Well, where to start? Amongst the 12 members and 3 guests, so many storylines!
Maybe we start with beer.
While the day wasn’t as hot and windy as was feared, it was still hot out there and an after game beer was sure to be on the menu for many.
SoS duly obliged Peps and Brendon with a drive on the 3rd that barely made it off the tee (his tee) let alone past the ladies tee.
So close was the ball, SoS walked straight up and hit his second before anybody else had time to contemplate their own tee shot.
It is assumed Brendon and Peps went top shelf with one of the new fancy expensive beers on SoS’s tab.
By the time he signed for -2, SoS was just out of the points, but well in front of this week’s joint NAGAs, bothers Priems who both managed -5. Obviously a bit of a Priems Cup hangover after their stellar rounds last week.
Chris and Rob played with their mate Peter Stevens who had 82 off the stick and would have been in the points (equal 4th) with a square card playing off his GA handicap.
Dan (himself a +1 card and equal 3rd) brought two mates for the round. Ash and Ray had scores in the 80’s and depending on potential handicapping scenarios if they become members, both might have been close to being in the points.
Thanks for joining us today Peter, Ash and Ray. We hope to see you again soon.
Working our way up from 5th (Gordo and Stan on -1) Steve and Brendon were in joint 4th with square cards and Craig and Peps joined Dan in 3rd with +1.
But the big stories of the day were Raj and Targe.
Raj obviously heard the call in last week’s blog to make his return this week and come out blazing to take on Brendon’s lead in the Eclectic with a birdie rampage. While last week’s blog writer was talking birdies for Raj, nobody mentioned eagles.
Raj hit the turn on +5 despite botching the third with a double bogey gash. Not an ounce of pain in that dodgy ankle as he stood on the 10th tee. On the 13th he pitched it in for a birdie from 20 yards or so. Unfortunately we were playing Par not Grand Par so the “double plus” only counted for one. And he had already birdied the 13th earlier in the season, so no gain in the Eclectic either.
Wilting a bit after gashes on the 15th and 16th, Raj contemplated his second on the 17th from just past the big tree on the right. A swish of his trademark high wedge to within a couple of metres and then ….. a little roll forward and in it goes for the eagle and the 5 balls in the Eagles Nest. Welcome back Raj!
The Eclectic Scoreboard on Harry’s website reveals it is only the fourth eagle all year, following JQ’s famous 2 on the 16th, Gordo’s equally famous 2 on the 14th and a regulation 2 from Brendon on the 17th. Is it maybe the first year ever when regular Eagle’s Nest bandits Porks and Peps have gone the season without an eagle?
Raj had one more trick up his sleeve on the 18th with a tee shot good enough to sneak inside Steve to win another ball. But then ….. four putts later Raj walked off with a gash and his ankle suddenly started hurting as he signed for +2.
If Raj had two putted the last he would have equalled the winning score of +4 by the big star of the day, Targe. In the three weeks prior to this week, your blog writer played with Targe and could see first-hand that he was working his way into some seriously good form.
Today it all came together for Targe and if not for 4 or 5 putts that shaved the hole and were unlucky not to drop, it might have been +7 or +8.
Starting with halves on the first 5 holes, then a plus followed by a loss on the 9th, Targe hit the turn square and was still square after 13. Then he hit the accelerator very hard with 4 pluses in a row from 14-17, including a “double plus” birdie on the 14th after a classic long downhill putt went straight in.
Unfortunately, like many others today who had trouble carding less than 5 on the 18th, Targe could only manage a 5 a half on the last and signed his winners card at +4. A brilliant effort from Targe and great to see him back in the winner’s circle.
The other winners on the day were Brendon for a ball on the 4th and our good friend Jackpot (for the second week in a row) for the ProPin on the 7th, and of course Brendon and Peps with the free beer.
Big thanks to Gordo for helping out with today’s blog as both your regular blog writers couldn’t make it on course today.
And while Gordo didn’t manage to take a new winners photo, he did supply this nice view of duck trails in a pond.
Maybe the thought process is less golf and more Attenborough style nature docos in future blogs?
Next week is the “last points” of the 2024 Championship Season and in a quirk of our playing calendar, to accommodate the Vin O’Meara as the first major of the new season (December 7 and 14) we play for the December Monthly Medal on the last Saturday of November.
The winner of the Monthly Medal (if not already qualified) will join those qualified for the David Primrose Champion of Champions to be held on the day of our Christmas break-up, December 21.
Meanwhile Craig, the Club’s Committee Secretary has sent everybody an email with details of subs for 2025. It would be handy if everybody could pay asap and save Craig or Gordo (Treasurer) having to chase you up in the new year. Like Raj on the front 9 and Targe on the back, let’s think scoring efficiency and good numbers when it comes to timeliness of paying club subs this time around.
Results for Saturday, 23 Nov 2024
1st Targe Mifsud (+4) 2nd Rajesh Mahto (+2) 3rd Craig Cameron (+1) 3rd Dan Marie (+1) 3rd Andrew Petricola (+1) 4th Steven Gervasoni (□) 4th Brendon Mitchell (□) 5th Stan Blackshaw (-1) 5th Gordon Hill (-1)
Seniors Results: 1st Targe Mifsud (+4) 2nd Craig Cameron (+1) 3rd Steven Gervasoni (□)
Nearest the Pin Results: ProPin – 7th Jackpot BallPin No 1 – 4th Brendon Mitchell BallPin No 2 – 18th Rajesh Mahto
Eagle’s Nest Results: Eagle – 17th Rajesh Mahto