Men share Cup while Taylor wins women?s

The fifth and final round of the men's and women's Summer Cups was played at Carterton last Saturday.
It seems that 2005 is following last year's trend in that, on this occasion, two players shared the men's trophy with both Gerard Birch and Chris Connor scoring a total of 124 points over their best three counting rounds to run out the winners.
The women's Summer Cup was won by Ngaire Taylor with a best three round total of 116 points with Kate Keen, runner up on 113.
In the daily stableford competition Anne Brewer headed the ladies field with a very good 44 point total. Val Edwards, on 40, was the runner up and Kate Keen third on 39.
The lower handicap men's group was won by Matt Casey with 43 points but only on countback from Craig Wilson, on the same score. James Ross filled third slot but only after a three way countback from Mike Newport and John Lett. All three players totalled 42 points.
A countback was also necessary to determine sixth and seventh places with Simon Diplock edging out Jeremy Ross, both players scoring 40 points.
In the higher handicap men's group Gerard Birch broke 90 for his very first time to record 46 points and edge out Karl Churchward on countback.
The next five places in this group were determined on countback with all five players scoring 42 points. They finished in the order of Chris Connor, Larry Gray, B Laidler (a visitor from the Wainuiomata Golf Club), Justin Taylor and Steve Willis.
The Marquis of Normanby Hotel Men's Nearest the Pin contest on hole nine was won by Max Baylis and the Terry Falleni Property Brokers Ladies Nearest the Pin on hole 15 by Val Edwards.
The "All Teed Up" balls were won, for the women, by Caral Rink and, for the men, by Mike Newport.
The Buckhorn Bar and Grill lucky card draw voucher was won by Bernie O'Brien who will, no doubt, put it to very good use.
No less than ten players achieved holes in two the most notable being James Ross who scored two of them.
VETERANS - TUESDAY:
The last of the fierce informal veterans' competitions was played on Tuesday, February 1, with Mike Newport played a par round to win the day with a 45 point total.
Bernie O'Brien was just one point adrift in second place with both Bob Walker and Bill Shakespeare scoring 42 points. Graham Steffert completed the prize winners with his 40 point score.
COMING EVENTS:
Saturday, February 5, will be the Opening Day for the 2005 season with members competing for the W J Feast Memorial Cup. This is a mixed, Canadian foursomes event.
On Sunday, February 6, the usual Waitangi Day Mini Tournament will be held to which all golfers are invited.
On Sunday, February 13, the Carterton Club will visit the Shandon Club to compete for the Shankers Trophy. This will be the club bus trip for the year and promises to be a most enjoyable occasion.
The annual Business House tournament will commence on Wednesday, February 16, and team captains who have not yet finalised their teams would be well-advised to ensure that they are able to participate in this always popular event.
FOOTNOTE:
Apart from the somewhat bemused feelings about an "opening day" when the club has never, in fact, been closed, it is good to feel the club getting back into the real swing of club play.
It also emphasises how lucky we are to be able to play all year round.
One well-known member of the club was telling me the other day that he had returned from Canada, where he went for a winter holiday. For the whole time that he was in Canada - near Calgary - snow and very cold temperatures were the norm and golf would have been a total impossibility.
And a last word - I'm told that one veteran player carried off, with aplomb, a very good impersonation of Biggles when enjoying his first flight in a tiger moth last weekend. Who was the player? Well it was both JJ and BJ.