⛳ Saturday Golf Blog — The Wind, the White Markers and a Minor Miracle!
What a Day on the Course & Gone With The Wind!
What a Saturday! The wind was absolutely crazy, 4-irons were snapping, golf balls were flying in directions that even their owners couldn’t explain, and somehow we managed to get through another competition with plenty of stories to tell.
We had a combined Blue and White marker Stableford competition, with some excellent scoring despite the conditions. Congratulations to all our winners and rundown recipients!
Now, let’s talk about the white and blue marker trial. I’m calling it a failure for today! Out of 77 players, only 12 decided to hit off the white markers. I genuinely thought that with the wind blowing its head off and the course playing a little shorter, more players would have jumped at the chance to take the easier option. Apparently, we have 65 golfers who enjoy making life difficult for themselves! 😂
And in other breaking news, someone apparently hasn’t lost a ball in 36 holes. That someone is me! For anyone who knows me, this is very close to a golfing miracle. Even better, not a single Titleist Pro V1 or Pro X has disappeared off the course and travelled into another universe. Long may this unbelievable run continue!
🏆 Winners with Handicap by Division
Overall Division — Blue Markers
Congratulations to Patrick Tregellas, who took out the Blue marker competition with an excellent 40 points off a handicap of 9.3 (9), claiming the $50 voucher. Nigel Luxton also scored 40 points off a handicap of 16.7 (17) to secure the runner-up position and the $35 voucher. A great result in some challenging conditions!
Overall Division — White Markers
Well done to Steve Wilkinson, who led the White marker competition with 38 points off a handicap of 18.4 (16), earning the $50 voucher. Kevin Bartlett finished runner-up with 37 points off a handicap of 17.1 (15), taking home the $35 voucher. Congratulations to both players for making the most of their day on the course!
🎯 Ball Rundown
The Blue marker rundown produced some solid scores, with four players finishing on 38 points and another four on 37. Here’s the rundown:
- Joseph Lehkyj (17) – 38 points
- Colin Norton (22) – 38 points
- Les Browning (18) – 38 points
- Luke Poile (24) – 38 points
- Dave Callard (24) – 37 points
- Nimai Strickland (8) – 37 points
- Brian Springfield (11) – 37 points
- Wayne Stone (23) – 37 points
- John Barringer (12) – 36 points
Congratulations to everyone who made the rundown. With that wind, simply keeping the ball on the same planet as the golf course deserved recognition!
📍 Nearest to Pins (NTPs)
There were plenty of opportunities to get close to the flag, and congratulations to our NTP winners across both marker competitions.
- Nathan Smith – 2nd hole (Blue)
- Denise Culpitt – 2nd hole (Blue)
- Graham Hopkins – 7th hole (Blue)
- Darren Hubery – 7th hole (White)
- Steve Wilkinson – 11th hole (White)
- Kyle Harrison – 12th hole (Blue)
- Steve Wilkinson – 12th hole (White)
- Nigel Luxton – 16th hole (Blue)
- Liam Henzell – 16th hole (White)
A special mention to Steve Wilkinson for collecting two NTPs on the White markers. Clearly, the shorter course suited him nicely!
🎁 Pro Pin Winner
– Kyle Harrison – $75 Pro Shop Voucher
🎟️ Raffle Winners
Congratulations to our lucky raffle winners:
- Ray Mills – $50 Raffle Voucher
- Bill Mann – $50 Raffle Voucher
- Kim Hall – $25 Raffle Voucher
A nice little bonus to finish off the day!
Thanks to everyone who played, especially those who braved the wind and gave the White markers a go. The trial might not have attracted the numbers we hoped for, but we’ll keep encouraging everyone to give the alternative markers a chance.
Congratulations again to all our winners, rundown recipients, NTP winners and raffle winners.
And as for my 36-hole streak without losing a ball? I’m not saying I’ve conquered golf, but the universe is clearly running out of places to hide my Titleists!
See you all out there next Saturday for the Foursomes championship. Hopefully with a little less wind 🏌️♂️
💙 Remembering Our Dear Friend, Kym Fiora
It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of one of our much-loved members, Kym Fiora.
Kym was a long-standing member of Club Banora and a familiar, friendly face in our regular competitions. A solid and consistent golfer playing off a handicap of 19, Kym always seemed to be in the mix, whether he was picking up an NTP or featuring among the leaders on the leaderboard. He certainly knew his way around the course!
But beyond his golf, Kym was so much more than a fellow competitor. He was an absolute gentleman, and it was his quiet presence, friendly nature and the respect he showed others that made him such a valued part of our golfing community.
Golf clubs are about so much more than scores, handicaps and trophies. They are about the friendships we build, the laughs we share, the familiar faces we look forward to seeing each week, and the wonderful people who make our club feel like family. Kym was one of those special people, and his absence will be felt by so many.
While we will miss seeing him out on the course, lining up another shot or making his way onto the leaderboard, we will cherish the memories, the camaraderie and the moments we were fortunate enough to share with him.
On behalf of everyone at Club Banora, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Kym’s family, friends and all those who had the privilege of knowing him during this difficult time.
Rest peacefully, Kym. Thank you for being part of our Club Banora family. You will be fondly remembered, deeply missed and never forgotten.
💙 From all your friends at Club Banora.
Men’s Captain
Patrick