Golf last weekend followed the trend of many sports with play being cancelled because of the wet ground conditions. Both Saturday’s and Sunday’s competition golf was postponed. In the afternoon on each day social players were allowed out, but only walkers were allowed on the course.

We have two major GolfNSW events coming to the club soon, so the course needs to look good. The first is the Inaugural Sand/ Grass Green Championship, to be held on 20th to 21st August. This involves 18 holes of play at Forbes on grass greens, and 18 holes of play at Grenfell on sand greens.

See Daniel in the Pro Shop for your registration. The fee is $90 per person, which includes two games of golf and a BBQ lunch. The other GolfNSW event is the NSW Open Regional Qualifier, scheduled for 8th and 9th October. The winner of this event gets direct entry into the NSW Open to be held in November at the Stonecutter’s Ridge GC.

This is a 36 hole event. Entry fee is $100, which covers the two rounds of golf, plus a fully catered dinner on Saturday night. It seems funny, but do not forget the “Winter Specials” on offer. Utilise these when we can get onto the course. Tomorrow and Sunday will hopefully be the Men’s Foursomes Championships, played over 36 holes. There will be no Sunday Stableford Medley. Saturday, 23rd July has been re-scheduled as the 18 hole 4BBB Stroke Championship. Sunday is the 18 hole Stableford Medley. Here is to some drying weather and getting the rust off the swings.

By Short Putt

The ground conditions at the Forbes Golf Club made it a very challenging weekend, but the golfers battled well to record some good scores. On Saturday the programmed 4BBB Stroke Championship was reverted to an Individual Medley Stableford, contested by 42 players.

In the A-division, Mark Collits played steady golf by hitting the dry spots on the fairway, and hitting the greens on cue. His nett 72 earned him 36 points and the win, but he only won on countback. Lee Grierson was very unlucky to finish second. He had the same scratch and nett scores but missed any points on the 13th.

The B-division was won by Bruce Chandler with 36 points. Not far behind was Ron Morris with 33 points. The Ball Sweep went to 32 points on count back, and included: 34 – C Dwyer, M Cahill, M Hayley; 33 – D Churchill, Alf Davies, M Browne and S Sallaway. Both the NTP’s went to Peter Barnes. But he did not get a ‘2’ on either hole. There was only one ‘2’ recorded all day by Frank
Hanns on the 3rd. Chip-ins are pretty commonplace now, mainly to overcome the wet greens. Both Andrew Dukes and Lee Grierson chipped in on the 16th to down their Keno opponents – the two red-heads. And Stevie G managed a chip-in from behind the 4th green to win a hole for his team. Andy Cogswell played a chip from well behind the 18th to salvage par.

Sunday’s golf was a Stableford Medley. Barb Drabsch was the winner with 35 points. Once again Ron Morris finished second, on count back, with 33 points. The ball sweep went to 33 points and rewarded Craig Barrett and Scott Kirkman for their diligent play. The NTP’s went to: 9th – Ray Taylor, and 18th – Na. Ray snared the only ‘2’ of the day, on the 9th of course.

Contributed by Short Putt

On Saturday 11th June the CanAssist Golf Charity Day was held. The four person Ambrose event brought a competition spirit and lots of fun to the venue and a good field of 114 players assembled from Forbes and other local districts, with some players coming as far as Queensland, Sydney and Victoria.

The Handicap Winners were J Tranter, S Tranter, D Herbert and M Sykes with a 55 nett. The Scratch winners were G West, D West, J Denamiel and S West with 64. Overall, nett scores were very close. Once again the contribution by sponsors, players and donations was exceptional, with over $2,500 being raised. This will help support local cancer patients in their battle to gain health.

