After the 3rd and 4th rounds of the Forbes Golf Club Championships last weekend, Steve Betland claimed the A-Grade Championship title. He held his good lead to finish 11-shots clear of Mike Wood in second place. In the A-Reserve, Doug Churchill finished on 331, six shots ahead of Phil Maher.

The B-Grade produced a real bolter. Peter Grayson leapt into the lead with Barry Parker close behind after three rounds, but on the final day Ian Bown produced a sublime round of 80 to take the honours by seven shots over Paul Pymont. The C-Grade proved to be an easy walk for Anthony Alley. He was tied with Stuart French after the 3rd round, but managed to finish 12 shots ahead of Ron Morris. Doug Churchill won the Veterans Championship ahead of Phil Maher.

In the Saturday daily competition Niel Duncan (67 nett) finished ahead of Phil Maher (69). The B-division went to Garry Collits (64) with the best nett score of the day, ahead of Craig Barret (68). The Sunday daily competition A-division was taken by Ian Bown with 66 nett from Doug Churchill (72 on count back). Andrew McDonald won the the B-division (70) followed by Milton Cartwright (72).

The complete list of champions:
A-Grade Scratch: Winner – S Betland (287); R/up – M Wood (308)
A-Grade Handicap: Winner – S Betland (nett 291); R/up – M Wood (292)
A-Reserve Scratch: Winner – D Churchill (331); R/up – M Wood (308)
B-Grade Scratch: Winner – I Bown (340); R/up P Pymont (347)
B-Grade Handicap: Winner – I Bown (nett 280); R/up – C Barrett (287)
C-Grade Scratch: Winner – A Alley (385); R/up – R Morris (397)
C-Grade Handicap: Winner – A Alley (nett 282); R/up – M Cartwright (313 c/b)
Veteran Scratch: Winner – D Churchill (331); R/up – P Maher (337)
Veteran Handicap: Winner – I Bown (nett 280); R/up – D Churchill (283)

By Short Putt

The Forbes Golf Club Championships is still wide open in all grades after two rounds of play last weekend. The A-Grade is led by Steve Betland with rounds of 69 and 70. He is slightly ahead of Mike Wood who scored 74 and 73. Doug Churchill leads the A-Reserve group on 162 followed by Bruce Carpenter on 169 and Phil Maher on 171. In B-Grade Ian Bown is equal leader on 170 with Peter Grayson. The C-grade leader is Stuart French on 185 who overtook
Anthony Alley on 192. Ron Morris is also on 192.

The NTP’s on Saturday went to: 9th M Spice; 18th M Wood. An additional incentive was the Pro-Pin on the 3rd won by Terry Sharpe. The Saturday ball sweep went to 72 nett on count back: 67 – Anthony Alley, Andrew Dukes; 68 – Doug Churchill; 69 – P Maher, D Rhodes, I Bown; 70 –T Sharpe, C Barrett, S Betland, M Wood; 71 – M Collits; A
Rees, D Mylecharane; 72 – B Shine and P Grayson. The Sunday NTP’s went to: 9th R Taylor, 18th M Cahill. The Pro-Pin went to Steve Betland. The ball sweep went to 72 nett on count back: 67 – F Hanns; 68 – Stuart French; 69 – Lee Grierson, Mike Wood; 70 – Doug Churchill, Barry Parker; 71 – Steve Betland, Peter Grayson, Laurie O’Connor;
72 – Paul Pymont, Jeff Haley, Scott Kirkman.

The final two rounds will be played this weekend.

By Short Putt

This weekend will see one of the best field of golfers ever to contest a tournament in Forbes with 13 players on handicaps of three or less nominated for the $5,500 Nissan Classic. Players this year are from as far afield as the Gold Coast to all points across NSW. Tee off on both days for first players start at 7am with the last at 1.30pm. Spectators are welcome.

Chairperson of the Classic committee, Randal Grayson said support from sponsors was again excellent. Saturday evening a calcutta will be conduced with the cream of A grade players involved. “Come over and you never know you may end up with the winner. Last year’s winner collected close to $2,000,” Randal said. Last weekend’s results: A grade winner Phil Duke with 73 nett on a count-back from Todd Callaghan (runner-up), Peter Grayson and Ray Taylor.

Paul Kay scored best for the day, 72 in B grade and on a count-back from Jeff House. Tom Edols led C graders home with 73 nett from Ron Morris, 75.

