Parkes Golf Club
By PETER BRISTOL
February Monthly Medal
The February Telescope Tyres/Hankook Masters Monthly Medal was played on Saturday in hot and somewhat windy conditions. The day sponsor was the dynamic duo of Finne Latu and Anthony Riach.
The boys put up a trophy each year and their fellow members appreciate the generosity and thus there were 64 players vying for medal honour and prizes.
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In A grade it was our club low marker, Aaron Wilkie, who went out early to post a very good 1 under score to set the bar high for the other A graders. It wasn’t until later in the day that anyone got close with club Pro Zac Kelly getting the same score and Rob Hey a good 74. Blake Parker and James Ward put up 77’s as well.
Aaron had a mixed bag on the front nine with 4 bogeys and 2 birdies.
It wasn’t until he made the turn that he started to sizzle with a birdie blitz on 14,15 and 17 and the rest of the 9 holes in pars for a 33. Zac was similar with 4 birdies and a bogey on the back 9.
Rob Hey had a 39 on the front then had 3 birdies in the first 4 holes to light up the back but couldn’t keep the momentum going.
In the Net event Torin Hando opened up his ’25 season with a very good 68 to beat fellow playing partner Beau Tanswell on a countback.
Both Torin and Beau were off 13 on the day so had solid rounds. They only had 1 shot up their sleeves though from veteran Wayne Parker.
In B grade it was the Ian Hendry show.
Coming off scoring his 1st hole in one on the first hole in Forbes in the Thursday Veterans event, he shot an 87 off the stick with a 44/43 split to take out the event by 2 strokes from Phil Smith and a further stroke back to Jordan Grosvenor and Ken Keith.
It was very unlike Ian to be backward in coming forward, but he now realises that he is a good golfer, quote unquote.
In the net event Ian only had 1 stroke up his sleeve as he defeated Colleen Staples and Ken Keith, with a further stroke back to Rob Staples, so Billabong Crescent had a lot of stories to tell.
In C grade Justin Middleton fired a good C grade score of 88 to win by 3 strokes from Lachlan Pettiford with Victor Gaidzionis a further stroke behind. Justin had a closing 9 of 42, so isn’t destined to stay in C grade for very long. In the net event Justin’s score converted to a low of 66 again 2 in front of Lachlan with Peter Kaden joining Victor 1 stroke further back.
The Griffins Leading Edge putting competition was won by Aaron Wilkie with 27 putts.
The Norman family sponsored Wally Norman Vets Medal was won by Wayne ‘ Pup’ Parker on 69 net.
The Nearest The Pins on Saturday were –The Idlerite 1st was Idlerite Tyrepower by Ken Keith at 233cm, the Griffins Leading Edge was Craig Dunn at 192cm, the Parkes Ready Mixed Concrete 9th by Andrew Bourke at 146cm, the Harvey Norman 11th by Ron Hetherington at 287cm and the 17th by Wayne Powter at 165cm.
Ball winners were Lachlan Pettiford, Beau Tanswell 68, Wayne Parker 69, Peter Townsend, Wayne Powter 70, Rob Hey 71.
This coming weekend is a Par event and 4th week of the Summer Competition.
Veterans golf
By JOHN DWYER
What is considered a first in twin-towns vets golf surfaced last Thursday when Parkes member Ian Hendry scored a hole-in-one on the 192 metre first hole in Forbes, but more likely 175 metres from the white marker that was played off.
When asked did he see the ball go into the hole, Ian had a simple answer: "Yes, it landed short then one bounce and rolled into the hole."
Simple.
However it was not all good news for the newly crowned ace as he finished with an eight on the 15th hole after playing the 16th as his first hole due to the ‘shot-gun’ start.
This time Ian scored an ace except it was in the ‘puddle’. And it told (read on).
Adding to the excitement of the playing group involving Ian were fellow club member Peter Bristol along with Forbes representatives Andrew Grierson and Bruce Chandler, who collected the day's encouragement award.
It did not stop there.
Bruce "spoiled" what could, would have been another record as six of the Parkes players sat at the bottom of scoreboard before his late arrival in the clubhouse.
One of these, the ex-Kiwi John "Rooster" Fowler was not sure who should collect the "burner" golf all for last as he was one of the players in the count-back sitting on a solid 23 points.
All in good fun during Thursday twin-towns vets golf.
There was a winner, none other then hard-working Forbes president Peter Barnes who spoiled a good day for Ian Hendry beaten on a count-back after both played to their handicaps scoring 36 points.
Nearest-to-pins to Forbes reps in A grade - 9th Scott Andrews and 18th Kim Herbert, while no B grade player was able to find the surface on either green.
With 21 players to choose from for their best six individual scores Forbes finished on top in the twin-towns shield with 209 points to Parkes’ 186 from 10 representatives.
Ball sweep to 30 points: 35 - Andrew Norton-Knight, Barry Parker, Niel Duncan, Alex Mackinnon (all Forbes); 33 - Lex Hodges (P), Alf Davies (F); 32 - Rod Staples (P), Ross Williams, Steve Uphill, Scott Andrews (F); 31 John Dwyer (P), Frank Hanns (F): 30 - Allan Rees, Barry Shine, Steve Edwards and Jeff Moon (F).
Thursday’s play will be in Parkes with noms from 8.15am for a shot-gun start at 9am. All vets invited to play.
Later this month the first of the Lachlan Valley 18-hole events for 2025 year will be in Forbes on February 20 with players from Grenfell, West Wyalong, Condobolin, Cowra, Parkes and Forbes expected to contest the event.
