From Tony Durkin 

CHARLOTTE’S WEBB: The novel of the same name was a classic children’s fiction novel, but there was nothing fabricated about Charlotte Ridley’s win in Sunday’s Medley Single Stableford event. Headland’s most talented female junior golfer in more than a decade, 14-year-old Charlotte beat all comers – including her dad Steve – and broke through the 80 barrier for the first time when she penned 10 pars, seven bogeys and a lone double in her round of 79. And her double – at the par five third hole (the second on the standard course) – was the result of a lost ball. “The conditions were tough, but I was happy with my round,” said the Grade 10 Sunshine Coast Grammar student. As a result of her winning round, Charlotte has reduced her AGU handicap to 10.5, one of the lowest among the Headland women, and now faces the challenge of playing either Junior Pennant for the club in 2024, or stepping up to Open Women level.  “I’m not sure which way I will go,” mused Charlotte, who feels an allegiance to the Juniors with whom she has played for the past three years. NOTE: Charlotte’s dad Steve, who usually partners his daughter each Sunday in her only competition round of the week, finished third on Sunday with 35 points. 

MESIC MAGIC: He tallied 73 off the bat for a return of 38 Stableford points and his first win as a two-year Headland member, but Tony Mesic wonders what could have been it not for three messy holes. “I was looking at my best-ever round, but three doubles stalled that run,” said the Civil Engineer who had not played serious golf for two decades before joining Headland. There was, however, some particularly good golf otherwise. Tony scored four birdies – two of which returned him four points – nine pars and two bogeys, winning the A Grade Single Stableford event on a countback from Dean Jones. “Considering how much rain we have had, the course was in surprisingly good condition. I putted really well on the recently-cored greens, and my short game was in good shape too,” he said. Visitors Daniel Brown (37 points), and Jackson Brodie (40), won B and C Grade respectively, while former Club Champion and greens staffer Aaron Shaw had a day out, with an eagle at 10A and the Pro Pin at 12, for a collection of $66.50. 

A HARRIS FIRST: He described it as ‘a pretty special achievement’, but there was some cynicism in the reaction from John Harris following his win in Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford, with only 35 points. “Yes, it is the first time I have ever won an event when scoring one worse than my handicap,” said the six-marker, who returned the best score in the field of 101, and won A grade. But there were elements which contributed to the low scores. “The course was soggy, the greens had just been cored, we played the front nine twice and it hammered down during the final four holes,” John lamented. But there was also an upside to the conditions. “With the greens a little bumpy, I hit my putts hard, and straight, and had some pretty good results.” John tabled 11 pars and seven bogeys for his 77 off the bat, and claimed ‘I didn’t leave too much out there’. Ross Kelly (34) won B Grade and Brian Hermeston (33) won C Grade. NOTE: When HH called John, the recently-retired motorcycle enthusiast had just jumped off his latest acquisition – a black Yamaha XSR 900.

LAURA’S REWARD: When Laura Mason-Baierl arrived at Headland on Thursday morning, because of the recent rain and a heavy early-morning downpour she did not expect to be playing golf. But when confronted with the decision to play or not to play, she found herself the meat in the sandwich. “If I did not play, there would not have been enough girls to stage a competition so, because I was the last of our group to arrive, I said yes,” revealed the 2021 SWING graduate. And even though her score of 28 points was would normally not rate a mention, Laura was rewarded for her decision by winning the Three-Club (and putter) Stableford competition. “The course was really wet, and at times it was like walking on water. And a couple of downpours during the morning made conditions almost impossible,” she said. But Laura was reasonably happy with her round – which included one four-point hole and two three-pointers – and said she played ‘okay’. This was the second individual win for Language Teacher Laura, who scored her first victory as a Headland member in April last year when she penned 40 points to top the C Grade ladder. NOTE: Laura, who confessed last year she had become obsessed with golf, proved that when she again braved the inclement weather on Saturday, winning her second competition within two days, scoring 34 points. 

EIGHT IS ENOUGH: Don Caldwell overcame a wipe at his bogey hole, the par-three eighth, to win Thursday’s Single Stableford for Men with a paltry score of 32 points. “It never seems to matter how well I am playing, I can’t master the eighth,” confessed the 10-marker, who described the course on Thursday as ‘very tough’. “The rough just off the fairway is very thick, and even with preferred lies it is a real challenge once you are off the short grass. But considering the greens have only just been cored, they were quite okay,” explained the Sunshine Coast University Hospital security officer. And despite his ‘standard’ wipe at the eighth, Don was able to survive a countback and score his first individual win at Headland in at least two years. NOTE: Don’s visit to the victory dais has not been totally negligible in the past two years. He has teamed with his mother-in-law, Sylvia Wood, to win two Fourball events.

WEEKLY RESULTS: 

Tuesday, Medley Two-Person Ambrose (back nine twice, 64 players) – Peter Hannah and John Jamieson (61 nett), Dave Sims and Bob Trevor (61.5), John Langdon and Warren Selvage (63).

Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (front nine twice, 101 players) – A Grade, John Harris (35 points), Steve Norbury (33), Stephen Blampied (32); B Grade, Ross Kelly (34), Peter McNeven (33), John Hammond (33); C Grade, Brian Hermeston (33), George Stoopin (31), Duncan Watts (31). 

Thursday, Women, Single Stableford, three clubs and putter (12 players) – Laura Mason-Baierl (28 points), Narelle Hollowood (24), Trish Arden (22).

Men, Single Stableford (23 players) – Don Caldwell (32), Garry Holmes (32), Trevor Simpson (29).

Saturday, Single Stableford, Women (10 players) – Laura Mason-Baierl (34 points), Monica Anthony 33), Josie Ryan (27).

Men (143 players) – A Grade, Tony Mesic (38), Dean Jones (38), Brendan Duncan (36); B Grade, Daniel Brown (37), Glen Grimish (36), Ian Scobie (35); C Grade, Jackson Brodie (40), Ross Wedmaier (36), Mark Priest (35).

Juniors – Nine-hole Stroke, Team Two Ball – Finn Darlison and Matthew Bothma (35), Max Faulkner and Keaton Fox (39), Dominic Manning and Benjamin Cox (41).

Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (36 players) – Charlotte Ridley (38 points), Dave Wickham (36), Steve Ridley (35).