ELIZABETH Raikes, the new ladies' captain at Hurdwick Club, Tavistock. works just six miles from the home of the 2009 Ryder Cup in Wales.

Elizabeth, who has recently taken up her position as chief executive officer at Monmouthshire County Council in South Wales, spends her weekdays in her new home in the Monmouthshire village of Usk just across the Severn Bridge from Bristol.

Usk, on the River Usk, is a mere six miles from the Celtic Manor Golf Club that will be the home of the 2009 Ryder Cup in the UK and Elizabeth passes the club, where she has played, on her commute to and from her home in Devon at the weekends. The Ryder cup course, Wentwood Hills, has been especially laid out and follows the contours of the ancient River Usk and the forest of Wentwood.

In her role as chief executive Elizabeth will be very involved in the lead up to the Ryder cup event — but her heart remains at Hurdwick Golf Club.

Elizabeth said: 'Hurdwick is a very welcoming club. It is ideal for single ladies as no partners are needed and it is just as welcoming to couples who may play together in the weekend competitions when both ladies and men play together.

'It will be exciting to see the activities being pulled together for the Ryder Cup in 2009 and I suggest that anyone who wants to visit the Celtic Manor during that time begins to make those arrangements with the hotels in our region now as group bookings are beginning to take up all the hotel space.'

If any lady golfer is interested in trying out Hurdwick, Elizabeth will be pleased to have a chat. She can be reached on email [email protected]">[email protected] or she can be telephoned on 01633 644041. Hurdwick Golf Club owners, Roger and Sandy Cullen, may be contacted at the club on 01822 612746.