From Tony Durkin
BROWN’S GOLD: Men’s Gold Medal winner for 2025, Graeme Brown, reckons he may have hit on the perfect preparation for competing in one of Headland’s prestige events. “I took a month-long caravanning holiday between winning the Monthly Medal in October, and today,” he said after scoring nett 66 from his round of 83 to snatch his first piece of gold. “And not only did I not hit a golf ball in between the two wins, I never even thought much about golf.” A Headland member for two decades, Graeme’s October Medal victory – which qualified him for the Gold Medal play-off in Saturday’s November Monthly Medal round – was also his first-ever Medal win. “And now I have two Monthly Medals, and the Gold, all within a month,” he chirped after also winning the B Grade event on Saturday. A 68-year-old retired compositor who worked for the Sunshine Coast Daily for 24 years, Graeme’s winning card revealed a consistent seven pars and 11 bogeys from his 17 handicap. “And no doubles,” he beamed after revealing his short game, and particularly his putting, had been his strong suit. Jack Hourn took the A Grade Medal/Gross double with 71/67, while 14-year-old Harrison Lane (64 nett) had a day out, winning the C Grade Medal and snaring a Pro Pin for a collect of $157. NOTE: Ironically, Women’s Gold Medal winner two weeks ago, Ellen Bloxsome, like Graeme, also ‘waited’ until October to win her qualifying Medal.
MEDLEY REIGN: Playing a Saturday Medley event rather than their own dedicated competition, several Headland women had the goal of ‘let’s beat the boys’. And that is exactly what they did. Narelle Hollowood, who won the Women’s Foursomes Championship earlier in the year alongside Kate Wilkie, won Division One with 40 points, while Bev Kelly (37) won Division Two. Narelle confessed that when she and her playing partners – Josie Ryan, Cathy Roberts, and Kirsten Kaergaard – realised no specific Women’s competition was being played, they made a pact. “We thought it would be good if one of us could win,” she said, revealing the quartet will be representing Headland at the Kookaburra Carnival being played at Maroochy River on Monday (today) and Tuesday. “Obviously the agreement was made half in jest, but it was nice to complete the ‘deal’,” said Narelle, whose Skirtsports and FlipBelt businesses are generous Headland sponsors of Women’s events. She recorded a birdie, four pars and 11 bogeys on her card, and said that although she had played ‘okay’, she felt her round was ‘nothing special’. “My putting saved me several times,” she said.
‘CLICKED’ GOLF: ‘Something clicked’ was how Wayne Taylor explained his lowest Headland round to win Wednesday’s final Mid-Week Medal for 2025. “I have been playing fairly poorly of late, but most of my game suddenly came together on Wednesday,” he said after scoring two-over par 74 from the black tees for nett 67, and victory in A Grade. An expat Victorian who recently moved north and joined Headland in February last year, Wayne said he has struggled adjusting to the harder greens, something which he estimates cost him an under-par round on Wednesday. “I missed quite a few ‘gettable’ putts, but it was good to be once again hitting the ball well,” he quipped. The 55-year-old Cabinet Maker scored one birdie, 13 pars and three bogeys in his round, beating event sponsor Ryan Tomlinson (Century 21 on Duporth) by a shot for the A Grade Medal, while Club Captain Col Pledge (also 67) won the B Grade Medal and Graham Cartledge (71) collected the C Grade prize. Club Champion Adam Richards returned par 72 for the low gross of the day, while Neven Daniel (69) was the best of the Mid-Week Medal winners for the year, and was rewarded with the 2025 Gold Medal. NOTE: Wayne Taylor played Masters Pennants for Headland during the year, but said his form had generally been below par. But he saved his best performance for his lone appearance in A Grade, when he came from five-down after eight holes to win at the 18th, and clinch Headland’s 4-3 victory against Mt Coolum, at Maleny.
