Category: Match Reports

Tanunda Pines March 2024 – Theo was Unfazed by the Course Confusion !

After the early rains subsided before we teed off, it turned into a beautiful day on this interesting course, made particularly interesting today by the complete mismatch between the MiScore course arrangement and the club’s course scorecard ! They had rearranged a number of the holes but this wasn’t reflected on our MiScore app, so we found a 150m long Par 4 quite easy but this was offset by a 290m Par 3 – which even Tiger Woods would have found challenging !

Needless to say, some fairly average scores were posted by many players, but this didn’t stop Theo van Mil from posting a score of 36 to take today’s first prize !

The only matchplay game contested was between John Elliott and Stu Thomson, who both tried their hardest to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, only to fail miserably by drawing the match !

1st = Theo van Mil with 36 points

2nd = Andrew Reid with 35 points

3rd = Uwe Ebert with 33 points.

And the ball rundown went all the way down to 27 points !

NTPs:

4th 0-20HC: Darren Griffiths 4.1m, 21+HC: Nobody

11th 0-20HC: Nobody, 22+ HC: Gary Odgers 10.0m

13th 0-20HC: Stu Thomson 4.7m, 21+HC: Nobody

16th 0-20HC: John Elliott 4.2m, 21+ HC: Leon Mulder 4.0m 

Our next round is on Sunday 14th April at Victor Harbor GC.

Stu Thomson ⛳️

Mt Compass February 2024 – Tony van Wyk Wins the Count-back !

24 players joined us on this challenging links-style course for our second round of the year. With nobody playing to or above their handicaps, the winning position was contested by 4 players on 35 points. So the usual count-back rules were applied to determine that Tony van Wyk was the final winner, based on his finishing form on the day !

Several boxes of golf balls were lost in the thick rough by our players.

The course was in very good shape, with the greens testing most players’ putting skills, and the food & service in the restaurant afterwards was excellent, as always.

Thanks to those who stayed for the AGM (which was completed in under 6 minutes so not a big ask – and that included an interruption from a large spider crawling across one of the lunch tables !) and prize-giving.

1st = Tony van Wyk with 35 points;

2nd (on count-back) = Jai Brown with 35 points;

3rd (on count-back) = Leon Mulder with 35 points.

The next 6 place-getters also received a ball each – down to 29 points !

NTPs:

5th 0-21HC: Stu Thomson 9.0m, 22+HC: Theo van Mil 9.5m

9th 0-21HC: Rob Pearce 2.5m, 22+ HC: Leon Mulder 6.0m

12th 0-21HC: Rob Mulder 2.5m, 22+HC: Annie Gower 3.0m

14th 0-21HC: Darren Griffiths 0.8m, 22+ HC: Annette Pearce 6.0m 

Our next round is on Sunday March 17th at Tanunda Pines.

Stu Thomson ⛳️

McCracken January 2024 – Carolyn Kernahan the Champion

29 Starters for the 1st round at this challenging layout on the south coast ,the weather was great and the course was in pretty good shape. It’s very easy to hit an errant shot into the plentiful lakes or bunkers on this track !

Results:

In a tight contest, Carro (as we call her) shot the lights out with 40 points !

A close 2nd to Darren Griffiths with a great score of 39 off a low handicap. 

First game with SAOGA and welcome to Uwe Ebert who came in 3rd on count back, also with 39 points.

We also welcome his wife Sylvia to SAOGA.

The next 6 place-getters also received a ball each – down to 36 points.

And Darren was awarded an extra sleeve of balls for his magnificent “slam-dunk” (nothing but hole) chip-in for an Eagle on the Par 5 8th hole.

NTPs:

2nd 0-22HC: Darren Griffiths 6.0m, 23+HC: Kathy Cunynghame 7.0m

5th 0-22HC: Stu Thomson 9.0m, 23+HC: Sandy Turnbull 6.0m

7th 0-22HC: Wolf Engel 3.5m, 23+HC: Tony van Wyk 8.0m

13th 0-22HC: Tony Carter 6.0m, 23+HC: Carolyn Kernahan 2.5m

17th 0-22HC: Kevin Turnbull 3.5m, 23+HC: Nobody

Our next stop is the mighty Mt Compass on Sunday February 11th (including AGM) – we’d appreciate it if as many of you as possible can join us at this event.

