An unusually cool day for mid November but the widespread cloud cover allowed periods of sunshine through ! The conditions were perfect as the 28 SOS members and 4 guests assembled at the 1st tee of the Tuart Course for a stableford competition!
The post match meeting had been cancelled to allow time for the Social Committee, and other dedicated members, to set up the venue for the SOS 50th Anniversary Dinner and Championship awards ceremony which was to commence at 6.15pm at Lot Six Zero, Innaloo.
It was great to see the return of Kerry and Paul Gardner (for an extended visit down-under) having arrived from the UK only one day before the game! Both Paul & Kerry have been past SOS Presidents as well as holding numerous other committee positions!
Also welcomed were Mark and Thomas Bowey in their first game with SOS.
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| Lynne with Kerry & Paul Gardner |
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| Dave, Earle & Frances ready to start |
Peter forgot to charge his battery on Friday night so used the power supply in the Wembley cart shed to give it a quick charge while waiting to tee off! He then placed the wheel hubs into 'free wheeling' mode so he could push the buggy to the starting area. After only a few metres the left wheel parted company with the axel and headed down the slope toward the teeing area where, very fortunately, it hit one of the carts and came to a stop!
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Peter holds up his runaway buggy wheel after having
to sprint after it as it headed downhill ! |
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| The buggy wheel is reattached to the left axle ! |
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| Kerry & Bernie at the start |
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Peter explaining his new putting technique to Stephanie,
or was the sun in his eyes? |
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| Paul (with snappy UK shorts) with Barry and Earle |
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Group 5 on the 1st tee
Earle, Paul, Glenn K & Barry |
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Paul smashes hit first ball into the left side line of trees.
Fortunately, it hit something and bounced onto the fairway! |
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Group 5
Birgit, Kerry, Stephanie & Bernie |
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| The ladies stop for a chat during their round! |
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| Kerry finds her ball under a moveable obstruction! |
Competition Results
Congratulations to Glenn Kelly for turning in a grand performance to win the competition with 40 points, two points clear of Lynne Malone on 38 points. One point further back was Gordon Grzyb in 3rd place.
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Player
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Handicap
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Score
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Birdies
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1
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Glenn Kelly
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12
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40
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|
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2
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Lynne Malone
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14
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38
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7
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3
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Gordon Grzyb
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10
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37
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7, 15
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4
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Peter Baird
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20
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36
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5
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Mark Hill
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10
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35
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6
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Keith Barrow
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10
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35
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7
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Paul Cooper
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12
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33
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18
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8
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Stephanie Jeffares
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14
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33
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7
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9
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Shelley Yeo
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12
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32
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18
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10
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Mark Wilson
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10
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32
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|
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11
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Tony Gooch
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7
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32
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18
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12
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Barry Treak
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19
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32
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|
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13
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Earle Scarff
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15
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31
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|
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14
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Derek Longhurst
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23
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30
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|
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15
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Brett Fordham
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8
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29
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10
|
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16
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Lynley Hunter
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9
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29
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2
|
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17
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Don Beasley
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14
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29
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|
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18
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Frances Longhurst
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20
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28
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|
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19
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Colin Kerr
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14
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28
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|
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20
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Gerry Tessier
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18
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28
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|
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21
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Bernie Caffrey
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14
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27
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|
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22
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Ian Holmes
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17
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27
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|
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23
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Glen Pope
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8
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27
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8
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24
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Andrea Williams
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19
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24
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25
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Mark Macnish
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9
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24
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|
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26
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Birgit Reinartz
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32
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23
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|
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27
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David Williamson
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24
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20
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|
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28
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Nuria Smith
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40
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17
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|
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29
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Paul Gardner
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Guest
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24
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|
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30
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Kerry Gardner
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Guest
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23
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|
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31
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Mark Bowey
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Guest
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21
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32
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Thomas Bowey
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Guest
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20
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Golden Hole
The Golden Hole marker on hole 3 recorded Kerry Gardner as a winner however, the marker was left on the edge of the green, perhaps acknowledging that Kerry is no longer a paid up member of SOS and therefor ineligible to win the $150 prize! How close to the pin did she get?
Novelties
Some nifty golf shots from the following winners earning them a golf ball prize to be collected next week!
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Novelties
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Hole
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Contenders
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Winner
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LD - Ladies
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2
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Lynley
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Bernie
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NTP in 3
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10
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Keith,
Goochy
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Glenn K
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NTP in 2
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12
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Colin, Shelley,
Frances
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Glenn K
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LD - Men
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15
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Goochy
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Gordon
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NTP
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18
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Keith
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Shelley
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Eagles & Birdies
A respectable haul of 10 birdies, but no eagles today!
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Eagles & Birdies
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Hole
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Placing
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Lynne Malone
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7
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2nd
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Gordon Gryzb
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7,
15
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3rd
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Paul Cooper
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18
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7th
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Stephanie Jeffares
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7
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8th
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Shelley Yeo
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18
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9th
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Tony Gooch
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18
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11th
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Brett Fordham
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10
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15th
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Lynley Hunter
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2
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16th
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Glen Pope
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8
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23rd
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Ash Tray Collection and Raffle
Not held this week as priority given to setting up for the 50th Anniversary Dinner !
