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Events | Administration | Members | Records | Previous SeasonsWeekly Reports: Season 2022–23 Your report fast track . . . End of Year Awards There were quite a few absences from the Windup today based on family, illness or work commitments. Despite that there were six there to partake of the Walker brunch including rookie Peter. The event started with a lively discussion about the upcoming referendum with little to come out of it except that the result needs a majority of voters and states. That took a whole lot of time and research. Still it gave Walks time to deliver the vittles that involved sausages and onion in a bun with the appropriate condiments followed up with a fresh fruit platter. The major point of discussion during brunch was whether the onions or the sausage should go into the bun first. The reporter reports that “the onions first” school won the debate rather convincingly. We then settled down into presentation mode with the outcome of the Handicappers Trophy announced, more on that below. We then moved on to the major trophy and season awards. Walks, Jacko and Squancey cleaned up most of the awards between them. The brunch finished with a thank you to the Walkers for their great hospitality.
Tuesday, April 11, 2023 Macca and Jacko report . . Six sturdy seniors lined up on a perfect Autumn day to contest the Handicapper's Trophy. Four of the contestants were still recovering from the 8th running of our Mornington Masters together with Peter, and Pinky making a welcome return to the fray. A four ball format was rejected by our Home Captain who opted for a straight Stableford game with the trophy being cut in two for first and second placings. Of the first group Jacko and Squancey were consistent, as expected of the two low handicappers, and a close tussle ensued. Jacko produced a solid four pars, three bogeys and two doubles for 21 points while Squancey pushed him with two pars, five bogeys and two doubles to be one behind. Squancey was master of his drives and fairway shots (deities were spared a rogering) but his short game was a little too long and this was the difference, with Jacko getting round in just 13 putts (had to use up a 70 candle wish to do it). A recovering, out-of-practice Brian zoomed around in a cart for his first outing since his Melbourne sojourn and wiped three holes, with penalty areas playing a major part, but managed three bogeys, one double and two triples for 12 points. The second group groped around in the bushes on the tree-lined tenth hole with Walks managing a double bogeys and Peter and Macca wiping. Peter went on to wipe two more holes to go with a nice par, two bogeys and three triples. Walks continued some recovery golf with bogeys on the next two holes but some uncharacteristic waywardness, saw him play the last six holes for just seven more points for a total of 15. Macca, with his 18 handicap, settled down after his poor start to score one par, four bogeys a double and two triples to match Jacko's 21 points. Macca and Jacko shared the pickings with 21 points each and a half share of the trophy. In fact both retained their trophy-halves from last year! Probably fitting for the Handicapper's event that the high and low handicappers prevailed. For such a pleasant day it is sad to record no takers for the NTP, but Peter knocked a good one down the middle to be the only accurate long drive participant.
Round Results:
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Jacko reports . . .“It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon”! It was Araluen, it was 18 holes, it was green-side bunkers hidden behind fairway bunkers, it was windswept fairways channelling the ball towards red penalty areas which meandered throughout the course, and it was firm greens which made Hanging-Rock seem like a perfectly logical phenomenon. There were four contenders after Walks made a mad dash back from Albany to throw his hat in the ring. All players appeared intent on conserving energy over the front nine as they jockeyed for position, with no-one game to break out from the pack, all worried about peaking too soon. Except .. Jacko burst out of the blocks with a par at the first followed by three 2 pointers before hitting the wall and staggering to the turn with 12 points. Squancey was a little more controlled (??), opening with a 1 pointer before settling into a rhythm of 2s, 1s and wipes for a matching half time 12. Walks reportedly “partied hard” in Albany and the effects were showing with wipes at one, six and nine, but a 3 point bogey at eight just got him into double figures. Pete was master of his driver (except when he wasn’t) with some monster hits mixed in with (bush) penetrating slices, and in control of his putter, but the shots in between killed him and he limped to the tenth with 7 points. Nobody took NTP at the fourth or LD at the sixth so balls were carried over. Jacko found a little more rhythm over the back nine with an LD at fourteen, an NTP at sixteen, one par, a string of bogeys and a wipe giving him 18 points. Walks improved with more 2 pointers but couldn’t sink any of his par chances and finished with 13. Squancey’s punishing long game deserted him on the day and his usually reliable short game shots were going further than his drives and he posted just 10 points over the back nine. Peter’s game improved marginally but frequent entries into penalty areas on the last two holes capped his score at 9 points. So Jacko took the day with 30 points, followed by Walks on 23, Squancey on 22 and Peter on 16.
Round Results:
Tuesday, March 14, 2023 Dalbs reports . . . It was farewell to Hamersley after another terrific season and the weather was perfect for the occasion. Seven starters fronted the starters gate making up a star-studded field and our thoughts were with Scobes and Pinky as each were treading the sure path back to great health and good golf. The carters, the worker and the Captain had the honours and their efforts had mixed results, two finishing on the podium and two taking up the rear of the field. Ronzo has had an amazing couple of months and today's effort of 20 pts, which included 3 pars, doubled his NAGA score of last week. You can never tell what's coming next with this character. It's to hoped he has a clear run to the Masters so we can witness what antics come next. His sparring partner, Pete, was too engrossed in the beauty of the surroundings and the exhilarating ("It's good to be alive") effect of the weather to get too serious about the golf and just got on with criss crossing the fairways and topping too many shots to secure today's NAGA in a quiet and unassuming way.
Dalbs was hither and thither off the tee, off the fairways and approaching the greens with, thankfully, more hithers (decent shots) than thithers (the usual pulls and duffs) and some reasonable putting, but 1 par and a predominance of bogeys helped by a good handicap saw him just sneak in for successive wins.
