BAD News Bears, not quite. Raggle-taggle bois – 100 per cent. Now some unlikeliest of lads from the Nambucca Heads Island Golf Course are on the edge of glory.
After a rain-stuttered season, the club’s Division 4 side is into the grand final of the Mid North Coast men’s pennant competition.
These 20-something Gen Z (Zoomers) men are relatively new to golf and had never tasted pennants matchplay competition before 2025.
Unbridled enthusiasm and confidence though take some reigning in.
They formed a squad – adding some experienced crafty campaigners and did just enough during the regular wet-abbreviated rounds to seal a spot in the finals which were supposed to be played months back until the flood rendered many district courses unplayable.
During the long break, Nambucca’s Div 4 lads took a leaf from The Beatles’ book of a trip to India to find themselves (though the Islanders’ journey saw them in racy Thailand).
On Sunday, 29 June, the club’s Gen Next in green shirts thumped Coffs Harbour 4.5 to 0.5 matches at the neutral venue of Kempsey.
Team Captain Dylan Mann, Jai Wassens, Harrison Lee and Kye Garzoli secured wins while Dom Lambie squared his match.
They’ll now head into the grand final on Sunday, most likely against Sawtell.
Meanwhile, Nambucca’s Junior Club Champion Ashton Herbert enjoyed the experience of playing with and against the best youngsters in the State at the NSW All Schools finals at Dubbo.
Herbert the Longer carded rounds of 85, 81 and 89 to finish 57th on a championship course where the greens were rapid and only one player, Ian Kim from the selective Endeavour Sports High School in Caringbah, finished under par (1 under) over the 54 holes.
Back on The Island, regular competition has resumed though it’s two rounds of the front nine only, with the aspiration the back will re-open for anxiety on 27 July.
On Saturday, 28 June, Kylie Blay (41 handicap) had the best score of the day with 41 points to sweep the Nambucca Valley Care medley stableford.
Blay parred the 7th twice on her way to winning Div 2, one clear of Peter Moxon (20).
Deidre Fletcher (12) saluted in Div 1 with 36 points, including birdies on 4 and 8, to edge runner-up Thomas Wattison (16) on 35 points, who finished with a bird on the last, which is actually the shortened 9th.
John Morgan wore an errant ball while minding his business on the 7th tee and also got the Ecomist longest putt on the 1st. Gary Laing won the healthy $75 Pro Pin on 5, and Kerrie Eichorn and Neil Duffus were nearest respectively on 7 and 8.
The in-form Paddy Byrne (23) had 39 points to win the Nambucca RSL medley stableford on Thursday, 26 June, ahead of club legend Greg McCoy (3) on 37.
McCoy’s round was a par-sweep, barring three bogeys and a bird on the 5th hole second time around.
Peter Miller took the putt from afar on the 1st and the pin on 18, while Deidre Fletcher was nearest on 5 (Pro Pin $40) and 7.
Fletcher’s wondrous winter rolled on as she rattled up 41 points to win the NVC Group stableford on Wednesday, 25 June.
Henny Oldenhove pocketed the $29 Pro Pin on 5, Christine Crowley on 7 and Fletcher on 8.
Catchya on The Island, where the resilience and ambition of the membership is as strong as the warm welcome to visitors to our patch of paradise and affordable.
By Chris KNIGHT
You can help your local paper.
Make a small once-off, or (if you can) a regular donation.
We are an independent family owned business and our newspapers are free to collect and our news stories are free online.
Help support us into the future.
