From Tony Durkin
HANDI VICTORY: Headland has been crowned winner of the inaugural team event at the 2025 Handiskins National Championship final, contested on the Gold Coast on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Headland team of Mick Prince, Bruce Heseltine, Doc Fleming, Peter Dunn and Sue Bolton won the event, with individual Stableford scores added together after the first two days of the championship, played on neighbouring Lakelands and Palm Meadows courses. The final cumulative score was divided by the number of team members, giving Headland the first victory in the newly-introduced event with 60.8 points. To qualify for the team event, clubs had to have a minimum of four finalists. And while no Headland members finished in the top four to contest the overall Handiskins final on Saturday, defending Champion Mick Prince (65 points) was the best of Headland’s qualifiers. He finished 10th overall, with Doc Fleming (64) two places further back. “It was a tough gig this year,” said Bruce, who revealed that 284 players qualified for the three-day finale, compared to 220 in 2024. “Both years I have scored 65 points after the two qualifying rounds. Last year that score gave me a spot in the final after finishing second; this year I missed out, after coming 10th.” Playing in the Peter Lehman Wines Golf Challenge, a competition for those golfers who did not qualify for the Handiskins final, Peter Dunn scored 63 points, Sue Bolton 59, and Bruce Heseltine 53 points. Apart from the prestige of winning the inaugural Handiskins Team Challenge, each member of the winning Headland team collected $200. NOTE: The Australia-wide Handiskins tournament was first played in 2016, and Mick Prince and Bruce Heseltine have been consistent standouts. While Mick won last year, Bruce was the first Headland member on the podium, finishing third in 2023.
THE HUSTLE: A group of ‘40-somethings’ tagged the Headland Hustlers, have remarkably matched their moniker, with members of the 14-man group winning four of five competitions over the past nine days. After dominating the Labour Day long weekend with three successive victories, the group skipped Tuesday’s podium before Ty Pilcher and Dean Oster teamed to win Wednesday’s Medley Fourball Stableford. In doing so, they joined fellow Hustlers Lincoln Harris (Saturday), Brad Williams (Sunday) and Craig Firns (Monday) in the previous week’s list of winners. Ty, whose GA handicap is currently capped at 10.6, was the star on Wednesday, scoring 26 of the winning 45 Fourball points, with 19 of them coming on the front nine. “You know how it is – the game comes together every now and again,” quipped Plumber Ty, who also finished second behind Craig Firns in Monday’s Single Stableford. “And, as has to happen in a good Fourball score, Dean and I teamed well.” Ty scored 79 on both days, breaking the 80-barrier on the ‘full’ course layout for the first time in his five years as a member. “We were pretty stoked with the win, and it was a great feeling to continue the good run of the Hustlers,” said Dean, who confirmed Ty had ‘lit it up’ on the front nine’. NOTE: Depending on their origin, for internal Headland competitions the Hustlers are divided in to country and city members, with city still revelling in the win over their country counterparts during a recent visit to Bonville.
HANDICAP BREAKER: Lynn Hayman did not think breaking her handicap to return the best score in Thursday’s Single Stableford for Women was all that special, until reminded hy HH that 37 points was actually an exceptional score of late. Because of the recent extraordinarily wet weather which has saturated the course, only Louise Harriott – with 71 nett to win the May Monthly Medal – and Suzanne Pledge (39 points), have broken their handicap at Headland in the past three months. “Yes, the course has been tough,” Lynn conceded, saying she had played ‘really well’ on Thursday despite a wipe and a penalty on her card. “Last week, I was struggling so much I disqualified myself from the Monthly Medal round.” But the 2017 SWING graduate, who says her golf highlights have included ‘a couple of holes-in-one and a few wins’, enjoyed her round, and the company of her playing partners. “We recently returned from a nine-week caravan trip to South Australia, and I really missed my golf,” said Lynn, who manages to play twice a week. Her winning round, in Division Two, was highlighted by a four-point par at the 11th, and four three-pointers. Anne Callanan, with 34 points, won Division One. NOTE: For this event, long-term member Mark Postles, of Coast Chiropractic, made his debut as a Headland Women’s sponsor.
