PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s
Tuesday, Jan. 7, Crystal Bay – Stableford
With the PSC Club Championship being on today, and many of our players taking part in it, we scheduled a reduced number of golfers to attend the day. These numbers soon filled up so we met at Bert’s on the morning to find we were as usual, very full.
So with a full list, off we went to the course. The drive down there was remarkably slow as the traffic seemed much denser and the road packed. We did however battle on and arrived at the course in time to get to the first tee on time. Surprisingly the tee was empty so off we went a few minutes early on the C Nine. This is a tough nine, but as I have said many times, this used to be my favourite course for many years. It is still up there in my favourite list but has faded a bit for me.
Richard Kubicki (right) with Graham Buckingham.
So to the round and the first thing that we noticed was that we had a big wind with us for the day. Whilst it was behind we had good distance on our shots but head into in and problems occurred. I do not like a strong wind, never have and never will.
The fairways were in reasonable condition today and the greens were very fast, although they were not in the best of condition with many of them quite patchy and difficult to putt on.
Back at Bert’s it was soon time for the results and in the A Flight the winner was Richard Kubicki with 38 points ahead of a count back on 36 points that saw Mark West in second, Landis Brooks in third and Derek Brook just losing out.
In the B Flight the winner was Graham Buckingham with 38 points ahead of Dick Warberg in second with 36 points and a count back on 35 points saw Carole Kubicky in third and John Marritt and Tom Cotton just losing out.
Near Pins: John Marritt, Andre Van Dyk (2), Tom Cotton
Long Putts: Dave Cooper, Mark West
Friday, Jan. 10, Pleasant Valley – Stableford
So we went to Pleasant Valley on Friday. If you have not played here I will try to explain it in general. It is a golf course squeezed, seemingly, into too small a space where the owners, or staff, have tried to make the best of what they have got. The fairways are generally too close but by carefully growing trees in the correct places they have made it safer than it used to be. It has become a fair golf course with a new club house.
Alan Sullivan and Tom Cotton with one of Bert’s finest.
This is a course that players hold diverse views on but my thoughts have changed since the first time I went there and overall I think it is now a really good day out. The fairways are fine, the greens are good and the rough can be the next fairway at times.
One thing that has been true for me is that I always seem to get the new, inexperienced caddy who should be sent out under instruction. We all need to learn and have to start somewhere but unfortunately they seem to throw the new caddies in at the deep end. And we have some golfers who are at the deep end and are not sympathetic. Difficult for the new caddy and difficult for the golfer. There must be a solution and the one I see is sending the new caddy out with a seasoned caddy. Nuff said.
Back at Bert’s it was time for the results and in the A Flight, 0 to 20, the winner was Alan Sullivan with 36 points ahead of a count back on 35 points that saw Richard Kubicki in second and Andre Van Dyk in third. In fourth was Dick Warberg with 32 points.
In the B Flight the winner was Tom Cotton with 37 points, with Karen Brown in second on 33, John Marritt third with 32 and in fourth was Graham Buckingham with 30 points. T.T.F.N.
Near Pins: Andre Van Dyk, Walter Baechli, Daryl Evans
Long Putts: Alan Sullivan.
