DIGGERS TROPHY

The Diggers Trophy was the prize for winning today's competition. It was a 'Par' format on the Tuart Course and the spring weather promised cloudless skies and a moderate 26°c.

However, Mother Nature found a few tricks to make the game more memorable!

As the game progressed the wind picked up to a very strong south westerly which, while driving off the 15th tee was very welcome, made a misery for many as they proceded toward the final holes!

Dave W, David M, Keith & Roland
basking in the early morning sun!

Karl, Paul G & Barry ready to challenge the Tuart Course
 for the third week in a row.

Paul, Paul & Paul

Paul Cooper & James Axson

No competition for guessing who is wearing the latest in foot fashion. Very nice three colour number with solar powered side mounted lace tension devices!

Whoes shoes?

The tee positions for Hole 1 were very welcome for the 'green' players as black, green and white markers were all within a few metres of each other, making the dogs leg achievable for many players!

Group 2 all teeing off at the front of what is normally
 the white marker teeing area.

Lack of preparation can lose the game!

No photos were received by the blogger covering the first half of the course so it is assumed everyone had a pleasant uneventful game up to that point. However, the peace was broken by the following confronting sign at the 11th tee! 

While it is currently high season for snake activity most players had presumably given the danger little thought in recent weeks.  However, the sign appeared to add further impetus to players to direct their balls toward the centre of the fairways!

To assist SOS members with identifying a dugite at short range the following picture is offered, although if you catch sight of one this close, it may be too late! 

At least Perth's wildlife is unlikely to eat you!

Record Slow Play event

A record was apparently broken as three groups were found stacked on the 9th and 10th tees. No explanation, but perhaps the snake sighting had something to do with it?  The Course Marshall was seen darting about in his cart untangling the various groups involved.

A friendly duck on the course!
Dinner for the snake?

The Clubhouse

There were a number of SOS members who missed the game due to injury recovery and the flu, including our President, Gerry Tessier. Gerry was hoping to play today but requires additional time to recover from knee surgery!

SOS Golf's Club Captain, Andrea Williams, called the meeting to order noting today's competition was for the Diggers Trophy which honours Remberance Day.

SOS donates an amout each year to the Kings Park Honour Avenue Group to assist in the upkeep of the plaques honouring those Austrlians who died in all wars and armed conflict. The Ash Tray donations collected each Saturday during November are used to fund the donation. Unusually, there are 5 Saturdays in November 2025, so please give generously in the next two weeks!

Next Week's Game

The President's Trophy will be the prize for next week's winner. The competition (format TBA) will tee off at 8.04am on the Tuart Course. Karl Wolzak won in 2024.

Andrea announces the results

The Diggers Trophy was won by Paul Boquest with a score of +3, closely followed by Dave Williamson and Shelley Yeo, both on +2

                                                   The Podium!                                                       Shelley (3rd), Paul B (1st), Dave W (2nd)!

In 22nd place (last) was Glen Pope who received the bag of lollies and the task of reading out the 'Digger Fines List',

The full results were:  

The Diggers Trophy with its new custodian, Paul Boquest

Glen P claims the bag of lollies!

Golden Holes & Novelties

Neither of the two Golden Holes were claimed.   Hole 3 remains at $150 while the 2nd GH is accumulating from $21.

Nearest to pin on Hole 6 won by Earle

Ladies longest drive on Hole 8 claimed by Shelley, but outdistanced by Andrea

Mens longest drive on Hole 15 saw Boris first on the board outdistanced by Roland, then Keith and finally Paul Boquest won the gift card!

Nearest to the pin on Hole18 claimed by Earle, then closer by Don

Eagles & Birdies

No Eagles today, but no less than 7 birdies:

Roland - 3 & 8

Paul B - 5 &15

Dave M - 8

Shelley  - 18

Don   -  18

Best dressed ?

Paul and Roland strong contenders for best dressed!

Ash Tray Collection

A total of $43.60 was raised from today's collection with Paul G and Greg scooping up the cash.

Plenty of fines swelled by the strong winds on the back nine.

