From Tony Durkin
MARK’S MARK: He is a member of the judging panel which evaluates golf courses world-wide for Golf Digest, and on Saturday Mark Henricks did not hesitate in voting Headland No.1. The Dean of Co-Curricular at Sunshine Coast Grammar, Mark scored a remarkable 46 points to win Saturday’s Single Stableford event – a result of his best-ever round on the course at which he has been a member since 2005. But his dream round – an eagle, four birdies, 10 pars, two bogeys and a double at 15 – was not off to the greatest start. “When I pulled my bag from the car, I found a mouldy sandwich from last weekend. Then, I thinned my second shot into the lake on the tenth – my starting hole – but luckily managed to get up and down for par,” he revealed. Mark’s two-under 69 from his eight handicap was also the best gross score in the field of 212, another first for Headland’s Masters Pennant Captain, and former Maroochydore A Grade cricketer. As a Golf Digest panellist and a Golf Tour Host during school holidays, Mark estimates he has played 50-plus different courses during the past 12 months, including those in France, the UK, UAE, Singapore, Indonesia and New Zealand, as well as Melbourne and Sydney. “Yes, I suppose you could say I love my golf,” quipped the Horton Park junior. Ted Banaszczyk (38 points) won B Grade and Steve Walters (41) backed up for his second win in three days to win C Grade. Gwen Nancarrow, with 35 points, won the Women’s event.
GRIEF OVER: Coralie Walsh has, she hopes, ended 18 months of ‘absolute golfing grief’ with a win in Wednesday’s Medley Single Stroke. “My handicap has drifted from an all-time low of 24 to 32 in the past year and a half, and when I was driving to golf today, I actually wondered why I bother anymore,” she revealed, after scoring 68 nett to beat 211 men and one other woman in the big Mid-Week Medal field. But, as the Medal was for male members only, Coralie had to settle for first place in C Grade, a $95 credit on her House Account and a long-awaited burst of personal pride. “I have become somewhat a golf addict since I took up the game eight years ago, but it has been pretty grim of late. Hopefully this win helps me turn the corner,” she said. Another reason for Coralie to be rather smug is that her 100 off the bat is among her best rounds from the ‘tough’ tees, and she was only four shots worse than her husband Justin, who played from a 14 handicap.
MEDAL PUTTER: Brad Williams won at Headland in March two years ago, and at the time he credited the well-worn golfing idiom ‘drive for show, putt for dough’ for that victory. Using his trusty Scottie Cameron blade, Brad had just 30 putts during his 39-point round. But on Wednesday he putted even better, winning his first Headland Medal with nett 69, and a stingy 26 putts – which included a three-putt at the par-four 15th for his lone double bogey. “I love my putter, but I’d like to think it’s the operator, not just the putter,” said a chuffed Brad, who is back on the Sunshine Coast after a 12-month stint with BHP in Kalgoorlie. “I played really solid, with nine pars and eight bogeys.” The former Q-Cup rugby league halfback with Tweed Seagulls, Brad joined Headland in 2020 on a generous handicap of 28, and after Wednesday’s Mid-Week Medal win is now down to 10.3. And no longer a FIFO worker, the mining industry Process Analyst is looking forward to more regular golf, with single figures his ultimate goal. Brad won the A Grade Medal, Brian Balocca (also 69) won B Grade and Bob Snowball (68) returned the equal best score of the day to snare the C Grade Medal. Shane Muller (74) returned the best gross score.
PLAYED WELL: As a golfer who says she ‘can play well at times, but also badly’, newcomer Nicola Whitmore, produced the former at Headland on Thursday. A member for just two years after a similar stint on the waitlist, Nicola scored 40 points to win the B Grade Single Stableford, returning the best score in the Women’s field of 113 starters. Her impressive round revealed six three-point holes, a four-point par at the 11th and eight two-pointers. “It was a good day,” summarised Nicola, who played sporadic social golf before joining husband Andy as a Headland member. But, surprisingly, her outstanding score is not her best. Back in October 2022, just after she won playing rights, Nicola scored 43 points, and was beaten on a countback for C Grade honours. After starting on 45, her handicap is down to 28.3 after Thursday’s victory – not a bad effort for someone who has not played regular competition golf until recently. Fiona Munro (38 points) won A Grade and Laura Mason-Baierl (also 38) returned to the winning list in C Grade.
