We had a guest from the Frog this week – who gave Gordo a run for his money for shirt of the month – and with his Prez brother turning up as well, plus Peps, Bobby, Targe and a few others, the field swelled to twelve after last week’s seven.
The beers were flowing post round thanks to Rob after his tee shot on the 11th. Apparently it nearly got past the red markers, but not quite.
Bobby was alleged to have had two aireys on the 2nd, but swears blind he just touched the ball with the second one and it moved a fraction. With 17 points on the front nine, Bobby was looking good to be in the points, but 15 on the back for 32 wasn’t quite enough and he missed fifth by one point.
For the second week in a row there were no ties and Prez Priems, Raj, Peter, Targe, Peps and SoS can count themselves a bit unlucky to miss the points, although maybe scrub SoS from that list as he suggested his 23 points was his worst game ever.
Frog specialist and occasional Ivanhoe player Chris Priems had 21 points on the front nine but couldn’t sustain the pace and finished with 33 points and fifth place. Out of bounds off the tee on 17 didn’t help his run home. Chris denied all suggestions he was “doing an Eddie” and protecting his handicap for some up-coming events.
The bloke some people call Ryan claimed 4th with 34 points. It looked like being a much better round until over-hitting his approach into the 16th (over the trees from the 14th fairway) and having to take an unplayable lie and finishing with a wipe. Earlier in a hot 10 hole stretch from the 6th to the 13th he had scored 4 x 3 pointers and a 4 point birdie on the 8th.
Whitey played solid all day and if it wasn’t for a couple of unfortunate double bogeys on the 14th and 16th he might have finished better than his 36 points and third place.
Chris James, who has been known to hit them far and wide, was proud of hitting a world record 7 fairways on the front nine and he hit the turn with 23 points. However he only hit one fairway on the back nine and 16 points for a total of 39 point left him just shy of the win and in second place.
Michael managed a 4 on every hole on the front nine and turned with 18 stableford points. After another 4 on the 10th he embarrassingly topped his second shot on 11 (which went about 5 metres and was very nearly an airy). Raj was disappointed to write a bogey 5 on the card. Michael gave himself the proverbial “good talking to” between the 11th green and 12th tee and the result was four birdies over the closing seven holes, a 2 under back nine of 31 off the stick (67 for the round) and 40 points for the win.
If you’re playing next week, save your best shot for the 15th. The ProPin there will be a quadruple jackpot. Ryan, like Gordo a few weeks back, was well within the 5 metres but just off the green. Michael won the ball on the 18th, sneaking one up to the top tier pin.
The big ball story was on the 7th where a double ball jackpot was on offer. Ryan hit a great shot in there and his group assumed it would be easily good enough for the double ball. However it had run much further past the hole than it looked from the tee and on arriving at the green it was discovered that Whitey had hit a great shot in pin-high. Without the benefit of a tape measure, various efforts were made to compare the two and it was decided they were exactly the same distance away and a gentleman’s agreement was made to share the prize one ball each.
With Harry on holidays, there was some concern that this gentlemen’s agreement might not make for easy computer coding of the ball results in Harry’s fancy handicapping system. But no fear, Harry will be back in town at his computer this week and doing the necessary tweaking in case this unusual circumstance happens again.
Meanwhile Peps made a unique contribution to the Victorian government’s environment and recycling policies after finishing the 15th. After a double bogey on that hole, an annoyed smack of the ball with his putter saw the ball fly over the 16th tee into the new can/bottle recycling system in the tennis club car park. People standing in the queue to get their 10 cents per can/bottle refund all agreed that $1 per old golf ball would be a fair price, a bit fairer than the “$four!” that was Peps ambit claim.
Rob added post round that he’d collected $28 from a recent recycling contribution of 280 cans/bottles. To get on board and monitor whether the $1 per recycled golf ball becomes a goer, see https://www.vic.gov.au/container-deposit-scheme.
In other news, big congratulations to Ryan and partner with baby number two due in June.
Also, at end February we will be losing Chris James to an interstate move to Wollongong NSW. Work related, with his employer moving to Sydney, Chris will be trying to offset his sadness at missing our good selves by buying himself a boat and taking advantage of the good surfing on offer up there. Congratulations Ryan and good luck with the move Chris.
Results for Saturday, 20 Jan 2024
1st Michael Gourlay (40) 2nd Chris James (38) 3rd Rodney White (36) 4th Ryan Porker (34) 5th Chris Priems (33)
Seniors Results: 1st Michael Gourlay (40) 2nd Rodney White (36) 3rd Chris Priems (33)
Nearest the Pin Results: ProPin – 15th Jackpot BallPin No 1 – 7th Two ball jackpot shared one ball each between Rodney White and Ryan Porker BallPin No 2 – 18th Michael Gourlay