Men – Par 72, ACR 72, Slope 124. Women – Par 71 ACR 73, Slope 119

Saturday December 31st – December Medal – Stroke & Putts
With over 60mm of rain falling on Thursday the fairways had softened and the greens were very receptive to well played approach shots. There was some casual water and balls did pick up occasional mud. The damp surface and the day’s top temperature, around 30C, made for heavy, humid air and with little run correct club selection was vital. The good conditions lead to some excellent scoring and there were quite a few players “in the hunt” right up to the last few holes however, it was up to two to fight it out down the 18th for the December Medal. After the wet, cold and muddy weeks of Sept to early Nov the good conditions saw a number of players return to top form. On an excellent afternoon for golf the results were;
Winner and December Medalist; Anthony Freeman – 90/23/67 C/B Neil Munro – 83/16/67 from Shannon Wright – 85/15/70, Jim Patton – 92/21/71, John Freestone – 94/23/71 and Bob McLennan 84/12/72
NTPs; 15th – John Freestone & 16th – Anthony Freeman
Least Putts; 26 – Ron Walker.
And so ends 2016, Happy New Year everyone.

Monday December 26th – Boxing Day Stableford.
After two days in the mid to high 30s it was a pleasure to tee off on a cooler morning. The heat of the previous days had dried the course and there was more run on all fairways. The greens had survived very well however the Little Corellas had returned and done damage to the 7th, 15th, & 4th. Their work in the rough was very noticable with large areas virtually cultivated as they dug for grubs and onion grass bulbs. The wind blew up from the SE and caused a few problems by-ur no-one complained as it kept the temperature down. On a very different day the results were;
Winner; Anthony Lakey (21) – 36 pts C/B from Mick Nicholls Snr (24) – 36 pts
NTPs; 15th – Jim Patton

Saturday December 24th – Stableford
The field teed off on a hot windy afternoon, the temperature quickly moved up to 34C. The gusting wind began from the SW before moving to the SE and then oscillating between those two directions. The first nine saw a number of players building good scores until a lost ball here or a nasty rebound off a tree there resulted in much reduced scoring. The 2nd nine was a very different affair. Everyone struggled with the wind and scoring was much more difficult. Only one player was able to play reasonably consistent golf throughout the day to come in with an excellent score. On a hot, blustery afternoon the results were;
Winner; Jim Patton (22) – 41 pts from John Freestone (23) – 32 pts
NTPs; 1st – Mick Nicholls Snr, 15th – Andrew Clement & 16th – Les Gaunt.

Saturday December 17th – Ambrose
A strong field assembled for the club’s Ambrose and Christmas Drinks round. The course was in excellent condition however the wind did pose a few problems. It began with a gentle zephyr from the west before moving to the north-west then, later in the round, gusting from the south-west Players were caught between lining up their shot and carefully watching the flag or the top of the trees to gauge the strength and direction of the wind. The course echoed with cheers and groans as approached shots hit their mark and putts dropped, or just missed the cup. It was a wonderful to welcome immediate past president Bob Preece back for a round. On a very enjoyable, if windy, day the results were;
Winners; Bob Dwyer, Wendy Gosden, Anthony Lakey, Bob Preece – 75/15/60 from Anthony Freeman, Scott Williams, Neil Munro, Chris vanDerVliet – 71/10.5/60.5 and Mal Mottram, Bob McLennan, Mick Nicholls (Snr) – 69/8/61
NTPs – 1st – Bob McLennan, 15 & 16 – Sherif Abdel-Sayed

Wednesday December 14th – Mulligans.
It was a warm, sunny morning as the Women took to the field for the final event of their 2016 syllabus. Mulligans allows players to play a “bad” shot and then replay it, (within the limits of each player’s handicap) It was a very relaxed round with many a “courageous” shot almost immediately followed by a more conservative offering. The day’s results were;
Winner; Jan Harver – 104/34/70 C/B fr0m Darlene Baker – 96/26/70

Saturday December 10th – John Laing Final & Par.
Despite the heavy rains of Sept/Oct the whole of Romsey Park was beginning to dry out, players had looked forward to some run on the fairways, that was until Thursday morning when over 20 mm of rain fell. Mowers had again been busy getting the rough down so there were some heavy clipping here and there to catch and hide the odd ball however, in general, the course was in excellent condition so some good scoring was expected. The day began with a gentle westerly wind, this soon swung around to the south but never really effected play. The John Laing saw dual 2016 shield winner, Scott Williams (0) pitted against ex-captain and 2015 John Laing winner, Tony Freeman (4). The match was tough but played in good spirits. At the turn it was all square however Williams won the 10th to go 1up. The next three holes were halved then Freeman won the 14th and 15th to go 1up. The 16th was all square however Freeman played the 17th beautifully and then putted Williams out of the match. The Par competition saw a number of players in contention after the front nine but a lost ball here and a fluffed chip there saw the field fall away and only one player was able to better his handicap. On a warm, sunny day the results were;
Winner; Mick Nicholls Jnr (23); +3, from John Freestone (22); -1 with Pat Chisholm (9), Les Gaunt (4) both; -3
NTPs; 15th – Pat Chisholm
Final of the John Laing Shield
Anthony Freeman (4) D Scott Williams (0) – 2/1

Wednesday December 7th – North Pole Rules
The field, bedecked with festive bling, gathered on a beautiful morning and the rules of the day’s competition were handed to each group, in a sealed envelope to be opened once on the tee; and some interesting and mischievous rules they were. The round was played in good spirits with many loud cheers for well played or less than well played shots. The par 45 “Old Course” proved as challenging as ever and the “modified” rules (Only use putter on 10th!!!) made sure scores were interesting but despite the rules there was some good scoring. On a sunny day the results were;
Winners; Jan Harver/Darlene Baker/Jenny Hartley (13.5) – 46

Saturday December 3rd – Semi-finals John Laing Shield & Stroke
The sky was clear and there was just the slightest of zephyrs from the south-west as the field hit off. The semi-finals of the John Laing Shield took precedence and following groups occasionally found a mis-hit ball helping out one or the other of the semi-finalists. Despite the sunny conditions the going was tough; any ball that wandered off the fairway was often in thick rough making recovery shots a bit of a gamble. The greens were in good nick and while there was some variation in softness they all putted quite true. The John Laing was an up and down affair with one player getting a few holes in front only to be pulled back. The stroke event also saw a run of very good holes followed by less than spectacular results over the following few holes. On a beautiful, yet challenging day the results were;
Winner; Anthony Lakey (20) 78 C/B from Jim Patton 99/21/78
NTPs; 1st – Mal Mottram
John Laing Shield Semi-final results;
Tony Freeman (12) D Mal Mottram (0) – 5/3
Scott Williams (4) D Neil Munro (0) – 3/2

The final of the John Laing Shield will be;
Scott Williams (0) Vs Tony Freeman (4)

Wednesday November 30th – Stableford
The first few holes were played with a heavy mist making it very difficult to estimate distances however soon enough the sun poked through the cloud cover. By the end of the round all jumpers were off and the players enjoyed the clear sunny skies. The day’s results were;
Winner; Darlene Baker (27) – 31 pts

The Dalhousie District Golf Association women’s champions were played at Seymour on Nov 24th, congratulations to RGC member Wendy Gosden who was runner-up in C Grade.

Saturday November 26th – Monthly Medal – Stroke & Putts
Conditions were cool and overcast as both men and women competed for their respective November Medals. The afternoon saw cold winds, much warmer periods and patches of clear, blue skies. The gusting wind moved from west to southwest providing problems for a number of players. While the mowers have been hard at work the rough lay in wait for any who ventured off the fairways. Balls were hard to find and even harder to get back into play. The 40mm of rain during the week also saw casual water on some sections of the course and all balls picked up mud on most fairways. The conditions were such that players went from a well played par on one hole to a three or four over on the next; only one player was able to play to their handicap. On another very difficult day the results were;
Mens November Medalist; Scott Williams – 91/19/72
Women’s November Medalist; Kath Jekabsons – 108/29/79
NTPs; 15th – Shannon Wright
Least Putts; Rob Rea – 23

Wednesday November 23rd – Foursomes.
It was a cool, overcast start to the round but after the first few holes the weather began to look a deal better. This spring weather! such a tease, by the halfway mark the clouds had darkened and the looming rain soon came down. Fortunately, prior, proper planning allowed the remainder of the round to be completed with umbrellas up and wet-weather gear on. After the heat of Monday 30+mm of rain on Tuesday and overnight re-softened the fairways reducing distance and the morning’s rain made putting on the wet to wetter greens a serious challenge. Despite all these problems a number of players showed they had benefited from the Sports Focus “Miss Me” session run by GolfVic co-ordinator Mark Bamford. On a cool, wet morning the results were;
Winners; Jan Harver/Jenny Hartley – 118/39/79

Saturday November 19th – Qualifying Rd – John Laing Shield – Stableford
A strong field teed up for the qualifying round of the 2016 John Laing Shield, the rain effected syllabus meant that this year the shield would be run over three weeks only. With both bowls team also at home the golfers were out early. There was virtually no wind (compared to last week) and the sun shone through for a beautiful afternoon to be out on the park. The 25 – 30mm of rain over the last weekend saw some sections of the course quite soft and the steady growth meant longer and thicker rough causing problems for all who strayed off the fairway. Despite the beautiful conditions it was tough to card a good score, only two players were able to play to their handicaps. On a beautiful, yet challenging day the results were;
Winner; Scott Williams (20) – 36 pts C/B from Mal Mottram (11), Rob Rea (18) – 35 pts
NTPs; 1st Mal Mottram, 15th & 16th – Neil Munro
Semi-finals for the John Laing Shield (Sat Dec 3rd)
Scott Williams (4) Vs Neil Munro (0)
Mal Mottram (0) Vs Rob Rea (7)

Wednesday November 16th – Stroke – Medal of Medalists
The field tee off in foggy conditions making it difficult to judge distances and meaning everyone had to carefully watch each shot or risk losing the ball. As the round progressed the trees came into play, some with positive results but most pushing the ball further away from the fairway. At the half-way mark the sun poked through and things brightened considerably, the weather that is. With the fog making things difficult and the heavy rain over the weekend again softening the course posting a good score was more than challenging. In the end it was up to the current club champion to lead the way and win her 2nd Medal of Medalists. The day’s results were;
Winner & 2016 Medal of Medalists (Helene & Ken Newnham Shield); Darlene Baker – 107/26/81
Least Putts; Elaine Scanlon – 30
Nine-hole winner; Jenny Hartley – 63/21/42
2016 Medal of Medalists – Darlene Baker.

