Electrinet Park
To Jacko.
Electrinet Park pennants players will have the memory of Jack Glassford inspiring them when the 2023 Poverty Bay-East Coast men’s interclub Oligoi and Endeavour pennants series start on Saturday.
Jack died on April 5 (aged 77), ending a golfing era dating back to the early 1960s on the fairways of the now defunct Turanganui Golf Club.
He was, put simply, a top bloke. And he could play.
Golfing results over the past several decades regularly feature the impressive feats of the big firefighter who could pound the ball out a mighty distance, thanks to a combination of raw power and a gloriously full swing arc.
Sub-par rounds were nothing unusual in Jack’s heyday and his name adorns many a trophy and the club honours boards.
Among the most memorable, and perhaps a personal favourite, was the Te Kanawa Cup pairs way back in 1961, which he won playing alongside his father Mervyn, or Boo to most.
For decades, they were the only father-son combo to win it.
Jack won three intermediate club championships including 2000 when he played 73 holes of golf over three days, culminating in a 36th-hole victory against Bart Watene in the final.
Sadly Jack never got his hands on the senior crown. He went close — losing the 2011 final to Ben Fili (after Jack top qualified at the age of 65) and the 2014 final to Pete Cameron.
For a long time he thought he would never achieve golf’s perfect shot. That ended on July 22, 2012, when he aced the fifth hole at Park with a 9-iron — 50 years after he took up the game.
Jack retired from the fire service in May 2010 after 38 years and it was a combination of this and golf for which many here and out of town will fondly remember him.
He was heavily involved in organising sporting and social events in the fire service including the East Coast Fire Brigades Tournament which he ran for over 30 years.
In 2009, the NZ Fire Service Sports Council presented him with a bronze trophy acknowledging his contribution. “To say he is an asset to and an integral part of the life of the brigade here is an understatement,” the council said in its tribute.
Jack was a down-to-earth character, much loved and highly respected, as evidenced in the social media tributes, with one in particular summing up what many thought.
“One of the Park’s finest. A true gentleman.”
DANIEL Collier has a new nickname, which he has the chance to enhance in this weekend’s Handicap Cup finals — “The Principal”.
Collier faces his third consecutive teacher in the senior division of the cup.
He has already given Craig Christophers and Ian Loffler an education in matchplay.
And after his A+ performance in winning the twilight shootout final two weeks ago, Collier is out to deal fellow finalist Matt Henwood a similar lesson.
The intermediate final pits twilight shootout runner-up Shannon Toa against Shaun Pahina while Michael Bond faces Darrel Gregory for the junior honours.
The women’s final on Saturday features Kino White, fresh from winning the Tuesday veterans’ stableford, against Carolyn Carpendale.
WEDNESDAY — Women’s hidden partners combined net, winner: T Ford/J Foot.
Drawn two: K White.
TUEDAY — Veterans’ stableford: K White 39, W Brown 34, P Koorey 33, G Williams 32, E Parkin 32.
Twos: J White.
Poverty Bay
Faye Allen collected the silverware yesterday in the annual Viv Swann Salver net competition.
Allen shot 100-27-73 to finish two shots ahead of Janet Muir, with defending champion Gay Young third on 76.
Allen also won the bronze I division of the LGU and was named in the team for the national interclub teams’ competition.
The top four 18-hole players’ scores from the LGU make up Poverty Bay’s total for the national interclub.
Allen was first, followed by Muir, Young and Colleen Skuse (76).
“I hope you haven’t peaked too early,” Paul Rickard told Brad Morgan after his stableford-winning performance on Sunday.
Morgan who, in one of golf’s greatest shocks, combined with Rickard to win the Poverty Bay men’s foursomes in 2018, brought back memories of that famous day with his 75-10-65, for 43 points.
Rickard and Morgan will be joining forces once again this Sunday for the Tom Shaw Memorial 27-hole open pairs tournament.
Entries are still being taken.
The format is nine holes of best-ball, nine of Canadian foursomes and nine of ambrose.
Electrinet Park member Heath Tupara’s conversion from hockey player to golfer continues to progress.
The YMP stalwart cleaned up the field in the division 2 men’s stableford on Sunday with 87-23-64, for 44 points,
It led a Park-YMP-hockey-playing golfer 1-2, with Michael Bond second on 40 points.
