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Saturday competition

Recently Colin and Wilma Saunders joined the growing number of Hill Top golfers using a golf cart to make their rounds of golf more pleasurable. The move proved instantly successful, Wilma winning the monthly medal on Wednesday and Colin winning the stroke competition on Saturday. Col’s round of 81-13-68 won A-grade and cost him a stroke off his handicap while Bruce Gross was runner-up with 79-10-69, and he also lost a handicap stroke. The best score for the day came from B-grade where Peter Collison had 85-18-67, with Jeff Baker runner-up with 69 on a countback. Bill Grimme and Jeff Huddle both lost handicap shots, but the news was not all bad with Anthony Devine (8-9) and Dave Roberts (10-11) gaining a bit of breathing space.

Laurie Nicholson won nearest the pin on the third hole (sponsored by Baird and Devine) and also won on the sixth (Bob Jane T-Mart), Peter Collison won on the ninth (Planright) and Alex Howson won on the 14th hole (Hunter Rural). Balls down-the-line went to Bob Hunter 69, Bill Grimme, Shane Thurston, Mick Mulcahy and Andrew Merritt 70, Paul Berg, Laurie Nicholson, Barry Dennis and Jeff Huddle 71. Joan Hill won the women’s competition with 87-18-69 despite double-bogeying the last two holes. Lyn Flett was runner-up with 70 and Jan Coe won NTP on the sixth hole and Joan Hill won on the ninth hole.

The final of the Summer Cup was played on Saturday and experience once again prevailed with consummate match-player Terry O’Brien defeating Clive Merrigan 4/2 despite having to concede 13 shots. Terry has won the club championship six times and has shown over and over that he has the temperament and the smarts to win these competitions and he adds this to his bag of major event wins.

Summer Pennant

On Sunday the Goulburn Valley District cut-throat semi-finals were played at Hill Top where our home team defeated Kyabram Parkland four matches to one. Valley View defeated Rushworth 3/2 in section one, while Shepparton defeated Merrigum 3/2 and Tallygaroopna defeated Kialla in section two.

In keeping with their form from the previous week, John Fanning and Jody Webber led Hill Top away and came home with a 4/3 win. Darryl Phillips and Clive Merrigan followed, Darryl relishing the fact he did not have to give away many shots and Clive posted a few amazing holes, winning 4/3. Laurie Nicholson and Peter Baird, trying to win the important number three position, were two down after 12 holes but then won three of the next five holes to win 2/1. Col Saunders and Merv Harvey were steady and in front all day and took their match 2-up. The number one combination of John Keller and Tim Nicholson just could not give the strokes to the Parkland pair playing the match of their lives and lost 2/1 after a great fightback, having been five down after 10 holes. Well done to the team and now the question comes back to captain Roberts about selection for the final against Valley View at Numurkah next Sunday. Will the winning semi-final team be left unchanged or will some of the other qualified players with positive ‘‘track records’’ this season get called up?

Midweek

Barry Dennis went back to his old driver on Tuesday and had immediate success, winning the stroke competition with 85-17-68 despite double-bogeying the last four holes and the usual taunts of handbraking. John Brian played a solid round to be runner-up with 69 and consolation golf balls went to Glen Pearce, Bruce Brown and Allan McGrath 71, John Mapson, Garry Russell and Kevin Richards 72.

There were the usual long faces when golfers on Thursday realised the competition was a par event, but Bill Moore waltzed blithely around to win with plus-5. Terry White was runner-up with plus-3 on countback from Ray Flett and consolation golf balls also went to Bob Wildes and Allan McGrath plus-2, Bruce Durston plus-1 and to Ron Popple who was square.

Unfortunately, the storm that hit Tatura about 4.30pm on Thursday wiped out the cross-country event scheduled by Twilight Golf and that will now be played this week.

WP

Shocker

Col and Wilma Saunders both had success in the first week of using their new golf cart, but Col was a bit shocked on Saturday when a ball hit by Murray Downs visitor Andrew Merrett, struck a tree above him and fell down onto the cart, eventually finishing behind the golf bags strapped onto the back. After ascertaining whether there was any damage to the new vehicle, Col inquired whether Andrew would like him to drive to the green before dropping the ball. But fair play prevailed and the ball was dropped there under the tree. Balls often find their way into golf bags and even golf buckets but seem quite reluctant to drop into the hole cut into the green.

By Foozle

Ladies golf

It was a great day for golf last Wednesday with 28 ladies taking part in the monthly medal stroke round. The A-grade winner was once again Jan Coe with net 74, from Sandy Harvey on 75. B-grade, and the medal, went to Wilma Saunders with a nice 70 from Roylyn Harris on 74, while C-grade was won by Mignon Campbell with 74 from Barb Johansen with 77.

Line balls: Sue Nihill 75, Kath Ryan and Marg McGurgan 76.

Nearest The Pins: Gallery Cafe’s 3rd — Kath Ryan, Tatura Hot Bread’s 6th — Marg McGurgan, Cafe a Roma’s 9th — Sue Pogue and Tatura Bakery and Lunches’ 14th — Kerryn Pickworth.

There were four nine-hole players and that competition was won by Kerryn Pickworth.

The handicapper took a shot off Wilma, down to 24, and one off Mignon, down to 33.

Today’s stableford event is sponsored by Stacey’s Massaging, and concludes the Mary Lally Summer Points and the Summer Eclectic.

By Duffer