From Tony Durkin 

FISHING FRIENDS: Simon Richardson and James Kolbe spend more time together fishing than playing golf, but Saturday’s first catch-up for a fourball resulted in them landing the big one – first prize. James, a member of the winning Headland Junior Pennant team four years ago, is a close friend of the Richardson family and is back playing competition golf following a recent sabbatical. A visit from his close friend and former Headland member Jack Trent over the Christmas break was the bait to get him back to golf and Saturday’s round, in which he scored 37 of the winning 76 points in the Medley Fourball Aggregate Stableford event, has been a further boost. But it was Simon – 39 points from his five handicap – who led the way after an indifferent start. Starting on the back nine, he wiped the 10th hole then parred seven of the next eight, followed by a one-under 35 on the front nine, which included birdies at holes one, three, five and seven. And to add to the $70 snare for first prize, Simon also hooked $22 for NTP at the fifth. NOTE: Since incorporating tips from Jack Trent during those Christmas rounds, James is hitting his driver further and straighter, and has shaved five shots from his handicap. 

SAVVY SAVILL: Gary Savill had a hunch that if he was to get back to single figures – from which he played 40 years ago in South Australia – he would probably need to update to some modern equipment. So, acting on the advice of Head Professional Adam Norlander, the 2018 Living Choice Classic winner and runner-up last year, headed down to Brisbane’s Golf Central for a master fitting and weeks later was using a new set of TaylorMade P790 irons – to great effect. And he knew when he struck his six-iron to two metres from the pin on the difficult par-four 15th in Monday’s Veterans’ Single Stableford event and then dropped the putt for his second birdie of the day, his choice had most certainly been the correct one. Gary, who joined Headland on arrival at the Sunshine Coast five years ago, won Monday’s event with 41 points and in his current form feels his handicap of 11.7 could be on the way back down to that single-figure mark of nine, which he held four decades ago.

SPEED FOAM: Another devotee of the TaylorMade P790 irons, which contain revolutionary new SpeedFoam Technology injected into the clubhead, is Tony Dunford who returned the best individual score in Saturday’s Fourball Aggregate Stableford. After just three rounds with his new clubs – also recommended by Head Pro Adan Norlander – Tony described the forged irons as ‘amazing’, and claims they have ‘absolutely’ improved his game. His 78 off the stick on Saturday, for 40 Stableford points, is the best score from the ten-marker in two years. He says that while the irons have added 10 to 15 metres to his shots, the sound and feel of the ball coming off the irons is remarkable, and his confidence has sky rocketed. 

MATES RATE: As a joint new year’s resolution, good mates Al Larchin and Quentin Poulsen vowed to play more golf in 2020 – and also be a tad more serious about the game they both enjoy. And both have perfectly engineered their goals, scoring a win at Headland on successive Wednesdays. Al won last Wednesday week when he scored 42 points in the mid-week Medley Stableford event and Quentin followed suit on Wednesday, scoring 40 points to win B Grade and – ironically – leaving Al in second place. Both are civil designers/draftsmen who have been close mates for two decades as well as former work colleagues. But while Quentin is an ex-Headland B Grade Pennant Player of the Year, his golf game has been stymied over the past 20 years by ‘work, kids and a wife’, as well as a decade working in England. Wednesday’s round included nine pars and a three-over par back nine from his 16 handicap and is hopefully the lure to get Quentin back to playing somewhere near the golf that once earned him his lowest-ever handicap of 11 – and the chance to keep beating his mate Al. 

MATCH PLAY: The qualifying round for Headland’s 2020 Ladies’ Handicap Match Play will be held on Thursday, March 5, with the top 16 scores in the Monthly Medal that day to qualify for the prestigious annual event. Those wanting to participate in the qualifying round need to book into the field on the timesheet as normal, and pay an additional $5 entry fee on the day. Once the 16 qualifiers have been decided and the draw made, matches for the round of 16 must be completed by March 20, April 3 (quarter finals), April 24 (semi-finals), and the final must be played by May 14. The defending Match Play Champion is Monica Antony. NOTE: Because of the success of Headland’s SWING program and the number of longer-handicapped ladies becoming members, a fourth division – D Grade – will be introduced to the Monthly Medal competitions in 2020.