Saturday November 12th – 3rd Rd Club Championships
The final round of the 2016 Championships began under overcast skies with light drizzle falling and a gusting westerly wind. The sun poked through after the first few holes but the wind really blew up and swung violently between the south and the west, a bit tricky when trying to choose clubs for high approach shots. And, while there has been a deal of grass cut, the rapid spring growth saw some areas almost “links like” and laying in wait for any player who ventured off the fairway. There were more than a few “lost balls” during the round. The gusting, swirling wind made it near impossible to hit a par three and made many shots a bit of a gamble. A Grade was really between Les Gaunt (4) and Pat Chisholm (10). Les was able to steady and hold on to take out another club championship. B Grade was between Sherif Abdel-Sayed (19) and Anthony Lakey (21). Both had fairly ordinary rounds and Sherif was able to hold on for a good win to take out his first B Grade win at RGC. On a tough day only two players were able to get anywhere near their handicaps, the day’s results were;
Winner; Tony Freeman – 98/24/74 from Rob Rea – 94/18/76
NTPs; Nil
Round 3 – 2016 Club Championships
A Grade Champion
Les Gaunt – 249
B Grade Champion
Sherif Abdel-Sayed – 305
John Jeffrey Shield (Best overall handicap performance)
Pat Chisholm – 233
Laurie Thompson Shield (Best handicap performance by a player 18 and under )
Not Awarded
Peter Scanlon Shield (Best handicap performance by a player 55 yrs and older)
Les Gaunt – 237
B Grade Champion Sherif Abdel-Sayed

Wednesday November 9th – Stableford
Another clear day with just a slight south-westerly wind and a course under much more control. Gone was the untamed rough and the many clippings that had dragged at everyone’s feet last week had been chopped up and dried out. There was more run on the fairways so players got good value for well struck shots however the ever thickening greens caught a few unawares. On a much more enjoyable day on a rapidly drying course the results were;
Winner; Wendy Gosden (36) – 29 pts
Nine-hole Winner; Jenny Hartley (20) – 16 pts

Saturday November 5th – 2nd Rd Club Championships
After a week of sun, wind and virtually no rain the course had dried out quite a deal; members had been able to get machinery out on the course and just about all long grass had been cut. The weather also meant that the grass cuttings had dried out considerably. The round began with a steady breeze from the NW, this soon blew up to a strong gusting wind which moved through to the W then the SW and back again, at least the wind kept the mozzies at bay! After the many weeks of very wet weather all players found the greens and surrounds much harder than last week which saw many approach shots land on or near the green only to bounce through. While a couple of players played close to their handicaps it was a tough day to card a good score.
Winner; Pat Chisholm – 84/10/74 from Mick Nicholls Jnr – 98/22/76
NTP; 16th – Les Gaunt
Rd 2 – 2016 Club Championships

A Grade
Stroke; Les Gaunt – 161, Pat Chisholm – 172
Handicap; Pat Chisholm – 172/22/150, Les Gaunt – 161/8/153

B Grade
Stroke; Sherif Abdel-Sayed -197, Anthony Lakey – 202, Michael McCarten – 202
Handicap; Sherif Abdel-Sayed – 197/38/159, Anthony Lakey – 202/42/160, Michael Nicholls Jnr – 210/46/164

Wednesday November 2nd – Pinehurst
It was heavy going for the field during the round. Soft fairways and longish grass pulled and wheels and shoes alike and some energy was spent looking for balls in the heavy clippings just off the fairways. It was a social round with much chatter and many laughs. The days results were;
18 Hole Winners; Elaine Scanlon/Darlene Baker – 108/21.75/86.25
9 Hole Winners; Jan Harver/Jenny Hartley – 60/14.25/45.75

During the club’s rain enforced break from golf a number of the Romsey women took advantage of reciprocal right with Bacchus Marsh West golf club, thank you to Denise for organising this. Kath and Wendy competed in the Trentham Plate with Kath bringing home C Grade handicap – 104/29/75. Kath and Wendy were also runners-up in the Melton Valley Spring Tournament with 39 pts.

Saturday October 29th – October Medal & 2016 Medal of Medalists
A strong field gathered for the October Medal and the 2016 Medal of Medalists. All medalists teed off from the 1st with the remainder of the field using other tees. The day was beautiful, sunny, clear and virtually no breeze so it seemed some good scoring was in the offing. As the round progressed it became clear that posting a good score was not going to be easy; with some very soft fairways and heavy grass clippings just off the fairway players struggled to recover from any wayward shot and some groups were left kicking their way through the clippings to find a ball. So, a beautiful spring day that promised so much turned into a bit of a nightmare for many of the field. In the end the tough conditions meant that only three players came close to their handicaps. The day’s results were;
October Medalist & 2016 Medal of Medalists; Dean Jones – 76/2/74 from Bob McLennan – 87/12/75 & Mick Nicholls (Jnr) – 100/23/77
Least Putts; 28 Mick Nicholls (Jnr) c/b from Dean Jones
NTPs; 15th – Bob McLennan, 16th – Anthony Lakey
After 26 Yrs as a member of RGC Deano wins his 2nd Monthly Medal and his 1st Medal of Medalist

Wednesday October 26th – Multiplier Stableford
Another good day for golf, a spot of sun, little breeze and the course beginning to dry out. The state of the course again led the match committee to limit the round to nine holes. There was plenty of long grass just off the fairway and pools of water in some of the low areas across the park so any wayward shot was heavily punished. The day’s results were;
Winners; Elaine Scanlon/Kath Jekabsons – 19 pts

Over the extended wet that had closed Romsey the women have enjoyed playing at other courses. Thank you to Denise who organised with her home club Bacchus Marsh West reciprocal rights for RGC members while the course was closed. Kath, Wendy and Leila had an enjoyable day at Bacchus Marsh West on grand final day.
Kath and Wendy played in the Trentham Plate, Kath brought home the C grade net 104 -29-75.
Kath and Wendy were runners up in the 4BBB Melton Valley Spring Tournament with 39 points.

Saturday October 22nd – Stableford
It was a hardy bunch who teed up for a round of Stableford at Romsey. The day dawned clear and slightly sunny and despite about 30mm falling during the week the course had slowly begun to dry out. As soon as the 1st group hit-off showers wandered across the course and the wind began to blow. At first it looked as if the showers would only be occasional but soon they seemed to arrive every five minutes and a cold wind gusted strongly forcing players to wait on their shots. The bursts of freezing rain and wind continued to get stronger so after eight holes players called a halt, the conditions were just too severe. With a bit of luck the coming week will see more sun and wind and the course will have a chance to dry out.

Thursday October 20th – 2016 Doris Chambers Cup Final.
Kath Jekabsons & Pam Drummond represented RGC in the state final of the Doris Chambers Cup at Sanctuary Lakes. Kath’s report follows:
“Now I know what you mean about bunkers, Denise. We did find a more than a couple but we managed to get out of them OK. Also found a few different ways to put the ball in the water, took a penalty both times and did not lose a ball. Had trouble with the greens and the wind with balls really motoring passed the hole or moving well off the line after they were hit. Played with a group that had trouble finding the fairway, or any fairway, we ended up quite slow. While we did manage a few amazing hits they did not really help improve our score. I did manage to land my 4th on that island 18th hole which was a par 4 and this pleased me greatly, enough to entice me to want to go back again to do better next time. The scores on the whole were not great, so it seems other people struggled as well.”

Wednesday October 19th – Ambrose
After more than a month’s layoff golf recommenced at Romsey Park with a nine-hole Ambrose event. As some fairways were still too wet to be mown a revised layout was played. It was a very relaxed round with a few plugged balls, thick greens with slightly overgrown holes and many a joke and a laugh. As the players moved around the course other members were hard at work on the mowers or cleaning up and burning off the many branches and other detritus brought down by the strong winds and storms of the last six weeks. Let’s hope this is the beginning of some better weather and regular competition can recommence. The real winner of the day was golf.

Saturday September 10th
For six days, no rain, good sun and wind and the course really beginning to dry out and firm up, mowers and club members were again at work and the whole of Romsey Park was looking good, then came Friday ……… 20 – 30 mm of rain soon had all fairways and greens hosting casual water. Playing would not only have been extremely difficult but would have cut the course up so the 2nd Rd of the 2016 Championship was postponed.

Wednesday September 7th – 2nd Rd Club Championships
It was the second round of the 2016 women’s championships and you could not have asked for a better day for golf, clear sunny skies, almost no wind and not the slightest hint of rain. The course was steadily coming out of its rain induced “sloppy period” and the greens had firmed considerably. Players found the warmer air allowed them extra distance off the tee but there was little run on the fairways. Players witnessed a few balls “skipping” off casual water and the occasional “gobbler” helped keep the scoring down. On a beautiful day, on an improving course the results were;
18 Hole Winner; Darlene Baker – 102/28/74
Nine Hole Winner; Jenny Hartley – 69/21/48
Least Putts; Leila Beasley – 31

Rd 2 – 2016 Club Championships
Stroke; Darlene Baker – 205 from Kath Jekabsons – 226

Saturday September 3rd – 1st Rd Club Championships.
The 1st round of the Club Championships got underway with the sun shining and barely a breath of wind. The course had soaked up an enormous amount of rain during July and August but was looking good on Friday, unfortunately steady rain early on Saturday morning put casual water back on to almost every fairway. Again the eastern end of the the park was very wet with sheets of water just off the 6th fairway and along the boundary fence. Conditions were tough but a number of players took that in their stride and recorded excellent scores, given the state of the course. On a beautiful, sunny early spring day, on an extremely wet course the results were;
Winner; Andrew Clement – 82/11/71 C/B from Daniel Wright – 77/6/71 & Anthony Lakey – 92/21/71 with Les Gaunt – 77/4/73 & Rob Rea – 91/18/73
NTPs; 15th – Sherif Abdel-Sayed & 16th – Mal Mottram

Rd 1 – 2016 Club Championships
A Grade
Stroke; Les Gaunt – 77, Daniel Wright – 77
Handicap; Andrew Clement – 82/11/71, Daniel Wright – 77/6/71

B Grade
Stroke; Rob Rea – 91, Anthony Lakey – 92
Handicap; Anthony Lakey – 92/21/71, Rob Rea – 91/18/73

Wednesday August 31st – 1st Rd Club Championships & August Medal
For the 2nd week there was no rain and a little sun at the beginning of the round. The warmer air saw all players gain more distance off the tee however, the soft fairways soon pulled balls up. The dryer weather of recent days had allowed members on to the course for general maintenance and mowing; Romsey Park looked wonderful. It will be a challenge to maintain this once the rapid growth of spring really hits. On a warmer day the results were;
Winner & August Medalist; Darlene Baker – 103/30/73 from Kath Jekabsons – 106/26/77
Least Putts; Kath Jekabsons – 31

Saturday August 27th – Monthly Medal – Stroke & Putts
The round began under overcast skies with a gusting northerly wind. The course was still very wet so “Relief Through The Green” was again given. Two fairways in particular were very soft but almost all casual water had receded except along the eastern boundary and the edge of the 6th fairway where water still lay in large sheets. The sun shone through for a few hours during the middle of the round but once it disappeared behind the clouds the cold really settled in. The inconsistent wind, the soft course and the cold air all conspired to make it a very difficult day on which to post a good score. On another tough day the results were;
Winner and August Medallist; Chris vanDerVliet – 102/25/77 C/B from Scott Williams – 95/18/77
NTPs; 15th Sherif Abdel-Sayed
Least Putts; Rob Rea – 28
Both the Men’s and Women’s 2016 Club Championship begin this week. All members welcome to register for this event.

