A once-in-a-lifetime experience at the home of golf.

Maureen Anderson and Angela Innes live a short pitching wedge shot away from Keith Golf Club, and certainly did their home course proud on a visit to their sport’s most iconic location.

Regular entrants in the R&A Coronation Foursomes competition, the Keith ladies golf duo came through the regional levels of the tournament to reach the grand final at St Andrews - the playground of golf’s legends.

That experience, along earned the ladies an all-expenses-paid visit to the famous Scottish links that included a two-night stay at the five-star Old Course Hotel, a gala dinner and a welcome reception in the World Golf Museum at St Andrews.

But Maureen and Angela weren’t there just to make up the numbers. They wanted to make Keith Golf Club proud, and they certainly did that.

They were one of sixteen area final winners from across Britain to compete on the Eden course, and played magnificently on the big stage to finish second overall with a Stableford score of 41, just four behind the winners from Loughgall Golf Club in Northern Ireland.

“It was a great honour for us both, and they looked after us really well,” Maureen said.

“We went down on Sunday, went to the museum and got our photos taken on the Swilcan Bridge (St Andrews’ signature landmark on the Old Course’s 18th hole).

“We stayed in the old course hotel, then the next day we played the golf and got lunch when we came in.

“Then there was a prizegiving dinner at night. It was really good.”

Maureen and Angela were drawn together for the competition, with the opening stages played at Keith, then the area finals in Elgin to determine who made the big step forward to St Andrews.

The pair may be regulars on the course but don’t always play together, so it was a relatively inexperienced partnership which worked like a dream.

“I’ve maybe played for about 40 years, something like that,” said 27-handicapper Maureen.

“The club has been great for us over the years. It’s near enough off our doorsteps, maybe 100 yards.

“We are out at least twice a week in competitions in the summer, and the odd matchplay here and there. We don’t just go out for a game much these days.”

The two ladies stormed to victory in their home leg of the competition, then took on 47 rival pairs in the local area final at Elgin and beat them all with a score of 42 points.

They joined all the other area winners from Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland at St Andrews last month, and came so close to winning the whole event.

Angela, who plays off 30, also won an individual prize for being closest to the hole in one of the par threes.

“Everyone was so nice,” said Maureen. “I would say that’s definitely the high point of our golfing days.

“We had two non-scoring holes so it could have been better but we did well.

“It’s the first time we have played doubles in this and we just seemed to hit it off. We know each other pretty well.”

Anyone stepping on the tee at a world-class venue like St Andrews would be entitled to have some butterflies in the stomach, but Maureen and Angela handled the occasion like seasoned pros.

“I didn’t feel very nervous, just the first tee and that was about it,” Maureen said.

“Keep your eye on the ball and hit it - for only sake!”

Maureen says she will never better the experience of playing at the Home of Golf and putting Keith on the UK map.

“It’s a hard act to follow. We have been through to the regional finals quite a lot but this is the first time we’ve won through.

“I do quite well in the Keith competitions but this was a different level.

“For a wee club it was pretty good. I hope we did put Keith on the map, it was for them as well.”