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Forbes Phoenix

Good Weather Brings Success!

October 1, 2015 by Maggi Barnard

Saturday’s game was a 4-person Ambrose. In all 72 players took to the course in 19 groups. Not all groups had the full complement of players, but all were encouraged by the sponsor Alby Callaghan to play with lusty strokes and much gusto. The winners were the group of Ron Hurst, Shirley Redfern, Fleur Wells and Phil Wells, returning a score of 56.8 nett (rounding to the nearest decimal point, not the multiple decimal points that some tried to use).

Three birdies (one on the notorious 7th hole) and three bogeys gave a level par score, but their handicap really helped. For the record, a group comprising some of the ‘battlecruisers’ of the membership enjoyed the conditions so much that they knocked 10 shots off par. Yes, their 62 scratch was made up of 10 birdies and no bogeys. A run of five birdies to finish the front-9 helped. And who were they? Daniel Bayley, Peter Dawson, Kim Herbert, Michael Wood are the battlecruisers, leaving the label of battleships to the Betland boys.

The ball sweep went to 58.8 nett and was shared by the winners and: 57.6 – T Morgan, J Morgan, S French, A McDonald; 58.5 – P Dawson, D Bayley, K Herbert, M Wood; 58.7 – J Haley, R Taylor, B Monaghan, L Byrne; 58.8 –
S Garvey, T Griffiths, L Godden, B Carpenter. Some very close results through all that.

Nearest the pins went to: 9th – Randall Grayson; 18th – Peter Dawson. The 2’s story is interesting. There were 7 scored overall, but one group got three 2’s, missing out on the 1st hole. Guess who that group was! Good to see the Forbes Roving Golf Ambassador, namely ‘Digit’ McAuliffe, who came from Nelson Bay GC via Thailand, playing on
the weekend. It is always good to see Digit playing here, as he maintains his Forbes ‘roots’ and supports us very well.
Sunday’s Stableford Medley was also well supported with a field of 20. The scores matched the conditions – really good all round.

The winner was Cameron McMillan with 40 points, showing the results of some very intensive practice sessions. Runner-up was Ron Morris with 39 points, who missed a good chance for a win courtesy of a ‘7’ on the 15th.
The ball sweep went to 38 points and included: Cameron and Ron plus 38 – Neil McMillan, Peter Grayson and Ray Taylor. The NTP’s were: 9th – N McMillan, and 18th – B Monaghan, of whom Neil got his ‘2’. Other 2’s went to Briana Duncan (9th) and Neil Duncan (3rd).

Through last week, the Vets had a ‘Week of Golf’ at Parkes, which comprised 54 holes at Parkes and a lay-day played at Forbes. Vets players came from as far afield as Hervey Bay (Qld), making up a field of 55 overall. A good contingent of Forbes players tried their best. Some basic results are: 54-holes: A-grade Scratch to G Brambly
(Hervey Bay) 104. 54 holes: B-grade Scratch to Rod Luyt (Parkes) 120. 36-hole Stableford: A-grade to Barry Shine
(Forbes) 69 points. 36-hole Stableford: B-grade to Rob Lea (Parkes) 64 points. There were 18-hole events run on the Mon, Tue and Thu. The best Forbes effort came from Ted Morgan, with 39 points in Tuesday’s event.

The Lay-day at Forbes, attended by 34 players, was a Medley event. Milton Cartwright, playing alongside two ladies, pulled a winning score of 41 points. In 3rd place was another Forbes player, Fleur Wells with 38 points. This week the Vets are playing a 12-hole event at Forbes. The usual 12:30 pm assembly for a 1:00 pm start. The weather promises to be extra nice so get out there and enjoy it.

Some news items for you: All players are encouraged to wear an item of pink clothing on Saturday 10 October.
This is to register support for Cancer Research and the good work that local support groups, like Can-Assist, provide to cancer sufferers. You can wear a pink hat, or pink socks, or a complete Pink ensemble, but please get into the spirit of it. And I am pleased to announce the result of the Mixed Foursomes event. You may remember that when this was played the Scratch result was a tie, and thus a play-off was needed. With four players all having different commitments it was hard to get them back together to ‘finish the job’.

