⛳ 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

24 Ladies braved the misty rain and cold breeze this morning for the first round of our Club Championships.

There were some great scores returned in difficult conditions and the following is a summary of the best gross scores for the two divisions.-

Div 1 Alison Blair – 85; Denise F Culpitt 88; Viv Sulejmani 88. – Lovely golf ladies.

Div 2 – Diane Hughes 99; Katherine Colsell 106; Helen Evans 106;

Keep up the great scoring for round 2 next Thursday.

Rundown for the day –

Viv Sulejmani 68; Colleen Kelly 69; Denise F Culpitt 69; Diane Hughes 69; Lis Edwards 72; Kathryn Colsell 73; Nancy Douglas 74; Pauline Ryan 74; Coral Rasmussen 74; PT Hodda 74.

Winners in the rundown have received a ball.

Raffle Winners today

$20 Helen Evans; $15 Liz Edwards ; $10 Lyn Simpson; $10 Myra Biggar; $10 Denise Melling.

Next week is the final round of the Championships, if you were unable to play today you are welcome to join the field next Thursday.

A presentation of trophies will be held and also a light luncheon. For catering numbers we will use the numbers of players who have nominated via the web site who are on the sheet next Tuesday.

Have a great week, see everyone next Thursday.

Pauline R. – Ladies Captain 🏌️‍♀️🏌️‍♀️🏌️‍♀️🌸🌸

Club Banora Golf – Wednesday Wrap-Up

7 October 2026 | Stableford

A Beautiful, Calm Day at Club Banora… Apparently!

What a magnificent day for golf at Club Banora! The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and there wasn’t a breath of wind to be felt.

Well, apart from the 35 km/h southerly wind that was doing its absolute best to relocate golf balls, hats, and possibly a few smaller members to northern Queensland.

Yes, it was another beautifully calm day at Club Banora, provided you were playing inside a building.

With the wind howling across the fairways, players were forced to dig deep, adjust their shots, and occasionally question why they hadn’t taken up indoor bowls.

But as always, the cream rises to the top. Or in Wednesday’s case, the cream was blown sideways across the fairway before eventually finding its way into the winner’s circle.

Winners – The Cream Rises to the Top

Division 1

Steven Warne (HC 10) proved that a little breeze was no match for quality golf, producing an excellent 39 points to claim victory. Peter McCray (HC 14) was right on his heels, also finishing with 39 points, but had to settle for runner-up honours. Two outstanding efforts in conditions where simply keeping your ball on the same postcode was considered an achievement.

Division 2

And then there was Paul Quinlin (HC 22).

Paul didn’t just win Division 2. He decided to show everyone how it was done, posting a magnificent 40 points, the best score of the day.

While others were battling the southerly, Paul appeared to have negotiated some sort of private arrangement with the weather gods.

Was it brilliant golf? Was it superior course management? Or was Paul still riding an emotional high after his beloved Sydney Roosters won their NRL final on the weekend?

The cream certainly rose to the top. Although whether it was talent, inspiration, or something in Paul’s morning coffee, we may never know.

Some mysteries are simply not meant to be solved.

Anthony Brown (HC 27) put together a solid 36 points to take runner-up honours, proving that even in Paul’s shadow there was still room for some respectable golf.

Ball Rundown

Congratulations to everyone who managed to bring home a ball, particularly those who didn’t lose three or four getting there!

• Kim Thackeray (17) – 38 pts
• Jared Brown (10) – 38 pts
• Wayne Woodford (14) – 36 pts
• Rodney Jackson (28) – 36 pts
• Martin Dobney (21) – 36 pts
• Kevin Tooley (15) – 35 pts
• Kenneth Davey (26) – 34 pts
• David Von Itzstein (7) – 34 pts
• Peter Mitchell (13) – 34 pts
• Ross Telfer (21) – 34 pts
• Gary Roach (26) – 34 pts
• Michael Druhala (19) – 34 pts
• Kevin Bartlett (15) – 33 pts
• Joseph Lehkyj (15) – 33 pts
• Bill Mann (17) – 33 pts
• Vince Robshaw (24) – 33 pts

Nearest the Pins (NTPs)

Somehow, despite the wind trying to turn every approach shot into a boomerang, a few players managed to find the greens.

Hole	Winners
2nd	Michael Druhala, Jared Brown
7th	Graham Hopkins, Vince Robshaw
12th	David Von Itzstein, John Bryant
16th	Lindsay Smith, Michael Druhala

Special mention to Michael Druhala for appearing twice. Clearly someone forgot to tell Michael the wind was supposed to make things difficult.

Pro Pin

Michael Druhala also collected the Pro Pin and a Pro Shop Voucher.

Two NTPs and the Pro Pin in one day! Michael, you’re making the rest of us look bad. Please consider being slightly less accurate next week.

Raffle Winners

For those whose golf didn’t quite go according to plan, there was still the raffle. Thankfully, the wind couldn’t interfere with that. Although we’re sure it tried.

• Kim Hall – $75 Voucher
• Kevin Bartlett – $25 Voucher

Congratulations to both winners!

Important Notice – Saturday’s New White & Blue Tee Competition

This Saturday, 10 October, marks the first trial of our new White and Blue Marker competition format.

Before you pay for your round and competition fee, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE tell Tim which tee markers you wish to play from – WHITE or BLUE.

Your handicap will be adjusted to suit your nominated tee, and separate competitions will operate for each set of markers.

Now, this is extremely important. Not just for the smooth running of the competition, but for the wellbeing of one very important individual….TIM.

Tim has personally requested that everyone make their tee selection crystal clear before paying, so he doesn’t have to repeat himself 150 times throughout the morning.

Apparently, he’s trying to preserve his amazing singing voice for the weekend.

