Although coming of a cold and wet week, the weather eased and the golf got hot. A good field of 76 turned out for the JP Malone Diggers Day Ambrose event. The winning team with a nett 55 was Arthur Nilsson, Michael Thomas, Mark Warby and John Renwick.
For a full breakdown of today’s match click here:
Next time you play at Leongatha Golf Course you will see that nine of the greens have a red ball on the flag stick. These are of course pin markers, and they have been installed for a trial period to determine if they aid in improving the pace of play.
How will they achieve that you may ask?.
I give you this situation as an example.
I have ended up on the right hand side of the 17th fairway, 15 metres from the bunker after two or three shots depending how I got off the tee. Most players would have been here at one time or another. This is what I see.
My next shot is a chip over the bunker. Because I am lower than the green I can’t determine where the pin is located. To do that I need to walk the 25 metres up onto the green so I can see and pin and visualise my shot. Then I walk back, prepare for my shot and then execute the chip..probably into the bunker with my latest form.
That process may have taken a couple of minutes or so, not a lot of time lost you might think but multiply it by 4 or 5 other holes and they all add up. Now instal a pin marker. This is what I see.
But what does the pin marker tell me. To be of use, you need to know that on average each of the greens at Leongatha Golf Course is about 21 metres in length, front to back.
If we place the pin marker at the top of the flag stick it indicates the pin is located in the back third of the green. In other words in this case the pin is between 14 -21 metres from the front of the green.
Now without walking up to look I can confidently prepare to put in a 35 metre chip from where I am and if executed properly I should be within a putt or two. I’ve saved that walk and a minute or two and maybe even a putt.
If the red pin marker had been midway up the flag stick, I would know that the pin is located in the middle 7 metres of the green, and if the pin marker was on the lower third of the flag stick, the pin would have been located within the front 7 metres of the green.
The red pin marker is on bottom third of the flag stick, the pin is located within the front 7 metres of the green.
We have installed the pin markers on the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th and 9th holes on the front nine as well as on the 10th, 11th, 12th, and 17th on the back nine.
There are many opinions as to the whether such pin markers will make any difference to the actual pace of play.
As for me, like lots of other members approaching most greens from within 100 metres, I often have difficulty determining where the actual pin is placed on these holes. I know this new clarity will help me to prepare my shot, whether I have the skill to take advantage of it, is another matter.
Any feedback on the value or otherwise of the pin markers will be greatly appreciated and can be directed to either of the Golf Committee’s.
I look forward to your candid views on the pin markers.
Andy Bassett
Men’s Captain.
86 players bid our friend and great club man, John King, farewell today. Our best wishes to John and our thanks to him for his contribution to the club.
Today’s winners with 45 points were Josh Hall and Michael Thomas. A stunning 30 of the stick on the back nine helped them beat Peter Hartigan and Trevor Moss on a countback.
John Dumont and Alan Kuhne took out 3rd prize with 44 points.
Todays event sponsored by Alison Strong. Winners today were Lianne Adamson and Elise Gedye with 43 points C/B. Runners Up were Loris Clark and Sue Bowler with 43 points.
Tuesday the 18th of April was the final round of the Tuesday Championship. With the best two stableford scores of three rounds counting towards the final score.
After the second round the top 4 scores were:
| Surname | FirstName | Score | Score | Score | Played | |
| McDONALD | GEOFFREY | 33 | 36 | 69 | 2 | 1st |
| GRACE | TERRY | 36 | 32 | 68 | 2 | 2nd |
| McRITCHIE | GRANT | 34 | 33 | 67 | 2 | |
| VORWERG | DAVID | 32 | 35 | 67 | 2 |
But Today, the third Tuedsay, three players hit 39 points and the mix was bound to change.
Unfortunately for Geoff, he didn’t improve on his current scores and had a nervous wait to see if anyone bettered his score.
Best previous rounds were scored by Joe Lowell and Andy Bassett with 39 points, and both were in the box seat to come from behind on such a great day for golf.
Joe rounded off today with a 30 as his second best round leaving him short of Geoff’s mark, and I struggled today with 12 points on the front after starting on the 18th. I came home well and had scored 20 points on the back 8 holes leading onto the last being the 17th. After a strong drive on the final 17th hole I could see a ray of sunshine and that Championship title within reach after the tragedy on the front nine.
The hand of fate then reached out and slapped me as my second shot clipped those trees on the left of the 17th leaving me short of the green, I cruelled my chip and after putting above the hole, paid the penalty by having my final putt run past the hole for a wipe.