On Monday 28 Sep Andrew Dukes and Sally Crosby battled it out against Jeff Haley and Ethel Coombs, over 18 holes. At the end of the day the victors were Andrew and Sally with a Scratch score of 76. Unfortunately it was not a good day for Jeff and Ethel who had quite a few problems in their round. A couple
of shots into the water on the 4th helped their score creep up to over 90.

Thus, for the 2015 Mixed Foursomes, A Dukes/S Crosby are the Scratch winners, and J Haley/E Coombs are the Handicap winners. What a marathon.

Golf

September 24, 2015 by Maggi Barnard

golf

Good Field at Golf
The format on Saturday was a 4BBB Stableford Medley, sponsored by Cahill’s Footwear. There were 67 in the field, making up 34 pairings. The winners were the pairing of Craig Barrett and Peter Grayson. They did team well,
scoring a number of 3-pointers and a 4-pointer to more than cover the three misses they had.

Runners up on count back were the Woods, father and son, with 46 points. They showed brilliance with birdies on the 7th and 15th holes, and managed no less than 2-points on every hole. The ball sweep went to 43 points and was
shared by those above and: 46 – A Callaghan/ Chandler, 45 – Rhodes/Finn, Baker/F Smith, Newport/Drane 43- J Cripps/Taylor, Edols/Cartwright, Morris/Kirkman.

Nearest the pins went to: 9th – B Chandler; 18th – R Taylor, but neither got their ‘2’. Across the whole field there were only two 2’s scored, and both on the 9th. They went to the Callaghan/Chandler and L Godden/ Carpenter pairings.

Sunday’s Stableford Medley was well supported with a field of 27. The winner was Jordan Brett with 43 points,
and showing a desire to put an early tan on his legs. Runner-up was Peter Dawson with 42 points, on count back from Rob Webb and Michael Wood Jnr. The ball sweep went to 36 points and included:
42 – Rob Webb, Michael Wood Jnr,
38 – Kevin Vale, 37 – Ray Taylor, 36 – Ethel Coombs, Scott Kirkman, Shane Sallaway.

Don’t forget the “Golf Open Day” on Sep 27. Players are encouraged to come along and help any visitors, and also to encourage anybody they know who may be interested to come along and have ago. The fun starts at 10am.

Successful Junior Golf Camp
During this week Daniel Newton, Head Professional at Forbes GC, has been running a Juniors Camp. The main group attended on Monday and Tuesday, while a session for newer golfers was run on Thursday.

There were 21 Juniors registered on the Mon/Tue camp. Monday had a series of coaching classes, then the Juniors were assigned into groups to play a 7-hole Ambrose event. The results for that were:

Division 1 – Will Gordon/ Harry Leadbitter with 30 shots.
Division 2 – Matty Duke/Jack Nadin/Fred Stuckey with 35 shots.

Tuesday had more coaching sessions for the newer starters, and the “Juniors-on-the- Move” 9-hole and 6-hole events. The results for those events are:
9-Hole Division 1 winner: Brianna Duncan.
9-Hole Division 2 Winner: Gus Hooper.
6-hole Handicap Winner: Alec Mclean.

Despite a cold wind the juniors really showed enthusiasm throughout the coaching sessions and their play.

Mens Foursome Titles Decided

September 17, 2015 by Maggi Barnard

After two delays because of bad weather, the Mens Foursomes Championship was finally held over two days last weekend. Saturday played the first round with a field comprising 40 players in 20 teams. The first round Scratch leaders were Steve Betland and Mark Collits, who finished the day with a par 72 round. Close on their heels were Andrew Dukes and Shane Sallaway, 7 shots adrift.

