From Tony Durkin
DAVE’S BEST: Because of the saturated condition of the course, only 55 men completed Saturday’s Single Stableford round, while the women’s competition was abandoned. But Insurance Broker Dave Mansley had no complaints, returning his best round – a six-over 78 – for 43 points and a runaway victory. And he has two golf Professionals to thank – Headland Head Pro Adam Norlander and TV coach, Paul Gow. “Adam recently convinced me to buy a new Titleist driver, and now I’m consistently hitting short irons into par fours, rather than long irons. And recent tips from Gowie on chipping has helped my game immensely,” he revealed. A four-decade golfer who joined Headland from Sydney’s Castle Hill in 2013, Dave had just the one blemish on his card on Saturday – a double bogey at the par-three eighth. Otherwise the 13 marker, who won A Grade by five shots, signed for four bogeys and 13 pars. Lang Pryor (40 points) won B Grade and Pest Exterminator Mark Gersbach continued his recent run of good form, with his 36 points winning C Grade.
TRENDSETTERS: A group of 20-somethings – mates for most of their lives – has not only helped alter the age demographic of Headland Golf Club, but the young men have started 2022 by dominating early competitions. The majority of the group of eight – brothers Brad (handicap 11) and Nick (17) Reed, Will Millroy (6), Tom Burnett (9), Lachlan Moffat (18), Lang Pryor (15), Nick Bolton (18) and Alex Dwyer (10) – joined Headland around four years ago after having played only social golf previously, and a number have already won Club Championships and progressed to playing Pennant golf for the club. And four of the group – Tom Burnett, Alex Dwyer, Nick Reed and Lang Pryor – stood on the winner’s dais during the first week of the new golf season, with Alex (A Grade) and Nick (B Grade) on Wednesday winning the first Mid-Week Medals for 2022. NOTE: All members of the group are Sunshine Coast born and educated, while six – Brad, Nick, Will, Tom, Lachlan and Alex – attended Immanuel Lutheran College together.
FIRST WIN: SWING graduate Lynn Deacon ‘warned up’ for Tuesday’s Single Stableford with practise rounds on Sunday and Monday and – with the advice of Red Bay Golf Professional Heath Reed still ringing in her ears – won her first-ever golf competition. The dental assistant, who usually only plays golf on Tuesdays, scored 37 points and added NTPs at the 14th and 18th holes for a winning return of $50. “I was pretty excited,” said Lynn who started on a handicap of 41 when she graduated from SWING in 2019, and now plays off an AGU mark of 24.7. But she concedes golf is a very difficult game and says she is still learning the many intricacies. “Heath is a friend I met through playing squash and during our round on Sunday he helped me a lot, especially with his advice on chipping,” she revealed.
MARK IS BACK: Having suffered a broken back and a severed ring finger last year following a fall from a ladder, Mark Beswick is grateful just to be playing golf again. But to win his first Mid-Week Medal, as he did on Wednesday with the best score – 67 nett – in the field of 229, was a huge thrill. Having joined Headland in April of 2020 after being out of the game for 26 years, Mark kicked off at his new club with a winning eclectic score in the two-day Vets Championship, but has had little success since. On Tuesday, in preparation for his medal round, Mark spent time at a driving range after being unable to ‘get the ball off the ground’. And the practise did the trick, with Mark having four pars and eight bogeys in his round of 103 for a win in C Grade. Alex Dwyer (69 nett) won A Grade, Nick Reed (68) saluted in B Grade and former Headland Assistant Pro, Matt Fisher, shot six-over 78 in the tough conditions to return the best gross score and win the Brian Kesby-sponsored prize.
POSITIVE SIGNS: Financial Advisor Tom Burnett started his fifth year as a Headland member with a win and an eagle, and hopes his victory is a sign of better things to come. Tom joined the club as a ‘total rookie’ in January of 2018 and quickly improved, so much so that two years later he won the B Grade Match Play Championship and also the Mid-Week Gold Medal. But 2021 was not his best, with his handicap slipping from a low of 6.2 to his current AGU standing of 9.5. “Not sure why, but I played inconsistent golf last year,” Tom explained following his 37 points to open 2022, and win Tuesday’s Stableford for men. And while his first par-four eagle – at the 11th after driving the green – helped him to just 15 points on the back nine, his 22 points on the front from a one-over 37 has given him the impetus to – hopefully – be more consistent in the new year.
RAIN BEATEN: Sue Briffa scored a first at Headland on Thursday of which she is not particularly proud, and she reckons will probably never be repeated. Because of incessant rain, only 23 women finished the Single Stableford event and Sue’s paltry 28 points was good enough to win the event, and add $25 to her House Account. “I’m slightly embarrassed, mainly because I didn’t play very well,” confessed 29-marker Sue, who had three nines on her winning card. Playing in the first group of the day, Sue finished in the rain but said as she and her playing partners were enjoying a post-round coffee, the rain started pelting down. Sue’s previously-lowest winning score in her seven years as a member was 34 points when she saluted in B Grade last year. NOTE: Because of the condition of the course, Thursday’s event for men was abandoned.
CHRISTMAS WINS: As is usually the case, Headland’s annual Monster Christmas Raffle was well supported by members, with a host of prizes including bottles of quality Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz, Christmas puddings and cakes, as well as chickens and hams up for grabs. And among the lucky 48 members who collected, was an appropriately-named winner– 22-year member, John Christmas.
GOLDEN ROSS: After 50 years as a Headland member and currently recovering from his second round of open-heart surgery, Ross K Thompson is seriously considering his playing future. A retired electrical trade wholesale manager, Ross joined Headland in January 1972 and in the intervening period has served on the committee – twice as Men’s Vice Captain – captained the club’s reserve grade Pennant team and reduced his handicap from a starting point of 25 – the maximum at the time – to nine. His best-ever score was a four-over par 76, an incredible effort considering his round started with a triple bogey. Ross once promised himself that if he could not play to an 18 handicap, he would give the game away and now, at 75 years of age and playing off 20, that conclusion may soon have to be considered. Ross says that while the course is currently in ‘mint condition’, he has always considered Headland the best member’s club on the Sunshine Coast. NOTE: Ross adopted the moniker Ross K to distinguish from another member of the same name.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (39 players) – Lynn Deacon (37 points), Brenda Smith-Gittings (36), Joy Murray (32); Men (77 players) – Tom Burnett (37), John Kamm (36), Peter Wood (35).
Wednesday, Medley Mid-Week Medal (229 players) – A Grade, Alex Dwyer (69 nett)
Michael Thomas (70), Dennis Roberts (71); B Grade, Nick Reed (68), Les McClymont (71), Lachlan Moffat (72); C Grade, Mark Beswick (67), John Waterworth (72), Mark Gersbach (73); best gross – sponsor Brian Kesby – Matt Fisher (78).
Thursday, Single Stableford, Women (23 players) – Sue Briffa (28 points), Jan Langdon (24), Colleen Sarquis (22). Men – competition abandoned because of course condition caused by rain.
Saturday, Single Stableford Men (55 players) – A Grade, Dave Mansley (43 points), Darren McLeod (38), Jaydon McDowell (38); B Grade, Lang Pryor (40), Thomas Hewitt (36), Chris Klazema (34); C Grade, Mark Gersbach (36), Todd Parker (35), Sam Fichera (29).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (53 players) – Dane Partridge (36 points), Peter Dunn (34), Dominic Geeves (34).