WET BENEFIT: While the amount of rain dumped on Headland in the past month has been inconvenient for staff and members alike, Course Superintendent Ben Tilley says the benefits will be felt ‘at the right time’. The recent heavy falls of rain followed almost immediately when course renovations were completed and Ben said the recovery of the greens is at least two weeks ahead of where they were this time last year. And while 628 millimetres of rain during January and February has saturated the course – and filled the dams to overflowing – Ben expects the course to be in near-pristine condition for the Walsh Consulting Engineers Men’s Sunshine Coast Open Amateur over Easter (April 11 and 12) and the both the Men’s and Ladies’ Club Championships in May. NOTE: While daily recordings of 178ml (January 18) and 143ml (February 13) were a deluge, they don’t stack up against a couple of other daily falls in the 13 years of Ben Tilley’s reign as Headland Course Superintendent. The record fall was 296ml recorded on March 23 of 2012, while 211ml on January 25 the same year is the next best. 

WOOD DUCK: Two visitors, Michael Hoy from Brighton Lakes Golf Club in Sydney and Mark Johnston of Maroochy River, were among the four players who broke their handicap to share in the prizemoney in Sunday’s first Medley Wood Duck Challenge for 2020. Michael, who plays off 16, shot 85 for a nett 69, which was two better than the trio of Earl Hicks, Chris Eccles and Mark Johnston (71). Only those players who break their handicaps in the black/red marker event split the prizemoney, which is donated by co-sponsors EKO Financial (James) Kidd and MOD Bathrooms (Chris Klazema). Each winner collected $75. Another visitor, Rod Harrison of Longreach, eagled the 13th, as did former Club Champion Ben Wedmaier who shot one-over 73 in his farewell Headland round – for the time being – before relocating to London this week. 

PENNANTS: Headland’s Junior Pennant team continued on its winning way on Sunday, beating Maroochy River (3) 2.5 to 0.5 at home. Keita Griffin-Klazema and Jack Fisher both had smashing wins – 8&6 and 8&7 respectively – while Van Wild-Baldock squared his first-ever Pennant match. Following the bye the previous weekend, Headland’s B Grade team kicked off their season with a drawn match at Tin Can Bay against Noosa Springs – 3.5 points apiece from the seven matches. Captain Matt Hetherington started his campaign as leader with a 4&2 win, while Pennant rookie Will Millroy won 2&1 and Matt Macaulay was 1-up after 18 holes. Ciaran Fenton finished all square in his match, James Kidd lost on the 18th and Brendan Duncan and Rhett Charlton were both beaten 2&1. All teams will play next Sunday (February 23), and the draw is: A Grade V Mt Coolum at Headland; B Grade V Peregian at Peregian; Masters V Caloundra at Twin Waters; Juniors V Maroochy River (2) at Noosa Springs.

WEEKLY WINNERS:

Monday, Vets, Single Stableford, Ladies (25 players) – Sue Jones (34 points), Yvonne Henry (31), Rhonda Biggs (31); Men (74 players) – A Grade, Gary Savill (41 points), Bill Hegarty (40), Huki Matenga (35); B Grade, Barry Mapes (32), Phil Kornmann (31), Jock McLaughlin (31); C Grade, Chris Byrnes (35), Jack Williams (350, Barry Rawlings (31).

Tuesday, Medley Single Stableford (74 players) – A Grade, John Marrington (39 points), Geoff Sawyer (36), Mark Glassop (36); B Grade, Mal McDougall (35), Mary Dowling (33), Leeanne Ptak (31).

Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (112 players) – A Grade, Adriaan Moorcroft (41 points), Andy Whitmore (40); B Grade, Quentin Poulsen (40), Al Larchin (37); C Grade, Jim Saunderson (38), John Miller (33).

Thursday, Ladies, Single Stableford (abandoned because of weather/course conditions). Men, Single Stableford (abandoned because of weather/course conditions).

Saturday, Medley Fourball Aggregate Stableford (230 players) – Simon Richardson and James Kolbe (76 points), Tim Diedricks and Bryan Haggarty (75), Mike McQuarrie and Michael Gregora (72), Jack Pyke and Ken Anderson (72), Andrew Hay and David Cawthorne (72).

Sunday, Medley Wood Duck Challenge (47 players) – Michael Hoy (69 nett), Earl Hicks (71), Mark Johnstone (71), Chris Eccles (71).