From Tony Durkin

MICK RETURNS: So poorly was Mick Kelsey swinging his golf club this time last year, he contemplated taking a break from this ‘new game’ which had become a major focus in his recently-retired lifestyle. A former Commander in the Australian Federal Police, the two-metre (6’7”) giant had reduced his handicap from 36 to 15 in less than 18 months as a Headland member, but suddenly he could no longer string a few good holes together. But that changed dramatically on Saturday when he scored 44 points to spearhead victory in the Fourball Aggregate Stableford, alongside good mate and regular playing partner Mick Kinnear. Playing off 22, Mick had a field day with four four-point holes and five three-pointers on his card, while his partner contributed 30 points, enabling the pair to score 74 points and win by a shot. Apart from perseverance – and a ‘useful’ handicap – Mick can offer no other rationale for his sudden return to form. 

NO-LOOK ANNE: When she had accumulated 31 points by the 14th hole in Monday’s Vets Single Stableford, Anne Callanan decided not to check her score until her round was finished. And when she did, not only had she accrued the winning A Grade score of 42 points, but she had beaten the remainder of the field by five points. Now retired, the 33-year Headland member who plays at least twice a week and sometimes three times, said she ‘had the feeling’ a good score was coming following a great start to 2022, with two seconds and two thirds in the opening three weeks of competition golf. And while her round of 89 was her best since an 85 ‘when I was much younger’, the consistency of Monday’s golf was the most pleasing aspect. Anne had just the lone single point on her card, with a four-point par at the par-five second sitting alongside 11 two-pointers and five three-point holes. Pam Andrews (35 points) won B Grade.

THANKS SRIXON: Playing with his new Srixon golf clubs – purchased from the Headlands Pro Shop just before Christmas – builder Chris McArdle put them to good use to post the best score in Sunday’s Medley Wood Duck Challenge. Five players beat their handicap to share in the major prizemoney from sponsors EKO Financial (James Kidd) and Mod Bathrooms (Chris Klazema), but the 67 nett from Chris – 85 gross from his 18 handicap – was the best by three shots. A six-year member, Chris described his round as ‘no miracles, but I didn’t get greedy’, although he had every reason to be concerned after starting with a triple bogey. However, that could have been an omen – his previous Wood Duck win also started with a seven at the four-par first hole.  With his winnings, Chris intends adding a hybrid club to his new set of Srixons. Michael Craig – a visitor from Pelican Watters (handicap plus one) – returned the best gross score, with a par round. 

MARK’S MONTH: It may not have been his best score, but Mark Gersbach continued his outstanding start to the 2022 golf year with another placing in Wednesday’s Australia Day Medley Single Stableford. The owner/operator of Attack Pest Management, a Headland sponsor, Mark scored 36 points to finish third in B Grade, his first event out of C Grade in his seven years as a Headland member. He also added the Pro Pin ($34) to his $20 prize, taking his winnings this year to a healthy $179. Mark, who started 2022 on a handicap of 24 and in C Grade, finished third in the January Mid-Week Medal (73 nett), won the Single Stableford the following Saturday (36 points) and followed that by winning the Single Stableford a week later (39 points) before Wednesday’s success. In the interim, his handicap has been sliced to 20.5. Earl Hicks, Director of Global Turf Products and also a Headland sponsor, won Wednesday’s Australia Day event, with an eagle at the second and two birdies on a card which logged 39 points from his four-over round of 76. 

FREAKISH ROUND: No-one calls her the ‘Freak’ (after the actor of the same name who appeared in The Prisoner TV series), but Maggie Fitzpatrick reckons her round on Thursday was certainly rather unusual. Playing in her first competition since June last year when she was flattened by a puzzling leg injury, 76-year-old retired business owner Maggie returned the best score in the Women’s Single Par event. Although the 36-marker – who once played in B Grade – had five pick-ups, her six plusses and seven squares gave her plus one, and a win in C Grade by a whopping five strokes. The mysterious knee injury, suffered just on eight months ago, was diagnosed as being caused by a nerve in her buttocks, which was eventually cured by a Myotherapist at the Sunshine Coast Sports Hub. And then when she was ready to play, Maggie suffered Bronchitis. “But I’m back, and ready to play again,” she said, confirming she has entered this week’s February Monthly Medal field. Helen Venter, also with plus one, won A Grade while Kym Mason (-1) was first in B Grade. 

CHUGGING ALONG: On the verge of turning 80 – and receiving a welcomed discount on his fees – Wayne Chugg is happy to play ‘chip and putt’ golf a couple of days a week at Headland. “Most of the par fours and fives are now out of my reach, so accurate chipping and putting is more important these days,” said the 22-year member after winning Monday’s Vets Single Stableford with 41 points. And the win came from a typically consistent round with a four-point birdie at the sixth the highlight, and no wipes the feature. Wayne, who played representative basketball for Tasmania as a young man and spent much of his adult life as a professional coach, says he is content to be ‘still above the ground’, enjoys his golf and the camaraderie it provides, and is full of praise for the Headland ground staff who have the course in magnificent condition. Wayne’s 41 points won B Grade, John Langdon (38) won A Grade and Barry Euston (35) finished first in C Grade.

