From Tony Durkin
BACK-TO-BACK: Scott Lindsay had been playing so poorly that he recently took a two-week sabbatical from golf after his handicap crept out from 11 to 13. But back-to-back wins in A Grade, including Saturday’s Monthly Medal, has the IT Consultant again enjoying the game he started playing as a teenager in Sydney. However, his 68 nett on Saturday – 81 gross – was not all plain sailing. He started both nines with double bogeys, yet turned the back nine into a cakewalk with eight successive pars on greens that he described as ‘fantastic, considering their recent renovation’. Scott joined Headland in 2016 following a break from golf but did not start playing regularly until 2019 and has since shot his two best rounds – 79 in October last year and 80 last weekend when his minus five won the A Grade Single Par event. And following a forced Covid retreat to his home office from which he runs his company, XL Automation, he is able to now play twice a week which – apart from his recent spell – is doing wonders for his game. Veterans’ President Tony Coad (68) won the B Grade Medal, while the recently-retired Alan Reed (68) saluted in C Grade.
GOLF SQUASHED: Former A Grade squash player John Langdon doesn’t believe he has mastered golf, but his 67 nett in Wednesday’s Medley Mid-Week Medal round has given him a vision of potentially better days ahead. And his best score during the three years as a Headland member – 83 – could have been so much better if not for a disastrous combined 14 strokes at the 16th and 17th holes. The former business owner, who retired in May of 2018, combined his love of squash with running 20 marathons all over the world as he ‘mucked around’ with golf during an active sporting life. But his handicap of 20 when he joined Headland was his first, and although he played off 19 during Wednesday’s winning round he has been as low as 15 in the past three years. A member of Headland’s Volunteer Group, John says golf is ‘slowly coming to me’. John won the B Grade Monthly Medal with the lowest score of the day, Peter Gablonksi (72 nett) won A Grade and Ian Russell (71) was best in C Grade.
WOMEN’S PENNANT: Headland’s Division One team has started the North Coast Zone Ladies Golf Association 2021 Pennant season in a blaze of glory, thrashing Maroochy River 5½ to ½ at Noosa Springs on Monday. The in-form duo of Kate Wilkie and Jenny Ingham were big winners, 8&7 and 5&3, respectively, while Karen Wilson made a super return after a seven-year absence winning 3&2. Josie Ryan had to concede six shots to her opponent but managed a 2&1 victory, while Annabel Harris fought back from four down to square her match. Division Two had a tough encounter with Beerwah, at Beerwah, and with three matches coming down to the last hole, escaped with an honourable draw. Both Leanne Ptak and Chris Parkinson won 1-up, Robyn Boreham managed a square after fighting back from three down, while Carol Dwyer lost 5&3 and Mouna Humzy’s recent winning streak ended, going down 3&1 at the 17th. On Sunday the Headland Weekend team also halved their match – against Woodford at Noosa – with Amanda Ingham (4&3) and Carol Quin (1-up) victorious, while Christina Claxton squared her match. Vicky Sheridan (1-down) and Monica Anthony (4&2) were beaten.
HUMBLE PHIL: Shooting his lowest score around Headland since he joined the club from Horton Park eight years ago, the modest Phil Humzy described Sunday’s round merely as ‘steady golf’. And that steadiness, combined with his goal of keeping the ball on the short grass, paid major dividends because Phil (handicap 22) won Sunday’s Medley Monthly Medal with his round of 87, for an imposing 65 nett. Not only was it Phil’s best-ever round of golf, but his winning score was the lowest returned in the seven men’s Medal divisions contested during the week. Thankful for being able to enjoy the game he loves following five back operations, Phil paid tribute to his surgeon and friend, Scott Masters, beside whom he played on Sunday. Sunday’s Junior Medal was won by the ever-improving 11-year-old, Charlotte Ridley.
NOTHING FISHY: Retired seafood exporter Grahame Denovan says nothing sinister, but merely a long-awaited slice of good luck, was the reason for his outstanding score of 43 Stableford points in Tuesday’s Medley event. A Headland member since he and partner Sue Wake arrived from Townsville two decades ago, Grahame (handicap 18) described his round of 83 as ‘one of those days when everything went my way’. And while his score – and the subsequent win by four points – was a thrill, the fact there were no ‘blowouts’ on his card was the most pleasing. Grahame posted seven pars and 11 bogeys in what he recalls as his best Headland round.
CONSISTENCY: Lisa Ramen (Thursday) and Vicky Sheridan (Saturday) have hit the consistency button at Headland in the past fortnight, both winning events with identical rounds. Lisa has had consecutive cards of 82 to win Thursday’s A Grade Monthly Medal (72 nett) and a Single Stableford two Thursdays earlier, with 36 points. And on Saturday Vicki backed up her A Grade winning score of 41 points (85 gross) 14 days previous to win the Monthly Medal with nett 68. For Vicky it was her equal best score since joining Headland in September 2019, and she gave credit to her putter – and the great condition of the greens – for her good score. Lisa, meanwhile, double bogeyed the par five 13th to spoil a solid card of 10 pars and seven bogeys.
