Pre-season has well and truly started over in the Magpies Nest. Plenty of new faces and seasoned ones.
Check out this bunch of legends, if you’re keen to give play, head up and meet the Parkes Spacemen at training.
Jill Rubie recently celebrated her Birthday at Forbes Croquet Club luncheon.
Aussie Croquet was played on 7 February with only a small number in attendance, mainly due to the warmer conditions. However all who played and took part enjoyed the 19 games played.
All three games were won by Rex Toole, Ray Burridge and May Jones. Well done to those players.
A close score of 14/13 games were played by Fay Picker who trailed Colleen Liebich, Young Tony Bernardi (solo) was defeated by Peter West (solo).
On Tuesday 10 February we played Golf Croquet with 33 in attendance and we welcomed Robert Priest who had come down to try a game. Welcome Rob and we hope you come to like the game and will join us on a permanent basis.
There were 26 games played on the day and the winners of all three games were Neville Spry, Mal Smith and John Allegri. Congratulations to those players.
All are welcome to come and try a game of Croquet. Croquet is played on Tuesday and Saturday each week. Arrival 8.15am to get your names into the draw. Closed in shoes are to be worn, bring your hat, your bottle of water and wear your sunscreen. Mallets provided.
As mentioned earlier we will be celebrating Seniors week with an Open Day on Tuesday, 3 March. Any person young or mature are welcome to come and try a game. There will also be some fun games and a scrumptious morning tea provided by Forbes Shire Council. Closed in shoes are to be worn, bring your hat, a bottle of water and wear your sunscreen. Mallets will be provided.
By Elvy Quirk
Frank Hanns, Mike Prior and Andrew Moon preparing for golf in the sun.
Scorching hot conditions meant many of the Forbes golfers were smart and got onto the course early for their competition game and then welcomed a cold refreshment at the ‘Golfie’ Hotel.
The men’s competition was an Individual Stableford event sponsored by Rob Allen Livestock Transport. The field of 57 players included two visitors while quite a few locals were away on long weekend activities.
The Div-1 winner was newcomer Dean Fairley with 41 points. He excelled on the back-9 with his big hitting. Runner-up was Jono Roylance in one of his rare appearances that netted him 38 points. His luck held to get past Brad Ashton on count back. Jono needed the front-9 to warm up before blitzing the back-9.
The Div-2 winner was Steven Rogers with 42 points, the best score of the day.
He is enjoying the run on the fairways.
The runner-up was Alister Carlisle with 38 points. He started well but had a topsy-turvy back-9.
The ball sweep went to 34 points. NTPs went to: 9th P Duke, 18th A Carlisle, with both converting for 2’s. The Super Pin went to Peter Barnes (206 cm) whose shot easily slipped inside that of Steve Betland.
The comp on Sat 31 Jan is a 4BBB Stableford sponsored by Knight’s Fabrications.
Sunday has a Stableford Medley.
As some of you may or may not be aware, our Head Professional William Gunn is leaving at the beginning of March.
Member accounts including ball comp prizes and vouchers must be spent. Gunn Golf Gift Vouchers will also need to be used.
All stock must be sold! Clothing, footwear, demo clubs all on sale at unbeatable prices. If you’re in the market for a new driver, don’t miss this opportunity. Come on down and grab yourself a bargain!
By Short Putt
On Saturday 24 January, Aussie Croquet was played with 25 in attendance. It was a little cooler this morning whilst Croquet was played and the 8.30am start is proving to be rewarding as far as the heat goes.
On the day all three games were won by John Allegri, John Farah, David West, Noel Jolliffe, Neil Riley and Neville Spry. Congratulations to all these players.
Some good scores were recorded on the day and runaway scores of 14/9 were as follows: Geoff Coles and Russell Anderson trailed Cheryl Toohey and Noel Jolliffe, Bruce and Greg Toole were defeated by John Allegri and Neville Spry, John Browne and Rex Toole were also defeated by David and Peter West (father/son combination).A close score of 14/13 saw Cheryl Toohey and Colleen Liebich narrowly beaten by Geoff Coles and John Farah.
Various 14/12 scores were also recorded on the day as follows: Bill Scott and Irene Riley defeated Elvy Quirk and Kevin Wenning, John Allegri and Neville Spry defeated Harley Stewart and Allan Jones, Elvy Quirk and May Jones defeated Colleen Liebich and Cheryl Toohey, Neil Riley and John Farah defeated Geoff Coles and Kevin Wenning, John Allegri (playing solo) defeated Peter West (also playing solo), David West and Elvy Quirk defeated Rex Toole and May Jones.
