Michael was like a cat on a hot tin roof all week, agonising about whether we would get enough for a comp. In the end, the non-Punters did us proud, and eleven members graced the ever so slightly greener fairways of Ivanhoe. The temperature was low enough to start with that some effort to warm the fingers was in order. However, as the morning progressed, the chill in the air moved on, and, at one point, Targe was inspired to strip to the waist. Truly, a sight to behold! Cameras were not at the ready! Although the recent rain will help immeasurably, the large cracks on a couple of fairways are still very much in evidence, so some more would not go astray. Despite the relatively benign conditions, the scoring was not spectacular, and we could only record a single birdie among the lot of us.
Prez was a bit crooked on Bob for sinking a putt that gave him an extra point, which put him ahead according to his card. In the end, he had no reason to be crooked at all, because a couple of two stroke holes were missed, and Bob actually finished three points to the good of Prez and Nalin, to take the day with 37 of the best. Nalin might have been a bit nervous to start his first comp, and went close to taking an air shot on the first tee, moved the ball about 300mm, and finished the hole for no score. He made amends big time on the second, drive, long shot to pin high, chip and putt for a four point par, and opened his Championship Points tally as a debutante.
Targe reckons that he doesn’t like teeing off the first. His first shot disappeared into the bushes, and its fate was deemed uncertain. However, it did make it through to a rather awkward down/side hill lie, which took an effort to get to the bottom of the slope. Unperturbed, he pressed on, and ended up scoring a point for the hole. His game settled down eventually, and 31 points, at the end of the day, collected him third place. Steve managed to fritter away his chances on the front nine, but a much more creditable back nine brought him home with thirty for fourth place. Michael played some putrid golf (his words, not mine) to also score a share of fourth place. Raj took his strokes on the first three holes (666) as an ill omen, but that didn’t stop him from taking the last spot on the podium for the day.
It’s hard to get good help these days, or, at least, help with decent vision. The BallPin, intended for the 15th, happened to have been put out on the 12th. One consolation was that Bob got closer than Steve to collect a ball. As a result, the ProPin marker, intended for the 12th, was put out on the 15th. Nobody got close enough anyway, so the ProPin will be a Double Jackpot on the 12th next week. Michael went close to really having his nose properly out of joint today when Harry went remarkably close to knocking him off for the BallPin (and inside ProPin) on the 18th.
Raj has a knack of taking on the unusual shots. On the third, his ball was very close to the right hand side of a tree. Somehow, he managed to wrap his body sideways and backwards around the trunk, and still managed to swing his arms to make a shot. On the 17th, his second cleared the safety fence for the 18th tee, and nearly took Bob out into the bargain. Undeterred, he took out his trusty sand wedge, and lobbed the ball over the fence, to finish off the hole with a chip and a putt. On the 12th, both Michael and Nalin left themselves short. Nalin overcompensated, and finished his second up on the bank at the back. Michael chipped in for our only birdie, and, not to be outdone, Nalin chipped from the hill, and finished in the hole for his par. Meanwhile, Steve had to settle for two putts to get his par. Marc impressed Prez with his talent as an honorary Priems by making good use of trees to keep his ball in play. He almost came undone on the 7th, however, when the ricochet went close to coming back to the red markers.
While the non-punters were obviously enjoying themselves at Ivanhoe, any word from the Punters down on the Peninsula was pretty thin on the ground. At least four of them were not too hung-over and made it to the course, but there was no indication as to whether that was the extent of the field. The main party and punting is probably under way at this very minute, so there is a fair chance that things could get fairly riotous before the night is out. What effect that has on the standard of the play tomorrow is anybody’s guess.
We have the AGM coming up on 05 April, and there will be a barbecue after in conjunction with the meeting. If you are unable to make it, you can have your say on the Special Resolution about the change in name for the Club by submitting your proxy vote to the Secretary beforehand. The Committee will also be seeking an opinion from members on offering the option of cash ($5) or a ball for the BallRun. Although many Committee positions do have nominations, do not feel that you cannot nominate for a position that takes your fancy. We would love to have an election.
Results for Saturday, 22 Mar 2025
1st Bob McDonald (37) 2nd Robert Priems (34) 2nd Nalin Samaranayake (34) 3rd Targe Mifsud (31) 4th Steven Gervasoni (30) 4th Michael Gourlay (30) 5th Rajesh Mahto (29)
Seniors Results: 1st Bob McDonald (37) 2nd Robert Priems (34) 3rd Targe Mifsud (31)
Nearest the Pin Results: ProPin – 12th Jackpot BallPin No 1 – 12th Bob McDonald BallPin No 2 – 18th Michael Gourlay