By Short Putt

Richard Nixon won the A-division of the Stroke Event last Saturday with net 69. Runner-up was Jeff Haley with 71 nett, finishing just ahead of Scott Kirkman on count back. The B-division was hotly contested. Stevie G won with nett 64. Al Rees also with 64 lost out on count back. Stevie was on fire as he sunk a huge 70 foot putt on the 12th for a birdie.

The ball sweep went to 73 nett on count back, being given to those above plus: 65 – C Barrett; 70 – T Edols; 71 – S Kirkman; 72 – P Kay, A Grierson, P Barnes, M Cartwright; 73 – F Donohue, G Drane. The NTP’s went to: 9th – T Callaghan; 18th – D Rhodes.

Sunday’s Stableford Medley was won by Scott Kirman with 42 points. Runner-up was Dave Mylecharane with 38 points. The ball sweep went to 37 points, with T Sharp snaring one. The NTP’s were – 9th B Carpenter; 18th E Hush. No 2’s were scored.

Our Lachlan Valley Districts team attended the Country Championships at Goulburn last weekend. The 92 competitors, playing for individual and team honours, found the course and conditions very tough. The individual winner was Tony Brunero with 137, while the team event was won by a composite group on a combined 572, well
ahead of the Lachlan Valley Districts 613. John Betland was our best scratch score with 145, finishing in 15th spot. Steve Betland finished further down the list at 56th, and Peter Dawson, Andrew Dukes, Lee Grierson, Mark Collits and Dan Bayley finished further back.

By Short Putt

The Men’s Monthly Medal played last Saturday was a true test of controlled ball flight in blustery wind conditions.
Peter Dawson won the A-grade on count back with nett 73. Runner-up was Stephen Uphill with 73 nett. The B-grade went to Ian Bown who returned a nett 72, and carried his partner to a keno win. Runner-up was Michael Browne with 73 nett.

The C-grade winner was Frank Hanns who had 70 nett – the best round of the day. Stuart French had nett 73 to finish runnerup. The ball sweep went to 77 nett on count back given to those above plus: 74 – D Bayley, D Earl; 75 – P Maher, S Kirkman; 76 – F Donohue, C McMillan, B Chandler; 77 – T Sharpe, M Woods (Orange) and A Borger.
The NTP’s went to: 9th – S Betland; 18th – M Woods.

The winner of Sunday’s Stableford Medley was Andy Dukes scoring 33 points. Unfortunately there was not enough of a field for any other balls. However, there were NTP’s – 9th A Dukes; 18th B Carpenter.

The Nissan Classic weekend, with a 4BBB will be on 12th November and an 18- hole stroke on the 13th. This event is so popular we need more carts. If you are not using your cart, or willing to share a seat, please let Daniel know.
The Forbz Skinz begins today, and on Sunday it is the Condobolin Open. We wish our Lachlan Valley Districts team
well at the Country Championships at Goulburn this weekend.

The Club Championships has been moved to 19th and 20th and 26th and 27th November.
By Short Putt

Last Saturday’s Individual Stableford attracted a field of 45 players who welcomed the opportunity to play on the surprisingly good greens and fairways after the floods. The winner was Andrew McDonald who produced a near flawless display to produce 42 points for the day. Runner-up was Matt Lawryk from Parkes with 39.

The ball sweep went to 34 points on count back, being distributed to those above plus: 38 – P Maher; 37 – P Duke, I Bown, R Morris; 36 – G Drane, A Grierson, C Barrett; 34 – S Sallaway, N Duncan. The NTP’s went to: 18th first – B Shine, 18th second – R Nixon. There were no 2’s scored.

There was one bona fide eagle scored on the 11th by Phil Maher. Phil’s drive drifted into the trees on the right, finishing near a trunk. Using his 2-iron, Phil punched a shot, which scorched out of the foliage, ran along the fairway, rose up the green, and dropped into the hole.

Once again the regular Sunday Stableford Medley crowd were out. The blustery conditions made it difficult to score well, but some players managed the wind well. The winner was Judy Hodge, with 36 points. The NTP’s went to: 18th first – J Hodge, 18th second – nobody. The FGA AGM will be held on Wednesday, 26th October at 6:30 pm. The first ‘Forbz Skinz’ competition starts on 28th October.

The Forbes Golf Classic is set for the weekend of 12th and 13th November.

