WE keep turning up knowing that good form in golf is rare and ephemeral.
The likelihood is that one’s next round will be ordinary at best and possibly somewhere south of that.
Golf is a difficult game to win and harder still to keep winning.
When one of our number reaches that rarity of being in form, we take comfort in, and celebrate the fact, that it can be done.
This past weekend we celebrated Marie Cook.
Saturday
THE Monthly Medal stroke round is a hotly contested event.
The winner receives a sizeable meat-tray, and their photograph is displayed on the wall of honour until displaced by the next monthly winner.
Taking advantage of long straight drives off the tee, Cook scored an emphatic victory, returning a nett score of 67 for the 18 holes.
This was five shots clear of the nearest contender, George Donaldson, who carded a nett 72 to take out the stroke event.
Two shots further back were Barry Oldaker and Bernie Cook, with the former securing second place on countback.
Nearest the pins were Oldaker on the second and fifth, Marie on the 11th and 15th, and Mitch Miller on the 13th.
Longest putts went to Turner on the first and Alex Walter, who struck a purple patch, on the 16th, 17th and 18th.
Unsurprisingly, Marie landed the longest straight drive on the ninth.
Graeme Torney was consoled by taking out the birdies and ferrets draw and the putting award with 24.
Friday
AT Parklands the red tees, formerly known as the ladies’ tees, have been rated for men and women by Golf Australia, as have the blue tees, formerly referred to as the men’s tees.
This allows men and women to play off the same tees in specific competitions.
In addition, these tees have been separately rated for winter and summer conditions.
Friday’s stroke event for men and women was played off the red tees with a summer rating applied.
Marie tuned up for Saturday’s event with an impressive 33.5 nett to edge out Gaye Goggin on 36.
Oldaker was third with a nett score of 37.5.
Novelties went to Oldaker for nearest the pin on the second and longest putt on the first, while Bruce Taylor was nearest the pin on the fifth and eighth.
Wednesday
A 12-HOLE stableford was played over the inward nine plus holes one, two and nine of the outward nine.
Three players finished on 24 points with Taylor securing the win after Oldaker and Turner were assigned second and third place respectively on countback.
A point further back were Donaldson and Bernie Cook.
Oldaker was nearest the pin on the second and had the longest putt on the first.
Turner was nearest the pin on the 13th and Donaldson took out the birdies and ferrets.
Tuesday
A STABLEFORD event was played over the original nine-hole course with Kelly Hitchcock securing victory with 21 points, from Heather Wilkinson on 19 and Allan Hitchcock on 18.
Nearest the pins were Kelly on the second and Allan on the 13th.
Longest putters were Heather Hay on the first and Marie on the 18th, with Kelly winning the birdies and ferrets.
Following the event, participants enjoyed our traditional Kris Kringle and lunch.
This was the final Tuesday event for the year.
Starting today, golf events will be played on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays only until Tuesday golf resumes in February.
Looking ahead
A WORKING bee will be held on Sunday to install sprinklers to three more scrape surrounds.
Available members are urged to attend to assist with backfilling trenches from 9am - please come armed with a rake and/or shovel.
This is the continuation of our project to green the surrounds of all holes, made possible by a community partnership grant from Southern Grampians Shire Council.
Your Parklands’ correspondents will take a break and return on February 7.
In the meantime, we wish all our readers the best for the festive season.
Stay close to your families, take comfort in your friends and momentarily shut out the horror and madness of the wider world and reflect upon Michael Leunig’s simple but powerful entreaty - “Love one another and you will be happy. It’s as simple and as difficult as that. There is no other way”.
