Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Boxing Day Scramble

Boxing Day fielded the smallest number of SOS stalwarts in a very long time! Only 7 players set off on the Old Course for a stableford competition. The wager was $5 each with the winner to take the pot.

The Field

The field about to set off under blue skies with a wisp of white cloud.
Glen, Steph, Birgit, Tony, Gerry & Barry (Peter taking the photo).




There were relatively few other players on the course which enabled the two groups to complete the 18 holes by noon!


Scores are compared and the winner is
Tony Gooch 
on 35 stableford points!





Birdies, Eagles and Golden Hole

Tony was the only one to score a birdie and no player came close to the Golden Hole flagstick!


Next Week

The New Years Cup will be the prize next week when a Stroke competition will be held on the Tuart Course.

Last year's winner was Stephanie who will have to dust off the trophy and bring it to the game!

The Tuart jackpot is currently $nil, so there will be a modest pot for the New Years Cup.


How to Make a Double Eagle

Has any SOS member ever scored an Albatross?


⏳  ⛲






Monday, December 21, 2020

Christmas Cup on Old

Yet again the skies were blue, a bit of a breeze at times and a good dose of Perth summer heat greeted the 22 SOS players as they lined up for a chance to win the Christmas Cup. The venue was the Wembley Old Course and the game was stableford.

There was also the anticipation of the SOS Christmas Cheer event to be held after the game with the regular frivolities including Awards Ceremony, Fines, Raffle, Secret Santa, fancy food, drinks and tall tales!


Maureen, Tony, Gary & Glen were in the 5th group
with Dave in the 6th and final group

Play commenced at 7.20 am!  A bit early for some, taking several holes to properly wake up and focus on the task at hand!

Bernie was playing well in the first group but lost control of her buggy on the tricky pathway between the 9th green and 10th tee!  Barry managed to capture the moment as the buggy got caught by the wind and crash landed among the trees! 

Bernies buggy makes a break for freedom !


A closeup of the carnage.

Meanwhile, Glenn Kelly, who was playing in the last group was hitting it long and piling up the points.

Glenn lines up an Eagle putt on the par 5, 17th hole having hit 2 awesome shots! Unfortunately, the ball did not get holed in 3 and Glenn had to settle for a birdie!


Presidential Address

Our President, Brett Fordham, welcomed all in attendance to the annual Christmas Cheer event and thanked our very kind hosts, Jenny and Barry, for opening their home for the venue.

Brett's speech interrupted by interjections by Secret Santa and Santa's Helper, as Barry and Maureen look on!

Brett welcomed Maureen to the SOS Golf Group membership after completing 3 rounds of golf  without misadventure! Indeed, Maureen has shown the form that earned her the low handicap she enjoys.

Welcome Maureen!

A special thanks was extended to host Jenny and the Catering Committee for organising the magnificent spread of hot finger food, cheese platters, beers, wine and dips. A magnificent achievement given the short notice and most appetising!  

Earle, Keith and Derek relax at the start of proceedings.


The Results

Congratulations to Glenn Kelly whose strong game today, including a birdie (nearly an eagle) on the 17th hole, earned him 40 stableford points and first place in today's game.

Stephanie awards a $40 gift voucher to Glenn for 1st place.
But where is the Christmas Cup?

Ahhh! Here it is !
Stephanie locates the Christmas Cup on the table behind them.


 Just 2 points behind, Bernie and Peter each scored 38 points with Peter winning on a count-back with a 4 pointer on the 18th hole!




Bernie takes 3rd place with 38 points.

Birdies and Eagles

No Eagles were scored, although Glenn Kelly came close on Hole 17.

Seven birdies were scored, an increase over recent weeks! Hole 2 was popular




The Novelties

You have to be at the top of your game to win a novelty prize!

Unusually, the longest drive was an all women contest, with Maureen's drive on the 10th going as far as the dogs-leg!



Maureen selects a ball for winning the longest drive competition on Hole 10.


Dave Williamson - nearest the pin on hole 2.


Golden Hole

There was no winner today for the Golden Hole which has Jack-potted to around $70.

The next round on the Old Course should be worth close to $100.


The Raffle

Ian Holmes wins 1st prize and is awarded a $10 note and a bonus present!

Ian wins the Raffle !

 
Bernie wins two balls in the raffle!

The Fines

Collective amnesia often besets players at this time of proceedings, but Shelly roused those that had transgressed the club's lengthy list of 'ash tray' events to dig deep! 


Shelly collecting the ash tray money!

 

The Secret Santa Lucky Dip

A special thanks to Santa Gerry and Santa's Helper Vickie for keeping order while members and guests plundered the bags of goodies!

Selection was fraught with difficulty - do you go for the big items, or the heavy, the shape or feel??


How do you prevent it being swapped if it turns out to be especially desirous!
 

Santa Gerry with several sacks of Christmas presents



Santa's Helper takes her place - the picking can commence!

Barry sorts through the numerous gifts on offer

 . . and selects a red box containing . . . .?



Keith selects a large, long present. What is it?


Steph looks to the heavens for inspiration
 on how to unwrap her present.


