Captain's blog - NEWS

​On Sunday May 27th the final round of the Mixed Foursomes and Wotton Trophy was contested on a beautiful Autumn day. Leaders from the first round Michelle Di Natale and Sam Mulholland  were hot favourites with an  eleven shot cushion over their closest rivals Chris Hill and Jim  Phillips. As is often the case in golf Michelle and Sam struggled in the second round managing to hang on and win by three strokes and in doing so created a club record. Michelle whose 12 handicap matches her age became the youngest player to win a major club championship. Paired with Sam, one of our young guns, whose current handicap is 8, proved a formidable team,  hanging on under pressure to become the youngest winners to grace the Mixed Foursomes honour board. Michelle coached by Kevin Kenny is a rare talent for one so young and has a bright future in the game if she maintains her dedication and enthusiasm.  Michelle has a very supportive and close family. We wish her all the best in the future and will be closely watching her progress. Early days but we may have a future champion in our midst.

​THE WOTTON TROPHY​
Played in conjunction with the Mixed Foursomes Championship the Wotton Trophy is a handicap event.
This years winners are Faye and Bryan Frith whose net 149 over the 36 holes held off the runners up. Chris Hill & Jim Phillips net 150 c/b.
​Congratulations to Faye and Bryan for a well deserved hard fought victory.
Pictured are Faye and Brian being presented their trophy by the Captain. 

Repairing Divots.
Here is a video from the USGA on repairing divots. 
Our course is our club, the quality of our course is the reason we are the leading golf course in our area. To maintain this level of excellence it is imperitive we assist our green staff as much as we can. The repair of divots is crucial in this regard. Please watch the above video. Sand should NOT be put in the divot before replacing the turf. Our recommendation is that sand be put on the turf after replacement then tramped down to grass level. If turf replacement is not possible (no grass roots attached) then sand should be used to fill the divot to grass level. Any sand left above ground level plays havoc with our mower blades.

Pitch Marks
Our greens, like all greens,  need a lot of tender loving care to keep them in tiptop condition. Please fix your own any pitch marks you can see without holding up the group following you. I'm sure the green will remember and reward you sometime in the future, (just after you have that putting lesson).
Here's how the repairs should be done.The section on repairing the pitch marks is particulary good. Please click here to see the video from a golf club in the US

Last Wednesday was ANZAC DAY, the day, as a nation, we pause to remember those Service Men and Women who sacrificed so much that we may have the freedom and lifestyle that we so enjoy today. As part of that freedom and remembrance, 63 members enjoyed a shotgun start at 1.00pm, a mix Medley  Irish Stableford over 12 holes with early dinner following. It was a great day with Faye and Brian Frith, coupled with Uschi and Robert Eriksson emerging as the overall winners with 73 points. Our photo shows the winners accepting a bottle of wine each in recognition of their success. Runners up were Carole & Alan Turpie with Jan Ferguson and Peter Dunn. The early dinner was prepared by Regina and consisted of a tasty meat pie, chips and salads. A most enjoyable, but somber day 

The final of the Arthur Brassey Trophy for handicap Match Play was contested in absolutely perfect conditions on Sunday. Successfully fighting their way through a congested field of 32 well known and competent  golfers, Brian Hanrahan and Tony Rourke emerged as the worthy finalists. Hitting off at 12.30pm to the roar of the gallery, they proceeded down the first where Tony won the hole. Although Brian played some magnificent shots, Tony was on his game and admitted he had never played better. Tony was never headed and the game came to a conclusion on the 13th green, won by Tony with a birdie. Brian has been a stalwart and ever present combatant in all our competition and has been the successful winner on many occasions in his illustrious golfing career and can hold his head high. Tony, a newer member of the club admitted he had only ever won a minor "trophy" event with his son at another club several years ago and had success in winning the "Golden David" for being the most successful player in this year's White Horse Cup" however, this was his first ever individual golf trophy he had been awarded. Margaret confirmed, it was a very nervous Tony on Sunday morning, waiting for the start of the game. Congratulations to all players in this event which is one of the highlights of the club's calendar and in particular, Tony and Brian. The sign up sheet for the J.W.Draper Handicap Foursomes Match Play is in the Pro shop and anyone can win. Get a partner and sign up.
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