Results - Hunter River District Golf Association

The popular Mixed Ambrose Championship for the Arthur Frame Shield, was conducted at Kurri on Sunday 19 May, 2013, in near perfect conditions. The speed of the greens provided a real test of a golfers putting ability & nerve.

Three teams vied for top spot, when they all returned a scratch score of 63 hits or 9 under par. The winning team came up trumps with a 6 under par 30 for the back nine, whilst the other two teams who figured in the finish could only manage 4 under par.

The first team out on the course, Troy & Anthony Lucas ably assisted by Tricia Wyper & Sue Ford led from start to finish to take the first place trophy. The early wind chill saw them get away to a slow start , registering only 3 birdies on the first nine. They cam alive on the inward nine, opening with 3 birdies, and followed it up with further birdies on holes 14, 17 & 18, for 6 under and the winning 18 holes core of 63.

Runners up featured more of the Wyper clan, in Jeff and Chad Cresswell, Lynn Hill and Sue O'Brien (nee Wyper), who were the final group to hit off the first tee. Their nine hole break up was 31 - 32, which included an eagle 3 on the 505 metre par 5 9th hole. Probably had something to do with Chad's booming drives.

Melita Watson was finally able to collar her son Brett and team up with another "big gun" Dave Condran and Amanda Byrnes to enter a formidable team. Unfortunately they could only manage 2 birdies over the last 6 holes, which saw them relegated to third position and out of the prizelist.

In the handicap winners list, two old wiseheads teamed up with two young talented prospects and took the money. It was great to see Grant Turner and Steve Leathley invite Olivia Leathley (15yrs) and Laura Bodycote (13ysr) (all from The Vintage) to play in the event for experience. The fact their handicaps were 41 & 40 had little to do with the decision. The team shot a 5 under par 67 nett 55¾ to win the handicap trophy. Their inward nine (front nine) featured 4 birdies which saw them clear winners. Congratulations to The Vintage Club on their junior development programme.

Runners up from Denman were Doug Thrift, John McCormick, Jan George and Kath McCormick, who finished on 58 3/8. The team played to their ability, to finish with 5 birdies, which were spoilt by bogeys on holes 7 & 13. The District appreciates the support of the distant small clubs who make an effort to support our events.

A small field participated in the annual junior championship hosted by Scone Golf Club on Sunday 10 March, 2013. Only 29 juniors supported the event, which is a real concern for the future of golf in our district.

This takes nothing away from a well earned win by Oscar Field of Scone with a fine 75 off the stick. Playing off a 7 handicap, Oscar, a quite unassuming junior, played above his ability to become the 2013 Junior Champion. With 6 holes to play he was even with the card, and was heading for a clear cut win. Nerves may have set in and he dropped 3 shots in those holes, but survived the countback to take the title, of which he can be proud. His win has earnt him a spot in the Baker Trinder team to go to Moree at the end of the month.

Runners up were Zac Pryor (Kurri) & Hayden Gulliver (Maitland), who also finished on 75, 3 over par. Zac had his chance for a win, but a disasterous double bogey on his second last hole, saw him fall into the three way tie. At that stage he had played consistent par golf and his only blemish was a solitary bogey. Hayden, playing off a scratch handicap, was red hot favourite, but problems with the blade, resulted in dropped shots.

In the Boys under 15 division, Morgan Bowie from Kurri returned a creditable 77 off the stick to win the scratch, whilst rising start Corey Lamb (oops) from Branxton, won the nett with his score of 66. Five shots back was Jack Rachel from The Vintage.

Two girls participated and the best neet score was Tori Threlfo, from Belmont was the winner, on nett 74.

Boys 16 - 17 year division, saw Zac Pryor take the scratch trophy, with his 75. Tom Etheridge from Maitland was the nett winner, with a creditable nett 71. Hayden Gulliver with a 75 nett received the nett runner up trophy.

The Golf NSW Country Championships were hosted by our Muswellbrook Club, which proved to be a bonus to our District. In addition to the financial advantage of having over 100 golfers stay in town over the weekend, the home ground advantage saw our team succesful in winning the Country Teams Championship, and team member Nathan Waters successfully defended his title won at Queanbeyan in 2011.

