Nambucca Heads Island Golf Club report

ANDREW Mackinnon rolled the clock back to a time when the Western Suburbs Magpies were a standalone NRL club as he found the good golfer inside on his way to victory at Nambucca Heads Island Golf Club (NHIGC) on Saturday.

You needed 40 points or thereabouts to sniff the prize table in the Nambucca Valley Care Group medley  stableford.

Mackinnon (16 handicap) had exactly that courtesy of a scorching back nine of 39 off the stick to take Div 1 on countback from Dan Wassens (13).

Tiffany Paul (21) carded the hottest total of the day with 41 points to edge Box Hill Golf Club’s John Barron (19) by a point.

Paul had a Maxwell Smart (86) off the stick including a bird on 8.

It was a battle of the 27-markers in Div 3 with Trevor Peck returning 39 points for the W, one clear of Colin Dunne.

Pecky must have known he had enough in the bank as he wiped the last.

The NTPs were shared democratically – Keith Elphick scootering  a long one on the first for the Ecomist prize while Evan Jones was closest on 5, Tristram Edwards on 7, Liam Sweeny on 8 and John Fortescue on 15.

Dean Crowley will be in mozzarella nirvana after winning the Pizza This Pizza That on 13 and Rod Hardy was true to his surname in bagging the $90 Pro Pin on the 18th.

The Island Golf Club thrives on the back of the selfless contributions of volunteers. Among the giants are Peter Miller, a member of some 32 years, many of those spent week-in, week-out mowing the rough. Peter is heading to Forster and will have a quiet farewell at the clubhouse this Saturday 15 August.

Susan and Russell Barnett sponsored the Island Sunday fourball best ball on 9 August when Heather Gray and Narelle Delaney combined beautifully for 47 points, winning on countback from Dianne O’Leary and Elizabeth Hobday.

Robyn Jones bothered the flag on 5 as did Kay McGoldrick on 13 and Thea Kimber and Michael Ziebell on the last.

Nambucca Valley Care stepped again to the plate in presenting the stableford comp on Thursday 6 August.

Practice-machine Bryce McCarroll (5) carded five birdies and a par round of 69 off the stick to salute in Div 1, one ahead of Macksville’s Grant Ellis (18).

Redland Bay’s Kerry Cooper (22) had a monster 42 points to take Div 2 from runner-up Chris Tinson (25) on 40.

Mackinnon binned a putt from afar on the opener and pins went to Glenys Thompson on 5, Georgina Riddington on 7, Paddy Byrne on 8 and Stephen McNeil on 15. Garnet O’Brien pocketed the $70 Pro Pin on the last and Keith Wallis boxed the gourmet flatbread on the 13th.

The women played a fourball stableford aggregate on Wednesday 5 August when Glenys Thompson (16) and Deidre Fletcher (11) assembled 75 points for the victory.

Runners-up were Kerrie Jackson (30) and Ann Antcliff (29) on 72.

Penning their names on the nearest the pin cards were Fletcher and Antcliff on 5, Dianne O’Leary on 13 and Jennifer Taylor banked the $40 Pro Pin on 18.

Players from clubs across the region, and from Phillip Island and Lang Lang in Mexico, descended on Nambucca for the Mid North Coast Veterans single stableford on Tuesday 4 August.

Coffs Harbour’s Brad Reeson (15) was on-song with 40 points to sweep Div 1 from Macksville’s Ross Donnelly (10) on 35 and Nambucca’s Stephen McNeil (14) on 33.

In Div 2, Coffs’ Ken Butcher (19) took the honours with 38 points to head home Sawtell’s Neil Thomas (21) on 37 and Coffs’ Robert Alexander (20) also on 37.

Hard-working local volunteer Ray Guiana (28) had 36 points and that was enough for the highest podium platform in Div 3, winning on countback from runners-up Coffs’ Julie Mitchell (28) and Bowraville’s David Salvin (24).

Pins went to Terry Cleary on 5, Alexander on 8, Nev Newman on 13 and David Nicholls on 18.

Catchya on The Island where Makita teeth have made the 14th tee shot less intimidating or you can play your day with absolute safety by staying in the clubhouse with its full bar, top-notch restaurant fare and panoramic river views from the beer garden deck.

By Chris KNIGHT