From Tony Durkin
MARRIED BLISS: In the past five years Brad Reed has averaged five rounds of golf per annual membership, with his last win the Monthly Medal in July of 2020. But it seems the relaxed routine of married life – he and Kelly tied the knot on New Year’s Eve – has given him the impetus to play more golf and, seemingly, play it well. In just his second competition round for 2023, Brad (handicap 13) scored 41 points to win Saturday’s Single Stableford in B Grade and return the best score of the day in the big field of 206. Starting on the back nine, he was somewhat unsteady with two bogeys and two doubles in his five-over 41. But despite finishing with bogeys at holes eight and nine which cost him a round in the 70s, he came home strongly in 39 with the highlight an eagle at the par-five seventh when the spanked a five-iron 199 metres to two metres, and sank the downhill putt. Dean Jones (38 points) won A Grade and Trevor Gourlay (40) scored his second successive Saturday victory in C Grade.
FIRST WIN: Angela Pearson has played just a handful of competition rounds since she became a Headland member in December and has, apparently, taken little time to adjust to the course. The CBA banker – a Bundaberg native who moved back north from Sydney recently – scored 40 points on January 29 but finished second, won her first event at Headland on Saturday with a very consistent round for 39 points in the Women’s Single Stableford. “I was a little shaky on the front nine, but played much better coming home,” said Angela who started the back nine with a four-point par followed by two three-pointers and stretch of six two-point holes. Angela’s husband Ben, a six-marker who works as a greenkeeper at Maroochy River, is on the Headland waitlist.
EAGLE MAGIC: No inquiry will be ordered into the victory of Detective Sergeant Chris Duhig and his former CIB partner, Bevan Horsnell, after the duo snuck in to win Wednesday’s Medley Two-Ball Ambrose event on a countback. The pair, who play together most Wednesdays, went back-to-back after saluting a week earlier in the Fourball Best Stableford and, according to Bevan, the win was on the back of ‘the best golf shot Chris has ever played’. “We elected to take his drive on the par-five seventh, which was near the cart path on the right, and 246 metres out,” he explained. “Chris wanted to hit his four-iron, but I convinced him to take his three-wood, which he doesn’t particularly like because he rarely hits it well. But he came up with the shot of his life. It finished 10cms from the pin, he tapped it in and we had our only eagle for the round.” Because of course renovations, the field of 56 played the front nine twice, and the eagle came on the second time around. The round was not without its issues though. Apart from the eagle and six birdies, the winners penned two bogeys on their card.
THREE AGAIN: Odette Day enjoyed her three clubs and putter round so much on Thursday – and particularly the result – that she reckons she might just use just them again this week. Selecting her ‘trusty’ three-wood, seven iron and pitching wedge for the one-off event, the 2018 SWING graduate scored an impressive 42 points to easily win B Grade, and log her best score for ‘at least a couple of years’. Playing the front nine twice because of course renovations, Odette had 48 shots for 19 points the first time, then 44 shots for 23 coming home. “My putter behaved very well on the those corrugated greens,” explained the Pathology Courier Supervisor, who says that although she will have her full complement of clubs in her bag this week, she will more than likely stick with the three-wood, seven iron and wedge combination. “They did the trick on Thursday, so maybe that’s the recipe for success,” she said. Libby Hall (35 points) went back-to-back in winning A Grade.
STAFFERS UNITE: Just on two decades ago Tim Gahan (General Manager) and Sharon Purnell (Assistant Manager) worked together in Headland’s admin office. Eventually both went their separate ways, remaining and progressing in golf administration – Tim at Royal Queensland, Concord, Bonnie Doon and Avondale, and Sharon at Caloundra and Mount Coolum. On Saturday, back at Headland, Tim and Sharon combined to win the Fourball Best Ball Aggregate, played in conjunction with the Single Stableford event. They scored an accumulated 77 points – Tim 40 and Sharon 37 – and won on a countback from Scott Bromfield and Trevor Gourlay. Ironically, despite a 20-year connection, it was their first-ever win as a pairing.
GOING HOME: Headland’s Golf Operations Manager, Tilly Poulsen, has resigned to take up a similar role at her alma mater, Kingston Heath Golf Club. Tilly joined Headland in March of 2021, coming from a similar role at Victoria’s Rosebud Country Club. But she had earlier spent seven years as a member at Kingston Heath, joining as a 14-year-old on the club’s newly-introduced cadet program, and evolving to play inter-state golf for Victoria from a handicap of plus three. Tilly says her decision to leave is bitter sweet. “I was not looking for a job. I played at Kingston Heath while on my Christmas break and was told by a friend at the club that the position of Golf Operations Manager was soon to be advertised, and things developed from there,” she said. “I have loved my time at Headland, have met many wonderful new friends and will sincerely miss the club, and the people.” Tilly’s last day at Headland will be March 4.
STRANGERS WIN: First-time golfing partners Patrick Carmody and Des McNee may combine more often following a slashing victory in Thursday’s Two-Ball Ambrose for Men. Because of the limited fields relating to course renovations, Patrick and his usual Thursday group partners missed out on a spot, so he placed his name on the waitlist and was eventually partnered with Des. “And even though we had no idea about each other’s game, we combined really well. It was a case of when one of us hit a poor shot, the other saved us,” said Patrick, explaining their excellent round of one-under 71, with three birdies, two bogeys and 13 pars playing the front nine twice. Their nett score of 61.5 was the second best returned during a week of Ambrose events.