The selectors have copped a bit of a criticism on facebook over their previous rep team selections, but on this occasion stuck to a youth policy, which came up trumps. It was simply a matter of picking the best golfers in the District who just happened to be our younger golfers.

Nathan Waters has shot an incredible 9 under par total of 135, to defend his NSW Country Championship crown. Nathan won by 5 strokes to Mid Nth Coast's Logan Toms, who today fired an equal tournament best round of 67. Central Nth's Ben Lockwood finished in third place, a further stroke behind.

Nathan's opening round of 5 under par 67 set the basis for his win, which he followed up with a 4 under for the final 18. His only blemish for the 36 holes was a bogey on the 7th hole in the second round.

The District side won the teams event by 5 strokes from the Northern Rivers District. The team of six consisted of Will Barnett, Tom Bateman, Hayden Gulliver, Josh Knott, Dylan Perry & Nathan Waters. The best four scores returned in each round counted.

Muswellbrook will host the event again next year, and the team will look to repeat the performance.

The Hunter blooded 7 junior members in the annual Junior 4 Way event hosted by Newcastle DGA at Muree over the weekend of 3 - 4 November, 2012. The purpose of the annual event was to allow our future rep players to play a round robin series of 9 hole match play against the Central Coast, Lower North Coast, and Newcastle DGA's.

Our team consisted of Zac Pryor (4) & Nick Neild (13) (Kurri), Will(11)& Matt(7) O'Donnell (Scone), Sheldon Harris(16) (Muswellbrook), Corey Lamb(13) (Branxton) and Clayton Small(18) (Maitland). The boys did not win a match, but gained from the experience. The on course demeanour was exemplary and will go on to represent in the future.

Best for the Hunter side was Matt O'Donnell, won two and halved one match, playing at number 2.

Popular winners were the Central Coast team, who celebrated a long awaited win. The last occasion they were on the Shield was 2002.

The Newcastle team looked resplendent in their hi vis flouro green shirts and could not be missed on the course.

This is the first District event played on the re-built layout, and the players enjoyed the new greens and testing layout. A pure round of golf, by locals Rob Logue, Josh Knott and brothers Scott & Andrew Ling, won the District Ambrose Fours Championship for 2012. Their card of 57 (15 under par) was dominated by 13 birdies and an eagle and four lonely pars. Josh Knott's prodigious length off the tee, reduced the course to a par 3 layout for his teammates, who peppered the pin and canned the putts.

Scratch Runners up were also a Coalfields based team in John "Barney" Barrett, Steve Leathley, John Retallick & Jamie Crampton who finished 3 strokes in arrears on 60. Ten birdies and an eagle on the 17th made up their 12 under par score.

Adam Jackson led his Stonebridge team of David Crosdale, Shannon Bone & Murray King, to a quarter shot victory in the handicap event. Their nett score of 55¼ consisted of 9 birdies and the balance in pars.

The Royal Patto Club came to the fore when they took out the second & third spots in the handicap trophies. The team of Glen Davies, Greg Scott, Paul Monaghan and the old wily fox Tom Goodman had an 8 under par score for a nett 55½. Their bogey free round edged out Paterson President Roy Bishop and his team of Brent Eslick, Phil Watson & Mark Shillington who missed out by an 1⅛ of a stroke. Long marker Brent held the team together when under pressure.

The deferred sand green championships were conducted at Merriwa on 23 September, 2012, after the initial event was washed out, earlier in the year. The field was only 23 players, probably due to players having other commitments after the postponement. Many thanks to those players who made the effort to travel the distance and participate.

Sand greens exponent, took advantage of the limited field and shot a consistent 77 to win by two shots. With two holes to play Phil, had the event shot to pieces. Either the collar tightened or a lapse in concentration saw him fritter away his unbeatable lead.Luckily there were no further holes to play and he limped in to win and take his second title.

Runner up was Cameron Norman from Denman who shot a 79 to take second place on a countback.

For ease of play the handicap event was run as a stableford, and the winner by a clear margin was Daniel Hogan from Denman, with an excellent score of 45 points, coming in 4 points clear of George Smith of Aberdeen who managed a creditable 41 points.