A number of players went down 14/11; Greg and Bruce Toole were defeated by Rex Toole and John Farah, Bill Scott and Peter West were also defeated by John Browne and Irene Riley, Bruce and Greg Toole were defeated by Neil Riley and Noel Jolliffe, John Browne and Tony Bernardi were defeated by Bill Scott and Russell Ander.
Many scores of 14/10 were also recorded on the day as follows: Allan Jones (solo) was defeated by Colleen Liebich (solo), Frank Donohoe and Harley Stewart were also defeated by Kevin Rubie and John Farah, May Jones and Tony Bernardi were defeated by Neil Riley (playing solo), Tony Bernardi (solo) defeated by Noel Jolliffe (solo), Kevin Rubie (solo) was defeated by Russell Anderson and David West, Kevin Wenning and Allan Jones were defeated by Harley Stewart and Neville Spry.
The 8.30am start is proving popular with many of our players, as its an opportunity to try and beat the hotter part of the day.
As mentioned previously, Seniors week is again being celebrated with an Open Day at Croquet on 3 March, arrive by 8.15am to get your names in the draw.
Stay Cool, Stay Safe.
By Elvy Quirk
P Kay, S Kirkman, T Griffiths and A Rees ready for the day of golf.
Blustery conditions once again greeted the Forbes golfers last weekend. Most scores were affected but the winners showed prowess in the conditions.
The mens competition last weekend was an 18-hole Stroke event sponsored by Steele Technology. The field of 71 players included five visitors and quite a few locals returning from family time away.
The Div-1 Winner, on count back, was Pat Murphy with 69 nett. He managed to put all of his practice work together and have no blunders. Runner-up was Glen Hooper. His front-9 was good but a couple of missed opportunities on the back-9 was his undoing.
The Div-2 Winner was Dan Harveyson (Grenfell) with 71 nett. His game was steady throughout. The Runner-Up was Greg Hanns with 72 nett. He was pleased to start the year on a good note.
The ball sweep went to 77 nett on count back. NTPs went to: 9th B Abbott (Grenfell), 18th A Rees. But only Ben converted for a ‘2’. The Super Pin went to Harry Callaghan (420cm) whose shot reflected the difficulty of the conditions.
The competition on Saturday 24 January is an Individual Stableford sponsored by Rob Allen Livestock Transport. Sunday has a Stableford Medley.
By Short Putt
Pat Murphy, Harry Callaghan, Jade Page and Cam McMillan enjoying their early start at golf.
Last weekends Mens competition was an Individual Stableford sponsored by Woolworths Forbes, who provided hams for the winners. The field of 58 were keen to get their game in early to avoid the forecast thunderstorms with only a few groups caught in the conditions and a handful not finishing their rounds. The prizes on offer were great.
The Div-1 winner was Dave Mylecharane who was well ahead on his 40 points. He credits most of his success to a new driver setting which aided his hot back-9 scoring.
Runner-up was Anthony Alley with 38 points. He matched Dave with his back-9 score but was a bit untidy on the front-9.
The Div-2 needed a count back between four players to decide the winner after they all finished on 34 points. The nod went to Matt Duff who managed 18 points on the back-9 after an indifferent run of 1-pointers to start his round.
The Div-2 runner-up was Alex Mackinnon. He had an even round with 17 points on each half, which also include two ‘misses’ on each half although he finished the back-9 strongly.
The NTPs went to: 9th A Dukes; 18th L
O’Connor. The 3rd hole Super pin went to Paul Kay whose shot looked ‘miles away’ at 440 cm on a green that was hard to hit.
This Saturday, 20 December, is an Individual Stableford, sponsored by Forbes
Central Butchers. There is also a Stableford Medley on Sunday 21 December.
The Forbes Golf Club wishes all players a happy and safe Festive Season.
By Short Putt
Showcasing impressive skills that have inspired a return to the courts next year.
Croquet has become the highlight of the week for participants from Currajong Disability Services (CDS) thanks to a new inclusive coaching program delivered by the Parkes Croquet Club.
Around 30 participants and staff attended eight coaching sessions from May this year, quickly embracing the sport and asking for more once the program concluded.
“It has been a great success, and our participants absolutely loved it,” said Douglas Pout, Day Services Coordinator at Currajong Disability Services.
The initiative began after Parkes Croquet Club member Graeme Hunter attended a grant-writing workshop at Parkes Shire Council. The idea came to life when the club secured a Parkes Shire Sports Grant to deliver the coaching sessions and provide morning tea for Currajong participants.
“It was a privilege for our club members to run this program,” said Graeme.
“It was wonderful to see some participants showing exceptional talent and being able to play a proper game at the end of the program.”
