15/06/17 –  17/06/17 

The June long weekend was the big road trip for the Millicent golf club, 25 players made the trip to Loxton for the second round of the Millicent, Blackwood, Loxton tri series, many took up the hospitality at the Loxton Golf club for the weekend, while 2 car loads made the long day trip on the Sunday. It would be fair to say Millicent did not perform very well on the course but went very well after the golf was finished. Leading the way for Millicent was Hayden Fennell with 36 points, Alan Schultz 35 points, Scott Lonergan  33 points and Mark Pilmore 32 points, For the ladies it was Kirsty Bailey with 34 points and Mardi Sunderland with 32 points. Millicent is currently in third spot but only 40 stable ford points off the lead, so we need as many numbers as we can in the final round at Millicent in October.

Thursday was a stable ford competition played in calm conditions and only a small field greeted the starter, but it was no surprise that all the winners for the day came from the new invitation only 10 am group. This group had the best of the conditions as the wind picked up for the afternoon players. Playing in the same cart together and best of mates it was the Andy Varcoe & “Spike” Warren show. In the front 9 hole competition it was Varcoe winning with 21 points from Warren with 18 points and Andrew Ferguson and Terry Chant with 17 points in third spot. On the back nine holes Varcoe and Warren slugged it out with Varcoe winning the day with 39 points from Warren with 38 points, playing partner Ferguson held on for third with 35 points. To cap off a big day out Varcoe also won the nearest to the pin award on the par 3,5th hole.

Saturday was a stroke competition played in perfect conditions for golf and with the course in the best condition scoring should have been low, funny how things don’t always go to plan. In the A-grade nobody played to their handicap and it was a three way count back with Scott Packer, Mark Pretty and Alan Schultz all finishing with net 73 with Packer winning the count back, Pretty had to settle for second and Schultz in third spot. In the B-grade it was Chris Bailey winning with net 75 from Ron Hateley in second winning a count back from Geoff Cameron with both players finishing with net 77. Nearest to the pin awards for the day went to “Spike” Warren on the 3rd, & 17th Terry Chant on the 5th, Owen Merrett on the 13th, nobody hit the 9th green in 2 shots while Andy Varcoe was closest for 2 shots on the 18th green. Birdies paid out 1 ball each to Martin Cameron x 2, Merrett, Chant, Pretty, Mick Agnew and Warren. The IGA voucher winner for the day was Scott Packer.

This week’s events include a stable ford competition on Thursday, playing for points going to the Masters trophy, while Saturday is also a stable ford competition playing for the IGA supermarket shopping voucher. The Ladies also have a stable ford competition on Saturday.

M.P

01/06/17 –  03/06/17 

Winter golf has defiantly arrived out at the Millicent golf course last week, the early morning groups including the invitation only group was treated to white icy fairways last Saturday, a site that hasn’t been seen for a while and also very tough on the fingers and toes until the sun finally broke through to warm things up a little bit.

Last Thursday saw fine conditions for the small field that greeted the starter in the stable ford competition for points towards the Masters trophy and it was club captain Trevor Atkinson who had a rare Thursday off work to set a cracking pace on front 9 holes to win the 9 hole competition with 21 points. Mick Pedler was close behind in second spot with his usual 20 points while it was a three way tussle for third with “Spike” Warren, Bruce Packer and Terry Chant all with 18 points. Atkinson put the foot down on the back 9 holes to run away with the win finishing with an impressive 38 points. Andy Varcoe came flying home for second spot finishing with 37 points, while Matt Osmond grabbed third also finishing well with 36 points. Atkinson made to most of his day off work to also win the nearest to the pin award on the par 3,5th hole.

Saturday saw one of the largest fields we have had for a while take to the course  for the June Monthly medal and third round of qualifying for the club championships and it was no coincidence that most of the winners came from the afternoon groups who had the best of the conditions and Phil Thrussell made the most of the calm afternoon conditions to have the best score of the day winning the A-grade and Monthly Medal with a 77 off the stick to finish with 77-7- net 70, Ben Golding was very unlucky finishing in second spot losing a count back to Thrussell after finishing with 79-9-net 70. Phil Hunter is never far off the mark on the big days finishing in third spot with 82-9-net 73. In the B-grade it was Matt Osmond who just keeps improving each week winning with net 73, Chris Agnew did all the chasing finishing in second spot with net 74 from Craig Kuiper in third spot with net 75. Ron Hateley had a great day out coming back off the injury list to win the C-grade easily with net 71, Hateley has long been known as one of the best putters in the club and also easily won the putting competition with an amazing 21 putts. The local butcher Dave Clapham finished in second spot with a net 78, while Peter Bateman and Chris Bailey finished in third spot with net 81. Nearest to the pin awards went to Alan Schultz on the 3rd & 5th holes, Schultz also made his birdie putts on both holes to walk away with 4 golf balls. Chris Bailey won the 13th, John Reynolds hit the 17th, while Hateley capped off a good day out winning the nearest for 3 shots on the 9th hole and no A or B- grader managed to hit the 18th green in two shots. Birdies paid out 2 balls each to Schultz on the 3rd & 5th, Hunter on the 13th and Reynolds also on the 13th. In the Ladies competition Karen Altswager won with 35 points from Kathy Sporer with 35 points and Helen Chilton in third spot with 31 points.

This weekend is the second round of the Millicent, Blackwood, Loxton tri series to be held at Loxton over the long weekend, Millicent are currently sitting in second spot close behind Blackwood and with good numbers heading down to Loxton we should be able to get into a strong position for when we have the home ground advantage in October for the final round. Thursday is a stable ford competition for points in the master’s trophy while Saturday is a stable ford competition.  

M. P