PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s
Tuesday, May 15, Mountain Shadow – Stableford
There are very few courses that history says are probably the most difficult around. I would certainly put Mountain Shadow in this category, and despite the course being relatively short it can be soul destroying at any moment. One wrong shot will cost the hole and after a series of bad shots the desire to play well can be seriously hurt.
The fairway wends between trees that if you veer off line swallow the ball up, and they always block the next shot. The sound of balls bouncing around the trees is a normal here, and reach the greens in regulation and your problems are only just starting. The greens are more than difficult when they are at their fastest, the ball can go to places you cannot imagine, so all in all it is more than a test.
Tuesday’s top three with one of Bert’s finest.
Get over 30 points off the blue tees and you know you have had a good round, and I have run competitions here when the winning scores were under 30 points. So on this day I sent the players off the white, or ‘Mickey Mouse’ tees, and prepared to defend if the players took the course to pieces. Mind, I was quietly confident they would not.
So off we went in hot and humid conditions with the course ahead clear. The normal situation met my group on the first hole, short of the green and three putting for 6’s. Not much changes. Then pressing on where we found the fairways in decent condition but the greens were not as difficult as they could be as they were a little slower. Mind, the crashing around in the trees was as normal. I expected some would have a good round but how many points would they get?
So we battled on and some of the scores in our group were not too bad, but the number of no-returns on all cards was more than normal. Usually we played the hole well but sometimes the hole bit you where it should not, right in the butt.
So the round progressed and we made good time. Finally drained we finished and were pleased to find the showers were working, and so we went clean and cooled to the restaurant. This is a bit basic however the food we had was good and the prices quite reasonable. Indeed on this day there was even a cooled area put to one side for the golfers that was quite appreciated.
Into cars and soon back, the players took advantage of ‘The Golfers Special’ and ‘Happy Hour’ at Bert’s then into the results where I was looking for 40 points, but we fell just short.
In first place we had a count back that saw John Hackett in first place with 39 points and Mike Gaussa in second. In third was Mike O’Brien with 37 points before a four-way count back on 33 points that saw Brian Parish in fourth, Dick Warberg in fifth and Derek Brook and Frank Parkinson missing out.
The day was well enjoyed by all and the course is worth a visit if you are a masochist. Come to think of it that is not a bad definition of a golfer. T.T.F.N.
Near Pins: Dick Warberg, Mashi Kaneta, Brian Parish, Frank Pilkington