Litts was at the finishing line and joined us in a BIG culinary surprise that awaited the hungry and thirsty after the round. After morphing into a businessman, Squancey produced delicious crepes prepared by the thousands by Oxana, Fruits of the Forest jam, and cream. Not just a gobstopper but a conversation stopper for a short time. Has Ronzo set a trend for next season? It was fantastic to finish our Hamersley season on such a high note.
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Dalbs reports . . .The day's highlight came early – the round featured Brian's 100th game with GBWGC. The gods turned on perfect weather for this auspicious event and there were seven other players to participate in the celebration of such a significant milestone. Pinky, Macca, Ronzo and Pete C were given the honours but, as they passed the finishing post, only one was in contention for a chocolate. Fittingly, it was the 100 game man himself! Ronzo, to put it eloquently, had a shocker. A triple bogey to start, a wipe on the way and one to finish interspersed with few doubles and he'd done a masterful job of eloquently taking the NAGA. "But I'll cherish the 3 good shots and the 1 good putt".
Dalbs was out in style at the first – par and 4 points. But his nemesis hole the par 5 11th remained faithful, a triple which he also achieved at his other nemesis, the par 4 15th. Played some reasonable golf but his attempts to attack the greens need a makeover.
Afters were a hit with Ronzo's eagerly awaited goodies ever present. And the Pres made a fond appearance in part to perform the final act of the morning – presenting Brian with his 100 Game Certificate.
Tuesday, February 28, 2023 A surprised winning Squancey reports . . .With the change of tee off time now at 6.00am, I am unable to stay for the presentation. I was shocked and horrified that I receive the dreaded email from Litts on Tuesday night which meant I had won and was now required to compile the weekly results report. Not remaining after the game, I was not privy to the war stories so this will be an analytical report based the numbers and where possible I will embellish it so that the truth will not get in the way of a good story. Seven players turned up and it looked like we were going to hit off early, until Macca’s generosity took over and allowed a pair of golfers to tee off before our group. After these golfers teed off it was evident that this generosity was going to be a big mistake. It felt like ½ an hour had passed before this pair disappeared around the bend on the 10th hole. Was Macca going to regret the offer? Macca, Walks and Pinky teed off first and maybe it was not going to be the pair in front going to hold up play. Macca, Walks and Pinky sprayed their drives resulting in Macca and Walks wiping the first hole with Pinky recovering to pick up 2 stableford points.
A picture tells a thousand stories. So based on this I will never have to do another write up! I was not playing great golf, but consistent golf and the 4 pointer on the 15th together with handicap of 13 gave me enough points to win the day. Very surprised. Ron, too was playing consistent golf, with a birdie on the 12th and parring the other par 3, to offset the 4 one-pointers that he scored. Chris started off with 2 pars but a 1-pointer on the 16th and wiping the 18th blew any chance of winning the day.
Macca’s wipe on the first cost him dearly. Suitable punishment for allowing the pair to tee off before us. A par on the 14th picking up 4 points improved his position, but with 3 one-pointers placed him in the middle of the field. Brian, as with Dalbs, were the only players not picking up a par or better to offset their wipes and one- pointers, resulting in his coming in at the back of the field. Walks, with his reduced handicap a result of a couple of recent wins, was playing up and down golf. Three wipes did not help, but a couple of pars picking up 6 points made his score a bit more respectable, but not enough to elevate him from the bottom.
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Walks reports . . . It was a perfect morning for the second nine holes of the club championships. At the start of play, 5 players were in with a good chance of being overall winner if they could play well on the day. All 5 players had scored in the range net 33 to net 35 in week 1. But as it turned out, only one player really fired up for week two. The clear winner on the day and now the Club Champion for season 2022-23 was Walks. He had a day out, hitting 4 pars and 4 bogeys in his round to end up with a score of 42 gross and 29 net. That made an overall result of net 62 for 18 holes. A clear winner by a massive 9 strokes. Squancey and Jacko came second and third respectively, each with net 37 on the day.
Round Results:
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Jacko started with a par and had a couple more on the 7th and 8th but was not as sharp as we know he can be. Had a gross score of 44 and a net 35. Walks complained that he had a sore shoulder from playing tennis but it did not seem to affect his golf. Played consistently for 2 pars and 5 bogeys. Could have scored better but several gettable putts never quite reached the hole. Had a gross score of 46 and a net 33. Pinky never settled into his game. Double bogeyed most holes and even scored a 10 on a par 5. Managed one par only on the par 3 7th. Ended up with a net score of 41.
Squancey had an up and down round. Got one par only and five bogeys but had a couple of blowouts. However, he did well when it counted and won the LD and NTP. Had a gross score of 47 and a net 34. Macca struggled the whole way. Had a gross score of 57 and a net 41. Dalbs got off to a good start with a par on the first and also had pars on both of the par 3’s. Had a gross score of 48 and a net 35. Ronzo continued his hot form. His putter did the talking today (see below). He sunk a few from off the green and almost got a birdie on the last hole with another long putt. He came home strongly with pars on the last 2 holes. His gross score was a third successive 44 and, today, had a net 34. At the half-way mark in the club championship, 5 players are in the mix for an interesting final round next week. Walks (33) is the leader, followed by Ronzo (34) and Squancey (34), and Jacko (35) and Dalbs (35). Macca and Pinky can start planning for next year’s championship. They were in different groups and each was absolutely certain that they would be NAGA by a country mile. As it turned out, there was a countback for last place, and Macca snatched it from Pinky.
