FOLLOWING a burst of late summer heat, the season has turned decidedly autumnal. 

Meagre recent precipitation struggles to turn Parklands’ fairways green, yet little oases of verdancy are already visible and stand as testament to the Parklands’ faithful, who using a well-worn recipe for success, spent the summer months in ant-like frenzy on and about the course’s sandgreen surrounds. 

This activity was seeded by a Southern Grampians Shire grant and bolstered by generous support from local Hamilton businesses.

Three related projects came to fruition at the end of summer - Reticulation has now been added to nine of the course’s sandgreen surrounds, holes seven and eight have been reversed, and a new storage bay for sand used on the sandgreens has been constructed. 

Despite all this activity, members still have time to play golf.

Parklands is now nearing the end of its famed “run”, and even as a well-struck drive still gallops 30 metres or more beyond the usual extent of a golfer’s strike, players are placing subtle pressure on the club captains to declare the summer rating ended and a return, subsequently, to a more generous handicap. 

At this stage our leaders remain unmoved, but the more experienced know that less-conducive conditions will return, ensuring that your long journey to play your second shot will inevitably become a short, but disappointing doddle, hardly compensated for by an additional shot on one’s handicap.

Saturday

THE first Monthly Medal round for the 2023-24 season attracted a large field of contestants, intent on embellishing their reputation as a golfer of note. 

This 18-hole stroke event was also a play-off of the previous season’s medallists to determine the best of the best for 2023-24.

Allan Hitchcock played an exceptional round to convincingly win the first medal of the season with an impressive 89-24-65, winning by three shots from Peter Irvin on 91-23-68. 

Barry Oldaker was the best of last season’s medallists with a score of 90-19-71, one shot clear of Steve Nattrass on 89-17-72.

Nearest the pin prizes were dominated by James Brown, who took the honours on the third, 11th, and 13th. 

Other winners were George Donaldson on the second, Allan Flavell on the fifth and Kelly Hitchcock on the seventh.

Longest putters were Vincent O’Brien on the first, Irvin on the 16th, Alex Walter on the 17th and Allan Hitchcock on the 18th.

Heather Wilkinson won the birdies and ferrets, and Donaldson landed the longest straight drive on the ninth.

Friday

THIS was the first nine-holes event for the season over the old nine, a stroke event comprising holes 1,2,11,12,9,10,13,14 and 18.

Stewart Turner’s nett 32.5 held out Les Pye and Oldaker, who both finished on 32.5 with Pye relegating Oldaker to third on countback.

Nearest the pins were Mitch Miller on the second and Bruce Taylor on the 13th. 

Brian Mibus sank the longest putt on the first.

Wednesday

A STABLEFORD round of 13 holes was played over the outward nine plus holes 10,13,14 and 18. 

Taylor’s 32 stableford points won the prize from Flavell on 29 and Walter on 28.

Nearest the pins were Irvin on the second, Flavell on the fifth and Pye on the seventh.

Irvin sank the longest putt and Taylor won the birdies and ferrets’ draw.

Tuesday

THE first Tuesday round for the season was a stroke event with Kelly Hitchcock’s 90-17-73 holding out Irene Box on 91-16- 75. 

Heather Hay was third with 109- 33- 76.

Nearest the pins were Hitchcock on the second and fifth, Box on the seventh, and Monica Kealy on the 13th and 15th.

Longest putters were Gaye Goggin on the first, Box on the 17th, and Gina Kelly on the 18th. 

Hay won the birdies and ferrets’ draw and the fewest number of putts for the round was Box with 24.

This week

STABLEFORD events will be held today, Saturday and next Tuesday. 

Friday will be a social nine holes over the old nine.