Bryan Gulliver was crowned the A grade champion when he shot a one under par 71 around the Branxton layout. An opening nine of 37, was complemented by inward nine of 34.The 2/11 was his bogey hole, taking a double and single bogey, but fought back with an immediate birdie on the 3/12 on both occasions.

Bryan's golf is improving with age and is experiencing pinnacle year, which can be attributed to the time he spends on the course. The win rates up their with his District B Grade title in 1988.

Runner up was Tom Bateman from Aberdeen, two shots behind on 73. Tom was heading for the winners dais after turning in 32, 4 under par until he came to grief when he drove OOB through the fairway on the 14th hole for a quaddie.

Humongous big hitter Matt Hopley from Stonebridge, was edged out on a countback, when he finished with 73 off the stick. A mixed bag of 6 birdies, 4 pars, 7 bogeys and a double for a 73 nett 70 was sufficient to win the nett trophy. On the par 5, 466 metre 16th hole, Hoppy launched a driver & wedge to reach the green in two!

Pushed into second & third spots were Jack Clark (Vintage) and Mick Tracey (Branxton) also on nett 70.

Fourteen year old Khan Gallagher, from the Denman Club, shot a brilliant round of 8 over par, 80 to be a clear winner of the B Grade Championship. Playing off an 11 handicap, Khan had an opening nine of 38, backed up by a 40 on the back nine. Due to his young age, Khan was fearless on the slick greens, canning putts of various lengths, all day. A quick check of District history indicates that Khan is the only winner of a District championship who hails from Denman.

The runner up trophy was won by Neville Peace from the Vintage, on 86 hits. Neville is a competitive golfer who supports the District events and is rarely out of the money. He showed great fortitude and fought back, after opening and closing the front nine with a pair of sevens.

Senior golfer & Kurri stalwart Dave (bedlam) Beldham who shot an 83 nett 68 won the nett trophy by 3 strokes. Kurri trifecta'd the nett trophies with Chris House coming in second on 71 from Wayne Drayton on 72.

Course Super at the Vintage Steve Harris played consistently to be the 2012 C Grade champion, with a score of 86 off the stick. His rounds of 43 - 43, saw him a clear winner by 4 strokes. His only blemishes were doubles on the 2nd, 11th & 13th holes, the balance made up of pars & bogeys.

Runner up from Branxton was Rod Williams who won on a countback on 90. Rod was also a model of consistency shooting 45 on both nines.

Lewis Howells, who is only knee high to a grasshopper, indicated he has a bright future in the game with a round of 99 nett 67 to win the C grade handicap trophy, from Geoff DeVos from Maitland on 70. Finishing one shot back for third money was Adrian Stevens from Stonebridge.

Ball Comp - all balls were claimed by those who were still in attendance at presentation time.

The Cypress Lakes Golf & Country Club proved a testing layout for the 2012 District Masters Championship. The venue was instrumental attracting a field of 104 golfers, who were troubled by the slick greens and the bitterly cold westerly wind which prevailed throughout most of the day. The decision to play a stroke/stableford event by Captain Dave, was hailed as rare, but brilliant decision. The course played off the blue markers, with fair pin placements still proved to be a test of golf for the majority of the field

Peter Gibbs, from the Maitland Club, omitted to enter and was granted a late start on Saturday evening, then proceeded to return the winning score of 78, well below his best. Even he was surprised when he was declared the winner. Nine bogeys and three birdies on the inward nine provided the advantage when the countback was applied.

Stonebridge stalwart Robbie Logue came in with a similar score, and was hoping for a play off, after a back nine of 38. A double bogey on the relatively short 5th hole proved to be a costly slip up, when the average score on the hole was 4.1.

Third placegetter Greg Wyper clawed his way back into contention after a disasterous start. A double, bogey, bogey, double start would have seen the average golfer toss in the towel and head for the bar. Greg soldiered on to finish one off the pace on 79.