Leaderboard at Halfway: Results to be officially recorded:
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 By the light of the silvery (full) moon,
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 Ronzo reports that . . . . All the esteemed statisticians would do a much better analysis of the figures for this round, but the following is presented for your interest (or not). Our playing numbers continue to be “up there” … nine for this fixture, so between us:
Apologies to the experts … RA In a nutshell, Ron and Pinky played pretty good golf. It was amazing, Macca, Bin, Walks and Squancey also all played better than “par golf” and Litts, Chris and Pete were there for the hunting.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Ronzo reports that . . . . Starting at the end, Walks summed up the event by saying it was one of our favourites, no matter how well or how poorly we played. Filling in for the away Captain, “slouching” in Canberra, he had been sitting on the results for 45 minutes, waiting for the final group to come in and the Clubhouse Leader was himself on 33 points. His dismay was felt by the bloke who tabled his card with 34 … this was checked and found to be correct!
The two threesomes powered their way around this fabulous course, in fabulous conditions, in fabulous time. Squancey, Pinky and Walks probably wondered how far Squancey might go after the first hole when he scored four for four. On the back nine he had three threes and finished just two points off the podium. Pinky, like Squancey, turned on 13 with the last three holes on that nine giving him a two, then a three, then a four … two more fours on the back nine helped him to 29. Walks turned with 18 and had three threes on the back nine … but three wipes didn’t help. Macca, current holder of the Classic, was hoping for back-to-back and turned with 14 points … he “dared to dream” but didn’t bother the scorers on six of the last nine holes. Chris had five two pointers in the first six holes but wiped eight and nine, turning with 12 points. He parred three of the last four holes but it wasn’t enough. Scobes kept in the hunt with a four pointer on the ninth to turn with 15. With 12 points on the first fives holes of the Lake nine he would be forgiven to think he was a chance. After the first hole Litts (bedecked in Presidential Cart), Bin, Pete and Ron thought we must be the “fabulous four” … they scored 12 points between them. Reality set in quickly, scoring only four between them on the next hole. Bin turned with 15, having three threes on the way. Ron had three wipes and thought “yuk” … turning with 13 and the President and Pete appeared to be there for “the hunting”.
On the back nine Ron enjoyed some consistency for a change. Litts improved his points tally over the first nine by 50%. Bin was dead stiff, losing a ball on the last, and Pete failed to emulate his chip in on the seventh of the Lake, which he achieved at his last outing. The Course Marshal ticked us off … a member reminded us what the cart paths were for and a gentleman arrived from behind us with clubs belonging to two of the “fabulous four” and dubbed them “dorks”. As Walks said … “its one of our favourite events”!
As the inaugural winner, Ron's now got the JC winners list book-ended.
Tuesday, January 17, 2023 Dalbs reports that . . . . Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr it was a tad chilly and coats/vests/long sleeves and chattering teeth were the order of the morning. We weren't going to sweat it out and there was only a light breeze – just perfect conditions for a winter sport. With 2 groups booked on the first nine and the return of the home Captain, it was a little squeezy until news that Ronzo and Pete Crow would be absentees took the heat out of the issue and the cold crept over us again. Scobes was the only concern, chronic pain from the site of a recent lip operation giving him curry (which didn't warm him up). First round Golden Putter results determined the groups and Pinky, Scobes, Squancey and Walks hit the opening salvos with mixed results. When asked post-round how his group went, Pinky modestly replied "not well at all". After Squancey took the direct route for par and the others bit uncomfortably into their handicaps, Brian's assessment played out. Squancey fared the best initially though he mostly salvaged double bogeys until disaster struck at the par 5 6th where a quadruple bogey saw his handicap gobbled up with 3 holes to play. Doubles persisted thereafter for all but 1 hole as did the 2-putts for 8 holes with 1 one-putt. Walks was swinging from the boots but wasn't kicking goals early, managing only doubles and triples and also using up his handicap (plus one stroke) after 6 holes. Sighed with relief after closing with a par and 2 bogies and did manage 2 one-putts over the journey. Pinky was looking to the heavens for that lightening bolt that fired him up at Secret Harbour but only heard low rumblings and was heard uttering many grumblings at all the doubles and two triples that spiralled off his clubs and the opening set of 2 three-putts, though a one-putt at the 6th pegged one back. Scobes can be excused. Playing with a distracting level of pain can make concentration difficult and that's all I'm sayin'.
Litts, Jacko, Dalbs and Macca fared much better with straight hitting, deft chipping and one putts seeing Jacko and Litts open with pars and a great GP start. There were a reasonable number of thunks off trees as this group progressed and Jacko's efforts at the 2nd resulting in his only real blemish (a double) was the best of the tree thunkers. From that point on it was that steady straight hitting and great short game that saw him travel the next 7 holes just 3 strokes over the card (yes, 4 pars!) and another 2 one-putts thrown in. With that exceptional play, only one other player could reasonably be expected to challenge for the GP and Litts was up for it. He too was generally in good rhythm with clean striking and good GP tactics seeing him just 1 stroke over and 2 one-putts after 3 holes. A second shot to the 4th green left him with a long putt. The resulting three-putt was a disappointment but, although he could cover it with his excellent effort of 5 one-putts for the round, it proved crucial when the deciding of the GP winner came down to a countback. Closed over the remaining 5 holes just 6 over the card with 3 more one-putts but inexplicably missed a short second putt at the 8th which ultimately took the GP into countback. Dalbs started slowly (6 shots over after 3 and boring two-putts) but the swing was more consistent and getting distance and, apart from a duffed pitch shot at the 2nd, the short game had settled. Travelled the next 6 holes in some of the best form to-date, just 4 shots over and snaring 2 one-putts for his second win of the season. And Macca continues to settle his game. Still appears a little uncomfortable with the longer shots but his work around the greens (3 one-putts) is holding him in good stead, finishing 3 putts off the GP title. Two consecutive sub-par rounds and his handicap is steadily drifting South with the trend, I suspect, set to continue.
