Welcome to the 2022 Inter club season, where our ladies with a handicap between 12 – 30 get an opportunity to taste handicapped match play and to also play at some of the local courses that they may have not yet experienced. The courses this year are Box Hill, Heidelberg, La Trobe, Kew and Rosanna.

1st round was at Box Hill against Heidelberg.

The weather threatened early but didn’t eventuate into anything other than cold and the course had obviously copped a beating rain wise as it was very squelchy underfoot and finding a dry(ish) spot to place your ball was at times elusive! It made for trying conditions but none of our ladies shied away from the challenge and everyone gave their all.

Inter Club is about trying something new and we had that in spades with 4 of the 7 ladies being their first time, new caddies and even a brand spanking new team captain for the day!

Rachel Brydon was first out with Ann Barrett as caddie. I can see people lining up to caddy for Rach in the future as she wheels her own buggy and rakes her own bunkers! Rach had to give her opp two shots and although she didn’t win on this day I can see her being a formidable opponent in the making. 3/1 down

Next up was Di Malcolm with caddy royalty Wilma on the bag. Di had a lovely first tee shot on the 10th hole but it drifted slightly towards the left and near the out of bounds. Had it stayed in?? Whilst she played a provisional the TM raced (lumbered) down to start the search,… with the ground so soggy and the balls running nowhere we needn’t have worried and with the crisis averted Di was on her way,…. And I was racing (cantering like a rocking horse!) back to the tee box! 4/2 down

Karen Tremewen was our third out, and the first of our newbies. Karen is still newish to Rosanna and as such hadn’t yet met Clare her caddy. Introductions done and they were away,….. again with the TM racing (galloping like a turtle) to help find the tee shot that had found some thick grass on the left. Unfortunately Karen drew the short straw and came up against Heidelberg’s chipping/ putting demon who’s short game was on fire. 4/3 down.

Jean Robertson was next with Ros her calming caddy. I saw one of her superb bunker shots that finished within a metre of the hole only to be informed by the opposition that it was about the third time that Jean had produced an awesome bunker shot!! You would have never known that this was Jean’s first inter club match but maybe her surprise on being told on the last hole that she had won might have given it away!! 1 up

Amy Chen our no 5 with Jane Zang on the bag. Another of our newbies, not that you would know from her calm demeanour! It was a tight tussle throughout her match and again the TM had impeccable timing when I was wandering from one hole to the next, hiding amongst the trees when an errant ball came along side me. I looked out to see Amy and Jane heading towards me and was very pleased to be able to direct them to its position and averted a lost ball. 3/1 down.

Lynda Thompson newbie no. 4 with Jill Kupsch her able caddy. Lynda had steely resolve and so did her opponent. There was nothing in their match and it looked like it would go down to the wire. At one point as Lynda’s opp was putting, Lynda accidently dropped her putter!! But nothing was putting her opp off and she still sunk the putt! 2/1 down

Nikki Ramsey was the last out and the other player that had to give two shots, (the rest where either one shot or same handicap) with Lucinda looking after caddy duties. Another tight tussle with Nikki getting out to two up middle of the front nine but her opp was having none of it and fought back to then get four up herself with six holes to go. Nikki won the next two and had momentum on her side when Heidelberg again fought back and managed to square the next two holes,…. Two down with two to play! A couple of superb shots from Nikki on the 17th (8th) and putting pressure on her opp had Nikki winning the hole now 1 down with 1 to play. The last hole a par three and a bit of a crowd gathering as it was the last game still going,… Nikki hit a beautiful tee shot slightly short and in prime position. Opp hit hers shorter but also thereabouts! Someone had mentioned that the Heidelberg player didn’t like an audience but if she thought we were going anywhere,…! Second shots and Nikki plays a chip and run which trundles up and finishes less than a metre from the hole, her opponent’s shot slightly skinny and shoots across the green and just off on the other side. Her next shot is superb and is outside of Nikki’s by an inch which she then holes! If Nikki can put hers in she squares the match. It’s all down to this one shot,…. I know that she knew that, but you would never know if she was nervous or not.

Straight in to finish all square!!!!

Overall result was 5.5 to 1.5 but the ladies did this TM very proud and it was a joy to see all games played with such sportsmanship and friendliness. Well done Ladies!

Next week @ Heidelberg against Green Acres

Round 2 against Green Acres @ Heidelberg

A day in the life of the TM,….

Now that I have been doing this caper,…. No that doesn’t sound right.

