From Tony Durkin
WINNING FAREWELL: Brad Williams is unlikely to play another round of golf at Headland for at least 12 months, which makes Thursday’s win by the fly-in fly-out crane operator an especially memorable one. A member since May of 2020, Brad made it victory in his first and last Headland outings when he scored 39 points to win the men’s Single Stableford and credited his miserly 30 putts for the success. With a birdie, four pars, 12 bogeys and just one double on his card of 42 on both nines, Brad very much prescribed to the well-worn golfing theory of ‘drive for show, putt for dough’. The 16 marker, who scored 41 points from a generous handicap of 28 in his first-ever competition round at Headland and immediately shed 11 strokes, has accepted a promotion with BHP in Kalgoorlie, and is moving west with his new wife Zoe and their son Ziggy. While he is uncertain how long the family will be there, Brad intends to maintain his Headland membership, but is also keen to explore the Graham Marsh-designed Kalgoorlie layout which is currently ranked No.18 among Australia’s top 100 public access golf courses.
INSTANT SUCCESS: Back surgery two years ago meant that Narelle Hollowood had to restrict her strenuous sporting pursuits, which included marathons and adventure racing. So, she took up golf. And while she and husband Chris – also a rookie – waited almost 12 months to become Headland members, a ‘greens pass’ enabled them to learn the game at their own pace, become accustomed to the course and, in Narelle’s case, a stint in the 2021 SWING program helped her fine-tune the basics. The upshot has been an outstanding initiation for Narelle, who won Thursday’s B Grade Single Stableford for women in an event sponsored by her own business. The victory – 37 points without a wipe on her card – is her second win since she started playing competition golf this year, and her fourth trip to the major prize pool within a month. Narelle’s best result has been a second placing in a Sunday Medley Stableford two weekends ago when she scored 41 points, and her gross score of 95 smashed her previous PB by six shots. She also won the A Grade three club event in mid-February, highlighting her obvious ‘feel’ for her new sport. NOTE: Formerly involved in Outdoor Education and PE, for 15 years Narelle has operated a business named Skirt Sports Australia, selling US-imported skirts for women involved – essentially – in tennis, squash, golf and running.
GOLF BUSINESS: It seems that on and off the golf course, new-ish Headland members Ben Laycock and Daniel Crabtree mean business. Partners in a couple of different businesses – Sunshine Coast Caravan Hire and HiP Brisbane Caravan Hire – Ben (handicap 30) and Daniel (24) joined forces to win Wednesday’s Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford with an impressive 49 points, beating Paul Henricks and Jim Aspinwall by two points. Both Ben and Daniel decided when they moved their headquarters to the Sunshine Coast last year, they would rekindle their golf careers which, coincidentally, ended as juniors more than two decades earlier. They joined Headland in July and Wednesday’s win was the first for both as teammates, although Ben did salute in a Single Stableford event the previous weekend with 40 points. Ben was again the major contributor in Wednesday’s Fourball with 42 points, but the team carded an imposing nine three-pointers, two four-pointers and a five-point birdie for Daniel at the par-five 13th hole.
CLOSING IN: Bob Trevor is gradually closing in on the mark set by Ken Anderson as the current Headland member with the most underage rounds, although his latest achievement contained some flaws. A member for 34 years, the 77-year-old has now either equalled or bettered his age at Headland 12 times following Tuesday’s 76, which yielded him 38 points and second placing behind newcomer Dylan Fennell (39). Ken, by comparison, is 81 years of age, has been a member for 22 years, and has achieved the feat an equally-remarkable 16 times – his last in October last year when he shot six-over 78 to win the A Grade Monthly Medal with 69 nett. And although Bob was pleased with his latest achievement, his five-over back nine of 41 for just 16 points was somewhat disappointing. “I missed a tiddler for par at the 13th, but then had some luck when I sank long putts on one and five,” he said of his age-breaking round which contained three birdies, seven pars and eight bogeys.
‘ARDEN UP: Playing only spasmodically since she graduated from SWING in 2016, Trish Arden realised she needed to get serious about her game if she was going to receive value for her membership fees. A recent ‘itinerant’ between Buderim, where she hosts an Air B’n’B from the ‘pink house’ in Mace Drive, and the family cattle property at Augathella, Trish decided to spend more time in Buderim and play more golf, as she did last week when she hit the Headland fairways on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. And, she reaped the desired result, with her 39 points in Tuesday’s Single Stableford scoring her first win with her highest score. While one four-pointer – par at the par-three fifth – and seven three-point holes, were the obvious highlight, Trish was especially pleased she did not get ahead of herself during her best-ever round of golf, and scored points on each of the 18 holes.
MONEY BACK: When an early-afternoon electrical storm hit Buderim on Wednesday and forced players from the course, club management had no other option but to suspend the morning Medley Fourball Best Ball competition and refund all players their competition fee. And an afternoon player also ‘reimbursed’ some of his fee was event sponsor Adam Robins of AR Coastal Scaffolding. When one of his invited guests withdrew on the morning of the competition, Adam was teamed in the Fourball with two mates from Beerwah Golf Club – Matthew Harding and Nathan Wilson. Mathew and Adam scored 45 points and finished fifth in the event winning $20 each, and Nathan and Adam scored 43 points for $5 in the rundown. Adam – with 37 points and nine three-point holes on his card – was the major contributor in both teams, and although his $25 return was well shy of the fee he stumped up for the sponsorship, it created jovial discussion at post-game sponsor drinks.
RIP GORDON PFEIFFER: One of Headland’s oldest members, 95-year-old Gordon Pfeiffer, has passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. Gordon, a corporate executive with Chrysler International when he retired to the Sunshine Coast in 1993, joined Headland in April of the same year. He remained a full playing member until October last year, when he changed to social membership. A private Celebration of Life will be held next Saturday (March 19), and close friends of Gordon are requested to contact his daughter, Debbie, on 0407 008 931 if they wish to attend the gathering. The Pfeiffer family will be meeting for dinner at Headland on Friday night, and friends of Gordon are invited to share a farewell drink from 6pm.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (44 players) – Trish Arden (39), Pik Chong (37), Julie Lewis (36); Men (70 players) – Dylan Fennell (39), Bob Trevor (38), Dave Sims (37).
Wednesday, Medley Fourball Best Ball Stableford – sponsor AR Coastal Scaffolding – Adam Robbins (104 players) – Ben Laycock and Daniel Crabtree (49 points), Paul Henricks and Jim Aspinwall (47), John Harris and Jon Welch (45), Barry Newton and Tony Pattinson (45), Matthew Harding and Adam Robins (45).
Thursday, Single Stableford, Women – sponsor Skirt Sports Australia Pty Ltd – Narelle Hollowood (89 players) – A Grade, Karen Wilson (39 points), Lisa Ramen (38), Colleen Berger (37); B Grade, Narelle Hollowood (37), Lynn Forbes (33), Sue Briffa (33); C Grade, Brook Wildin (38), Joy Logan (33), Jan Langdon (31). Men (80 players) – Brad Williams (39), Peter Wood (38), Geoff Sawyer (37).
Saturday, Single Stableford – sponsor R2G Communications – Bryan Haggarty – (competition suspended because of condition of the course)
Sunday, Medley Single Stableford – (75 players) – James Daniel (40 points), Reilly Moffatt (38), Andrew Ebb (38).
