The course has been extremely busy over the last week and some excellent golf has been played but the best achievement by far must be the 36 stableford points scored by Doreen McKinley in Monday's 12 hole Vets competition. Sheila Pocknall, the Vet's secretary said, 'never in my memory has anyone scored that many points'.
Doreen, in talking about her round said it was just one of those days when everything seemed to click. Her round included a five pointer on Number 15 when she was on the green for two, a feat that many younger golfers would love to achieve!
Our vets play every Monday from 10am, unless the weather is unpleasant and then the competition is postponed to Wednesday. The field is usually about 60, and the twelve 'flatter' holes on the course are played. As long as you are over 50 you qualify to join in and are provided with a special 12 hole handicap. The vets are currently looking forward to visiting Mahunga on 22 March for the Masterhunga Shield, the competition between Masterton's two golf clubs.
The full list of Vet's results are- Women: Doreen McKinley 36points; Liz Bensuade 29; Barbara Hullena 28. Men (1st Division) Jim Picking 28; Gerald Blathwayt 27; Bob Hullena 27. (2nd Division) Michael Bell 32; Gerry Verhaart 31; Ted Thornton 30. Fagan Ford Nearest the Pin's went to John Worley and Liz Cameron.
Of course Doreen's massive 36 points only just shades Peter Forrester's course equaling round of 65 in last Thursday's Chicken and Wine competition. Peter played quite magnificently, and only a five on the par 4 fourteenth hole, after he had put his tee shot on the back apron stopped him setting a new course record.
Lower Regions Representative Quadrangular Tournament
This tournament was held at Masterton over the weekend and the course was presented in excellent condition with the greens perfectly prepared for this fixture.
In this event, where teams consist of senior and junior players, there is not an overall winner, but rather a senior trophy and a junior trophy, both of which were won by the powerful Wellington teams, with Wairarapa third in the seniors and fourth in the juniors. Wairarapa performed very creditably against tough competition, their best team performances being the senior six matches to two win over Manawatu/Wanganui on Saturday afternoon and the juniors draw (3 all) with Hawkes Bay on Sunday. Best Wairarapa individual performances were by Robin Smith, who was unbeaten in his three matches, and Brent MacKenzie and Wade Walker, who both won two of their three matches.
On Wednesdays a growing group of women play in a nine hole competition. Last Wednesday the 'nine holers' had a most enjoyable mornings golf with the competition won by Rayanne Dimock (51), followed by Mary Mahony (56). The raffle was won by Jan Williams.
The first round of the women's interclub Lansdowne Trophy was played at Royal Wellington last Monday in conditions that were very different to what our players are used to. Outstanding wins of 9/7 by Robyn Guildford and Jan Williams, and 4/3 by Tori Forrester and Deidre Walker in the morning's foursomes, followed by 3 1/2 points in the afternoon's singles gave the team 5 ? points overall.
Congratulations also to our ladies who played in the Riverside Cup against Martinborough at Featherston last Friday. The team had 5 wins and one draw.
On Tuesday the women's competition was a combined stableford for the Christiansen Trophy.
The pairing of Pam Griffith and Carolyn Springer won the trophy with a combined score of 85 stableford points. There was some excellent individual scoring. The Graeme Jones Car Rental Closest to the Pin was won by Marilyn Strang while Deidre Walker was nearest the pin on the Writeprice No 18
The usual Saturday competition for both men and women was held on Sunday afternoon last weekend, because of the Quadrangular Tournament.
A field of 49 played in a stroke round, which also counted as a Challenge Shield round and a Markham Shootout qualifier.
Results were- Women: Linda Cameron Net 74 from Sue Rutene, 75. The women's Office Products Closest to the Pin went to Sue Rutene
Men (Group 1) 1st Rob Harrison, net 65; 2nd Brian Leighton, 66; 3rd Shane Grant, 68.
(Group 2) 1st Brian Crump 63 on the cut from Peter Connell 63. The Alex McLeod No 8 was won by Rex Fowler; Fire Services No11 by Alex Tulloch while the Money Managers No 18 was won by Peter Jackson.
Last Saturday the Division 3 interclub team traveled to Mornington and achieved an eight seven loss which could be considered satisfactory as Mornington is a very different course to Masterton.
The weather was king to our players this time, and just as well, as with two other interclub matches in front of them, the round took just over six hours!
Best performance of the day went to Mornington specialist, Kevin Mackay with a 7/5 victory and 66 'off the bat', while Herb Ruhe is looking after the trophy for the worst defeat.
This coming weekend sees a full round of interclub with all three teams in action. Our Waikanae Cup (36 hole) team to play Judgeford at Manor Park is Robin Smith, Brent MacKenzie, Courtney Gane, Sam Forrester, Simon Hodge, Peter Forrester, Wade Walker, Michael Schofield, Ben Harrowfield and Alan Sandford.
The Division 3 team to play Judgeford at Judgeford is Phil Rutene, Bob Hill, Kevin Mackay, Ash Peterson, Herb Ruhe, Nigel Udy, Ian Buchanan, Paul Fouhy, Jeff Ogg and Murray Wolland.
The Division 6 team to play Hutt at Masterton is Tony Iggulden, Mike Dixon, Ben Campbell, Joe Tuoro, Ithiel Stya, Bruce Watkins, Brian Leighton, Derek Clarkson, Tony Roseingrave, and Jeff Tuoro.
Two men's competitions are currently under way with the first round of the Oldfield Rosebowl due to be played by this Sunday and the draw up for the Captains Trophy.
The club competition this Saturday is a par round while on Sunday, for those not involved in the three teams Masterton has entered in the Wairarapa Committee Day at Carterton, Masterton Intermediate School is holding a tournament at Eketahuna for the students who are raising money to go to Japan. There is always a big prize table.
Off The Fairway
Last weekend the Hawkes Bay Representative Golf team was traveling to Masterton by bus when it was stopped, just north of Dannevirke, by a police roadblock that was checking licences, registration and WOF's.
To his horror the bus driver found that his licence had expired, and after a lot of pleading the police let him continue, but only as far as Dannevirke (NO further!) five kilometres down the road where he was to get a temporary licence.
The driver drove to the local information centre to inquire where he had to go to obtain a temporary licence only to be told he had to 'do it' at the AA, but the service was only available in Dannevirke on TWO days a month, and, you guessed it, one of the days was 'today'
A much relieved bus driver arrived in Masterton and went straight out and bought a lotto ticket!
Noel will be back next week.
Doreen clocks up the points
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