SOS CUP Round 1 @Old Course

Before starting the actual blog:

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Please RSVP to Shelley ASAP if you would like to attend our Gala Dinner,

as the menu must be confirmed with the caterers!!!

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Our annual SOS trophy seems to attract rainy and windy conditions.......and when checking the weather forecast the 2026 edition surely didn't disappoint.

However, the rainbow spotted by one of our early birds might have been a sign of a beautiful day ahead.

I reckon those Canucks don't use white golf balls
though pink ones neither!

23 SOS players and one returning former member (Greg Dunkeld) registered for the game. We welcomed back as well Brett "4D" Fordham. Great seeing you!!

But let’s not dilly-dally and get right to a few pre-game photos.

BEFORE THE GAME

Captain Rollie saluting another
SOS member. Is he ex military?

Yep, looks like! A perfect posture!

That's all from our pre-game, the blogger played in the first group.

DURING THE GAME

Earle walking enthusiastically to his ball

One might wonder which 
"wonder shot" Gerry has in mind.
Straight through the tree?

Karl's task looks slightly easier.

on #17 Gim foraging in the forest

searching for mushrooms, while waiting for
the group ahead to clear the field.
We can be
glad that they don't grow in all parts of Wembley.
That would make it harder for the guys to
find their balls. 😇😇😇

While this might be true for some....

...it's a joy waking up in the morning and
checking on your "crops"

Where's your club Keith?

Kristian praying to the gods of golf?

Cookibooooo, where are you, my little ball?

Gim doing a bit of stretching
while waiting for Frances shot

Faye fires between 2 trees with
Popey in her direct line. One can
assume she didn't hit him. 😉

AFTER THE GAME and RESULTS

Our group waiting for the announcements...

...squeezed into the corner by the
City Beach players

Gim takes her "job" as 
raffle executor very seriously

10 raffle tickets!
Does Kristian want to support the group
or want to win a voucher?

And the raffle winner is FRANCES!
She won a 2nd voucher, but graciously
passed it back
into the prize pool. 👍

THE RESULTS

So what about the golf game? Let's have a look at the results.

Derek secured a comfortable 2-point lead, followed by James and Birgit.

The very proud podium

• Will Derek take the cup home next week?
• Only time will tell!
• Or most probably the game next week.

Coops took out the lollies; yep, he's a foodie! 

Rumours are that Cindy is the recipient of "The Lollies"

THE NOVELTIES

Silver Hole        #2            no winner, it currently holds $103

Nearest Buner    #4            Fran, beaten by Tom

Longest Put        #9            Earle, beaten by Tom

Nearest in 3        #12          Gary, beaten by Fordy

Golden Hole       #16          no winner, it currently holds $150

Nearest Stick      #18          Frances, beaten by no one!  

THE BIRDIES

Dave        #11

Fordy       #11

James       #14

Earle         #15

Lynley       #17

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear SOS Members,

A friendly reminder to everyone about the importance of "Ready Golf", maintaining a reasonable pace of play and showing respect to fellow members.

While the first group finished today's game in 4:29 hrs, other groups played more than 5 hours.

We can certainly do better if everyone follows a few simple guidelines.

READY GOLF – KEY REMINDERS

• Be ready to play when it is your turn. Select your club in advance.
• Play when ready, provided it is safe, rather than always waiting for the player furthest from the hole.
• Keep up with the group ahead, not just ahead of the group behind.
• Lost ball searches are limited to 3 minutes. Play a provisional ball when appropriate.
• On the green, prepare your putt while others are playing and putt out when practical.
• If your group falls behind, have 2 players finish putting out and advance to the next tee
• Position your buggy or cart towards the next tee.
• Record your scores at the next tee, not besides the green.

SOS MAXIMUM SCORE RULES FOR STROKE PLAY

As approved by SOS several years ago, our maximum scores for stroke-play competitions are:

• Par 3: Maximum 8 strokes
• Par 4: Maximum 10 strokes
• Par 5: Maximum 10 strokes

Once you reach the applicable maximum without holing out, pick up your ball and move on to the next tee 

Official HDC System max score is double boogies of your score so no impact on your HDC 

STABLEFORD: If you can no longer score any points on a hole, pick up your ball immediately and proceed to the next hole.