PROUD MAROON: Longreach-born Dan Hurst won Sunday’s Medley Single Stableford on a countback from Dave Mansley, who cheekily flew a Blues’ State of Origin flag at Headland on Sunday. “It was great to win, but even more satisfying when I realised Queensland, yet again, had beaten NSW,” joked Dan, a teacher at Caloundra State High. Playing off a three handicap, Dan penned one-over 72 for a return of 38 points, to follow his impressive 42 points three weeks ago. “It could easily have been much better. I reckon I missed at least half a dozen gettable putts.” Dan described conditions at Headland on Sunday as ‘really tough’. “At times the wind was blowing a gale, and I thought I might have been playing Royal Troon,” he said, referring to the brutal conditions during the British Open. Dan had two birdies, three bogeys and 13 pars in his winning Sunday round.
CANNON FIRES: ‘I was chuffed, but I was stuffed’ was the reaction of Headland’s 2024 Seniors Eclectic winner Linda Cannon after two successive days walking the course. Linda, who moved to Headland from Brisbane’s Oxley Golf Club three years ago, scored 48 Eclectic points over Monday and Tuesday, and won herself a ‘badly-needed’ TaylorMade golf bag. “I have a couple of broken zips on mine,” said Linda, who confided she had no idea how an Eclectic event worked, so did not stay for the presentations. Even though she scored only 36 points each day, Linda covered her scores superbly over the two rounds. For instance, on Tuesday she wiped three holes – 5, 10, and 17 – but the previous day she had scored three points, two points and three points, respectively, on those holes. And her only wipe on Monday, at the par-four 12th, was replaced with a three-point par the next day. Apart from the victory – her first ‘big’ golf win – Linda’s other highlight was a birdie at the par-three 14th on Tuesday. Catherine Peterson (45 points) won Women’s Division One, with Suzanne Pledge (43) victorious in Division Two, while Col Pledge (47) won Men’s Division One, and Alan Stratford (44) led home the Division Two field.
BACK NINE: Steve Walters will not call it a phobia, but when given the choice he prefers to play the Headland back nine first. “I can’t explain it, but I always seem to play better on the back nine,” explained Steve after scoring 38 points to win Thursday’s Single Stableford for Men, with 24 of those coming on holes 10 to 18. “And a few rounds ago I teed off on the 10th, had 23 points on the back and thought ‘I’m set for a good score today’. I then came home with a miserly nine points.” A non-golfer until he joined Headland in 2015, former Sales and Marketing Executive Steve describes himself as the ‘world’s most inconsistent golfer’, but says he enjoys the course, and the company of his playing partners. “Occasionally I have a good round, which was the case on the back nine on Thursday, and that maintains my enthusiasm,” he said. Steve penned two four-pointers, three threes, three twos and a one-pointer in his memorable back nine. NOTE: With 21 points on the front nine on Saturday and 20 on the back, Steve scored 41 points to win C Grade and collect a total of $225 for his two victories in three days.
GOLFING PLEDGE: When Suzanne Pledge graduated from SWING in 2020, she had a simple directive to her husband Col, a three-decade Headland member – ‘don’t give me any advice’. But while there may have been no commitment between the couple to foster a golfing relationship, they achieved a rare first during Headland’s 2024 Seniors Eclectic on Monday and Tuesday. Col (handicap 13) won the Men’s Division One while Suzanne (41 handicap) collected her first major result with first placing in Women’s Division Two. And surprisingly, the twin victories came after the couple had recently returned from a six-week overseas vacation, which included a visit to Alaska. “We both had a round of golf in Anchorage. In fact, Monday’s round was Suzanne’s first since we returned, and it was my third,” Col revealed. Suzanne and Col played together on both days, and Col concedes he did offer his wife one piece of ‘instruction’ during the tournament. “Once I suggested her alignment was wrong, but thankfully she took no notice of me,” he quipped. Col, with 37 Stableford points each day, finished with a superb 47 points in the two-day Eclectic, while Suzanne (36, 32) penned 43 points overall.
