HEAT, humidity, the lure of a cooler coast and finally a tropical downpour all conspired to ensure that last week’s golfing calendar at Parklands was reduced to a single event.

The week ahead promises better of course but, away from golf, families face the uncertain realities of a return to school, as we embark on the next stage of ‘pushing through’ living with COVID.

Parklands Golf Club golfers will continue to play on, but will be ever mindful of those that find themselves at the pointy end of living with and coping with the virus.

Saturday pinehurst

PRECIPITATION this past week including Friday’s downpour delivered 38 mm of rain to Parklands’ parched course, reducing run to a more moderate level.

This rain was of course welcome, but turned some of the sloping scrapes into diabolical putting surfaces, as the thunderous downpour scoured sand from the putting surfaces. 

Despite some urgent repairs, the 16th remained a putter’s nightmare, as the faithful ventured out for the Saturday Pinehurst event. 

Pinehurst is a stroke event with pairs teeing off, then playing each other’s drive. 

The best second shot is selected, and thereafter shots are played alternatively until the ball is holed.

Despite Mitch Miller’s flirtations with the boundary fence, he and playing partner, Heather Wilkinson, returned a nett 70 5/8 to take the win.

The score was on the back of some impressive Miller iron play and an accurate short game from Wilkinson that included a chip-in for a birdie three on the 14th.

Second place was secured by Vince O’Brien and Steve Nattrass, who returned a nett 71 5/8. 

Irene Box and Bruce Taylor finished third on 74 7/8.

Nearest the pins went to O’Brien on the second, Box on the fifth and 11th, Taylor on the 13th and Miller on the 15th.

Longest putts were holed by Barry Oldaker on the first, Box on the 17th and Wilkinson on the 18th. 

Unsurprisingly there was no longest putt on the 16th, but one pair did establish a record of sorts, taking six putts to finally hole out.

Gaye Goggin was the winner of the birdies and ferrets’ draw.

This week

EVENTS for this week are scheduled for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

On Sunday the next stage in the scheduled works for the reversal of holes seven and eight will take place. 

This will take the form of a members’ working bee that will commence at 9am.