Save the Date - Par 3 Competition
The Annual Par 3 Competition at Lake Claremont is booked for Thursday
February 2nd, 2023. More details to follow. Please keep the time and date open - this 9 hole event is always a very enjoyable early evening event followed by food, drinks & prize giving!
Next Week
An Ambrose 4's competition will be held on the Tuart Course commencing at 7.24 am.
Groups of 4 players work as a team. Each player hits off the tee, the best shot is selected, and all other players pick up their ball and place it, within one handspan, alongside the best ball. Each person then hits a second ball from the same spot. The best shot is again selected. This continues until the ball is in the hole. On the putting green the best ball is marked, and the other balls are played from this position.
Each player in the team must use a minimum of 3 drives. If you have a special requirement to play with someone, advise the Booking Officer, Glen Pope, before 3.00 pm, Wednesday afternoon. Of course, Glen will try to accommodate . . . . as usual!
The handicap per team will be published on the fixtures of the day by the Booking Officer.
If there is an odd number of players in any group the Booking Officer will adjust the handicap accordingly.
Captains Corner
SOS Fixtures Procedures - A Reminder
Members wishing to play in the forthcoming Saturday fixture must remit funds to the Booking Officer, Glen Pope, by 5.00 pm on the preceding Wednesday. The booking fee is currently $48.00 but, if you wish to participate in the Golden Hole competition, add $1.00 so the amount remitted is $49.00.
Any fixtures change for the competition after the official release by the Booking officer (usually around midday Thursday) must be requested to our Booking officer who will review the request and, if at all possible, approve it. In case you cannot reach the Booking Officer for any reason, please contact me, the Captain.
As usual, we will try and accommodate everyone whenever this is possible, but it is essential to have one point of contact for members wishing to play and only the Booking officer communicating with the Wembley Pro Shop.
This procedure is described in the SOS Golf Group constitution I am sure everyone understands the importance of following these rules which will allow the smooth operation of each competition!
50TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER
The venue at the LOT SIX ZERO eatery at Innaloo provided a perfect setting for the SOS Golf Group to celebrate its 50th anniversary !
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The organising committee and volunteers arrived early to deck out the venue
with golden balloons, glitter and all the championship trophies to be awarded,
concealed under the white table cloth! |
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Social committee organiser, Carol discusses technical aspects
of the presentation with Sandy and Shelley! |
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Meanwhile, Keith addresses the detailed
layout of each table! |
The Dinner
Members and their guests started arriving as the sun set and were welcomed with drinks, followed by finger food, enabling everyone to mix around and swap stories of the stableford game played earlier in the day and other topics!
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| Andrea, Michael, Gerry & Birgit |
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| Stephanie, Glenn & Gim |
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| Julie & Tony with Derek |
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| Carol, Barry, Keith, Birgit & Gordon |
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| Paul G, Lynley & Lynne |
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| Gary, Gim, David, Derek & Keith enjoying the finger food! |
Welcome to Members & Guests
Brett climbed to the podium and advised that the presentation of the 2022 Championship Trophies would commence at around 8.30 pm after the entrée, main course and deserts had been served. The Trophy presentation would be followed by the President's speech.
Food
The social organisers had done a great job in selecting a wide range of finger foods which could be consumed standing up or sitting at the tables. Most chose to stand as they moved around the venue picking up the food items from the platters as they meandered from the kitchen to the front door and back!
Championship Trophy Presentations
SOS Golf Group Captain, Gerry Tessier, took the floor to present the Championship Trophies.
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Eclectic Trophy - Old Course
Tony Gooch |
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Eclectic Trophy - Tuart Course
Glenn Kelly |
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Consistency Trophy
Gary Burgess |
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Lady Champion
Lynley Hunter |
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"B" Grade Champion
Derek Longhurst |
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"A" Grade Champion
Earle Scarff |
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Handicap Champion
Mark Wilson |
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CLUB CHAMPION
Gary Burgess |
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Most Honest Scorer Award
Dave Williamson |
Presidents Address
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| SOS Golf Group President, Brett Fordham |
Brett welcomed all present and extended a special welcome to Paul and Kerry Gardner, who have returned from the UK for a brief holiday, and to all the partners of members here tonight.
The SOS Golf Group has three Life Members and Brett acknowledged Vickie Scarff, Greg Bennett and Colin Kerr; Colin being the longest playing member with us tonight!
Brett's anniversary speech was befitting of the occasion as it covered the SOS Golf Group's 50 year history from when the founder, Lloyd Taylor, organised a small group in 1972 and named it the SOS Group (as opposed to a Club). Two of our Life Members, Colin Kerr and Greg Bennett joined this early group.
Interestingly, Lloyd never revealed what the letters 'SOS' stood for and it remains a mystery to this day!
Brett provided many anecdotes on the groups early years and the evolution of the Memorial Trophy. For the first 10 years there were no female members! In the early years two members left the club without notice! One won lotto and the other scored a hole in one! Onto the next challenge?