By Short Putt

Saturday’s scheduled event, the Daine Doolin Memorial, was postponed yet again. However, Golf Pro Daniel organised the Inaugural Par-3 Aqua Golf Medley competition – a 6-hole, Par-54 layout utilising unorthodox tee positions to selected holes. Fifteen golfers rose to the challenge, proclaiming the event a most enjoyable and
successful venture. The Scratch winner was Peter Dawson with 56. The Handicap winner was Jill Cripps, with nett 45. The Handicap runner-up was Bob Borger with 46, getting there on count back.

The ball sweep went to 47 nett, being picked up by: 46 – B Drabsch and 47 – P Barnes. The NTP’s went to 9th- P Dawson and 18th – M Collits. There were eleven 2’s scored. Ecky Dawson scored three 2’s, each on different holes, and Doug Churchill scored two 2’s, also on separate holes.

Forbes Gold Club is taking part in Australia Golf Month in October when everyone can give golf a go. The 2016-17 Summer Sixes competition will begin competitive play in the week of 10th October. The GolfNSW Open Regional Qualifier, played over 36-holes, is set for 8th and 9th October. Tomorrow we will attempt to run the Daine
Doolin Memorial 4-BBB Stableford alongside the Cahill sponsored 4-BBB Stableford competition. Sunday 18th is the Stableford Medley, plus the Parkes Open. Saturday, 24th September is a 4-Ball Ambrose sponsored by Alby Callaghan, and Sunday 25th the Stableford Medley.
By Short Putt

Alf Davies and Ron Morris won the A and B divisions respectively of last Saturday’s Individual Stroke event, sponsored by Complete Plumbing. Alf won with a very well-crafted 70 nett. His driving was nearly immaculate every time. Brian Doyle was unlucky to be runner-up, being shifted into second spot by
virtue of a count back.

In the B division, it was also a close event with Ron taking the honours with a nett 71, followed by Geoff Drane with nett 72. Ron was his usual tidy scorer, while Geoff Drane played like a resurgent demon possessed with magical skill. The scores were higher than expected given the good conditions with a field of 45 players enjoying their wander around the course.

The ball sweep went to 74 nett on count back, being given to those above plus: 71 – P Nixon; 72 – R Nixon; 73 – T Cogswell, P Pymont, B Parker; 74 – L O’Connor and B Squires. The NTP’s went to: 9th – A Davies; 18th – D Culley. Neither got their ‘2’, but Alf scored a lovely ‘2’ on the 3rd, by chipping in. Overall there were only four 2’s. Sunday’s Stableford Medley, played in balmy conditions with dollops of warming sunshine, was won by Libby Godden with 38 points from a field of 12 players.

Jill Cripps finished as runner-up with 37 points, on count back from three other players. The NTP’s went to: 9th B Drabsch and 18th L Godden. Neither managed a ‘2’, and nor did anybody else. The ball sweep went to 37, and was picked up by Ray Taylor, Scott Kirkman and Craig Barrett, who all played in the same group.

With some good weather of recent weeks, there were finally enough cards returned to sort out the Winter Individual Comp. These results cover the period from 10th July to 28th August, just showing how difficult it has been. The eventual winner was Bede Tooth with 34 nett, and this achieved on a day that did not assist him with sunshine or balmy conditions. Balls go to Stuart French (35), Ethel Coombs (36) and Fran Smith (37). Daniel will be running a Junior Golf Camp on 28th and 29th September in the school holidays. Contact him on 6851 1554 for details.

By Short Putt

Eleanor Murray from Dubbo won the Forbes Junior Open on Sunday with net 65. She is too young to win a car as her prize! A total of 25 players from Cabramatta, Dubbo, Bathurst, Bankstown, Bourke, Parkes and Forbes took part and handicaps ranged from 3 to 30+, with six of the players on single figures.

The U-14 Scratch winner was Harrison Glenday (Cabramatta) with 83, while the U-14 Handicap winner was Cam McMillan (Forbes) with 77. The U-15 Scratch winner was Jackson Fearns (Bankstown) with 80, and the U-15 Handicap winner was Adam Coull (Bankstown) with 71.

The team event was won by Country with E Murray from Dubbo, J Cunningham from Bourke, J Kuntze from Forbes, and M Bourne from Dubbo and L Mears with 220 points. A 9-hole shoot-out was played on Saturday afternoon. The Scratch winner was Adam Coull (36) and the Nett winner was Mitchell Bourne (33). Jackson Fearns (Banktown) and Will Gordon (Forbes) were the only players to score a ‘2’, both on the 9th.

By Short Putt