EASTER OPEN: Headland will again host the Men’s Sunshine Coast Open Amateur Championship over the Easter weekend, and entries are now open for the two-day, 36-hole event. Sponsored by Headland member Justin Walsh of Walsh Consulting Engineers for the 22nd consecutive year, the Open will be played on Saturday and Sunday, April 3 and 4. Entries close at 5pm on Wednesday, March 24, and because the Championship was fully booked last year members keen to play are advised to book early. The AGU handicap limit is 17.5, entry fee is $75 – which includes a breakfast or lunch roll each day – and players can request to play in the morning or afternoon fields, with afternoon requests given priority based on date and time received.
RARE ROUND: Playing regular golf is apparently not a prerequisite for two-time Headland B Grade Champion Sean Hanna to discover his best form. The owner of Image Business Furniture shot his lowest-ever round – three-under par 69 – at Maroochy River last week to score 47 points and easily win the A Grade event. But it was a rare round on two counts – rare in score and rare because Sean has played little golf of late because of business commitments and a young family. And while his six-birdie round was obviously very special, a double bogey at the par-three 16th cost the 23-year Headland member a truly unforgettable day out with some mates, who included former Headland Champion and ex-PGA Pro, Dave Grenfell. NOTE: Sean played off eight at Maroochy River, but as a result of his brilliant round his AGU handicap is now 4.8.
MIXED FOURSOMES: Entries for Headland’s 2021 Mixed Foursomes Championship, sponsored by Lendlease Retirement Living, close at 5pm this Thursday (March 11) with the event to be staged over 36 holes on Saturday, March 20. Cost is $40, which includes lunch. Josie Ryan and Sean McGill are defending Champions.
BUFFALO’S BRIEFS: I’m pleased – and especially proud – to inform members that our Trainee Professional, McKenzie Wright, has received a call up to play in this week’s Isuzu Queensland Open at Pelican Waters. Because of his consistently good performances during the regular Trainee Pro Am events over the past two years, McKenzie has been granted a trainee invite and will tee it up on Thursday along with many big names currently playing on the Australasian PGA Tour. His dad John, who is the Club Professional and Yamba Golf Club, will caddy for ‘Macca’, but his brother Jack still needs to win a berth in the field through a qualifying round at Pelican.
GOOD SHANKS: Shanks are without doubt one of the most demoralising words in the golf dictionary, but not when they appear on the takeaway menu at Headland’s Eat Out In. Along with the equally-popular Nasi Goreng dish, Braised Lamb Shanks are back on the menu this week (to view the entire menu go to www.eatoutin.com.au and order by Monday, March 8). Orders can be made on the website, or texted to 0414 375800. With the main kitchen still out of action, Headland caterer and Vista Executive Chef Greg Pollard is keen to grow his Eat Out In customer base, and has requested members to encourage friends and neighbours to utilise this innovative meal service. And, if one of those new customers places an order and mentions the name of the member who referred them, a discount voucher will be sent to the Headland member for use against their next order. New customers who use the code FIRST ORDER when ordering on line, will receive a 10% discount.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Tuesday, Medley Single Stableford (117 players) – Graeme Denovan (43 points), Richard Franklin (39), Kym Mason (38), Trevor Simpson (38), Robyn Muir (37), Brett Beaumont (37).
Wednesday, Medley Mid-Week Medal (139 players) – A Grade, Peter Gablonski (70 nett), Darcy Brown (70), Ian Farrington (71); B Grade, John Langdon (67), Paul Clarke (70), George Stoufis (71); C Grade, Ian Russell (71), Brad Williams (72), John Waterworth (72); gross – Ian Farrington (80).
Thursday, Women, B BY HALCYON BUDERIM Monthly Medal, medal provided by Ken and Vicki Maynard KVM Traffic Services (58 players) – A Grade, Lisa Ramen (72 nett), Josie Ryan (73), Sharon Thomas (76), gross – Josie Ryan (81); B Grade, Mary Dowling (74), Pik Chong (75), Mary Young (75), gross – Pik Chong (94); C Grade, Ree Condon (79), Cathy Walker (80), Wendy Mosely (80), gross – Kathy Walker (111); D Grade (maximum hole score 10), Shirley Eggleton (74), Trish Arden (75), Marie Flegler (79). Men, Single Stableford (competition abandoned because of extreme weather conditions).
Saturday, Monthly Medal, Women (30 players) – Vicky Sheridan (68 nett), Sandee Brimblecombe (72), Coralie Walsh (72), gross – Vicky Sheridan 85; Men (213 players) – A Grade, Scott Lindsay (68 nett), Damien Moelands (68), Bob Trevor (69), gross – Wayne West (73); B Grade, Tony Coad (68), Paul Garth (69), Derrick Bogaart (70), gross – Tony Coad (82); C Grade, Alan Reed (68), Peter McNeven (69), David Parker (70), gross – Nick Bolton (90).
Sunday, Medley Monthly Medal (61 players) – Phil Humzy (65 nett), John Matson (67), Peter Dunn (69). Junior Medal – Charlotte Ridley (74).
