From Tony Durkin 

FOUR ACES: In an astonishing golfing feat, Headland’s Jamie Hill has scored his fourth hole-in-one at the par-three 18th, in the space of three years. Jamie, a member of Headland’s A Grade Pennant team, again aced the final hole during the annual Cindy McKenzie Breast Cancer Charity Day on Thursday, this time for Ree Condon. He had previously holed out in the Ambrose charity event using the ball of Helen Fraser – in 2019 and 2020 – and then earlier this year in another charity event – the Ovarian Cancer Day – for Yvonne Richter. Obviously the odds of achieving this extremely rare feat – estimated at something in the order of 15 billion to one – are shortened considerably with Jamie hitting balls for the four members of every group in a near-capacity field each time, in the vicinity of 550 shots over the four events. And not only did Jamie provide his golf skills to the event, he also donated $1500 to the charity. But he almost did not make it for his fourth ‘pink’ event in three years. Playing touch footy on Mooloolaba Beach with his sons and their mates the previous weekend, he dislocated a finger. And, ironically, it was the ‘pinky’ finger on his left hand. One of his sons’ friends was able to play doctor and slip the finger back into place, ensuring the freakish result could occur. The event was won by the team of Carol Dwyer, Maureen Cartledge Robyn Boreham and, ironically, Helen Fraser.

SPONSOR MISSES: Sponsor Michael Thomas of Zenfind Accounting three-putted the 18th hole on Sunday and, as a result, he and his wife Sharon have missed a berth in the next round of Headland’s Fourball Match Play Championship. Only eight teams from Sunday’s field of 72 made it through to the quarter finals and the Thomas team, with 41 points, missed the cut. The event was won by Peter Conran and Peter Sergeant with 47 points, two points clear of the pairings of Michael Rutledge and Wayne Cassidy and Nick Reed and William Millroy. The remaining qualifiers are David Rennie and Graham Newlove (44 points), Dylan Fennell and James Reinke (43), Rick Popik and Josh Poole (43), Daniel Diachkoff and Geoff Bland (42) and Errol Greiner and Richard Franklin (42). Defending champions, father-and-son team of Anthony and Sam Fichera, finished with 40 points and will not defend their historic 2020 title in which Sam became the youngest Headland Honour Board inductee. Bill Oster and Sean Hanna, with 74, returned the best gross score. The quarter finals will be contested on Sunday week, November 14. 

NICK’S AWARD: Former Headland greenkeeper, Nick McClymont, has been named the Toro Turf Apprentice of the Year at the 2021 annual Queensland Golf Industry Awards. Nick, who accepted a position as Irrigation Technician at Twin Waters in May, started at Headland in 2015 and completed his apprenticeship in March this year. However, despite his decision to leave, Headland still nominated Nick for the award, a demonstration of the respect in which he is held. Headland Course Superintendent, Ben Tilley, under whom Nick trained, described him as ‘an exceptional talent and an outstanding young man’. And he said his acceptance speech at Thursday’s awards night on the Gold Coast, in which he thanked the club, his fellow staff members and his TAFE teachers, was ‘a cracker’. NOTE: When Nick started dating his partner Sylvia, she misunderstood his trade and for the first two months of their relationship thought he was a ‘goalkeeper’. 

KATHY SHINES: Despite starting with a double bogey at the first hole on Saturday, Kathy Atkins continued her recent good form and her return of 43 points easily won the Single Stableford event for women. Kathy, who joined Headland with husband John 33 years ago, steadied after her shaky start to come home with a solid 12 pars and five bogeys for a super scorecard of 78. Once a five marker at Headland, Kathy had become somewhat downcast when her handicap slipped out to 16 earlier in the year, but Stableford scores of 37, 40 and now 43 in successive rounds has her back to 10.8 after playing ‘as good as I have for quite a while’. However, her round of 78 remains four more than her best-ever Headland round, a one-over 74 ‘many, many moons ago’.

