Golf - Thursday 26th June 2008

Today was a good practice day for our golf holiday coming up this September when we play the famous Barnbougle course in Tasmania (twice). The wind was blowing at knotts all day & it is the first day for a long time that I have kept on all my layers of protective wind shields all day. The wind was unrelenting.

Incidently there are still some spots for anyone interested in the Tasmania Tour in September.

See me for details.

My playing partners today were Cheryl Davison (my playing partner in the 2-ball), Allison Guthrie and Susan (Jenny) Bourne. We struggled with the elements but managed to have some good highlights & they were great company.

The event of the day was a single stableford with a 2-BBB team (best of two scores) for a bit of fun. This was the last game for the ladies this financial year. As there were some ladies not rejoining for the following financial year we had a BBQ lunch after the game to farewell them.

There were various reasons for the changes & we wish all of those players well in the future & hope they come back to Gosford for our visitors and social days and may eventually return again to Gosford.

I had the pleasure of sitting with two of our very long standing members at our BBQ who are retiring after many years of golf and much of that with the Gosford Club. One was Wyn Hogan (in her 85th year) who played today in all that wild wind. The other is Pat Wilkinson who is also retiring today. We chatted about the years they had spent playing golf on all the courses around Australia and overseas. Wyn told me that she tried to count up all the courses that she has played over the years and lost count at 80 something. Both Wyn & Pat said they spent many hours practicing their chipping at home over the years to the frustration of their husbands. Pat said her husband put up a "please fill in your divots" sign on their lawn. I can only hope and dream that I will still be at the club at age 85 & regretting that the time has come to pack away the golf clubs. They are players that are such an inspiration to all of us and will be sorely missed.

We had 48 brave players today & I have to say that as uncomfortable as the wild wind was, it was doing a super job in drying up the course. There are still some muddy patches & a lot of machinery & tyre damage on the fairways. It was still a big improvement from Tuesday and the previous week.

RESULTS:

DIVISION ONE:

WINNER: Sue Suters - 38 points

RUNNER UP: Sheena Asken - 33 points on a countback

3RD: Jan Martin - 33 points on a countback.

DIVISION TWO:

WINNER: Margaret Nichols - 34 points

RUNNER UP: Lynn Puiatti - 32 points

2BBB TEAM WINNERS: Lynn Puiatti & Norma Cubis - 42 points.

NEAREST THE PINS:

Division One - 14th Hole: Ronda Jordon

Division Two - 14th Hole: Carmen Fitzgerald

CCR: 73 (36 points)

Highlights of the day as reported to me (not too many as we were too busy chatting at the BBQ)

Susan (Jenny) Bourne had a 3/4 on the 8th; Cheryl Davison had 3/3 on the 8th; Allison Guthrie had a 5/3 on the 3rd; my highlight was 4/3 on the 16th; Wyn Hogan on the 11th - after hitting her ball straight towards the workmen on the side of the fairway - was totally unfazed and did a beautiful chip onto the green just to show them that she still 'had it' - Good on you Wyn! We are going to miss you.

Images attached: With my playing partners today - Cheryl Davison, Allison Guthrie & Susan (Jenny) Bourne; trees on the course being twisted & blown by the fierce winds; Peter Martin on the 'rough' mower -( the F-Troop workers roster themselves on to take a turn on the mower to keep our rough under control - Thanks guys!); Wyn Hogan and Pat Wilkinson at today's BBQ;

Wyn Hogan, Cheryl Davison, Pat Wilkinson, Val Scott & myself enjoying a wine & a chat at the BBQ (Jenny Bourne in the background); the girls on duty at the BBQ - run by Di Beechey, Anne Burgess and Judy Hughes (our in house BBQ experts); the girls enjoying the BBQ facility area;

the replacement frog in the water feature ( I cannot believe that someone could be so miserable as to have stolen our other frog - pitiful person); Sue Suters - winner of todays event; Yours truly & trophy with Di Beechey ( came in 3rd but got in the photos anyway ); Norma Cubis & Lynn Puiatti - winners of the 2BBB event today.

As an aside from the Ladies golf - it came to my attention this week that some of our male members achieved some great scores yesterday.

A-Grade - Tony Starbuck scored 44 points off a handicap of 3 ( 5 under par)

B-Grade - John Castronova scored 41 points off a handicap of 18

C-Grade - Duncan Dyer scored 46 points off a handicap of 20 (his best game ever I understand)

Congratulations! Great scores guys!

