From Tony Durkin
ADAM’S AWARD: When research company Golf Business Advisory Services polled Headland Golf Club members last year, the highest score recorded for member satisfaction in any area was 9.1 (from a possible 10) for Golf Operations. The score is the highest returned for this area of operations in all survey work conducted in the 12-year history of GBAS, and that feedback is one of the major reasons Adam Norlander was last week named Queensland PGA Club Professional of the Year for 2017. Adam joined Headland as Head Professional in January of 2015 and is obviously delighted with the award, and the recognition from his industry peers that it carries. But he is just as thrilled at the acknowledgement from the Headland board of directors, who nominated him, and the Headland members who voted so enthusiastically in the 2017 survey. “Headland is a happy club and we do our very best to help keep it that way,” he said, accepting the award on behalf of all those who work in Golf Operations. “The award is as much for Matt (Douglas), Nate (Smyth) and Dominique (Paice) as it is for me.”
MONDAY MAGIC: Marine seismic specialist Jeff Davis works in Asia in six-week spells, but when home he relaxes on the golf course, and regularly at Headland where he has been a Member for five years. And today he will be back to play in the Sunshine Coast’s Monday Club to defend his victory from last week, at Maroochy River, with an outstanding 46 stableford points. Playing with a new set of clubs – his first in 20 years – Jeff ripped apart the Maroochy River layout off his 13 handicap, returning his best-ever round of 75 which included par figures on the back nine. The Monday Club competition is played on most Mondays throughout the year at various clubs including Headland, Maroochy River, Nambour, Caloundra, Mt Coolum, Noosa, Woodford, Cooroy and Beerwah.
EASTER TOURNAMENT: In one of the hottest fields assembled for the tournament, 26 players with a handicap of scratch or less will tee up in the 58th staging of the Walsh Professional Engineers Men’s Sunshine Coast Open Amateur Championships over the Easter weekend. Players from renowned golf nurseries as Hills International, Royal Queensland and Brisbane Golf club are among the 185 entries, with visitors coming from as far afield as Melbourne, Toowoomba, Hervey Bay and the Gold Coast. Plus three markers Simon Tooman (Noosa) and Graham Hourn (Kingaroy) are the lowest handicappers in the field, along with past champion Dave Grenfell from Maroochy River. Michael Salmond (Pacific), Lin Ming-Yeh (Hills), Dillon Hart (Emerald Lakes), Zach Maxwell (Virginia) and Dylan Brown(RQ) are off plus two. Headland’s lowest handicapped players in the field are Ryley Martin (scratch) and Scott Walker (one). Morning fields on Saturday and Sunday will tee off from 6.20 am, while the afternoon fields go from 10.30am on both tees.
RYLEY’S RECIPE: Ryley Martin has warned up for the Easter Tournament with a four-under par 68, and 41 Stableford points, to win Tuesday’s single event. Scratch marker Martin, who intends turning professional in January, says he has finally realised that hard work is the recipe for success and his greatly-improved form of late reflects that new-found attitude. The winner of the Headland club championship as a schoolboy in 2015 and the Sunshine Coast Men’s Open the following year, the 20-year-old strung together four successive birdies to start the back nine on Tuesday and came home in three-under 33, for 22 points. But, remarkably, his 68 is not his best score at Headland. In a similar competition on a Tuesday two years ago, he signed for 66.
BACK ON DECK: Jenene Nicholson, who is in her 27th year as an employee of Headland Golf Club, returns to work on Wednesday after recovering from illness, and surgery. A popular staff member behind the bar – who possesses an incredible memory – Jenene has been away from her work environment for almost four months and says she has missed the interaction and friendly banter with her many friends.
