From Tony Durkin
ON COURSE: So keen was Richard Ryan to make golf an integral part of his retirement when he moved north from Lismore seven years ago, he and wife Joy bought a house sitting behind the second tee at Headland. And while the couple has enjoyed the wonderful camaraderie of their fellow members and Richard has played plenty of golf during their time at the club, he concedes he has rarely enjoyed a round as much as Saturday’s Monthly Mug when he shot 83 from his 19 handicap, for an excellent 64 nett and a win in B Grade. The 76-year-old Rabbitohs tragic not only returned his best score in his time at Headland, but was just two-over par on the front nine. His previous best at Headland was a nett 66 in the Monthly Medal two years ago, while his best-ever was a nett 58 at Lismore back in 1993. Usually a two-day a week competition player, Richard puts his consistent form down to regularly playing ‘a few holes’ late in the afternoon.
SUPER SCORES: While Richard Ryan played well under his handicap and out of his skin from the championship tees in Saturday’s September Monthly Mug, his was not the best score of the day. Former oil and gas surveyor and C Grade winner Stu Ennever stole those honours, shooting an incredible 62 nett from his 28 handicap while Denis Orr (13 handicap) won A Grade with 63 nett, and his best-ever Headland round of 76. With the course in superb condition and a little more run in recent weeks, scores have been outstanding and 58 in the field or 219 on Saturday played to their handicap, or better. While the three grade winners stole the show, others to impress included former House Director Wayne Hutchison (handicap 15) whose 80 won him the B Grade gross, Karl Aldrich (84/65), ex-Club Champion Justin Nicholson (72/66), Barry Potter (89/66) and Scott Lindsay (83/66). A further nine players scored nett 67, a score which more often than not would often win the Monthly Mug.
RETIREMENT SHELVED: So poorly has Vicky Maynard been playing in 2020 that she says she has seriously considered retiring from golf – three or four times. But those ‘plans’ have been shelved following a bunch of firsts in Saturday’s Ladies Monthly Medal. Not only did Vicki win with an impressive score of 68 nett – five under her handicap – but it was her best-ever score in the 15 years she has been a Headland member. And there were other landmarks in the win for the former Headland Ladies Director of Golf. It was also her best gross score and just the third time she has broken 100, as well as her first Medal win following ‘five-or-six’ runner-up finishes. Ironically, the $40 Vicki pocketed for her win came from the sponsorship booty provided by KVM Traffic Services, a company owned by Vicki and her husband Ken.
CLOSE SHAVE: Shane Muller may have been spending much of the past week enticing families to buy dad items such as razors from his Kawana Waters Good Guys store, but he also had two extremely close shaves of his own on the Headland layout in successive rounds. Twice – on Wednesday and Thursday – low marker Shane shot three-under par rounds of 69 yet could not find top spot on the winner’s podium. In Wednesday’s Monthly Medal – from the Championship tees – Shane (handicap 2) mixed six birdies with three bogeys for a nett 67 which gave him the best gross of the day, but was only good enough for a third placing in A Grade. The following day, playing off scratch from the blue markers, his scorecard of 69 revealed four birdies and a bogey, and his resultant 39 points did not even rate a placing. A former Pro, Shane joined Headland in November and despite little golf because of his busy work schedule, he has since scored three rounds of 69 at his new club. Tony McDonough (42 points) won Thursday’s event, his second victory in three weeks.
ALMOST PERFECT: Graham Myers loves Headland Golf Club so much, he lives on the course. And he loves golf so much he is a member of two clubs. But never in his wildest dreams did he think he would win a Monthly Medal – from the black tees – scoring 10 shots better than his handicap. That, however, is exactly what he did on Wednesday when he broke 80 for the first time in his 15 years as a member in what he described as an almost-perfect round. Playing from his 17 handicap, Graham had a birdie, nine pars and eight bogeys on his card and – in his words – did nothing wrong. And the co-member of Melbourne’s Camberwell Golf Club achieved all this despite a recent bout of the swing yips – a traumatic issue where he sometimes stood over the ball and could not bring himself to swinging the club. However, using the swing-plane aid situated adjacent to the Headland Pro Shop for five minutes prior to each round has dramatically helped solve that problem. While ecstatic with his win, Graham felt a pang of sorrow for fellow B Grader Col Thomas who he beat on a countback with the same miraculous score. Damian Moelands (-6) won the A Grade Medal while Alan Dellar, a Headland member for 13 years, collected his first-ever Medal with his C Grade victory.
GAY’S BEST: Playing in a group which included prolific winner Josie Ryan, Gay David left home with a positive feeling about Thursday’s Monthly Medal. And she was right on the money, because she fired the best round in her 16 years as a Headland member, breaking 90 for the first time and winning the B Grade Medal with 66 nett, as well as taking the gross honours with her score of 89. A golfing convert from when she and her regular tennis group decided to take lessons from Headland’s former Pro John Victorsen 16 years ago, Gay became instantly smitten with the game and switched sports almost immediately. The winner of two Monthly Medals previously still loves the game as much as ever, now plays three times a week and confessed to be ‘deliriously happy’ following Thursday’s win. Karen Wilson, who recently returned to competitive golf from an injury-related layoff, won A Grade with 71 nett, Trudi Russell matched Gay’s fabulous 66 nett to win C Grade and Joy Murray (68) led in the 35-strong D Grade field.