MEN’S PENNANT: With one match remaining in the 2024 Sunshine Coast/Glasshouse A Grade Pennant competition, Headland sits two points clear atop the ladder following a forfeit received on Sunday. With several players unavailable, Headland arrived at Caboolture Golf Club expecting to play Woodford, but the opposition did not appear. Needing to play at least one shot to make the match official, that honour was bestowed on team Manager/Captain, James Brownsworth. And not being one to shy away from a responsibility, James superbly struck a putter straight down the first fairway. “Even though we officially scored a 7-nil win, it was disappointing not to have the practise,” said Pennant veteran Adam Richards. “James was looking forward to his debut, as was Brendan Duncan.” Headland’s final match before the finals is against fourth-placed Caloundra, at Maroochy River, next Sunday.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Monday, Tuesday, Headland Seniors Eclectic, Overall Winner, Linda Cannon (48 points). Women, Division One, Catherine Peterson (45), Annabel Harris (44), Narelle Hollowood (43); Division Two, Suzanne Pledge (43), Sue Bolton (43), Patrice Jenkins (43).
Men, Division One, Col Pledge (47), John Kamm (47), Tim Nunan (44); Division Two, Alan Stratford (44), Leigh Mansfield (43), Phil Maron (43).
Day One, Women, Division One, Lynn Deacon (39), Kerry Longworth (37); Division Two, Barb Marrington (36), Ree Condon (34).
Men, Division One, John Langdon (37 points), Josh Poole (34). Division Two, Steve Eggins (38), Will Goldfinch (37).
Day Two, Women, Division One, Helen Fraser (35 points), Vicky Sheridan (35); Division Two, Jenny Pirini (36), Carmel Visser (33).
Men, Dennis Taylor (38 points), Mark Garcia (37); Division Two, Paul Stephens (38), Syd Shilling (37).
Wednesday, Men’s Mid-Week Medal – sponsor, Century 21 on Duporth – (213 players) – A Grade, Brad Williams (69 nett), Cameron McCulloch (69), Peter Perrett (70), gross – Shane Muller (74); B Grade, Brian Balocca (69), Terry Groan (70), Burgess Stephenson (70), gross – Terry Grogan (84); C Grade, Bob Snowball (68), Michael Christie (68), Ed Hoey (68), gross – Ed Hoey (93).
Medley Single Stroke – Coralie Walsh (68 nett).
Thursday, Single Stableford, Women – sponsor, Headland Senior Women (113 players) – A Grade, Fiona Munro (38 points), Julie Halliday (37), Robyn Boreham (37); B Grade, Nicola Whitmore (40), Odette Day (38), Sue Bolton (37); C Grade, Laura Mason-Baierl (38), Suzanne Pledge (36).
Men (82 players) – Steve Walters (38 points), Stephen Woollcott (38), Phil Kornmann (38).
Saturday, Single Stableford – sponsor, Greg Edgar, Rapid Hire Equipment – Women (27 players) – Gwen Nancarrow (35 points), Naomi Doyle (36), Annabel Harris (35).
Men (212 players) A Grade, Mark Henricks (46 points), Nelson Valderrama (39), Josh Vearing (39); B Grade, Ted Banaszczyk (38), Brad Downes (38); C Grade, Steve Walters (41), Ben Laycock (40), Skip Antony (37).
Juniors, six-hole Stroke – Matthew Bothma (Green, 36), Finn Darlison (Orange, 36), Dominic Manning (Orange, 37), Max Faulkner (Green, 38).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (58 players) – Dan Hurst (38 points), Dave Mansley (38), Sandra Murphy (37).
