There was a feast of golf this week at the Mount Gambier Golf Club with the annual spring tournament, which commenced Thursday with the traditional 4BBB par.
This hotly contested event with a score of 10-up saw Max Hellyer and Jack Peacock prevail.
Their names go onto the unique shoe trophy which dates back to 1980 and features a roll call of past winners.
The 4BBB format requires the team to combine well and this was exemplified with Max and Jack both having five wins each all on different holes.
This was the difference from the runners up with 9-up where Stephen Faull and Daniel Long, Brian Norman and Tony McGregor, Graham Robinson and Andrew Noble, John Kirby and Tony Bolton all had 10 wins also but either had a loss or a win on the same hole.
In a field of 106, the ball run down went to 6-up with nearest the pins going to Richard Gosling and Jeff Olafsen.
The Jetts Fitness student day was played on Friday and the best stroke score and bragging rights went to Blake Schroder with Zac Shanks runner up.
In the nett, Charlie Winterfield showed size does not matter with an excellent nett 71 followed by Archie Milich and Cooper Walters both shooting nett 74.
Saturday’s stableford, which coincided with AFL grand final day, saw a reduced field of 78 tee it up for a shotgun start at 7:30 and the early start did not affect the winners who all registered scores in the forties.
The best score of the day went to Andrew Stark (6) who took out A Grade shooting 71 off the stick for 43 points.
Even par the front nine gave 20 points and that was followed by a one under par back nine for 23.
Andrew’s round featured birdie on the 1st and 11th and a lone bogey for a very satisfying round.
Joe Clements (6) was runner up with 40 points and blitzed the front nine being two under for 22 points.
Some fine scoring with three birdies and could have been better with the 18th causing problems.
B Grade saw David Boyce (16), whose game has steadily improved the last few weeks, bring it home with 41 points.
His 22/19 split had eight pars and a purple patch through holes 8 to 11 all parred.
Wayne Davison (19) with 39 points was runner up with a strong back nine including four pars and a birdie on the 15th for 21 points.
On 39 points were Jeff Hodge and Rob McIntyre.
Gary Button and Darren Griffin had 37 points then on 36 was Matt Bowering, with an eagle on the 15th, Chris Gabriel and Ross Bond.
A satisfying score of 41 points saw John Sandery (22) take out C grade with 22/19 spilt from Paul Braithwaite (21) on 40.
Then on 39 Hayden Dow with Kym Sykes and Peter Buckingham on 38 followed on 36 by Dale Tait and Dennis R Smith.
Saturday’s ball run down went to 34 points.
Trent Eitzen went oh so close to a hole-in-one on the 8th, the ball only 2cm away and he got the birdie!
Ross Bond took out the other nearest the pin on the tricky 16th playing downwind.
Sunday saw the premier event, the 101st SE Open, played over 36 holes.
As expected the two lowest handicappers featured with last year’s winner Jake Lausch, 75 and 74, defending his title from last year’s runner up Anthony Williams, 77 and 78.
Jake’s morning 75, played in testing windy conditions, had birdies on 5 and 12 offset with five bogeys.
Anthony was within striking distance with his 77 which had three birdies but eight bogeys for Anthony was a surprise.
Jake upped the ante with an impressive second round 74 and he improved as he went on, with birdies on 3, 7, 9 and 14 while Anthony’s 78 only had two birdies and again bogeys were costly.
Jake’s name will again be included on the honour board of past champions which as stated goes back 101 years, which would be one of the longest running events in any sport.
The course continues to be in excellent condition which is a credit to the course staff and volunteers and also a thank you to the sponsors Donehues Leisure, Lion and Jetts Fitness and all players who participated.