The first round Handicap leaders were Betland/Collits with a nett 70. Not far behind them was Craig Barrett and Allan Rees on nett 72. The ball sweep went to 73 and was shared by those above and: 72.5 – B Squires/P Kay,
R Morris/S Kirkman, 73 – B Carpenter/B Shine.

Nearest the pins went to: 9th – A Dukes; 18th – M Collits, of whom only Mark got his ‘2’. In fact, there were only two 2’s scored all day, with Morris/Kirkman bagging one on the 3rd. On Day Two, Dukes/Sallaway got off to a flyer with a 1-under 35 for the first nine.

They lost shots on the 13th and the 15th but still returned with a Scratch 76. Runnerup for the second round were Betland/Collits, with a somewhat untidy 78. The Day Two Handicap winners were Morris/Kirkman. They improved their scratch score by five shots from the previous day and finished with a 67 ½ nett. Behind them was the pairing of Bown/Newport, finishing with 71 nett. The ball sweep went to 72, and were distributed by: those above plus P Dawson/R Taylor. The NTP’s went to: 9th – P Barnes; 18th – M Spice. No-one scored 2’s that day.

The Results for the Overall Championship
are:
Scratch Winners – Steve Betland/ Mark Collits 150.
Scratch Runners-up – Andrew Dukes/Shane Sallaway 155.
Handicap Winners – Scott Kirkman/ R Morris 140.
Handicap Runners-up – Ian Bown/ Graham Newport 146, on count back.

The Sunday Stableford Medley was available for those men and ladies who were not involved in any of the Championship events. The winner was Milton Cartwright with 40 points, and showing a welcome return to good form. Runner-up was Tom Edols with a tidy 36 points. They both enjoyed the splendid conditions.

Golf

September 10, 2015 by Maggi Barnard

The Forbes Golf Club Summer Super 6’s are getting organised! Team nominations and entry fees are due by Friday 2 October with entry forms available at the Pro Shop. The handicap round starts 2 October with full competition starting on 12 October.

For those wanting to “dip their toes in” before contemplating golf, come along to the Forbes Golf Club Open Day on Sunday 27 September. Our friendly pro Daniel Newton will be on hand to help.

Forbes Golfers Have More Success

September 3, 2015 by Maggi Barnard

Forbes golfers have had some success of late. We have a pair going to Bonville as the Lachlan Valley District Foursomes Champs. And the winners of the Forbes Holden Scramble are going away to Sydney. And we have
some new winners!

A group comprising Andrew Dukes, Phil Maher, Marty Cahill and Michael Browne attended the West Wyalong Holden Scramble. They returned home, victorious over the 14 teams that attended. The conditions were really
wet, but this was a must-do event.

The Forbes team won the day with 61 1/8, from a W/Wyalong team (61 ¼), and 3rd (613/8), 4th (61 ½), 5th (61 5/8). As you see, the top five teams were within half a stroke of each other. Other prizes they collected were: A-grade
NTP twice (thanks to Andrew) and Team NTP for second shot, on the 18th. But it must be said that the defining moment came down to Marty Cahill. As he has done in the past, Marty approached the 18th tee knowing that he needed a good one down the middle, and having duck-hooked his tee shot off the previous hole!

With consummate ease, and nary a thought to the pressure on his shoulders, he smote a delightful shot down the middle. His team applauded. Andy did the honours and fired a 6-iron to the pin (git Team NTP) and then got
the putt for a very good score. These guys are off to Sydney (Riverside Oaks) in mid-October.

Golf Tip From Daniel

September 3, 2015 by Maggi Barnard

Golf Tip from Daniel
Hello golfers! This month I will be talking about Putting.

Yes, drive for show and putt for dough.

A common remark heard around the golf course and for good reason. The average number of putts a golfer will have per round is between 34-38 putts, and they will hit their driver on average 10-12 times per round. Yet we insist
on spending 90%, or even 100%, of our practice time trying to master the 300m drive.

If you are serious on lowering your scores, 2 things need to be done. Make sure you have a putter that is suited to you, and then spend a good amount of your practice time out on the putting green or even on the carpet at home.

