Carterton golf report

The Carterton Golf Club men played the first round, of two, for the Hill and Hughes Trophy last Saturday, May 21.
Brian Field took an early lead with his score of 39 points winning the day. Tony Campbell filled second place with his 38 points score from three players on 36 - Wayne Taylor, Tony McCarthy and Bill Shakespeare.
Richard Chapman was on his own on 35 but three more players - R.O.Bentley, David Wills and Graham Hutchby - came in with 34 point totals.
The second, and last, round of the Hill and Hughes Trophy will be played next Saturday, May 28.
The Marquis of Normanby Hotel Men's Nearest the Pin competition was won by Russ Morgan and the "All Teed Up" ball for men by David Wills.
There were only two holes in two on the day with the result that Bill Shakespeare and Russ Sadler each took home 6 vouchers for their efforts.
The members draw was struck again with Val Edwards being the lucky recipient on this occasion.
The women of the club played an L.G.U. and Robson Cup round with a putting competition as an added attraction.
Women's Captain, Marion Matheson, returned a nett 76, the best nett of the day.
Four players achieved nett 78's. They were Alison Murrell, Suzanne Fuller, Bernice Parker and Corrie van Zanten.
In the putting competition both Chris Taylor and Shirley Carew took only 27 putts for their rounds with Bev Tregurtha in third slot with 29. Both Marion Matheson and Val Edwards recorded 32 putts.
Nadine Jansen won the Ladies Nearest the Pin competition and the "All Teed Up" ball for ladies also went to Nadine.
Only a small field turned out for the par round on Sunday, May 22.
Keith Rayner's plus two score was the winner with Matt Casey, square, in second place.
The veterans competition on Tuesday, May 24, was stableford, the fourth and final round of the Veterans Autumn Cup.
The best score of the day was achieved by both Pat Carew and Keith Rayner, with both players recording 39 points. Pat won the day, by lot.
Ralph Day was third with 36 while three players - Ray White, Chris Connor and Ian Gordon - all returned 35 point scores.
With three rounds of the four played counting for the Autumn Cup things got very tight at the top but Bob Walker had done just enough in the previous three rounds to win the trophy with a total of 116 points.
Ray White was runner-up with 115.
Incidentally, for the day the weather was just magnificent, the course in lovely order and there was no wind.
Why, then, in a field of 26 players, did no less than 16 fail to reach 30 points?
FOOTNOTE:
Golf can be an exasperating game but it has its moments.
During the veterans play on Tuesday a certain group of three came to the 12th tee. This short par three, over the trees, can be a real challenge but, in benign weather, is not too bad.
However the sun angle and the shadows meant that the flagstick was totally invisible and all three players decided to just play for the green.
One of the players flirted with the out of bounds and, in the absence of certain knowledge of where his ball lay, decided to play a provisional.
His first ball was found to be in play and he played that ball to the green.
His second ball, which had appeared to go a little left of the green, could not be found immediately and all three players played their approaches to the hole where, you've guessed it, his second ball was found in the hole.
What made the situation even more remarkable was that another of the players in the three had done exactly the same thing only a few months back. Both players decided that a "Claytons Hole in One Club" might be a good idea.