Being a seasoned TM (yes much more convincing!!) there is more to this than just the paper work,….

Filling drink bottles, providing buggies, helping sort rules issues, tracking down errant eight irons and even raking oppositions bunkers are all just par for the course but popping up at the right times and seeing some awesome golf from our players has to be by far the best part,…!

Like seeing our newbie for this week Jo Clarke-Sasella (with Joyce on her bag) Win her first hole in match play! After being three down after three holes her tee shot on the 4th (13th) was magnificent! Just short of the par three, but much longer than her opp. Two shots later Jo has a par! She thought the problem was wearing too many layers and by this stage was down to just the shirt whilst the rest of us were still layered up to the nines! Jo went down 4/2 but she has positivity in spades and I loved her love of the experience!

This hole had proven to be a good vantage point as I had just witnessed Ros previously also win the hole after her shot rolled up onto the green but then inexplicably finding the left hand camber, rolled off into the bunker! Arghh! Maybe only finding out the night before that she was no longer the emergency but now a player helped with the calmness as she splashed it out of the bunker and proceed to hole the next putt! Jane on her bag was able to provide invaluable assistance being she plays the course often! Won 2/1

Par threes I am finding are good spots to set up camp as the 2nd hole (our 11th) I saw Lynda’s tee shot just slide by the hole and sit pretty just behind. After her opp couldn’t quite manage the same result Lynda had the luxury of a three putt to win it. It really looked like Lynda was embodying her mum’s experience of Heidelberg and strode out to a 4/3 win, earning Jill the caddy money!

Our come back queen Nikki (with Lucinda) got the short straw this week coming up against an opp that could do no wrong on the greens. At the turn she was seven down but if you thought she was down and out, do so at your own peril! Won, square, Won, square Won!! Back to four down with four to play! Could she do it??? Alas, squaring the next hole stopped the comeback of all time! Although it was a loss the fight and not giving up is absolutely admirable! Don’t let her get four down if you’re ever against her as that’s when she has got you right where she wants! 4/3 down

Speaking of admirable, Rach our first out, had the hardest of tasks of the day having to give 5 shots! (The rest were either 2, 1 or none) but again if you thought she was daunted think again!! Her concentration was at about 180 percent, so much so that at one stage she asked Tina on her bag pointing right of the green “I am just going for slightly right of the flag,…” To which Tina slightly confused but not wanting to undermine Rach’s thoughts suggested it might be slightly too right. It would have been perfect alignment only problem, she was aiming at a power pole!! Won 1 up.

How do you put a Jeanie back in the bottle?? How do you un-create a match play monster once it has tasted success??? You don’t!! You just sit back and admire the creation!! That’s what is in the making with Jean (with Eunice this week) two rounds, two wins and a thirst for more! Don’t believe her if she reckons she can’t get out of bunkers (I witnessed another superb splash out) and if you don’t want to bring out the competitiveness definitely don’t mention “pretend you are playing for a disc!!” Won 3/2

And then there was Di Sheean (with Cheryle) with everyone else’s results pretty well decided she hit off the 8th (our 17th) all square. A fabulous tee shot that finished half way up the hill whereas her opp seemed to have back spin as it then proceeded to roll back down about 15 metres before it finally stopped giving Di the advantage. Whilst they continued up the hill playing I parked on the side of the 9^th with a view to the green where I saw Di hit the clutch putt of the day holing it from about 4 metres!! One up one to play! Two tee shots on the 9th par 5 (18th) with nothing between them, 2nd shots same same but Di just in front. Their third shots both went right-ish with the opps finding a garden bed. An integral part of the course and no relief allowed! Advantage Di! Opp played out but it didn’t go very far. Di’s 4th shot just rolled over the back of the green but with it back up for her next shot she was still in a great position!! Then to the cheering of all of Green acres their player hit an amazing shot that fed onto the green trundling closer and closer to the hole! Never say Di(e) then also chipped up to also be coo-ee of the hole to our cheers! With all the excitement there was a moment of hesitation when the opp’s caddy had her player with one less shot. Both parties seemed to not know how to proceed so with my heart thumping in my chest, I asked the caddy if she was happy for me to go through the shots they had both played?? Crisis averted!! Both putts sunk!! Squared hole for Di to finish 1 up!

Our overall result was an awesome 5/2 win! Which puts us 4th on the ladder.

Next week at La Trobe against Box Hill 8:50 start.

