From Tony Durkin 

DON’S PARTY: While he concedes he doesn’t take his golf too seriously, Don Harris did allow himself a few celebratory drinks after returning the best score in a big field of 220 in Saturday’s Single Stableford for Men. “It’s been a long time between drinks – possibly as much as 10 years since I’ve had a win,” revealed Don, who scored 41 points to win B Grade. A 16-year member after moving north from Melbourne two decades ago to establish his company Australian Leak Detection – a Headland sponsor – Don has only been playing regular competition golf for five years and says he has finally come to terms with the reality of the saying ‘100 percent of short putts never go in the hole’. “I putted really well,” he said, with two birdies and nine pars highlighting his winning card. Mark Henricks (39) won A Grade and pocketed $95 from event sponsor and good mate Bryan Haggarty of R2G Communications, while Sid Ryan (39) won C Grade. 

FIVE-CENT PUTTS: Vicky Sheridan banged in two long birdie putts on Saturday, and silently thanked a five-cent coin for its assistance. “The difference between a good round and a bad round is good putting, and my putting has certainly improved recently. I have been practising at home, hitting to a five-cent coin on the carpet,” she revealed after her 40 points won Saturday’s Single Stableford for Women. After a shabby start to her round – wipe, par, double bogey – Vicky jumped in to stride with 15 points in six holes and then rattled home, scoring 22 points on her second nine, with birdies – both from long putts – at the original 12th and 14th holes. It was Vicky’s third successive good round – on Thursday she was beaten on a countback in A Grade, and on Tuesday won the Single Stableford Women, also in A Grade. 

NOT-SO-PERFECT: When Graham Myers scored his last major win – in the September Mid-Week Medal two years ago with a nett 62 on the par 72 course – he described his round as ‘near perfect’. And while Wednesday’s score of 40 Stableford points was not quite as proficient, it was a sign for the big man that his game was on track after a two-month sabbatical. “This was my fourth game back after a couple of months away, and I played solid,” said Graham, whose card in the Medley Single Stableford revealed six three-point holes and a four-point birdie, with no wipes for the 15-marker. He was, however, beaten on a countback for the major prize in B Grade by a visitor, Michael Rose from 1770, and is still awaiting another win since that outstanding round two years ago. A member for 15 years after moving north from Melbourne, Graham – who lives next door to the course – said he was ‘more than happy’ with the redevelopment of the course in the period he has been away. Warren Selvage (37 points) won A Grade, Wayne Phair (39) won C Grade and Scott Simpson and Gavin Rooney teamed to win the associated Fourball event with 47 points.

TURNAROUND: Maureen Cartledge cannot recall when she won her last event at Headland before Thursday, but she clearly remembers her score four days earlier. “I had 85 nett,” she exclaimed, recalling her ‘horrid’ Sunday stroke round of 117. But the four-time C Grade Women’s Champion swiftly turned things around, scoring plus two to win Thursday’s C Grade Single Par event with the best score of the day. And while she credited her good score to much better putting, her three wipes – which were cancelled out by five plusses – resulted from poor putting. “It was certainly a mixture of lots of good, and some bad, but after Sunday I was happy just to get back to doing what I know I can do,” she said. Jill Nixey (plus one) won A Grade and Ree Condon (square) had yet another solid round of golf, winning B Grade.

WHITTLE WIN: A recent run of success from Sandy and Simon Whittle has led to another victory, this time in partnership. Simon, one of Headland’s earliest members and currently the Club Patron, joined with his wife of 33 years to win Saturday’s Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford, played in conjunction with the Women’s and Men’s Single Stableford event. The couple scored 47 points, winning on a countback from Phil Kornmann and Gary Rugless. And even though Simon was the star with a 26-point contribution when scoring on 11 holes, Sandy played her support role superbly, adding six three-pointers and a four-point birdie for 21 points. In recent weeks Sandy has won the August B Grade Monthly Medal, while Simon won the B Grade Single Stableford two weeks earlier, his first time as a B Grader in 54 years as a Headland member. And the timing of the win was perfect – Saturday was Simon’s 71st birthday.

