From Tony Durkin
FINE TUNING: Marcus Mesic used his break over the ‘holiday’ period to hone his golfing skills and, as a result, the 24-year-old has had $135 added to his House Account. “I probably played as many as 10 rounds,” he estimated after scoring 43 points to head the field of 225 in Saturday’s 2026 Opening Day Single Stableford. Despite two wipes and an eight on his card, Marcus managed to hold his nerve for his third win – including a Monthly Medal – as a four-year Headland member. “My driving and chipping were the best part of my game, but putting was not that great. I four-putted the ninth after being on the green in two,” he confessed. But despite the wipes, he managed to pen four four-pointers and four three-pointers on his card, and finished his final four holes with pars, earning him an imposing 14 points, for 24 on the back nine. And Marcus did not escape the clutches of the handicapper. “That’s good,” was his reaction to a two-shot penalty, bringing his GA handicap down to an all-time low of 22. Brett Hardner (39 points) won A Grade, veteran Burgess Stephenson scored 42 points to win B Grade and Suzanne Pledge (39) won the Women’s comp. Opening Day was once again generously sponsored by Dave Mansley of Mooneys Insurance Brokers.
SLASHING WIN: On Thursday, newcomer Barb Birks became the second member in Headland’s 2026 opening week of competition to score 45 Stableford points, but she was punished more than her predecessor. Still a provisional member, Barb had two strokes slashed from her handicap of 35 after the winning round, which included four four-point holes and five threes, but also a wipe. “Things mostly went my way,” said Barb, who initially gained her handicap through Social Golf Australia. “For instance, I skimmed the water on ten and the ball finished on the other side of the pond; I went into a bunker and it ran through; and when I hit a tree, the ball almost always landed back on the fairway.” Starting golf as a teenager while working in the bank at Richmond in Western Queensland – ‘because everyone in the bank played’ – Barb subsequently enjoyed the game in Cairns and Clifton, before starting a family. But after a 25-year hiatus she decided to join Headland, came through the SWING program and is hopeful of soon gaining full membership-playing status. Barb won Division Two on Thursday, while Nicola Whitmore continued her run of superb form, winning Division One with 40 points. NOTE: On Monday, Noel Harris also scored 45 points, but lost just a single stroke from his handicap of 23.
WELL PREPARED: Before he teed off in Wednesday’s Medley Single Stableford, Headland Groundsman Ryan Sawell was well aware the course was in great condition, and receptive to good shot making. After starting work at 5am, 19-year-old Ryan teed off in the second-last group and finished with 43 points, winning C Grade and scoring his fourth victory as a five-month club member. “I shot my best-ever score on the first nine,” revealed a chuffed Ryan, who was four-over on the front, for 25 points. And although he was below his best on the back nine with 18 points including a wipe at the par three 14th – the closest hole to his work ‘office’ – he was able to hang on and beat morning player Ross Roberts (42), who won B Grade. Ryan elected to join the Headland ground staff after an enjoyable stint on a work experience trial from Mountain Creek State High in 2024. Having never played golf previously, he started on a handicap of 30 and after Wednesday’s win is down to 20.6. His winning card, from a 23 handicap, revealed three four-point holes, five threes, seven twos, two singles and his wipe. Josh Vearing (39 points) won A Grade in a big field of 228. NOTE: Ryan was in the money again on Saturday, finishing second in C Grade with 41 points, pocketing $80 to add to the $115 he won on Wednesday.
TENNIS CHAMP: With the Australian Open in Melbourne to start this week, it was fitting that former tennis Pro Mick Kinnear should feature among last week’s Headland winners. Mick, whose business Zero Termite and Pest has sponsored Headland’s Men’s Foursomes Championships for the past five years, scored 41 points to win Tuesday’s Single Stableford for Men. Not playing golf competitively until joining Headland in 2017, Mick hit the ground running and six years later his handicap was down to eight, and three times he had carded his best score of four-over 76. “But recently my golf has been terrible, and the handicap has almost doubled,” he revealed after shooting 81 on Tuesday from 14, which included a triple bogey seven at the first.” However, since recently moving house to just 200 metres from the clubhouse, his goal is to play more in 2026. “After that round, things may be on the improve,” he predicted, following his birdie, nine pars and seven bogeys.
UNBUNKERED: Di Kean estimates eight visits to the bunkers on Monday cost her at least 10 shots, something she rectified in her winning round the following day. A SWING graduate from 2016, Di found just the one bunker during Tuesday’s Single Stableford round, and scored 40 points to win the competition by two shots from Chrissy Eggins. “My game has certainly suffered since the new bunkers came into play,” she reflected after her first victory since November 2022, when she scored 41 points to beat the field of 234 in a Saturday Medley Single Stableford. “Back then my handicap was 27. On Tuesday it was out to 35.” But the difficulty of the course will not thwart Di’s attempt to achieve her new goal of again lowering her handicap to under 30. “I only played 30 rounds of golf last year, so I intend to play more in 2026. And, I aim to stay out of bunkers,” she said, conceding she still loved playing golf.