Wednesday August 24th – Stableford, Secret Nine
For the second week running there were clear skies and some warmth from the sun. The course was still very heavy; plugging balls as they landed and sapping the legs as the field wound its way through the 18 holes. A couple of players managed to grab a “gobbler” but generally it was very difficult to post a good score. The day’s results were;
Winner; Darlene Baker (31) – 32 pts
Secret Nine Winner; Elaine Scanlon (30) – 13 pts, C/B from Kath Jekabsons (27)

Saturday August 20th – Guest Day – 4BBB Pairs – Stableford
After a week of strong, drying winds and good sunshine the course was put right back by steady rain during Friday morning so “relief Through The Green” was again given. A good field had gathered for the event and there was plenty of amicable stirring before the hit-off. A number of guests were pleasantly surprised by how well the course had handled the ongoing wet, there was casual water on many fairways but really only two were badly effected. The 4BBB Stableford format was perfect for the day. The Relative Pairs, a RGC Shield event was tightly contested however, after a few holes it was clear that there were really only two teams with a chance of winning. The men’s pairs fought out a tight competition and the result was only decided after a three-way count-back. The round took its toll with one player heading off for stitches after a ball ricocheted off a tree, another hobbling off at the 16th with a wrenched knee and a third pulling the pin as his buggy’s batteries wound down; it was a very weary field that trudged in between 4.45 pm and 5.15 pm. On a tough day the results were;
Relative Pairs Winners; John (19)/Darren (12) Freestone – 42 pts from Elaine (31)/Peter (27) Scanlon 39 pts
Men’s Pairs; Pat Chisholm (9)/Jim Patton (22) C/B from Mal Mottram (12)/Mick Nicholls Snr (22) & Sherif Abdel-Sayed (18)/Rob Rea (18) – 40 pts
NTPs; 15th – Pat Chisholm & 16th – Jim Patton

Wednesday August 17th – Silverspoon Playoff – Stroke & Putts
The round began on a beautiful pre-spring day, the sun was out, no wind and the course in excellent nick. Just goes to show what a few sunny, windy days can do for a wet course. The field enjoyed the drier conditions and the recent mowing and other maintenance works were much appreciated. The beautiful day also brought out many locals walking their dogs or just taking a stroll around the Park. On a lovely day the results were;
Stroke winner; Darlene Baker – 106/31/75 from Jenny Hartley – 121/41/80
Silver Spoon Playoff; Kath Jekabsons – W/O. Kath will now represent Romsey in the state playoff at Keysborough G. C. on Nov 7th. Good Luck Kath

Saturday August 13th – Stroke
Strong winds and some sun during the week did much to dry the park so, despite a short, sharp downpour on Wednesday night and a splattering on Friday evening the course was in its best condition for many weeks. However, there were soft areas on many fairways and a few puddles here and there so “Relief through the green” was again given. A number of players began the round with a series of pars, even a birdie here and there but the conditions often intervened with the wind pushing balls well off line or a misjudged shot landing and plugging just short of a green. In the end it came down to the final few holes where one player was able to hold his nerve and play steady golf to return a winning score. On a difficult day the results were;
Winner; Chris vanDerVliet – 97/26/71 from Mal Mottram – 86/12/74
NTPs; 16th – Pat Chisholm

Wednesday August 10th – Stableford.
The round proved to be more than usually challenging. There was some sunshine but the air was cold, the fairways ranged between wet and very wet and a steady north-westerly wind blew up. With soft fairways and no run posting a good score was going to be tough; The day’s results were;
Winner; Darlene Baker (31) – 31 pts
9-hole winner; Noreen Yorke

Saturday August 6th – Stableford
After the heavy rains of Monday and Tuesday the weather cleared up and a little sun shone through for the remainder of the week. As for the past month the course was still very wet, “Relief through the Green” was again given, however, the greens had dried considerably leading to many an overhit putt sailing well passed the cup. And, just to keep players on their guard, an inconsistent north to north-east wind blew up. The cold air, the wind and a total lack of run on the fairways had players reaching for longer irons and fairway woods but for any real value shots had to hit the green on the full or they would plug where they landed. Again a number of players had a run of excellent holes before the conditions intervened and dragged them back to the field. On another “tough day at the office” the results were;
Winner; Anthony Lakey (21) – 35 pts from Scott Williams (18) – 33 pts
NTPs; 15th – Scott Williams & 16th – Pat Chisholm

Wednesday August 3rd – Foursomes
A cool, dry weekend followed by 10 – 20mm of rain on Monday and Tuesday made for very wet fairways, tees and greens. With the conditions in mind a composite, 10 hole, layout was designed and the gallant field headed to the 1st tee. The round began with light drizzle, this soon lifted and the sun came out and the umbrellas were packed away. Given the state of the course par on any hole was an excellent score so par with a gobbler” (chip in without putting) on the 2nd last hole was much celebrated. Everyone enjoyed the exercise but, the hopefully better weather of spring is much anticipated.

Saturday August 30th – Monthly Medal, Stroke & Putts
The day began with overcast skies and a very cool northerly wind. It was quite a surprise to find the greens a little dryer than the last few weeks however there was plenty of casual water so, with balls picking up mud or plugging, “Relief, through the Green” was given. With absolutely no run distance through the air and accuracy were vital. The Monthly Medal usually draws a hopeful and energised field and the July Medal was no exception. However, some hopes were dashed on the first hole with the gusting northerly pushing balls well off line, others had to play a few holes before fate took a hand and scores of 7, 8 or 9 were racked up. As the afternoon wore on the temperature dropped and the wind grew stronger, it was a tired group who headed to the warmth of the rooms at the end of play. On a very tough day the results were;
Winner & July Medalist; Chris vanDerVliet – 100/26/74 from Shannon Wright – 90/15/75 & Matt Nicholls – 111/36/75
Women’s July Medalist; Kath Jekabsons – 128/29/99
NTPs; 15th – Mal Mottram
Least Putts; Shannon Wright – 27

Wednesday July 27th – Par 3
A very original Par 3 layout, 85m to 120m, was created for the day’s round. It was very noticeable that while the course was very wet the areas where there was re-cycled water irrigation seemed to be a little dryer. After nine holes the field had had enough and everyone adjourned to the rooms for a warm cuppa before heading down the street for a relaxed lunch at Soltan Pepper.
Results, the shoes were wet but the meal was great!

Saturday July 23rd – Stableford
Well, we thought it was wet last week but after another 50+mm of rain over the final days of the week the dams were full to overflowing and water was gathering in large sheets along the eastern boundary. Members had to dig a trench behind the 7th tee to drain some of the water away into the large storm water pit in the SE corner of Romsey Park. Very wet greens and casual water on almost every fairway; it was going to be a challenge to post a respectable score. The round began with steady drizzle however, the sun soon broke through and conditions for the next ten minutes were quite pleasant then a very cold westerly wind blew up and soon enough the drizzle was back, followed by the sun, the wind and the drizzle again. A very interesting afternoon. Three players seemed to have good rounds going only to find the “wheels fall off” at the beginning of the back nine. Double bogey wipes were followed by pars or excellent birdies. On a most moist afternoon the results were;
Winner; Mal Mottram (12) – 37 pts from Pat Chisholm (10) – 36 pts & Anthony Lakey (21) 35 pts
NTPs; 1st – Ethan Bray & 15th – John Freestone
Wednesday July 20th – Stableford
For the first in weeks players teed on a warmish, sunny morning. There were plenty of ducks swimming on both, brimming dams and some casual water on a few fairways. The fairways and greens were still very soft so getting the ball to the green was going to be difficult, a good score was to prove quite a problem. The greens continue to putt very true however, sadly, the 15th green had been vandalised, players had to repair as best they could. The day’s results were;
Winner, 18 holes; Darlene Baker (33) – 27 pts from Wendy Gosden (36) – 26 pts
Winner, 9 holes; Jenny Hartley (40) – 14 pts

Saturday July 16th – 4Ball Multiplier Stableford
The rain, hail and snow of recent weeks was nowhere to be seen as the field teed off on a warmish, sunny afternoon in the club’s 4Ball Multiplier Stableford event. While both dams were full to overflowing and there was some casual water on a few fairways the greens were generally in good nick, holding well and putting very true. The surrounds and fairways were again quite soft so unless a green was hit on the full players were left with tricky chips and pitches, this was especially noticeable of the three par 3s. In the team competition it was reasonably close however the individual event was a triple count-back. On a surprisingly good day the results were;
4Ball Multiplier Winners; Andrew Clement (11)/Ron Rea (17) – 62 pts from Anthony Freeman (23)/John Freestone (21) – 60 pts
Individual Stableford; Andrew Clement (11) – 35 pts C/B from Anthony Freeman (23) and Chris vanDerVliet (26)
NTPs; 15th – Anthony Freeman.

Thursday July 14th – Bacchus Marsh Bowl.
Kath Jekabsons and Wendy Gosden represented RGC at this event. It was a warm, sunny day and, first time in many weeks, both enjoyed playing on a dry course. The RGC team came 4th in the overall event. Kath came 2nd in B Grade while Wendy won C Grade with 38 pts

Wednesday July 13th – 4th Rd Silver Spoon – Stroke & Putts
Well, another exciting day at Royal Romsey. Last week torrential rain and a sodden course caused play to be halted this week snow on all greens and across many of the fairways caused play to be cancelled. Treasurer Kath Jekabsons did a brief reconnoitre and sent in a few pics showing the state of the course.
Saturday July 9th – Par
After a wet June and with almost 100mm of rain during the week it was a very game field who teed off in the club’s Par competition, a few even joked about playing the round in rubber boots. The course had casual water on almost every fairway, the greens were too wet to be mown and groups had to watch each shot carefully as balls plugged and proved difficult to find. This brought an RGC local rule allowing a free drop, provided the group agrees the general location of the lost, plugged ball. Despite the overall dampness the day was a balmy 14C and the sun did shine through. Under these conditions players might enjoy the walk around the park and seeing the water birds benefitting from the full dams but a score of close to square was going to be all that could be expected. The day’s results were;
Winner; Hugh Drummond (22) – +2 from Mick Nicholls Jnr (23) – Square
NTPs; 1st – Michael McCarten & 15th – Andrew Laing

Wednesday July 6th – Irish Sixes
Well, how many ways can you say it is wet?. With over 25mm falling on Mon/Tues and then horizontal rain all Wed morning the women decided to stay dry and enjoy a cuppa and a biscuit in the rooms. On another very wet morning the results were;
Winners; all those who made the effort to get to the course but then let common sense prevail.

