Welcome to the 2025 Yarra Courses Interclub season, where our women with a GA Hcp between 14 – 30 have an opportunity to experience handicapped-based match play competition between the other participating clubs (Heidelberg, Kew, Green Acres, Latrobe and Box Hill).

Interclub week 1 at Heidelberg Friday 25 July 2025

It was great to see the team excited to play and the caddies all keen to assist where necessary. Emma Fitzsimmons and Kelsey Montgomery were given a warm welcome to the Interclub team for their first round.

It was a very cold and icy wind that greeted the team at Heidelberg GC on Friday and a tough start for the season playing Heidelberg at home.

Cara led off with Jan caddying and bowled over her competition in great style playing well from the start. Despite her opponent having great course knowledge of the sloping fairways and lightning-fast greens Cara was up from the start and putting sealed the deal finishing one up.

Karen Tremewen was off second with a great drive to the middle of the fairway with Anne her caddy played a steady game. Karen had many good shots that weren’t rewarded due to the extreme slopes on the fairways. She fought off many challenges and finished all square.

Aymee was third off with Karen G caddying. She hit a great drive on the first and at the 4^th was one up. Like Karen, Aymee did many good shots to the high side of the fairway only to have the ball roll back down the fairway to the low side.  She chipped well and putted well on the very fast greens. She was three down at the 16^th and finished 4 down.

Rhonda stepped in when Karin had to withdraw. She had Lyn for her caddy. Rhonda did a great drive on the first and won the first 4 holes before her opponent found her form. Then it was game on. Despite the initial lead by the twelfth Rhonda was 2 down.  A great par on the 14^th and a win on the 15^th and it was back to square.  Heading up the 16^th, the strategy was to find the RHS rough, despite driving well and into the rough it was not enough to hold the ball which rolled all the way back and across the fairway. Nevertheless, she won the hole! Onto the 17^th par 3 where she was able again to win the whole for a 2/1 win.

Lynda was next with Jeff caddying. Lynda played a strong match against an opponent who was experienced in the tough playing conditions at Heidelberg on the day. She was all square after the 4^th. After a couple of lost holes, with the match seeming to get away from her, she fought back by making some good iron shots and sinking some key putts. In the end her opponent played a couple of wonderful shots to finish the match 3/2 to Heidelberg.

Emma was 6^th off for Rosanna with Nikki as caddy. It was a tough initiation to interclub having to give her Heidelberg opponent 7 shots! Undeterred, she played a steady game and really enjoyed the experience of playing a new course. The sloping fairways and greens proved tricky for Emma and her opponent took advantage of her local knowledge. Emma played some great shots but ended losing 4/3.

Kelsy was last to play with Joyce caddying. Her introduction to interclub was not for the faint hearted. The course threw up very difficult challenges on the day. The tactic to hit to the first cut of rough was thwarted by her tree hugging attraction despite great power shots. After convincing her the flag on the green was also made of timber, this got her aim into perspective. Three down with 4 to play she zoned into the challenge with a fantastic fight back to square the match on the last hole.                       

Final result:  Heidelberg 4/Rosanna 3

Cara won 1 up, Karen Square, Aymee lost 4/2, Lynda lost 3/2,  Rhonda won 2/1, Emma lost 4/3 and Kelsy Square.