Tuesday, January 10, 2023 Squancey reports that . . . It was a return to Hamersley for the first round of Golden Putter with 8 players eager to claim the Golden Prize. We were all psyched up to play the front nine but a mix-up with the booking saw us teeing off the 10th tee. I know a few of us will be happy to play the back nine again and claim this week’s result null and void for playing out of sequence if there is a mix up on this coming week and we are required to play the back nine again. Teeing off first was Ron, Scobes, Litts and Dalbs. All bar Litts scatted their shots. Litts played the Golden Putter to perfection leaving his approach shot short of the green allowing for the 1 putt finish. Dalbs and Scobes finished with 6 strokes including 2 putts, while Ron had 6 strokes including 3 putts.
The second group was made up of Chris, Squancey, Brian and Macca. Brian and Macca hit reasonable drives while Squancey and Chris hit long drives that must have disappeared into the garden nursery. Squancey and Chris hitting their 4th shot, Chris as a Golden Putter pro lobbed his ball 50mm off the green while Squancey lobbed his ball 50mm on the green. This was repeated many times throughout the round. Chris 1 putted with 6 stokes while Squancey 3 putted for 7 strokes. Over the next 4 holes you could see who was playing for the Golden Putter and who was playing for the round. Chris and Litts had 4 putts, Macca had 5, Scobes 7, Ron and Dalbs 8 and Brian and Squancey 9. Chris and Litts ended up on 14 points each, with Chris’s only blemish a 3-putt on the 18th. Dalbs’s Alzheimers kicked in on the 16th and he could not remember if he was playing for the Golden Putter or the round, so he played for both, with 2 stokes over par for the last 3 holes and only having 3 putts. Macca was playing good golf. He parred the 15th with a 1-putt. After this the adrenaline was too much and he went on the dark side playing for the round as his putter let him down having 8 putts on the last 3 holes ending up with 16 putts. Squancey, Scobes and Ron with their game plan, ended up with 17 putts each with Squancey having a net stroke of 34 while Ron and Scobes ended up with a net 36 strokes.
With the exception of Brian, all were playing steady golf and playing to their handicap. Brian had used up all his good golf the week before where he had a net Stableford 43 points. This week he came crashing back to earth with a net stroke score of 41 to take the NAGA. After the first round of Golden Putter, Chris and Litts lead with 14 putts.
Results:
Tuesday, January 3, 2023
Walks and his partner Peter both strode confidently to the first tee but failed to score a point on that hole and this turned out to be an omen for the battle they fought over the back nine to claim the unofficial NAGA prize, although Walks claimed the official prize for the day. Peter prevailed eventually with 20 (adding only 3 points on the back nine) to Walks 22. Litts and Jacko made up the first foursome, and they too had a great personal battle, both ending up with 34 points but with very different approaches to each nine. Litts charged out in 21 but struggled home for another 13 points, while Chris struggled going out with 14 points and stormed home to add another 20 points. The second foursome, Scobes and Pinky and Squancey and Macca had plenty of time to think about their shots as they made their way around the course and this was reflected in their final scores, as the battles going on in the first foursome saw much time spent over putts and in energy conservation strategies being employed to move from green to carts. ‘Reminds me of the iconic Beatles Abbey Road stroll’ one of the second foursome commented at some stage. The second foursome had a better day of golf overall, with Macca recording a creditable 28 points, which may have been more if his attempt to swap carts (and therefore clubs) had been successful. Macca, being the highest handicapper in the foursome, was of the view that it could only have been their clubs, not their owners, that explained the different scoring outcomes being achieved. These achievements included Pinky on 43 with two birdies and two wipes, Scobes on 38 with a birdie with two wipes, Squancey on 34 with one birdie and three wipes (he lost 3rd place on a count back to Jacko) and Macca 28. Squancey would have been 3rd if he’d received a couple of encouragement points for his rather subdued responses to his crap shots. Another highlight saw the awesome foursome score16 points collectively on the 14th hole. All in all it was a very enjoyable day, finished of with a good lunch and a quiet ale. Asked about his win, Pinky commented that it certainly proved age is no handicap.
Tuesday, December 27, 2022 Dalbs reports that . . . It was a welcome return to Melville Glades, the scene of hot weather and a few melt downs last season. But not today Josephine with a cool Zephyr (always wanted to use that) breeze keeping the round relatively cool and pleasant. This couldn't be used to describe the golfing exploits in a number of cases today but it was a full field of eight wannabe winners including an eagerly awaited Canberra Kid. Jeff was over for his daughter's birthday and it's always great to appreciate that smiling disposition, great sense of humour and sauntering unruffled golf. Armed with personalised score cards complete with tricky triple indexes and surrounded by a disinterested mob of kangaroos, 3 carts and two walkers began the journey. The only walkers were in the lead group and expected to slow proceedings BUT the pace and agility of these two Septuagenarians had to be seen to be believed. So quick were Squancey and Dalbs out of the blocks that their golf took a few holes to catch up, having just 2 pts and 5 pts respectively after 4 holes. Squancey roared back with some swashbuckling golf to turn with 16 points but the rage, apart from that thrown at the back 9 errant shots, faded along with his score, managing 11 points on the homeward run. Dalbs steadied and remained that way in unassuming fashion with only 1 triple thereafter and no wipes in the round to turn with 16 points and close with 17 for his first win since January 2021 and that after surviving a countback.