John Mortimer & Stu Thomson⛳️

Blackwood December 2023 – The Annual Summer Cup won by Dave Elliss & Mark Duerden 

By his own account, Mark’s biggest achievement of the day was being paired with Dave Elliss, who had a magnificent round (which was ably assisted by Mark, no doubt) to post a team score of 48 points !

Only 6 teams contested this 4BBB Competition on a spectacular day at Blackwood Golf Club. 

The Course was in excellent condition and some great scores were achieved!

All enjoyed the day, hopefully we can get some more teams fronting up for this event next year – which will be held at Links Lady Bay on Sunday 8th December 2024. Please put it in your diaries now !

Results:

1st (and Summer Cup winners) = Dave Elliss and Mark Duerden with 48 points;

2nd = Rob & Leon Mulder (the 2022 defending champions so a valiant effort to retain it) with 47 points;

3rd = Kevin & Sandy Turnbull with 41 points.

NTPs:

3rd Dave Elliss 1.7m

8th Sandy Turnbull 3.5m

11th Benn Cox 2.0m

14th Darren Griffiths 3.5m

Our next event will be at the McCracken Country Club on Sunday 21st January 2024.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year in the meantime !

Stu Thomson ?️⛳️

Clare 2023 Tournament (SAOGA’s 41st), 16th to 19th November 2023

The 41st SAOGA Golf Tournament was held at the Clare Golf Course & Country Club from 16th to 19th November 2023 and was a very successful event. 

The weather was glorious, the golf course looked great and all of the social events went like clockwork.  Thanks to Bruce & Huddo for the Sunday BBQ and to the Stu / Glenn musical duo for more entertainment.

There was fantastic support from our Committee for the event organisation – especially Stu, our Secretary. The golf and the carts all worked well – all rounds were prompt and the scoring was greatly optimised by most of our members now using the MiScore app.

The Sponsor’s Day was exciting with a new team on board and them wanting to attend all 4 days next year!  All of the generous sponsors ensured we met budget and importantly, did not suffer a loss. 

Thanks also go out to the Clare Golf Club for their volunteers upstairs and the Pro (Phil) running the golf course. The Country Club was accommodating and it is good to see that they have now renovated most (if not all ?) of the rooms.

Congratulations to Cathy Goldsworthy as the overall winner on Saturday & Sunday, and the new holder of the Stealth Trophy !

Here is a summary of all the main results:

Pre-Tournament:
Matchplay Trophy: 1st = Robert Pearce, 2nd = Benn Cox, 3rd = Mark Duerden, 4th = James Lunnay.
Thursday / Friday Winners:
JFK Cup (Thursday Stoke): 1st = Frank Topolnjak, 2nd = Bruce Clark.
Presidents Cup (Friday Ambrose, 1st) =  Darren Griffiths, Mike Willis, Jeff Rooney, Leigh Townsin.
Sponsors Cup (Friday Ambrose, 2nd) =  Helen Janetzki, Carolyn Kernahan, Lyndon Prior, Chris McKay.
Saturday / Sunday Winners:
NAGA Trophy = Glenn Wilkin
Halliburton Cup (Calloway): 1st = Darlene Crimmins, 2nd = Bella Hudson
Cavpower Cup (Most Consistent Golfer): Vera Mortimer
RD Koch Trophy (Most Improved): 1st = Darren Griffiths, 2nd = Jim Stobie
SAOGA Club Championship:
C Grade: 1st = Lyndon Prior, 2nd = Kathy Cunynghame
B Grade: 1st = Frank Topolnjak, 2nd = Bruce Clark
A Grade: 1st = Benn Cox, 2nd = Darren Griffiths
Major Trophies:
Drill Quip Cup (Eclectic): 1st = Bruce Clark, 2nd = James Lunnay
Desert City Cup (Best Scratch Saturday + Sunday): 1st = Benn Cox, 2nd = Darren Griffiths
Ensign Trophy (Best Stableford on Saturday): 1st = Frank Sampson, 2nd = David Crimmins
SAOGA Cup (Best Stableford on Sunday): 1st = Samuel Garrick, 2nd = Frank Topolnjak
Bardrill Cup (Best Overall Stableford on Saturday & Sunday): 1st = Helen Janetzki, 2nd = Vera Mortimer
Stealth Tools Cup (Best Overall Stableford on Saturday & Sunday): 1st = Cathy Goldsworthy, 2nd = Martin Henderson, 3rd = James Lunnay

In addition to all of the above trophy winners, 44 prize vouchers were won by 25 different players for various Nearest the Pin, Long Drive and Novelty Hole prowess displayed during the Friday, Saturday and Sunday games. 

