CHAMPAGNE Flows for Winners

The corks were popping at the club this week as our Ladies Division 2 team celebrated winning the NHDLGA Pennants Final for 2024. This is the first pennants win by Hawks Nest Ladies in Division 2 for many years, so the club and its members are enormously proud of the achievement of this dedicated team of lady golfers.

After finishing the five competition rounds at the top of the leaderboard, Hawks Nest played the final against Waratah last Monday, 27th May. There was little sleep the night before, and a few nerves to settle before the round got under way at a soggy Shortland Waters Golf Course. Our Ladies Club Captain, Jo Buttrey was on hand to provide the girls with lots of support and goodie bags before the start of play. The support crew also included the team super subs as well as husbands and friends who caddied for our players.

The game was very competitive, with each hole hotly contested. It came right down to the wire with the scores level at 3 all, which meant the result rested on the last player to finish. Hawks Nest finally won the match 4/3. The team was presented with the pennant, and the silver salver trophy which reflects the rich tradition of pennants competition in ladies’ golf.

Our ladies commented on how much they enjoyed the spirit in which this final was played, and were full of praise for their opponents from Waratah. But they are very happy to have taken the honours, having come so close last year. At Tuesday’s presentation, a very proud Ladies Captain Jo Buttrey thanked the whole team, which comprised 7 players, 3 super subs and 3 standby players for their dedication and commitment throughout the entire pennants competition.

HNGC Captain Terry Freeland offered the congratulations of the whole club for this prestigious win, which he said bound the membership together in a really positive way, before presenting the ladies with bottles of wine to celebrate their outstanding achievement. All of the Tuesday ladies then sang a rousing chorus of ‘For They Are Jolly Good Fellows’. And so say all of us!

Saturday’s competition was well attended, with 35 ladies teeing off under sunny skies at last. We had a number of country members playing in today’s stroke round and Monthly Medal, as well as visitors from Longyard Golf Club Tamworth, and from Northbridge in Sydney.

Results for Saturday May 25th 2024

A Grade: 1st Karen Green on 69 (best score of the day); 2nd Linda Bayliss 70; 3rd Denise Sainty 74.

B Grade: 1st Susan Muna 71; 2nd Robyn Wade 74; 3rd Marcia Smith 75.

Place Getters (76-80): Joanne Scott, Maxine Mitchell, Samantha Leggatt, Trish Sattler, Janet Moore, Angela
Clipperton, Sue Campton and Sue Kovacs.

Best Gross Scores: A Grade: Denise Sainty 87 B Grade: Marcia Smith 101

NTP Hole 10: Carolyn Affleck

Monthly Medal Winners: A Grade; Denise Sainty B Grade: Susan Muna

Tuesday’s event was the Keno Ladies 2 Person Ambrose, a club round in the lead up to a statewide final later in December. The large Hawks Nest turnout of 56 players allowed us to select our top 2 teams to compete in the district qualifying round later in the year. Winners at this level compete at beautiful Bonville Golf Resort, with great prizes including Play and Stay Packages at Bonville. Today’s competition was very close, with only .25 of a point between first and second places.

Results Keno 2 Person Ambrose

1st Judy Gilbert and Denise Sainty on 69.75; 2nd Carolyn Affleck and Jo Buttrey on 70; 3rd Cheryl Foster and Jo Collins on70.5 C/B

Place Getters: Helen Haynes & Anne-Marie French; Annie Benton & Kathy Griffiths; Sari McDonald & Di Davis; Donna Clemens & Karen Serhan; Trish Sattler & Deb Matheson; Ann Morris & Jeanette Kemp.

Congratulations also to Denise Sainty who has taken on the committee role of Ladies Vice Captain.

Results for Tuesday 9 Hole Lady Vets Stableford

1st Pamela Kelly 13 C/B; 2nd Robyn West 13 C/B; 3rd Betty Clinch 13

Thursday’s 9 Hole Lady Veterans round was played in glorious conditions with the course looking magnificent. 48 players hit off from the Grey Tees today, and despite some mixed fortunes on the score card, it was hard to find anyone without a smile at the finish. The bunkers wreaked havoc for a few who scored in the double figures, including someone who put 3 consecutive balls (with penalty strokes) into the sand on the 2nd hole, and 2 teammates on the 16th who out did each other for the most shots out of the bunker. Perhaps they were helping dig out the new look bunkers? But everyone had fun in the sun at golf this morning.

Results Lady Veterans 9 Hole Competition

1st Marlene Stokes on 0 C/B; 2nd Dawn Nealon 0; 3rd Marg Bonney 1; 4th Ann Browning 3; 5th Heather McGuinn 5.

Birdies today from Sylvia Bolden with a chip in on the 4th hole, and Maureen Ward birdied the 3rd.

Chip ins from Barb Birmingham 12th, June Biddle 6th, Lyn Blake 3rd and Donna Clemens 5th.

NTP 3rd Hole: Dawn Gough, Betty Clinch and June Martin

16th Hole: Lorraine Bragg, Marg Bonney and Joanne Scott.

It’s been a fantastic week in the world of Ladies Golf at Hawks Nest – well played everyone!

By Dianne BOWES