Andy Dukes’ 69 nett made him the winner of the Monthly Medal last Saturday. Runner-up was Andrew Grierson with a nett 72 in a field of 64 players. The B-grade winner was Dave Rhodes and runnerup Geoff Coles. The C-grade winner was Stuart French and runner-up was Bruce Squires.

Saturday’s ball sweep went to 74 nett on count back, being given to those above plus: 72 – B Borger, B Shine, W Gordon; 73 – P Dawson, D Churchill; 74 – P Barnes, D Culley, B Everest, M Spice and T Morgan. The NTP’s went to: 9th – B Shine; 18th – B Borger. Barry got his ‘2’ but Bob missed his by a long shot. There were eight 2’s scored overall. Sunday’s Stableford Medley unfortunately had a small field. The winner was Scott Kirkman finishing with 36 points. The only NTP was on the 9th, scored by M Reid.

Some Wallace Cup match results are: L Grierson d A Dukes 4/3; D Mylecharane d P Maher 1-up and I Bown d P Dawson. The NSW Men’s 4-Ball District Final was played at Grenfell on Sunday. Three pairings attended from Forbes, joining teams from Bogan Gate, Parkes, Condobolin and Grenfell. The event was won by Grenfell pairing Taylor/McMahon with +6. Forbes teams were Morgan/McDonald (+2), Smith/Haans (-3) and Newport/Drane (-3).

The Inaugural Sand/Grass Green Championship is set for 20th and 21st August. There is still room for more entries.

By Short Putt

Andy Dukes and Andy Cogswell won the Annual American Foursomes men’s competition last Saturday with 66 5/8 nett. A total of 52 players contested the competition, sponsored by Milton Cartwright. Milton brings the event from historical beginnings in Sydney, and relishes the challenge it gives the players.

It is a pairs event where the format includes playing 2nd shots from each other’s tee shots, before alternating with the “best ball”. Dukes and Cogswell played at the end of the field, dashing the hopes of P Dawson/S Sallaway, who sat in the clubhouse as early leaders. They finished runners-up with a nett 67 ½ from their 69 scratch result – a 34/35 split showing consistency in their play.

Saturday’s ball sweep went to 72 ½ , being picked up by those above plus: 681/8 – N Duncan/A Grierson, 69 ½ – D Bayley/ K Herbert, 71 3/8 – D Rhodes/ N McMillan, 72 3/8 – D Culley/ B Parker and 72 ½ – R Borger/P Nixon.

The NTP’s went to: 9th – L Grierson and 18th – K Herbert. Kim got his 2 but Lee missed out. There were four 2’s scored overall.

Sunday’s Stableford Medley was won by Dave Rhodes competing with 15 other players. He managed to concentrate all the way for his 38 points. Runner-up, on count back, was Scott Kirkman with 34 points. For the NTP’s, nobody found the green at the 9th (guys, it is just past the bunker) but Richard
Smith hit the bull’s-eye on the 18th. He missed his 2 though.

The ball sweep went to 33, and apart from those above was delivered to: 34 – L Godden; 33 – R Smith, B Carpenter. Do not forget to put your name on the list to participate in the Inaugural Sand/Grass Green Championship, to be held on 20th and 21st August. Rounds will be played at Forbes and Grenfell. Join players from as far afield as Walcha who have already registered.

All players are reminded to repair your pitch marks on the greens. The greens may look firm, but severe dents are being left unrepaired. Make the effort to walk to the front of the green even if the pin is at the back. Tomorrow is the Monthly Medal, sponsored by Bernardi’s Super IGA. Sunday is the 18-hole Stableford Medley, the Men’s 4BBB DGA Final at Grenfell (good luck Messrs Newport and Drane ), and the Albert GC Open.

By Short Putt

Garry Pymont and Geoff Coles were the handicap champions of the 4BBB Stroke Championships last Saturday. The event was carried over from the previous weekend due to bad weather. It was still a battle for the 24 competing pairings as the conditions were described as tougher than walking the Kokoda trail.

Pymont and Coles won with 61 nett, who combined well hole by hole. Runners-up were Peter Barnes and Doug Churchill with 67 nett, on count back from A McDonald/Tony Cogswell. The Stroke winners were S Sallaway/P Dawson with 71, from D Bayley/A Dukes on 73. Saturday’s ball sweep went to 68 nett, on count back, being picked up by 61 – G Pymont/G Coles; 67 – D Churchill/P Barnes, A McDonald/T Cogswell, D Bayley/A Dukes, N and C McMillan; 68 – F Donohue/P Pymont, P Cowhan/P Kay and R Nixon/M Langfield.

The NTP’s went to: 9th – T West; 18th – S Sallaway. There were eight 2’s. The father/ son pairing of Neil and Cameron McMillan scored 2’s on the 1st and 3rd holes.

Sunday’s play was meant to be the Stableford Medley, but tough ground conditions and threatening skies significantly reduced the field. In some results: P Nixon d D Clarke 5/3, D Bayley d F Collie 2/1, A Dukes d T Sharpe 6/5, L O’Connor d M Watts 4/3 and Andy Cogswell d J Zannes on 22nd. Tomorrow is the American Foursomes, and Sunday the Daine Doolin Memorial.

By Short Putt

The Men’s Foursomes Championships was held over 36 holes, played on Saturday and Sunday. The sun was pleasant but with the ground still very soft it played very long. The Overall 36 hole Scratch winners were the pairing of Mark Collits and Steve Betland, who finished with 145. Runnersup were Dan Bayley and Peter Dawson on 157.

The Overall Handicap winners were also Collits and Betland with a nett of 141. Runners-up were Robert and Adam Borger with 150 nett. Collits and Betland also won both the Saturday and Sunday Scratch with scores of 75 and 70. The conditions were tough on Saturday with no scores under par. The Sunday scores showed a marked improvement with best improvers Rob and Adam Borger, while Morgan and French both improved by 14 shots.

The winner of the Medley Stableford on Sunday was Ray Taylor with 34 points, followed by Judy Hodge with 33 points on count back. Bruce got the ball sweep with 33 points. The NTP’s went to 9th – E Coombs and 18th – P Rowe. The Wallace Cup timeframes have been adjusted with the first round to be completed by 26th July and the second round by 9th Aug.

Saturday 23rd July has been re-scheduled as the 18 Hole 4BBB Stroke Championship. Sponsor John Davis Mazda is looking for a vroom-vroom performance. Sunday is the 18 Hole Stableford Medley. With the sun out it is a good opportunity to utilise the “Winter Specials” on offer. Details at the Pro Shop on 6851 1554.

Let us hope the rain has not affected our chances too much.
By Short Putt

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