The Blue Lake Golf Club held its first Captains Trophy Day on Saturday and to say it was a huge success would be a gross understatement.

Sponsored by the respective Men’s and Ladies Captains, David Adkins and Helen Myers, there were extra novelty holes and the chance for all players to double up on the prizes for outright win, grade wins and placegetters as well as Long Drives, Pro Shots and Nearest To Pins.

The fact the club had a near record turnout of just under 140 players was testament of the support it received.

In a break from tradition prize winners were presented with their prizes at a function later that night, well attended by more than 80 people back at the Bistro for dinner and a chance to win more prizes.

With all due respect to overall winner, Robert Martland, he often has to take second stage to his wife Rosemary, who normally takes the accolades with her handicap of eight.

However, if ever there was a time for Robert to steal the limelight it was the inaugural Captains Day and it will be his name that takes pride of place as the first winner in the Men’s division.

With the course set up to offer no favours, Martland was already two under his handicap of 21 at the turn thanks to his pars on the second and the ninth.

It was only the benign par 3 fifth that had caused him any trouble, giving back to the field with his only double bogey for that nine and turning with a 44.

Another par on the 12th split bogeys and a brilliant birdie on the 15th set him up for the win.

The hands got a little tight on the last hole, eyeing off the finish line he managed to curtail the damage with his only other double but still closing with a superb 42 for a round of 86-21-65.

A Grade winner Jarrod Ryan was wishing there were a few more holes to play, almost catching Martland with a great closing nine of 36 off the stick.

Unable to convert any of his birdie attempts on the front nine proved costly for Ryan, turning with 39 but opening the back nine with par, par, birdie, birdie had him on track to snatch the trophy.

Two bogeys on the last two holes saw him settling for the grade win with double the prize money.

There was a three-way tie behind Ryan for the last two podium places with Rob Ellis, Anthony Riddoch and Steve Jelly all finishing on nett 69.

After an average 42 off the stick on the front nine Ellis was all over the shop on the back nine, alternating pars with a bogey, two double bogeys and a birdie to finish with a 39 and just snatching the win.

Riddoch matched Ellis over the back nine, also throwing in his own birdie on the 14th, but his handicap of eight meant that his 37 could only see him settle for third.

The smooth swinging Steve Jelly was the unlucky golfer to miss out, quite content to have played under his handicap (7) but would be regretting the double bogey on the 13th that cost him in the count back.

Craig Donaldson returned to form just in time to take out the B Grade win with his round of 83-16-67.

After a good opening nine of two under his handicap Donaldson would have been looking for a bigger finish than just the grade win but three double bogeys on the inward nine took its toll.

He almost made amends with a birdie on the 15th but he will be left with the feeling of maybe he left some shots out on the course.

Still, a win is a win and he will be happy with the prize winners vouchers and a good round under his belt.

Another count back was required to separate second and third with veteran Kevin Howell and Matthew Kurzman both finishing on 68.

Despite a double bogey on the last Howell’s consistency was the deciding factor in gaining second with his splits of 42 and 40 while Kurzman, despite being in the box seat after a brilliant 41 on the front, left it slip with an inward 45 to be relegated to third.

Ben Mackay almost let the C Grade win slip out of his hands with a triple bogey on the last but thankfully he had returned an awesome front nine to set up the win.

Thanks to a birdie on the ninth Mackay made the turn with 43 and a par on the 10th had him setting his sights on the outright win.

However, his ambitions got shot down with a rough middle part of the back nine that brought him down to earth but he will still be ecstatic to have shot under par and take the winners spoils.

While both Adrian O’Donnell and Jamie Burnett had birdies in their rounds O’Donnells two came on the back nine which was the difference in the count back between them for second and third.

O’Donnell (21) had splits of 46 and 45 while Burnett (21) could only match with a 48 in his nett 70.

The unfortunate Jelly leads the list of place getters who all took home double their ball prizes.

He was joined by Michael Watts, Callum Harvey, Barry Humphries 70, Russell Lingham, James Parker, Tim Smith, Garry Von Duve 71, David Lamont, Marc Dalton, Jim Ferrazzola and Josh Gale on 72.

Gale also cleaned out the Eagles nest with his three on the 17th while Brad Talbot and David Johnston won the respective pro shots on the fifth and 16th.

Nearest the pins were won by John Brown (A), Roger Gale (B) and Burnett (C).

Novelty events were won by Gordon with his second shot on the ninth and long drives won by Ryan, Kurzman and O’Donnell in their grades.

Josh Gale cleaned out the Eagles nest with his three on the 17th while Brad Talbot and David Johnston won the respective pro shots on the 5th and 16th.

The Ladies also competed in their inaugural Captains Day sponsored by Helen Myers with all prize money doubled as well as the chance to put your name first on the trophy.

Attracting a large field of 23 players most struggled to play to their handicap but the winner on the day was Johanna Gogan, playing off a 33 handicap, her consistency proved the catalyst for the win.

While not setting the course on fire Gogan knew if she could improve marginally on her outward nine a possibility of a win was there and that was what she did, shaving three strokes off for a round of 103-33-70 to fight off Jayne Oberer and Fiona Punton who all tied Gogan’s nett 70.

Oberer (34) showed she has the talent to take her game to the next level with successive pars on the fourth and fifth holes but unfortunately she could not replicate that on the inward nine, parring only the par 3 14th.

Her closing 54 put her back into the clutches of a count back and thankfully for her that par was the difference between second and third, just edging out Punton by the single stroke.

There were novelties galore up for offer in the Ladies round with Ronda Edwards cleaning up most of them.

She won the longest drive on the 18th, pro shot on the fifth and 16th in her division while the other prizes were won by Sue Agars (NTP second), Rosemary Martland (long drive fourth), Jorja Morale (NTP 12th), Di Perryman (second shot 15th) and Oberer taking out the biggest tee shots on both the fourth and 18th.