The local member (a Daytona specialist) and his sidekick Scobes were quick to score each with 4 points after 2 holes. Jacko was striking the ball reasonably well enduring two double bogies to turn with 17 points. Some of the edge came off his game heading home but he bore the 2 doubles, 3 wipes and 12 points with great humility. Scobes was content to wipe the last hole on each nine and mix up some steady tee shots with a few wayward irons and chunked chips (don't we all). But his putts from around a metre were masterful and contributed significantly to a third place podium appearance. Two of the three original Canberra Kids joined forces, their reminisences interrupted from time-to-time by the need to hit a little white ball. Both were short of game time, particularly our Jeff who took a little time to warm up to the task. Though he had many swings of the hickory on the tricky course with its length and acres of sand, he pottered diligently and appeared to enjoy being back in the GBW fold. Brian had his fits and starts over the first nine garnering 11 points and began the journey home with a wipe. What followed was a lesson in consistent scoring – 6,6,6,6,6,6,4,6! – the resulting 16 points equalling the second highest 9 hole score.
Our club founders made up the eight with Macca set for a first test of the new hip over 18 holes. It was an all-or-nothing journey, opening slowly with two 8's followed by 4 bogeys, 2 doubles and a wipe for 17 points matching the highest 9 hole score on the day. And, snap!, he repeated the pattern on the back 9, his 16 points getting an equal first place but just pipped on countback. Litts seemed thereabouts heading out, 4 doubles and a wipe not what he was seeking but his 14 points gave him a chance. Opened the back 9 with a will, 5 points over the first 2 holes but could only boast a par and bogey thereafter in a finish he'd be a Little unhappy with. Chris capped off a great day for us with ham and salad rolls waiting to be devoured by a hungry mob. Thanks again Jacko!
Tuesday, December 21, 2022
After the event, the ten contenders followed a star (aka GPS satellite) to the tenth hole at Floreat where hosts Joseph and Mary Reggie welcomed the multitude to their barn back patio where all gazed in awe at the wonders laid out before them. The ravenous pack then tucked in to the finest that CostCo Tom and Reggie had to offer followed by laudatory tributes presented to One who had apparently achieved a milestone of 300 games (congratulations Prez J). A big thank-you to Tom and Reggie for once again affirming that we truly are an OTT club.
Tuesday, December 13, 2022 Walks reports that . . . The competition was Par Bisque. The weather looked bleak with heavy, low cloud and the forecast for strong winds. But the conditions were actually good for golf, and it wasn’t until we sat around after the game that the cold wind picked up. Scobes’ winning form in the previous week completely deserted him. He only managed 2 bogies on the day and ended up with a net 0 score. He was NAGA on the day; Jacko waxed lyrical in his description of a couple of Walk’s drives that “kissed the leaves” of trees as they somehow went through tree branches and carried on to land on fairways.
Results:
Tuesday, December 6, 2022 Scobes reports that . . . Nine starters milled around on the 10th in ideal conditions waiting for tee off on the one occasion of the year which is usually mired in controversy; it was Presidents Cup Trophy round. The usual snide remarks ensued about which of the Club’s members is actually the President and if so was he/they duly elected or did he/they just nominate himself/themselves, etc, etc. Litts set off in the slipstream of esteemed veterans Ronzo and Brian who were carting it due to the ravages of time and ill advised life choices over the journey. Ron provided the most consistent round of the day, scoring 2 or 3 on every hole except for a minor blemish on the “easy” par 5 14th where he registered just one point.
Robin and Scobes both opened with pars on the 10th. Enjoying his outrageous handicap Scobes pocketed 4 points and continued to accumulate until an unexpected series of screw ups on the “easy” par 5 14th produced a wipe. A quick reset (and bags of handicap strokes) saw more points pour in until an ordinary 1 pointer on the last.
The Jacko, Squance and Pete group found the going hard, although Jacko did open with a par on the 10th. From then on he sprinkled his card with a series of wipes, ones and twos which were never going to cut in the fight for the trophy, though a par on 16 provided some respite. Then came the highlight. Breakfast at the McLennan household. Sumptuous fruit platter to start (mango for breakfast? Yum) with orange juice and quick brew coffee. Croissants with mystery fillings were delicious as was the decadent banana bread with all the trimmings. Many thanks to Jeannie and Macca for hosting the crew with a memorable spread.
Tuesday, November 29, 2022 The Little Master reports that . . . "You'll just have to use your imagination!"
Results:
1st: Little Master (21)
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
The President started in a shower of glory, parring the first … he would probably be happy if we left it at that. Not to be outdone, Walks matched the President with a par on the first, and the Phantom ended up on the podium, scoring only two minuses over the journey. Chris continues his run of the “yips” with the putter and matched the President and Scobes at the bottom of the pile. Sir
Robbin . . . yes, with a double “B” . . . also made the podium, scoring 48 off the stick, which is a fantastic effort when you think what this rascal has been through. Peter, nervous as a kitten, found the edge of the concrete pathway just beyond the tee and ended up on the green … unfortunately the 18th, not the 10th. He repeated this irregular shot on the par 5 14th. His card is now with the handicapper, awaiting assessment. Squancey could not carry on his form from the Binningup Open and the less said the better. However, his voice wafted down from above, also on the 14th (see pic), announcing how slow the group in front were. To be brutally honest it was an “unlike Squancey round” … too much golf maybe?? Ron had a great round … just ask him … 3 “practice rounds” at the Open certainly helped. He even nailed two pars off the stick in a row. Poor old Scobes probably thought he would be blessed for being so honest by returning stolen goods from the Clubhouse at Binningup before the round … wrong!! … he was severely punished and, as previously mentioned, had company at the bottom of the pile. MATCH PLAY was on between Walks and Chris and you probably worked it out … Walks had a resounding win. Armed with a stroke a hole, he enjoyed a comfortable buffer while Jacko faced a daunting task. Both flew out of the blocks and were just off the green in two. A hint of the putting woes that were to plague Chris's round came when he left his attempt from off the green too short while Walks put it close to pot a par and Chris notched a bogey. Jacko fought back to square it at the 11th but after going stroke for stroke over the next two, Walks parring the 14th and Chris wiping the 15th, Walks was 4 up with 3 to play. Well done Walks!!
