Merrigum

This event may be rescheduled to a later date at the discretion of the captain.

It’s just a passing observation but Merrigum’s senior netball teams all played in torrential rain and completed their matches.

Merrigum played pennant at Cobram-Barooga on Sunday and came away with a 3/2 win against the Shepparton Golf Club.

Bryce Johnston had a solid initiation to winter pennant, winning his match on the 20th hole.

Cory Berghofer won his match 4/3 and James Campbell was a comprehensive 5/4 winner in his match.

Pennant is in recess for this week, presumably because of school holidays and resumes for Merrigum on July 21 as we have the bye on Bastille Day.

Saturday’s event is stableford.

Parkland

SATURDAY’S golf at Parkland was a wash out as the rain set in before hit-off.

But at 4.30pm what is described as a mini cyclone tore a 300m path through the course destroying about 60 trees and partially destroyed about 200 others.

Club officials were probably not aware of the extent of the damage until daylight appeared Sunday morning.

Sunday afternoon saw a contingent of members and helpers starting the clean-up.

The ferocity of the storm continued its path through the Grey Box area across Lake Rd and continued its destructive journey down South Boundary Rd.

Members can access Facebook for details of when the course will re-open.

The club welcomes any supporter of golf who can handle a chainsaw.

Ron Sheldrake a visitor from Heidleberg was a clear winner in Wednesday’s A grade stroke event carding a 66-11-55.

Runner-up was Trevor Price with 69-12-57 while Geoff Coad was next with 68-10-58.

B grade went to Vaughan Moss with 70-17-53.

Second was Eric Simpson on 72-16-56. Les Jones won C grade with 76-21-55.

Runner-up was Rodan Brady with 74-18-56.

Ball winners were Ken Risstrom, Richard Stockdale, Don McKenzie, Mark Percy, Max Jenkins, Geoff Forbes, James Miller and Vin Sleeth.

Nearest the pin went to Geoff Coad 1st, Glen Smith for the voucher from Ky Pizza and Pasta on the 9th, Andrew Phillips on the 15th for the Clive Coventry Funeral voucher.

Paul Price was nearest on the 18th for the Kyabram Main Street Butchery voucher. Brett Childs won the encouragement award.

Pennant: There was another loss last weekend when playing at Hill Top in Division Three.

The Parkland team was up against Kyabram Valley View.

Paul McInnes went down 5/4 while Jarred Baker succumbed 3/2.

Ed McQuienn lost 5/3. Austin Baker lost 2 down while Jamie Baker won 3/2. There is a general bye next week with the next contest being at Cobram Barooga against Numurkah on Sunday, July 14.

Bingo: Although the jackpot number was on a restart, attendance was good. Last week’s inhouse big bucks game offered a prize of $378.

Coming events: Saturday mens and women’s stroke. 12-12.30pm. Shotgun. Medal Round No 9. Intersport Bennett‘s Birdie Hole No 16. Eclectic No 5. Bar: Kerrie Price. Tuesday: Ladies stableford. 9.30am-10am. Shotgun. Duty: B McLay, M Leyden, D Day, L McLean.

Wednesday, July 10: Men’s stroke. Bar: J MacFadyen. Kitchen: K Davis.

Parkland womens

MULTIPLE Stableford Event played on Tuesday is an interesting game where both women need to score.

The winners with 63 points were Thelma Callanan and Lyn Newton. Runners-up Barb Duke and Thelma Wootton Jones won on a countback with 61 points.

Ball competition Lorraine Brough and Marg Morgan 61 points, Di Watson and Betty Baker 59 points.

Lyn Fraser and Jan Gentle 56 points. Nearest the pin Di Day.

Valley View

Saturday’s scheduled Isaac Memorial 4BBB Par event was postponed without a ball being struck in anger throwing this columnist into disarray, forcing an unexpected re-write of my meticulously prepared column.

Subsequently, that leaves the Pennant results as this week’s only on course news.

Our division three team travelled to Hill Top where it came up against cross town rivals Parkland and the VV team came home with the bragging rights with a comprehensive win.