Round 3 @ La Trobe against Box Hill

Our game today was an extremely honourable loss of 4/3 with several (5) games finishing on the 18th which could have gone either way!!

This was not Julie’s first rodeo and she had a caddy specialista in Jacky Clark. Jac knows La Trobe like the back of her hand and is an adept hand at this caddying caper! So much so, that she was giving us updates on the team app whilst Julie was playing! This first match was going to be a tough ask having to give 7 shots! With Jac keeping Julie blissfully unaware of the state of play, Julie got out to an early lead and at the half way mark was three up! The back nine was always going to be the harder of the two with 4 of the shots to be given. Back to all square on the 17th with one hole to play! With Jac giving us a blow by blow of the last few shots of the 18th Julie won to go 1 up!!

Our second out was my newbie for the day in Karlie Hawking with a double newbie Kath Fethers first time being on the bag! Karlie was also up for a big day, (no dipping the toe in on this match) also having to give 7 shots! I thought it was Karlie’s turn to draw the short straw early on as her opp who had the honour put her tee shot on the par three to about a metre from the hole!! Match plays are not won or lost on the first hole and the second adage is if you have to give shots try to square as many of these as possible and win on the others!

I think I forgot to give this sage advice to Karlie as it was on these holes that she won the most! Me thinks that this one revels in a challenge! Now at La Trobe the 6th and 12th holes are a compulsory tee up on the fairway, roped off and no buggies allowed. So it was on the 6th that Karlie and her opp were on the right rough and the caddies stuck out on the left. So I went to help them find their balls, (Kath had just said how awesome Karlie plays her 5 wood when the commentators curse prevailed!!) it was here that Karlie got to witness first hand another of match plays mantras, when to play safe and when to go for it! Her opp had had one more shot and Karlie asked me whether she should go for the green (small percentage and thick rough the whole way) to which I said (TM’s are allowed to give advice) just chip it back onto the fairway,…. She played this shot perfectly and her opp who was in a similar situation went for the green! Four opp shots (and a tree hit with every shot) later, she conceded the hole! It doesn’t matter how many shots you have, as long as it is one less than your opponent. Karlie won and also won Kath the caddy money. 2 up.

Our third win was Chris Harvey (with Wilma) only two shots to be given and the closest of matches for the whole day…. Nothing separating Chris and her opp after nine and another of the matches that went down to the wire finishing on the 18th! I got to see Chris doing an amazing putt to just short of the hole earlier on and then her opponent’s caddy said to her player “well you just need to get this one in to square!!” That it was a three metre putt didn’t matter… Caddy say, player do! Maybe we should add this to our litany of refrains? Though there might be a player revolt if we did!

Chrissy gets my toughing it out reward! With all the other matches finished the rain had held but pelted down now. She looked a forlorn figure but held her nerve, two putts later walked off with a win 1 up

Jean (Shirley) and Amy (Jane) also took their matches to the 18th and although it was not the result they wanted I am so extremely proud of them and their respective fight backs. Sometimes you win holes you didn’t think you would and sometimes you lose a hole you thought you had! As Amy got to witness when she putted to within a foot for an easy square only to have her opp put her putt in from about 15 metres away!

Di (Cheryle) and Lynda (Jill) came across two opponents whose games were just on. As we know when playing at different courses some will suit us better than others, unfortunately these two came up against the reverse of this. It doesn’t however diminish my pride in them and I know that most times even when you lose you can take away a positive. I hope this is the case for these two, but I also know that they will be up for their next challenge!

Next week @ Kew against Kew 8:00am

Round 4 @ Kew against Kew

Anyone who knows me knows that I love match play, I love the purity of it. It is the closest (I imagine) to feeling what it must be like to play professionally. To have people (whether that be 10 or 10’s of thousands!!) cheering your shot and the adrenaline making your heart thump within your chest! It is playing against an opponent going shot for shot. It is bridge, poker and tennis rolled into one. Early in the match you feel out each other’s weaknesses and strengths. When you play a shot that wasn’t quite to your liking, walking like it was exactly what you had planned! Knowing when to finesse, when to play safe and when to go for broke. 

There are games that I have lost that will stay with me forever as some of my proudest. You are not playing the course, you are playing the opponent. It is strangely sometimes more satisfying losing when you have both played some awesome shots than winning because you played the least bad. 