CHARLOTTE’S BEST: Charlotte Ridley, Headland’s most promising junior female golfer since Lauren Mason and Jennifer Rae, on Sunday shot her lowest-ever score. The 13-year-old Sunshine Coast Grammar student scored 86 in Sunday’s Medley Single Stableford, scored 37 points and finished third behind Bonville visitor Dora Hopgood (41 points). The previous Sunday Charlotte shot 87, her previous best. Sunday’s round for the 14-handicapper included two major highlights – a chip-in birdie at the ninth and her first-ever Pro Pin, the result of an arrow-like seven-iron which finished 607cm from the pin. Charlotte joined Headland from Pelican Waters in 2019 on a handicap of 32, and her GA is now 13.4. Adam Richards, Headland’s reigning Club Champion, had four birdies in his one-under 71, for 35 points.
PERFECT PAIR: Bob Trevor (handicap 6) and Dave Sims (8) are not particularly enamoured by Ambrose events, but when there is no alternative, they will co-operate – and participate. And the ‘no alternative’ option was the case on Tuesday when course renovations dictated that the back nine was played twice, with a Two-Ball Ambrose event the competition. After uniting for the first time in the same event 12 months earlier and finishing second, Bob and Dave agreed to try again and came home with the bacon, winning by a shot with 63.5 nett. “We combined really well, and after 12 holes each had taken our six compulsory drives,” explained Bob. The pair, with a handicap of just 3.5, had five birdies on an unscarred card. Trevor Simpson and Tony Briffa (handicap 8.5) finished a shot away (64.5) as runners-up.
AGAIN, KEN: The seemingly never-ending ‘contest’ between Ken Anderson and Bob Trevor for the title of Headland’s best ‘age shooter’ took yet another twist on Saturday when 82-year-old Ken smashed his age by scoring six-over 78 in the Single Stableford event. Ken has now joined Bob – a youngster at 78 – on 21 times that they have either beaten or equalled their age at Headland. Ken’s only blemish in his 39-point round was a double-bogey seven at the par-five 13th, the result of a four putt. The golfing marvel had eight pars and seven bogeys in his round which also featured an eagle at the 11th and a birdie at the sixth where, incidentally, Bob won the Pro Pin.
RIP DANIEL LANE: With the passing of Daniel Lane last week, Headland has lost a two-decade member, a sponsor and one of the Sunshine Coast’s leading orthopaedic surgeons. Daniel, who was 62, finally succumbed to a three-year health battle and his funeral service will be held at Stella Maris Catholic Church, Maroochydore, on Friday (February 17) at 10.30am. Daniel was a member of the ‘Happy Doctors’, a group of medicos which have regularly sponsored Wednesday events at Headland for the past three decades. But not only was he a keen golfer and a surgeon specialising in foot and ankle surgery, but an A Grade tennis player as well as a lover of fine food and fine wine. He leaves a wife, Janette, and four adult children. Following his funeral service on Friday, a celebration of Daniel’s life will be held at Headland Golf Club, from 1pm.
FRENCH SALE: Headland couples Ross and Liz Halyday and Peter and Julie Lewis are offering fellow club members the chance to buy a French Apartment for the ‘walk-out, walk-in’ price of $550,000. In March 2011, the two couples jointly purchased their special ‘home away from home’ in the village of Ceret, a village with a ‘vibrant mix of cafe life, art, music and festivals’, and just a 20-minute drive from the Spanish border and half an hour from the Mediterranean Sea. Twelve years later, family commitments have forced the sale of the apartment – affectionately named G’day Ceret – which covers the entire third floor of the four-storey, 250-year-old classical French building. Interested prospective buyers can contact Ross on 0408 521 956 or email info@gdayceret.com.au
HEADLINES BREAK: The publication of Headland Headlines will pause for the next two weeks while the management team takes a short, fact-finding trip to Tasmania. HH will be back on deck, with all the news, views and results, on Monday, March 6.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Tuesday, Medley Two-Ball Ambrose (62 players) – Bob Trevor and Dave Sims (63.5 nett), Trevor Simpson and Tony Briffa (64.5), Graham Molineux and Geoff Kimmitt (66.25).
Wednesday, Medley Two-Ball Ambrose (112 players) – Bevan Horsnell and Chris Duhig (61.25 nett), Burgess Stephenson and Andrew Murray (61.25), Warren Chapman and Dean Smareglia (61.75).
Thursday, Women, Three clubs plus putter (56 players) – A Grade, Libby Hall (35 points), Helen Fraser (34), Mary Young (33); B Grade, Odette Day (42), Colleen Squires (40), Denise Hutchinson (36).
Men, Medley Two-Ball Ambrose (44 players) – Patrick Carmody and Des McNee (61.5 nett), Josh Poole and Malcolm Woods (63.75), Alan Stratford and Bill Boucaut (64).
Saturday, Single Stableford, Women (25 players) – Angela Pearson (39 points), Leeanne Ptak (39), Sharon Purnell (37). Men (206 players) – A Grade, Dean Jones (38 points), Clint Adams (38), Jason Childs (38); B Grade, Brad Reed (41), Gary Ehsman (39), Jack Lambalk (39); C Grade, Trevor Gourlay (40), Tim Gahan (40), Ian Lewellin (40). Medley Fourball Aggregate Stableford (231 players) – Sharon Purnell and Tim Gahan (77 points).
Juniors – Girls, 8-10 years, Paige Prosser (60 strokes); Boys, 7 and under, Blake Rydwanski (56); 8-10, Lewis Mathewson (43); 11-13, Kamran Barden (40).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (35 players) – Dora Habgood (41 points), John Matson (40), Charlotte Ridley (37).