TRIAL SUCCESS: Recent octogenarian, Roz Brandt, decided to play Tuesday’s Single Stableford merely as an experiment. “I hurt my back, hadn’t played for a few weeks, and wasn’t sure whether I could still swing the club,” she explained after scoring 40 points, to win the event. “I played rather cautiously, so maybe that is the secret.” A Headland member for 35 years and formerly a ‘teen’ handicapper, Roz conceded she has ‘really battled’ on the course since the addition, and upgrade, of bunkers. “If I’m honest, I think the course is way too hard for many of us older golfers,” she opined. “On Tuesday I only found one bunker, and that was on the tenth where I received three shots because of my 37 handicap. I scored a nine on the hole, for one point.” Roz scored another three one-pointers, which were penned beside seven twos, six threes and a four-point par at the first hole which superbly kick-started her round. Her last victory was two years ago, while the course was under redevelopment, and the highlight of her winning score back then – also 40 points – was a two-of-five after she chipped in at the par-three practice hole, which was in play at the time. In the Men’s Stableford, Mark Glassop won with 39 points.
NO BURGLAR: Tony Coad has held various positions of authority at Headland and has been bestowed Life Membership of the club, but he says no-one could accuse him of being a burglar. “I will never get in trouble for being one of those,” said the rising 84-year-old, who returned the equal best score in Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford despite a chequered round. “In my heyday I was down to eight, but regularly played off 11 and 12. On Wednesday it was 18, which is as high as my handicap has ever been.” His round, which garnered him 38 points and won B Grade, started with a birdie at the first, and by the sixth he had tabled 16 points. “But I then scrubbed seven and eight, before coming back with a par at the ninth,” quipped Tony, who earlier in the year was re-elected President of Headland Vets for his 17th successive year. But he scored consistently on the back nine, added another 19 points, and described the day as ‘a lot of fun’. A Headland member for 31 years, Tony has held executive positions at the club for 26 of those years, including Vice-President for four years (2000 to 2003), and Club Captain for two (2004 and 2005). And despite his upcoming 84th birthday on January 1, he still plays three times a week. Alan Brooker (35 points) won A Grade on Wednesday, while Michael Fortune (38) equalled Tony’s score to win C Grade.
EMILIA’S DOUBLE: Back in September, after Emilia White won her first event in three years, she jested that she doubted whether she could repeat the feat in another three years. But what unfolded on Thursday was beyond any expectations the ex-Victorian has for her golf game. Emilia scored a mammoth 46 points, streeting the field of 92 in the Women’s Single Stableford event, and winning Division Three by five points. “It was truly bizarre. I don’t know how I did it, but I will certainly accept that score, and the win,” remarked Emilia, who confessed she had been playing terribly since her win three months ago. But in her winning round, which included a five-point par at the par-five 15th, four four-point holes and five three-pointers, she confessed luck had been on her side. “Three times I thought I had lost my ball, but each time we found it. In fact, for one of the rare occasions, I started and finished the round with the same ball,” she said. And she also conceded that putting, which is often her weak point, was strong. But Emilia has paid a high price for her massive score. She played from a daily handicap of 42 on Thursday, and her new GA is 37. “That is great. Now, I need to play to that,” she quipped. Althea McLean (37 points) won Division One, Laura Mason-Baierl (41) won Division Two and Emilia smashed the Division Three field.
BETTER GOLF: The last time Tony Kelleher won at Headland, he described his round as ‘very erratic’. Back in June he scored a rather paltry 37 points to win the Thursday Single Stableford, and his winning card included a shank, two bunker ‘episodes’, two doubles and two wipes. But when he saluted the judge last week in the same event, it was a much different story – the former Headland Club Captain tallied 42 points, scored 81 gross, penned two birdies and eight pars, and shot one-over 37 on the front nine. “I played the front nine great and, luckily, held it together on the back,” said the popular ex-teacher, who retired eight years ago. “I had a hot patch of golf in February, then the win in June, but in between things have been pretty average”. And not only did he win the Men’s event, for which $130 was added to his House Account, but Tony pocketed a further $80 for the best score among the Fraser Follies group. “It was a great day on the course, and the cash was handy too,” he said.