When doing this a few important things to concentrate on are:
1. Keep your eyes and head completely still. This will ensure the putter face remains on line through-out the
stroke.
2. Make sure your back swing is the same length as the follow through. Doing this will improve the speed of
your putts.

Good luck and happy golfing.

Golf: A Range of Formats

August 20, 2015 by Maggi Barnard

The Final of the Wallace Cup, a handicap match play comp, was contested between Daniel Bayley and Peter ‘Ecky’ Dawson. Daniel triumphed 3/2 after a very close contest. Congratulations to Daniel who has been a formidable opponent throughout, and a staunch supporter of the event. Saturday’s play was the ‘Righties vs Lefties’ contest, played under Stableford conditions with aggregate scores for each side of the contest deciding the winners. The field of 46 players was split as nature would have it, with 37 right-handers playing against 9 lefthanders.

They were pleased to be contesting this after the ‘World Left-Handers Day’ was commemorated on the preceding Friday. The Lefties aggregate score was 303, somewhat behind the Righties aggregate score of 339. So once again the Righties prove that it is better to play on the left side of the ball, but ah no, it is better to play on the correct side of the ball. Among this comp there was a hidden Foursomes prize. Two cards were drawn at random from each of the Righties and Lefties groups. The aggregate score for each pair decided the winning foursome. In a real turnaround,
the phantom Leftie pairing of Barry Shine and Bruce Carpenter (69) defeated the phantom Rightie pairing of Mick Spice and Brian Monaghan (66).

Also on Saturday was the Stableford comp, contested in two grades. The A-grade winner was Paul Kay (41 points) ahead of runner-up Brian Everest (40). The B-grade winner was Frank Donohue (with 37) from Frank Hanns (36).
The ball sweep went to 36, and included those above plus: 39 – Will Gordon, 38 – Ben Webb, 37 – Barry Shine, Ian Bown, 36 – Niel Duncan, Barry Parker, Doug Churchill. The NTP’s went to: 9th: Andrew Grieson, 18th: Adam Borger. Andrew got his ‘2’ but Adam missed out. There were four 2’s scored, all by right-handers, with the 3rd being most prolific. The classiest ‘2’ went to Ben Webb on the first – a pure strike and a pure putt. Sunday’s 18 hole Stableford Medley was contested by 20 players, including one visitor – John Zannes from Narrabri. Not only did the
sun eventually shine, but so did the golfing.

The Winner was Ron Morris with 42 points, ahead of Phil Duke with 41 points. These last few weeks have shown that scores of over 40 points are needed to be among the prize winners. Ron kept his group entertained on the 11th green for a long time, and kept them all entertained throughout the game, especially after his birdie on the 14th. The NTP’s went to – 9th: B Carpenter, 18th: F Smith. Neither turned their good shots into a ‘2’, but Bruce got one on the 3rd and Fran got one on the 9th! There were four 2’s scored overall. The ball sweep went to 38 points, going to: 40 – Rob Webb, Rod Besgrove, Ron Spice, 38 – Ben Webb. Barb Drabsch did play this week, but somehow missed out.

On Thursday 13 August, the Vets played a 12-hole event at Forbes. The cool breeze cut through a few swings but 29 players were pleased to be there. The winner was Peter Unwin (F) with 26, on count back from John Davies (P) on 26. The Bradman Award went to John Whatmore (F) who had one of those days we just do not want to talk about. At least the company was good. The NTP’s were: 9th – A Grade: Nil (they all missed!), B Grade: M Cartwright (F); 18th – A Grade: D Rodgers (P), B Grade: P Cripps (F). The ball sweep went to 22.

The Mick Miller Shield was an embarrassment for Forbes, who lost on home soil with 134 to Parkes score of 142. Back to the drawing board guys! The next game is an 18-hole event at Forbes, on 20 August. It is the usual gathering
at 9:30 am for a 10:00 am start. So, if you are reading this, you are late already.