Saturday July 2nd – Stroke
The field teed off on a cold afternoon on a wet course however the sun was out and the sky was clear; players looked forward to an enjoyable round. The wet conditions saw “Relief to a handspan through the green” applied allowing players to clean mud off their ball and move out of plugged lies. The soft fairways saw many drives well short and there was little point trying to chip and run on to a green, only attacking pitch shots got a good return. The day saw a few in the field “tearing-up” some holes only to fall backwards on others. As the round drew to a close it was tight at the top of the leaderboard however only one player was really able to really take the course by the “scruff of the neck” and record an excellent score. On an up and down, yet enjoyable, day the results were;
Winner; Tony Freeman – 91/23/68 from Michael McCarten – 89/18/71, Chris vanDerVliet – 98/27/71 and Les Gaunt – 76/4/72 (Another top round by Twig!)
NTPs; 1st – Michael McCarten & 15th – Pat Chisholm

Wednesday June 29th – Monthly Medal, Stroke & Putts
The sun was out and there was barely a breath of wind as the June Medal field teed off. Some greens and the course in general was very soft; there was no run and distance through the air was vital. The greens, while soft, were still quite fast resulting in a number of players consistently hitting passed the hole. Whilst the winter’s sun made for a pleasant walk around the Park the golf was always going to be challenging. Highlights of the day included two “gobblers” (where a ball is chipped in from off the green) to Jenny Hartley (3rd & 6th) and one to Wendy Gosden (16th). On another tough day the results were;
Winner & June Medalist; Wendy Gosden – 119/37/82 C/B from Leila Beasley – 112/30/82 and Jenny Hartley – 124/42/82
Least Putts; Jenny Hartley – 28

Saturday June 25th – Monthly Medal – Stroke & Putts & Final W. E. Tom 4BBB
The June Medal field and the final of the W. E. Tom 4BBB (first played in 1965) teed off on a very chilly afternoon. The skies were clear but there was a swirling wind from the north so players knew they were in for a tough round. After a few holes the sun came out and the humidity rose resulting in many layers coming off. The medal field found the heavy course and the wind a real challenge while the final of the W. E. Tom seemed to just take each hole as it came. Scott Williams (15) – Scott’s partner Neil Jarman (9) had been called away to an electrical emergency, was playing Les Gaunt (0) & Mal Mottram (8). Whilst luck favoured Scott here and there he played a wonderful solo hand. The medal field went from the heights of joy to the depths of despair as the wind moved balls in the air or approach shots just missed their target plugging in the soft fairways or surrounds. On another tough day at the office the results were;
Winner and June Medalist; Hugh Drummond – 98/22/76 from Tony Freeman – 100/23/77 & Anthony Lakey 97/20/77
W. E. Tom Final; Scott Williams (14)/Neil Jarman (9) D Les Gaunt (0)/Mal Mottram (8) (Easiest trophy Jars has ever won!!!)
NTPs; 1st – Hugh Drummond
Least Putts; Tony Freeman – 28
2016 W. E. Tom 4BBB Winners – Neil Jarman & Scott Williams
W. E. Tom 2016 Winners

Wednesday June 22nd – Par, Inc 3rd Rd Silver Spoon
Rain again over the weekend and on Tuesday followed heavy dews so a very wet course became even more challenging. So, despite the cool, clear weather the round was always going to be tough. Mud on the ball after every shot, water on sections of four fairways and on two greens made players really think about club selection and those who made wise decisions usually reaped the benefits. However, despite many good decisions, the conditions dragged everyone down. On a very tough day the results were;
Winner; Kath Jekabsons (30) -5
Nine Hole Comp; Lisa Hartley (20) – 11 pts

Saturday June 18th – Semi-finals W. E. Tom 4BBB & Stableford
Steady rain overnight again made for a wet course; there was casual water across some fairways and on a few greens. The round began under overcast skies with a strong hint of rain to come. The wind, initially from the south-west, finally settled from the south and blew steadily for extended periods before suddenly stopping and then starting up again making it difficult to judge shots. In the Stableford field only one player was really able to cope with the conditions and play consistent golf. The semi-finals of the W. E. Tom 4BBB were also played. Both matches saw some amazing golf with chip-ins and birdies to save or win a hole. As the afternoon wore on the rain held off but the air grew very cold again reducing the distance players were able to achieve. On another chilly, windy afternoon the rsults were;
Stableford Winner – Rob Rea (17) – 34 pts from Sherif Abdel-Sayed (19) – 32 pts
NTPs; 15th – Mal Mottram
W. E. Tom 4BBB Matchplay Semi-Final results
Les Gaunt (0)/Mal Mottram (8) D John Freestone (15)/Andrew Laing (13) – 5/4
Neil Jarman (0)/Scott Williams (5) D Shannon Wright(2)/Mick Nicholls Jnr (10) – 3/1
W. E. Tom 4BBB Matchplay Final will be;
Les Gaunt (0)/Mal Mottram (8) Vs Neil Jarman (9)/Scott Williams (14)

Wednesday June 15th – Ambrose
The wet weather of last week seemed a distant memory as the field hit off on a beautifully sunny, winter’s morning. The Course had dried out quite a bit but it was still difficult to get any run on the fairways. The day’s results were;
Winners; Kath Jekabsons/Leila Beasley/Wendy Gosden
Nine-hole Comp; Denise O’Meara

Tuesday June 14th – Singles Knock-out Final.
The front nine was a seesawing affair with Pam Drummond picking up holes early and then Elaine Scanlon fighting back to be square at the turn. The back nine were dominated by attacking approach shots which saw Elaine move ahead and eventually record a solid win.

Monday June 13th – Queen’s Birthday Stableford
After another cold night there was frost on some greens and very heavy dew on the others; so a wet course got just a little bit wetter. The wind proved very tricky, moving from the south-west to the north-east and then settling for straight northerly. However, a good field hit-off and enjoyed a bright, if windy round. The scores showed just how challenging the cold air, the flukey wind and the soft fairways made it to return a good score. On a windy, cool but sunny, if challenging winter’s afternoon, the results were;
Winner; Charles Rignall (17) – 35 pts from Andrew Clement (12) – 34 pts.
NTPs – With that wind you have got to be joking!

Saturday June 11th – Qualifying Rd – W. E. Tom 4BBB – Stableford
Well, what do you do? A wet week followed by rain over night and then more rain between 9.00 am and 12.00 pm, well you just tee up and hit off! Players knew that the wet course, the cold air and the gusting south to south-westerly wind was going to make for a very difficult round however three groups did not let these minor concerns upset their afternoon. Four greens were very wet so being able to land close to the hole was vital, again a few groups found no difficulty here but for the mere mortals in the field things were considerably more difficult. On another tough day the results were;
Winners; Shannon Wright (15)/Mick Nicholls Jnr (23) – 45 pts from Les Gaunt (4)/Mal Mottram (12) – 41 pts, John Freestone (19)/Andrew Laing (17) – 39 pts
NTPs; 15th – John Freestone, 16th – Scott Williams
Next Week’s Semi-finals in the W. E. Tom 4BBB will be;
Shannon Wright (2)/Mick Nicholls Jnr (10) Vs Neil Jarman (0)/Scott Williams (5)
Les Gaunt (0)/Mal Mottram (8) Vs John Freestone (15)/Andrew Laing (13)

Wed 8th & Thurs 9th – GolfVic Women’s Par 3 Competition
Romsey’s Sharon Matters headed off to the Golf Victoria two-day Par 3 competition at Kyabram Parklands G. C. and peformed exceptionally well taking out the A Grade Nett with 112. Enjoyed the competition and flew the Romsey flag with great distinction.

Wednesday June 8th – Singles Knock-out Semi Finals & Mulligans – Stableford
A very enthusiastic group of golfers hit off for a cool, overcast round. The cold morning and a very soft course made it difficult to get any distance through the air or once the ball had landed. The days resuts were;
Singles Knock-out semi finals
Pam Drummond D Leila Beasley – Walkover
Elaine Scanlon D Kath Jekabsone – 19th
Next Week’s Final will be;
Elaine Scanlon Vs Pam Drummond
Nine-hole Comp; Jenny Hartey (20) – 14 pts
On Thursday June 2nd Kath Jekabsons, Wendy Gosden and Denise O’Meara travelled to Bacchus Marsh West G. C. to improve their understanding of the game of Irish Sixes.

Sunday June 5th – Romsey Open Day 2 – 24 Hole Stroke
After a wet week and about 10 mm of rain falling over Saturday night the golfers who assembled at 9.00 am were not sure just what to expect from both the course and the weather. Golfers a hardy lot and after about 30 minutes the clouds lifted and the sun shone through. The sun could not dry the course and conditions were very heavy. A detailed report on the Romsey Open can be found here. The day’s results were;
Stroke Handicap
A Grade – Brendan Larkins (Gisborne) – 89 Matt Willis (Mt Macedon) – 89.4
B Grade – Glenn Moore (Mt Macedon) – 116 John Freestone (Romsey) – 93.8
C Grade – Cody Munro (Melton Valley) – 121 Hugh Drummond (Romsey) – 94.8
Best Senior Stroke – Dean Jones (Romsey) – 99
Best Junior Stroke – Reilly McDonald (Strathbogie) – 101
AM Handicap – Mick Prorok (Seymour) – 43.7
PM Handicap – Reilly McDonald – 44.7

Saturday June 4th – Romsey Open Day 1 4BBB pairs
Despite the very wet start to the day and the overcast conditions 26 pairs took to the course on day one of the 35th Romsey Open. The light drizzle soon lifted and the round was played in much more pleasant conditions that expected. A detailed report on the Romsey Open can be found here. The day’s results were;
Mixed Pairs; Sharon & Mick Stomilovic – 39 pts
Women’s Pairs; Kath Jekabsons & Maureen Warrener – 35 pts
Men’s Pairs; Chris vanDerVliet & Sott Williams – 42 pts

Wednesday June 1st – Stableford
The field hit off on a crisp morning. The course was very heavy; players had to work hard to get to the green in regulation and distance through the air was vital to posting a reasonable score. It was wonderful to welcome previous RGC Champions Darlene Baker and Shirley Shelton back for a round. Both commented on the many changes to the course noting that it was a much more challenging layout than in the past. The day’s results were;
Winner; Darlene Baker (33) – 34 pts
Men’s Winner; Hugh Williams (23) 26 pts
Nine Hole Winner; Lorraine Robb (30) – 16 pts

Saturday May 28th – Monthly Medal – Stroke & Putts
The round began under darkening skies with a gusting south-westerly wind and to add to the challenge, before all groups had hit off the skies opened up and steady rain fell for the next 30 minutes. Rain during the week had already softened the fairways and greens so a little extra merely made for a very uncomfortable front nine. We welcomed Glenn and Jarrad Martin from Bacchus Marsh West G. C. for the day, perhaps they wondered, given the weather, if they should have kept on driving and headed home to a warm lounge room. As the round progressed the rain ceased but the wind blew up and to top the afternoon off it poured for the final few holes. It was a day for quality golf; with no run distance through the air and accuracy of length were paramount. The conditions meant is was tough to post a good score, a run of two consecutive pars was seen to be excellent golf. As for the par threes, virtually no-one was able to judge the wind and land on the greens. It was up to one evergreen veteran to lead the way and return the only quality card of the day. On a very wet and windy afternoon the results were;
Winner & May Medalist; Les Gaunt – 77/5/72, what a top round, the conditions made sure there were no other scores worthy of a mention.
NTPs; 15th – Pat Chisholm
Least Putts; Les Gaunt – 26

Wednesday May 25th – Monthly Medal – Stroke & Putts.
The May Medal was contested on a cold, windy morning. Some rain and increasingly heavy dews meant for soft fairways and very receptive greens for all who could pitch accurately. Again the cold air and soft fairways saw all players lose distance off the tee and with their approach shots. As the round progressed it stayed clear but got no warmer. On a chilly morning the results were;
Winner and May Medalist; Elaine Scanlon – 110/30/80 from Wendy Gosden – 108/35/84, Beryl Cole – 108/23/85 & Kath Jekabsons – 108/23/85
Least Putts; Beryl Cole – 30
Nine-hole winner; Jenny Hartley – 60/20/40