The fines money goes flying!

Shelley levies fines for slow play?

Raffle

The raffle raised $73.60 and the winning number was held by Boris who also won a secondary prize - $15 in total.

Barry also came 5th in todays competition, the only player to score par!

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MASTER'S TROPHY

Near perfect conditions greeted a very impressive field of 28 players for the 47th playing of the Masters Trophy. Amazingly Shelly's timesheet had no alterations to the original (see photo following) until Barry, who was suffering from a cold and woke up Saturday morning feeling slightly better, made a late call to see if a spot was available. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily for Barry one spot was available in Group 1, that was accommodated without necessitating an alteration to the tee timesheet.

Unbelievable - A Clean Sheet

Look at all the "M's" on that timesheet

As the players gathered ahead of their tee times Andrea was heard to say "I have never got the Lollies". This created quite a stir with all those that have got the lollies in the past and were left in a state of disbelief. One was heard to say "well that will undoubtably bring it on".

The disbelievers with Andrea striking a defiant pose

Shelly & Peter deep in conversation about?

Barry generously passing on his cold to Garry

The Army Boys

Rarely seen photo of Coops with and egg and bacon toasty and coffee

Lynley in her puffer jacket feeling the cold?

and Roland with matching everything, including underwear apparently!!!

Coops read this sign somewhere and instantly decided to adopt this approach to life. He did however tweak it slightly by adding a a egg and bacon toasty to it prior to, and after a round of golf.

A round rarely goes by without some Spots of Bovver and yesterdays round was no exception. Three players owned up and judging by the scores there were may others that went unrecorded.

SPOTS OF BOVVER

Garry on the second

Dave on the lucky 13th

Lynley still managing a smile

THE RESULTS

THE WINNERS

The Master for the 5th time - Garry

The winners on the day - Kerry with a comfortable 2 stokes over Garry who was one stroke ahead of Greg.

THE LOLLIES

Stephanie, who in a truly spotting gesture gave then to David

NOVELTIES

Golden Hole 1 (the Big One) - Hole #3 - Club

Golden Hole 2 (The little one) - Hole # 6 - Coops (will keep him in toasty's for a couple of rounds)

Ladies Longest Drive - Hole #9 - Faye pipped by Lynne

Nearest in Two - Hole #12 - Popey pipped by Kerry with a magnificent shot to within inches of the hole

Men's longest Drive - Hole #15 - Paul B

Nearest in One - Hole #18 - Karl (arguably the shot of the day. Karl also took a hit for the club (mostly Shelly) by defecting and errant bunker shot setting up an unlikely birdie chance for Shelly. Could be a kidney replacement next week!!) 

BIRDIES

Hole #12 - Kerry

Hole #9 - Garry

Hole #10 - Wayne

Hole #15 - Keith & Paul B

Hole #7 - Roland

Hole #6 - Coops

Unbelievably Andrea did not feature in any of the above but did receive a crown in recognition of past achievements. Somehow Coops managed to steal it form her while eating yet another toasty at the same time. Who says men can only do one thing at a time.

Our best wishes go out to Gerry. Hope to see you back on course shortly.

NEXT WEEK

We are back on the Tuart for the "Diggers Trophy" with tee of at 8.04

I'll leave you with these snippets 

SOS CUP - ROUND 2

Twenty members and one guest turned up to have a 2nd shot for the SOS Cup, with a sausage sizzle to follow at Perry Lakes

The Tuart Course provided a different set of challenges to last week on the Old Course when the top players included:

• Frances Longhurst    67
• Lynne Malone    71
• James Axson    71
• Gary Burgess    74
• Lynley Hunter    74

With James and Lynley not contesting Round 2, only 3 frontrunnes remained as favourites! Would they prevail?

Paul Cooper has been celebrating his 70th birthday.
Seen here with Andrea Williams and Dave Millar.

Faye Millar and Lynne Malone get their cart in order!

1st tee jitters ?

Glen and Andrea ready to tee off.