Special Notice
The Lachlan Valley District Final for the NSW Men’s Fourball Championship will be played at Bogan Gate GC on Sunday 23 August. Representatives from Forbes are: F Hanns/B Parker teeing off at 11 am from the 1st tee; P Maher/ M Cahill at 11:08 am from the 1st, and F Donohue/P Pymont at 11 am from the 6th. Good luck guys, and remember that when putting on sand greens, do so with authority.

Here are some items:
The second event in the ‘Juniors on the Move’ programme, run by our very own Daniel Newton, was held at Parkes recently. A very enthusiastic group of 14 players attended, receiving individual coaching and participating in competitive events. It was another successful event, with new players mixing with the established ‘junior coaching junkies’. The next event is set for 6 September at Forbes, with another coaching workshop being targeted for the September School Holidays. Contact Daniel at the Pro Shop for more info.

The organisation for the Forbes Nissan Classic, set for 14/15 November, is gathering momentum, with some new ideas being promoted.

By Short Putt

Betland Bruises course to claim medal win

August 6, 2015 by Maggi Barnard

The wintery conditions continued to plague the weekend golfers, but thankfully the crisp breeze had dried the ground a little. The field for the 18-hole Monthly Medal held on Saturday totalled 53 players who were keen to extract some extra length to counter the colder air. The sponsors, Bernardi’s Supa IGA, were very pleased with the super effort played by ‘the other’ Betland. His pounding drives, arching approaches and deadly putting meant that he showed no mercy to the course. The bruise holes from where his ball pitched were plain to see for all. Steve ‘Big Crane’ Betland won the A Grade Monthly Medal with a 68 Scratch and Nett result. Steve was 3-under for the front-9 holes, but was only 1-under for the back-9 holes. His blemish was a bogey on the 18th.

Runner-up was Bruce Carpenter with 71 nett. In the B Grade, Laurie O’Connor was triumphant with a Nett 66. Again the front-9 was good but the back -9 was only played to his handicap. The 7th and 14th holes cost him a crack at history. Runner-up was Terry Griffiths with 69 Nett. He followed the trend with a good front-9 and less effective back-9. Jimmy McLuckie took the honours of the C Grade Monthly Medal with 74 nett, on count back from Steve Grallelis. He was not pleased with a ‘5’ on the 9th, missing an easy short putt, but then he defied the laws of golf by having a poor front-9 and better second-9.

Do not miss the Callaway Demonstration day on 13 August. It’s a good chance to try out some of the new equipment, and to test your swing. Book in with Daniel at the Pro Shop.
By Short Putt

Rain Causes Cancellations But Doesn’t Dampen Spirits

July 23, 2015 by Maggi Barnard

The rain was welcome by many, but was not so enjoyable for the golfers at Forbes. Very wet conditions before the weekend caused the cancellation of Saturday competition golf, but a sunny Saturday afternoon enabled some play on Sunday. On Saturday it was quite disturbing to see golfers yelling “I want to play” being dragged off the course, but they were very keen. I am careful to add that no children or animals were harmed during those events. The scene
across the course was one of casual water in many places and a very soggy ground. Best to wait until it improved.

Saturday’s competition was to be the first round of the Mens Foursomes Championships. These will now be held on 29-30 August, replacing a stroke competition. This may not suit all, but with other commitments this is the next available weekend. Sunday’s 18 hole Stableford Medley was like a godsend to those who need their weekly dose. A field of 35 players was a testament to the desire by all to enjoy some wonderful balmy conditions. The winner on the day was Steve Uphill, with 40 points, on count back from Laurie O’Connor (40). It was interesting that groups in which these front runners played had difficulty in identifying their own ball.

The Ball sweep went to 35 points and included: 39 – A Dukes, B Carpenter, 37 – B Webb, 36 – P Dawson, 35 – B Shine, P Maher, P Nixon. Yep, it was certainly a day for the big hitters!