ROUND OF THE WEEK: Biscuit-maker Scott Bromfield may have won Saturday’s Fourball Aggregate with partner Michael Morris, but his one-under 71 for 41 points wins him round of the week status. The pair – who have been regular Saturday playing partners for a decade – scored 76 points, of which Morris contributed a creditable 35. But Bromfield’s fine round of three birdies – which included a three-putt on the 18th – is his fifth under-par round on the course where he has been a member for more than two decades. Despite their impressive score, Bromfield and Morris had to survive a countback to beat Mike McQuarrie and Denis Orr, who had 39 points on the back nine compared to 41 from the winners. Two other notable efforts from Saturday came from Kathy Atkins, who parred the back nine for 23 points and Fiona Munro – 22 points from a two-over 38 on the front.
PENNANTS UPDATE: Headland’s B Grade Pennant team sits atop the leaderboard following another strong result yesterday – a 5/2 victory over Gympie at Twin Waters. Matt Prince (3&2), Michael Thomas (3&2), Matt Hetherington (3&2), Macaulay (2up) and Dean Jones (2&1) were the victors in an impressive team effort. However, the Veterans surrendered any slim chance of a finals berth with a 4½-2½ loss to Gympie at Nambour. Warren Selvage (5&4) and Burgess Stephenson (4&3) recorded good wins, while skipper Peter Perrett squared his match after blowing a 5-up lead after eight holes. And although Headland Juniors were once again beaten, captain Patrick Walsh continued his excellent Pennants season with a 6&5 win over his Mt Coolum opponent. Patrick’s record is three wins and a loss, with his wins by crushing scores of 7&6, 6&5 and 4&3. Mt Coolum won 3/1 on the links at Maroochy River where James Daniel sank a two-metre birdie putt on 17 to keep his match alive, but ultimately lost one down. No Pennant matches in any grade will be played over the Easter weekend.
LADIES PENNANTS: Division One, playing without captain Josie Ryan, scored a vital 3/2 win over Noosa at Caloundra today to keep their Pennant chances alive. Kate Wilkie, fresh from winning the Caloundra Invitation Day last week, showed just how much she enjoys the course with a crushing 7&5 victory, while Colleen Berger beat her opponent 4&3 and Sharon Thomas scorched around the front nine in a one-over 37 and eventually won 3&2. Division Two scored a close win at Twin Waters, beating Beerwah 3/2. Captain Robyn Boreham led the way with a decisive 5&3 victory, a score matched by the consistent Jenny Pirini. Headland’s other winner was Mouna Humzy (1up). Division One and Two Pennants will not be played again until April 9, while weekend Pennants restart on April 8.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Ladies (53 players) – Lynn Hayman (39 points), Monica Antony (34), Alison Payne (32); Men (74 players) – Ryley Martin (41 points), Graham Pitt (37), John Sims (37).
Wednesday, Men, Single Stableford (152 players) – A grade, Matt Macauley (40 points), Peter Francis (39), Brad Butler (37); B grade, Phil Lovett (39), Tony Pattinson (37), Barrie Whelan (37); C grade, Chris Duhig (39), Ian Harper (38), Steve Rose (38).
Thursday, Ladies, Single Stableford (55 players) – A grade, Kathy Atkins (32 points), Josie Ryan (31), Wil Sprake (31); B grade, Helen O’Neil (34), Norma Hobson (34), Kathryn Tales (32). Men, Single Stableford (73 players) – Greg Wareham (41 points), Brad Leslie (40), Nate Smyth (38).
Saturday, Medley Fourball Aggregate Stableford (250 players) – Scott Bromfield and Michael Morris (76 points), Mike McQuarrie and Denis Orr (76), Vince O’Neill and Graham Miller (75), Danny Shaw and Grahame Denovan (73), Garry Clotz and Jeff Jones (72).
Juniors, Super 6 – handicap players, Keita Griffin-Klazema (27 gross), Charlie McCulloch (37); non-handicap, Ryan King (25), Campbell Gigney (27).
Sunday, Medley Single Par (39 players) – Scott Roush (plus 5), Jacob Minnaw (plus 5), Jay Gourlay (plus 4).
