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.

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

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