Golf - Tuesday 24th June 2008

Thank goodness we had some sunshine today & the course is showing signs of drying up although it was hard work today pushing through all that mud & the results today reflect that.

My team members were Yvonne Cumming and Shirley Daly & we had a great fun day out there battling the elements. We had many opportunities to get some plus scores today & that vital putt just seemed to slip by the hole. We finished with plus 4 so it was not all bad & the company was good.

The event of the day was a team 3BBB versus PAR. We had 89 starters with visitors from Woolaware and Russel Vale.

RESULTS:

WINNERS: Lyn Bates, Yvonne Bean & Anne Geer - Plus 8

RUNNERS UP: Rosalie Dyer, June Bowen & Carmen Fitzgerald - Plus 7 on a count back.

3RD: Hayley Krahe, Chris Dekker & Robyn Krahe - Plus 7 on a count back

3BBB QUALIFIERS

WINNERS: Rosalie Dyer, June Bowen and Carmen Fitzgerald - Plus 7 on a count back

RUNNERS UP: Robyn Krahe, Chris Dekker and Hayley Krahe - Plus 7 on a countback

3RD: Lorraine Linnert, Norma Cubis and Lyn Cruickshanks - Plus 7 on a countback

NEAREST THE PINS:

8TH: Division one : Yvonne Bean, Division 2: W. Heapy (woolaware)Division 3 : not won

14TH: Division one: Sheena Asken, Division 2 : Marianne Lanham, Division 3: June Bowen

BALLS : went to plus 7 on a countback.

Highlights if the day as reported to me: Kath Small had a birdie on 16, Sheena Asken chipped out of the bunker on the 6th to score a plus; Rhonda Robertson was under pressure from her team & parred 17 and 18 under instructions. I understand Rhonda's shoulders were quite heavy from carrying her team today.

Images attached: With my playing partners today Yvonne Cumming and Shirley Daly; Marianne Lanham, Lesley Gregory and Sue Hutton on the first tee; Sue Hutton with her new cute "Bunny" club cover (we all want one); happy birdlife at the 13th dam; Debbie Grinham & T-Shirt that only Debbie would wear (only click to enlarge this photo if you are broadminded), June Bowen, Carmen Fitzgerald & Rosalie Dyer - Runners up of the daily event & winners of the 3BBB qualifiying round; our pennants team trophies proudly displayed at todays presentation - Congratulations to all our pennants players - a great result.

F-Troop Monday 23rd June 2008

After all the rain of the last week the course was too wet for heavy equipment so the F-Troopers put their time to good use in fixing broken fences, removing dead trees & fixing watering systems etc. New stairs have been installed at the putting green donated by Ron Puiatti.

Some new plants donated by Rosalie & Duncan Dyer were put into the shade garden on the 2nd & some serious weeding was done on the native garden on the 6th in preparation of getting new mulch laid and some garden edges put in place.

Images attached: Work in progress at the native garden on the 6th, Second flowering of the Camelias at the bush toilets, happy plants on the 2nd showing their second flowering since they have been planted, new plants on the 2nd.

Golf - Tuesday 10th June 2008

What a week of rain! As we are all aware there was not a lot of golf played in this last week with the course being closed most days.

The course is again very heavy & it was quite a challenge to be out there as you can see by the scores. We had all four seasons today with a lot of water lying underfoot as well. We spent most of the day trying to avoid hitting into puddles.

Unfortunately my partner Rosemary Cohen & I did not put it together as well as we had last week but we did bring home the 18 hole nett runners up Julie Hazzard and Margaret Mackie.

The event of the day was the Foursomes Championships carried over from the washout last Tuesday with a small stableford event for the girls not involved in the foursomes.

SINGLE STABLEFORD RESULTS:

There were 18 starters.

Winner: Jackie Davidson - 33 points

Runner Up: Margaret McLachlan - 32 points

Balls went to 28.