On Sunday and Monday a Stableford Medley was played each day. Fields were slightly down, but each day was well contested. Sunday’s winner was Lee Grierson with 38 points, on count back from Ray Taylor who also had 38 points and Monday’s winner was Doug Churchill with 39 points. This also was a count back win, with Phil Maher coming in second with his 39. Phil took the greatest honours for the day though, scoring a hole-in-one on the 18th. He used a 6-iron to land the ball short and have it bounce onto the green and run
into the hole. Both he and the shot are elegance personified!

This shot ensured he got the ‘Nearest the Pin’ on that hole. Tomorrow will be the Daine Doolin Memorial event, which is a 4BBB Stableford Medley.

Contributed by Short Putt

On Sunday 29 May the Forbes Golf Open, held the annual 27-hole Mixed Foursomes event. A good field of 16 pairings enjoyed the contest. The Scratch Winners were Lee and Sharon Grierson, with 127. The Handicap Winners were Andy Cogswell and Christine Davies with 108 ½ nett, while Runners-up were Dave Rhodes and Verna Lane on 109 nett.

Doug Churchill and Pat Jones also picked up a ball, The NTP’s went to: 9th – E Coombs and 18th: L Grierson. Some pairings had good fortune, while others had one calamity after another all day.

On Saturday 28 May the Mens competition was for the Wilf Hodges Memorial Trophy. There was a strong pool of contenders with a tight group at the top. The Overall winner was Ron Morris, with 41 points. The A-division was won by Phil Maher with 40 points, on count back from Paul Pymont with 40 points. The B-division went to Ron Morris, while Al Rees was runner-up with 35 points.

The “CanAssist” Charity Golf Day is set for Saturday 11 June, so get your name onto the starting sheet now.

Contributed by Short Putt

Professional golf returned to Forbes last Friday, its first appearance since the late 60s and early 70s, and it proved to be an outstanding success. Playing in the E-Z-Go Legends Pro- Am, David Merriman from Royal Pines in Queensland and formally from Boorowa, came out winner with 6-under par 66.

The professional tournament, for players aged 55 years and over, also included amateurs from across the district resulting in a full field of 120 plus with play from 8.30am to 10.30am on the 1st and 10th tees. Like all players Merriman was highly impressed with the Forbes course. “What the club here has put on is excellent, the course is a credit to the outdoor staff and volunteers who help out,” he said. “The speed of the greens which have a good cover of grass really impressed me, they were excellent and putts kept their line. I can see this tournament growing in years to come,” he added.

Runner-up with 3-under par 69 was Peter Woodward from Berwick, Victoria. Third was touring professional Glenn Joyner from Melbourne while fourth place was shared by local amateur Steve Betland and Allan May from Thornleigh, NSW. With a total purse of $11,000, Betland would have picked up a cheque of $625.24 if eligible.

Betland wasn’t the only local player to collect a trophy with several others taking home spoils in A, B and C grades plus Ladies. Forbes golfing ladies continued the trend of major events, staging their Open Tournament last weekend with Duntryleague Orange member Susan Fenwick winning the individual competition on Sunday with a score of 83 in Division 1.

Other winners were:
Division 1 – Handicap was won by Heather Davidson (Forbes) with 73 nett.
Division 2 – Scratch Cookie Dobell (Cowra) 93, Handicap Verna Lane (Forbes) 75.
Division 3 – Scratch Jean Judge (Forbes) 110, Handicap Briana Duncan (Forbes) 75.

On Saturday the Mens competition was a Stroke event. The A-division Winner was Jordan Brett with 68 nett, with Runner-up Todd Callaghan on 69 nett. The B-Division honours went to John Ridley, who scorched around in 63 nett, a long way ahead of Stuart French on 72 nett. Golf this weekend: Saturday has Men – Monthly Medals, sponsor Luke Hurford Painting. Ladies – Stableford, sponsor Haley Hurford Beauty Therapy. Sunday, Mother’s Day Medley Stableford.

On Saturday 19 March competition at the Forbes Golf Club was for the 4BBB Mixed Par event, and an Individual Par event run in conjunction.