The NTP’s went to – 9th: P Grayson, 18th: R Williams. There were only two 2’s, one on the 3rd and one on the 18th. I presume that despite the sun the air was pretty heavy and there was very little run, thus making it difficult to judge the correct shot. Any excuse to help out a golfer.

This week the schedule is for a 12-hole event at Parkes, on July 23. It is the usual gathering at 12:30 am for a 1:00 pm start. Bring your snorkel and flippers, just in case. In November Forbes GC holds the Nissan Classic weekend, with this year being the 25th staging of this event. This has become a primary calendar event, with many players
from a range of clubs stencilling this into the diaries. To ensure continued success we need to have a vibrant Committee.

The Classic organisers have scheduled an open meeting to garner support to organise this event. The meeting will be held on Thursday 30 July at the Sportsman’s Hotel, commencing at 6 pm. If anybody is interested in helping out, or just interested to find out more, please attend the meeting. Our golfer’s ability spreads far and wide.

Not only does King John ply his golf skills in Pennants in Sydney, but other members cast a shining beacon wherever they go. Sue Shine recently had some time at Port Stephens, and enjoyed some golf. Every course Sue played she easily scored 35 points or more. Such versatility and consistency was marvellous. In order to keep up, Barry Shine had to do something spectacular, as his golf was pretty ordinary. And that he did – he scored a Hole-in-One at the Palms course. It was a classic controlled shot against the breeze, always on target, and judged to perfection. Forbes players shine again.

It’s crystal ball time: Saturday 25 July is the 4BBB Stableford Multiplier, sponsored by Ace Machining. Choose a steady partner with plenty of patience as this could be quite traumatic. In fact it would be ‘real ace’ to score points on
every hole. Sunday 26 July is the Stableford Medley.
By Short Putt.

Coles Family Dominate in BBB Comp

July 16, 2015 by Maggi Barnard

Contributed by Short Putt
The weekend did not promise much from a weather viewpoint, and thus players either shied off, or raced around to stay warm. In surprisingly good conditions some players excelled, none more so than the grandfathergrandson
pairing in this weekend’s comp.

There were 45 paired up players who contested the 4BBB Aggregate Stableford Medley, sponsored by Forbes TV and Video Repairs. Many players hoped they could replay their shots, while others knew they had vision impairment. But can you credit the participating sponsor not realising it was his event until well into his round?

The eventual winners seemed to really enjoy the conditions. They were towards the tail of the field. Early in the afternoon the clubhouse leaders were Morgan/Cogswell and Dawson/ Herbert, each on 72 points and trading innuendos with each other. But they were well and truly thumped. Grandfather Geoff Coles was his ever reliable
and steady self, playing his sneaky long drives well down the fairway with few exceptions. He provided a steadying influence to grandson Gus Coles, who used his height to generate a huge swing arc and pound the ball into the distance, often beyond Geoff’s eyesight.

Their 78 points included one complete wipe hole where neither player scored a point. Gus’s ball striking is a serious challenge to King John. That is, if he can get it straight. His drive off the 16th tee finished on the edge of the practice fairway close to the 17th fairway, and was almost blocked out by the big gum tree there. But his six pars and one birdie teamed well with Geoff’s four pars to earn huge points.

Runners-up on 72 points were Ted Morgan and Tony Cogswell. Ted seemed to be the steadier player, with Tony showing too many 1s and wipes on his card. They edged out Ecky Dawson and Kim Herbert, also with 72. Both players were steady, but some unfortunate 1s and a wipe by Kim pulled them down. Neither did well on the 17th, which was almost the cause of the outbreak of a major war. The ball sweep went to 71 points. Winners
included those above and Dawson/Herbert, Carpenter/Bayley and Squires/Donohue. Nearest the pins were: 9th – Men B Carpenter, Ladies B Drabsch; 18th – Men T Morgan, Ladies nil. Undoubtedly the conditions contributed to the low 2s count with only one being scored. That was by Ecky Dawson on the 3rd hole. He was very pleased at that stage, but he did develop a grumpy phase the further the round went, perhaps a result of playing under trying conditions.