Again, many thanks to our generous sponsors who make the weekend possible. Also, thank you to all who donated prizes for the raffle on Saturday night.

The committee is already looking forward to the 2024 event, having already booked the Clare Country Club, the Clare Golf Club (both the course and the club-room upstairs) and the Saturday caterers again for the period 14th to 17th November 2024 – so lock these dates into your diary now !

Mark Duerden, SAOGA President

South Lakes September 2023 – The Mortimers Clean Up !

Beautiful Spring weather was experienced for the 26 Members and 1 Guest who made the journey down to Goolwa. The course was in great condition and it was surprising that only 1 person played to handicap.

Lunch at the Pelican Bistro in the Goolwa Surf Club was an excellent choice with great food and spectacular views.

1st = Vera Mortimer 36 pts

2nd = John Mortimer 35 pts (on count-back)

3rd = Dave Elliss 35 pts

As usual, the next 6 place-getters also received a ball each, down to 33 points.

Nearest The Pins:

Note that the handicap split was set to roughly split the groups evenly.

5th 0-21HC: Benn Cox 9.0m, 22+HC: Alberto Ambrogi 5.0m

8th 0-21HC: John Elliott 1.8m, 22+HC: Nobody

10th 0-21HC: John Mortimer 4.5m, 22+HC: Nobody

14th 0-21HC: Darren Griffiths 3.1m, 22+HC: Nobody

Matchplay Results: 

The 1st/2nd Matchplay game was contested, with Rob Pearce defeating Benn Cox 3/2 and therefore taking the coveted Matchplay Trophy ! The 3rd/4th place match between James Lunnay and Mark Duerden is yet to take place.

Our next event is the Clare Weekend, from Thursday 16th to Sunday 19th November at the Clare GC. The SAOGA Committee hopes to see many of you there !

John Mortimer and Stu Thomson ?️⛳️

The Vines August 2023 – Jai Brown Blows the Field Away

It was a damp course to play on today, with no motorised carts being permitted on the course and a couple of members falling over on the slippery grass verges – but at least the rain stayed away (mostly) !

The conditions were tough and the fairways were soggy but the greens were in good condition, we were grateful that The Vines let us play at all.

Most players struggled to reach 30 points (only 4 achieved this) but Jai was firing on all cylinders and came in 8 points ahead of his nearest rival – well done !

1st = Jai Brown 41 pts

2nd = Chris Skewes 33 pts

3rd = Andrew Reid 32 pts

As usual, the next 6 place-getters also received a ball each – all the way down to 27 points !

Nearest The Pins:

Note that the handicap split was set to roughly split the groups evenly.

3rd 0-21HC: Darren Griffiths 1.5m, 22+HC: Annette Pearce 6.5m

6th 0-21HC: Al Macdonald 4.5m, 22+HC: Stuart Carnell 5.0m

10th 0-21HC: Jim Day 3.0m, 22+HC: Nobody

14th 0-21HC: Jai Brown 1.5m, 22+HC: Nobody

Matchplay Results:

The 2 Semi-finals Matchplay games were contested today, with Rob Pearce defeating James Lunnay 2/1 and Benn Cox defeating Mark Duerden on the 19th hole (not IN the 19th hole, ie, the bar !), so Rob & Benn will have one more match to play for the Trophy and James & Mark will play off for 3rd place.

Our next round is on Sunday 24th September at South Lakes GC

Stu Thomson ?️⛳️

North Adelaide (South Course) July 2023 – Lyndon Prior takes the Prize

Golf in the City, Lyndon Prior takes the Prize ! A full field enjoyed great weather for this keenly contested competition at North Adelaide’s South Course.