Sunday May 22nd – Sponsors’ Day – 12 hole, Three-player Ambrose
A good number of sponsors and their guests turned out for the club’s 2nd Sponsors’ Day. The round began under cloudy skies with a steady north-westerly wind blowing. The sun finally came out and the clouds lifted a little but the morning stayed quite cool. There was some excellent golf played with the highlights of the day being near “Holes-in-One” that only resulted in birdies on the par 3 1st, 8th and 10th. A good morning’s golf was followed by a hearty lunch with Kath’s Apple Crumble for desserts. On a very enjoyable and relaxed morning the results were;
Winners; Kevin/Denise/Jack (Main St Fish n’ Chips) – 51/7/44 from Michael/Dave/Michael (Bendigo Bank) – 50/5.6/44.4 and Tony/Peter/Steve (Flatstick Roofing) – 51/5/5.4/45.6
NTPs; 1st – Michael McCarten, 8th – Bruce Robb and 10th – Steve Wilkins
The proud winners – Kevin Dunn, Denise O’Meara & Jack Evans
2016 RGC Sponsors’ Day Winners

Saturday May 21st – Stableford
An excellent field assembled for the club’s stableford competition. Play began under very cold conditions with an intermittent north-westerly wind blowing. Recent rain and a series of very heavy dews again saw good growth across the course but quite damp fairways, add this to 30 tonne of dolomite being spread during the week and players were allowed to “mark, lift, clean & replace”. The afternoon slowly warmed up but all golfers found the conditions tough, the cold air saw all drives falling short and the soft fairways meant players had to be just right in their club selection or their ball would be well short of the intended target. For the first time in many years we had four juniors playing, this bodes well for the future of the club. Between the wind, the cold air and the soft fairways and greens it was difficult to post a good score. On a challenging day the results were;
Winner; Daniel Wright (7) – 37 pts from Andrew Evans (11) 35 pts & Mick Nicholls Jnr (24) – 35 pts
NTPs; 15th Les Gaunt.

Thursday May 19th – Broadford Open Tournament
Wendy Gosden travelled to Broadford to represent RGC in this Dalhousie District club open. The day deteriorated very quickly and scores reflected the tough conditions.

Wednesday May 18th – 2nd Rd Singles Knock-out
Another strong field hit off in the 2nd round of the 2016 Singles Knock-out championship. The air was cold and the fairways soft so good drives lost distance through the air and stopped almost dead once they landed. The recently dethatched greens showed beautiful, straight lines but had recovered very well and putted very true. As the morning progressed the sun came out and players began to remove the odd layer. The 30 tonne of dolomite was also being spread so the field had to occasionally vacate the fairway as the spreader went on its busy way. Despite the soft conditions scoring was generally good. On a cool, then slightly warmer morning the results were;
Winner; Leila Beasley – 112/36/76 from Kath Jekabsons – 106/28/78
Nine-hole Comp; Lorraine Robb – 54/15/39
Least Putts; Wendy Gosden – 32 C/B from Leila Beasley
Singles Knock-out Semi-finals will be;
Leila Beasley Vs Pam Drummond
Kath Jekabsons Vs Elaine Scanlon

Saturday May 14th – 4BBB Stroke
As the field assembled there were some clarifying questions as to exactly how 4BBB Stroke was scored however things were quickly sorted out and everyone took to the course. The strong northerly wind caused problems for all and the soft fairways saw the odd spot of mud on the ball but no relief was given so players just had to just “tough it out”. Many pairs were able to pick up a birdie here and there before the wind pushed a ball into the rough or a branch leaving very difficult shots to save par. During thr round the sun shone through but the wind grew quite inconsistent and more challenging for all. As the groups finished it became clear that there were some good scores on the board and the clubhouse leaders had a very nervous wait until the final groups came in. On a windy day the results were;
Winners; Dean Jones/Andrew Laing – 75/10/65 from Andrew Evans/Darren Newnham – 77/11/66, Les Gaunt/Keith Hocking – 83/15.5/67.5, Hugh Drummond/Mick Nicholls Snr – 89/21.5/67.5, Tony Freeman/Michael McCarton – 88/19.5/68.5 and Jack Evans/Peter Evans – 94/25.5/68.5
NTPs; 1st – Sherif Abdel-Sayed, 15th – Sherif Abdel-Sayed

Thursday May 12th – Yea Bowl
Lorraine Robb, Pam Drummond and Wendy Gosden represented RGC in the Yea Bowl. The heavy conditions were difficult to master and getting up and over the race track proved a challenge for all. Yea 1 won the Bowl with 96 pts

Wednesday May 11th – 1st Rd Singles Knock-out Stroke & Putts
Play began under darkening skies with a steady south-westerly wind. Light drizzle soon began to fall and players wondered if actually venturing out on the course had been the right decision but the skies lightened (a little) and the drizzle was blown away by a slightly stronger wind and all was well, well as well as could be expected. The fairways were soft but had excellent cover, the greens, a little damp were also in top nick however all had to really commit to a putt or it would end up well short. Balls did not travel far in the cold air and stopped almost immediately once they landed; leaving everyone with quite long approach shots. On a damp and windy morning the results were;
1st Rd Leader; Leila Beasley – 114/36/78 from Elaine Scanlon – 109/31/78 & Kath Jekabsons – 108/28/80
Men’s Comp; Mick Nicholls Jnr – 104/24/80
Nine-hole Comp; Lorraine Robb – 61/15/46
Least Putts; Pam Drummond – 29

Saturday May 7th – Stableford
What a stunning mid autumn day, clear skies, the merest breath of a southerly breeze and a clear sunny sky, what golfer could ask for more? The wind damage of last weekend had been almost cleared leaving only the largest logs to be cut up and dragged to the pile. Despite the light scarifying of some greens earlier in the week the greens were fast and true. The cooler weather and some good rain over the last week resulted in in very green and very soft fairways, again the run of just a month ago had vanished and everyone lost distance off the tee. It was a day of ups and downs with some players scoring in single figures on the front nine before coming home strongly on the back nine. With Royal Romsey is back to her toughest the round ended as a battle of three. On a magnificent day for golf the results were;
Winner; John Laing (28) – 34 pts C/B from Les Gaunt (5) and John Moody (13)
NTPs; 1st – Les Gaunt, 15th – Andrew Laing & 16th – Michael McCarten

Wednesday May 4th – 4BBB RMH Stableford
Players teed off on a cool, crisp morning. The fairways and greens were very green but also very soft. The remains of the damage caused by the heavy winds were just being cleared so golfers had to be careful not to hit their ball into a pile of branches as they were dragged to the big pile. A highlight of the round was a “gobbler” by Leila Beasley on the 10th, difficult to do on such heavy greens. It was a close competition coming down to a 10 m put on the 18th. The day’s results were;
Winners; Kath Jekabsons/Pam Drummond – 33pts from Leila Beasley/Wendy Gosden – 32 pts
Men’s Comp; Hugh Drummond – 28 pts
Nine-hole Comp; Jenny Hartley – 17 pts
At the end of the round the players shared many stories of Lorna Turner who passed away during the week

Sunday May 1st – Pennant Rd 5 – Romsey
The day began with a violent storm that took out the power and brought trees down across the town and the park. A spot of cleaning up, thanks Wilco, recognition that 25mm+ of rain meant “relief to a club length through the green” and all branches etc brought down by the wind were to be treated a “Green Keeper’s Waste” and the competition was away. Soon enough a westerly wind blew up then heavy drizzle fell. The wind and drizzle kept up for about 40 minutes then all cleared up and the afternoon improved markedly. The Mount boys seemed quite used to these conditions and made the best of them to record a clean sweep.
Mt Macedon Vs Trentham – Mt Macedon 7/0
Mt Macedon will now play Woodend in the final on Sun May 11th

Saturday April 30th – Pennant Rd 5 – Trentham
With just four teams in this section there looked to be six rounds needed however the 5th could decide the eventual finalists. Mt Macedon (16 wins) were just about in with the other spot being between Woodend (15.5 wins) and Romsey (12 wins). Trentham G. C. was again in top nick, their greens were especially good. Woodend showed us just why they are really pushing favourites Mt Macedon. Good win to Michael McCarten with John Freestone, Steve Wilkins and Mal Mottram halving their matches.
Romsey Vs Woodend Woodend 4.5/2.5

Saturday April 30th – Monthly Medal – Stroke & Putts
After a warm, sunny week and 10+mm of rain falling on Friday there was good growth across the whole course. The softer fairways saw a “lift, clean & replace” ruling so that golfers did not have to contend with mud on the ball. Early in the round a strong wind blew up, initially from the west but then moving to the north-west and back and forth through the afternoon. The wind and the softer fairways saw many drives short or well off line leaving longer or very difficult approach shots. The greens have continued their improvement however a light detatching earlier in the week saw them a little slower than usual and for the first few holes a number of players found themselves well short of the cup. The strong winds and the softer course made it difficult to”get up and down in regulation”, on another very challenging day when everyone found it difficult to post a good score it was up to one of the club’s veterans to lead the way.
Winner and April Medalist; Les Gaunt – 78/6/72
NTPs; 1st – Anthony Freeman, 15th – Les Gaunt
Least Putts; Anthony Lakey – 26

2016 Australian Amputees Golf Championships – Sandhurst Golf Club.
There were 27 Amputee competitors; three women, one from S.A, one from NSW (the eventual Female Winner) and me, Denise, from Vic. The field was mostly leg amputees, three men were bilateral – both legs missing. While the course was in top condition, a far cry from the parched country clubs many of us came from regretfully, the course and carts made it difficult for the amputees. Bunkering was very heavy, but, worse than that, were the carts. They had been computerised to such an extent that, as soon as a front wheel left fairway, the cursed thing would stop. That was followed by having very large entrances to all greens (an area where the carts were not allowed to travel) many of the players found it physically impossible to walk all the way up to the greens. So, alas, not a very encouraging write up. At least the other competitors’ friendliness made up for it. In fact, one was was featured in the Herald Sun, not for his golf though, for being a returned ANZAC, from recent conflict in Afghanistan where he lost his leg. I have been proud to know him for at over three years. Denise O’Meara – Member RGC

Wednesday April 27th – Monthly Medal – Stroke & Putts
The April Medal field teed off on a warm and very windy morning. The gusting south to south-westerly wind saw balls move in the air and on the greens. While the warm air saw drives often travel well the steady irrigation and some heavy dews meant loss of distance off the tee once a ball landed and the “worm-burner” shots were nowhere near as successful as just a few weeks ago when the course was drying out. The conditions meant for a tough day, the results were;
Winner & April Medalist; Leila Beasley – 122/35/81 from Lyn Robison – 110/28/82
Nine-hole comp; Jenny Hartley – 59/20/39
Least Putts; Wendy Gosden – 32

