From Tony Durkin 

PRESIDENT PETE: Headland has elected one of its longest-serving members, Peter Raymond, as President. The 70-year-old retired hotelier, who joined Headland in 1982 and has been a continuous member since, was elected in a recent ballot and took the reins from Jon Welch at Tuesday’s annual general meeting. As Vice-President for the past three years, Peter has overseen several major developments in an at-times time turbulent period, but says the club is currently in ‘great shape’. “Our finances are fine, we have an excellent admin team headed by new General Manager Tim Gahan and Golf Operations Manager Ian Hepburn, and the Pro Shop is superbly run by Adam Norlander and his staff,” he said. “And, in my 42 years as a member, I have never seen the course in better condition.” Peter said that although he had not harboured any long-held ambition to become Club President, he was keen to see the current Bunker Renovation Project through to its completion. “I chaired the committee which voted for the project to be undertaken, and I want to be there when it is finished,” he said. A three-day-a-week player, Peter’s current GA handicap is 15.3, but his lowest mark has been eight. “Like most people my age, a few of the joints don’t function as well as they once did, so the fluency of the swing is not what it was. But for me, playing golf still fires the competitive juices, is good exercise and produces great camaraderie. And, after all these years, I enjoy the game as much as ever,” he said. 

FIRST MEDAL: Although Annabel Harris says she played ‘pretty good golf’ to win Thursday’s Mid-Week Medal for Women, she thanked her good friend Vicky Sheridan for not turning up. Both A Grade golfers and former Horton Park and Maroochy River members, Annabel joined Headland five years ago and Vicky 10 months later, but Vicky has dominated the Medal scene since. “She has won six, and this is my first here,” revealed Annabel, explaining that Vicky will be laid up for three weeks following recent melanoma surgery. “As soon as I knew she would not be playing, I suggested to Sue Jones we might have a chance – and we finished first and second.” Although Annabel put her Headland membership on hold while she and husband Noel recently spent 2½ years caravanning Australia, she claimed her golf did not suffer. “We played wherever we could. I estimate we played as many as 40 different golf courses, some two and three times,” revealed Annabel, who was named Headland’s A Grade Women’s Pennant Player of the Year for 2023. Annabel scored the gross-nett double (82/69) in A Grade, a feat repeated by Leeanne Ptak (93/70) in B Grade, with Wendy Burnie (72) winning the C Grade Medal. NOTE: Annabel made it a double within three days, winning Saturday’s Single Stableford for Women with a second successive round of 82, for 38 points. 

NEWTON’S LAW: Sir Isaac Newton may have been recognised as one of the most influential scientists of all time, but there was nothing particularly scientific about Barry Newton’s superb round at Headland on Wednesday. The owner of Better Business Finance Australia scored his third victory in three months in winning the A Grade August Mid-Week Monthly Medal, with a round of three-over 73 on the ‘newest’ course layout, for a nett 64. Barry’s round was simplistic – bunker free, solid driving with his new Stealth driver, a chip-in at the first hole and improved putting with a borrowed LAB ‘weapon’. Apart from the Club Championships – where he says he played poorly – Barry has been in top form of late. Two Wednesdays earlier he shot two-over par to score 41 points and win the A Grade Single Stableford; in April his 67 nett qualified him to share in the spoils of the Wood Duck Challenge; and he and partner Cathy Roberts finished runners-up in the Mixed Championships 36-hole nett. On Wednesday Tex Teixeira (67 nett) won the B Grade Medal, Michael Gregora (65) won C Grade and Headland’s PGA Associate Professional, Haydn Garner (71), returned the best gross. 

HIP HIP HOORAY: Gary Rugless was in such hot form in Saturday’s Single Stableford that his playing partners could well be excused for doubting the fact he had only returned to golf in June, after six months out of the game following hip-replacement surgery. Not only did Gary blitz the field to win B Grade by a massive seven point-margin, but his phenomenal score of 47 points was his best ever, and his 76 gross equalled his previous lowest round. Playing from a handicap of 17, the ex-Firey penned nine three-pointers, seven two-pointers and a four-point birdie on his card and – incredibly – each one of those scores was on the fourball card he shared with Phil Kornmann. Three weeks earlier Gary scored 40 points and told HH then that although he believed his best golf was behind him, he was keen to ‘get somewhere back near his lowest handicap of 14’. Well, he has certainly achieved that goal. After Saturday’s round his GA is now 12.6. Matt Hetherington shot three birdies in his three-over 73 for 42 points to win A Grade, and Brett Beaumont (43) won C Grade and partnered Greg Smith to win the associated Fourball, with 48 points. 

GREAT READ: Not only has Brad Reed become the first player to eagle the newly-designed par-five 10th hole at Headland, but the soon-to-be first-time dad made it two eagles on successive Wednesdays. And while the new fairway bunker on the 10th was meant to be a ‘tester’ from the tee – especially from the blacks – Brad carried the sand trap and finished on the left of the fairway, midway between the bunker and the temporary green which has been in play for several months. “It hit the driver well, and was 220 from the green. I then hit three-iron to 1½ metres, and sank the putt,” said the former Falcons rugby league player. The previous Wednesday Brad scored another eagle, driving the temporary green at hole 7A, then sinking the putt. Playing more golf in 2023, Brad has reduced his handicap from 13.5 to 8.4, the lowest mark of his golfing life. His nett 67 in Wednesday’s Mid-Week Medal round – in which he parred the second nine – enabled him to finish runner-up in A Grade. 

