Collier Park - Stableford
A new season of golf, some new golf rules and some old familiar faces set the scene for the opening round for 2019 in warm reasonably calm weather. Captain Hammo was his usual organized, efficient self ensuring a seamless start. And the momentum generated from the enjoyable and productive AGM materialized into the game we love best as 20 players lined up for their opening drives on Lake, including our latest new member, Stafford Mellowship.
Breaking with tradition, the president teed off last instead of first while the Captain got all the photographic kudos.
"Captain's season opener" and "The great escape"
There were good scores at the top of the table today, though quite a number of players seemed flummoxed by the speed of the greens, putts too often pulling up short. Our fledgling member wasn’t overawed by the occasion, rattling off 22 points over Lake in a display of steady and composed golf. Pines threw in a few double bogeys but didn’t faze his easy going nature and another 19 points sealed the deal. The last group to tee off provided the other podium places. Peter Fitzpatrick, Craig Markham and Dave Ovel all turned halfway with 21 points, Dave 3 shots over and Craig just 2 (5 pars and a birdie). Craig continued his good form, the only issues being a few par putts that somehow lipped out and he finished an impressive 7 shots over the card. Peter Fitzpatrick only missed one fairway all day and it showed on his outward journey, just 3 shots over (and 17 points) for the first 6 holes. The group left the flag in most of the day as a test, the result supporting data supplied by Mike Patton showing that the flag “In” assists putting performance.
Our recent “form” player, Jamie ‘Fitzpatrick, had the putting yips but that was excusable as he recently changed from putting left handed to putting right, so the touch is getting there.
After-game festivities, made all the more challenging by an equally noisy group of nearby women golfers, included the welcoming of Stafford into the club by President Craig, Craig’s tall, handsome frame turning the nearby ‘noise’ into amorous sighs. Then followed the season’s first unsuccessful attempt to win the $150 putt-off jackpot.
Winners
1st: STAFFORD MELLOWSHIP (41)
2nd: CRAIG MARKHAM (40)
3rd: PETER FITZPATRICK (38)
NAGA: JAMIE FITZPATRICK
Nearest to Pins:
Lake 3rd: CRAIG MARKHAM
Lake 5th: ANDREW McCARTHY
Lake 8th: LAWRIE GIBSON
Pines 3rd: GARY HAMMOND
Pines 7th: ROBIN DALBY
Nearest in 2: TREVOR BINDON
Nearest in 3: DAVE OVEL
Longest Drives:
A Grade: DAVE OVEL
B Grade: TREV BINDON