Afters at the club house were dominated by friendly and humorous banter, some delicious Mrs A hedgehogs and a cracking good Scobes joke.
Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Squancey (and a tiny bit of Dalbs) report that . . .One of the few times the weather bureau has got it wrong. There was a possibility of rain. It was a bit overcast at the start with little wind. Another perfect day for golf. Ronzo, Dalbs, Walks, Litts, Scobes and Squancey all gathered in the car park itching to hit the fairways. With Chris out of contention, the planted positive COVID test did the trick - it was an open field. The 1st round of Match play was to take place. Ronzo is to face off with Litts while Dalbs is to battle it out with Scobes. That left Squancey and Walks to play together with no pressure on them as their match play partners had gone missing. Walks and Squancey Let the Match Play begin.
Dalbs.
Ronzo and Litts Litts must be spewing. Played solid for his handicap, scoring on every hole with two single pointers and two 3 pointers to round it out, finish on 18 points yet still finish 2nd last. Litts must be thinking, what do you have to do to win a round of golf. To give Ronzo 4 points start on Match Play when he's on his game, he's near impossible to beat.
There were two special appearances for coffee – Macca and Pinky. Both were in good form though the full extent of Brian's health concerns were only realised when it was revealed the issue was not Pneumonia but the return of Atrial fibrillation. He's now quite a few kilos lighter and into the gym to pump out a figure of fitness ready to take on the golfing field toward the end of November. AND Mrs A's brownies were oh so very moreish.
Tuesday, November 1, 2022 Walks and Dalbs report that . . .Weather and track were perfect for the running of our 4th Melbourne Cup. There were 6 starters in the big race. First group were Ron and Dalbs in a cart with Squancey keeping up with them with his young, fit legs. Second group were Litts, Jacko and Walks. First Group
Second Group
Mrs A flew home from Binningup realising there were hungry mouths to feed after today's golf and Mr A turned up with more of those delectable choc chip cookies. Marg's much appreciated efforts are being etched into GBWGC folk lore.
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
The round started with some controversy as we were greeted with three colored tee boxes. There were black, green and white tees but no red ones. Wembley claims it is the first club in WA to use this approach. Players or clubs can choose which tee they play off. There is no gender bias now as there was with the former ladies’ tees. The acting club captain chose to use the white tees (thinking at the time there were still red tees somewhere) and that proved to be an inspired move that shifted the focus from brute strength to touch and finesse. There was going to be a two group and a three group. Balls were tossed in the usual manner and a twosome became obvious. Little and Dalby to play in group one and Messrs. Allardice, Jackson and Squance in group two. Litts had one of his better rounds. The long game wasn’t long but it was pretty consistent. The short game let him down a bit but he was pretty happy particularly as he was able to reach the green in regulation on a number of occasions. His round culminated in a rare 4 pointer on the 17th. Players are reminded of Little’s Law number one.
Dalbs had an up and down day. His long game was pretty good but there was a tendency to fade the ball a bit that cost him a bit of his sneaky distance. He couldn’t quite get his game going but did have a good run in two patches. The old chipping nemesis raised its head again and he resorted to the putter off the green on a number of occasions. Despite this he had a good round with 19 points, 16 of which were scored in five holes. Unfortunately, little is known about what happened in group two other than what is available from the score cards. Despite that:
Squancey won the NAGA but still had a respectable 18 points. He had a pretty consistent day with a bit of a lapse in the middle section (14th and 15th holes) that put him out of contention. Probably the most outstanding aspect of his play was the lack of his usual loud verbal onslaught after a bad shot. As one of his playing partners put it, he managed to swear but without reference to either sex or religion.
Results:
Tuesday, October 18, 2022 Squancey (mostly) and Dalbs (a little) report . . . Another fine day with little wind about. Our first day back at Hamersley after the greens had been cored and sanded. 6 players turned up with Tom making an appearance and Walks on another one of his trips. Dalbs was a happy golfer. Having lost his 3-wood at Capel, Litts looked in the shed and made contact with a past supplier in America, both with no luck securing the same model. What a difference a few days make - another visit to the shed and - voila! - an identical model 3-wood head appeared along with the right shaft! There is a golfing God. Captain Little was all authority as the groups picked themselves and headed off hoping for some good luck and good scores. Tom, Ron and Dalbs were the first to hit off with Dalbs muttering some words before teeing off. It was obvious that the ball was not listening to what Dalbs had to say as he did an all-mighty slice. Ron had hit a screamer down the middle of the fairway and pared the 1st for a 4/4. Dalbs recovered for a 6/1 while Tom had a steady 5/3 with a handicap of 15. Tom, was making good use of his 15 handicap with 6/3 on the 2nd hole but had an up and down game ending up with 5, 3 pointers, 3, 1 pointers and a single 2 pointer. He knocked out a string of impressive drives and a clutch of impressive fairway irons and on many holes was in a position to go for par. But those slow, stubbly greens played havoc with his putting, too many left short and three 3 putts early didn't do the quality of the rest of his game justice. The 2, 1 pointers on the 16th and 17th caused him to be relegated to 2nd overall on a count back with Squancey who both had finished on 20 points.