QUALITY GOLF: As a Rugby Union player and director of family company Dwyer Quality Homes, Alex Dwyer does not get too many opportunities to play regular competitive golf. But when he does, and he finds his form, he can turn the screws on the opposition, as he did in Saturday’s Single Stableford for men. Playing off 11, Alex scored 42 points to win A Grade, shooting his best-ever score of 77 since he joined Headland in 2019 on a handicap of 25. His round, which featured a par 36 on the back nine, comprised a birdie, 11 pars and six bogeys. Alex, whose handicap was severely punished after he scored 66 nett in his first competition round in February 2018, says he is ‘hopefully learning how to play sensible golf’ and is keen to consistently play to his new AGU mark of 11.3. His previous PB was in February this year, when he carded 78. John Hall (40 points) won B Grade and Daniel Crabtree (42) won C Grade.

PENNANT PLUS: A golfing rookie when she graduated from SWING seven years ago, Rhonda Parry has credited her experience of playing Pennant for Headland this past season for her recent spike in form. Until a fabulous 43 points a couple of months ago, Rhonda had been in somewhat of a form slump for ‘around two years’, with her handicap slipping from 29 to 34. But Pennant golf, and a resultant shot in confidence, has gradually resurrected some form and an overdue win in Tuesday’s Single Stableford for women, with 40 points. Winning her way into the Division Three Pennant team with victory in pre-season trials, Rhonda went on to be crowned D Grade Match Play Champion. “Pennant golf is a different game, and the experience has really helped my golf. I find I am now being more tactical rather than hitting and hoping,” she said. Her excellent card on Tuesday revealed six three-pointers, plus a four-point par at the 12th.

CORRECT LANE: Apart from a double-bogey six at the 16th hole on Wednesday, Bob Lane played the almost-perfect round of golf for someone on his handicap. The 34-year Headland member, who has lived adjacent to the seventh hole for all that time, scored 42 points from his 22 handicap, with three pars and 14 bogeys listed beside the double on his card. And while confessing he cannot recall his last victory, Bob confirms the win ‘was coming’. “On Monday I wiped the final two holes and had 36 points, and two Saturdays ago scored 39 points,” he said. The rising 76-year-old, who has undergone heart, knee and shoulder surgery in recent years, still plays golf at least twice a week, walks along Mooloolaba Beach each morning and says that although ‘getting old’, he still enjoys the challenge of improving his golf. 

AMAZING JUGS: While Thursday’s annual Cindy McKenzie Breast Cancer Day was an outstanding success with almost $6000 raised and Jamie Hill yet again acing the 18th hole, Women’s Director of Golf, Jane Boaler, has expressed particular thanks to the JUGS (Just Us Girls) for their 13-year organising commitment. “They have done an amazing job and will sponsor the event next year, but have stepped aside from organising,” said Jane, thanking the committee of Sharon Thomas, Vicki Maynard, Judy Farmer and Lisa Aherne. Jane also thanked prize donors Wayne and Louise Harriott (Outdoor Elegance) $1000, Headland Vets ($300), Headland SCIPS ($250), John Alsbury (aged whiskey), Opals Downunder (pendant), Jenene and Justin Nicholson (two baskets of goodies) and Property Today’s Jamie Hill ($1500). 

DIAMOND PHIL: When retired engineer Phil Martin returned from a two-month holiday two years ago, his iron play had gone out the window. “For some reason I lost all confidence in my irons, and had been hitting half swings with rescue clubs or punching irons, instead of playing full shots,” the 14-year member confessed. But, with a golfing theory that some days are diamonds and some days are stone, things turned for Phil on Monday and he returned 42 points, the best score in the Vets’ Single Stableford for men. While he has had some minor placings of late, Phil reckons it is at least two years since he saluted the judge and his seven three-pointers plus a four-point birdie at the fifth has helped him regain some long-lost confidence. “I hit at least three ‘diamond’ irons,” he proudly mentioned. Gwen Nancarrow (40 points) won women’s A Grade. 

COSTLY WIPES: John Jamieson has endured plenty of tough times as a farmer in the western NSW district of Boomi, so he is not one to cringe over missed opportunities. But the popular 38-year Headland member known as ‘JJ’, who volunteers three morning a week eradicating weeds on the course, knows he only has himself to blame for being beaten on a countback in Thursday’s Single Stableford for men. John, Mark Glassop and Bob Hunter each scored 41 points, with John finishing third despite having 22 points on the back nine. However, a missed ‘tiddler’ putt for a wipe on nine, further wipes at holes five and 16 plus two one-point holes, stuck in his memory bank after what should have been an unforgettable round. His otherwise impressive card revealed nine three-pointers and two four-pointers, and his score was a far cry from the miserable 25 points he scored a day earlier. 