The first three placegetters In the Mixed Par event will go forward to the District Final, to be held at Peak Hill. The winners and lucky runners-up teams were Phil & Shirley Dukes (with a score of +8), Niel & Carolyn Duncan (+6) on count back, and Andy Cogswell and Christine Davies (+6).

The reserves will be Mike & Tanya Spice, also with +6. The Individual Par event saw scores less pretty than the Mixed Par events. Paul Kay scored +4 to take the win, only just ahead of Neil McMillan on +3.

Sunday was the regular Stableford Medley. The day was enjoyed by a healthy bunch of players. Bruce Carpenter reversed his form from Saturday recorded 43 points. Ben Webb came in as runner-up with 39 points. Both
players had birdies to score 4-pointers.

The NTP’s went to: 9th – R Taylor; 18th – B Shields. Neither got their ‘2’.The ball sweep went to 33 on count back, with recipients being: 35 – Larry Gillespie (Stonecutters Ridge), Rob Webb; 33 – Ray Taylor. As usual with the 18-hole events, the contest was for the Coles-Miller Shield. Local knowledge, and weight of numbers, helped as Forbes won with 198 (19 players), ahead of Parkes 173 (16), Condobolin 164 (8), W Wyalong 160 (7), Cowra 155 (8) and Grenfell 123 (5). The one visitor beat himself in a play-off.

And here is the news: Daniel is running a Junior School Holiday Camp on 11 and 12 April. If you have a child, or know of any school children who may be interested, please contact Daniel at the Pro Shop 6851 1554.

The LCDGA Pennants will be held at Parkes on Sunday 17 April. This is open to all Club players, with those who represented the Club in this year’s Pennants comp especially encouraged to attend. The more players we have the better our chances of getting another “blue flag” on the wall.

By Short Putt

On Saturday 5 March the play was for the Monthly Medal, sponsored by Michael Robinson and Co. The field of 45 players meant that there was greater opportunity to win, but you still needed to deliver. But the best score barely broke Par.

In the A-grade Shane Sallaway used this day to fine tune his Pennants game, winning with 72 nett. Bruce Carpenter was Runner-up with 74, and wished he had not faltered on the 4th with a ‘7’.

Sunday was the regular Stableford Medley. The sunny conditions were welcoming, but the temperatures were quite stifling leading, to a small field. The winner was Joe Davies (P) with 27 points, although it was a near thing as he got there on count back from Roy Bell (P).

They both enjoyed the Forbes excursion. Ron Hurst (F) was back on deck and quickly into his winning ways, although this time it was for the Bradman award.

The Mick Miller shield was a very close contest. The prodigal son, Digit, used his score to get Forbes across the line with 149 points to Parkes 147. Close contests like that are not good for the heart.

And here is the news:
Unfortunately our Pennants teams ran into strong opposition. On Sunday 6 March, both the Div 1 and Div 2 teams played at Duntryleague.
And unfortunately they both lost 3/2. Each team had close encounters with
the result hinging on one game. Well done to all players, and we shall look forward to 2017.

Andrew Dukes keeps the Hole-in-One tradition in the Forbes ASI Capital Sixes comp alive by recording a Hole-in-One on the 3rd. This is the third Hole-in-One scored this comp.

Geoff Drane got his photo in the paper for his efforts in the Diggers Swimming Pup Cup. Unfortunately, he tried to match his slow, lanquid swim stroke to his golf game, but fell way behind his handicap mark because there was no bell for the last lap.

Revel in this warmer weather, as winter will soon be upon us.

On Saturday 20 Feb the Mens competition was a 2-Person Ambrose.
The Winners were Andrew Dukes and Daniel Bayley, who combined well to shoot 4-under for each 9-holes. They pulsed well as Andrew had most of the drives on the front-9 while Daniel had the drives on the back-9.

The Runners-up contest needed a count back to resolve the deadlock. Peter Dawson and Terry Sharpe finished 5-under par to be a smidgeon behind the Parkes pairing of Peachy Dixon and Cranky Kelly on 66, but the Dawson/Sharpe handicap got the win.