WATERY GRAVE: Had it not been for a trip to the dam on the par-four 14th hole (the 12th on the ‘real’ course) and a couple of three-putt greens, Chris Klazema was on course for his best-ever round on Sunday. Irrespective, the runner-up in both the 2018 and 2020 C Grade Championships – playing from his lowest-ever handicap of 10 – was still able to score 38 points in the Medley Single Stableford event to score his first win in more than 12 months. “It was a perfect day for golf, and the course and the greens are brilliant at the moment,” quipped Chris, whose business Mod Bathrooms co-sponsors Headland’s popular Wood Duck Challenge event. Despite a wipe after his water visit, Chris had three birdies, six pars and seven bogeys on his winning card, and will go in to next weekend’s Club Championships as a hot B Grade favourite. 

LOW SCORES: On Tuesday, for the second successive day, Headland members found scoring difficult, with only three players in the combined male and female fields of 119 players beating their handicap. One of those who did not struggle was former Ansett pilot Alf Gloster, who scored 38 points to win the Men’s Single Stableford event and collect a handsome bonus of $90. Alf, who moved from Victoria to the Sunshine Coast and joined Headland a decade ago, said the win – and the cash – had come just at the right time, thanks to some handy putting. “My House Account was getting low,” he jested. Playing off a 21 handicap, Alf had 89 off the bat with four three-pointers and a four-point hole on his winning card. Adam Robins and Gordon O’Neill, both with 37 points, filled the Men’s placings, while Vicky Sheridan (34) and Coralie Snowball (35) won Women’s A and B Grade respectively.

MARY ANN STARS: Mary Ann Sanderson was the star turn at Headland in Monday’s Veterans visit from Nambour, winning her grade and being one of only two players in the combined fields of 131 players to break their handicap. For the Canadian national, who came to Australia 38 years ago and graduated from SWING in 2015, it was her second win at Headland, albeit she did not start playing competition golf until 2021. “It was an unusual round for me – I was in no bunkers, no water and no GUR,” quipped Mary Ann whose 38 points, with five three-point holes and one four-pointer, won B Grade, a point ahead of Sue Briffa, the only other player on the day to break her handicap. Kathy Atkins (35) won A Grade, Greg Patrick (36) won Men’s A Grade, David Parker (35) topped the B Grade ladder and Jack Williams (35) finished first in C Grade. 

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH: Not only did Mary Ann Sanderson win her grade in Monday’s Vets Single Stableford (above) for just the second time as a Headland member, she also ‘won’ a diamond ring. As Mary Ann and her group were waiting to tee off on the par-four first, she glanced to her left and spotted something glistening in the grass. On closer inspection, she spotted a diamond ring which, naturally, she handed in to the Headland office, much to the delight of fellow member Deb Prince. Deb, who does not wear her jewellery when she plays golf, had lost the ring five days earlier. “I remembered I had not paid my friend Gay for the square we had to buy, and when we met on the first tee I opened my purse, where I keep my rings when I play golf. Apparently, it fell out then,” she recalled. Delighted, obviously, with her engagement ring returned, Deb has duly thanked Mary Ann, fittingly with a bottle of ‘sparkles’ and a Powerball ticket. Deb also praised, and rewarded, Headland Marketing Manager Megan Thorp, who scoured the Women’s Locker Room searching for the lost ring.

CASH BONANZA: Having played so badly of late that he has not even collected a $5 prize in the rundown for almost three months, John Marrington was over the moon with his $115 windfall for winning Thursday’s Single Stroke event for Men. “I have been playing poorly for ages. I doubt I have scored better than 30 points in my last 20 rounds,” revealed John, who scored 88 for 68 nett on Thursday. And he put the improved form down to a much-more relaxed round. “Our group likes to play ready golf, and on Thursday we never waited on a shot,” he said. John’s highlight was a chip-in birdie at the par-three 10B hole, while his disappointment was a 90-metre shot two holes later that hit the cup on the full, and bounced out, robbing him of another birdie. 