JARVIS AGAIN: Apprentice greenkeeper Jarvis Wellington may well be an employee at Caloundra Golf Club, but he seemingly enjoys the course at Headland more than the ones on which he works six days a week. The 17-year-old, who starts the third year of his apprenticeship next month, joined Headland in December last year for ‘a change of scenery’, and the move has certainly paid dividends. On Sunday he won his second event in the past 12 months, and in that period has slashed his handicap by 10 shots. Back in June he scored 40 points to win the Sunday Medley Stableford, a feat he repeated at the weekend despite a shank, and a resultant wipe, at his first hole. But he recovered well, adding 24 on the back nine to his first 16 points to win by two. Jarvis started his membership at Headland on a 32 handicap, has been down to 22, but played from 24 on Sunday.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Monday, Vets, Single Stableford – sponsor, Perry & Oster – Women (34) – Marg Smith (36 points), Leeanne Ptak (36), Dianne Keen (35).
Men (75 players) – Division One, Keith Hood (37 points), Tony Waddington (36), David Williams (36); Division Two, Chris Byrnes (36), David Parker (35), Erik Larsen (34); Division Three, John Moran (39), John Visser (38), Mal McDougall (37).
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (43 players) – Roz Brandt (40 points), Lisa Ramen (40), Colleen Squires (39).
Men (67 players) – Mark Glassop (39 points), Garry Holmes (39), Craig Firns (38).
Wednesday, Medley Mid-Week Medal, and Mid-Week Gold Medal – sponsor, Ryan Tomlinson, Century 21 on Duporth – (129 players) – A Grade, Wayne Taylor (67 nett), Ryan Tomlinson (68), Neven Daniel (69); B Grade, Col Pledge (67), Annabel Harris (68), Peter Welsh (70); C Grade, Graham Cartledge (71), David Drinnen (73), Greg Smith (73); gross, Adam Richards (74). Mid-Week Gold Medal, Neven Daniel.
Medley Single Stableford (101 players) – A Grade, Alan Brooker (35 points), Dave Mayes (35), Warren Chapman (35); B Grade, Tony Coad (38), Barry Mapes (37), Syd Shilling (36); C Grade, Michael Fortune (38), Ben Kennedy (37), Graham Clarke (37).
Thursday, Single Stableford, Women, – sponsors, Ree Condon, Sue Briffa, Lyn Forbes, Jackie Thinee, Joy Logan, Barb Marrington, Christine Hall and Linda Cannon (92 players) – Division One, Althea McLean (37 points), Kirsten Kaergaard (37), Rebecca Masters (36); Division Two, Laura Mason-Baierl (41), Rhonda Parry (40), Ellen Bloxsome (38); Division Three, Emilia White (46), Marg Loughnan (41), Leigh Derigo (37).
Men (86 players) – Tony Kelleher (42 points), Wayne Bridgeman (40), Mick Clarke (38).
Saturday, Men’s Monthly Medal – sponsor, Ryan Tomlinson, Century 21 on Duporth – (153 players) – A Grade, Jack Hourn (67 nett), Neven Daniel (67), Gary Marr (70); B Grade, Graeme Brown (66), Karl Aldrich (69), Terry Grogan (70); C Grade, Harrison Lane (64), Russell Ferguson (69), Luke Fluerty (70); Best Gross, Jack Hourn (71); Gold Medal – Graeme Brown (83/66)
Medley Single Stableford (89 players) – Division One, Narelle Hollowood (40 points), Gary Clarke (39), Tristan Scott (38); Division Two, Bev Kelly (37), Kerry Longworth (36), Chris Byrnes (36).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (35 players) – Jarvis Wellington (40 points), Ron McMahon (38), Lyle Robbie (37).