ANNUAL EVENT: A member of Headland’s Governance, Risk and Compliance committee for the past five years, Greg O’Connor says he observed all the rules, took a few risks, and mostly followed the advice of playing partner, wife Trish, during Tuesday’s winning round of 38 Stableford points. “Winning for me has become something of an annual event, although it has been more than 12 months since my last victory,” quipped 81-year-old Greg who has been a Headland member for 22 years.  “If I score more than 36 points it is a gift, so 38 was great and I was surprised no-one beat it.” Consistency was the secret to his round – no wipes on a card which revealed six three-point holes, eight twos and four one-pointers. On a generally low-scoring day, only Greg and runner-up Sergio Nogarotto (37) broke their handicap, while Lisa Ramen (33 points) and Lynn Hayman (34) won A and B Grade respectively, in the Women’s competition. 

MEN’S PENNANT: Headland has been beaten in a nail-biting final of the 2023 Sunshine Coast/Glasshouse A Grade Pennant competition, underdogs Beerwah winning Sunday’s decider 4-3. With the match squared at 3-all and No.1 players Ben Duncombe (Headland) and Shaun Daines (Beerwah) all square after they had both parred the tough Palmer Coolum course through 18 holes, the final match needed to be decided. Playing the par-four first as the 19th and, ultimately, the deciding hole, Daines – 2021 Beerwah Club Champion and local course greenkeeper – bombed his drive 40 metres past Ben and put his second just off the front of the green, while Headland’s No.1 finished wide of the green. Ben failed to get up and down and had to settle for bogey, while Daines dropped a 1½ metre par putt for victory, and the 2023 Pennant. For his team. Earlier Adam Richards thrashed his opponent 7&6, Adam Rydwanski and Dave Rattray both won 4&3, while Sean McGill (1-down), Shane Muller (3&2) and Brad Butler (4&3) were beaten. The defeat was Headland’s first of the season.

TWO LOSSES: In the past week Headland has lost two stalwarts with a combined membership total of 73 years. John Reader (72 years of age), a retired surveyor/town planner, was a member for 37 years and ex-businessman/salesman Tony McDonough (81) was a continuous member since he joined Headland in 1987. John had experienced health issues for many years, and fought them bravely. In more recent times he played only social golf, mostly on Mondays and Thursdays, with a group known as the ‘Wannabees’. Conversely, Tony’s illness came on very quickly. Widely recognised by his fellow members for wearing long socks, Tony played in the seeded C Grade group for the final round of the recent Men’s Club Championships. Private services will be held for both men.

WEEKLY RESULTS:

Tuesday, Single Stableford – Women (55 players) – A Grade, Lisa Ramen (33 points), Liz Halyday (33), Annabel Harris (33); B Grade, Lynn Hayman (34), Jo McDougall (34), Sue Wake (33). Men (65 players) – Greg O’Connor (38), Sergio Nogarotto (37), Nev Kenzler (35).

Wednesday, Medley Mid-Week Medal – sponsor, Ryan Tomlinson, Century 21 on Duporth (230 players) – A Grade, Barry Newton (64 nett), Brad Reed (67), Haydn Garner (69); B Grade, Tex Teixeira (67), Quentin Poulsen (69), Graham New (69); C Grade, Michael Gregora (65), Jon Jones (67), Denis McGrath (67). Best gross – sponsor Roger Van Ginkel, Thomassen Australia P/l – Haydn Garner (71).

Thursday, Women – Monthly Medal (107 players) – sponsors, B by Halcyon and Jodie McDonnel, Century 21 on Duporth – A Grade, Annabel Harris (69 nett), Sue Jones (72), Julie Halliday (74), gross – Annabel Harris (82); B Grade, Leeanne Ptak (70), Diane Gilmour (72), Maria Hireme (72), gross – Leeanne Ptak (93); C Grade, Wendy Burnie (72), Raewyn Andersen (73), Margaret Moran (73), gross – Maureen Cartledge (103).

Men, Single Stableford (78 players) – Wayne Bridgeman (39 points), Ken Scanlan (37), Rob Habgood (37).

Saturday, Single Stableford – sponsor, Mick Kinnear, Zero Termite and Pest – Women (22 players) – Annabel Harris (38 points), Lorraine Mazerolle (36), Bev Kelly (31).

Men (219 players) – A Grade, Matt Hetherington (42), Warren Sorby (41), James Daniel (40); B Grade, Gary Rugless (47), Huki Matenga (40), Doc Fleming (40); C Grade, Brett Beaumont (43), Don Teague (37), Ian Harper (36). Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford – Greg Smith and Brett Beaumont (48 points).

Juniors, Nine-hole Two Ball Best Ball Stroke – Benjamin Cox and Dylan Manning (40), Blake Rydwanski and Matthew Bothma (41), Oliver Brown and Rowan Scott (44).

Sunday, Vets Living Choice Classic, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford (76 players) – Pauline and Lance Lancaster (45 points), Di Stark and Ginette Hewlett (44), Trish and Rob Marshall (44).