THREE TROUBLE: Double bogeys at two par threes on Labour Day has more than likely cost former tennis champion Craig Firns his best round as a 4½-year Headland member. The Medical Sales rep won Monday’s Medley Single Stableford with 38 points from his 10 handicap, but was disappointed with his misses at holes eight and 14. “Since I have reduced my handicap from 17 to 11, I have probably been a little aggressive on the par threes,” Craig conceded. “And that was again the case at eight and 14 on Monday.” But while those par threes were a disaster – he salvaged just one point – a superb up and down at the 18th actually handed him victory. “My mate, Ty Pilcher, was sitting on the verandah, already with 38 points, so I needed par to win,” he said. While that par was important, his birdie at the tough, par-four fourth was memorable. “I pushed my drive, and it finished in front of the Women’s tees on the eighth. I then hit almost the shot of my life, going over the trees with a nine iron, landing about 250cm from the pin, and slotting the birdie putt,” he beamed. Craig’s best round at Headland was 78, back in December, and Monday’s win was his third in the past five months.
ENJOYABLE, FINALLY: Nev Kenzler feels he echoes the sentiments of countless Headland members when he says golf, of late, has not been enjoyable. “Obviously, that has nothing to do with the club, the course or management, but the recent spate of bad weather has made playing conditions extremely unpleasant,” lamented the ex-banker. But Nev made the best of a regretful situation on Thursday, scoring 81 from his 11 handicap to table 38 points and win the Men’s Single Stableford. “I was pleased with the round. My only stumble was at the tough 15th, where I scored a double,” he said, after also penning 10 pars and seven bogeys. “I putted fine, and my best club in the bag proved to be my five wood, which I hit half a dozen times, and hit it really well.” But Nev, who was a member at Brisbane’s Pacific and Ashgrove clubs before joining Headland in 2017, was never confident 38 points would be enough to win, and bank the $90 first prizemoney. “Our group was the first off, and I was surprised my score held up all afternoon,” he quipped.
GOLF BUBBLE: Steve Eggins reckons the ‘carts on paths’ ruling on Tuesday helped him win the Single Stableford for Men with ‘maybe’ his best-ever score. “I was able to walk the course, and stay in my own little bubble,” confessed the ex-NSW Public Servant who is closing in on two decades as a Headland member. “Playing alongside people in carts, I often hurry along, not wanting to delay anyone. But today I was really relaxed, and in an easy-walking tempo.” Steve, whose handicap has regrettably ‘expanded’ from 20 to 25 in recent times, scored 44 points, which he thinks either equals or is one short of his best result at Headland. And although he recorded two four-pointers and seven three-point holes, he was equally chuffed at no wipes. “I started well, with my two four-pointers on successive holes, and that always helps my confidence,” he said. “But it is only the second time this year I have broken my handicap, so the goal now is to keep that form coming.” Steve smashed the rest of the men’s field, winning by five points, while Ali Lamond prevailed in the Women’s event, scoring 32 points to beat Jenny Stokes and Ruth Broderick on a countback.
JOSH ON TOUR: Former two-time Headland Junior Champion and existing member, Josh Holbrook, is Canada bound. Currently playing on the Australasian PGA Tour, Josh will try his hand at the Canadian PGA Tour, with a qualifying tournament set for early next month (June 2-6). He needs to finish top 11 to qualify. Josh started as a junior at Headland, played his way into the A Grade Pennant while still at school and won the 2021 Men’s Foursomes Championship alongside current Club Champion, Ben Duncombe. The following year he started his PGA Membership Program under the guidance of Head Pro, Adam Norlander, and last year graduated from Caloundra Golf Club. He officially received his full Vocational Membership with the PGA of Australia in March of this year. The first PGA Tour event foray for Josh was the PNG Open at Port Moresby in August last year, at which he celebrated his 21st birthday.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Monday, Medley Single Stableford (53 players) – Craig Firns (38 points), Ty Pilcher (38), Brendan Duncan (37).
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (23 players) – Ali Lamond (32 points), Jenny Stokes (32), Ruth Broderick (32).
Men (54 players) – Steve Eggins (44 points), Bill McKinstrey (39), Philip Cotton (38).
Wednesday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford – sponsor, Brendan Southey and Bevan Horsnell, Prime Property – (172 players) – Ty Pilcher and Dean Oster (45 points), Simon Whittle and Drew Walker (44), Toby Zaremba and Ian Farrington (44), Jamie Hill and Rhett Charlton (43).
Thursday, Single Stableford, Women – sponsor, Mark Postles, Coast Chiropractic – (57 players) – Division One, Anne Callanan (34 points), Liz Dunford (34), Maria Hireme (33); Division Two, Lynn Hayman (37), Tove Larsen (34), Odette day (34).
Men, (66 players) – Nev Kenzler (38), John Christmas (38), Stephen Blampied (37).
Saturday, Monthly Medal, Women and Men (no competition, course closed).
Sunday, Mother’s Day Medley Single Stableford (no competition, course closed).