MR FIX-IT: Ted Banaszczyk likes to ‘tinker’ with his golf clubs and recently fitted his irons with graphite shafts – with almost instant success. Ted won Tuesday’s Single Stableford for men with 42 points, highlighted for the 16-marker by a four-over par 40 on the back nine, despite a double bogey at the tenth. He said he felt the excellent round was coming following very consistent golf over the past four months as a result of a few contributing factors. Nearing 70 years of age, Ted realised that not only did his shafts have to change, but so did the speed of his swing as he endeavoured to imitate the fluency of the better golfers with whom he regularly plays. A 12-year Headland member who still works part-time, Ted is feeling especially confident about his game at the moment and, as a result, is really enjoying competing.
GOLFING FIT: Five years ago, Judy Vine-Murray decided to take up golf to supplement her exercise program as she scaled down her three-decade immersion in the more vigorous sports of snow skiing and kayaking. At first it was little more than a pastime, but in more recent times – primarily because of COVID-19 – Judy has developed a genuine connection to her new sport and the results are revealing her steady improvement. Judy won Tuesday’s Single Stableford for Ladies with 41 points, following scores of 39 in her two previous rounds. And since starting back in golf in June after the stringent COVID restrictions lifted, she has shaved seven strokes from her handicap and is now down to 35.6. Her scorecard on Tuesday revealed seven three-point holes and three four-pointers and – just as importantly – only two wipes. And although she will be missing her annual six-month summer sojourn to New Zealand later in the year because of those same COVID restrictions, the former Sydneysider is looking forward to more golf and an even further reduction in her handicap.
MIXED DEBUT: One of Headland’s youngest female members in the past 20 years is set to play her first competition game in Saturday’s Mixed Foursomes. Eleven-year-old Charlotte Ridley, a student at Sunshine Coast Grammar where she is also a competitive swimmer, recently submitted her three probationary cards and has been handicapped with a GA of 35.7. Charlotte and her family previously lived at Pelican Waters – where her interest in golf kicked in – but recently moved to Buderim to facilitate her education. Her dad Steve, who will partner Charlotte in the Mixed Foursomes, has also joined Headland and although still a restricted member is delighted with all aspects of his new club – the friendliness of members, excellent condition of the course and the challenging layout.
PANTS-OFF ACE: COVID-19 restrictions apparently do not restrain golfers from disrobing when they score a hole-in-one at Headland – at least not for members of the ‘Hitters and Swingers’ social club. On Wednesday lefthander Paul Henricks scored his second ace at the 18th hole in the past four years and immediately shed his shorts, and ran a lap of the green waving them around his head. It is tradition for the ‘Hitters and Swingers’ – a group of ex-Maroochydore cricketers – to perform the ritual when an ace is scored. Luckily for Paul, this is not the case for an eagle, which he recorded at the 13th just six days earlier. And his ace has continued the phenomenal run of eagles at Headland in the past three weeks. The number has now climbed to 23 with eagles this past week to Col Thomas (11th), Chris De Bruyn (10th), James Kolbe (6th) and Paul on Wednesday, plus Head Pro Adam Norlander (7th) and David O’Mahoney (13th) on Thursday and Glenn Kelly (3rd) and Blake Thomas (10th) on Saturday.
WEEKLY WINNERS:
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Ladies (53 players) – Judy Vine-Murray (41 points), Mary Gibberd (40), Elizabeth Halyday (40), Chrissy Eggins (39). Men (75 players) – Ted Banaszczyk (42), Stuart Dykstra (40), Will Norman (39), Sandy Jamieson (39).
Wednesday, Medley Mid-Week Medal (229 players) – A Grade, Damien Moelands (-6), Neil Oxley (-5), Shane Muller (-5), Peter Richardson (-4), gross – Shane Muller (69); B Grade, Graham Myers (-10), Col Thomas (-10), Stephen Blampied (-7), Michael Phillips (-6), gross – Col Thomas (77); C Grade, Alan Deller (-6), Phil Cooper (-4), Hans Raaschou (-3), Peter Keane (-3), gross – Alan Deller (90).
Thursday, Ladies, Monthly Medal (116 players) – A Grade, Karen Wilson (71 nett), Kathy Atkins (72), Kristin Griffiths (72), gross – Lisa Ramen (81); B Grade, Gay David (66), Doreen Davidson (69), Mandy Oster (70), gross – Gay David (89); C Grade, Trudi Russell (66), Jill Nixey (66), Jenny Pirini (67) – gross Jenny Pirini (97); D Grade, Joy Murray (68), Pam Andrews (70), Lesley Wilson (71) gross – Pam Andrews (106). Men, Single Stableford (95 players) – Tony McDonough (42 points), Bruce Horton (41), Neville Kenzler (40), Tony Kelleher (40).
Saturday, Ladies, Monthly Medal (36 players) – Vicki Maynard (68 nett), Sharon Thomas (69), Bev Kelly (70). Men, Monthly Mug (219 players) – A Grade, Denis Orr (63 nett), Justin Nicholson (66), Will Millroy (67), gross – Justin Nicholson (72); B Grade, Richard Ryan (64), Wayne Hutchison (65), Karl Aldrich (65), gross – Wayne Hutchison (80); C Grade, Stu Ennever (62), Barry Potter (66), John Bohringer (67), gross – Barry Potter (89).
