Fun and Games Down South
The Dunedin weather didn't bode well for a weekend of golf with overnight storms lashing the local area. But the MetService forecast for Invercargill showed clearing rain with a decent southerly blowing and a temperature of 12 degrees. Good enough.
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So we headed off over the hill and by the time we had reached Balclutha, the sky was blue and the sun was shining. The arrangements for a muster at Bill Richardson's Transport World cafe worked well, and after a hearty brunch we headed out past the airport to the Otatara Golf Club. Somebody had a cheese roll they didn't pay for as Vaughn was a cheese roll shy. I say everyone headed out to the golf club but we should add eventually to that sentence. Some decided a side tour to Bluff might be useful and by the time they got to the Tiwai turn off they convinced themselves they had taken a wrong turn.
Our Friday game was an inter-club against the locals. We were smashed with only Neil Cameron and Bob Griffiths registering a victory. The rest of us lost so we went down 11 - 1. Some lost worse than others and our presidential pairing of Eric and Lloyd took a 9 and 7 towelling. These Southerners show no mercy.
The photo shows Jamie handing over the inter-club trophy to Pup Shepherd, legendary Southland rugby hard man.
We should recognise the warmth of the welcome shown to us by our southern friends. After the match we were offered paua patties and whitebait patties which were absolutely delicious. The Invercargill club have promised us a re-match and I think we would all welcome that opportunity. We should also recognise the quality of the Invercargill golf course. The greens were nothing short of magnificent, fast, true and consistent with a top quality golf course.
After golf we drove to Gore ...
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What Goes On In Gore Goes On The Internet ...
We had a new sheriff to figure out. The boundaries for safety were unknown and yet to be determined. He came decked out in clown's pants, police hat and his knobbly truncheon. It was a fearsome sight. Dangerously he brought his bottle of whisky liqueur from the St John's Tournament, so not only was a misdemeanour rewarded with a fine, but the culprit also had to down a shot of the accompanying rocket fuel.
Here we see Phil with his arms folded in a very defensive pose as he watched Lloyd down his shot for losing his match 9 and 7.
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All credit to the Croydon Lodge for a wonderful buffet meal. Sandy was handed the Blue Jacket for his 36 point haul, and after the final drinks were drunk, some headed off to their single rooms and others headed off to their double rooms.
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It was a great start to the Southern Swing apart from the inter-club match result.
Saturday - Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot ..
It was a leisurely start to Saturday. The day dawned to a magnificent Southland day. Bright blue skies, blazing sunshine, it was awesome. Some had breakfast at the hotel, some wandered into town, and some drove 10 minutes up the Lumsden highway to the Croydon Aircraft Museum at Mandeville for breakfast and a look-see.
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We gathered at 11:30 am for the 5 minute drive to the golf club.
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We joined in the local competition but also played 14 matches against the Gore locals. Long story short we went down 10 - 4, slightly better than Invercargill but nowhere near good enough. Jamie and I had a tough match not helped by the fact we each played each other's golf ball on the first hole. One down after one each carrying a 2 shot penalty. But we steadied the ship. The hardest handicap to beat is an 18 handicapper who strings together a run of 4 or 5 pars. It's a birdie for a half and that's what we were up against. We did well to hang in for a 3 and 2 loss.
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Vaughn won Blue Jacket honours and took a 4 point lead into Sunday in the Old Woody competition.
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Once again we were treated to a very warm welcome and played on a golf course in great condition. Top marks.
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The food on Saturday evening at Thomas Greens was nothing short of stunning. The Beef Wellington wasn't a sausage roll in disguise, the blue cod was fresh, and the lamb racks were among the best ever cooked. The locals cleared out and we had a results session followed by another Bolty sheriff session.
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A great day.
The Swinger's Trophy Goes Home
It's not everyday you can play for The Swinger's Trophy at the spiritual home of swinging in New Zealand. We shall say no more.
After the drive from Gore to Balclutha, we teed off to play our usual Wednesday 2,3,4. Councillor Whiley's bad back had flared up and Mahmoud had headed back for the shoot out. So it was 6 teams of 4 playing against a 3 + Phantom.
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Here we see Nick attempting the impossible. Hard up against a penalty area Nick had no option but to try and blast the ball through the 2 trees / bushes immediately in front of him, over the water and onto an elevated green. What could possibly go wrong ? I haven't enough time to list them all out. Nick's ball smashed through the trees, but the loss in velocity was too much and the ball found a watery grave. Rude words followed and that was the end of that.
The spoils were shared, hands were in the air with the usual drama and theatre. Another great golf course, lots and lots of hills and steep, steep gravel paths, an 88 metre par 3, and a whole lot of fun.
And So To The Results
OK, let's not dwell too long on this. To err is human, not to forgive is unforgivable.
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Bruce was awarded the Blue Jacket given his 38 point haul. "You must have played well today Bruce, what did you shoot ?" "84" was the answer. A few heads were scratched. "What handicap did you play off ?" enquired some. "14 - I couldn't figure out why I only got 11 shots at Gore and received 14 here" was Bruce's reply. At which point the situation unravelled. It was clear Bruce had either mis-read the handicap sheet, or read from the wrong sheet. His handicap for the day should have been 12 not 14. Uh oh ....
Now there was a bit of ribbing and Bruce was not a happy chappy on the way home. But it's only ever a problem where there is intent to deceive. A fine will be levied on Wednesday and that will be that. The sun came up today and life goes on.
There was a whole bunch of people on 36 so 5 people shared the clothing.
Bruce won the Swinger's Trophy on the trophy's home soil.
Old Woody
It was close going into Sunday. Vaughn had a 4 point lead with a few chasers looking to make up the shortfall. Anyway, here are the results for Old Woody.
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1st on 99 points - David Bloor
2nd on 98 points ( with a 2 shot penalty on Saturday ) - Jamie Mackay
3rd on 97 points - Hamish Caithness and Sandy Ross
5th on 96 points - Bruce Carvell, Vaughn Keenan and Geoff Laney
8th on 94 points - Ken Buswell and Murray Cooper
10th on 93 points - Bob Griffiths and Duncan Harvie
12th on 91 points - Neil Cameron and Richard Freeman
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The rest had 89 points or fewer.
Thank You
Thanks to all those who made this such an enjoyable trip. Apologies if there are any omissions. To Jamie and Eric for arranging the golf. To Jamie and Phil for arranging the accommodation and food. To Yatesy for doing the draw. To Warren for being chief transport organiser. Bolty and Andrew were fantastic as van drivers and I think Richard stepped into bring a van home from Balclutha. To our sheriff Bolty. To the Invercargill, Gore and Balclutha Golf Clubs for their generosity and warmth of welcome. To all the competitors and tourists who made it a wonderful and memorable trip.
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The journey home was a bit too much for some....
