Monthly Archives: December 2018

At least one round of the Vin O’Meara has been completed on schedule this year as Melbourne turned on a beautiful day and gave us just a little taste of what a northerly is capable of doing to the temperature as the mercury soared into the early thirties for the first time in a while.  The attractions of a clean sheet as far as Championship points and Eclectic are concerned, as well as checking on the condition of their expensive horses and the mindset of the jockey on board, were enough to bring 23 players out for at least the first round of this year’s opening Major.  A few have to flit off to here, there and everywhere to take care of familial duties, to recharge their batteries and maybe even have to work for their living.  Hopefully, some members who couldn’t make it today will be able to fill the ranks next week in place of Simon, JQ and Jason.

Heading the leaderboard is none other than our charitable Kiwi, Brendon, who managed to grin and bear it to put together a card of 78 off the stick for a very respectable 67 nett.  A very steady round with no fewer than nine fours on the card within ten holes.  Pretty boring for the handicapper to enter.

Pepsi was going gangbusters on the front nine with only a single bogie to finish one under par.  But, his concentration seems to have slipped a little on the back as he finished the round the neat four over to play exactly to his handicap.  Also on 68 was Ryan who also had a pretty flashy front nine only to slip after Harry mentioned that he had 20 points on his inside card.  It seems that Ryan likes stroke because you don’t know how well you are going based on points scored.  Perhaps he’s never heard of subtraction.

Chrispy was wearing a yellow bucket hat today although it was not one of the new Leuk numbers.  At one stage during the round he took it off and almost blinded Gordon, so brightly did the sun shine off his highly polished pate.  The warming of the brain did not affect his game however as he put together a card to give himself a handy, come from behind, total of 69.

Simon shot himself in the foot by mis-reading the calendar and booking a holiday cruise that will keep him off the course for the next couple of weeks and so his card of 70 will serve only as a place-keeper in the history of golf at Ivanhoe.  On the other hand, Bill, Trevor and Brent will consider themselves to have something of a chance with only four strokes between them and the leader.

With eight horses within five strokes and a couple more only a point or two further off the pace, as Sherlock would say, The game is afoot!  Lots of loot from the Calcutta could very well swing on a missed putt or a fluffed chip.  And, as for the rest, they will probably have to take consolation in the fact that not everybody can win and, hopefully, their buyers will forgive them.

The BallPin was on the 12th and ‘Butter Menthol’ Hill took some pleasure in taking out Brendon in the contest for the ball.  The first ProPin was on the 12th and the marker did not move after the first group went through and Peter placed his ball a very handy 3.15m from the pin.  There was  a Jackpot on the ProPin on the 18th and, maybe to console himself for the outcome in Northcote last weekend, Michael got his to 3.83m to take the money.  The shine did come off a bit when it was revealed that he took three putts to put it away.

There were 17 birdies on the card today which is a fair average number for the size of the field.  However, what was remarkable was that five of those birdies were recorded on the 14th.  It wasn’t that the pin was in a particularly favourable position (if there is such a thing on the 14th) so the stars and planets must have aligned for a number of people, including Harry, who considered it something of a highlight for the year and this is only the first round.  There was another birdie that couldn’t really appear on the card.  Blighty was apparently suffering an attack of the power shanks and speared one into a tree out of which fell, as dead as a maggot, a rainbow lorikeet.  If we keep this up, there’ll be precious little bird-life left on the course.

SOS was spotted buying a round of drinks thanks to a draughtie on the 15th after going close to having a groundie and managing to nudge the ball something less than a metre from the tee.  Blighty’s shanks caused him to go close several times but he escaped the ignominy of having to buy the drinks.  Brent ended up in the leaves under the tree behind the 8th and when he made his shot, his ball travelled hardly any distance at all.  The ball that was hidden in the leaves beneath his travelled somewhat further.  Harry, on the other hand, can’t wait until January 1 next year when his double hit will count as only one stroke and not two as it did today.

Chrispy was seen with a babe in his arms (no, the girls were not down from Echuca) and he was busy coochy-cooing to his new(ish) grandchild.  However, he will have to be careful not to be accused of cruelty to children when he was overheard singing (and the term is used loosely) Collingwood songs.  Talk about trying to get them young!

Congratulations also to Michael who has been doubly blessed by becoming a grandfather in the last week and has now been elevated to the exalted ranks of the Club Seniors.  Some chance of points on his first outing.

Also a big shout out to RodG who has had his second round of cataract surgery.  Watch out when he gets back and can see the ball with both eyes.  And another one to Mal who has had a pacemaker installed and is looking forward to being able to run up the hills when he gets back.  Get well soon and see you back at the Break-up, if not before.

Results for Saturday, 01 December 2018
Leaderboard Round 1 1st Brendon Mitchell(67) 2nd Andrew Petricola(68) 2nd Ryan Porker(68) 3rd Chris Priems(69) 4th Simon Powell(70) 5th Bill Eastoe(71) 5th Trevor Jackson(71) 5th Brent Rowley(71)

Seniors Leaderboard: 1st Simon Powell (70) 2nd Bill Eastoe (71) 2nd Trevor Jackson (71) 3rd Michael Gourlay (73)

Nearest the Pin Results: ProPin No 1 15th Peter Damou ProPin No 2 18th Michael Gourlay BallPin 12th Gordon Hill