Flashy shoe competition

First to identify who was wearing this flashy shoe gets a free raffle token for next week! The wearer and fellow team mates are exempted!

The inimitable Paul 'Gardy' Gardner ready to slay the course!

The 'Benkerr' cart readty to roll!

Group 2 - Shelley, Andrea, Wayne & Gary on the 1st tee.

WELL, I'LL BE BUNKERED !

Group 3 managed to all end up in the rear bunker on Hole 5 !!

Dave takes a selfy with Lynne, Faye & Paul

Another perspective

Yes !!   All 4 balls are bunkered !!
Better long than short as the saying goes.

Shelley too close to a tree trunk!

Keith in a spot of bother !
"It is up there somewhere" !

Perry Lakes Sausage Sizzle

After the game most players managed to make it to Perry Lakes where they found the early finishers had cooked up the snags and onion, set out the drinks, rolls and salad ready for consumption!

Dave, Greg and Colin sitting comfortably under a gum tree !

Acting President, Andrea Williams commenced the formal part of the meeting by welcoming everyone to the first sausage sizzle in quite some time. Records seem to indicate 31 May was the last sizzle, after the annual bout with the WABGA!

With the Annual Dinner coming up on Saturday, 29 November, please ensure that your payment has been made to the SOS Operaing bank account.  Also, anyone with special dietary requirements should contact Shelley Yeo before next Saturday, 8 March.  

Next Week  - eligible players will compete for the Masters Trophy, an 18 hole stroke event (lowest net score wins) to be held on the Tuart Course with a 8.12 am start.

The Masters Trophy competition is for a Perpetual Trophy and is only open to members who have won a 36 hole Cup event or the Match Play competition in any fixture year. Glen Pope won in 2024.

Non-eligible players will compete in a standard stroke game.

Anniversaries

Glen Pope provided a few kind words to Paul Cooper on the occasion of his 70th birthday celebrations being held this week, noting that Paul's athletic frame, fuelled by pre-game bacon & egg sandwiches, consistently produces great golf shots !   

SOS CUP - ROUND 2 RESULTS

Congratulations to Faye Millar and Glen Pope for each scoring 70 net strokes, closely followed by Dave Williamson on 71 net strokes.

At the other end of the spectrum we have Paul Cooper on 86 strokes narrowly beated by Paul Gardner for the bag of lollies, on 87.

Andrea reads out the competition results

SOS CUP WINNER

And the winner of the SOS CUP 2025 is Frances Longhurst with a total score of 140.

Frances is a worthy winner having the lowest score of any round, taking a 4 stroke advantage into Round 2 and, with an aggregate score of 140 wins by a 3 stroke margin.

If further accolades are needed, Frances birdied the Tuart's index 1, par 5, 4th hole thereby being awarded 2 x $5 Wembley Gift Cards.

SOS CUP placings
Keith (=3rd), Frances (1st), Lynne (2nd) & Glen (=3rd)

With Derek winning the Memorial Cup a few weeks ago in grand fashion, the Longhurst's might have been taking covert lessons in the lead-up to the festive season!  Surely their mantleplace is overflowing! 

SOS Cup - Round 2 Podium

Lynne (4th), Glen (=1st), Faye (=1st)
Absent: Dave Williamson (3rd)

Novelties

There were two Golden Holes worth $150 (Hole 3) and $37 (Hole 18), but no-one got close enough to either!

Other novelty awards will be published if details can be forwarded to Peter's email address !

Birdies

Only 4 birdies were recorded

Glen Pope on the 2nd

Frances Longhurst on the 4th

Dave Williamson on the 10th, and

Mark Wilson, also on the 10th

Paul cleaned up the bag of lollies and read out the fine categories.

Shelley, Carol & Paul shake the collection boxes and
managed to rake in $44.10 for the first week the
 Kings Park Honour Avenue fund.

 

The blogger would like to apologise for the late delivery of the blog, caused, in the main, by being unable to transfer various pictures and results from my new iPhone to the blog page! In future, please send any data for future blogs to my email address peterbaird9@gmail.com

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