They could hardly have picked a more qualified person as McCarthy had previously been lady captain in 1992 and was also lady captain and lady president at neighbouring Arklow.

As an accomplished golf democrat she has played a strong but sensitive game through the season and none more so than at the President's Prize in May when she proposed offering an overall prize and then matching sets of prizes down the field for the top-scoring men and topscoring women.

The men didn't agree with this idea. Maybe they felt that, with over 700 members, more than 200 of them being women who turn out about 120-strong for their weekly competitions, there was no chance of everyone playing the same day and it would be incorrect to compare scores from two different days? In any case, McCarthy went with the flow and presented two president's prizes, one for men and one for ladies, both being watches of similar design and of the same value. Talk about Solomon.

Things got even stranger, but also much nicer, when the club presented McCarthy with a lovely Mary Kavanagh painting of the club's signature parthree eighth hole . . . where leading golf architect Patrick Merrigan ingeniously encapsulated the spirit of Woodenbridge by playing over a turn in the Avoca River . . . as a memento.

Imagine how everyone felt just a few weeks later when McCarthy went out and had the first hole-in-one of her 50year golfing career at that very hole. How she will enjoy looking at that painting.

In passing, let it be recorded that Woodenbridge is a classic painting in itself and that Merrigan has produced a true work of art as he has blended the nine new holes seamlessly and agelessly with the fabled original nine holes.

He has then upgraded the old nine in a most sensitive manner so that strong, entertaining golf is provided to balance modern technology with the essence of this historic and beautiful place.

McCarthy, meanwhile, has devoted herself unsparingly to the duties of President, conscious of the fact that she is a trail blazer of sorts as the first woman in the job. She has followed the policy of being there for every event, even if some people might wonder whether she might take it easier, rather than running the risk of being accused later of not caring enough.

Of course, the job has its rewards as the President gets to meet lots of interesting visitors.

One of recent days was songbird Val Doonican who, even as an octogenarian, had the girls all swooning with his singing, his swinging and his smile. The devil!

Another highlight of McCarthy's year has been the great form shown by Louise Mernagh, who qualified for matchplay at the Lancome Irish Ladies' Championship at The European Club in May.

Mernagh then continued to play so strongly all summer that she was selected to appear on the Irish Girls' team as a prelude to even greater things to come for a superb young player.

This, of course, brought all sorts of happy memories flooding back for McCarthy as she travelled to Portstewart to lend support to Louise, just as she had done through many campaigns when her own daughter Denise, now a leading official in the ILGU, gained junior honours for Ireland followed by appearances at full international level.

Yes, Woodenbridge is a happy place, a lovely place and is in sound golfing hands.