RESPECT & GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP

While pace of play is important, respect and courtesy towards fellow members are equally essential.

Our objective is not to single out individuals, but to ensure everyone enjoys their golf in a friendly, positive and respectful environment.

Remember: Ready Golf is not about rushing. It’s about being prepared, avoiding unnecessary delays and respecting everyone’s time.

Thank you all for your cooperation. Let’s keep SOS Golf enjoyable for everyone!

THE END

THE MEMORIAL CUP ROUND

 

This Saturday saw the playing for The Memorial Cup, one of the most significant events on the Club's fixture. 

The Memorial Cup is in recognition of members that have passed and is one of our oldest events. The original trophy was established in 1987 and called the "John Munt Memorial Trophy" in honour of a very popular member, and the first to be honoured in this way. Over time we lost a few more members and it was considered they also needed to be recognised and after due consideration John's name was deleted from the title (thanks to Greg for provided the historical content).

Conditions on the day were perfect and the forecasted rain held off until after the completion of play. The field was modest with just 15 players. However the results on the day proved very memorable and the round was played in good spirits as was the banter at the post match presentations.

Following are some pre -game photos.

A very contented Coops devouring yet another bacon and egg toasty, now that we are finally back to early tee offs.

Faye braced for a good days golf, hopefully.

The Two Lynne's deep in study of their mobiles.

Popey dealing with mobile issues.

The pre-match huddle

SPOTS OF BOVVER

We had a few this week featuring Faye, Coops, and Earle, all of who went on to post very respectable scores despite their rotten luck.

Faye on her knees extracting her ball from an unplayable position

Faye again on the same hole (11th?) with another awkward shot. Lightning does strike twice, well at least in golf.

Earle's attempt to take out a few cars travelling along Empire Ave on the 11th. Potential here for a new fine?

Earle again on the 9th in a spot of bovver.

Coops in an awkward position that resulted in a hefty fine when penalties were called out for swearing.

The exit shot!!!

THE RESULTS

What a crazy days golf. Firstly it seems we have a new member, Michael Giddings!!! Secondly

perhaps for the first time or a very long time we had players returning scores better or equal to their handicaps failing to take a place on the podium and lastly and most tragically, a not that shabby score of 28 taking out the lollies!!

THE WINNERS

First place with a great score of 40 point but even better than that a score off the stick that equaled his age ( a very rare occurrence in golf)  Dave Millar.

Second place also with a great score Shelley.

Third Place on count back Dave Williamson.

Where's Shelley?

The trophy is in two pieces already!!

THE LOLLIES

Yours truly took out the lollies and still managed a smile

BIRDIES

Lynley on the 17th

Popey on the 15th

Peter on the 12th

THE NOVELTIES

Golden Hole # 3 - Club

Longest Putt # 4 - Dave Millar

Nearest the first bunker Hole #10 - Keith, followed by Karl followed by Shelley

Nearest in two Hole # 12 - Dave W followed by Peter (in the hole for a birdie)

Nearest the stick (what a great prize) Hole # 14 - Faye followed by Karl

Nearest the pin Hole # 18 - Keith

THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE

Nothin because we had too small a field to warrant it.

FEATURED ARTICLE

This is a new segment in the blog.

This weekend the Western Australia Open was played at Secret Harbour GC and featured our very own Gary Burgess representing our club in the All Abilities section of the tournament. 

                               

Our captain, Roland was absent from our event because he was caddying for Gary and also acting as our on course reporting at the Open for the day. I think we have a budding new blogger here. Following is Roland's report of Gary's performance.

LIVE FROM SECRET HARBOUR — THE ROVING REPORTER’S CALL

“Roland on the Roving Mic”

Opening Call

“Good morning, good afternoon, good evening — wherever you’re tuning in from around Australia or across the globe! This is your roving sports reporter, Roland, coming to you live from Secret Harbour Golf Club in Western Australia.”

“And folks… what a weekend it’s been. I’ve had the absolute pleasure of caddying for one of SOS Golf Club’s most astute, most respected, and most popular players — a man who needs no introduction in the All Abilities golf community — Australian PGA member Gary Burgess. He’s played all over the country, represented Australia overseas, and yes, even walked the hallowed turf of St Andrews, the Home of Golf.”

