From Tony Durkin
JOY OF PAR: Seven-handicapper Ian Michel has tasted much success in sport, but doubts he has felt a greater thrill than shooting par to win Wednesday’s A Grade Single Par. A Headland member for almost four decades, as a schoolboy Ian represented Queensland in cricket, rugby union and AFL, has played Pennant tennis and been a surfer for more than 30 years, yet scoring seven better than his handicap (plus7) on Wednesday with four birdies and four bogeys on his card, was a massive thrill. “It has possibly been as long as four years since I last won, and that’s the first time I have parred the course in a competition round,” the 66-year-old revealed. Ian hit 12 fairways and 11 greens, birdied three successive holes on the front nine on his way to a one-under 35, and said he seemed to ‘have the feel’ during his standout round. Club President Jon Welch (plus 4) won B Grade and Brendan Richardson (plus 5) won C Grade.
HOME FORM: Once a two-handicapper at Headland, Ciaran Fenton has had to return to his native New Zealand to help recapture his best form. The ‘proud’ leftie won Saturday’s A Grade Single Stableford with 42 points, his best score since ‘I honestly can’t remember’. Family commitments have restricted the new dad to just three rounds a month of late, but a recent trip to New Zealand with 11 Headland mates enabled him to find his game. “We played Millbrook, Jack’s Point, Arrow Town and Queenstown GC, and out of the blue I found my swing again,” beamed Ciaran, who shot two-over 74 from his handicap of eight, with six bogeys and four birdies on his card. Ciaran – with an impressive two-under 34 front nine – beat recent retiree Jack Pyke (41), while Graeme Brown (40) won B Grade and Drew Grant (41) headed the C Grade field.
NURSED VICTORY: Fresh from retiring from a 46-year nursing career, Maria Hireme celebrated on Thursday with her second-best result of the year. Playing off 25, Maria’s round of 94 included a disastrous eight at the par-five 13th, but she was still able to card 40 points, return the top score of the day and win B Grade. It was her best round since she was runner-up in the February Monthly Medal, with an impressive eight three-point holes on her victorious card. A SWING graduate from 2013, Maria has nursed in both her native New Zealand and Australia, but last month joined an agency and will now work, and play golf, when ‘I feel like it’. Trish Howe (38) won A Grade, Julie O’Neill (40) won C Grade, and combined with Ellen Bloxsome for victory in the associated Fourball event.
DOLPHIN WIN: Former Redcliffe Golf Club member and Southern Cross College teacher, Terry Grogan, has celebrated his NRL teams’ brilliant 2023 NRL debut with victory in Sunday’s Medley Single Stroke. But while the NRL Dolphins have cruised to successive victories, Terry won despite again finding strife at his nemesis hole – the par-four 12th. “Since I had a 12 on that hole early in my decade-long Headland membership, I have continued to suffer there,” bemoaned Terry, whose only blemish on his winning card was a double-bogey at 12. His nett 70, from his equal-best Headland round of 79, was otherwise ‘very steady’, with 12 pars and five bogeys. Five-time Club Champion Dave Rattray (scratch) parred the course for a nett 72, while Garry Marr was runner-up, with nett 71.
YO-YO GOLF: Although her short game has improved, 2021 D Grade Match Play Champion Rhonda Parry says she continues to play ‘yo-yo’ golf. “I’m up and down – there is no genuine reliability to my game,” said Rhonda, who scored her first victory in just on 12 months when she had 39 points in Monday’s Vets event, to win B Grade. “I’ve been watching some tips on Instagram which I think may helped my chipping, but I’m struggling to be consistent.” Even her 39-point card on Monday contained two wipes, something which annoys her terribly. “But I still love the game,” said Rhonda, who revealed she has not played much golf since before Christmas.
SIMON SHINES: Until Thursday, Sports Physio Simon Burley had not played a competition round at Headland since the early days of Covid when members played only in pairs. But a change from his hands-on role to more management and mentoring has given the 13-year member a window of opportunity to play regularly on Thursdays, and he has made the most of his first outing. Playing off 22, Simon scored an impressive 42 points with two four-point pars – one at the difficult 15th – and seven three pointers on his card. “I played well – it surprised me,” said Simon, who revealed he has been playing regular social nine holes on Mondays and Thursday, often ‘taking the money’.
FIRST WIN: So confident was Mick Prince that his wife Deb would take up golf, he bought her a set of clubs – and put them under the Christmas tree – a couple of years before she joined Headland’s SWING program in 2019. And Mick’s strategy came to full fruition on Tuesday when Deb won her first event as a Headland member, scoring 38 points in Tuesday’s Single Stableford for Women. “Having played tennis at a competitive level, I didn’t want to become serious again at another sport, so initially took things slowly. But golf is certainly a challenge, and I am now trying to play twice a week with a practise round as well some weeks,” she said. Playing off a 36 handicap, Deb scored 21 points on the back nine and penned a four-point par at the 11th and four three-point holes on her winning card.
NERVOUS NEV: He is 73 years-old and has been playing golf for just on four decades, but Nev Kenzler admits to feeling some angst when completing his Vets’ round on Monday. “Yep, even at my age I still get nervous finishing off a good round,” said Nev who scored 41 points to win the A Grade Men’s Single Stableford. “It was a shotgun start, and we finished at the par-three fifth. I didn’t make the green, but was able to chip on and sink a seven-metre putt.” The retired banker, who played golf at Brisbane’s Pacific and Ashgrove clubs before joining Headland in 2017, had two birdies, 10 pars and five bogeys on a card which – regrettably – also revealed a wipe at the 11th after the gap between the trees was not as wide as Nev first assumed. It was his second win in his two Vets events this year. John Wehlow (39) won B Grade and Jack Williams (37) won C Grade.