NOEL’S SHADOW: Forever in the golfing shadow of his championship-winning wife, Noel Harris has emerged from the shade with his best-ever round to start the new year. Playing in Monday’s opening Vets competition, the semi-retired advertising guru scored 45 points to win Men’s Division Two, penning 86 from his 23 handicap. “Some alien thing invaded my body, and the ball mostly went where it was aimed,” quipped Noel, who revealed he had only one duffed shot during his round. “I have discarded most of my woods, and now carry just a driver and a seven-wood. And I think I used only five of my clubs all day.” The septuagenarian started golf three decades ago, but says he has never taken the game as seriously as his wife Annabel (10), who is Headland’s second-lowest handicapped woman member. Noel’s winning round included five pars, 12 bogeys and a lone double, at the par-five 13th, and he scored 10 three-pointers. Also starting the new year on fire was Women’s winner, Dee Davidson, with 43 points.
FREEWHEELING: Recently-retired and with time on his hands, Mick Garske has been playing golf as much as four times a week. And the new regimen is obviously working, with the former co-owner of Rapid Equipment Hire winning the Men’s Single Stableford on Thursday with 42 points. Mick and business partner Andrew Fidler, also a Headland member, sold their equipment hire company at the end of 2024, and Mick remained with the business until March last year. “Ostensibly, I have retired, so I am making the most of my free time. And what a way to enjoy it,” he quipped. A Redcliffe junior, Mick had not played golf for two decades before joining Headland in 2021, and had won only twice before Thursday’s victory, with both triumphs coming in the same week back in February last year. His round on Thursday did not, however, start as planned. He wiped the first hole. “But my game clicked into gear after that,” said Mick, who added a four-point par at the difficult 15th, and eight three pointers to his winning card.
‘RECORD’ START: Headland kick started 2026 with what is expected to remain as a record field for the new year. On Friday, January 2, 362 golfers teed off in a social round, which is 15 more than the biggest field in 2025. The largest field in recent memory was 372, three years ago, which was also a non-competition round.
TOO GOOD, DAD: With the advantage of an additional shot on his handicap, Steve Notley (27) parred the 18th to beat his 16-year-old son Ryan (26) in Sunday’s Medley Single Stableford. Steve, a former Headland junior who has recently returned to competition golf, scored 42 points to win the event on a countback, with Ryan – who bogeyed the last hole – finishing third on 41. Late-finishing Mike McQuarrie (also 42) thwarted the family quinella. Steve turned in front, with 20 points to Ryan’s 17 after nine, but a five-point birdie at the par-five 13th to Ryan, which his dad tripled for a lone point, had the pair on equal standing. They then both bogeyed 14 for two points and had a ding-dong battle coming home, with Steve two-putting for par the last, to Ryan’s bogey. Ryan, who enters Grade 12 at Mountain Creek State High this year, lives adjacent to the 17th fairway with his mum and dad, and practises as often as he can. Back in September, when Ryan scored 47 points to win a Medley Single Stableford event, Steve declared his son was ‘a much better golfer’. “But sometimes the old man gets the money,” he quipped.
SIMPLY THE BEST: Because of their handicaps, Headland’s low markers usually need to shoot the lights out to win a regular club event. So, to salute our gun golfers, HH has decided to name our ‘Simply the Best’ golfer – those who return the lowest weekly round – in every edition. This week’s winner is, fittingly, Club Champion Adam Richards. From the blue markers on Thursday, ‘Richo’ shot one-under 71, with two birdies, a bogey and 12 pars on his card. But, playing from his handicap of plus one, the six-time Club Champion’s 36 points placed him eighth in the field of 86.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Monday, Vets – Single Stableford, Women (29 players) – Dee Davidson (43 points), Kay Campbell (39), Joy Bullock (39).
Men (69 players) – Division One, Brian Hermeston (41 points), Warren Selvage (40), Burgess Stephenson (38); Division Two, Noel Harris (45), Erik Larsen (42), Barry Easton (41).
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (38 players) – Di Kean (40 points), Chrissy Eggins (38), Gwen Nancarrow (37).
Men (74 players) – Mick Kinnear (41 points), Sergio Nogarotto (40), Malcolm Woods (39).
Wednesday, Medley Single Stableford (228 players) – A Grade, Josh Vearing (39 points), Peter Gablonski (38), Alan Brooker (37); B Grade, Ross Roberts (42), Ben Brown (41), Nick Cox (40); C Grade, Ryan Sawell (43), Joshua White (40), Brian Hills (39).
Thursday, Single Stableford, Women (61 players) – Division One, Nicola Whitmore (40 points), Helen Venter (38), Annabel Harris (37); Division Two, Barb Birks (45), Dee Davidson (37), Susan Wake (36).
Men (86 players) – Mick Garske (42), Clarrie Burns (40), Richard Franklin (39).
Saturday, Opening Day, Single Stableford – sponsor, Dave Mansley, Mooneys Insurance Brokers, Women (24 players) – Suzanne Pledge (39 points), Dora Habgood (38), Liz Dunford (38).
Men (225 players) – A Grade, Brett Hardner (39), Bryan Haggarty (38), Terry Ward (38); B Grade, Burgess Stephenson (42), Marco Di Nardo (41), Dave Mansley (39); C Grade, Marcus Mesic (43), Ryan Sawell (41), Wayne Harriott (39).
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford (52 players) – Steve Notley (42 points), Mike McQuarrie (42), Ryan Notley (41).