Ross Wood playing on his home track made a mockery of his 13 handicap in winning the handicap trophy with a nett 66 or 42 points. His scratch score of 79 was only one shot off the best score of the day. Highlight of his round was a 2 on the 7th hole, when he slam dunked his wedge into the hole for an eagle.

Three points in arrears on 39, was Bruce Rose, from The Vintage, who would have joined Greg Wyper in the Clubhouse after an opening nine of 48 hits, but stormed home in 38 for a total of 39 points and second place in the handicap event. Stewards were unable to take a swab, due to the fact he had left the course.

Fellow Vintage member Glen Batty took third spot in the handicap event, with 38 points and 32 marker from Royal Patto, Mark George shot a PB for 36 points and fourth money.

At the presentation it was announced that Cypress Lakes had offered to host the event for a further two years, which was gratefully accepted. Cypress are considering introducing the slogan "Cypress Lakes - Home of The Masters".

The 2012 holders of the King Warburton Cup for the District Two Man Ambrose Championship are Jeff & Andrew Wyper (Kurri), winning convincingly with a10 under par score of 62. The heavy going did not affect the big hitting brothers, who combined to shoot 6 under on the front nine and backed it up with 4 under the back. In all they recorded 8 birdies and an eagle on the par 5 dogleg 5th hole. The brothers have become recluses on the District Tour of late, but have lost none of their ability.

Runners up in the scratch event were the star's of the future Tom Bateman and Dylan Perry four shots back on 66. A slow start of 34 for the opening nine holes saw them chasing the birdies on the back nine but could only muster a further 4, to oust Brent Watson & Mark Hale by a shot.

Dean & Mark Lauder, (Royal Patto) kept the family theme going, when they were victorious in winning the Division 2 Scratch trophy with a one under par round 71. The father & son combination was tested at times, but father Mark kept them focussed to win by a single stroke.

Runners up in the Div 2 scratch, Bazza Vercoe & Brad "The Elf" Ehlefeldt, from Maitland, proved they were "no flash in the pants" to be runner up on 73.

Another family combination the Cresswell boys, Chad & Kurt, also from the Kurri Club, bombarded the fairways with their huge drives, to win the Div 1 nett with a score of 64. A lone bogey on the relatively easy par 3 6th hole was the only blemish on their card.

The mixed pairing of Michael Clark (Stonebridge) and Matt Hopley (Cypress Lakes) had three birdies aside and the balance in pars for a consistent round to be runner up in the Div 1 nett with a score of 64½.

Clayton Babic teamed with Adrian Stevens to shoot a one aver par round 73, nett 65½ to be the victors of the Div 2 nett event, edging out Stonebridge players Adam Jackson and David Crosdale one shot back on 66½.

Plus one marker Mark Hale teamed with Tim Lawrence, Adele Johns, Alana Lawrence to shoot 10 under par, 61 to capture the title by two strokes. With three low markers, birdies were always going to be the order of the day. A bogey free round, consisting of ten birdies and 8 pars provided a two stroke margin over second placegetters. A string of birdies on holes 6 through to ten, set the foundation for their win.

Runner up vouchers went to The Vintage team of Neville & Dixie Peace ably supported by junior players Jack Clark and Jess Kelly. The mixture of maturity and youth combined to fire a 8 under par round to take second placing on a countback.

Maitland only had to field one team to scoop a major trophy. Ron & Melissa Beavis teamed up with Heather Keith and Rick Marsh to return a nett 55 3/8. Rick Marsh filled in for regular team member Steve Lill and after the win Budgie will be hard pressed to regain his spot, as indicated by team captain Heather in her winning speech.

Runners up in the nett event went to the Denman team of Errol George, Eric Lockwood, Valma Pascoe and Susan Wilson. The side returned a scratch score of 69 for a nett 57 7/8 to make the trip worth their while.

The Bradman trophy went to Stumpy & Parso and their respective brides with a two over par 73.

A small field of 42 players participated in the annual District Junior Championship at Branxton. The course was in top condition after the recent rain and proved to be a test of golf, as indicated by the scores returned.