Mick Gallivan led the team out with a 5-4 win, his first win for the season, before our globetrotting president Mick McAuliffe followed him with a 3-2 win.

The unpredictable (the captain’s words not mine) Mick Coyne sealed the win taking his match 5-3 while Ash Kuiper won his 2-up. That left the captain to complete the clean sweep with a 3-2 win. Oh, my mistake. Miles, in a very disappointing captain’s performance, let the team down with a 3-2 loss and he is probably fortunate Mick Mac is off to all parts of the globe this week or his spot may have been on the line.

Our division five team’s score line was 4-1 the other way losing to Mooroopna at Cobram.

Paul Dickens was the only winner taking his match on the 19th while captain Barry Scott was gallant in defeat losing on the 19th.

David Collins lost 2 down, Daryl Harrison lost 4-3 and Dom Cerrone lost 4-2.

The cancellation of Saturday’s round was also an unfortunate way to farewell former club captain Doug Kajewski as it was to be his last before leaving for greener pastures.

Doug has been a club stalwart, nay legend, for the best part of 27 years serving the club as captain in two stints for eight years, and as a board member for 13.

He has also been our handicapper for as long as anyone can remember and was my immediate predecessor as the club’s Free Press columnist for about five or six years.

Doug achieved his legend status in his recent years as captain by concuding the weekly presentations with a joke.

And it is a testament to his standing and popularity within the club and his joke telling ability that he was able to get away with some of the jokes that he did.

Of course, Doug’s long standing nickname was TOF and this came about early in his days of Thursday golf at Rich River.

On one particular day the woman at the office calling out the groups got to Doug Kajessie, Doug Kajetski, Doug…… oh bugger, the other fella. And TOF was born.

Although a two-time captain, Doug never stood on ceremony and though he played his ball remarkably quick once he reached, he was never afraid to tell a yarn during the round, usually while his group was trying to tee-off.

Nor was he fussy about personal space our Dougie, I remember in one of my first rounds with him I was teeing-off when something caught my eye midway through my back swing.

It was Doug, standing so close I was about to poke him in the belly with my driver mid swing.

Doug was a leader in road safety too, one of the first to demonstrate the dangers of driving while texting, almost permanently maiming an already well scarred Geoffrey Strachan with his golf cart on the 10th fairway a couple of years back.

Doug, all I can say is that from all your friends at the club, we love you and we are going to miss you.

All the best to Robyn and yourself at Mt Eliza. We hope we see you back here from time to time for a round and a joke too of course.

This week’s golf. Saturday, July 6: (assembly at 11.30am).

Stroke/medal duty: A Hausler and G Armstrong.

Valley view womens

THE terrific news from Murray Downs last Wednesday was that Jenni Bauerle and Helen Emery combined to win the prestigious Silver Putter event.

We are very proud of them both.

While Helen and Jenni were battling against a large field from around the state, those of us at home were grappling with the challenges of the Pink Ball event, with the exception of Nance Saunders, Wanda Hacon and Shirley Soares who ditched their pink ball in record time.

No points scored on the 10th (their first), none on the 11th, and the poor little thing was drowned on the 12th.

But there was not much sympathy for Nance, who, relieved of the burden of having to write down two scores, stormed home with 36 points.

In fact, 36 points was a pretty popular score, good enough for Julie Neale to win A grade, for Helen Armstrong to win B grade (with apologies to Nance for nudging her out on a countback) and for Gloria Pell to win C grade.

The other runners-up were Leanne Busch 33 and Judy Sutton 35.

Nearest the pin winners were Marilyn West, Marilyn Ross and Liz Haw.

But the highlight of the presentations, thanks to the good humour of our acting captain, was the novelty prize-giving to those who took really good care of their pink ball — Sharon Harrison, Liz Haw and Anne Hawking, on a countback from two other teams.

No-one seemed to care who they were.

Thanks to Ian Collie Pharmacy for the major prizes on the day.

Today is a Modified three-person Ambrose, sponsored by Helen Emery, and next week will be sponsored by All About Shoes.

It will be our Monthly Medal and the 4th round of the Silver Spoon.