WEDNESDAY — LGU 2, 9-holers: W Linton 60-28-32, V Meade 59-25-34.
Silver division: G Young 94-18-76.
Bronze I: F Allen 100-27-73.
Bronze II: V Fraser 112-34-78.
Viv Swann Salver net: F Allen 73.
Sunday — Men’s stableford, division 1: B Morgan 43, A Battistella 38, N Mackie 36, D Bullivant 35.
Division 2: H Tupara 44, M Bond 40, L Pollitt 39.
Approach: D Patumaka.
Thursday (April 6) — Men’s stableford, division 1: T Goldsmith 40, I Murphy 39, C Poole 37, A White 37.
Division 2: H Johanson 39, M Smith 38, J Pittar 37, H Williams 36, W Thompson 36.
Twos: A Abrahams, V Richardson.
Approach: T Goldsmith.
WEDNESDAY (April 5) — Nine-hole stableford, 9-holers: W Linton 18.
18-holers: M Lane 20.
Twos: S Spence.
Patutahi
Charlie Taylor was in career-best form on Sunday.
Taylor won the junior men’s stableford with an outstanding 77-16-61, for 45 points.
It was a winning welcome back from a working trip for club president Tony Green, who won the senior division with 75-11-64, for 42 points.
MONDAY — Men’s stableford, senior men: R Pardoe 40, J Brown 39, L Jamieson 35, S Pohatu 35, A Hindmarsh 35, C Beattie 34.
Women’s stableford: S Robertson 33.
Twos: R Moleta, D Russell, T Hindmarsh, H Harris.
SUNDAY — Men’s stableford, senior division: T Green 42, W MacLellan 38, P Summersby 35, L Anania 35.
Junior division: C Taylor 45, R Pardoe 35, C Kirkpatrick 34, D Skudder 34.
Women’s stableford: H Pomana..
Twos: S Long, A Hindmarsh, W MacLellan (eagle).
Waikohu
Percy Milner and Cheryl Te Rito went from also-rans to grand finalists in the Terry Rutene Memorial matchplay tournament at the weekend.
The pair contested the flight of the championship division last year, with Milner coming out on top.
On Sunday, the pair met again but this time in the championship final and Milner again emerged triumphant.
Ellan Wynard beat Kahu Tamanui in the Consolation final.
SUNDAY — Terry Rutene Memorial matchplay tournament, championship final: P Milner def C Te Rito.
Flight: T Ritchie def Valerie Grace.
Consolation final: E Wynyard def K Tamanui.
Flight: T Brown def S Ritchie.
9-hole stableford men: R Reeves 15, M Butler 15.
Women: J Broughton 19, Andrea Reeves 10.
COMING UP: SUNDAY, club competition.
Mahia
Lil Morgan fended off Paipan Denigan on countback to win the women’s bisque bogey last Thursday.
Both players finished on +5.
Bruce Maher’s 40 points made him a clearcut winner of the stableford on Sunday.
Sunday — Stableford: B Maher 40, D Waihaki 37, B Cooper 36, R Bremner 35, D Bremner 34, G Hornblow 34, N Maher 34.
THURSDAY (April 6) — Women’s bisque bogey: L Morgan +5, P Denigan +5, V Kyle +2, S Adams sq, L Steel sq, E Westwood sq.
COMING UP: SATURDAY, April 29, Mahia Ladies Open Day, morning tea and registration 9.15am to 9.45am, tee-off 10am, 18-hole and 9-hole sections, net, gross and stableford, twos, novelties and light meal, contact Renee Hiko on Facebook or Maraea at 0272292342.
Tolaga Bay
Tim Adamson warmed up for the first round of the Endeavour men’s interclub pennants with victory in the Sunday stableford.
Adamson’s 75-8-67, for 37 points, suggest he will be a tough opponent in the opening round being hosted by Tolaga Bay.
SUNDAY — Stableford: T Adamson 37, Tere Lincoln 36 from B Sidney.
Team for first round of Endeavour men’s interclub pennants: Will Yates, Tim Adamson, Trent Higgs, Murray Yates, Watene Reedy, Pete Stevenson.
Team for first round of Oligoi Jug men’s interclub pennants: Taine Lincoln, Neil Hansen, Bruce Yates, Tere Lincoln.
Patricia Corson was ever-present in results from Friday to Thursday.