Yearly Archives: 2015

Was it a scorcher or was it a scorcher today?  And I am talking about the weather but we’ll get to the golf in a bit.

You get a feeling that it is going to be a bit warm out there when the temperature at half past five in the morning is still 30C and from there it just started climbing like there was no tomorrow.  Then there was the nasty little gusty breeze that seemed to blow like hell when you didn’t want it and dropped like a stone when you did.  The course was mostly dry and getting dryer by the minute except for the 9th where a sprinkler stuck in the on position meant that some players had to take relief from casual water – go figure.

Probably, due to the combination of the early date and the heat-wave forecast, the numbers fronting for the fray were down a bit on the later weeks of last year, or was that just the attraction of big trophies and feasting lunches that brought in the numbers.  But twelve people out there thinking they had a chance of snagging an early gong made for a concerted effort to keep the old noggin down and the swing smooth and easy and for one at least, that philosophy paid off in spades.

In case you have been reading this with your eyes closed and haven’t guessed, the man of the day was our smiling gun dealer, Targe.  And did he make a good job of it.  Empty street was in next with a full six strokes back to second place.  The handicapper might have rued not being able to rattle peoples cages over the last few weeks but he has certainly enjoyed taking the axe to Targe.  Great round, Targe, for a nett 61.

Paul hasn’t been with us long but has opened his account in fine style with a second place alongside Harry with nett 67.  Not too much damage to the handicap but it did include a draughtie on the 2nd.  Maybe it was the wind but it seems to have been a very draughtie day with Harry and Chrispy lining up for a double header on the 15th.  It seems that Chrispy’s was down to ‘club selection’ though when you spray it that badly it’s a bit hard to blame the poor club.

Damo has managed to garner a couple of weekends off from his coaching duties and showed that despite only a handful of games in recent times he hasn’t lost touch and if the wind had been a little kinder maybe he might have presented higher in the order.  He will surely appreciate a smidgen more on his handicap after today’s nett of 69.  As an aside, the cricket team is going gang-busters with a 9-1 scoreline and they only lost the last by a hair’s breadth and that with a swag of strike players off on hols.

Chrispy, SOS and Ed came in next, just a stroke behind with pretty creditable 70’s.  Chrispy has made a New Year resolution to only play with coloured balls this year.  He started off with a very patriotic Club blue ball and found that it went very nicely and often somewhat straighter than the white ones usually do.  That is until the 15th when a bright orange one was, of necessity, brought into play.  The verdict was that the blue was easily visible in the air but tended to vanish against a green background such as trees or grass and sunnies off was better than sunnies on.

Mehmet almost didn’t get to the course in time to make it into a group and would have really fouled thing up if the first group had been sent off as a three as was being mooted at one stage.  But he did make it and managed to get a point for his trouble along with Oliver and Noodles.  Noodles, it seems is wont to express his dismay at a less that brilliant shot with an outburst that is just a little more colourful than ‘Oh bother!’.  After one such outburst on the 9th one of the players coming up the 18th wandered over and tapped him on the shoulder and said something like ‘Be careful, I might just take you up on that’.  Just to be clear, it was a male person doing the tapping.  Better luck next time Noods.

That put ten players in the points, so who was left out in the cold (figuratively speaking)?  No names, no pack-drill but, if you want to, you can work it out for yourself.

The Nearest the Pin for a ball ended up being on the 12th after nobody in the first group got onto the 4th and the ultimate winner of a pill was Damo who, for the want of a bit more oomph in the putt would have made another birdie to start off his collection for the Eclectic.  There were only 5 or 6 for the day which probably does reflect the smaller numbers as much as anything.  There are already some impressive cards in for the Eclectic but with most of the year to go there is no need to despair just yet.  One of Damien’s birdies was on the 11th where he ‘sprayed’ his second a bit wide and left of the green where it finished on an area as bare as a badger’s bum with a swale between him and the green.  Out came the old reliable Vokey wedge and one and a half bounces and twice around the pin and it was securely in the hole.  And he reckons he has been having trouble with that club!

The ProPin was on the 15th and there weren’t too many who succeeded in getting on with the tee set right back and hitting into the teeth of a gale.  But one did manage the task and the man to collect the lucre was Oliver who seems to be getting himself cashed up for his return to the States next month.

So, the first medal for the year went to Targe, despite Chrispy claiming that the January Medal is usually his (except when he doesn’t win it – like today).  Ed, it seems thought that Father Christmas had been particularly kind when a swag of parcels turned up unexpectedly at his house.  Apparently, Ed has been out and about and winning all sorts of trophies in other competitions during the week and AusPost was given the task of delivering the ill-gotten gains into his hot little hands.

The Annual Club Membership fee ($20) and GolfLink membership ($90)  – total $110 for most of you – is now due and payable and we would like to get this in before the end of the month so that we have the funds to pay the invoice when it arrives.  Cash is fine but you can also probably do bank transfers if you get the bank account details from Brendon or Gordon.

Also, don’t forget about Committee Nominations.  The form is on the website, so download a copy and get it filled in and submitted because, before you know it, the AGM will be upon us and we would like to have the nominations in in advance.

Results for Saturday, 03 January 2015
1st Targe Mifsud(61) 2nd Harry Boughen(67) 2nd Paul Rowland(67) 3rd Damien Lee(69) 4th Ed Kloprogge(70) 4th Chris Priems(70) 4th Stephen O’Sullivan(70) 5th Mehmet Akdag(72) 5th Stephen Butterfield(72) 5th Oliver Gross(72)