Anyone who knows me a little bit better also knows that I love helping people learn. I have gotten to witness what inter club is all about. Giving players the opportunity to learn firsthand the nerve racking, friendship forming, gamut of emotions that match play can be! It is sometimes through adversity that we learn the most about ourselves! It is why I have so enjoyed TMing this year, I have seen these ladies learn but they have also taught me!

Our result this week was an agonising close 4/3 loss but I am so extremely proud of all my ladies! Whether they won or lost this week I believe that they all can take away something to enhance their future games! 

Lynda (Jill) being 5 down with 5 to go and having a putt on the 17th to take it to the last! 

Anne McDonald (Natalie) Realising that her opp drives it a mile longer but not letting it intimidate her and getting it done at the other end! 

Nikki (Jo) putting it into the water on one hole and having a fresh airy on another and winning both!! She ain’t over until the balls are in! 

Karen (Joyce) finding out amongst others pearls of wisdom what a lag putt is!! 

Jean (Shirley) has more of an inner fortitude that maybe even she knew existed 

Amy (Jane) maybe down in her match but she certainly doesn’t show it!

Helen Hillard (Susie) playing without any expectations and as her result showed, this is just as dangerous as an “injured golfer”! That she had to give four shots (the most for the day with the rest either 2, 1 or none) not stopping her one iota!

And yes, you don’t have to know me at all, to know that I am always up for a chat!!! 

Wins:

Helen 6/5

Anne 2/1

Nikki 1 up

As far as the ladder is concerned we are sitting fourth, as far as I am concerned we are on top!!

Next week is our last, here @ Rosanna against Latrobe

Round 5 @ Rosanna against La Trobe

 

Our last round and luckily it was at Rosanna as any of the other courses were pretty much closed or unplayable! By no means the result we wanted with a 2/5 loss but our players can hold their heads very high in the manner they conducted themselves!

 

I think going forward I am going to rename myself Lady (okay so that might be a stretch) Gaga (well i do talk shit so that’s more appropriate!) as I have created my little match play monsters!!

 

We have Anne McDonald sitting in a moon boot for the next 6 weeks with a broken ankle saying that maybe if she got a cart she might be right,…! Thankfully the rain & golfing gods conspired to help me and gave me an easy out “I think you could play too, but I believe that carts are out this week!!”

 

Helen with Susie found her inner demon this week and let her golf do the talking (make that shouting!!) for her. If ever there needed proof that there are golfing gods they heeded my cries as i silently screamed at them to let Helen’s last putt go in to square the hole but win the match!

I think they must have heard a cacophonous chorus by the then crowd that could not be ignored! An all round good putt as it satisfyingly dropped to a united cheer! Look out if your ever against her and she wears her pink hat. It means her demon is hiding not far underneath!

 

For someone whom had to be talked into playing this season and in the end played (very reluctantly) the first round, I do believe that a little love of match play dust might have drifted delicately to settle on Jeanies shoulders! By now this fifth round Dean is using the avalanche that has poured upon her to fill the new bunkers! (Not one for conspiracy theories but the timing of these events might be proof???) Earning Shirley the caddy money in the process Jean only parred seven holes in her win and pleasingly had no idea as she was so in the moment! The only reason she didn’t par any more was she had already won on the 15th!

 

To my other Lil MPM’s Rachel (Clare), Rhonda (Tina), Nikki (Fiona) Di (Cheryle) and Lynda (Jill) although today wasn’t the result you wanted it wasn’t from a lack of want, of determination or desire. If you look back on todays games I would say none of you lost your matches, your opponents won them and sometimes (apart from maybe hobbling them and as we know with Anne McDonald sometimes even that is not enough!) there is nothing you can do about it! 

 

It would be remiss of me in my last report to not give a special thank you to our caddies for the season, I think they have also have been on a learning curve! More than one pennant player has discovered dipping their foot into this shoe is not as easy as it first looks! Juggling clubs whilst walking a tightrope across a ravine filled with tigers! All whilst citing chapter and verse of the good book of the golfing gods,….the rules! To this end I have certainly found a new appreciation that the Team Managers and Co do behind the scenes! Fortunately for me this is only a five week season as I was starting to run out of things to say,……! Next week it would have been “We Won!! Good job!!”

 

To the rest of our Rosanna ladies I will leave you with two thoughts,…

 

As we start to enjoy our newly renovated bunkers I hope some of the love of match play dust falls gently upon you,… Dean needs more sand!

 

My coach worked out what I was doing wrong,… standing too close to the ball,….. but he wouldn’t say whether it was before or after I had hit it??!!??