Round 2 at Box Hill VS Latrobe

Everybody arrived at Box Hill Golf Club bright and early. It was a crisp, clear morning but as
the 8AM Tee time drew closer, the fog began to roll in, getting thicker by the minute.
We welcomed Sharon Wilson to her first interclub game; she had Lyn Rose on her bag.
Rosanna had the honour against Latrobe off the 10th. Cara was first to go and hit a beautiful
drive to the middle of the fairway, then she and her playing partner disappeared into the
fog.
It is hard enough to play a new course but doubly difficult when you cannot see the fairways
and range finders did not work. Golfers are resilient and one by one our girls and their
caddies disappeared into the gloom. At least it wasn’t raining!
Once everybody had teed off, we went to the tricky elevated Par 3 17th, our 8th, which also
had the Matchplay Index of 1. It was still foggy, but the girls were playing well.
Cara’s match was a hard fought see sawing affair. She won the 17th to be one up. Lynda
played a great shot on but had to give a stroke so lost the hole to be 2 down. Rhonda hit a
great shot on, below the hole and despite giving a shot, calmly parred the hole to go to 4 Up.
While we were watching Rhonda putt out, we noticed Amyee’s group wondering along
beside the creek bed on the 17th fairway. Somehow, they had taken a path less travelled and
Player Caddie Shots
Cara Honeychurch Jan Riley 0
Nikki Ramsay Jo Dickson Give 1
Lynda Russell Jeff Russell Give 1
Rhonda O’Malley Rose Flynn Give 4
Aymee Bush Karen Guyer Give 6
Sharon Wilson -first game Lyn Rose 0
Jo Clarke-Sassella Chris Sassella Got 1
missed the tee box completely!! They had to retrace their steps across the bridge back to the
Tee. In their defence it was still foggy!
Aymee had a tough task giving her opponent 6 shots but was playing well and still in the
game. Unfortunately, she found trouble off the tee and conceded the 17th to be one down
after 8.
Sharon was next, hit a great shot on to about 4 metres below the hole. Her opponent was
just off the green so putted first, landing just inside Sharon’s drive. Sharon calmly walked to
her ball, sized up the putt and drained it for a birdie to win the hole and go one up.
Jo was next and drove short of the green, both players had an adventurous few shots and Jo
lost to be one up.
After 9 holes the scores were Cara, 2up, Nikki, 3up, Lynda 3 down, Rhonda 3 up, Aymee
square, Sharon 2 up and Jo square.
The fog had begun to lift, and the sun came out which changed the course completely. The
ball was travelling further, and the greens were getting faster.
Nikki continued her strong form and won 6/5 claiming the caddy money for Jo. Nikki put her
emphatic win down to a less than perfect first drive which ignited her fighting spirit. Rhonda
was next to claim victory with a 5/3 win. Her drives onto the elevated Par 3’s made the
difference, putting the pressure back on her opponent.
Cara was next, putting beautifully on the quickening greens to record a 3/2 victory.
The rest of the matches were still going in brilliant sunshine. Lynda was 2 down with 4 to
play but unfortunately lost a hard-fought match 3/2. Aymee took her match to the 17th
losing 2/1. Having to give 6 shots is a very hard ask so taking it to the 17th was a great effort.
Sharon took her match to the 18th, squaring the hole to square her first interclub match,
great job!
Jo also took her match to the 18th, losing it to go 1 down. Another hard-fought match.
Rosanna team spirit was high as we recorded 3 1/2 points against Latrobe to give us our first
points for the season.

Round 3 at Rosanna VS Kew

We were in familiar surroundings today as Rosanna hosted Interclub Round 3. It was a clear crisp morning,
the course looked amazing and there was a buzz in the air. The handicap spread in the Kew team meant
Cara had to give 3 shots today, but Aymee was happy as she did not have to give any shots this week.
We welcomed Julie Gibbs and Lynley Walton to their first interclub games; they had experienced caddies in
Rachel Brydon and Anne Hackett on their bags.
Rosanna had the honour against Kew off the 1st
. There was an audience watching the tee off which added
to the nerves. Once everybody was safely away, we went out on course to see the live action.
Rhonda was 3 up after 4. The rub of the green was not with Cara today, conceding 3 shots coupled with an
opponent who was having a blinder, saw her 3 down after 6. Aymee had an adventurous drive from the 7th
tee. Over the trees to the middle of the 14th, walking purposefully to her ball she played calmly down the
14th to square the hole and be square after 7! Lynley was 4 down after 4, a win at the 8th gave her some
confidence and she tuned at 5 down.
Julie looked confident with putter in hand walking to 5th green, always a good sign. Two putts to go 2 up.
Sharon was having a tight match and was 1 down after 4 as was Jo.
Julie’s opponent holed a 30-metre putt from off the green on 8 to win the hole. Nothing you can do about
that except walk to the next hole. Julie got her revenge by winning the 9th to go 2 up at the turn.
The hallway scores were posted. Cara was 6 down, Aymee 1 down, Rhonda 4 up, Julie 2 up, Lynley 5 down,
Sharon 2 down and Jo 3 up
Despite working hard Cara’s day did not improve and she lost 7/6 on 12. Rhonda put her foot down and
won 7/6 claiming the caddy money for Pam.
Player Caddie Shots
Cara Honeychurch Jan Riley Give 3
Aymee Bush Karen Guyer 0
Rhonda O’Malley Pam Davey Give 1
Julie Gibbs – debutante Rachel Brydon 0
Lynley Walton – debutante Anne Hackett Gets 4
Sharon Wilson Helen Hillard Gets 1
Jo Clarke-Sassella Nikki Ramsay Gets 3
Aymee found form on the back 9 winning 14 to be square, then hitting a great shot onto 15 to put her
opponent under pressure and win the hole to be 1 up. She won 16 & 17 to claim the match 3&1.
Next to appear was Julie who was 2 down after 14, she squared 15, won 16 and 17 to go down 18 all
square, nail-biting stuff. Julie squared 18 to give an important half to the team score of two wins.
Next, we saw Sharon who won 16 to be 1 up, magnificent drive up 17 but was out putted to be back to
square playing 18. On to 18 for another putt off, Sharon was above the hole, never easy, and her putt
slipped past the hole meaning a loss. A tightly fought contest which could have gone either way.
Jo was the last player on course, she won 15 to go 3 up with 3 to play. Playing 16 conservatively, she was in
the middle of the green for 4 whilst her opponent was in the bunker. Jo won the hole to claim a 4/2 victory
and celebrate her first Interclub win. This gave the team a 3.5 to 3.5 score and an important half point to
the ladder total.
Final scores Cara 7/6 loss, Aymee 3&1 win, Ronda 7/6 win, Julie halved, Lynley 7/5 loss, Sharon lost 1 down
and Jo a 4/2 win.
Thank you to Lucinda and Julie Jackson who were the starters. To Jacky Clarke who welcomed and directed
guests in the car park and to May Lam who collated the halfway scores all with welcoming smiles despite
the cold.
We had complimentary comments from our guests about the condition of the course and catering. Thank
you to the Proshop staff, hospitality and the Dean and the team for showcasing Rosanna Golf Club.