He also praised the participants for their strong team spirit and willingness to help pack up after every session.
Currajong plans to return to the croquet courts in March next year. “Our lads and ladies are missing it already,” Douglas said.
“Participants stepped into something new with confidence and quickly connected with the members of the Parkes Croquet Club. The partnership has been positive for everyone involved, and by the end some of our crew were matching it with the more experienced players.
This has opened the door and given our participants another space where they feel welcomed and included.
“CDS is not defined by limitation. We are a group of people with different strengths, and when opportunities like this come along, our participants show exactly what they can do.”
Steve Rogers heading for a win in Saturday’s competition.
On a day with changeable weather and blustery winds the Forbes golfers battled hard but the scores were kept low.
The Saturday competition was an Individual Stableford sponsored by Knights Fabrications. The field was down a bit at 53 with players possibly deterred by the forecast of bad weather. At one stage it was ‘Melbourne’ weather but if passed quickly with the winds remaining.
The Div-1 Winner was decided on count back when three players finished with 37 points. Shane Sallaway got the nod ahead of Warwick Judge while Clayton Alley missed out. It was Shane’s strong back-9 that got him the win while Warwick played to his handicap and Clayton could not find his front-9 form.
The Div-2 had a one point win by Steve Rogers who quietly achieved 39 points.
But for an errant putter he may have had a higher score.
The Div-2 Runner-up was Allan Rees who used his front-9 to good effect, finishing with 37 points. His back-9 was steady all the way without any sparkle.
The NTPs went to: 9th C Hanrahan; 18th S Sallaway. The 3rd hole Super pin went to Fons Melisi whose shot rode the wind to within 263 cm from the pin.
This Saturday, 6 December, is the Monthly Medal, sponsored by Stephen Uphill. There is a Stableford Medley on Sun 30 November.
By Short Putt
Pictured are the Lachlan Dragons. Dragon boating will broaden your horizons and introduce you to a healthy lifestyle.
Forbes Dragon Boat Club recently competed at the Masters Games in Weston ACT. The 3-day event included 200m races and 1km turn races in both small and full boats. Forbes combined with four other clubs for this competition. Team Forge included paddlers from Forbes, Geelong Vic, Parkes, Adelaide Survivors abreast and Powerblades SA.
In November FDBC also competed in the Western Region Regatta this year held in Orange. Races included 10’s and 20’s crews over 200m and “a dash for cash “over 100m. We combined with Parkes and Blue mountains on that day.
Forbes Dragon Boat Club is offering a 4 week introduction to paddle plan, aimed at recruiting some new members. Dragon pass is a free program to trial dragon boating before joining a club.
We aim to run sessions on Sundays from 30th November until 21st December. Sessions will be for 30-40mins from 9am. It’s all about fitness, friendship and fun. There is no requirement to attend all sessions. You are also welcome to join our regular training sessions during the dragon pass period.
Paddles and life jackets are provided. All you need to bring is a bottle of water, a cap and closed in shoes.
So, if you have ever wondered about giving dragon boating a try – this is your chance. We challenge businesses, sporting teams, anyone looking for something new, who loves the water, to come along and give it a try. Minimum age 11 yrs.
Paddling with Forbes Dragons can be social or competitive – you decide on your level of participation.
For more information search Forbes Dragon Boat Club on Facebook and register to attend.
Forbes Dragon Boat Club recently competed at the Masters Games in Weston ACT. The three day event included 200m races and 1km turn races in both small and full boats. Forbes combined with four other clubs for this competition. Team Forge included paddlers from Forbes, Geelong Vic, Parkes, Adelaide Survivors abreast and Powerblades SA.
In November FDBC also competed in the Western Region Regatta this year held in Orange. Races included 10’s and 20’s crews over 200m and a dash for cash over 100m. We combined with Parkes and Blue mountains on that day.
Forbes Dragon Boat Club is offering a four week introduction to paddle plan, aimed at recruiting some new members.
Dragon pass is a free program to trial dragon boating before joining a club.
We aim to run sessions on Sundays from 30 November until 21 December. Sessions will be for 30-40mins from 9am. It’s all about fitness, friendship and fun. There is no requirement to attend all sessions. You are also welcome to join our regular training sessions during the dragon pass period. Paddles and life jackets are provided.
All you need to bring is a bottle of water, a cap and closed in shoes.
So, if you have ever wondered about giving dragon boating a try – this is your chance. We challenge businesses, sporting teams, anyone looking for something new, who loves the water, to come along and give it a try. Minimum age 11 years.
Paddling with Forbes Dragons can be social or competitive – you decide on your level of participation. For more information search Forbes Dragon Boat Club on Facebook and register to attend.