A later start was necessary last Thursday at Castlemaine Golf Club as players waited for the morning frost to clear.
Once play got underway, Peter Verlaan (14) made the most of the crisp conditions, claiming the par round with an impressive +3, securing A Grade honours. Les Prendergast (19) put up a strong fight but had to settle for runner-up after a tight countback with Peter.
In B Grade, Ron Jenkins (19) was the only other player to finish in the positives, carding +1 for the win. Tony Strong (19) followed closely behind, earning runner-up with a square round.
On the birdie board, Klai Jermyn led the way with four birdies, while Leon Thomas and Norm Bellis were right on his heels with three apiece. Norm also claimed Nearest the Pin on the 12th hole, with Leigh Campbell taking the honours on the 7th.
Despite cold and wintery conditions on Saturday, 40 determined players rugged up to compete in the June Monthly Medal. The tough weather didn’t faze Tayler Walsh (16), who claimed the overall medal with an impressive nett score of 69. Walsh also secured the B Grade victory, finishing six strokes ahead of Billy Burgess (16), who posted a nett 75.
In A Grade, Matthew O’Brien (3) led the field with a solid nett 74, finishing three shots clear of Greg Sinclair (6), who carded a nett 77. Malcolm McKellar (23) topped C Grade with a strong nett 72, while Joel Maddern (21) claimed runner-up honours with a nett 75.
Birdies were scarce in the testing conditions, with only five recorded across the entire field. Joel Maddern managed to snag two of them and also took home the NTP prize on the 7th hole. Rob Prendergast was awarded the NTP prize on the 12th.
With no rain in sight, players took advantage of the break in the rain to celebrate the King’s Birthday with a Stableford round. Stephen Cooper (18) rose to the top with a solid 37 points, finishing two ahead of Chris Milham (20), who posted 35 points to claim runner-up honours.
Scoring highlights were few, with just three birdies recorded on the day—one each to Liam O’Brien, Matthew O’Brien, and Beau York. Vin Walsh claimed the only NTP, landing it on the 12th hole.
On Tuesday, following recent rain, the conditions proved a little tricky for the ladies who played a stableford round. Trish Sharrock (22) handled the challenge best, finishing with 32 points to claim the win—just one ahead of Mary Harris (31), who carded 31 points. Glenda Jefferies’ impressive drive on the 12th earned her the IGA voucher for NTP.
