pyke said: ? Our team was very determined to win this time and played good golf to achieve the required four wins. It was a long and tiring day, play had started at 8.15 am and ended around 7.15 pm, but winning the Trophy made everyone forget just how exhausted they all felt.?

Southerndown to provide tough examination

Sally Watson is aiming to go one step further than twelve months ago when the Girl?s British Open Amateur Championship begins at Southerndown on August 13th.

The Fife-based 15-year-old was edged out by Spain?s Belen Mozo at Portstewart in 2006 and will be hoping to finally collect the prestigious trophy when an impressive field gathers in South Wales.

Carly Booth (Perthshire) will also be out to add to her impressive collection of silverware, which was capped by her stunning success in the Scottish Girls? Under 21 Championship earlier this year. There will also be challenges from the likes Stephanie Meadow and Alexandra Peters.

Southerndown is expected to provide a stern test as the undulating fairways are tough to find, and with bracken and gorse cleverly positioned to catch errant shots, accuracy of the tee will prove vital.

The championship consists of 36-holes of qualifying stroke play with the top 64 players progressing to the match play knockout stages.

World Golf Hall of Fame to Open Solheim Exhibit

The World Golf Hall of Fame has announced that it is to open an exhibit detailing the history of the most prestigious tournament in Women?s Golf ? the Solheim Cup.

It will be unveiled on August 17, a month ahead of the start of this year?s event which will be played out at Halmstad Golf Club, Sweden from September 14-16.

The exhibit titled ?Pride, Passion, Patriotism: A Celebration of the Solheim Cup? will detail the early development of the competition, as well as the experience of the thousands of fans who turn out to watch. However the most high profile piece on display will be one of three original Solheim Cup trophies, which has been specially donated by the Solheim family.

British Golf Museum unveils new exhibit

The British Golf Museum has unveiled its latest exhibit entitled ?Winning In Style: The Ladies Game Since 1976?.

Based at St Andrews it coincided with the first playing of the Ricoh Women?s British Open on the famous Old Course and focuses on the rapid growth of ladies? golf in the 31 years since the first Women?s British Open was played.

The Rolex sponsored exhibition is set against a colourful backdrop of emotive images and features items associated with the careers of top amateur and professional players. Among those represented are Carol Semple Thompson, who has won more matches than any other player in Curtis Cup history, and Sherri Steinhauer, who recorded back-to-back victories in the Women's British Open in 1998 and 1999.

The major trophies associated with Ladies Golf in Britain will also be on show and people will be able to learn about the origins of tournaments such as the Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship, the Curtis Cup, the Vagliano Trophy and the Ricoh Women's British Open.