Hill Top Golf
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Golfers celebrated loudly last week to hear that we could, once again, play in competitions and in groups of four.
There are still many irksome restrictions, such as wearing masks, unable to handle the flagstick, no rakes in bunkers, etc.But, by and large, we are able to enjoy our favourite game and begin to socialise with our golfing buddies once more.
Linc Wellington won B-grade on Saturday with 43 stableford points and Michael Downs was runner-up with 41 on a countback.
Playing off an 18 handicap, Wellington parred holes 1-5 and 8-9 to turn with 24 points. On the back nine, he had three more pars for 19 points and a comfortable win.
Fred Andrews had five pars on the front nine off an eight handicap, bogeyed the 10th and then parred his way home for a total of 38 points, enough to win A-grade on a countback from John Keller.
Les Walsh won C-grade with 39 points and James Ibbotson was runner-up with 38 on a countback.
Ball run-down: Shorty McNaughton, 41, John Nihill, 40, Ryan Butler, Brad Ciavarella and Tim Dickinson, 38, John Dickinson, Tom Devine, Steve Zolich and Jody Webber, 37, Sean Martin and Bob Wildes, 36, Jeff Huddle, Bruce Gross and TY Guiney, 35.
Paula Wills won the women’s competition with 37 points off a 34 handicap and Heather Long was runner-up with 35 on a countback.
Sharon Jeffers had 35, Bec Jeffers 34, Sue Turnbull and Judy Baker 33 points to each claim a consolation ball.
Mid-week: John Keller and Jeff Baker both had 38 points on Tuesday, Michael Downs 37, Darren Burr 35, Garry Reese and Frank Hill 34 and Bob Wildes had 32.
On Thursday, Ross Kelly and Robbie Montgomery each had 37 stableford points, Jeff Baker, Mark Mackinder, Michael Downs had 34, Peter Wallace and Bob Wildes 33.
Chook-run starters played the back nine holes on Thursday afternoon and Marita Cornwall scored 23 stableford points. Ty Guiney had 22, Leigh Thornton and Brian Coe 20, Peter Fiddes 19 and Robyn Butler 17.
Coming Events: Saturday’s stableford round will be for the Privilege Cup. Tee-up a partner for the Hill Top Mixed on Sunday, October 4.
The top two qualifiers for the four-ball stableford event play off the following Sunday. Details are in the syllabus.
Shockers from 2003: Arthur Gledhill can play very good golf but sometimes even he has to resort to unorthodox measures. Such as on the eighth hole on Saturday when he teed his ball up about four inches for greater elevation but drove his ball along the ground.
His second shot was no better, running along the ground to within 40 m of the green.
Chipping is not Arthur’s strength and he elected to bat the ball up onto the green with his putter. This he achieved, knocked his putt into the hole and walked away with a par with the ball barely leaving the ground for the whole 374 m.
Bill Ashcroft pumped the air on Friday evening at Hill Top’s Happy Hour when his membership number 005 came out and he pocketed $650. It was nearly as good on Saturday when he rolled on his second shot and duck-hooked his ball deep into the trees on the left of the 13th hole only to see the ball strike a distant tree and bounce up onto the green. To his opponents’ dismay, Bill sank the putt for an unlikely birdie and two units, thank you!
Officials are waiting for confirmation from the Guinness Book of Records for recognition after Alex Howson’s round on Saturday when, at some occasion during the afternoon, Alex managed to shank every club in his bag, save his putter.
Merrigum golf
If the numbers who fronted for Merrigum's first day back from ‘lockdown two’ are any indication, golfers have been desperate to get back to some serious competition.
It was not quite the normal round of golf however, with captain Greg sponsoring one of his favourite formats, string golf.
How long is a piece of string you might ask? Well it depends on your handicap, with the length proportional to that handicap.
As you play you can use the string to hole out without incurring a shot, but you must cut the distance your ball is from the hole from your string, so it requires some judicious use to make the most of your "handicap".
For example, there is little point in using it to hole one five-metre putt and then having none left.
Andrew Wood started with one of the shortest pieces of string but with some good golf and wise use of his handicap he finished with the best score of the day, winning A-grade with 64.
There were some really good scores returned so it will be interesting to see how they compare to next week's stroke round: has the course become so much easier since lockdown or is string golf an easier format?
John Fuller was the A-grade runner-up with 65 on a countback from Tash Doherty and Greg Hall.
The B-grade winner was Ina Hogeboom with 72 and Russell Dunn was the runner-up with 73.
Nearest-the-pins were won by Greg Hall on the two longest par threes, the sixth and the 14th, James Campbell on the ninth and Adam Nunn on the jackpot 12th.
One of the highlights of the day came from James Campbell, who in front of a large crowd sank a five-metre putt on the par five third for eagle.
No doubt there was little fanfare from the modest Jimmy as he went about the rest of his round. Thanks to Greg for his excellent sponsorship of the fun day.
This coming Saturday's event is stroke for the Privilege Cup and a place in the next "Tiger Cup" play-off.
Tatura bowls
Tatura's Betty Curtis has an outstanding record of 11 Tatura Club Championships in the period from 1980 to 1998 and in 1991-92 won the GV and Zone Singles Championship.
Betty was an outstanding contributor to bowls at a local level with 40 plus years of service including president, secretary, match committee, selector, catering and delegate.
Her contribution also extended to association level including significant roles as president and secretary.
Betty was a Life Member of Tatura Bowls Club and the GVLBA. A very capable indoor bowler, she also won six club championships and an association singles title in 1975.
Doris Maskell has been a wonderful contributor to her local Tatura club since her joining in 1962, serving on match committee, selection, vice president for three years, and president for six years.
Doris extended her work contribution to the district association and was president for two years and a group six state councillor for many years.
Life Member of the GVLBA, Doris was a keen advocate for the promotion of bowls at all levels.
Granted Life membership of the Tatura Bowls Club in 1997, she joined her husband Jack on the honour board.
Doris and Jack's daughter, Barbara (Gilbert) spent a great deal of time around the bowling greens, and Barbara also is a keen bowler and is currently the Bowls Victoria President.
Doris passed away in 2019.
Faye Attwood, despite not entering the championship events through much of her playing career, still took out five club championships and has a state championship to her credit.
Commencing bowls around 1997, youngster Jessie Eva demonstrated her prowess by taking out five club championships with her first club championship being in 2000 at 15 years of age.
Jessie, Tatura born and bred, and a granddaughter to former Tatura club member Betty Roberts (dec), was introduced to bowls at the age of 12, and has won back-to-back Junior Singles State Championships and represented Victoria in interstate and international matches.
A costly oversight in 2005 when she failed to have her bowls tested, cost her a maiden victory on the international circuit when the result was overturned with her win against her Kiwi opponent in a three-test series against New Zealand.
Disappointment was short-lived, for following testing, she bounced back in the second test for victory.
In the ensuing 16 years following the club's centenary in 2004, the ladies membership had dropped off significantly and the championship finals were dominated by just two of the Tatura Ladies in Dot Best with eight wins and Freda Clement with five victories.