The unassuming, Bennie Stokes from Singleton won his first District title, when he shot a 3 over par 73 to win by a shot. His winning margin would have been greater, but for a collar tightening last two holes, which he struggled with, for a double bogey, bogey finish. His consistency in recording 12 pars & 2 birdies, earnt him the well deserved title of champion.

Runner up was Hayden Gulliver, from Maitland, one stroke behind on 74. Sparra will have nightmares about the final two holes, bogeying them on each occasion. Hayden won the boys 15 years & under scratch trophy.

Best nett for the Boys 15 & under division was Zac Pryor of Kurri on a countback from Josh Tracey of Branxton, both players finishing on 68. Zac's second nine of even par clinched the win after an ordinary 43 hits on the front nine.

Clayton Small (by name & size) won the third place handicap trophy with an excellent round of 93 nett 69.

In the 16yrs & over division Kade Hardy of Maitland was best with a 75 off the stick. Forty hits on the front nine was backed up with even par 35 on the back nine for his winning score.

Net winner was visitor from Shelly Beach, Rhys Pye, who shot 84 nett 68 on his first time on the course, to win on a countback from the Scone thorougbred Oscar Field. Oscar is obviously a sprinter recording a 35 par round for the first nine, but couldn't stay and finished with 41 hits on the way in. A visit to Bart Cummings might be of help.

Third spot in the nett was Ryan Thomas of Singleton, finishing on nett 69. An opening birdie followed by a disasterous quaddie, unsettled him, but fought back solidly to finish amongst the winners.

Unfortunately there were no entrants from the junior girls ranks, which is a concern for the future of womens golf.

The Hunter River senior & junior rep teams travelled to Queanbeyan to contest the above event over the weekend of 5 - 6 November, 2011. The tough Queanbeyan par 70 layout, provided a true test of golf with it's tight tree lined fairways and slick greens.

At the conclusion of the weekend the Hunter Junior & Senior teams returned creditable performances in this prestigious event.

Nathan Waters from Scone, was playing his first senior rep match having just graduated from the junior ranks this year, and showed his potential, to take the Country Championship from a field of 140 of the best country players. His one under par 139 (70 - 69) saw him crowned the champion by one stroke from Alex Pitty of the Central Coast. Nathan should have won by a bigger margin, but dropped 2 strokes to par over the final three holes.

Dylan Perry, who was promoted to the senior team returned the next best score for the Senior side, along with veteran Mark Hale, both finishing on 149. After 18 holes the Hunter side set the pace on 289,8 shot swing 6 shots clear of the eventual winners Mid North Coast. However Sunday was a different story, with the Hunter side capitulating to allow the Mid North Coast team to storm away with a 14 shot swing to win the Country Team Championship. The Hunter side finished 4th overall.

Hunter River
Bryan Gulliver	+14	F	+9	75	79	154
Mark Hale	+9	F	+6	73	76	149
Scott Hayes	+21	F	+13	78	83	161
Dylan Perry	+9	F	+8	71	78	149
Nathan Waters	-1	F	-1	70	69	139
Hunter River Total				289	302	591

Hunter River who took the spoils on a countback from the Far South Coast in the Junior Inter-District Teams Championship, the two teams finishing on 295. Team members for the Hunter River were Thomas Bateman, Will Barnett and Hayden Gulliver.

At the end of play on Saturday the side were 3 strokes in arrears of the Far South Coast side, who were on 145 to our 148. The Hunter team could have been well in front but for a couple of nervous holes. Will Barnett fought back bravely to fire a 76 after a "quad" on the 7th hole. Not to be outdone Tom Bateman recorded a triple bogey 7 on the 1st hole after knocking his drive over the fence.

On Sunday the boys played tenacious golf to peg back the Far South Coast team. Hayden Gulliver was 6 over after 8 holes but stormed home in 2 under for a 74, whilst Will Barnett, chipped and putted his way around the 18 holes for a 73. All three of the junior team members finished in the top 8 of the event.

T1	Hunter River Juniors
	Will Barnett	+9	F	+3	76	73	149
	Thomas Bateman	+10	F	+7	73	77	150
	Hayden Gulliver	+9	F	+4	75	74	149
	Hunter River Juniors Total				148	147	295

A pleasing aspect of our team members was their attention to improving the etiquette of the game by "doffing" their caps, when shaking hands at the completion of the round, as a mark of respect to their fellow players. This tradition has been revived and will be encouraged in all District events.

