And still the glorious weather rolls on. Who says Wellington never has a Spring. We could do with some rain though.
This Weekend’s Events
Tomorrow our women’s Saturday Club are playing White Tee Stableford while for men it is their last chance to earn a Monthly Medal this year, and to qualify for the play off for the Top Dog trophy to be played on Saturday 9th December. The Medal will be played in 2 divisions, with the lower handicappers off the blue tees and the higher handicappers off the whites, but the Top Dog trophy will be played off the white tees for everyone. Only $5 to enter and it doubles as a Best Nett shop scramble.
On Sunday it is the Tim McCrone memorial tournament, being put on by the family and friends of former member Tim McCrone. This is always a fun event which will tee off by a shot gun start off the front 9 at 12.30 – its not too late to enter – either add your name to the start sheet on the downstairs notice board or ring/email the club.
Other Upcoming Events
We really are into the business end of the year, with the following events still to come:
Saturday 25th November the Murray Halberg Day being organised by the Eagles Society, open to all members and always a fun day plus it help raise funds for the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation whose mission is to enhance the lives of physically disabled New Zealanders by enabling them to participate in sport and recreation. A flyer and entry sheet is on the notice board in the downstairs foyer, or ring/email the club.
Saturday 2nd December AGM followed by disc draw golf tournament
Sunday 3rd December men’s Shoot Out final
Saturday 9th December Women’s Club closing day and men’s Top Dog playoff
Saturday 16th December Club Closing Day, beginning with breakfast followed by a fun Irish foursomes tournament.
AGM Saturday 2nd December
Our Annual General Meeting on Saturday 2nd December beginning at 9.30am in the club house lounge is your chance to input to the future of the Club. Please set aside this date now, and please also consider making yourself available to stand for the Committee. Although we have managed very well this year with a small but hard working and dedicated committee, we would really appreciate some additional resource to help share the workload and to increase what we can do. Also, any Notices of Motion for the AGM need to be posted on the notice board by the end of next week.
Congratulations Matt
Our Course Superintendent, Matt Spraggs, is getting married this weekend. He was meant to be on leave this week preparing for his big day but he snuck out on Wednesday to spray the greens and yesterday to help repair a mower. Matt has done a terrific job since taking over from Scotty, as was evidenced by the fabulous condition he and his team presented the course for last Saturday’s City of Wellington tournament, and we wish him and his fiancé Grace all the very best for their wedding and future life together. Congratulations Matt, have a great wedding and a well deserved honeymoon.
Matt with wedding present from the club at the CoW.
Prodrive City of Wellington Tournament
Well, what a great day it was last Saturday. Almost 90 golfers teed off at 8.30am on a beautifully fine morning on a fantastically presented course but which was playing surprisingly difficult, given its perfect condition. Despite this, everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy their outing, with free liquid refreshments provided by Terry Bastion on the 10th tee to accompany the barbeque sponsored by Erich Bucher’s company Haus. The visitors from other clubs were very complimentary of how well the event was run – a testament to all the prework put in by the Committee and numerous volunteers – and on how well the course was presented, which for some was the first time they had played on it. A big thank you to everyone who was involved in preparing the venue and the event, we can be very proud of a club that is building a reputation as the friendliest and best presented country course in the district.
The winner of the CoW trophy, with a gross score of 72, was Peter Spearman-Burn, a previous winner from the Miramar club, just pipping out our head green keeper Matt who went round in 73. This was another fine effort from Matt, especially considering he had mown the greens prior to play.
Harcourts Twilight Thursday 16th November
Another fine night for Twilight this week with 24 golfers competing for the prize money. A close competition with our ladies dominating the leaderboard. The winner was Brigitte Boenisch-Brednich on 23 points ($20) and Jo Hurst on 22 points ($15). Third equal went to Gail Kirkland, Matt Harvey, Hank Rood and Sally Combly on 21 points ($10). Also in the money was Marg McCarthy on 20 points ($5). The consolation prize was taken out by Doug Calhoun, and Geoff Lee scored a fine 2.
All members and guests are welcome - tee off between 4.30pm and 5.30pm every Thursday night. Wayne & Tim
Wednesday Club
Wednesday Club Results for 15th November:
What a day, Summer is really here!!!! It looks as though there’s a succession of “Highs’ drifting across the Tasman from OZ so a spell of warm dry weather is in store!
The hardening fairways are running fast as are the greens not at all like some three or four weeks ago! Anyway 33 keen golfers entered the Wednesday Par competition and the winner on the day by count back was Derek Fitzgibbon on +2 from Satish Chandra. Seven others all on +1 were all awarded Golf Balls, as were those scoring “Twos”, Jack Webb on the 13th, Satish Chandra and Jan Sharp both on the 6th.
Nearest our sponsors Prodrive Pin on the 4th was Mike Cox who unfortunately missed the putt subscribing to the club coffers back in the clubhouse. Interesting to note that although loosing 8 golf balls during shall we say “an adventurous round” Jack Webb was edged out by Graham Presland for this week’s award for sheer persistence!
The weekly Raffle was won by Gerd Warnke holding No 26, 2nd No27 held by John McDougall and 3rd No 35 owned by David McLay.
Swelling the numbers on the course today were 9 nine holers who followed the Wednesday Club contestants off the No 1 Tee.
See you all next week and don’t forget the sunblock. DS
50th Anniversary February/March 2018
One of the interesting lesser known facts to emerge from this year’s running of the CoW, as recounted during this year’s prize presentation by founding and life member, and the inaugural winner of the first tournament, Keith Gaskin, was how it got its name. The tournament was first held in the late 70s to help raise funds for the City of Wellington Pipe Band who had been selected to represent NZ in the world pipe band championships being held in the UK. Following their success at those championships they were invited to play at the 1980 Edinburgh Military Tattoo, with us again holding a City of Wellington tournament to help them repeat their overseas venture, and the name has stuck ever since. When it was first held we had a field of over 200, requiring a staggered start throughout the day, and the results not being determined until late in the evening, with the early morning starters going home after play but then returning for the results. Times may have changed with respect to golfing numbers, but the quality of our tournament has remained the same.
Sponsor Speak
The twelth hole is probably the favourite hole of most members, with its elevated tee and commanding view down the fairway, and whose green is drivable off the white tees, especially in summer when the higher handicappers can land the ball on the right hand ridge from where, if it gets a favourable bounce, can roll all the way down to the green. Despite being a par 4, there has been a hole-in-one scored on the hole, by Guy Walmsley back in 2005.
View of the paddock that is now our 12 hole, from where the tee now is:
The hole is sponsored by Carl Beentjes’ needanerd, your technology partners who are experts in fixing whatever computer problems the gremlins may be causing at your place. Contact them either by phone or email:
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Happy golfing, play safely,
Your KGC Committee