It seems that this course keeps getting better with the greens now very good compared to a few years ago and, considering the amount of traffic, the course in general is in great shape.

There was a bit of confusion about which tees the men should be hitting off but we sorted this out amicably during and after the game.

1st = Lyndon Prior 38 pts

2nd = Wolf Engel 36 pts

3rd = Chris Skewes 34 pts

As usual, the next 6 place-getters also received a ball each.

Nearest The Pins:

Note that the handicap split was lifted to roughly split the groups evenly.

5th 0-22HC: Benn Cox 2.5m, 23+HC: Nobody

6th 0-22HC: Wolf Engel 1.0m, 23+HC: Frank Sampson 3.0m

12th 0-22HC: John Elliott 2.7m, 23+HC: Alberto Ambrogi 5.5m

16th 0-22HC: Nobody, 23+HC: Kathy Cunynghame 12.0m

Our next round is on Sunday 20th August at The Vines of Reynella GC

John Mortimer and Stu Thomson ?️⛳️

Links Lady Bay June 2023 – Frank Topolnjak is top of the Tree

We have all heard the stories about how difficult this course can be ! Well, it didn’t disappoint with strong winds buffeting the 26 Members who took on this challenging layout.

Despite the conditions there were some great scores posted by some and all should be congratulated for turning up. Food in the Clubhouse was very good and the Pro Shop made a generous donation of balls for use as prizes.

We also welcomed a new member to our group, Theo van Mil, who was playing his first game to obtain an official handicap.

Results 

1st = Frank Topolnjak 40 pts

2nd = Mark Duerden 38 pts

3rd = Jai Brown 37 pts (on count-back)

As usual, the next 6 place-getters also received a ball each.

NTPs – only 8 players hit tee shots which landed on any of the Par 3 greens all day !! Note that the handicap split was lifted to roughly split the groups evenly.

3rd 0-26HC: Nobody, 27+HC: Nobody

8th 0-26HC: Darren Griffiths 4.2m & James Lunnay 5.5m, 27+ HC: Nobody

15th 0-26HC: Andrew Reid 7.5m & Marcus Kernahan 8.5m, 27+ HC: Cathy Goldsworthy 6.0m, Leon Mulder 6.2m & Brad Cunynghame 12.0m

17th 0-26HC: Jai Brown 4.0m & Marcus Kernahan 10.0m, 27+ HC: Nobody 

Our next round is on Sunday 23rd July at North Adelaide GC (South Course)

John Mortimer and Stu Thomson ?️⛳️

Barossa Valley May 2023 – Balloons Over Barossa, Darren Griffiths Wins !

A small field of 12 Members enjoyed a great day of golf  at this picturesque course. A very cool start of 3 degrees ? gave way to a sunny 13 degrees with no wind – awesome golf conditions.

The course was set up for their Club Championships the day before so it was challenging ! Only  Darren played to handicap with  36pts off a handicap of 10 ! Well done Darren – although that score did result from quite a few lucky bounces off trees etc, apparently …

The course presented very well but it could be our last game at this club as the number of attendees was very low, both this year and in 2022. Therefore, the committee have decided to move the May monthly game to West Lakes GC next year.

2 matchplay games were contested at this event, with Bruce Clark defeating Jai Brown 1-Up and John Mortimer defeating James Lunnay 2-Up.

Results 

1st = Darren Griffiths 36 pts

2nd = John Mortimer 32 pts

3rd = Sandy Turnbull 31 pts

As usual, the next 6 place-getters also received a ball each.

NTPs – only 5 tee shots landed on the Par 3 greens all day, out of a total of 60 tee shots (12 players hitting at 5 x Par 3 greens) !!

3rd 0-15HC: Nobody, 16+HC: Sandy Turnbull 1.0m

6th 0-15HC: Stu Thomson 5.0m, 16+ HC: Bruce Clark 4.0m

12th 0-15HC: Jai Brown 6.0, 16+HC: Nobody

15th 0-15HC: Darren Griffiths 6.0m, 16+ HC: Nobody 

17th 0-15HC: Nobody, 16+ HC: Nobody 

Our next round is on Sunday 18th June at Links Lady Bay GC

John Mortimer and Stu Thomson ?️⛳️

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