But I new 32 was enough to inch past Geoff’s old score. It was just a matter of waiting for all the cards to fall now.
The cards came in, Norm Hughes had a great 39 points but was only backed up by a 27 which left him short of the title. My playing partner Nathan Wardle crafted a lovely 39 also with a big back nine to take the $1.00, also only had a 29 to add to his score which left him short, and with only three cards to come in, I was looking good again with that nett total of 71.
The last card in was another great 39 from Denis Wallace, our Division 5 Pennant Captain and all round Mr Consistency. I checked his other two rounds and saw he had a 31, which I had covered, but his first round was a 33, giving Denis the title of Tuesday Champion for 2017 with a total of 72.
Congratulations again to Denis for a well earned come from behind title.
That’s the best part of this Championship, it’s never over till it’s over.
The other great feature of this event was to see Wendy Anne Parker finish strongly with a 35 finishing equal third. Let’s hope Wendy’s outcome encourages more Women to join in next year.
| Surname | FirstName | Score | Score | Score | Score | Played |
| WALLACE | DENIS | 33 | 31 | 39 | 72 | 3 |
| BASSETT | ANDY | 39 | 32 | 71 | 2 | |
| LOWELL | JOE | 23 | 39 | 30 | 69 | 3 |
| McDONALD | GEOFFREY | 33 | 36 | 33 | 69 | 3 |
| PARKER | Wendy Anne | 34 | 29 | 35 | 69 | 3 |
| CLEMANN | DOUG | 34 | 29 | 34 | 68 | 3 |
| GRACE | TERRY | 36 | 32 | 68 | 2 | |
| WARDLE | Nathan | 29 | 39 | 68 | 2 | |
| McRITCHIE | GRANT | 34 | 33 | 30 | 67 | 3 |
| SCHACHE | ALLAN | 31 | 36 | 67 | 2 | |
| VORWERG | DAVID | 32 | 35 | 67 | 2 |
Winner of the Tuesday Championship Denis Wallace with Runner Up Andy Bassett.
Andy Bassett
Men’s Captain.
Some hot scores on a beautiful day.
Three players excelled with 39 points, with Nathan Wardle winning the day’s event on a countback from an unlucky Norm Hughes and B grade winner Denis Wallace.
Allan Schache continued his good run with 36 points to win C grade.
There were a total of 23 players today. We had visitors from Latrobe, Amstel, Northern, Heidelberg, Nelson Bay and Bewick Montuna Golf Clubs. A Grade winner was Dot Stubbs with 34 pts and B Grade winner was Marg Griffiths with 35 pts.
A drizzly start gave way to a brilliant afternoon for the 22 golfers who played Stableford today. Mark O’Dwyer took the honours with 40 points on countback from the unlucky Matt Bowey.
On a very enjoyable day for golf the Best Round of the Day was played by Gerard Mooney with 43 points. The sharp shooter of the day was Tony Gedye taking both nearest the pins.
For a full wrap up click here;
With two rounds completed of the Men’s Tuesday Plate, and 88 players having played across the last two Tuesday’s, things are hotting up with Geoff McDonald clinging onto a one stroke lead with a Best Two Round total of 69 points.
Following closely behind is Terry Grace with 68 points and then a gaggle of other players within striking distance.
With the format being Best two Rounds of Three, this event always goes down to the wire on the last round, which is next Tuesday 16th April. There are at least 64 players who could slip past Geoff’s current score should any one of them shoot the best score of the two rounds so far, which has been a very handy 39 points.
With 45 players having put in only one score in the first two rounds, I am expecting it will be a full field next Tuesday to have a go at the title. 26 degree’s and sunny I hear, what a day for golf.
Beware the sleepers!
The top ten scores so far are:
| Surname | FirstName | Score | Score | Score |
| McDONALD | GEOFFREY | 33 | 36 | 69 |
| GRACE | TERRY | 36 | 32 | 68 |
| McRITCHIE | GRANT | 34 | 33 | 67 |
| VORWERG | DAVID | 32 | 35 | 67 |
| HUTTON | BRUCE | 31 | 34 | 65 |
| HORMAN | PETER | 29 | 35 | 64 |
| WALLACE | DENIS | 33 | 31 | 64 |
| CLEMANN | DOUG | 34 | 29 | 63 |
| SMITH | JON R | 33 | 30 | 63 |
| WALSH | PETER | 34 | 29 | 63 |
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