An early version of the Blog was a hard copy print known as The Sausage!
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| Keen interest in Brett's version of the SOS Golf Group's 50 year history! |
No less than 5 former members have gone on to become professional golfers! Gary Burgess has recently been ranked 37th in the world of golfers with a disability.
In the mid 1990's a number of players split from the group in order to join the competitive WAGL leaving the remaining members to continue as a social group!
In recent years, with the advances in electronic and other technology, many changes have been embraced by SOS. New golf rules have been adopted internationally and by the Wembley Golf Resort.
Many members now have remote control buggies (aqua models as well!).
Brett noted the SOS Group membership was incredibly diverse and described it as any gender, skill level, age, handicap, commitment level, country, opinion, culture, religious belief, mobility or anyone who has a love of golf, alcohol, socialising and friendship!
'The SOS Golf Group is inclusive! Every week - every player - competes for every prize. I think this makes us quite unique and, in fact, is a strong contributing factor to the club reaching our 50 year anniversary!'
'There have also been some great friendships formed away from the club by members who met at this club!'
'Each year we play against the WA Blind Golf Club . . . a very unique experience and one to appreciate so long as you do not get beaten!!!'
The Success Formulae
Brett noted the SOS Group's constitution and rules provide a strong platform to control the Group's administration and activities and thanked Vicki Scarff for keeping us honest over many years!
Equally important is the conduct of the Committee. 'No sporting body enjoys 50 years of success without members volunteering as committee members to run the club. In my time all the volunteers have done an amazing job, supporting us all to enjoy the game of golf, the social scene and the friendship within this group!'
Brett mentioned the names of all past and current committee members and supporters who had held positions for numerous years - some as many as 16 years!
Thank you to today's committee:
Captain - Gerry
Vice Captain - Goochy
Treasurer - Shelley
Booking Officer - Popey
Communications Officer - Peter
Social Co-ordinator - Carol
Membership is currently 42 full members and 3 Associate members. Three members are leaving next year which will allow the Associates to join as Full Members and, as well, there are two possible new associate member applicants.
Financially, we are in a very strong position . . the club is thriving and very healthy!
Several members have experienced health setbacks this year, including Colin Kerr and Dave Williamson. It is very good to see both are back to regular play!
SOS Sponsors
Brett thanked the many sponsors to the club during the year who provided goods, services and cash to the assist the group in celebrating its 50th Anniversary
In particular, Brett noted that Glen and Lindsey Pope have been long time sponsors of the club by providing:
- weekly restaurant vouchers
- donation of the indigenous print
- subsidised club shirts (emblazoned with 'Lot Six Zero')
- provided social venues such as this evening.
Also, Colin Kerr donated to the 50th year anniversary fund raiser.
Many thanks goes to the many donors (around 20) to the mid-year fund raiser auction, with thanks also to those who bought the goods which contributed financially to the club.
'In recognition of the kind and strong sponsorship support, his tireless work as Booking Officer for 10 years, a committee member and for just being one of our clubs all round bloody good blokes, on behalf of the SOS Golf Group I would like to present the original indigenous print to
Glen Pope with appreciation for all you have done, our club has benefitted greatly through your support.'
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Glen Pope is awarded the framed original indigenous
cloth print design for the anniversary shirts!
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SOS Anniversary Shirts
The design of the 50th Anniversary SOS Shirt was a major undertaking involving selection of a commissioned indigenous design artist, Nikkita, who presented several works, selection by the committee of the final design and then production of a range of garments. These will compliment your golf clothing range and, while many of us struggle to play the game, we will at least look like golfers!
There are now 2 designs to choose from, "Traditional" and "Anniversary" in the following garments:
- Short sleeve polo
- Long sleeve polo
- Vest
- Fleece jacket
Further details of the clothing range will be posted on the blog for reference for future orders.
Each SOS member will be provided a shirt free of charge . . . and your shirt is here tonight for you to take home!
The Shirts are here! and visiting Belgian catwalk model, Gerry Tess-i-ar (looks a bit like our Club Captain) will now model the 50th Anniversary range of clothing!!
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| The crowd is captivated! |
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| Gerry strikes a pose to start the fashion parade! |
. . . and matching vest and fleece jacket!!!
and now . . . . the video !!
SOS Toast
Brett's speech concluded when he proposed a toast by all those present ~
"To players past - players present and players future . . may the SOS group be strongly supported for another 50 years."
The After Party
Well, not really an after party, but some managed to don their new shirts and consume some of the remaining supplies of drink!!
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| Barry, Glenn K & Andrea |
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| A bit out of focus - new shirts on display! |
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| Glenn K sporting his new shirt, ably assisted by Stephanie! |
With many thanks to Carol and her crew, (including but not limited to Keith, Shelley, Earle, Frances, Sandy and Brett) for their hard work in organising and decommissioning the event.
Also, with gratitude to Glen and Lindsey Pope for allowing SOS to use their Lot Six Zero eatery & bistro.
Their efforts produced a very well organised, enjoyable and memorable evening!
End 🍺 + 🍷 = 💫