CCR: 36 PAR 73

FOURSOMES CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS:

DIVISION 1:

CHAMPIONS: Robyn Krahe and Lyn Douglas - 183

RUNNERS UP: Vicki Foster and Rhonda Robertson - 192 on a countback

36 HOLE NETT WINNERS: Norma Cubis & Lyn Cruickshanks - 151

36 HOLE NETT RUNNERS UP: Vicky Foster & Rhonda Robertson - 154 -on a countback

18 HOLE NETT AM WINNERS: Chris Dekker and Bev Adams - 75

18 HOLE NETT AM RUNNERS UP: Kath Payn & Sue Scobie - 77

18 HOLE NETT PM WINNERS: Robyn Krahe & Lyn Douglas - 76 1/2

18 HOLE NETT PM RUNNERS UP: Marianne Lanham and Sue Hutton - 78

DIVISION 2:

CHAMPIONS: Norma Presdee and Elizabeth McNamara - 106

RUNNERS UP: Lynn Puiatti and Judy Verlander - 108

18 HOLE NETT WINNERS: Norma Presdee and Elizabeth McNamara - 80 on a countback

18 HOLE NETT RUNNERS UP: Julie Hazzard and Margaret Mackie - 80

9 HOLE NETT OUT WINNERS: Lynn Puiatti and Judy Verlander - 41

9 HOLE NETT IN WINNERS: Leanne Moore and Helen Stuart - 37 1/2

Highlights of the day as reported to me : Barbara Stratford had a very happy birthday today; Mary Bromwich had a very steady day playing well overall; Julie Hazzard had a gobbler on the 2nd and putted really well on the first 9 holes; Rosemary Cohen had a lovely 30 foot putt on the 15th; Norma Cubis & Lyn Cruickshanks had a birdie on the 5th and parred the 6th; Jan Fitzgerald was very happy with her long putt on the 10th; Norma Presdee had a gobbler on the 15th; Dorris Morris & Margaret Davidson were very happy with the 12th as were Pricilla Webster and Joyce Bosley on the 14th; My highlight was a 30 foot putt into the hole on the 13th.

Images attached: With my playing partner Rosemary Cohen on the first; part of the course during the day that was just mud and slush; scoreboards with today's results ( to better read them you can click on the image to enlarge - then click on your "back" key to return to this page; Helen Stuart & Leanne Moore - winners of the 9 hole nett; Judy Verlander & Lynn Puiatti Runners Up of the Division 2 Championships and winners of the 9 hole nett out; Margaret Mackie and Julie Hazzard - Runners Up of the Division 2 of the 18 hole nett; Norma Presdee and Elizabeth McNamara - Division 2 Champions and the 18 hole nett winners; Robyn Krahe and Lyn Douglas - Division 1 Champions and the 18 hole nett PM winners.

Golf - Tuesday 3rd June 2008

We all started off the day as bright & cheerful people ready for our big day at the Foursomes Championships - 36 holes for Division 1 and 27 holes for Division 2. We finished up with a "not happy Jan" situation when heavy rain devastated our greens and made them unplayable.

I have never been so wet playing golf. I had all the wet weather gear on the ready but that was not enough to stop us getting soaked to the skin. My foursomes partner Rosemary Cohen & I were not doing too badly - so it would have been good to have finished our 18 holes. Better luck next week!

Division 1 managed to get in their first 18 holes before the big wash out so their scores will stand for next Tuesday when they will complete their final 18 holes.

Division 2 were not so lucky as all the groups did not get 9 holes completed so today's results are null and void. We will play another 18 holes next Tuesday in lieu of today's effort - same time - same station. Loreal Day will be held on another day.

Images attached: With my playing partners today Beulah Cant, Rosemary Cohen and Berri Hanley; Elizabeth MacNamara, Lynn Puiatti, Norma Presdee & Judy Verlander at the 12th - at that point still smiling; newly furbished garden at the back of the 5th green; the 17th green just about under water; dismal view from the clubhouse after play.

F-Troop - Monday 2nd June 2008

A lot of our best intentions were washed out today however the troopers did achieve some good work before the rain set in. Clearing drains to direct the excess water in the right direction , dismanteling an old shed that was too old to repair, trimming of trees to allow sunshine onto grassed areas, put up the staghorn (donated by Duncan Dyer) for me on the 2nd which was very helpful, repairing & adding to the watering system at the putting practice green gardens. I am happy to say that the hydranga cuttings are looking happy at the moment.

I spent some time adding to the shade garden on the second - some more "wild violets" along the edge; planted out some donated Kangaroo Paws and some native trees on the 6th native garden that were donated to us by Ross Drakeford. All of Ross' plants are gradually finding a home - it is a case of one step at a time. The native garden on the 6th is my next target.

Images attached: Additions to the native garden on the 6th; new staghorn on the 2nd; additions to the shade garden on the 2nd.