Ian is not too sure and considers a 'swap'.


Ian makes a swap while hoping the Swapee will be gracious.

Dave goes for length and finds a monster Christmas Cracker!


Derek appears to be taken by the quality of the
 wrapping paper and ribbon!

 . . . which reveals  . . . . ?


Jenny uses shape and weight to score a bottle of Jim Beam!
Nice work Jenny!


Earle goes for size  [& weight?]

 . . and cautiously examines contents . . . 


 . . . with assistance from a table . . . this has to be good!


Sandy unwraps her petite selection


Bernie, Glen, Vickie and Steph enjoy post present chat. 

Bernie, Vickie and Dave




Next Week

A small field of 8 have booked to play on boxing Day, 25 December. With the cancellation of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, what else is there to do?

The event will be played on the Old Course for the 4th consecutive week. Glen will circulate further details next Thursday, as usual.

Week After Next

On 2nd January 2021 players will be contesting for the New Years Cup on the Tuart Course.
 


Cartoon of the Year?



Could it get worse?

It was a beautiful sunny day on the 1st hole and as I’m lining up to take my shot, I hear a voice booming over the speakers from the clubhouse.

“Could the man at the women’s tee please take your shot from the men’s tee”.

I got a little nervous, shuffled around a little then again over the clubhouse speakers with a little more agitation in the voice “Can the man at the women’s tee please use the men’s tee.”

By that point, I’d had enough so I turned around and said “Can the a$%hole on the megaphone shut up so I can take my second shot”.

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💤  💨

















Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Stableford on Old

 Yet another magnificent day for golfing! Clear skies and light winds to start, but increasing as the 17 SOS members moved into the second half of the course.

It was also quite hot, requiring regular re-hydration to keep the brain functioning at optimal levels.

Brett, Tony, Earle and James cast long shadows for the early start ! 


Richard, Greg, Derek, Birgit, Barry, Gerry and Keith
line up for the start of play.


Highlights

In the absence of receiving additional photos of feats of exceptional golfing, the blogger assumes there were only two noteworthy events today. 

James was pleased to see his tee shot on the 10th hole
get to about 30 metres of the green! However, it took another 3 shots to hole it for a par.


Is it possible that this is where James' game started to come apart?  On other fairways, several long drives found the wooded rough with James' attempts to drive the ball out and further up the fairway colliding with nearby tree trunks, sending his ball deeper into the woods!

  



Brett lines up his eagle chance on the par 5, 17th hole. Sadly, he had to settle for a birdie.

Birthdays

President, Brett Fordham, asked Keith Barrow to pass the club's best wishes to Carol Barrow who celebrated her birthday on Sunday, 13 December. 

New Shirts

The President advised that delivery of the new shirts was 'on its way'.


A murder of crows scan the tables below for scraps!
Glen's head obscured in the foreground 🐦

The Results

Congratulations to Keith Barrow on his 39 stableford points and winner of today's round. Obviously, he did not lose too much condition while in the UK and during his recent 2 weeks of isolation!

One point behind, on 38 points was both Tony Gooch and Glen Pope, with Tony taking 2nd place on a countback.


Keith wins the stableford competition and a $40 gift card !



Tony takes 2nd place, one stroke behind winner!
 As Gerry considers a spot of practice may be in order!!
   


Glen takes 3rd place on count-back from Tony


Birdies

Some excellent scores were recorded with Brett's birdie on the index 4, 18th hole earning him two golf balls. Brett took advantage of the shortened tee by driving his ball in a direct line to the green, landing it on the fairway about 40 metres short of the hole!




Novelties


Nice play from the novelty winners.  Accuracy, and perhaps a bit of luck, reaps dividends!



Fines

James Weaver did a splendid job in rallying the members to give up their loose change for the inevitable windies, bunker-to-bunkers, dead sheep, blond moments etc. etc. . .  Very few, if any, escaped the net.




Golden Hole



No-one got close enough to the 16th pin to take out the jackpot, which currently sits at around $70.


Raffle

Birgit is the winner; with several bewildered members of the general public in the background sharing the end of our table.


Birgit wins the Raffle draw and a $10 note.
Also a secret gift, from the hoard of gifts left to the club by Paul and Kerry !

Christmas Cheer





Barry and Jenny Treak have generously offered their place for the SOS 2020 Christmas Cheer event.

The address is 2 Jackadder Way, Woodlands (on cnr. of Rosewood Ave. which faces the Jackadder playground and Lake - near Woodlands shopping centre and the legendary Bada Bing Cafe!).


There should be plenty of parking along the shores of Jackadder Lake.

It is suggested that you make your way to the venue after completing the golf round. For those not playing, this will probably be around 2.00 to 2.30 pm.  There will be the normal post match awards ceremony, fines and raffle.  Food and drinks will be served and a Secret Santa present hand-out will wrap the party up!

Secret Santa presents up to $20 in value should be placed under the Christmas Tree on arrival!


Next Week

On 19 December SOS players will play stableford to contest the Christmas Cup on the Old Course.

Last year's winner was Peter Baird.









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