It was the Father’s Day fixture but, even so, the complete lack of cars in the car park and bodies at the clubhouse couldn’t be put down to that notable occasion. A quick check of Teamer and a mortified Robin realized Nedlands was not the nominated course. A call to helpful Hammo and a sprint down Stirling Highway saw this hapless golfer cheered unmercifully into the fold of (now) 11 players on a chippy but fine and calm morning. We welcomed visitor Stafford Mellowship and admired President Craig for being the only buggy pusher (with his gammy knee), the rest opting for carts on a course notorious for its hill climbs.

It’s a familiar Lawrie catch cry “I always play with the winner”. And today was no exception. He was joined by Rob Mizen, their friend Stafford (a terrific person and very handy golfer who’d make a fine addition to the club – hint, hint!) and Robin, uplifted by the thought that playing with Lawrie might help him avoid another NAGA. And so it came to pass that the anointed winner this time was Rob. When he’s letting loose those crunching punch drives mostly down the middle (to win the B Grade Long Drive), lobbing approach shots with his “chipper” within a metre of the hole and sinking long putts with that Jack Nicklaus crouch (winning the Longest Putt), there’s no stopping him and his third season win was in the bag. Lawrie was no slouch himself though, like most, had his wayward moments. Recovering from just 5 points from the first five holes, he turned with 15 points and covered the back nine with 19 from an effort that included: one wipe; just 10 shots over for the other 12 holes; and, when playing the dogleg right 14th, saved in the nick of time from firing at the dogleg left 5th green! Our journeyman Nigel Smith took the first 6 holes to warm up and turned with a modest 12 points. Had a blistering run home with a 20 point return (it’s called “Doing a Hammo”) to clinch 3rd placing and complete the quinella (a 1st, 2nd and now 3rd placing).

Speaking of “Doing a Hammo”, the captain did it again – a meager 10 points going out but closing with an impressive 21 (a 40 off-the-stick!) to almost force a third place count back. It didn’t stop there – his drive on the Long Drive 10th taking a “slingshot” from a fairway bunker to help him past the big hitting Craig M for today’s LD A Grade win. And, to cap it off, he’d arranged to bring his recently replaced clubs down for Pete Tallon to try out. But guess who forgot them . . . and guess who (thankfully) had packed his own clubs just in case!

Perhaps it was Lawrie’s influence that saved Robin from another NAGA or, more likely, Trev’s “overstretching” himself on the back nine (just 3 points) to be a convincing winner

And there to welcome us at the 19th hole was Andrew “Macca” McCarthy. The truth about his career interrupting injury was finally out – the painful “tennis elbow” from fishing (he should speak to fishing guru Daddy Scoble). Hammo shouted him drinks while Macca dived straight into compiling the round results for a grateful Captain to announce.

Winners:

1st: ROB MIZEN (35)

2nd: LAWRIE GIBSON (34)

3rd: NIGEL SMITH (32)

NAGA: TREVOR BINDON (18)

Nearest to Pins:

3rd: NO TAKERS

7th: NO TAKERS

12th: CRAIG MARKHAM

16th: NO TAKERS

Nearest in 2: NIGEL SMITH

Nearest in 3: NO TAKERS

Longest Drives:

A Grade: GARY HAMMOND

B Grade: ROB MIZEN

Longest Putt: ROB MIZEN