Beautiful weather for golf – little wind (which made playing the signature hole “Wee Tap” a tad easier) and a warming sun. It was one of the best turnouts ever for a round at Kennedy Bay – 19 players including a most welcome visitor Tony Campbell who, incidentally, took a liking to some of the novelties. The course has had mixed reviews amongst our membership over the years but it still remains a challenging layout and a great golfing experience. Today was no exception, playing off the blue markers. The course fairways with their sandy base were fast running and tight, the rough “rough” swallowing copious golf balls, the 115 pot style bunkers ruining a few scores and the large greens proving hard to read for some, the net result being that no-one played to handicap, the course the ultimate winner.
It was inevitable that our jovial little gnome would win the day, having finished 3rd in 2016 and 2nd in 2017. Doug Stewart gnawed away at the course doing what most had trouble doing – keeping relatively straight and finding the fairways. Though, like all of us, he had his angst moments, he never wiped a hole accumulating enough points for his second season win. Old guys still rule!! A middle aged guy with a meager handicap treated his group to some terrific golf. Craig M hammered some classic golf shots in a wonderful 2nd place performance. His drivers and irons were typically powerful and well placed, his iron 150m out of that rough to within a metre of the pin (got the birdie) on the Index 2 18th a gem. Curiously wiped the second last hole (both par 5’s) on each 9, the result of too much unintended fade on such powerful shots sometimes getting into trouble. Completing the old guys daily double was punter Dennis Scoble. He was out to test his ‘dicky’ shoulder shored up with cortisone injections. Though starting slowly – just 5 points in 5 holes – he then smacked birdie, par and two bogies and turned with 16 points! A steady back nine chalked up another 15 points and a happy chappy had made the podium.
Nigel had a tough day at the office, the smiling winner of the day’s NAGA, cheered on by Stormin’ Norman who had an uncharacteristic low 20’s and Robin Dalby who was desperately trying to avoid 6 NAGAs in 6 outings.
In Other news
Other interesting observations:Rob Mizen had some fun in more ways than one . . .In the partner ball toss involving Hammo, Robin and Craig Markham, Rob gathered the balls and said “I’m with whoever wrote CM on their ball. Who is CM?” Looking at Hammo “Is it you?”. To Robin “Is it you?”. “Oh, Craig is it you?” To which Craig replied “CM is my ball. You should be a detective”.To Rob’s credit, he was giving some advice on ball striking late in the round by Hammo and Craig, along the lines “Learn to commit to the shot as hard you can hit anything, trust in your setup and follow through”. Sure enough, on the last hole he hit a great drive over 200m and a 5-wood off the fairway 180m up to the green, a revelation that could take him to the next level as his outing has never been a issue even from 120 out!
The comment from Lawrie Gibson was a familiar one among more than just his group: “There wasn’t a hole where we didn’t have 5 tee-offs or more”.
Winners:
1st: DOUG STEWART (33)
2nd: CRAIG MARKHAM (32)
3rd: DENNIS SCOBLE (31)
NAGA: NIGEL SMITH (19)
Nearest to Pins:
3rd: DENNIS SCOBLE
6th: -
14th: NORM MEWS
16th: NORM MEWS
Nearest in 2: TONY CAMPBELL
Nearest in 3: LUI DINARDO
Longest Drives:
A Grade: BASIL MUSCA
B Grade: TONY CAMPBELL