Mixed events

Although Waihi Golf Club's Opening Day was a little late due to two major tournaments earlier in the month, it opened with a flourish on Saturday February, 20 with a huge field on a very hot day and cloudless sky. Conditions could not have been more perfect for the traditional Don Browne Memorial teams' event, established many years ago in memory of a former greenkeeper, and Ken Purcell made his mark on the new season by playing under his age with 83 off the stick, and did it twice more later in the week.

There were 20 teams of four in the field for the shotgun start and because the teams were randomly drawn, one's playing group was not necessarily the one that earned stableford points for winning team prizes. It was a good format actually, because letting the team down if having a bad day was not an issue.

Team results - Winners: Liz Hale, Murray Gutry, Steve Herbert, Glen Braddock 121 points.

Runners up - Gary Choat, Sharon Deacon, John Giffney, Grant Robson 119; Earl Hoskins, Nan Hoggard, Phillipa Harvey, Peter Wright 119; Don Oliver, Lew Sayer, Robyn Kirby, Jim Powell 119; Mavis Bruce, Bev Ireland, Graeme Parkinson, Peter Hewitt 118; Sam Gurney, Kerry Lewis, Terry Gerbich, Raewyn Wright 118; Dot Ramsey, David Lockton, Mark Hume. Tom Wallace, Diane Lewis, Maurice Joyce, John Drent, Jason Baldwin 117.

Twos: Earl Hoskins, Paul Williams.

Women's golf - 18 holes

Women's Opening Day on Wednesday February 24 was well attended, including some new members - always a cause for celebration. The season was opened by Life Member Nan Hoggard hitting the first ball from the tee, and then the serious business of the day's competitions began—Geraldine Riggir Trophy, and the first Haszard Cup round. There was a very heavy shower part way through the round, which caught many people scrambling for wet weather gear and umbrellas, but fortunately it did not last long.

Net results: Karen Diggelmann 68; Jenny Wilson 69; Jenny O'Dwyer, Denise McConnon 71; Jacquie Bain, Susan Mustard 72; Annette Hetherington, Klara Ingle 75; Kay Marshall, Trudi Gatland, Jenny Gallaugher, Tina Berg 76; Jill Austin, Kaylene Croker 77; Sally Sherson, Edna Connolly, Mavis Bruce, Karen Lee, Dot Ramsey 78; Suzanne Burns, Diane Lockwood, Jan Robinson, Glennis Burgess 79.

Geraldine Riggir trophy for best net round on Opening Day: Karen Diggelmann.

Veterans' golf

Monday is a popular day of the week for the veterans of the club, and on February 22 they turned out in good numbers to celebrate the Opening Day, a misnomer if ever there was one, because it seems they never close! Life Member Avon Gordon was invited to hit the first ball of the season from the tee, and if the long straight flight of her ball is any indication, it will be a very good year.

The format for the day's competition was greeted with some cynicism - the Pink Ball teams event. If you were colour-blind you were immediately at a disadvantage, and if you were not optically challenged, you were still in trouble because the pink balls were very hard to see, even on the fairways, and were possibly the cause of some slow play.

For the stableford competition the teams were allocated one pink ball. Players were numbered one to four, and each played their own game with a normal ball until their number came up for the pink ball, then that was the only score that counted for the team. For some, the very nature of the pink ball changed their perspective, concentration, and even personality, and a bit of fruity language and low muttering could be heard now and then. There were pink balls flying in all directions, and if one happened to fly out of bounds, or was lost, the team was disqualified. It happened. Those that managed to keep their cool scored reasonably well, despite the distraction of the pink ball.

Team winners: Gary Dunlop, Judy Saunders, Jan Robinson, Francis Gascoigne 38 points. Runners up: Bill Linn, Peter Maria, Jock Stronach (in a three) 37; Des Crene, Michelle Libby, Diane Lewis, Ken Purcell 36; John Saunders, Peter Wright, Jenny Wilson, Penny Joyce 35; Bev Ireland, Michael Bonnici, Kaylene Croker, John Purkis 35.

Individual stableford scores: Roger Stiles 40 points; Jenny O'Dwyer, Francis Gascoigne, Robyn Kirby 39; Judy Saunders 38; Des Crene 37; Geoff Lee 36; Penny Joyce, John Drent, Jock Stronach, Bruce Rutter 35; Gary Dunlop, Kerry Lewis, John Saunders, Jenny Wilson, Bill Linn 34; Vivienne Lilley, Peter Wright, Peter Hewitt, Jenny Gallaugher, Peter Robertson, Rae Wright, Wayne Gamble 33; Avon Gordon, Nan Hoggard, Karen Lee, Peter Maria, John Purkis, 32; Rodger Bagshaw, Mavis Bruce, Jim Evans, Michelle Libby 31; Edna Connolly, Maurice Joyce, Kaylene Croker, Adele Gunning, Ken Purcell 30. Twos: Edna Connolly, Vivienne Lilley, Jim Evans, Allen Smith.

Vets Pennants

Waihi is fielding two teams this year in the Waikato District Zone 3 Pennants nett competitions - Waihi Nuggets and Waihi Quartz, pitting their wits and skill against teams from Tahuna, Hauraki, Paeroa, Thames, Te Aroha and Thames Shortland Street. The first round with was played at Waihi on Friday February 19, with a decisive win by both Waihi teams, leading the field very comfortably ahead of Tahuna Two (last year's overall winners).

In the Nuggets team - Peter Robertson, Peter Maria, Earle White, Allen Sarjant, Ken Purcell, Jock Stronach.

In Quartz - John Purkis, Rodger Bagshaw, Tom Rowbotham, John Libby, Brian Robinson, Allen Smith.

Combined nett results Round 1: Waihi Nuggets 364; Waihi Quartz 366; Tahuna Two 375; Tahuna One 377; Hauraki 382; Paeroa Righties 389; Thames Pub Charity 393; Thames Shortland Street 396; Te Aroha 399; Paeroa Lefties 402.

The second round was played at Hauraki on Wednesday February 24 where there was a nine-point reversal of fortune between the two Waihi teams with Quartz taking the lead from Nuggets, who dropped into third place overall due to Hauraki playing 11 under par and winners on the day, moving from fifth place to second in total.

Nett results after two rounds - Waihi Quartz 725; Hauraki 726; Waihi Nuggets 732; Tahuna One 740; Tahuna Two 741; Paeroa Righties 755; Paeroa Lefties 765; Te Aroha 766; Thames Pub Charity 770; Thames Shortland St 775.

Nine Hole golf

Weather on Tuesday February 23 looked threatening, but this time the field's 23 players did not have to endure Mother Nature's bad moods during their nett competitions.

Ladies Honda Cup - Division 1: Jean Cotterill 33; Glen Bennett 34; Chris Mercer 36.
Division 2: Jenni Mora, Jill Keats 31; Julia Nicolson, Margaret Hickey 32.
Men Martha Nett—John Vautier 31; Garth Richards 35; Norm Sanderson 36.