Litts. There was something going wrong with Litts' swing. His drive on the 11th was worse than the one on the 10th. Pulled it left for about 100 metres and it disappeared into the nursery, never to be recovered. Now what is that ruling on lost ball? Litts could not recover from that and ended up wiping the 11th. From then on he played steady golf, particularly on the 14th, par 5 where he had another disastrous drive, but recovered for a 6/2. From the 12th hole onwards he managed 5, 2 pointers and 2, 3 pointers, coming home strongly with a 3 pointer and 2 pointer to end up with 17 stableford points. Unfortunately Tom had to make a quick exit after complaining about a very sore tooth. Coffees and hot chocolate went down well particularly when Ronzo produced Marg's latest gastronomic sensation – velvety soft and lusciously creamy Melting Moments (Hint hint!). We missed Brian, concern expressed that the exhorbitant price of petrol was probably a major factor. And Captain Little did a superb job Walks.
Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Six intrepid golfers to contest the Championship and Pro Andrew arrived in perfect time to cart up Ronzo and get the round underway. The first group proved to be the last group . . . in the end.
Dalbs and his swing were not on talking terms. In his own words . . . "We had a quarrel, A lover's spat. I hooked and sliced, And my wipes kept coming back". Not a good day for his new-found "Straight Lines" swing technique nor with the loss of two balls. But expect big things next week (he hopes!) rather than a comprehensive NAGA. The second group (hereinafter referred to as the “podium group”) of Litts, Walks and Jacko faced similar challenges to the first group – working out which tee to hit from, where the temporary greens were etc – but apparently handled these marginally better. Litts looked like scoring on the first but picked up after accidentally nudging his ball while lining up the putt, not realising that the latest rule changes removed the penalty. From that point on he scored every hole, with a very good up and down for par on the temporary eighth, but four 1 pointers restricted him to 15 points for the round and a third on countback. Off to Il Lido Canteen for well earned coffees, milkshakes, cakes and breakfasts and to be joined at the table by two GBW celebrities – Macca and Justin Langer. Unfortunately JL was too engrossed in conversation and gesticulating with another person to share his pearls of wisdom with the team. Dalbs tested the group's powers of website observation, querying the significance of Squanceys hand indications in last weeks winners photo. Ronzo offered a plausible reason as did Chris after scrambling for his mobile and subsequently everyone admitted they knew the three fingers represented Dalbs coming 3rd and the pointy finger (with a distracting thumb) Litts coming in number 1. It was sufficient to each earn a Lindt chocolate from the QofL. After concerns were expressed about the vagueness of the winners hand sign, Squancey agreed to re-pose and the symbolism is now much clearer.
Tuesday, October 4, 2022 Litts and Dalbs report . . . There were six players this week and it was dark and cold at the start. Everyone rugged up and it didn’t feel like we would reach the forecast 26. This was the first morning of the 5.30am pro-shop opening. There was some early concern that Squancey may have once again stolen the Master Blaster’s parking spot but tension was eased when it was realized that Ron wasn’t playing due to holiday commitments . . . or was it his nemesis competition Par? The front nine was closed for maintenance work today and so it was thought that the back nine tee might be busy. That wasn’t the case. At the time there were few cars in the car park and few players lining up to pay or play. Group one got away as planned although it was pretty dark for the first couple of holes in the early twilight. Dennis started really well with +2 after three holes. Unfortunately, things went wrong after that as he had trouble doing what he wanted to do. He finished with five straight wipes to ensure a win of the NAGA. The last three par fours were particularly troublesome. Perhaps it was due to an injury and family interrupted pre-season or perhaps it was just golf?
Squancey was blazing off the tee only requiring BlazeAid on two holes which sadly translated into wipes. It didn't extinguish his flame for the game, though his power game was usurped on a number of holes by putts that either just missed, fell way short or fell agonisingly short ("Aaaarrrggghh that bl__dy short game"). Despite the short game woes, still managed 2 pars and 3 bogies and both novelties.
There was a surprise visitor to welcome the players at the finish of the round. Macca walked up to the 18th green with the aid of a walking stick. He was in good spirits and moving pretty well considering. The Captain was handed a challenge this morning as there were a number of countbacks. Of the six players, three were on minus 1 and two on minus 3. Dalb's hopes of three consecutive podium finishes were seemingly dashed, being relegated to 4th after the three-way countback. Unbeknowns, Chris was musing, then begged the question "Didn't Dalbs square the last three holes?" A quick check, a wry Captain's smile and Dalb's hopes were fulfilled. Thanks Chris! Members were reminded that, with the exception of the platinum sponsor, $20 subs and the dozen golf ball contribution were now due. A flurry of $20 notes floated easily ino the Treasurer's wallet and the Captain is now on the lookout for those golf balls. Results:
Tuesday, September 27, 2022 Chris and Dalbs report . . . Everything was almost as it should be for the 5 players. Ronzo had his parking bay back and, though a tad chilly, the morning promised calm, dry conditions perfect for good scores in the true test of golf . . . . Stroke! But something was amiss, something looked different. That was it . . . no comfy tracksuit pants. It was Ronzo the well heeled golfer in a sleek grey number inspired by less than complementary comments on his track suit pants style by the observant Away Captain and facilitated by a pants sale offer pointed out by Chris. Didn't help his golf today though as he and Dalbs in cart opened the mornings hostilities.
Mixed fortunes for Ronzo today. His blistering drives from the previous week held for two holes before "tugger" headed bush for the next 5, a couple ending up on the adjacent fairway. "Can't understand it" he roared "Last week I could predict where I was going to hit my drives". A week is a long time in golf! Straightened up over the last 2 to snare the LD but had a few problems with the short stick on his travels, all combining to win todays NAGA (not his preferred Newly Acquired Golfing Attire).