Sunday April 24th – Pennant Rd 4 – Trentham
What a stunning day for golf; temperature in the low 20s, clear, blue skies, virtually no wind and Trentham in 1st class condition. We were up against Mt Macedon while top team Woodend took on bottom team Trentham, however Trentham at home are always tough. A win would put us back in contention for the final. Sadly another close one but not our way. Good wins to Dave Muller – 4/2, Rob Rea – 2/1 and Mick Nicholls Snr – 6/5.
Romsey Vs Mt Macedon 4/3 Mt Macedon
Woodend Vs Trentham 4.5/2.5 Trentham

Saturday April 23rd – Stableford
With around 13 mm of rain falling on Thursday evening and Friday morning the course was soft and the greens and surrounds were quite wet. No-one was going to bounce up onto a green this week. Light drizzle was falling as the field teed off, this soon lifted and was replaced a strong wind blowing from the south and then moving to the south-west. The wind, and the rain affected fairways, saw many players well short off the tee leaving far longer approach shots than usual, however everyone could fire directly at the flag safe in the knowledge that the greens would hold. Recent repair works to the 5th green saw one section taped off with drop zones equidistant from the cup, apart from this all greens putted very true. It again great to welcome back another long term ex-member, Gary Watts. Gary was down for the weekend from Sydney and his observations of the many changes to the course were much appreciated. Won the meat tray as well! On a very windy day the results were;
Winner; Gary Watts (13) – 41 pts from Pat Chisholm (10) – 40 pts and Les gaunt (6) – 37 pts
NTPs; 15th – Gary Watts

Wednesday April 20th – Stroke & Putts – 2nd Rd Silver Spoon & Mona McLeod Broach
Players hit-off on a fine, sunny, morning with just a gentle breeze from the south-east. As the round progressed the temperature rose steadily into the mid 20s. There were also plenty of green fees golfers out for a hit, taking advantage of both the beautiful day and our steadily improving course. The day’s results were;
Winner; Kath Jekabsons – 106/28/78 from Leila Beasley – 116/35/81
Least Putts; Lyn Robison – 31
9-hole Winner; Jenny Hartley – 60/20/40
Mens’ Comp; Hugh Drummond (21) 34 pts from Bruce Robb (29) & Hugh Williams (22) 31 pts

Sunday April 16th – Pennant Rd 1 – Mt Macedon
The 2nd successive week where we played the home team, another tough assignment. The day was warm but a wind blew up by mid round causing more than a few problems for all players and the hard fairways saw many players through the corner facing a difficult approach shot to get “up and down” in regulation. Good wins to Dave Muller 2/1, Mick Nicholls (Jnr) 1 up and Ron Walker 5/3
Trentham Vs Woodend Woodend – 4.5/2.5
Romsey Vs Mt Macedon Mt Macedon – 4/3

Saturday April 16th – 4B Aggregate Stableford
With a bowls competition on the golfers were out in the “Green Shed”. A bit of work moving things around, sweeping up and then sorting out chairs and tables and all was OK, somewhat reminiscent of the “Old Days” when the golfers spent all summer in the “Green Shed”. The round began under still, clear skies but after a few holes the weather changed and mizzle blew acrossthe course from the south-west. Players also had to contend with gusting winds that blew up suddenly then fell back to just strong enough to move the mist. The cold air, the mist and the winds saw all players revising their club selection and those who got it right were able to score well. The 4B Aggregate Stableford format allows both team and individual scores to count and with randomly selected teams there were no favourites expected to take out the day. As the last teams came in everyone was in the “shed” enjoying a quiet drink and a warm snag. A generator and a flourescent light made sure everyone could find their way around. On a very enjoyable, if cold and damp day, the results were;
Team Winners; Les Gaunt (6)/Keith Hocking (27) – 75 pts
Individuals; Michael McCarten (16) – 38 pts, Keith Hocking (27) – 38 pts & Les Gaunt (6) – 37 pts
NTPs – 1st – Darren Newnham, 15th – Les Gaunt

Wednesday April 13th – Stableford
The field took to the course on a cool, slightly overcast morning. However conditions soon changed, as the sun came out the morning warmed and the jumpers and vests came off. The golf was not quite so hot. On another beautiful day to be walking around the Park chasing a little white ball the results were;
Winner; Wendy Gosden (34) – 31 pts C/B from Pam Drummond (25)
with Kath Jekabsons (28) 29 pts
Best Nine In – Wendy Gosden – 20 pts

Sunday April 10th – Pennant Rd 2 – Woodend
Another spanking day for golf, only a slight breeze, clear, sunny skies and the Woodend course in top condition. Still, it was always going to be a tough challenge playing Woodend at Woodend. Good wins to Dave Muller 1 up and Steve Wilkins 2/1
Mt Macedon Vs Trentham Mt Macedon – 4.5/2.5
Romsey Vs Woodend Woodend – 5/2
Saturday April 9th – Stroke
The stroke field teed off in top conditions; clear sunny skies, only the occasional zephyr from the south-west, soft fairways and excellent greens. We welcomed back 2005 & 2009 RGC Club Champion Mat Thornton for his first round at Romsey for over four years, it was also great to hear his comments on the course after a four year absence. Recent improvement to the greens mower have seen the greens more true and quicker so a number of players found themselves rolling well passed the cup or even putting off the green, the day’s winner five putted the 7th! Despite the good conditions it was difficult to return a good score; many players found themselves short with their approach shots leaving difficult chips or pitches to “get up and down”. On a beautiful autumn day the results were;
Winner; Steve Wilkins – 84/17/67 from Mick Nicholls Jnr – 96/24/72,
Andrew Laing – 90/17/73 & Mat Thornton – 79/6/73
NTPs; 15th – Mat Thornton & 16th – Andrew Laing

Thursday April 7th – Romsey Challenge Bowl
It was a wonderful day for golf, still, clear and sunny with a temperature in the low 20s and the course in excellent condition. It is mid autumn and when you combine a few heavy dews, some good rain on Wednesday and regular irrigation using re-cycled water any golf course should be looking pretty good. The fairways generally had good cover and the greens and surrounds were in top nick; all players knew they would usually get a good lie on the fairways and that the greens would hold and putt very true. Sixteen teams from thirteen clubs contested the 23rd Romsey Challenge Cup, a team stableford event. A number of players found their “chip and run” game, so important on dry courses, was not going to help card a quality score and had to quickly reappraise how they were going to play the round. A few others who had played some of the nine-hole “Chicken Run” social golf on Friday nights at Romsey knew the course well and were better able to handle the conditions and come in with a good score. As the round progressed it grew tighter and tighter at the top of the leaderboard. In the end a number of count-backs were required to separate various team and grade winners. On a beautiful day the results were;
2016 Romsey Challenge Cup Winners; Trentham – 96 pts; Mary Bysouth (33) – 30 pts, Mary Campbell (17) – 33 pts & Rhonda Bradley (23) 33 pts C/B from Seymour; Ricky Rickman (12) 29 pts, Sue McCall (14) 33 pts & Glenda Woods (12) 34 pts
A Grade Winner; Glenda Woods (12) 34 pts
B Grade Winner; Rhonda Bradley (23) 33 pts
C Grade Winner; Margaret Blair (Marysville – 35) 32 pts C/B from Carole Mee (Lancefield – 30)
NTPs; 3rd – Sonja Schuerman (Woodlands), 15th – Vicky Clements (Yea)
RGC women’s captain Lorraine Robb thanked all who had worked so hard to get the course to such a high standard, those who had prepared and served lunch and the sponsors of the event Beau Warrener from MTM Golf Clubs, Blooming Produce and Romsey Pharmacy. Club events would not be able to go ahead without the very generous support of these local companies.
Virginia Newell and Beau Warrener with the 2016 winners – Mary Bysouth, Mary Campbell & Rhonda Bradley
RGC 2016 Challenge Bowl winners
Wednesday April 6th
Heavy rain washed out the round.

Sunday April 3rd – Pennant Rd 3 – Romsey
A really tough day, conditions were good and the course was in top condition. The Trentham boys got away to good starts and it was up to RGC to claw back as best they could. It was a real challenge but we were able to pull out a great 4/3 win. Good wins to Les Gaunt; 1 up, Dave Muller; 2 up, Rob Rea; 2/1 up and Ron Walker; 7/6 up.
Mt Macedon Vs Woodend All square – 3.5/3.5
Romsey Vs Trentham Romsey – 4/3

Saturday April 2nd – Algie Mitchell Final & Par
The round began with a gusting south-westerly wind, this quickly moved back to the south and caused problems for the whole field for the remainder of the competition; balls veered violently off course in the air, dropped well short and some even deviated on the greens. The cooler weather and some heavy dews had produced more growth on the fairways but the ongoing effects of the hot, dry summer still saw many bare patches so relief, on the fairway played, was given. Whilst many players had runs of good holes few could hold it together for the full 18. In the end it was again down to two of the club’s veterans to fight it out for the day’s honours. The club also welcomed two new juniors, Jack Evans and Luke Newnham. On a windy day the results were;
Winner; Les Gaunt (7) +2 C/B from Peter Scanlon (28), John Laing (29) +1, Ron Walker (23) & Michael McCarten (16) Square.
NTPs; 1st Peter Scanlon, 15th – John Moody & 16th – Jack Evans
Algie Mitchell Final Results;
Scott Williams – Walkover
RGC Captain Tony Freeman with 2016 Algie Mitchell Shield winner Scott Williams
Algie Mitchell Presentation 2016
Wednesday March 30th – Stableford
Play began on the first cool morning for many months. It was good to welcome Betty from NZ, past secretary Jenny and new player Elizabeth. The morning’s results were;
Winner; Sharon Matthers (17) 34 pts from Leila Beasley (35) 32 pts
Secret Nine; Sharon 18 pts from Kath Jekabsons (17 pts
Nine-hole comp; Jenny Hartley 20) – 18 pts from Noreen Yorke
Men’s Comp; Bruce Robb (29) – 37 pts from Hugh Williams.

