Nearly 50 golfers seized the opportunity presented by the perfect weather to participate in
a par round at Castlemaine Golf Club on Thursday, March 28. Jim Dimopoulos (14) emerged
victorious after a countback against Ian Shields (21), both posting scores of +3. Dimopoulos
clinched the B Grade win, boosted by an eagle on the 16th hole, one of only two eagles
recorded that day. Will Dodson also secured an eagle on the 10th hole. In the A Grade
category, Ross Bottomley (5) claimed victory with an impressive score of +2, leading by two
points over the runner-up, Peter McCoombe (8). Kevin Gardner (13) took the runner-up spot
in B Grade with a score of +2. Meanwhile, the battle in C Grade was won by Ian Shields with
a score of +3, ahead of Ian Clark (26) who carded +1. Only three players managed to score
multiple birdies, Kane Clack, Peter McCoombe, and Jim Dimopoulos each securing two.
Nearest to the Pin prizes were awarded to Mary Beck on the 7th hole and Rob Barratt on
the 12th.
Saturday morning’s nine hole competition saw the debut of nine-year-old Thomas Bellis,
eagerly welcomed into his first competitive outing. Despite not finishing in the winner’s
circle, Thomas’s performance secured him a midfield position. The day’s triumph belonged
to Peter Gresswell (19), who returned to the country mere days ago and impressively carded
19 points. The runner-up position for the day went to Bronwyn Gudgeon (22), who finished
on 16 points.
Ideal conditions set the stage for remarkable scores in Saturday’s Stableford competition, as
the top seven players secured 37 points or higher. Brad Sturgess (14) emerged as the overall
champion and B Grade winner, with an outstanding performance, finishing with 43 points.
Billy Burgess (15) finished with 37 points and took the B Grade runner-up position. In the A
Grade division, Kane Clack (8) demonstrated his prowess by clinching victory with an
impressive 40 points, while Les Watson secured the runner-up position with a solid 37
points. Meanwhile, in C Grade, Connie Dimopoulos (24) ascended to the top spot with 37
points, surpassing Mick Kehoe (19), who trailed closely behind with 35 points. Birdies were
abundant throughout the round, with several players notching multiple birdies each, Kate
Little led the pack with an impressive 5 birdies, followed by Steve Coombes with 4, and two
apiece to Troy Little, Brad Sturgess, Ross Stevens, Billy Burgess and Ian Rennie. Brent
Andrew claimed the NTP prize on the 7 th hole, while Kane Clack secured the NTP victory on
the 12 th .
On Easter Monday, a group of 18 players gathered to burn off some Easter calories.
Kane Clack (6) secured the leading position with a Stableford score of 38 points, narrowly
edging out Jason Thompson (3), who scored 37 points. Fifteen birdies were tallied that day,
with Shane Burke notching 4, Jason Thompson securing 3, and Brad Sturgess obtaining 2.
Additionally, Shane Burke clinched the Nearest the Pin on the 7th hole, while Leigh Campbell claimed
the one for the 12th.
Following an overnight downpour, the ladies gathered on the course for the inaugural round
of the club championships, coinciding with the monthly medal competition. Julie Bottomley
(22) navigated the conditions, securing both the medal and the A Grade victory, with a nett
score of 78. Jan Barratt (19) emerged as the A Grade runner-up, finishing closely behind
with a net score of 80. In B Grade, Swee Ho (27) claimed the victory with a nett score of 82,
while Helen McEwen (31) followed closely behind with a nett of 84, securing the runner-up
position. Jen Dyer’s precision on the greens gave her the win for the least number of putts,
scoring 29.