1st: Jacko (Net 34) on countback from . . .
Tuesday, September 20, 2022 Ronzo and Dalbs report . . .
It was start of another eagerly looked forward to season under cloudy skies. There were black clouds over the car park – a new owner of the parking spot next to the Tavern Manager (apparently)! There were also new steps on the first Par 3; use of the new rule 2 for a lost ball; Dennis with a new clean bill of health and NOTHING new about the golf … some winners in the leading group and an NTP winner in the last group.
Dennis, Walks and Ron were mostly consistent off the tee, particularly on the 2nd Par 5… all three well down the hill and all on the fairway. Jacko, Squancey and Dalbs rocketed off the tee and collected 7 points between them – Chris with the first of his 3 pars – from some tidy golf. But they couldn't maintain the collective rage.
1st: Ronzo (22 pts)
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Round Results:
Club Champion: GRAHAM WALKER
Walks reports . . . Play was on the front nine at Hamersley, conditions were perfect and there were 7 starters. Jacko, Walks and Pinky were the lead group followed by Squancey, Macca, Dalbs and Ronzo.
He's been stealing the limelight over the past two weeks and wasn't about to exit stage right this week! Macca, Squancey and myself were privileged to witness a one-off and exceptional feat by in-form Ronzo that was 76 years in the making.
Ronzo reports . . .
MATCH PLAY FINAL
Results:
The most significant branch down
Results:
Pinky reports that . . . It was a perfect morning, sunny and with little wind, as the 8 GBWGC golfers climbed into their carts at Secret Harbour to commence their 18 hole battle.
Results:
Results:
Jacko reports that . . . It was Wembley, it was the Christmas Cup and ten followers of the great game turned up to tackle Tuart’s torturous track around the back nine (spare a thought for our captain who couldn’t have got a wink of sleep worrying about the count-back possibilities). With six opting to lug their gear up hill and down dale, it promised to be a war of attrition, even among this elite group of athletes. 
at the starting line, Ron took the route less travelled, then there were nine.
, with two pars out of the gate, Dalbs reeled off five triple bogies, then there were eight.
, with four points after eleven, Pete maintained consistency but two wipes left just seven.
, Scobes was one with his sticks, but uphill holes brought him down, then there were six.
, good start but a mid-term nosedive, NTP bird at the last too Little too late, then there were five.
, Brian was building a score, but wipes on par threes brought him undone, then there were four.
, Macca was back on the tee, a good first round but had two wipes, then there were three.
, a Walker was powering through, an LD at fifteen didn’t inspire, then there were two. 
, Squancey wasn’t there for the fun, but a mediocre finish left him short, then there was one.
, Jacko’s star was on the up, rising like a phoenix from the ashes to take the Christmas Cup.
Results:
Results:
Ronzo (mainly) and Dalbs report . . .What a morning, it wasn’t cold, and eight turned up to play, including Peter Crow (friend of Ron) and later it was great for Macca to join us for coffee.
Results:
Results:
Results:
Litts reports that . . .There were five starters this morning competing for the Spring Classic. We were greeted with cool and cloudy conditions and some fine rain that lasted for the first couple of holes.
After game coffees and hot chocolates are becoming a gala event, the revered Mrs Allardice pulling yet another classic out of her best selling cook book . . . Chocolate Chip Cookies. Crispy, crunchy and gobsmackingly good (how am I doing Ronzo?). Always great to have Macca join us for some great banter. 
his birdie by about 25cm to pick his 2nd 3 pointer and for the 3rd week in a row, nearest to the pin. On the next 2 holes his drives were again good, but wayward fairway wood shots that he could not recover from, resulted in picking up 1 point for the 13th and 14th holes. On the 15th Squancey unknowingly selected his old driver. He should have been using it all day as it ended up over 200 metres down the middle of the fairway. The 2nd shot ended up at the back of the green, some 10 metres from the hole. Again, he missed the birdie by about 25cm. Squancey ended up with 1 wipe, 2, 1 pointers, 1, 2 pointer, 4, 3 pointers and 1, 4 pointer to end up with 20 stableford point to pick up 1st place on a count back with Tom.
Results:
Chris and Dalbs report . . . A brisk but burster of a morning with blue sky, ships and surfers in "the picturesque beachside suburb of Cottesloe with wide stunning views of the Indian Ocean". But something was afoot, the sight of barriers in the vicinity of the 1st and 8th greens looking rather ominous. Seems there are improvements on the way to a couple of holes, something to look forward to next time we venture to Sea View. Two artifical greens and a much shortened last hole made for an interesting round.
Results:
The trailing group of Walks, Squancey and Jacko had great expectations and high hopes of tearing the course a new one – or so they thought. Suffice to say that walking off the tenth green, after a bogey and two doubles, expectations had been lowered somewhat – they fought the hole and the, hole won. The eleventh hole was only marginally better, with two bogeys and a double, Walks being the only one to hit the fairway off the tee, that shot being the only fairway he hit off the tee as he struggled uncharacteristically with the driver. He spent the morning taking the path less travelled but still managed a couple more bogeys at fifteen and sixteen. He finished the last green with a 51/36 total but as usual the devil was in the detail (666, 66..6, 6). 
Coffees went down a treat but Ronzo's woes after his NAGA saga continued. Pat was clean out of marshmellows to go with his hot chocolate! Not to be too dispirited, he pulled a very delightful surprise . . . homemade corn flake bikkies (thanks Marg). Has he set a precedent?
No birdies today but Chris lay claim to an "almost birdie that turned into an almost par!!" And, despite Scobe's recent lip surgery, he didn't dribble a drop of coffee. ©
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