Monthly Archives: December 2016

Despite what some members think, we have not been playing stroke competition for five weeks in a row.  We’ve only had three rounds in five weeks and next week will make four in six unless, of course you also count the Champion of Champions but that is not a points round so it doesn’t really count.  What really does count is that there were 24 enthusiastic jockeys out there today, whipping the living daylights out of their respective steeds in the Vin O’Meara Stakes.  And a fat lot of good the whipping did some of them.  Some of them probably even backed up in the shafts if the scores are anything to go by.  The tees were on the black blocks for the inside Monthly Medal and start of their stroke play championship and some of the pin placements were a bit on the tricky side again.  Pepsi claimed that in 25 years he hadn’t seen the some of the pin placements that were on the go today.  The course was in good nick again and was pretty thoroughly mowed all over so there were really very few excuses for not getting out there and scoring your heart out.

And, despite the earlier suggestion of less than optimal scoring there were a few who were able to hold their game together and table scores that were pretty respectable to say the least.  The first jockey to step up to the scales for weigh-in was CraigC who started off going gang-busters to be a couple under the card two thirds of the way into the first nine.  Then fears of the wrath of the handicapper took over and he settled down, some unkind types would say he was playing choke rather than stroke, to come in with a nett score of 65 from his 75 off the stick.  Just a couple of strokes further back and seriously ruing a couple of triples and a quadruple was Harry who, on the advice of the owner, will be relaxing with hypnosis, yoga, acupuncture with maybe a smidge of practice thrown in during the week.

Now, will you look at who is coming in next.  None other than Bob, who complained vehemently about how badly he was playing but, at the end of the day, his 26 handicap brought him in with a nett score of 69 and easily within striking distance of the trophy if he can repeat the performance next week.  There are a few people biding their time a few strokes back on 72 and they are by no means out of consideration given the talent involved and their past history on the trophy winning front.  Brendon reckoned last week that he hadn’t scored a point for seven weeks so there is a good chance that could change very shortly.  Chrispy reckons that he is just getting the feel for the distance with his new clubs and he is thinking of asking Callaway for a commission for all the sets that have been bought on his recommendation.  And Joe really wants to get his name into the Hall of Fame but he was spotted giving the ball a bit of a ‘chunk’ at one stage of the round.  His putt on the 18th deflected off Simon’s ball marker and finished in the hole for the birdie so if Joe wins perhaps Simon should get a cut.

Blighty has been on again, off again like a motion sensitive flood light and he hopes to be in the game again next week.  Gordon had some problems keeping the ball on the green today and he reckons that somebody must have stolen the ball magnets that he usually puts in place to keep his on the green.  Dale was also a bit doubtful about his ability to compete both days but, with something of a chance to take up the slack, he is making a concerted effort to be here again next week.  If you want to see how the rest went have a look at the leaderboard under the Competitions Menu.

The Eclectic Table was notable today for the fact that everybody ‘improved’ though it was the first round of the new year.  The early birdies are always welcome but the more you get, the harder it is to improve as the year progresses.  But, better sooner than never!

This was also the second week of the Stroke Play Championship and the progress results are also on the website under the Competitions Menu.  Although Pepsi had a bit of trouble finding the hole he did manage to get one of the 15 birdies scored today.  That was on the 17th where he carefully layed up his drive to the front slope of the 18th green.  From a downhill/sidehill lie he put it 3 or 4 metres past the hole and proceeded to rattle in the putt for the only birdie on his card for the day.  That helped him to maintain his lead in the Gross Score half of the event with Michael slipping a bit further behind today in second place.  On the Nett Score side of the Table, Harry has a handy lead by dint of his two good rounds thus far and Pepsi heads up a fair pack of players in second and later places.

The ProPin today was on the 12th and Michael, with the highlight shot of his round (according to him) managed to squeeze out Harry by nearly a couple of metres at 2.58m from the pin.  Not to be out-done for the BallPin on the 15th Michael managed to out-do Pepsi and added to his growing collection of balls.  At least Pepsi was able to get something out of today’s round through a double of draughties by Bob and Harry on the 3rd.  Harry tried to argue that as it was a Provisional ball it didn’t count but when the Provisional became the ball-in-play he had to resign himself to his fate.  Trevor also had to make a shout when he ‘skied’ his tee shot from the 18th so high that it hit the tree branch above and finished so close that his playing partners feared for their well-being.  The ‘official’ measurement was that the ball finished 6m from where it started.

Speaking of shouting, it was noticeable today that there were instances of people shouting ‘Duck’ or at least a word spelled somewhat similarly.  Michael could well have been one of the offenders as there were also reports of equipment abuse after he had used up his handicap allowance after about three holes.  Zimmer was another who used up his handicap allowance early in the round which might explain why he offered the information that a ball was ‘in the water’ but nothing more that might have allowed it to be found.

When asked how his round went today, Targe offered the little gem that he came up short at least three times today.  And everybody probably thought that he always came up short.  While on the subject of short, ChrisV was there after the game with a couple of the reasons that he has been short of sleep in recent times.  A double decker panzer-wagen containing the two peacefully sleeping cherubs that Chris has the hide to claim keep him awake at all hours of the night.  Come on Chris, toughen up.  As a side note, quite a number of members were spotted doing a bit of pram peeping.  Who said we weren’t a mob of softies?

Because of a couple of late scratchings, the Vin O’Meara Stakes pool has reduced to $1545.  First dividend will be $927, second $464 and third $154.  Most jockeys have opted to share the dividends and it will be up to the purchaser to make sure that their jockey gets their fair share.  And, undoubtedly, the jockeys will be doing the same thing.  The fixed price pool comes to $325 winner take all so definitely worth playing for.

If there are still any perpetual trophies out there on the loose can you please get them to Gordon this weekend so that they will be available for presentation, if not engraved, at the Christmas break-up.  Also Gordon would like to get firm numbers for the break-up so that the catering can be finalised to ensure that there is neither too little nor too much.  So, for goodness sake, read your emails and reply.

Results for Saturday, 03 December 2016
Leaderboard Round 1 1st Craig Cameron(65) 2nd Harry Boughen(67) 3rd Bob McDonald(69) 4th Brendon Mitchell(72) 4th Chris Priems(72) 4th Joe Wagenecht(72) 5th Andrew Blight(73) 5th Gordon Hill(73) 5th Dale Webb(73)

Seniors Leaderboard: 1st Craig Cameron (65) 2nd Harry Boughen (67) 3rd Bob McDonald (69)

Nearest the Pin Results: ProPin 12th Michael Gourlay BallPin 15th Michael Gourlay