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4-FEB-2018: Campbelltown GC – 1st Round Club Championships - STROKE

OUTRIGHT WINNER: GLENN BLADES (31) 62 NETT

Who said golf is a game of endless disappointments?

Well, it’s that time of year again when that question will rear its ugly head because today sees Revesby golfers go through the 4-stroke mince-meat grinding machine of championship stroke play 🙁

The Championships consists of four rounds of stroke play and the winners (scratch and handicap), in each Grade (A, B and C), are determined by totalling the scratch and nett over-par score of the best 3 out of four rounds.

Stroke play will often favour the more consistent player who can grind out each round whilst keeping their emotions in check. Most players will err on the side of safety and play conservatively so as to avoid big scores that can kill a round.

Today sees the first round of the championships at Campbelltown golf course (par 70) for a 6:30am start.

It’s a relatively wide course favouring the big hitters, however, it has plenty of water hazards, trees and sand bunkers strategically placed to punish errant shots. The fairways looked dry and hard, so expect the ball to run a lot and beware the sloping fairways that run towards the hazards!

After battling through these defences, one is then confronted with the large, slick and ever-so subtle contoured greens that can play havoc with the putting stroke. The early morning dew may slow the greens initially, but as the day warms up and the wind kicks in, expect the greens to become much faster 🙁

With so much punishment on hand, it wasn’t surprising to see thirty two (32) masochistic Revesby players show up in their leather jock-straps with bull-whips in hand, full knowing their only relief from pain would be moving their balls a hand span when on fairways only 🙁

The torture started on time from the 10th tee under clear skies and somewhat cool conditions, but it didn’t take too long before players started getting hot under their leather collar 🙁

As expected , the torture was slow to very slow, with players spending a lot of time looking for balls in the trees and short Kikuyu rough, putting more carefully on the greens (no gimmes today), whilst some players needed more time to play a provisional ball or two or three or … from the tee, or dig sand like a prospector looking for diamonds in a bunker 🙁

The day got warmer, the wind grew stronger, the hills got steeper and the cursing got louder (sorry Higgsy, but my ears are still ringing, particularly in the tunnel), with the latter groups feeling the pinch the most, with many of the walking players feeling tired and worn out after the round.

With 32 score cards to be checked, sorted and recorded, it soon became apparent that only a third of players had managed to play to or better their handicap today with the CCR provisionally set to 69.

The outright winner today was Glen Blades with a terrific score of 62 nett (handicap 31).

Three shots clear of his nearest rival on the day, Glen showed he was no show pony by carefully placing the ball away from harms way most of the time and allowing his irons and short game to control his destiny.

His 41 on the first nine was better than some A-graders and even though he began to falter and hit some loose tee shots out of bounds or into the hazards on the second nine, he still hung in managed to minimise the big numbers to slide in over home base a winner!

Its his second win of the year after taking out C-grade three weeks ago at Antill Park and had a solid round at Bankstown afterwards, so is a golfer in good form and could be the man to beat if he maintains this standard – well done Glen 🙂

The A Grade winner went to Adam Giltinan with a very good score of 66 nett (handicap 13).

Whilst his driving is his strength, today saw a more controlled game plan from the big hitter, electing to go a club longer with his irons for more control.

The strategy worked in the main and when he did get into some trouble, he escaped with very good recovery shots. His best recovery was on the last hole (par4 9th) when he needed a par to shoot 79. His tee shot ended up in the dry part of the lake on the right, but was able to extract himself out of the lake onto the green for a safe par 🙂

To cap it off, he had no three-putt on the greens – a great effort Adam 🙂


The B grade winner went to Terry Coleman with a great score of 65 nett (handicap 17).

A man out of form over the last couple of months, Terry had found his golf mojo (and swing) just in time.
His driving is now straighter than a gun barrel and his irons are back to their crisp and pure ball-striking best.

If he can maintain this form and sink more putts (he only had one three-putt) he will be a force to be reckoned with – may the golf-guru force be with you Terry 🙂


The C grade winner went to Louis Tasaico with a very good score of 66 nett (handicap 23).

Another player in form this year after already taking out C-grade at Bankstown two weeks ago.
With his steady straight game from tee to green and good putting skills, its no surprise to see the Friday Golf Academy pupil on the podium again.

Whats even more remarkable is he played under extreme duress, having to share the cart with George Lattouf on Friday and today. It was a pleasing if not focussed performance from Louis – by the way, if you have the secret vaccine for George, can you share it with the rest of us, but please don’t put it on Facebook 🙂

The Guzzlers went to Wayne Coleman with a good score of 68 nett (handicap 16).

Coming off his great win at Bankstown two weeks ago, Wayne has continued his good form today.
Played well again and had many birdie attempts but only grabbed three.