DAY ONE — SATURDAY: THE EARLY STARTER

7:00am Tee Time

“Barely enough time to grab a coffee and a couple of supplies — and we were off! The weather? Brisk. A few drops of early rain. But nothing Gary hasn’t seen before.”

Opening Holes

“Drives were a touch cautious in the breeze, but the start was steady — just three over through the first four holes.”

“And then… the par‑3 fifth. Gary steps up, smooth swing, pure strike — and bang! A beauty off the tee, setting up the first birdie of the day.”

“Front nine wrapped up with a very tidy 41, just six over par. A strong start.”

THE BACK NINE — WHERE THINGS GOT INTERESTING

Holes 10 & 11

“Two solid pars — calm, controlled, professional.”

Holes 12, 13, 14 — The Bunker Trilogy

“And then… ladies and gentlemen… the wheels got a little wobbly.”

“A couple of wayward shots found those notorious Secret Harbour pot bunkers — the ones that look innocent until you’re standing in them. Across three holes, Gary dropped eight shots. Tough stretch. Character‑testing stuff.”

Hole 15

“But he steadied the ship beautifully — a well‑earned par.”

Hole 16

“More bunker trouble. A hard‑fought 8 on the par‑5.”

Finish

“Bogeys on the last two holes, closing the back nine with a 49.”

Day One Total

“90 shots, placing Gary 7th for the day. And honestly — without those bunker‑heavy holes — who knows what might’ve been? But that’s golf. And as we say… there’s always tomorrow.”

DAY TWO — SUNDAY: THE EARLY BIRD ROUND

6:39am Tee Time

“Even earlier today — but no hold‑ups on the freeway, thank goodness.”

“The wind? Swirling. The showers? Light but cheeky. But the vibe? Electric.”

Driver On Song

“Gary’s driver today was dialled in. Only missed a couple of fairways all day. The man was striping it.”

The Putting Story

“But the greens… oh the greens. Overnight rain and blustery gusts made putting a nightmare. Putts lipping out, stopping short, sliding past — and not just for Gary. It was a universal golfer’s tragedy.”

Par‑5 Masterclass

“Despite the putting woes, Gary absolutely dominated the par‑5s:

• Bogey
• Par
• Par
• Birdie — and that birdie was inches from an eagle!”

“On the 515‑metre 11th, he hit two magnificent shots, finishing just metres from the hole. The eagle putt came up just short — but what a moment.”

Front Nine

“Despite the great driving and iron play, the putter held him back — finishing with a 50.”

Back Nine Bounce‑Back

“And then the sun came out — literally and figuratively.”

“With improved conditions and renewed confidence, Gary delivered:

• 1 Birdie
• 4 Pars
• 2 bogeys
• 2 doubles For a very respectable 41 on the back nine.”

Day Two Total

“90 and 91 shots (181), finishing tied 7th for the tournament. A gritty, determined performance across two tough days.”

THE CADDY’S VIEW — ROLAND’S SIGN‑OFF

“Caddying for Gary was an absolute pleasure. You see the game differently when you’re carrying the bag — the strategy, the shot‑selection, the course management… and yes, the art of raking bunkers properly for tournament conditions!”

“Thank you, Gary. Looking forward to caddying again sometime.”

“This is Roland, your roving sports reporter, signing off from Secret Harbour Golf Club, Western Australia.”

ANNOUNCEMENT

Firstly and most importantly the highlight of our Club's social calendar, the Gala Dinner & Presentation Night is fast approaching on Saturday 28 November. Please refer to the magnificent flyer prepared by the social committee that provides all the details you need to know.

Please confirm your attendance no later than 30 October because we need confirm with our supplier.

A big thank you to Frances our social events manager, and should anyone have any special dietary requirement please let Frances know.

NEXT SATURDAY - ROUND 1 OF THE SOS CUP

Another early tee time of 7.40, so early to bed. Round 1 will be played on the Old and Round 2 on the Tuart. The current title holder is Frances.

My thanks to Frances, Gerry, Greg, Roland, Faye, Goochy, Glen and Keith for their contributions