And as we all know, a happy Tim is a happy Pro Shop.

Nobody wants a grumpy Tim. Nobody needs a grumpy Tim. And quite frankly, we’re not prepared to deal with a grumpy Tim.

So please, do your part. Nominate your tee, pay your money, and let the man save those precious vocal cords.

KEEP TIM HAPPY. IT’S IN EVERYONE’S BEST INTERESTS.

Until Next Time…

Congratulations to all our winners, especially those who managed to overcome Wednesday’s perfectly calm, completely harmless, 35 km/h southerly breeze.

And to everyone else, don’t worry. There’s always next week.

Hopefully, the wind will drop to a more manageable 34 km/h.

Happy golfing, everyone!

Men’s Captain

Patrick

Saturday Men’s Monthly Medal

What a Saturday! The October Monthly Medal delivered plenty of good scores, a few surprises, some very handy performances, and—depending on who you ask—a golf course that appeared to have a personal vendetta against putting.

Congratulations to everyone who battled through the conditions and made it around. There were plenty of standout performances across the divisions, with some familiar names showing a bit of form and a few others putting their hands up for some serious bragging rights.

Winners with HC by Division

Division 1

Grant Treloar took out the Division 1 Net with a terrific 66 off a handicap of 8, finishing one shot clear of Sam Benny, who posted 67 off 10. In the Gross, Patrick Tregellas claimed the honours with a 79 off 9. A very tidy day’s work from the Division 1 crew.

Division 2

Graham Hopkins led the way in Division 2 Net with an excellent 70 off 19, edging Nigel Luxton on the countback/placing after Nigel also returned a 70 off 17. Brendon Willoughby claimed the Gross prize with 86 off 15. Plenty of solid golf in this division.

Division 3

And then there was Perce.

The much-loved Perc Dempsey rolled back the years to claim the Division 3 Net with a sensational 67 off 30, with Dave Callard only a shot behind on 68 off 24. Luke Hammond took out the Gross with 92 off 20.

Rundown

• John McLoughlin (26) – 69
• David Williams (25) – 70
• Gerry Martin (19) – 70
• David Von Itzstein (9) – 70
• Luke Poile (24) – 71
• David Harrod (26) – 71
• Joseph Lehkyj (17) – 71
• Michael McKay (17) – 71

NTPs

• Luke Coe (23) – NTP, 2nd hole
• Greg Morrison (18) – NTP, 2nd hole
• Timothy Chivers (10) – NTP, 2nd hole
• Colin Norton (23) – NTP, 7th hole
• Gerry Martin (19) – NTP, 7th hole
• Timothy Chivers (10) – NTP, 7th hole
• Nick Davis (19) – NTP, 11th hole
• Luke Poile (24) – NTP, 12th hole
• Anthony Anketell (11) – NTP, 12th hole
• Michael McKay (17) – NTP, 12th hole
• Sam Benny (10) – NTP, 16th hole
• John McLoughlin (26) – NTP, 16th hole
• Paul Buckland (17) – NTP, 16th hole

Pro Pin & Raffle Winners

• Paul Buckland – $72 Pro Shop Voucher
• Charles Huff – $25 Raffle Voucher
• Graham Hopkins – $50 Raffle Voucher
• David Wallis – $75 Raffle Voucher

Perce Turns Back the Clock

A special mention has to go to one of the club’s most beloved characters, Perc Dempsey.

Perce has apparently been waiting since 1987 for another Monthly Medal victory—roughly the same era when colour TV was still something of a novelty or something but it’s been a long time between drinks. Today, however, the old champ decided enough was enough and put together a cracking 67 to clinch the C Grade Monthly Medal.

And not far behind him was John McLoughlin, just two shots away with a very handy 69 in the overall rundown.

There is, of course, some highly scientific speculation around the club that the absence of Brent “Pres” McLennan may have contributed to these extraordinary scoring performances. We wouldn’t want to start any rumours, but the evidence is… absolutely circumstantial.

Perce is showing some serious form this year and has his eyes firmly set on the Foursomes Championship in a few weeks. Hopefully that handicap doesn’t disappear too quickly, Perce. We might have to poach you for the Ambrose team before someone notices! Make sure to check your letter box on Monday, Garry Dowding will be sending you an invite to the 10:36am Ambrose Team.

Ryan Modini Finds the Eagle

A big shout-out to Ryan Modini, who snagged an eagle on the 6th today and earned himself a sleeve of Pro V1s.

Although, for a brief moment, we were expecting a sleeve of Super Soft Feel Srixons. Thankfully, someone corrected the prize before Ryan had to suffer that indignity.

No doubt Ryan, who has been in some pretty good form lately, knocked it up close and then chipped it straight in. Very classy stuff.

Well done, Ryan! We’re just not entirely sure what happened after that. Whatever magic you found on the 6th seemed to disappear somewhere around the turn and slide rapidly south from there!

The Pins… Seriously?

Now, a word about today’s pin placements.

I actually had to double-check the calendar to make sure it wasn’t Greenkeepers’ Revenge.

Somebody clearly woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, because those pins were absolutely diabolical. Combine that with strong winds and lightning-fast greens and you’ve got a putting experience that was less golf and more survival exercise.

In far too many cases, you finally got the ball heading towards the hole, only to watch it roll straight past, keep going, and eventually disappear off the other side of the green.

It was the sort of day where a three-putt felt like a perfectly respectable result.

Still, everyone battled through, the scores are in, the prizes have been handed out, and nobody threw a putter into the lake… at least not that we’ve heard.

Well played everyone, congratulations to all the winners, and we’ll see you out there next Saturday!

Make sure you book in for the upcoming Foursomes Championship on the 17th October.

Men’s Captain

Patrick