Saturday March 26th – Monthly Medal – Stroke & Putts
Heavy mist verging on drizzle surrounded the rooms as the field gathered for the March Medal. The very recent death of member, Steve Poulton, made for a very somber mood in the rooms. As the players took to the course, the mist/drizzle dried, the sun poked out every now and then and there was a steady breeze from the south-south west. The results of the recent rains and heavy dews could be seen across the whole course with large green areas on every fairway and plenty of new shoots showing on the barer patches. The cool air, breeze and soft fairways meant all players lost distance off the tee and approach shots had to be accurate, no landing short and bouncing on to the green. During the round the low markers really came to the fore, consistent driving and top quality short games saved many a par. In the end it was a battle between two of the club’s best golfers with one claiming his 1st Monthly Medal at Romsey in over 25 years. The day also saw 2015 Dalhousie District Golf Association Junior I. P. Mein winner Michael McCarten presented with his award. On a very sad day the results were;
Winner & March Medalist; Dean Jones – 71/3/68 from Les Gaunt – 77/7/70, Mal Mottram – 84/13/71, Mick Nicholls (Jnr) – 96/25/71, John Moody – 85/13/72, Scott Williams – 90/18/72 & Pat Chisholm – 82/10/72
NTPs; 1st – Dean Jones, 15th – Scott Williams, 16th – Dave Muller
Least Putts; Daniel Wright 25. Daniel’s round was 74/7/67.
RGC Captain Tony Freeman with extremely happy March Medalist Dean Jones.
March Medal – Romsey Golf Club
Wednesday March 23rd – Nine Hole Stroke
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Saturday March 19th – Semi-finals Algie Mitchell & Stroke
Another interesting week, beginning with hot dry days and ending with cooler, quite wet weather over Friday and Saturday morning. The remaining semi-final of the Algie Mitchell and the stroke field found it tough going with soft, wet fairways and greens where balls landed and stayed put. To add to challenges of the round a strong wind blew up, initially from the north-west before moving around to the north-east. The cold air and blustery wind effected all players to the point where only two of the field actually hit one of the three par threes. In the end the Algie Mitchell semi-final went right down to the last hole where a slightly off-line putt brought a smile to one face and frown of chargin to another. The stroke field found also difficult to post a good score with only one player breaking his handicap. On another testing day the results were;
Winner; Scott Williams – 90/19/71 from John Moody – 86/13/73
NTPs; 1st – Scott Williams
Algie Mitchell Semi-final results
Scott Williams (0) D Bruce Robb (10) 2 up (Played earlier in the week)
Steve Poulton (1) D Mick Nicholls Jnr (0) 1 up
The Algie Mitchell Final will be played on Saturday April 2nd
Steve Poulton (7) Vs Scott Williams (0)

Wednesday March 16th – Stroke & Putts 1st Rd Silver Spoon & Mona McLeod Broach
A still, warm morning for the 1st Romsey G. C. round of these two state-wide competitions. The rain of last week and two very heavy dews had kicked the green tinge on and there was new growth all over the course, sadly much of it way too young to affect the golf. The warm air saw good distance off the tee but the softer fairways soon pulled balls up. Again, the good surrounds and true greens saw many players salvage a useful score from off the green. The day’s results were;
Winner; Lorraine Robb – 103/31/75 from Leila Beasley – 111/35/76
Least putts; Kath Jekabsons – 30
Nine-hole winner; Jenny Hartley

Saturday March 12th – Algie Mitchell Quarter Finals & Stableford.
After three days of high 30sC to low 40sC the 15 – 20 mm of rain on Thursday was a very pleasant relief. The rain and the lower temperatures meant the course had softened a deal and players were able to get under the ball more easily, players also found the fairways bounced more truly but the cool air and the rain meant shots pulled much more quickly. The afternoon was one of change, a cool southerly wind was followed by still, muggy periods making it quite difficult to get into a consistent rhythm. Despite the changing conditions a number of players were able to put together consistent rounds, there were also a number who had wonderful front or back nines but who could not keep it together for the full 18 holes. The day also saw the quarter finals of the Algie Mitchell Singles Knock-out. The day’s results were;
Winner; Sherif Abdel-Sayed (19) 41 pts C/B Mal Mottram (13) 41 pts, John Laing (30) 40 pts, John Moody (13)38 pts, Shannon Wright (15) 37 pts & Hugh Drummond (21) 37 pts
NTPs; 1st – Mal Mottram, 15th – John Moody & 16th – Kevin Dunn

Algie Mitchell Quarter-final Results;
Steve Poulton (0) D Keith Hocking (1) – 5/4
John Freestone (0) L Mick Nicholls Jnr (6) – 7/6
Scott Williams (7) D Dave Muller (0) – 4/3
Bruce Robb (0) D Peter Scanlon (2) 2/1
The semi-finals will be
Steve Poulton (0) Vs Mick Nicholls Jnr (0)
Scott Williams (0) Vs Bruce Robb (10)

Wednesday March 9th – Doris Chambers Foursomes.
A good field teed off in the Doris Chambers Foursomes on another very warm, muggy morning. However the cloud cover kept much of the sun off the players and the occasional puff of south-easterly breeze cooled everyone down. The winners go on to represent RGC in the Dalhousie Final. Results were;
Winners; Pam Drummond/Kath Jekabsons (27) – 40 pts from Elaine Scanlon/Leila Beasley (32) 35 pts
Nine Hole Winner; Lorraine Robb (31) – 19 pts from Jenny Hartley (39) – 15 pts
Men’s Comp; Bruce Robb (29) 34 pts from Hugh Williams (23) – 33 pts.

Saturday March 5th – Stroke – Qualifying Round – Algie Mitchell Singles Knock-out
The Algie Mitchell singles knock-out is the club’s oldest shield, its format gives the club good chance to practice for the match-play of the upcoming Dalhousie District pennant golf season. Yet another hot, dry day, plenty of distance through the air and plenty of run on the fairways so golfers had to reappraise their normal club selection. Bob McLennan set the early pace with a one over the card 37 on the front however a number of others were still in the hunt. As the round wore on a bad putt here or a poorly directed pitch saw some fall players drop away from the lead whilst others scored well to be in contention. In the end, after a tough 18 holes, three players were tied leading to a three way count-back. On a trying day the results were;
Winner; Steve Poulton – 94/26/68 C/B from Bob McLennan – 80/12/68 & Scott Williams – 87/19/68. Other good rounds came from Mick Nicholls Jnr – 94/25/69, Peter Scanlon – 98/28/70, Bruce Robb – 100/29/71, John Freestone – 90/19/71 & Dave Muller – 86/14/72.
Women’s winner; Pam Drummond – 95/27/68
NTPs; 15th – Keith Hocking, 16th Les Gaunt

Wednesday March 2nd – Ambrose – Guest Day
Another challenging morning, hot, winds and no cloud cover yet this hardy bunch were knocking on the door at 9.00 am looking for the chance to tee-off. Given the conditions it was decided to reduce the round to a nine-hole competition closely followed by a relaxed lunch in the very cool rooms. The men who were playing took this as a challenge and decided to complete, if in a cart, the full 18 holes. Their scores, whilst not pretty, allowed them to see a great deal of the course, often areas not seen by golfers for over 50 years. On another hot, dry day the results were;
Winners; Kath Jekabsons/Pam Drummond – 40/6.88/34.12 from Leila Beasley/Jenny Hartley – 44/9.25/43.75
Men’s Winner; Travel, Bruce and Hugh enjoyed their expedition around Romsey Park

Saturday February 27th – Pt 2, Rd 4 Flatstick Summer Cup – Monthly Medal – Stroke & Putts
The on-going dry and high temperatures had sucked more of the moisture out of the fairway leaving them hard and dry however the greens and immediate surrounds were still in very good condition. A steady southerly wind blew up as players hit-off this wind moved to the west and then back to the south causing some problems for almost all players. The hard fairways and hot, dry air saw the whole field driving much further down the fairways than expected. We welcomed back professional golfer (European Tour) Danny Gaunt, the 1994/95 RGC champion for his first round at Romsey for seven years. Danny noticed a number of improvements across the course but was amazed by how small the greens were and the increased number of young and semi-mature trees across the course. As the round progressed many players scored very well but only a few were able to put together 18 good holes. On a sunny day the results were;
Winner & February Medalist; Mick Nicholls (Snr) – 88/22/66 from Bob McLennan – 79/10/69, Scott Williams – 88/19/69, Ron Walker – 94/23/71 & Shannon Wright – 86/15/71. Danny returned an excellent 68/+5/73 (not a bad round, especially with those small greens!)
Women’s Winner; Pam Drummond – 93/27/66 from Lyn Robison – 101/28/73
NTPs; 1st Mick Nicholls Snr, 15th – Pam Drumond & 16th – Bob McLennan
Least Putts; Kevin Dunn – 27 C/B from John Freestone & Shannon Wright
RGC Capt Tony Freeman, Danny Gaunt, Les Gaunt & RCG Pres Anthony Lakey
DannyTwigFeb16
Wednesday February 24th – Pt 1, Rd 4 Flatstick Summer Cup – Monthly Medal – Stroke & Putts
A smaller group of hardened players teed off on a very hot, dry day. The wind blew in from the west to north-west further drying out the course and the air so everyone who put the ball on to the fairway picked up extra distance. The greens were again consistent and they, and the surrounds, had survived two days of mid to high 30sC reasonably well. The nine-holers were again out on the course but an early finish was much appreciated. On a difficult day the results were;
Winner and February Medalist; Lorraine Robb – 101/32/69 from Leila Beasley – 108/35/73
Least Putts; Loraine Robb – 31
Nine-hole winner; Jenny Hartley – 54/23/31

Sunday February 21st – RFL Charity Golf Day – 4 Player, 12 Holes Ambrose
It was a very rambunctious group who assembled for the 2016 Relay For Life (RFL) Charity Golf day at Romsey on Sunday 21st. There was much hilarity as teams checked out each others’ uniforms, discussed the unfairness of the handicapping system and enjoyed a cuppa and a biscuit before they hit off. Some members of the field challenged their handicap demanding that their team’s be recalculated, alas all to no avail. The shot-gun start got everyone underway just after 10.00 am and shouts of jubilation or anguish echoed across the course and eagles or birdies fell or balls, just rolled passed the cup. Romsey captain, Tony Freeman accompanied by wife Trish, made sure everyone had access to a cold drink or a chocolate bar before they finished their round and headed to the rooms for a very relaxed lunch. The day was run by RFL team “Puddles’ team” and all told they raised $1,718.00 for the 2016 Lancefield/Macedon Ranges RFL. Club President Anthony Lakey and Vice President Kevin Dunn presented the prizes. On a very relaxed and enjoyable day the results were;
Winners; Executives – Andrew Clement, Kevin Dunn, Bruce Robb & Neil Jarman – 41/6.25/34.75 from Flatstick – Shannon Wright, Mick Nicholls Jnr, Daniel Wright & Ethan – 41/6.13/34.87 C/B from Robb & Co – Wayne Robb, Paul Green, Phil & Lorraine Robb – 43/8.13/34.87
Best Uniform; Worm Burners 0 Jan, Sally, Beryl & Lisa. (Look out Village People!!)
NAGA – Old Farts – Laurie, Robbie, Bob & Glenn
Straightest Drive 4th – Men – Laurie Armistead, Women – Helen Dennett
NTPs – 1st – Daniel Wright, 3rd – Beryl Cole, 8th – Andrew Clement & Pam Drummod, 9th – Liz Johnston, 10th – Don Dennett & Lisa O
2016 RFL Charity Golf Day Winners – The Executives.
2016 RGC Charity Golf Day winners
2016 RFL Charity Golf Day Runners-Up – “Flatstick”
2016 RFL Charity Golf Day Runners-up
2016 RFL Charity Golf Day – Best Uniform – Worm Burners
2016 RFL Charity Golf Day – Best Uniform
Saturday February 20th – Pt 2, Rd 3 Flatstick Summer Cup – Stableford
A strong southerly wind was blowing as players teed off in part two of the 3rd round of the 2016 Flatstick Roofing Summer Cup. The drizzle of the previous night had quickly disappeared and the fairways were again hard, giving good run. The greens and surrounds were in top nick and all players who attacked the flag knew that balls would bounce true. The greens had consistent speed and generally putted very true. During the round the wind shifted to the south-west with some gusts moving balls both in the air and on the greens. On a sunny afternoon the results were;
Winner; John Freestone (20) – 42 pts from Mick Nicholls Jnr (26) – 39 pts, Steve Poulton (26) 39 pts, Mal Mottram (13) 37 pts, John Laing (30) 37 pts & Jim Patton (20) 36 pts
Women’s Winner ; Lyn Robison – (30 0 43 pts
NTPs; 15th – Bruce Robb, 16th – Tony Freeman
Straight Drive 4th; Mick Nicholls Jnr.

