From Tony Durkin 

OPEN POSTPONED: The 2024 Men’s Sunshine Coast Amateur Open, which was to be played at Headland over the Easter weekend, has been postponed because of a spate of incessant rain which had inundated the course. The prestigious event had attracted visitors from 31 Queensland clubs, and all players were informed by email on Wednesday that the event would not go ahead. Headland General Manager, Tim Gahan, said the decision to call off the annual event had not been an easy one. “Following three months of relentless precipitation totalling more than 1400mm for the year to date, the difficult decision was made to postpone this year’s event,” he said. “With the course completely saturated and standing water across most fairways and the roughs, it was going to be impossible to present an event that would showcase the course and club over the Easter weekend. We will now be looking to find an appropriate alternate date in the calendar. Those members who entered will have their tournament fees refunded in the coming days and be offered first right of refusal to nominate for the rescheduled event.” A stellar field had entered the Open, including 2022 Champion Adam Hawkins from Sanctuary Cove. Adam (handicap plus 2), was one of 17 players in the field with a handicap of scratch or better. Other low markers of note were former champion tennis player Scott Draper (plus 5) of Indooroopilly, and Ross Lindsay (plus 4), a member at Emerald Lakes on the Gold Coast. Apart from the regular smattering of Headland members, the field contained mainly golfers from Brisbane and Sunshine Coast clubs, while others entered from as far as Mount Isa, Rockhampton, Hervey Bay and the Gold Coast. The new date for the event has yet to be finalised. 

SPONSOR AGREES: Men’s Sunshine Coast Amateur Open sponsor, Justin Walsh, said Headland management had no option but to postpone the 2024 event scheduled for the Easter weekend. Walsh Consulting Engineers has sponsored the two-day golf classic since 2000 and the company’s Managing Director said he ‘agreed wholeheartedly’ with the decision to postpone the tournament in his 25th year of sponsorship. “Obviously suspending the event was disappointing, but after the deluge the course has copped this past week, it was definitely the right move,” he said. “I think everyone involved – the players, ground staff, management and sponsors – want the course to be in the best condition it can for such an important event, and that certainly would not have been the case if the Open went ahead as scheduled. When the tournament is played – possibly later in the year – I assume all bunker work and associated renovations will be finished, so Headland should be in absolute showcase condition.” While no long-term agreement between Walsh Consulting Engineers and Headland for the continued sponsorship of Men’s Sunshine Coast Amateur Open has been made, Justin indicated his company may well continue its association ‘until I retire’. “But when that might be, I have no idea,” he jested.

PUTTING PAUL: Paul Clarke’s March Mid-Week Medal victory was his first in ‘possibly a decade’, but was in less embarrassing circumstances this time. “When I last won a Medal, I scored 64 nett and beat the great Ken Anderson by a shot. The embarrassing part was that he was playing off two, and my handicap was 11,” mused Paul, who has been a Headland member since 2007. Paul again scored 64 nett from his round of 76, with putting his saviour. “My big mate Andy Whitmore has been giving me some tips, and I had only 26 putts in the round, with just 12 on the back nine,” he said. “But my coach was not happy – my playing partner and I took his money.” Paul had two slip-ups in his round – double bogeys at holes six (original fifth) and 14 (original 13th) – which scarred his otherwise ‘neat’ card of a birdie, 11 pars and four bogeys. A Sunshine Coast builder, Paul says he only plays on Wednesdays, chiefly because the industry is booming. Jack Pyke (68 nett) won the A Grade Medal, Paul beat playing partner Darcy Brown on a countback to win B Grade, while the C Grade Medal was won by Roscoe King (66). 

BUNKER TICKS: Despite the extraordinary rainfall at Headland during the first three months of 2024, one major positive has been the ‘performance’ of the new bunkers which have been constructed on the course over the past 12 months. “Only on a few occasions this year have we had to put GUR signs in bunkers. And that was where the intensity of rain has caused minor drift of sand down the faces in a couple of bunkers,” reported Course Superintendent Ben Tilley. “But with raking and brooming, those couple of bunkers were reinstated very quickly. Generally, the bunkers have drained extremely well and remained in play during this whole wet period, with no significant washouts or soil contamination.” Rain has fallen at Headland on 62 of the 91 days since January 1, with only six days in the month of February rain free. A total of 1438mm has been recorded to date, 202mm more than for all of 2023. “I have been working in this industry since 1982, and have not had to deal with the kind of challenges that have presented in the first three months of the year,” Ben said. But while the rain has regularly swamped the course and played havoc with the golf schedule, there have been positives. “Obviously, our dams are full. And the new greens on holes nine and 17 have benefited from the rain. As for the result of the bunker restoration, the course could have been played bunker to bunker despite last week’s downpour.” The rain has clearly thwarted progress on the course improvements, which Ben hoped would have been completed before the Men’s Club Championships, which tee off on May 18. “As much as I would love to see that happen, the more realistic time frame now is heading in to June,” he said. 

WEEKLY RESULTS:

Monday, Vets, Single Stableford – course closed, no play. 

Tuesday, Single Stableford– course closed, no play. 

Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford – course closed, no play. 

Thursday, Single Stableford, Women and Men – course closed, no play.

Saturday and Sunday, 2024 Men’s Sunshine Coast Amateur Open – sponsor, Justin Walsh, Walsh Consulting Engineers – course closed, event postponed.

Tuesday, March 19, Single Stableford, Women (20 players) – A Grade, Rebecca Masters (28 points), Kathy Petrie (23), Kirsten Kaergaard (23); B Grade, Sue Bolton (21), Christine Hall (18), Trish Marsden (18).

Men (50 players) – Grant McLachlan (41), Josh Poole (38), Cody Petrie (37).

Wednesday, March 20, Medley Mid-Week Medal (194 players) – A Grade, Jack Pyke (68 nett), Ryley Martin (68), Leon Faulkner (69); B grade, Paul Clarke (64), Darcy Brown (64), Michael Fenton (67); C Grade, Rose King (66), Barry Mapes (69), John Jones (70). Best gross, Ryley Martin (64).1-4-24,