The winning team from the Vintage Golf Club continued that Club's regular strike rate in District events in 2011. The Club has been an excellent supporter of District events over the year and the winning team of Josh Knott, Matt Farley, Paul Fitzsimon (Captain) and Neville Peace turned in a record winning score of 55 strokes, 16 under par, to win by a 3 stroke margin.

Josh Knott provided the firepower for the team off the tee, utilising his awesome length off the tee positioning the team for relatively short approach shots to the green. On the 16th hole Josh positioned his 3 wood tee shot well down the fairway and then holed a half wedge for an eagle 2. After a "slow" start on the front nine of 29, team Captain Paul Fitzsimon cracked the whip, resulting in 26 strokes for the back nine. From hole 5 through to 12 the team had consecutive 3's and then topped it off with a 2 on the quarry. Scroll down to view the card.

Unlucky runners up were the youthful team of sMac Dawson, Jake Teague, Jarrod Broughton and Joel Harrison (Scone) on 58 strokes, which would normally win an ambrose event. The countback had to be applied to decide the runners up. A slow start of even par through the first 3 holes, then average pars on the quarry and 17th, against birdies on the other 7 seven holes on the back nine, were costly in the final wash up.

District Senior rep player Andrew Hamilton led his team from Kurri, to victory in the handicap event, winning by a ¼ of a shot on 52⅝. Andrew teamed with Leighton Wells, Steve Rowe and James Ellis to shoot 30 - 29 = 59 for the 18 holes. The team was the only side to birdie the 422 metre par 4 second hole on the day.

The team of Adam Jackson, Kurt Humphreys, Nick Evans and Mick Ervin, from The Oaks (aka Stonebridge) were runners up in the handicap event finishing on 52⅞, ¼ of a stroke off first place.

Hard working committeeman John Stewart achieved a PB with his eagle on the 6th hole, where he knocked a 6 iron into the hole off his own drive.

The District's next golfing prodigy Dylan Perry, displayed his talent by taking out the District Championship, with a two under par, 69, around the Maitland course, to win by a margin of 5 strokes. An ordinary front nine of 2 over, thanks to a double on the third, and a bogey on 5, which was cancelled out by a birdie on the 4th, saw Dylan back in the field. Then the fireworks commenced on the back nine, with birdies on 10, 14, 15 & 18, for a 31 and total of 69.

Dylan is one of a crop of talented young golfers, nurtured in the Upper Hunter, which augurs well for golf in our District.

Runner up was Craig Melville, who shot a creditable 74 on his home track. Craig had a mixed bag of a round with 6 bogeys and three birdies to make up his 3 over par.

Another of the District's talented juniors Hayden Gulliver shot a 75 nett 70 to win the A grade handicap event. Hayden let's his Clubs do the talking, shooting a one over par on the inward nine, to secure the win in a 3 way countback.

Minor placings went to the Singleton players, Michael Fitzpatrick and Arne Coulston, who also finished on nett 70.

The B grade champion is Wayne Clements (Maitland), with an 80 off the bat, to secure his second B grade title, having won in 2007 which was also played at Maitland. Hitting off the 10th tee "Clemmo" shot a scary even par round of 35. The nerves crept in on the front nine to see him scratch around for a 45, 10 strokes worse, but held on to take the trophy, by one stroke.

The colourful Dale Troy (in case you missed him he was the golfer in the Ricky Fowler orange attire) from Cypress Lakes shot an 81 to finish one behind. A bogey on the easiest hole on the course (15th) was costly.

Dave Skinner from Maitland won the B grade handicap with a nett 69.Dave played consistently for an 83 off the beater, with his only blemish being a double bogey on 10th hole.

Runner up Mark Bewes from The Oaks, should have won the nett event comfortably, but consecutive triple bogeys on the 9th & 10th holes blew his chances, to finish 86 - 70. Glenn Randall from Maitland came in third on nett 71, edging Steve Leathley out on a countback.

