First, there is a need for a bit of news about the Annual Challenge Weekend. By all accounts a good time was had by all. As far as the golf went, the best time was had by David and Mo who both managed to gather 60 points for the two rounds. David was the one to shoulder into the Taupe (?) Jacket after a countback. It is rumoured that the hallowed cloth is getting a bit the worse for wear and a search is on for a suitable replacement though there are some concerns that a Hugo Boss of a similar standard might come in at a bit more than $10 these days. Damo and Mehm shared the third placing with 58 points apiece. Either the course was somewhat tougher than Ivanhoe or the liberal application of beverages took its toll.
Chrispy was so desperate to score a point that he stripped off (only the shoes and socks) and waded in to play the second ball that found the water on this hole and did manage to score a point in the end. Well done the photographer for a fine action shot that captured Chrispy’s exemplary style as well as the flight of the ball. It is also reported than Jan was a bit whiffy on Sunday though not from anything he ate or drank the night before – just kept missing the ball.
At one stage Craig was having a little snooze and some of his so-called friends decided to adorn his visage with a little ‘art-work’. Even though it was done with a permanent marker, the said adornment disappeared without a trace. Perhaps there was alcohol exuding from his pores and dissolved it right away.
Now down to the nitty gritty of today’s event. The weather was not too promising with forecasts of showers and wind and to some degree both eventuated but not enough to dampen the enthusiasm of the twenty or so who braved the early morning cold to vie for the next to last (penultimate for those who like bigger words) Monthly Medal for the year. There were a few who fancied their chances but none so optimistic as Gordon who calculates that he has a chance of catching Oliver in the Championship Table. One down, four more to go. Only trouble is there are only three live rounds left. Oh well, Gordon’s nett 64 was just enough to disappoint Tony and Mehm who would have had to fight it out in a countback from their second place sharing 65 nett.
Brendon is back and his restructured Achilles seems to be standing him in good stead particularly at one stage of the round where he completed six holes averaging over three points per hole. Apparently, most of the three birdies that he scored owed more to the other thing rather than class, like skinnied shots hitting the pin and dropping inches from the hole and so forth. Still three out of the eight birdies scored for the day isn’t to be sneezed at by anyone, no matter how jealous your playing partners are. Chris managed to keep his feet dry today and teamed up with Mike to fill the next spot with 68 while Harry and Bill rounded out the podium positions with 69.
The Nearest the Pin on the 4th for a ball was washed out by the rain – well the writing on the board was at least – but apparently Gordon was the one who had been there and was awarded a ball as a result. The ProPin on the 18th was not contended by anyone though some, with a decent kick (bounce), could have had a chance.
There were a couple of visitors in the field today. Bob Nichols joined us as his regular group were not playing and he might consider joining with us in due course. Mark Gouldsman also played and shows quite a bit of talent, though he did have a few problems with some of the rough. Unfortunately, Mark did not join us after the round but he did express an interest in joining us on a regular basis.
Eddies cart managed to finish the round this week although it was blowing a bit of smoke and back-firing from time to time. Might have to report it to the EPA if it keeps that up – particularly the latter when people are trying to concentrate. One of Targe’s putts was deemed to be so long that the hole was below the horizon – for him at least. After the round there appeared to be a card (or two) missing according to the count on Chrispy’s tee sheet until a check showed that, indeed, AndrewB’s was missing, but also that AndrewB was on the tee sheet twice. No wonder the money didn’t balance.
Brendon put on display, the potential Club shirt colours – green, blue and violet. The committee would like feed-back on the preferred colour by next week and peoples shirt size by the week after so that an order can be placed to get them before the break-up on 21 December. Speaking of which, organisation is under way for a slap up Christmas Lunch after the round. There will also be the AGM and Trophy presentations.
Also, don’t forget that the December Monthly Medal and the two rounds of the Vin O’Meara have been designated as the new Club Stroke Play Championship. This will be the 2013 Event and will not attract Championship points other than those for the underlying Calendar Events.
Results for Saturday, 09 November 2013
1st Gordon Hill(64) 2nd Mehmet Akdag(65) 2nd Tony Mifsud(65) 3rd Brendon Mitchell(66) 4th Mike Mann(68) 4th Chris Priems(68) 5th Harry Boughen(69) 5th Bill Eastoe(69)