TO paraphrase a memorable quote from E. B. White’s children’s classic, Charlotte’s Web, “We are all gratified to learn that after weeks of unremitting effort and patience on the part of our volunteer workforce we have something to show for it”.
The Parklands’ grasses were finally mowed into submission and sandgreens and tee-blocks carefully prepared.
Hamilton businesses responded with generous sponsorships from what must seem endless requests for support.
This meant that prizes to a value of more than $4500 were on offer for the Parklands Golf Club’s Annual Tournament.
Valuable novelty prizes including a $300 voucher for nearest the pin on the 13th over the duration of the tournament and the contest for the coveted Spectator Trophy added spice to the events.
Competition was understandably keen with some remarkable performances transpiring.
Most notable was that of Heather Wilkinson, who was part of a winning team twice, and runner-up twice, out of the four attempts.
She was also the winner of the only individual event on offer. What a week.
Elwyn Brooks White again; “It is deeply satisfying to win a prize in front of a lot of people”.
Sunday
A STRONG field of golfers participated in the final event of Parkland’s tournament week, a four-person ambrose.
Parklands club members were joined by golfers from Portland, Heywood, Macarthur, Hamilton, Dartmoor, Mooralla, Portarlington, and Casterton.
Prizes were on offer for the best men’s, women’s, and mixed teams.
Barry Oldaker, Vince O’Brien, Graeme Torney, and David Boness took out the men’s event with a nett score of 56.625 from George Donaldson, John Wilkinson, Allan Flavell and David Rendell who finished on 59.75.
Jenny Row, Toby Salter, Dawn Cay, and Mary McCallum won the women’s event, carding 66.625 nett.
The hotly contested mixed teams’ event was taken out by Simon and Gaye Goggin, Steve Nattrass, and Heather Wilkinson.
Their nett score of 56.875 edged out Kelly and Allan Hitchcock, Mitch Miller and Matt Anderson who finished on 57.75.
Nearest the pins went to Irene Box and Greg Carter on the second, Cay and Clive Pinnegar on the fifth, Carol Taylor and Simon Goggin (1.24m from the cup, pipping Lynette Purvis by 8cm) on the 13th, and Box and Boness on the 15th.
The longest straight drive on the 9th was landed by Bill Crawford.
Friday
WOMEN golfers from Parklands were joined by visitors from Warrnambool, Mooralla, Grampians, Willaura, Hamilton, Edenhope, and Coleraine for Friday’s three-person Irish stableford event.
Carolyn Lewis, Lyn O’Brien, and Rita Walkom returned a stableford score of 78 points to win by four points from Wilkinson, McCallum, and Sandra Colclough.
Nearest the pins and longest drive on the ninth were awarded to both Parklands and visiting players on each eligible hole.
Nearest the pin winners were Sue Irvin and Jane Higgins on the second, Box and Walkom on the fifth, as Box and Kathy Sommerville took the prizes on both the 13th and 15th holes.
Box completed an impressive performance in the novelty events, collecting a fourth prize when she shared the longest straight drive honours on the ninth with Jenny Crawford.
Tuesday
THREE major competitions comprised Tuesday’s event with great prizes on offer for the winners of the 4BBB for men, a 4B aggregate for women, and the most sought-after Spectator Trophy, which is awarded annually to the best stableford score by a Parklands’ woman.
A delighted Wilkinson, who played an exceptional tournament week, was the winner of the Spectator Trophy with a score of 39 points from a previous winner, Jenny Row, who carded 36.
In the men’s 4BBB, Parklands’ Donaldson combined with Casterton’s Boness to compile a winning score of 45 points, finishing three clear of Parklands’ Torney and Ron Oakley.
The 4B aggregate was won by Mooralla’s Lynette Purvis and Parklands’ Heather Hay with a combined stableford score of 70, holding out Mooralla’s Liz Nichol and Parklands’ Wilkinson who finished on 67.
Novelty prizes were awarded for nearest the pins for Parklands’ men and women and for visiting women.
The longest straight drive for men and women was on offer on the ninth.
Nearest the pins were Oakley, Goggin and Walkom on the second, Stewart Turner, Box and Walkom on the fifth, Bruce Taylor, Row and Purvis (1.32 metres from the cup) on the 13th, (Men failed to deliver), Irvin and Purvis on the 15th.
Longest straight drive Taylor and Irvin
This week
A TAMER schedule returns to Parklands this week with our regular fare on offer in today’s 12-hole stableford, the commencement of the Friday twilight nine-hole event, Saturday’s October Monthly Medal and next Tuesday’s 18-hole stableford.
