Asquith Golf Club boys, Brad Stratton, Doug Wadwell, Martyn Black, Russell Druce, Hayden Radic and David Malcolm. Hayden Radic was the nearest to pin 17 on Saturday.

The Parkes Open weekend kicked off on Friday 15th September with the ProKonnect day, sponsored by Jake and Sammy, where everyone got to have a look at the course in relaxed and inviting stableford event. Ten visiting clubs were represented on the day, with local Ben Coultas firing a handy 42 point total to take out the event. 

We then moved to highly prized Cam Standen shootout event. The event was on the 9th hole, 120m out with a large crowd on hand to see the contestants try their luck at getting nearest the pin. Riall Harrison posted the closest, lining up with barely minutes left to fire a 65cm gem in to claim the prize.

The Epiroc day on Saturday, Alex Diamond and team again sponsored our 4BBB event and this lead-in to the Sunday stroke event proving very popular with players. In the scratch event the President and Vice President of PGC came out on top as David Stevenson and Peter Bristol combined well in the relaxed atmosphere and recorded 37 points, with Bristol recording an eagle on the 8th to bump up the points.

At the SCT Open on the Sunday it was great to have the sponsors representatives in attendance and swinging the clubs in pursuit of the prestigious trophy alongside representatives from 30 other golf clubs.

We were treated to a special event on the newly realigned golf course with Rob Hey from Parkes and Peter Kirwan from Cowra, with a former Parkes resident, tying on 114 after the compulsory 27 hole event. With a 3 hole playoff required, down the 1st, along the 2nd then up the par 5 18th, the hill in front of the clubhouse packed, combatants were tied after 3 holes, this required the 18th to be replayed until a winner was decided. Four more times the golfing warriors battled it out until the sun started to set and the green was covered in shadows then Peter Kirwan sank a short putt to be crowned the 2023 SCT Parkes Open Champion. After that battle neither player deserved to lose so congratulations to both. The SCT 27 hole Handicap winner was local Stephen Riley.

The 18 hole Handicap winner in A grade was Sam Morgan from DuntryLeague with 70 winning on a countback from David O’Bryan from Dubbo.

The Fred Funnell Memorial Vets trophy was won by David O’Bryan from Dubbo on 70, the prestigious Gidgie Leister Memorial 18 trophy was won by Richard Crane with a score of 62, the Keith Clark Memorial Scratch Vets trophy was won by Rob Hey on 73, the PGC local Junior winner was Simon Hogan.

The traditional Tom Casey Long Drive contests this year was on the 13th hole for the first time and was won by Mitchell Smith Narromine in A grade with 301m, Torin Hando 291m in B grade and Liam Conn from Wellington in C grade at 286m.

Players from Everglades Central Coast, Northbridge, Bathurst and Blackheath played in the Parkes Open

Max Keith and Michael Thomas still had reason to smile after their round.

After a long and anxious wait our members finally got to have a hit on the new revamped layout in the Telescope Tyres and Batteries / Hankook Masters sponsored Monthly Medal with our day sponsor being Matthews Mediation and our genuine thanks go to Mel Matthews for the support she gives the club via many means. It was also the day we celebrated the Bob Smith Memorial Day supported by the Smith family and we thank Mick and the family.

Everyone hit off the traditional 1 st hole and it was great to see the whole course covered in players and some of the new tees bringing players closer together during play than they have ever been.

There was a southerly blowing which was causing some chill in the air but that didn’t deter the golfing fraternity. Our best field for some considerable time with 122 players eager to test themselves and the new course but there were only 4 players breaking 80 this week and 42 golfers breaking 100, so round 1 definitely went to the course.

The honour of hitting the first ball on the course went to Lindsay Elliott and he and his group enjoyed the rare feat of playing the first competition round on the course. Coincidently Lindsay must have been overly pumped with the opportunity, as he hit shot only 3.5m from the pin and that shot lasted all day as he won the nearest the pin – I’m sure that story will be embellished over the years to come.

In A Grade Jack Elliott signalled his early favouritism for the club championships with a solid 77 off the stick to narrowly beat home Michael Dumesny by a stroke. This was just a 1 over his handicap round for Jack and with his long hitting game, which was required off the long blue markers, this was a great first outing. A big day for the Elliott family. Michael Dumesny has been making the A grade medals his realm this year and again was the clubhouse leader for a sustained period. Justin O’Malley from the Federal GC and the ever present Wayne Parker were the only others below 80. In the nett event Joe Van Opynen was out and about with a solid 70 with Jack Matthews and Wayne Parker back on 72.

This month the competitive Griffins Leading Edge putting competition was won by Jack Elliott with 25 putts. Although there was some speed difference on the greens on their first outing they were true and will be a handful once they speed up. The Norman family sponsored Wally Norman Vets Medal was taken out by Wayne Parker with his 72 nett, making sure he got something on the day.

This coming week we have on Friday a 9 and 18 Hole Medley Stableford Sponsored by ProKonnect, the ‘Shootout’ Sponsored by Cameron Standen, Saturday an 18 Hole EPIROC 4BBB Stableford and on Sunday- 27 Hole SCT Parkes Open Tournament.

Frankie Cock, Reg Davison and Lyn Davison.