IMPERFECT SWING: Steve Walters describes his golf swing as ‘not pretty’, and accepts that his alignment when hitting his irons is not good. So, when considering those imperfections, the now retired sales manager has done well to score 42 points and win the men’s Single Stableford event on Tuesday. Not only did he win, but the 21-handiapper conquered arguably the two toughest holes on the course, scoring four-point pars at the 15th and 17th. Teeing off from the 10th, Steve was on fire early and when he rolled in a 15-metre putt from off the green at the first, he had jotted 28 points on his card – a score that had ‘too often of late’ been his final number. Like most golfers who suddenly produce a great round from nowhere, Steve had no explanation for the sudden improvement, although he said ‘playing three times a week, I’d expect a good round every now and again’.

RIP JOHN RUSCOE: Headland Club President Jon Welch has paid tribute to former President, John Ruscoe, who passed away last week. “John was a great guy with outstanding business acumen, and also a very good golfer. His period of leadership unquestionably helped get Headland’s finances back on an even keel,” he said. John Ruscoe was a Headland member for almost four decades, and President from 2006 to 2011. He was also a prominent businessman and served as both Chief Executive and Chairman of Buderim Ginger. And in 2006, during his initial year as Club President, he became the first Headland member to score an albatross on the course, at the par-five 13th hole, a feat repeated earlier this year by Matt Macauley. John will be farewelled this week at a private ceremony.

WEEKLY RESULTS:

Monday, Vets, Single Stableford, Women (35 players) A Grade, Gwen Nancarrow (40 points), Kathy Atkins (40), Pik Chong (39); B Grade, Jacqueline Nelson (41), Bernadette Cassidy (40), Carmel Visser (39). Men (92 players) – Gordon Russell (39), Ted Banaszczyk (39), Michael Phillips (37); B Grade, Phil Martin (42), Ray Moody (39), Peter Leggo (38); C Grade, Barry Euston (41), Clive Glover (38), Gordon O’Neill (37).

Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (49 players) – Rhonda Parry (40 points), Jenney Stokes (39), Janette Ritchie (38). Men (61 players) – Steve Walters (42), John Robertson (39), Dean Smareglia (39).

Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford – sponsor Prime Property – Bevan Horsnell and Brenden Southey (220 players) – A Grade, David W Smith (39 points), Ian Moore (38), Andrew Fisher (38); B Grade, Brian Hills (39), Wayne Nixey (39), Barry Potter (39); C Grade, Bob Lane (44), Drew Grant (39), Jim Macready (38).

Thursday, Women, Cindy McKenzie Breast Cancer Ambrose – sponsors JUGS – Lisa Aherne, Sharon Thomas, Vicki Maynard and Judy Farmer – (144 players) – Carol Dwyer, Maureen Cartledge, Helen Fraser and Robyn Boreham (58.125 nett), Lyn Mansfield, Kath Barford, Sue Jones and Roz Brandt (60.25), Kym Marsh, Lesley Johnston, Doreen Davidson and Wil Sprake (60.5). Men, Single Stableford (96 players) – Mark Glassop (41 points), Bob Hunter (41), John Jamieson (41).

Saturday, Single Stableford – sponsor Hometree Finance Planning Pty Ltd – Women (32 players) – Kathy Atkins (43 points), Robyn Boreham (39), Maureen Cartledge (38). Men (206 players) – A Grade, Alex Dwyer (42), Greg Doolan (41), Col Pledge (41); B Grade, John Hall (40), Gary Ehsman (40), Paul Morton (39); C Grade, Daniel Crabtree (42), Graham Sargant (39), Darcy Smith (38).

Sunday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Match Play qualifier – sponsor ZenFind Accounting – Michael Thomas (72 players) – Peter Conran and Peter Sergeant (47 points), Michael Rutledge and Wayne Cassidy (45), Nick Reed and William Millroy (45), David Rennie and Graham Newlove (44), Dylan Fennell and James Reinke (43), Rick Popik and Josh Poole (43), Daniel Diachkoff and Geoff Bland (42), Errol Greiner and Richard Franklin (42); nett, Bill Oster and Sean Hanna (74).