First round of Summer cups programme played

The summer golf programme started last Saturday with the playing of the first round of the men's and women's Summer Cups.
Colleen Southey did her Summer Cup chances a power of good by winning the women's first round with a very creditable stableford score of 47 points. This score was four points clear of June Prince in second place and five ahead of Kate Keen in third. Honey Presow claimed fourth place with her score of 40 points and Ngaire Taylor completed the prize list in fifth place with 39.
In the lower handicapped men's division David Sadler scored 42 points to lead the field with Kevin Hooper just two points back in second place. Tim Druzianic was third with 39, Mike Newport fourth with 38 and Whana Rohe took the last prize in this division with his 36 point score, on countback.
In the higher handicap field Max Bayliss matched Colleen Southey's score of 47 points to win the day from Russ Sadler in second place with 43 but only on countback from Gerard Birch. Both Justin Taylor and Ian Gordon came in with 40 points to round out the prize winners.
The Marquis of Normanby Hotel Men's Nearest the Pin contest was won by Gerard Birch while the Terry Falleni Property Brokers Ladies equivalent competition went to Kate Keen.
The "All Teed Up" balls went to Daniel Schmid, for the men, and to Viv Ahern, for the ladies.
Holes in two were achieved by R O Bentley, Wayne Gillespie and Matt Casey.
SUNDAY:
The heavy rain, welcomed by the farming community, was not quite so welcome on the golf course and no competitive play was completed at Carterton on Sunday, December 5.
VETERANS - TUESDAY:
The final day of the veteran group's programme was played on Tuesday, December 7, and took the form of a golfing triathlon.
The round - a pairs competition - took the form of six holes of four ball, better ball play, six holes of foursomes and six holes of Texas Scramble (often known as Ambrose).
The best score of the day was posted by Graham Steffert and Bill Shakespeare whose nett score of 61 was more than four shots clear of Ian Gordon and Joe Skillcorn, in second place.
Third place was claimed by Ron Lukies and Russ Sadler, with a nett 66, fourth by Ralph Day and Garry Smith with 67, the same as Cyril Burling and Hugh Rolls.
These scores, however, were only academic as all that they gave the winners was first pick of a marble to determine just what prize they would win.
The eclectic competition, run throughout the year, was won by Mike Newport with Jim Juno in second place and John Lett in third.
In the Christmas raffle draw, tickets for which were earned by players throughout the whole season, Keith Rayner was the major winner, with three prizes, with Mike Newport, Nigel Graham, John Lett and Garry Smith each claiming two prizes.
FOOTNOTE:
Golfers who have not played Carterton in recent months would notice major changes with the removal of many of the pine trees which used to line many of the fairways.
However they would also note that the ground from which the trees have been removed has now been very substantially re-shaped and I am sure that some players will have dreadful suspicions when they contemplate the shape of some of the earthworks.
They would be right.
New lakes are taking shape and some already contain water, just waiting for those errant shots.
Hole six, for example, now has a very nice little lake waiting for a leftist golfer as also has hole seventeen. More will appear as the weeks unfold.