The C grade champion for 2011 is Steve Oswald, from Maitland, with pair of "fat ladies" 88. Ossie just pats the ball down the middle and rarely strays off the mown portion, tactics which proved effective, as he won by a margin of 4 shots.

Drew Dewar from Singleton was runner up on 92. After a nervous 48 hits on the first nine, Drew settled down to shoot a more respectable 44 on the back nine.

C grade handicap winner was Kev Patterson (Maitland), who was the captain of the victorious Maitland Bercini Cup team. Kev shot a 95 - 69 to win on a countback, with a nett 33 on the back nine.

Unlucky runner up was newcomer to the game Alex Olsen of Dungog, who shot a nett 69 in his first district championship. Young Alex is the progeny of Jim & Judy Olsen, and has obviously inherited their golf genes.

In third spot was Tony Charlesworth from Singleton on nett 72. Two triple bogeys on the back nine cost him dearly.

Nearest the Pin winners: A - Stephen Kearney; B - Alan Mildew; C - Scott Gardiner.

Muswellbrook Golf Club hosted the Masters Championships, with all the winners, surprisingly coming from the senior golfers of the District. Early showers scared off only three players and the weather cleared to allow the field to enjoy top day for golf on a challenging golf course.

The 2011 Champion was local Gary Mears who streeted a quality field by 5 strokes with a one under par 71. An opening bogey was quickly reclaimed with a third hole birdie, only to be given back with a bogey on the 7th hole. The back nine of two under par 34 consisted of an ordinary bogey on 10, followed by birdies on 12, 14 and 16.

Gary will probably add another tattoo to his body to commemorate the win, to balance out the Dragon's tattoo after their grand final win last year.

A past winner Ken Roe came in runner up on 76. After 9 holes Ken thought he was just making up the numbers, with not so impressive 41 strokes on the card. The back nine was a different story with an inspiring score of 35, one under par.

Andrew Hamilton of Kurri came in third on 77 edging out Bryan Gulliver, of Maitland, who is the youngest "old fart" of the tournament, having reached the big 50 late in May.

The handicap prizemoney went to Peter Griffin from Paterson with a nett 66, which could have been better if not for disasterous double bogeys on 3, 7 & 18.

2008 Masters Champion James Hogg was runner up on nett 68 after the application of the countback . James shot a meritorious 78 and these days has the luxury of a 10 handicap to arrive at his winning score.

Third place went to Tom Hannah of The Vintage on nett 68. After 9 holes Tom thought he had struck the jackpot when he had 3 sevens (triple bogies) for a 48, but knuckled down to finish with 42 on the backnine.

Exciting news for the 2012 Masters is that an offer from Cypress Lakes to host the event, was locked in by the Committee, and should draw a capacity field.

The next generation of junior golfers put their wares on show, cleaning up at the 2 Man Ambrose Championship, hosted by Muswellbrook, which provided a real test of golf .

Leading the way were the young pairing of Nathan Waters and Tom Bateman, from Scone, with a sizzling round of 60, 12 under par. After a nervous bogey start, the boys settled to shoot 5 birdies for a 4 under par for the first 9 holes. It was on the back nine where they really came alive, rattling off 6 birdies and an eagle for 8 under par. Their performance was even more meritorious as they were drawn with the pre tournament favourite team, of Hale & Marcheff who sat back and admired the golf.

Another youthful combination of Dylan Perry and Andrew McTaggart, from Muswellbrook, fired a 62 to come in runner up in the scratch event. Eight pars and 10 birdies was indicative of their consistency.

In Division 2 the scratch winners hailed from The Vintage, in the form of Steve Leathley and John Retallick with a 2 under par 69, their only blemish occurring on the final hole with an inglorious bogey. It is pleasing to see the Vintage players supporting the District events.

Scratch runners up in Division 2 were local stalwarts Eli Raad and Bruce Robinson who finished one stroke behind on 70. The two most difficult holes, the 7th & 13th were their only two bogeys, in what was otherwise a consistent round.