EAGLE WOMAN: The last person surprised by Kathy Atkins’ eagle at the par-four sixth hole on Monday should have been Kathy. In her 34 years as a Headland member, she has now scored 11 eagles and four holes-in-one – an imposing total of 15. And while Monday’s eagle was her third at the sixth, the dunked pitching wedge was by far her most conventional. Her first was through the trees from the women’s tee on the seventh after a wayward drive, and her second, last year, was a ‘chunked’ eight iron which hit the pin at pace, and dropped in. Kathy played from an 11 handicap in Monday’s Vets event, but achieved most of her scoring highlights in her ’heyday’ when she played from as low as five. Her aces have been at the 18th (twice), fifth and 14th, while the eagles were scored at the third, sixth (thrice), seventh, 11th, 13th (twice), 15th (twice) and 16th. Kathy also grabbed the women’s NTP at the 18th on Monday, and with three balls for that shot, a dozen for the eagle plus $15 on her House Account, she was not overly miffed by her Single Stableford score of a meagre 26 points. NOTE: Kathy has also scored holes in one at Twin Waters and Pelican Waters, and an eagle at Kingaroy back in the 90s, giving her a grand total of 18 eagles.

TEN FOR BOB: Ageless Bob Trevor has ‘equalled or bettered’ his age at Headland for the tenth time, with his 77 in Tuesday’s Single Par event giving him plus one from his handicap of six. Turning three over par, Bob bogeyed the tenth and then the 14th and was well aware he needed four pars on arguably the toughest stretch of the course to attain his age. And he achieved the feat, despite his third shot at the tough par-four 15th finishing on the front edge, 15 metres from the back pin. But thanks to his trusty 43-year-old putter, he dropped a bomb, managed par and did the same at 16, 17 and 18. Bob, who turned 77 in November, last equalled or bettered his age during a competition round in September – also in a par event – with a three-over par round of 75, to finish square from his handicap of four. Tuesday’s round of 13 pars and five bogeys was beaten on a countback by five-marker Dean Smareglia.

CAROL’S DOUBLE: She may be patiently waiting to become an official Headland member, but ‘greens pass’ holder Carol Sinclair is making the best of her stymied competition golf. Unable to enter competitions until the afternoon prior to an event, Carol has won twice in the past week, albeit with a ‘shocker’ round (24 points) in between. Following her C Grade victory (40 points) five days earlier, Carol scored plus two in Tuesday’s Single Par event and has subsequently collected $95, helping to defray some of the cost of her 12-month $1500 greens pass. Carol applied to join Headland in September, has played 15 competition rounds since and the former member of Gold Creek Golf Club in Canberra has managed to reduce her handicap from 32.3 to 27.3. Tuesday’s plus two round included nine bogeys, two pars and a pick-up – for the second time in five days – at the par-five tenth. NOTE: Carol is number 133 on the list of 234 currently waiting to become Headland members.

MIXED BAG: He concedes his round was unquestionably a mixed bag, but Thursday’s victory by Dennis Schloss has been an exceptionally long time in the making. The fly-in, fly-out gas and oil worker for ’30-odd’ years, Dennis scored plus one to win Thursday’s Single Par for men on a countback from playing partner Ross Itzstein. Armed with a new Cobra driver and shortened irons – courtesy of Head Pro Adam Norlander – leftie Dennis started on the back and squared the nine, but came home in plus one despite a minus/minus start, with three plusses coming in four holes, including a birdie at the fifth. A member since 1989, Dennis reckons his last individual win was ‘yonks ago, probably a Monthly Mug back in the 90s’. NOTE: Dennis’ son Blaine, a teacher at Mountain Creek State High, is captain of Maroochydore A Grade cricket team. 

WEEKLY RESULTS:

Monday, Vets, Single Stableford, Women (40 players) – A Grade, Anne Callanan (42 points), Julie Halliday (37), Vicki Maynard (36); B Grade, Pam Andrews (35), Jan Langdon (34), Mary Ann Sanderson (30). Men (86 players) – A Grade, John Langdon (38), Nev Kenzler (38), Jock McLaughlin (35); B Grade, Wayne Chugg (41), Mal McDougall (38), Ken Maynard (36); C Grade, Barry Euston (35), Steve Nash (34), Roly Hoy (33).

Tuesday, Single Par, Women (50 players) – Carol Sinclair (plus 2), Sue Wake (+1), Lynn Deacon (+1); Men (64 players) – Dean Smareglia (+1), Bob Trevor (+1), Tony Coutts (+1).

Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (161 players) – A Grade, Earl Hicks (39 points), Lachie Keenan (37), Brendan Duncan (36); B Grade, Ian Harper (38), Wayne Harriott (37), Mark Gersbach (36); C Grade, Mark Beswick (38), Jill Nixey (37), Allan Warby (36).

Thursday, Single Par, Women – sponsors Maureen Cartledge, Yvonne Henry, Susie Meade (75 players) – A Grade, Helen Venter (plus 1), Mary Young (square), Mary Dowling (square); B Grade, Kym Mason (-1), Veronica Bassingthwaighte (- 2), Carmel Visser (-3); C Grade, Maggie Fitzpatrick (+1), Chrissy Eggins (-4), Sue Bolton (-4). Men (89 players) – Dennis Schloss (+1), Ross Itzstein (+1), Don Caldwell (square).

Saturday, Medley Fourball Aggregate Stableford (256 players) – Mick Kelsey and Mick Kinnear (74 points), Mick Prince and Bruce Prince (73), Burgess Stephenson and Thomas Hewitt (73), Kevin George and Josh Poole (73), Wayne Hutchison and Ross Brimblecombe (72).

Sunday, Medley Wood Duck Challenge (63 players) – Chris McArdle (67 nett), Darryl Kong (70), Peter Dunn (70), Andrew Bint (71), Rodd Parker (71); Junior Medal, Charlotte Ridley (72).