The Bowraville Golf Club is quickly proving that size doesn’t matter.
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The club’s ladies pennant team has again been named as grand champions in the annual tournament of the Mid North Coast Ladies Golf Pennant Association —an association which has been going strong since the 1930s.
The tiny team has now won back-to-back titles and its members say they owe their success to a strong group cohesion.
There’s a lot more to it than golf—it’s comradeship.
- Moira Welch
The Bowraville Golf Club has been struggling to attract new female members, with the current pennant team now playing together for around five years.
“We’re a small, struggling club, but with a big heart,” team member Kerrie Jackson said.
“I keep trying to find players so I can retire, but none will come so I’ll keep on playing,” Moira, who has been playing pennants for over 50 years, said.
While many of the other seven teams in the competition boast up to a dozen team members, the Bowraville ladies pennant team is made up of seven talented golfers: Moira Welch, Evelyn Usher, Kerrie Jackson, Mary Ann Perry, Wendy Welch, Flo Flood and Jane Ackland.
Each month on a Thursday the team plays off against another at a different course; there are usually five players per team, per match, who pair off and play a full round against one another.
At the end of the round, the team with the most winning members out of the five adversarial pairings is given the win.
With only two in reserve, and a few players with day jobs, the win is a testament to the commitment of the Bowraville golfers.
And this year the Bowra ladies were undefeated across all of their matches.
And they’re looking forward to coming back to defend their title next year.
“Golfing is a disease,” Moira said, adding that she plays three days per week.
“It’s a good sport because it keeps your mind active and ticking over.
“And the pennant is a very good competition—where would you be without it?
“It’s really more of a support network.”