Round 4 at Green Acres VS Box Hill

We were at Greenacres today facing ladder leaders Box Hill who had the honour off the 1st. It was
extremely cold with strong blustery winds; everybody was rugged up making it difficult to swing freely. On
the positive side, whilst the wind was blowing it made it less likely that the forecast rain would fall.
As we waited for everybody to tee off the winds got stronger and icier. Once everybody was away, we
decided to seek lower ground and we caught up with the field at the 4th Par 3. Rhonda had worked her way
back to square after losing the first. Lynda was 1 down, Lee 1 up, Lynley 3 down and Jo 2 down. Meanwhile
Nikki was coming down 6 with a good approach to the green whilst her opponent was in trouble. Nikki won
the 6th to remain square. Fiona was looking positive, and Di reported she was 2 up after 6. She marched to
the 7th and hit a great drive which forced her opponent to take on the water into a strong headwind. She
hit a magnificent shot over the billabong to be 80 metres closer to the green that Fiona.
Rhonda hit a great approach to 6 but her putter was cold, and both players conceded short putts for a loss
to put Rhonda 2 down after 6. Lynda was still 1 down and fighting hard. She hit a great drive down 7. Jo still
2 down, Lee won 6 to be 1 down.
Up to the 8th and the wind gusts are strong enough to blow caps off and interfere with player’s balance and
swing. Rhonda won 8th with a 4-metre putt to go to 2 down and take the honour up the 9th. Lynda has
worked her way to square and hit a great shot to 50cm to put her opponent under pressure and take the
honour up the 9th. Lee took the high side into the green on 8 which opened the green up and avoided the
front bunkers. It was another putt off which Lee won, squaring her match and taking the honour up the 9th
.
Halfway scores Nikki square, Fiona 2 up, Rhonda 2 down, Lynda square, Lee square, Lynley 4 down and Jo 4
down.
There are still 9 holes to go, and everybody is fighting hard and giving themselves a chance. The caddies are
working hard keeping their players focussed and positive.
Player Caddie Shots
Nikki Ramsay Jo Dickson Gets 6
Fiona Wu Di Sheean Gets 5
Rhonda O’Malley Pam Davey 0
Lynda Russell Jeff Russell 0
Lee Smith Cheryl Whittaker Gets 1
Lynley Walton Anne Hackett Gets 2
Jo Clarke-Sassella Rose Flynn Gets 5
On to 12 Fiona is now 2 up, Rhonda won the Par 3 11th to be 1 down. Lynley hit a great putt on 12 to square
the hole and stay 4 down.
We move on to the 14th for the business end of the round. Nikki hit a great shot on to 14 making a great 2
putt to put her opponent under pressure, then made her putt a short one for a half to go down 15th 2 up.
Fiona’s opponent sunk a ridiculously long putt on 14 to win the hole, Fiona is now 2 up. Rhonda squared 14
with a putt off and no concessions, she is 2 down going to 15 with Pam close by keeping her focussed. Lee
squared 14 and her match remains locked at square.
A very excited Fiona, with Di on the bag won 16 to win her match 4/2, well done! Rhonda lost 16 to lose
her match 4/2. Meanwhile Lynley lost 6/4 but was positive in her second Interclub match, happy to have
taken her match further this week.
Lee squared 16 to go to 17 1 down. She squared 17 with an amazing putt to gimee range and headed to 18
1 down. Lynda is standing on 17 1up, her drive landed in the hollow right of the domed green, her
opponent is in the front bunker. Lynda calmly hits a magnificent lob shot to within a metre of the pin then
stands on the green putter in her hand whilst her opponent tries and fails to exit the bunker. No putting
required as Box Hill concedes, and Lynda wins 2 & 1. Well played!!
Nikki is still fighting hard up 18 for a square which gave her a 1 down loss. Lee also made it to 18 to see her
putt slip by the hole giving her a 2 down loss. Well played Nikki & Lee taking it all the way to 18.
Final scores, Nikki 1 down loss, Fiona 4&2 win Rhonda 4&2 loss, Lynda 2/1-win, Lee 2 down loss, Lynley 6/4
loss and Jo 5/3 loss. The caddy money went to Di on the bag for Fiona
Well played everybody in extremely tough conditions against the ladder leaders. Thanks to all the caddies
for toughing it out and keeping their players focussed and making Box Hill work for their win.
Onwards and upwards to the final round at Kew GC.

