THE PAST week on The Island Golf Course at Nambucca Heads has seen a continuation of great fields and good scores from members and visitors.
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The big talk around the club is the removal of two iconic casuarina trees to the left of the 1st and 11th greens. Assessed to be dangerous by a consultant arborist, the board resolved to mitigate the safety risk to players by having them removed.
Our course Superintendent Greg Jager is most pleased with the result - as aside from the constant removal of fallen debris, the tree root systems were aggressive, invading the surrounding fairways and the greens themselves.
What a visual difference this has made, not to mention an easier approach to these greens - I know, as I found the left bunker on the 1st on Thursday.
Last Tuesday saw a Medley Single Stableford with 94 starters, and a warm welcome to a large contingent of Vets from Port Macquarie - some good players in this lot! Paul McTakett (15 handicap) visiting from Kiama and John Tracey (13) from Port Macquarie both top scored with 42 points in Division 1 (scratch to 16), with Paul winning on the countback.
In Division 2 (17 to 23), John McCollom (20) scored 39 points to win from Andrew Donovan (22) with 34 points. Donald Atkinson has been in the winners' circle a few times recently and kept the good form going with 36 points to win Division 3 (24 to 45) from Grant Smith (29) with 35 points.
Other sweet scores were carded by Aaron Loughland and Stephen Truelove 40 - great rounds, guys. Robert Pengilly (Port Macquarie) 38, Michael Mulvihill (Port Macquarie) 37, Phil Johnson (Port Macquarie) and Phil Dixon (Port Macquarie) 36 also shone. The ball comp went down to 33 points on countback.
Wednesday was the last Women's Single Stableford to qualify for the Top Ten Shootout, and 40 points were required to make it into the 10.
There was a field of 43 players taking advantage of the perfect conditions with Ann Antcliff from B Grade winning overall with 38 stableford points. Runner-up in B Grade was Sue Seymour with 37. A Grade was won by Lisa Urquhart on a countback from Helen Ferrero with 35 points.
Robyn Dyer won C Grade with 37 and runner-up was Deidre Byrne with 35 points. Ball run went to 32 stableford points.
Thursday saw another Medley Single Stableford with over 100 competitors enjoying the great spring weather, no doubt the good run on the fairways allowing for some more high scoring. In Division 1 (scratch to 18), Linne Street (16) and Stephen Truelove (8) both scored 39 points, Linne having the better back nine to win on countback.
Christopher Tinson (23) top scored for the day with 42 points to win Division 2 (19 to 24) from Paul McElhinney (19) with 41 points - a tough school, boys. We haven't seen Roy Louis (27) in the winners' circle for a while, and it's good to see him have a top round of 39 points to win Division 3 (25 to 45) from Leonard Daly (25) from Cromer with 36 points.
Other good scores were posted by David Ogilvy, William Mann and Gary Thurlow 38, and Rosemary West (Long Reef), Peter Fredericks and Leanne Welsh 36. In the ball comp you needed 32 on a countback, Peter Farrell collecting the last one.
Saturday was a Medley Single Stableford with a much reduced field of 38 playing in one division due to rain which threatened most of the day.
Geoffrey Poole (26) top scored with 41 points to win from Glen Crow (11) with 37 points on countback. Other good rounds were carded by Kim Michelson (Urunga), Talia Waaka and Stephen Carr 37, and Edward Penrose 36. Balls went down to 34 on countback.
Sunday saw The Nambucca Men's Open sponsored by Kempsey Haval - deferred from earlier in the year due to COVID issues. Competing events at other clubs and a threatening rain event kept numbers down to 46 players.
Backing up from a huge 43 points the previous weekend, Dennis Ashton (19) continued some amazing form to card nett 63 to win from Keith Elphick (25) with nett 64, and Bruce Berry (4) nett 66.
Other good scores were returned by Brian Ussher 67, and Steve Doherty, Rodney Ford and Leslie Mohr all 68. David Bagust (Port Macquarie) won the scratch with 72. A big thank you to Kempsey Haval for sponsoring the event.
This week's golf has Medley Single Stableford events on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Thursday's event is the Open Dolphin Day, with a specially embroidered shirt for the overall winner. Our featured sponsor of the week is Nambucca Heads RSL Club. The ladies play a 4BBB Irish Stableford on Wednesday, and a nine hole Chook Run is on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Island Sunday is back - an Open 4BBB Mixed Stableford.
See you on The Island.