There was one visitor, that being Stuart Hayes from Murrumbidgee GC. He was escorted around the course by Verna Lane who must have shown him ‘how not’ to play the course as they finished last. Welcome Stuart, you shall do better next time. And perhaps the field was the lesser for the non-appearance of maestro Ray Taylor and his sidekick King John.
*********
Sunday’s 18-hole Stableford Medley was a prelude to the British Open Championship, or so it seemed with the way the weather presented the course. In cold and squalling conditions four ladies competed in the Sunday comp – thus perhaps making it a prelude to the Ladies British Open. The four combatants made a real fight of it. The Winner was Barb Drabsch with 31 points, but on count back from Fran Smith (31). The other players were Jill Cripps (26) and Ethel Coombs (24).

With such a small field there was no ball sweep or NTPs. But we must congratulate the four ladies for their intrepid contest. And for those interested, there were no 2s, although Fran Smith came close on three holes. And where were the men?
*********
On Thursday 9 July, the Vets played a 12-hole event at Forbes. There were 34 brave players, with once again heavy representation by Forbes (25) as compared to Parkes (9 ) and one Peak Hill-ite. The winner was David Williams (F) with 28 on countback from Geoff Coles (F) and Peter Unwin. The Bradman Award went to Jim Maloy (F) who undoubtedly was exhausted after his journey from Eugowra way. But he did score more than one point per hole.

The NTPs were: 9th – A Grade: J Davies (P), B Grade: R Baker (F); 18th – A Grade: R Bell (PH), B Grade: J McLuckie (F). The ball sweep went to 24, and was enjoyed by thirteen players. I here tell that Jim McLuckie has benefitted from his overseas trip where some of the conditions he encountered on the courses were very similar to Thursday’s conditions. No doubt that will change in the summer. The Mick Miller Shield was most undeniably
and emphatically won by Forbes with 165 points from Parkes 132. The larger numbers certainly helped, but so too did the fact that 80 per cent of the Parkes players returned scores below the mode. I had to fit some statistics in there somewhere!
*********
The next game is an 18-hole event at Parkes on 16 July. It is the usual gathering at 9.30 am for a 10am start. Let us hope the ‘Antarctic Vortex’ has subsided by then.
*********
The Winter 9-Hole Comp was contested by many players this week, who braved the harsh conditions or found some sunshine intervals. Nevertheless, the results are a credit to those who played in the more difficult conditions.
The results for Week 10 are: Winner Bess Shields (32 nett) from runner-up Bob Grant (34). Ball winner was Graeme Howe with 35 points. Hopefully the weather will pick up and the field will swell with the throngs of happy players.
And they will all see how well Grant Howe is enjoying his golf.
*********
Here are some other items: All players should be aware that the Local Rules now include ‘Preferred Lies through the
Green’. With the negligible grass growth and frosted ground cover it is very difficult to distinguish the fairways from the rough – thus the Local Rule. The rule will stay in place until the spring growth kicks in and the fairways can be better defined. We are into the 3rd round of the Wallace Cup now. Only three matches remain to be played before 26 July, so everything is running to target.
*********
It is crystal ball time: Saturday and Sunday 18, 19 July is the Mens Foursomes Championships, sponsored by S&S Welsh Transport. This is a two-day event on the weekend. There will be an Individual Stroke event on Saturday for those who cannot commit to the two days of play. At this stage the Sunday is free. Saturday 25 July is the 4BBB Stableford Multiplier. Choose a partner who can consistently get at least a point on each hole. Sunday 26 July is the Stableford Medley. Saturday 1 August is the 18-hole Monthly Medal, this month sponsored by Bernardi’s Supa IGA. Sunday 2 August has the Stableford Medley. Saturday 8 August is the very contestable American Foursomes, sponsored by Milton Cartwright. This format tests not only your partnership pairing, but also your consistency in play, and is a load of fun.

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