NOT SPECIAL: She may have won $55 from two consistent rounds during the week, but Colleen Berger described her golf as ‘nothing special’. Colleen (handicap 13) won Saturday’s Single Stableford for Women with 35 points after finishing third in A Grade in Thursday’s Single Stableford, with 36 points. And while her scores may not have been anything out of the ordinary, her consistency was uncanny. On Thursday Colleen penned six pars, 11 bogeys and a double on her card of 86, while on Saturday five pars, 12 bogeys and a double accounted for her 87 strokes. “I hate those doubles,” she quipped.
MORE MONEY: He’s not about to give up his three-day-a-week job as Pizza Chef at Bocca Italian Restaurant, Bokarina, but Alnon Paggabao has certainly discovered a means of augmenting his income. In three successive rounds at Headland, 33-year-old Alnon has added $205 to his House Account, with the latest $75 coming on Tuesday when he scored 40 points to win the Men’s Single Stableford event. The previous week, in just his fourth and fifth rounds as a Headland member, Alnon pocketed a total of $130 from two wins and a second, as well as securing the March Monthly Medal in C Grade. Playing from a 30-handicap on Tuesday, his impressive card of one four-pointer and six three-point holes was scarred by a wipe at the 17th.
HENRYS DEPART: Long-time members Yvonne and John Henry have made the ‘heartbreak’ golfing decision to leave Headland, and return to Brisbane to be closer to family. The couple moved north almost two decades ago, joined Headland, and have rarely missed their two-day-a-week golfing assignment, with Yvonne having played an important role on the Vets committee as well as fundraising for breast cancer. “We have made some great friendships, absolutely loved playing the course and thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie for which Headland is so well known,” said John. Apart from the golf, John said standout memories for him have been the generous member support a few years ago for spina bifida sufferer Cody Laskey, the willingness of staff to always help, and bar attendant, Jenene Nicholson, forbidding him to use Yvonne’s House Account. Both John and Yvonne will continue their golfing journey at Nudgee Golf Club.
BOB EQUALS: Ken Anderson’s skinny lead in Headland’s captivating ‘age shooter’ race has abated, with 78-year-old Bob Trevor carding a five-over 77 in Tuesday’s Single Stableford. Ken (82) and Bob, have been staging an absorbing battle of late in an unofficial contest to be the club’s best at the remarkable feat of either beating or equalling their age. Bob’s effort on Tuesday – a birdie, 11 pars and six bogeys for 36 points from his handicap of five – brings him equal with Ken on the 22 occasions the pair has achieved the milestone.
WEEKLY RESULTS:
Monday, Vets Single Stableford, Women (41 players) – A Grade, Robyn Boreham (38 points), Wendy Mosley (37), Susie Fenton (36); B Grade, Rhonda Parry (39), Jane Boaler (37), Leigh Derigo (35). Men (80 players) – A Grade, Nev Kenzler (41), Peter Leggo (39), Jeff Jones (38); B Grade, John Wehlow (39), Terrence Atkinson (36), Don Follent (36); C Grade, Jack Williams (37), Gordon O’Neill (36), Chris Byrnes (36).
Tuesday, Single Stableford, Women (42 players) – Deb Prince (38 points), Bev Barnes (38), Kym Mason (37). Men (70 players) – Alnon Paggabao (40), Ian Harper (39), Stephen Woolcott (36).
Wednesday, Medley Single Par (220 players) – A Grade, Ian Michel (plus 7), John Harris (+3), Jamie Hill (+2); B Grade, Jon Welch (+4), Scott Simpson (+4), David Hawes (+3); C Grade, Brendan Richardson (+5), Duncan Watts (+4), Ian Russell (+2).
Thursday, Women, Single Stableford (107 players) – sponsor, Narelle Hollowood, Skirtsports – A Grade, Trish Howe (38 points), Josie Ryan (36), Colleen Berger (36); B Grade, Maria Hireme (40), Trish Murphy (38), Sue Harris (35); C Grade, Julie O’Neill (40), Mary Gibberd (38), Sue Keays (38). Fourball Best Ball Stableford (107 players) – Julie O’Neill and Ellen Bloxsome (48 points).
Men, Single Stableford (95 players) – Simon Burley (42 points), Steve Eggins (41), Garry Holmes (41).
Saturday, Single Stableford, sponsor, Alex Dwyer, Dwyer Quality Homes – Women (18 players) – Colleen Berger (35 points), Sue Jones (34), Robyn Boreham (34).Men (160 players) – A Grade, Ciaran Fenton (42 points), Jack Pyke (41), Terry Ward (40); B Grade, Graeme Brown (40), Paul Morton (39), Max Pasterfield (39); C Grade, Drew Grant (41), Clive Glover (39), Matt Potter (37).
Juniors – Scoring Pin Achievement, 6 years, Kai Stewart; 7 years, Blake Rydwanski; 9 years, Dominic Manning; 10 years, Matthew Bothma.
Sunday, Medley Single Stroke (39 players) – Terry Grogan (70 nett), Garry Marr (71), Dave Rattray (72).
