THE Parklands Golf Club Men’s Championship is at the halfway mark and bragging rights are keenly sought by the club members. 

Any shots which stray from the desired fairway disappoint players and present a challenge to recover without dropping any shots on the hole. 

Stray shots require consideration of the many potential obstacles that have now been brought into play, including trees both short and tall, drains and large swathes of rough. 

On the King’s Birthday public holiday, the club will be hosting a novelty cross country competition where golfers will be challenged by a 10-hole course layout, which requires players to negotiate their way between tee blocks and scrapes selected from alternative holes.

Saturday

THE second round of the men’s club championships was held in conjunction with the June Monthly Medal on Saturday. 

The morning’s downpours cleared before play commenced, but the rain certainly took some run from the fairways. 

Amid tight competition, Bruce Taylor won the medal with nett 69. 

The stroke competition winner was Mark Miller with a nett 70 from Dale Grambau with a nett 72, while Graeme Torney finished third, edging out James Brown in a countback on 73, and Barry Oldaker in fifth with a nett 74.

The novelties were shared throughout the field with the nearest the pin prizes won by Grambau (second), Miller (third), Taylor (fifth and 11th), Vincent O’Brien (13th) and Steve Nattrass (15th). 

The longest putt prizes went to Grambau (first), O’Brien (16th), Heather Hay (17th) and Torney (18th). 

Brown won the putting prize and Grambau claimed the birdies and ferrets prize.

At the halfway mark of the championship, Brown is eight shots in front in the scratch competition and there is a tightly bunched field in the handicap competition.

Friday

FRIDAY’S stroke competition was held on the old nine-hole course and George Donaldson was the clear winner with nett 28. 

Oldaker was runner-up with nett 31 from Stewart Turner with nett 31.5. 

The appropriate handicap penalties for the Friday social golf competition were awarded to the winners. 

The nearest the pin prizes went to Taylor on the second and Peter Irvin on the 13th. 

Irvin also took home the prizes for the longest putt on the first and the longest straightest drive on the ninth for a drive that was definitely straight.

Wednesday

WEDNESDAY’S 13-hole competition was played in welcoming conditions and Bruce Taylor was the clear winner with 27 stableford points from Peter Irvin in second with 25.

John Wilkinson finished third with 24. While nearest the pins went to Oldaker on the fifth and unsurprisingly Les Pye won the 13th. 

Wilkinson’s good day extended, hitting the longest putt on the first and winning the birdies and ferrets.

Tuesday

A 4BBB competition with a draw for partners was enjoyed by the field on Tuesday. 

The winning pair of Heather Hay and Gina Kelly combined for 40 points, with runners-up, Irene Box and Heather Wilkinson, on 38 points.  

Hay was nearest the pin on the 15th and won the birdies and ferrets, while Box was nearest the pin on the 13th.  

Gaye Goggin was nearest on the eighth and holed the longest putt on the 17th, with Toby Salter hitting the longest putt on the 17th.

This week

COMPETITIONS will be held today, Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. 

Saturday’s competition is an 18-hole stableford with visitors welcome at midday for 12.30pm tee-off. 

On the King’s Birthday holiday, a novelty nine-hole cross country competition will be held from midday for 12.15pm tee-off.