Golf: Scotland call-up has put the seal on a perfect year for Dick

And, off the course, he's due to become a father for the first time later in the year.

Dick's only disappointment in 2010 was seeing Carrickvale, another of his clubs, lose their grip on the Dispatch Trophy following a historic hat-trick of triumphs. But that pain was eased recently when he helped the Capital club lift the Lothians Team title for the first time in its history. And now Dick is sporting a smile as wide as Princes Street after being among four new caps in Scott Knowles' side for the Home Internationals at Ashburnham in south Wales.

"I was out playing at Shotts when the call came through and couldn't hit a shot after that as my mind was all over the shop," he revealed.

"This has probably been the perfect year for me, it does not get any better.

"I'm getting an opportunity I've dreamt about since I started to play the game and, later in the year, my wife Gillian and I have our first baby on the way."

Dick, who joined Kingsknowe at the beginning of last year after cutting his golfing teeth at Shotts, clinched his place in the 11-man side by following up a recent win in one of the SGU order of merit events by reaching the last 16 of the Scottish Championship at Gullane last week.

His performance in losing to top seed James Byrne on the last green after being four down impressed the watching selectors and Dick is delighted to be heading for Wales along with the likes of Byrne and Michael Stewart, the winner in East Lothian.

"I was a bit disappointed after losing to James but when I got the phone call to say I was in the team it certainly lightened my mood. In fact, I was over the moon," he said.

"Coming back from four down against James to get back into the game was a big thing for me. It showed I can compete against someone of his stature, I did not feel out of place.

"It's been another year where I've managed to record another order of merit victory and now I've been rewarded with a Scotland cap. The closest I've felt to it before was probably in '05, when I won the Mid-Am and the West of Scotland as well as finishing in the top five or six at Leven.

"With the likes of Wallace Booth, Gavin Dear and Paul O'Hara moving on and leaving a few spots available, I felt this was going to be my best chance of making the team and I have obviously impressed the right people."

Dick, who works in the clinical audit department at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, added: "From my point of view moving to Kingsknowe was an important step. I was 29 at the time and had enjoyed a good spell before that.

"However, I moved because I thought I was becoming stale due to being in the same environment with the same people. I needed a change and needed to find myself playing against different people more often so that I could become a better player.

"I won't deny that I also saw it as a better chance of winning the Scottish Area Team Championship because Lanarkshire were losing Paul O'Hara to the pro ranks and will eventually lose Ross Kellett as well.

"The chance to play Summer League golf in Edinburgh was another attraction because it is more competitive due to the fact it means more to the clubs involved.

"I'll always be a member of Shotts as that's where I grew up but coming through to play in Edinburgh was the challenge I needed.

"The reason I then joined Carrickvale was mainly to play in the Winter League. It was great to make history by winning three Dispatch Trophies in a row with them, though, and it was also nice to record the club's first win in the Lothians Team Tournament."

Now Dick is set to find himself on a much bigger stage and he's relishing the opportunity, especially as he's good friends with the likes of Ross Kellett, a former Lanarkshire team-mate, and SGU Order of Merit leader Philip McLean.

"Paul O'Hara and Ross Kellett used to call me Uncle Allyn when we played for Lanarkshire because I was the older member of the team," he joked. "I used to hear them talking about how good it was to play for Scotland and it will be tremendous. I'm going to love every minute of it as it may well be the one and only opportunity to represent my country.

"Ian McDonald, the club captain, and Bill Buchan, our team manager, were both saying it is real coup for Kingsknowe to have the captain (Knowles] and a player in the Scotland team.

"Kingsknowe have been fantastic, helping me with some of the entry fees for events this years to try and ease the financial burden. Shotts did the same previously and that was a help, too."

Dick, who'll be in action for Kingsknowe tonight when they travel to Silverknowes in the quarter-finals of the Edinburgh Summer League, heads for Wales on Sunday and intends grabbing every available opportunity to ensure his game is in good shape."I'll have a busy week at work in order to make sure I've caught up with everything before I fly down to Wales on Sunday," he said.

"I'll be out hitting balls at lunchtime every day and will also be out on the artificial putting green in my back garden at night, probably until it is dark."

Fifers Brian Soutar and Peter Latimer, as well as Scottish Amateur Championship runner-up Jordan Findlay, are the other new caps in Knowles's side.

Scotland: James Byrne (Banchory), Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe), Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh), Ross Kellett (Colville Park), Peter Latimer (St Andrews New), Philip McLean (Peterhead), Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh), Greg Paterson (St Andrews New), Brian Soutar (Leven GS), Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck), James White (Lundin).