Marred what could have been an excellent round and potentially grade winning score when he racked up a big nine (9) on the par5 3rd hole, a graveyard for many today.

A pleasing performance Wayne, you couldn’t have picked a warmer day for the Guzzler, now just make sure your early for the next game 🙂

Bringing up the rear, the Bradmans went to bunch of gentlemen who didn’t forget to bring their leather hand-cuffs and stiletto spiked golf shoes, because the whipping and/or spanking they will receive from the local dominatrix will show more authority and control than their performance on the course today 🙁

HIGHLIGHTS of the day:

1. Best score on the day was Glen Blades with 62 (nett).

2. There is a long queue of players lining up wanting to take the Bradmans by proxy, with George first in line!

3. Rossco Hamer didn’t get past the ladies tee on the last hole (par4 9th).
He may have hit a tree and ricocheted backwards, but its a highlight because he got the “wear the skirt” challenge and manned up by shouting the boys in the group afterwards – another ethical and moral man, but not necessarily upright 🙂

4. The par3 14th hole (near the practice putting green) can be dangerous if you land short of the green.
Ex-captain, Steve Vaughn, found out the hard way after several attempts from the water hazard.
Should have taken lessons from Jeff Hilder when he got out of the hazard and one putted for par 🙂

LOWLIGHTS of the day:

Some holes today proved more dangerous than others:
1. Par4 9th hole (our last hole)
The fairway was rock hard and fast, with balls just running and running until they went into the lake.

With players becoming delusional from the hot and glaring sun, local volunteer life-savers had erected red & yellow flags in the dried out lake to denote safe areas to play, less they be taken away by a deadly rip, kangaroo-eating eel or sucked into the quick-sand like mud!

Fortunately, the lake was very dry and the water had receded leaving several metres of dry mud for the ball to rest in. Some players, like Adam Giltinan and Jeff Hilder managed to extract their ball from the right hand lake safely.

 

 

 

 

 

On the other hand, others went into the lake behind the green.
Ken Harris attempted to play his ball from the mud and blinded himself with the splash-back of mud into his face and clothes. The ball popped up and almost hit him on the head 🙁

NICE SHOT KEN

NICE SOCKS KEN

 

The scribe also had to face a ball in water shot, only this time he had to stand in the knee high mud and water. Unable to move his legs in the goo, the scribe swung his SLOB wedge (submersible lob wedge) and saw the ball fly high with a water trail, landing softly on the green. It was his only good iron shot on the day 🙁

2. Par4 2nd hole
This right-hand dog-leg par4 is protected by a deep bunker on the left hand side of the green.

Wayne Higgs took six bunker shots to get out before two-putting for a 10.

If you thought that was bad, Gary McMahon took seven bunker shots out of the same bunker and racked up a huge 14 on the hole 🙁

 

3. Par5 3rd hole
This hole was dangerous in the right-to-left cross wind, because any draw or hook (for a right-hander) would just run away on the hard fairway towards the out-of-bounds.

a. Both Shane Thorn and Wayne Coleman racked up huge 9s on the hole.

b. Even worse, was Alan Foster who had to hit one tee shot followed by three provisional balls.
Sure enough, the first three balls hooked left out-of-bounds, leaving his fourth ball in play.

Poor Alan hit a great 8th shot only to see it go in the water hazard on the left near the 4th green.
Dropping out of the hazard, Alan hit his 10th shot into a tree and landed in the mulch.

His 11th shot was good and somehow he got it on the green.
A tiring Alan hit his putt very short leaving a tough next putt.

He sank the putt for his 13th shot on the hole, blew a sigh of relief and then a wry grin when he heard Steve Vaughn lament about his own game and how he was going to put his irons up for sale on eBay 🙁

Phew! One down, three more rounds to go, I wonder what the attrition rate will be 🙁

Individual results on the day:

Outright Winner: Glen Blades [31] 62 nett

A Grade Winner: Adam Giltinan [13] 66 nett

B Grade Winner: Terry Coleman [17] 65 nett

C Grade Winner: Louis Tasaico [23] 66 nett

GUZZLER’s CUP: Wayne Coleman [16] 68 nett

A-BRADMAN

B-BRADMAN

C-BRADMAN

BRADMANS:
A Grade: Cliff Bourquin [15] 82 nett
B Grade: Brian Craven [20] 77 nett
C Grade: Paul Dawkins [32] 89 nett

Nearest To Pins:
G.McMahon(4), A.Giltinan(6), W.Coleman(12), A.Giltinan(14)

Drive & Pitch:
J.Varrica(18)

Longest Drives:
John Varrica (A)
Terry Coleman (B)
Steve Vaughn (C)

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