Sunday was the regular Stableford Medley. The sunny and hot conditions presented a challenge, but a few looked upon this as sheer bliss. There were even visiting players from Parkes who came to watch the Pennants and play a round after it. Ray Taylor recaptured some of his touch on the green, rolling in a few bombs to help him to a winning score of 35, on countback.

The ever steady Bruce Carpenter also had 35 points, but was less tidy on the back-9. And here is the news:
Last Sunday had mixed fortunes for the Pennants teams. Div 2 and Div 4 played, with a win to the Div 2 and a loss to the Div 4. The heroes for Forbes this week were Kim Herbert and Dave Mylecharane (demolishing
their opponents in Div 2), and Richard Smith and Jim McLuckie – battling
to the very end without due reward. All divisions play at Parkes this Sunday.

We are pleased to see Barry Parker back on the golf course. He may be a bit slower at present, but on the course he can still drive true and be heard by everyone playing. And Ron Morris is doing well after his operation. And perhaps a final word about milestone birthdays. Happy birthday to Scott Kirkman for tomorrow, when he celebrates 60 years.

Swing easy and let it all flow.

Contributed by Short Putt

Steve Betland led the way for scoring at golf on the weekend by carding a 34 for the front-9, two under par. But also interestingly, all winners of the Monthly Medals were previous Forbes 1st Grade Rep players for cricket.

On Saturday 6 Feb the play was for the Monthly Medal. The field of 66 players matched the January Medal round, but the standard of play delivered lower scores. The A-grade was a chance for the Pennant players to fine tune their play. Some of them had a bye the following day and needed to stay in touch while others needed to smooth their style for the contest on Sunday.

Dan Bayley presented an immaculate card that reflected his immaculate game. He scored 36-38 for a nett 69. Runner-up was Peter Dawson who scored 36-37 for a nett 70.

Do not forget that next week, Thursday 18 Feb, we head to Condobolin for an 18-hole competition, and where most rate it the best ‘feed’ in the Lachlan Valley. On a sad note, Forbes Golfers lost a good friend last week with the passing of Les Findlay. Les was President of the Forbes Services Club when the Golf Club went through a few changes, and a great supporter of Forbes golf.

Saturday’s play was the Monthly Medal, sponsored by Central West Diesel. Once again Peter Dawson played exceptional golf to finish on 70 nett. His front-9 was 2-over, courtesy of a ‘7’ on the second, but his back-9 was 1-under, helped by a couple of birdies. Close behind was Barry Parker, with a fine 71 nett.

The B-grade (24) culminated in a nailbiting finish. An early player, Jeff House was 3-over after 15, but then it went wrong and he dropped 8 shots on the last holes finishing with 68 nett. At the end of the field, Adam Borger came home in par figures for his 68 nett. This ensured he won on count back from Jeff.

The C-grade was a triumph for consistency when Frank Hanns came in with a nett 69. Close behind was Stuart French with 70 nett. Sunday was the regular Stableford Medley. Many players were out early, among the ‘Sixes’ players to beat the heat. Dave Rhodes fired home with 39 points.

He had a comfortable lead over Stuart French (37), who is truly enjoying his golf, until of course the handicapper catches him. The Vets Golf, played on Thursday Dec 3rd, included the Single Stableford and Xmas Hamper comp played over 18 holes, and the Yearly results as compiled for both Parkes and Forbes players. Now for the Mick Miller Shield Results, tabulated over the year:

Points Comp: Winner – M Cartwright (F) 100; R/up – D Rogers (P) 90.
Stableford comp: Winner – T Edols (F) 576;
R/up J O’Shannessy (P) 564.

And there are a few stories. Local history was made when a group of five players each scored a birdie on the 1st hole. Luckily they did not par the first, or else their scores would have crumbled, as folk lore indicates.