Once again youth came to the fore, when Will Barnett (Scone) and Brodyn Gargan (Muswellbrook) fired a 10 under par round for a nett 59 1/2 to win the Division 1 nett score. On the back nine the boys shot 6 consecutive 3's through holes 12 to 17, which included an eagle on 15. Their back nine score was 29 hits.

Handicap runners up, were two players usually featuring in the scratch trophies, in Mark Hale of Branxton and his big hitting partner Glen Marcheff of Singleton. Their nett score of 61 1/2 was only 1 1/2 strokes better than their scratch score.

The Division 2 nett winners were the fourball /ambrose specialists the Lucas family of Troy and Anthony on nett 59 3/4. The Kurri pairing playing off handicaps of 7 & 33 shot a 2 under par 70, a score players off lesser handicaps were not capable of.

Runners up in Division 2 were also a Kurri pairing in Dave Newell and Wayne Drayton on nett 62 1/2, edging out Rob Hampton and Bruce Pritchard from Dungog by 1/4 of a stroke.

The Kurri team of Andrew Wyper, Adele Johns, Kevin & Patsy fielding made a mockery of the "tough" Muswellbrook layout in the annual mixed ambrose fours championships. The winning score of 58, 14 under par was a model of consistency, recording 7 birdies on either nine for 29 hits each side. Their only blemishes were par's on holes 6, 9,11 & 14.

Scratch runners up were the locals led by Kymble Pascoe and team mates Brodie Mainey,Sue Wilks & Nicki O'Driscoll finishing with 60 hits and two shots in arrears. A slow start of 31 hits the opening nine was the difference between the two sides.

The only Maitland team to participate, were Missy & Ron Beavis who teamed with David & Heather Keith to win the handicap trophy with a score of 54 ½. A magnificent eagle on the 15th was tempered by a dropped shot on the very next hole, but they regained their composure to finish birdie birdie.

Nett runners up were Nathan Waters, Lyn Banks, Steve & Robyn Murray from Scone who finished on 55 ¾.. A sluggish opening nine resulted in a mediocre 34 strokes but the team from the Horse Capital came home with a withering run to finish with 28 hits on the inward nine and jump into second position without the need of a photofinish.

Only 68 players participated which is disappointing in comparison to the previous year when 92 players took part.

Little known Aberdeen golfer Greg Parkinson, from Aberdeen is the 2011 Sand Green Champion, winning the event by a stroke, with a 75 off the beater. Playing off a 9 handicap he shot consistent rounds of 37 - 38. His only real blemishes were double bogeys on holes 6, 7 & 11, but were offset by a brilliant eagle on the par 5 8th hole.

Runner up was visitor from Werris Creek Gary McBeath one stroke in arrears on 76, with a countback necessary to separate him from Brett Reid, a former local who has recently returned to town after a spell in Brisbane.

Josh Taylor (The Oaks) streeted the field in the nett event with and 87 - 57 score, finishing 7 strokes ahead of his nearest rival. Josh struck a purple patch on the back nine, the more difficult nine, where he reeled off five straight pars, starting at the 10th hole, to consolidate his round.

Wal Simmons, of the Kurri variety, came in second on net 64, edging out fellow members from Kurri Peter Collins, 65, and Brodie Collett on nett 67.

The annual junior inter district match play series was hosted by the Central North DGA and played at the Tamworth course, providing a serious test of golf.

The Hunter boys acquitted themselves superbly by going through the round robin undefeated and defended the Shield they won at Scone in 2010. The team managed by Dave Parkinson and Pat Rigby, were housed at a remote sight, with no distractions, so the boys could concentrate on their golf.

A seeded draw, based on handicaps, saw our team start with a 7 - 0 win over Western DGA, who are in a re-building stage, and if remain together, will be a force to reckon with in coming years.

The Saturday afternoon match was against the home team Central North, and the Hunter boys were victorious to the tune of 5 matches to 2.

The final match between the top seeds was against North West which was also won by a 5 - 2 margin.

IIn attendance for the presentation was Al Trinder of Tamworth, who along with his old mate the late Jim Baker were the instigators of the series, back in 1984. The event is the highlight of the junior golfing rep calendar, and has produced some topline golfers, who have moved on to the pro circuit and playing on the overseas circuits.