Round 5 at Kew VS Green Acres

The weather was much better for the final round of Interclub 2025, it was still chilly in the wind, but conditions were good at Kew as we took on the 4^th placed Greenacres.

The team was very evenly matched as far as handicaps were concerned as we welcomed Kerri Pukk for her first Interclub match.

It was clear from the start that the greens, which had been lightly sanded, were slower than Rosanna which made putting tricky.

Greenacres had the honour off the 10^th.  Everybody got away well. Kerri was understandably nervous in her first game but hit a great drive to the middle of the fairway to start her match. Emma and Kelsey looked at home, smiling and relaxed, striding confidently with Nikki and Joyce keeping pace on their bags.

It was an even tousle on the first 9. Lynda, with husband Jeff on the bag, holed an amazing double breaking putt from above the hole on the Par 3 18^th to square her match going to the final 9. Not to be outdone, Rhonda hit a magnificent chip onto 18, putting her opponent’s putter under pressure, causing a miss and the hole to Rhonda.

It was tight at the turn. Fiona was 1 down, Aymee 2 down, Lynda square, Rhonda 1 up, Emma 3 up, Kelsey 2 up and Kerri 5 down.

We caught up with the team on the 6^th hole, our 15^th, to watch the business end on the round. Fiona has been hitting some beautiful lobs and pitches, a skill required for the domed greens at Kew. Fiona squared 15 to be 1 up with 3 to play, off they went down the 7^th. Aymee hit a great approach to be 2 metres from the pin, 2 putts for a square to stay 2 down with 3 to play. Lynda hit a great approach to 6, her opponent’s was not so good. Lynda won the 6^th and her match 4 and 3, our first win for the day.

Rhonda seemed to be taking a long time coming down 6, until a phone call from caddy Pam broke the great news that she had just won 6 and 4 on the 14^th hole. Win number 2.

Allison reported that Aymee lost 3 and 2 on the 17^th, not her day with the putter. Well done for fighting hard and taking the game 16 holes. Fiona and Di were still playing, apparently discussing Mahjong tactics along the way. Anything to keep your player relaxed!

Meanwhile back at the 6^th, Emma lined up a 2-metre putt to win her match 5 and 3. Win number 3.

Kelsey also won the 6^th to win her match 4 and 3 so Rosanna now has 4 wins and a point!!

Kerri squared the Par 3 4^th to be dormi 5. She then won the next 3 holes with some amazing shots and great fighting golf to keep the game alive. Having the field following her group may have been daunting, adding to the nerves. A wayward drive on the 8^th halted her charge and she lost the hole going down 3 &1. A great effort in her first Interclub match.

Allison and Aymee were following Fiona and reported that she won the 9^th to win her match 1 up. A well fought, tight match which gave us our 5^th win!

As so often happens in golf you can never predict the outcome, expect the unexpected and the final round results were no exception. It’s never over until the final putt is sunk, every match during the season counts in the final.

At the start of the day Box Hill was on top of the ladder with 3 wins and 1 tie, Kew had 2 wins, a tie and a loss as did Heidelberg. Kew beat Box Hill 4/3, meaning they now had 3.5 wins. Latrobe defeated Heidelberg so Heidelberg remained on 2.5 for the season. It now came down to games won as both Kew and Box Hill had 3.5 wins. Last year’s winner Kew made it back-to-back Interclub titles with a 20.5-to-19.5-win ratio over Box Hill.

Congratulations Kew, who were also the hosts for the final round.

Rosanna’s 5/2 win was our best result and a fitting end to the season.

We welcomed five new players in 2025. Kelsey Montgomery, Emma Fitzsimon, Sharon Wilson, Lynley Walton and Kerri Pukk. I am sure they will return for season 2026, having experienced the thrill of Matchplay in a team environment.

Thankyou to all the caddies who not only turned up and kept up but gave up their Friday golf to impart their knowledge and experience to their player for Team Interclub 2026.

A very big thankyou to Lucinda for her guidance and patience during my first season as Interclub Manager.

Well done Team Rosanna, bring on Interclub 2026!!!

For all of the latest Interclub Results & Fixtures please click: https://www.golf.org.au/events#/competition/5211466/roundrobin