Wednesday February 17th – Pt 1, Rd 3 Flatstick Summer Cup – Stableford
Some cooler weather attracted a larger field who hit off on a still, slightly overcast morning. The fairways again provided excellent run so everyone was pleasantly surprised by the length of their drives. The greens continue their recovery from our Little Corellas with only occasional damage now. On a still, cool morning a number of players took advantage of the conditions to return an excellent score. The results were;
18 Hole Winner; Lyn Robison (30) – 37 Pts C/B from Lorraine Robb ( 32)
9 Hole Winner; Jenny Hartley (45) – 16 pts from Noreen Yorke (45) – 14 pts

Saturday February 13th – Pt 2, Rd 2 – “Flatstick Roofing” Summer Cup – Stroke
Players teed off on a day where the temperature moved into the mid 30’s and a southerly wind kicked up dust and blew leaves across the whole course. The fairways continued to bounce true however the drier conditions saw some drives travel much further than expected leaving difficult approach shots, or no approach shot at all. The wind and the extra carry caused many players to rethink their usual club selections however balls that landed on or near the greens usually held leaving good putts and reasonable chips. Whilst the day’s weather made for a difficult round a number of players were able to handle the conditions and card a good score. On a challenging day the results were;
Winner; Steve Poulton- 97/27/70 C/B from Mick Nicholls (Snr) – 92/22/70 with John Freestone – 92/20/72, Les Gaunt – 78/6/72 & John Laing; 103/30/73
NTPs; 1st – John Freestone, 15th – John Freestone & 16th – Les Gaunt.

Wednesday February 10th – Pt 1, Rd 2 – “Flatstick Roofing” Summer Cup – Stroke
Another warm morning with almost no wind. A number of the 9-holers were so enthused that they decided to take on the full 18 holes. Fairways, whilst greenish, were firm but the greens and surrounds were again in top condition showing only the occasional signs of a visit by the remnants of the Little Corella flock. Older damaged areas were recovering well. On a relaxed morning the results were;
Winner; Lorraine Robb -104/32/72 from Leila Beasley – 108/35/73 & Pam Drummond – 102/29/73
9-Hole Winner; Jenny Hartley – 56/23/33 from Noreen Yorke – 60/23/37
Least Putts; Mick Nicholls (Jnr) – 24

Sat February 6th – Pt 2, Rd 1 – “Flatstick Roofing” Summer Cup – Par
Over the years Par has often been viewed as the least attractive game of golf, subsequently drawing fewer golfers however this time a good field hit off on a warm to hot afternoon. As the round progressed a gently southerly breeze helped keep players cool, later on the wind moved to to the east. The fairways were again quite firm but generally had good cover; all players got good value for their drives. The greens had survived the attention of the Little Corellas and the bare areas covering their diggings were beginning to show signs of new growth. The recent rains and the gradual corrections to the greens’ sprinklers saw all surrounds in their best condition for many years. A number of players had excellent rounds and there were a quite a few early “winners” as the cards came in. So on quite a warm afternoon, with some pretty hot golf, the results were;
Men’s Winner; Pat Chisholm (10) +5 C/B from Mick Nicholls Jnr (27) +5 from Les Gaunt (6) +4, John Freestone (20) +2, Anthony Freeman (20) + 2 & Hugh Drummond (21) +2
Women’s Winner; Pam Drummond (30) +3
NTP;s 1st -Mal Mottram, 15th – Steve Poulton & 16th – Anthony Lakey

Wed February 3rd – Pt 1, Rd 1 – “Flatstick Roofing” Summer Cup – Par
The 1st round of the 2016 Summer Cup saw light rain fall for almost the whole round making club grips slippery and providing some extra challenges when putting. The course has held up well considering the regular amounts of rain that have fallen over the past few weeks; more than a good good tinge of green has crept into the rough and the many young trees and bushes have had a new burst of growth. On a cool, wet morning the results were;
Winner; Beryl Cole (21) -5 from Lorraine Robb (35) -6
Nine hole stroke winner; Jenny Hartley – 58/23/35

Saturday January 30th – Men & Women -Monthly Medal – Stroke & Putts
More steady rain during the week again softened the fairways and greens, so whilst everyone lost distance off the tee players who were game enough to fire directly at the flag, gave themselves a good chance of returning an excellent score. The field teed off with a soft SSE breeze blowing across the course on a beautiful 23C afternoon. The round was made all the more interesting as, for the 1st time, the women were also playing their Monthly Medal. The greens again putted very true and all who struck their ball firmly were rewarded. It is hoped that the recent rain over virtually all of the state will give our Little Corellas a few more options and they may well move on to greener fields. On a lovely afternoon the results were;
Winner & Men’s January Medalist; Rob Rea – 86/17/69 from Les Gaunt – 77/6/71, Mal Mottram – 85/14/71 & John Laing – 102/30/71
Winner & Women’s January Medalist; Lyn Robison – 100/31/69.
NTP; 15th – Scott Williams
Least Putts; Men – Pat Chisholm – 26. Women – Lyn Robison – 27

Wednesday January 27th – 4Ball Aggregate Stableford
A hearty group assembled for Wednesday’s round of 4B Aggregate Stableford but with heavy storms predicted and the sky darkening there was some discussion as to whether to venture out on to the course at all! In the end it was decided to reduce the round to nine holes, play the usual Stableford and just “get out there and give it a go”. As luck would have it the rain held off and everyone got back to the rooms dry. The day’s results were;
Winner; Jenny Hartley (45) – 18 pts from Leila Beasley (35) – 17 pts

Saturday January 23rd – Stableford
Some soaking rain over Thursday and Friday again helped the course recover from the very hot, dry weather earlier in the week. The afternoon’s temperature just got into the mid 20s but the previous days’ rain meant a very cloudy, humid round, however the steady S to SE breeze did make for slightly better conditions. There was still good cover on the fairways and the greens had softened so well hit wedges stuck but anything short stayed short leaving some tricky chips to the flag. On another enjoyable afternoon the results were;
Winner; Chris vanDerVliet (26) – 39 pts from Keith Hocking (28) – 38 pts and Mick Nicholls Jnr (27) – 37 pts
NTPs; 15th – John Moody and 16th – John Freestone
A highlight of this week’s Twilight Golf was a hole-in-one by Mick Nicholls Snr. Mick achieved this on the 110m, par 3 10th (Old Course)

Wednesday January 20th – Stroke
After some very “up and down” weather Wednesday turned out to be a much better day for golf. It was great to welcome back ’99 and ’02 club champion, Darlene Baker, for a round at a very different Romsey Golf Course. The day’s results were;
18 Hole Winner; Beryl Cole – 93/21/72, Beryl also won the least putts – 28 and to cap off a great day she had three “gobblers”
9 Hole Winner; Leila Beasley 56/17.5/38.5

Saturday January 16th – Guest Day – Ambrose
Three days of temperatures ranging from the high 30s to low the 40s saw all of Romsey Park beginning to wilt so everyone was certainly very happy to hear some rain very early on Thursday morning. With a much cooler Thursday and Friday the re-cycled water gave the course a chance to recover. A slight southerly breeze, clear skies and a top temperature of 26C made for an enjoyable round. Guest days always bring some surprises and this one was no exception. Guests from Lancefield, Broadford, Kilmore, Horsham and Corowa joined the locals for both an interesting and challenging round. The small greens and narrow fairways caught many out but most teams were able to “get up and down” on a regular basis. The course echoed with cries of delight or anguish as birdies or eagles were made or just missed and there was much good natured banter as teams passed. As was to be expected only the best of scores was going to win the day. On a relaxed afternoon the results were;
Winners; Jim Patton, Nick Patton, Pat Chisholm – 67/9.5/57.5 from Steve Poulton, Scott Williams, Bob Dwyer – 72/12.5/59.5
NTPs; 1st Scott Williams, 15th Peter Scanlon & 16th – John Freestone

Saturday January 9th – 4 Ball Multiplier Stableford
After a much cooler week there was a green tinge across the fairways and the greens showed good growth. The Little Corellas had again been at work but our reflective tape seems to have reduced the size and number of the holes they dig on the greens. However, across the course, they have virtually scarified some areas of the rough and fairways. The field hit off on a still, warm afternoon, there was plenty of run on the fairways and the greens both held well and putted truly so good scores were to be expected. The multiplier format requires each player to score on a hole or the team result is a 0. Good luck favoured some teams when both players recorded fours on a hole for a team score of 16. Early on the result looked “cut and dried” with the veterans Scanlon/Laing carding an excellent 85 pts but late in the day a second team came in with a slightly score. On a very enjoyable day the result were;
Team’s Winners; Chris vanDerVliet (26)/Keith Hocking (28) – 90 pts from Peter Scanlon (28)/John Laing (30) – 85pts
Individual Winners; Peter Scanlon (28) – 40 pts from Chris vanDerVliet (26) – 39 pts, John Laing (30) – 38 pts and Scott Wiliams (20) – 38 pts
NTPs: 15th – Anthony Lakey and 16th – John Laing.

Saturday January 2nd – (December) Monthly Medal – Stroke & Putts
A strong field hit off in the December Medal (played in January as its due date would have been Boxing Day). Whilst the skies were fairly clear and the temperature did not get above 26C players faced a gusting wind which moved from SW to Sth causing havoc with many balls in the air and even some on the greens. The ongoing hot, dry weather had taken a considerable amount of moisture out of the fairways so everyone got excellent value off the tee. The greens were very responsive to well played high iron shots so all golfers could shoot at the flag confident that their ball would hold. Early in the round a number of players scored well under their handicaps, it was just a matter of time to see who could maintain that standard for 18 holes. In the end one player not only maintained that high standard, he played well above it. On a very windy day the results were;
Winner & December Medalist; Pat Chisholm – 76/11/65 from Mick Nicholls (Snr) 91/23/68, Anthony Lakey – 90/21/69, Chris vanDerVliet – 96/27/69 & John Laing – 102/30/72
NTPs; 15th – Steve Poulton
Least Putts; – Pat Chisholm – 21

Friday January 1st – Stableford
The New Year’s Day Stableford drew good field, including some visitors from neighbouring clubs. Play began under overcast skies with a steady southerly breeze, the breeze kept the day’s temperature a little below the expected 31C. The last 10 days heat and steady winds had sucked a deal of life out of the fairways but there was still good cover. The greens have recovered well from the searing heat and the burning northerly winds and generally putted quite true. Most golfers got away to a good start but as the round progressed errant drives and fluffed chips saw many fall away. On a pleasant afternoon the results were;
Winner; Michael McCarten (16) 41 pts from Anthony Lakey (21) 38 pts and Mick Nicholls Snr (23) 37 pts
NTPs; 1st – Bob McLennan, 15th – Bob McLennan & 16th – Anthony Lakey