RIP STAN MEERS: Headland lost one of its oldest members with the recent passing of Stan Meers, aged 99. Stan, who resigned his playing membership just last year, retired as an Aircraft Instrument Technician at Sunshine Coast Airport only late in the past decade. The most recent ‘mention’ of Stan’s golfing feats in Headland Headlines was in July four years ago when the nonagenarian finished last in a Wednesday Single Par event. The article read: ‘Bravery and golf are words not often used in collaboration, but they complement the recent effort of one of Headland’s great characters, Stan Meers. Stan, who celebrated his 95th birthday on Saturday, played his first competition round in 18 months in Wednesday’s Single Par event and despite finishing at the tail of the field with minus 16, was justifiably proud of his effort. The recently-retired Aircraft Instrument Technician underwent hip replacement surgery in December – surgery that was not recommended because of Stan’s age. However, the surgeon pressed ahead when Stan protested, informing his doctor that if the Duke of Edinburgh had recently endured the same surgery, so could he. In his comeback round Stan, playing off his 36 handicap, squared the par-three fifth and 13th holes’. A private funeral service will be held for Stan, who was a Headland member for 33 years. 

MEN’S PENNANT: Despite just a drawn result against lower-placed Noosa at Mt Coolum on Saturday, Headland has finished undefeated and top of the ladder in the 2023 Sunshine Coast/Glasshouse A Grade Pennant competition. Without No.1 player Ben Duncombe, Dave Rattray stepped up to the plate with a 5&4 thrashing of his opponent, while Shane Muller (2&1) was the only other winner. However, Headland was able to halve the match 3½-3½ by virtue of squared results from Adam Richards, Sean McGill and Wayne West. Beaten were Adam Rydwanski (3&1) for the first time this season, and Brad Butler (1-down). With Headland’s Championships to be played over the next two weekends, the Pennant final – against Beerwah at a venue yet to be decided – is scheduled for September 10. 

WEEKLY RESULTS:

Monday, Vets, Single Stableford – sponsor, Living Choice – Women (35 players) – A Grade, Kathy Atkins (35), Robyn Boreham (34), Kath Barford (33); B Grade, Mary Ann Sanderson (38), Sue Briffa (37), Maggie Fitzpatrick (36). Men (84 players) – A Grade, Greg Patrick (36), Simon Lamont (35), Glen Teakle (35); B Grade, David Parker (35), Ted Banaszczyk (35), Bruce Heseltine (33); C Grade, Jack Williams (35), Roy Hoy (34), Simo Pallaspuro (33). 

Tuesday, Single Stableford – Women (50 players) – A Grade, Vicky Sheridan (34 points), Gay David (33), Julie Halliday (32); B Grade, Coralie Snowball (35), Raewyn Andersen (33), Ree Condon (33).Men (69 players) – Alf Gloster (38), Adam Robins (37), Gordon O’Neil (37).

Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (218 players) – A Grade, Warren Selvage (37 points), Jack Pyke (37), Paul Clarke (37); B Grade, Michael Rose (40), Graham Myers (40), Scott Simpson (37); C Grade, Wayne Phair (39), Lib Bonel (37), Haenga Pirini (37). Fourball Best Ball Stableford – Scott Simpson and Gavin Rooney (47).

Thursday, Women, Single Par, and first round of Triple Challenge – sponsors, Vicky Sheridan, Cathy Roberts, Leeanne Ptak (101 players) – A Grade, Jill Nixey (plus one), Julie Halliday (+1), Vicky Sheridan (+1); B Grade, Ree Condon (square), Jenny Stokes (square), Norma Hobson (square); C Grade, Maureen Cartledge (+2), Jenny Stokes (+1), Marie Flegler (square).

Men, Single Stroke (85 players) – John Marrington (68 nett), Nigel Morrison (68), Jock (McLaughlin (69).

Saturday, Single Stableford –– Women sponsor, Bev and Ross Kelly – (21 players) – Vicky Sheridan (40 points), Kathy Atkins (39), Sandy Whittle (30).

Men – sponsor, Bryan Haggarty, R2G Communications – (220 players) – A Grade, Mark Henricks (39), Terry Ward (38), Michael Zeckomske (37); B Grade, Don Harris (41), Stephen Blampied (40), Lachie Keenan (39); C Grade, Sid Ryan (39), Mark Priest (38), Phil Maron (38). Fourball Best Ball Stableford – Sandy and Simon Whittle (47 points).

Juniors, Nine-hole Two Ball Best Ball Stroke – Benjamin Cox and Paige Prosser (37 nett), Dylan Manning and Dominic Manning (41), Blake Rydwanski and Max Faulkner (43), Keaton Fox and Finn Darlison (45). 

Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (53 players) – Chris Klazema (38 points), Matt Hetherington (37), Dora Habgood (36).