My Store

DRUMMOND GOLF WOOLLOONGABBA

Birkdale Saturday Social Golf Club bus trip to Palm Meadows. Report by Kevin Norrey. At 6am on a bleak Sunday morning, it was hard to believe that we were on the Gold Coast. The temperature was 13 degrees, the golf course had been saturated with two days of rain and the downpour showed no sign of stopping. So there was nothing we could do but pull out the wet weather gear, put up the umbrellas and get out there.

The event was the Annual Bus Trip for the Birkdale Saturday Social Golf Club to Palm Meadows, sponsored by Drummond Golf Woolloongabba.

As we all queued up to hit off the first tee, there was the usual frivolity with pressure comments from friends and foes. Water on the left, bamboo on the right, wet and cold hands trying to hang on to the already slippery golf club grip. Three and sometimes four layers of clothes restricting a cold and stiff body from trying to make that butter-smooth backswing, to get that first good hit away.

But once out there, like always, it really wasn’t that bad and even though the golf course was somewhat waterlogged, it was in excellent condition.

In the clubhouse after golf, whilst enjoying the company of my playing partners Steve Lee, Russ Schmidt and Rob Woods, it was clear that the winner of the day was going to be a close call, probably somewhere around 38-39 points. That was until Eugene Van Horssen entered the clubhouse in the near to last group to record 43 stableford points.

Maybe he had flippers and a snorkel in his bag, giving him an unfair advantage over the rest of the field. Or maybe he just played great golf in tough conditions. Eugene beat Zeon Woolley, who scored 40 points, with Peter Cleary third with 39.

After presentations and more drinks, it was back on the bus for the trip back to Capalaba. And another successful Birkdale bus trip had been enjoyed by all.

The Saturday Birkdale Social Golf Group operates out of the Howeston Golf Club at Birkdale. Anyone wishing to enquire about joining this group, please call Drummond Golf Woolloongabba on 07 3891 5611.

DRUMMOND GOLF TAREN POINT

David Hirsch Memorial Golf Day. Report by Jacqui Brownson. David Hirsch had been a customer of ours since we opened. He was a very good customer and we had a lot to do with him. He was heavily involved in organising the junior kids in the area playing golf, organising the kids’ entry in to Jack Newton Golf events and, especially, trying to get more children playing golf and developing golf programs.

Sadly, David passed away in June 2011. In his honour, Jack Newtown Golf and the local golf clubs Woolooware, Cronulla and Kareela have come together, with the support of our store, and organised an annual David Hirsch Memorial Golf Day for juniors, alternating each year between the three courses.

The first golf day was held at Woolooware Golf Club and it was a very wet Sunday in June. Nearly 100mm of rain had fallen in Sydney over the week but the kids braved the weather and went out to play. The tournament had to be shortened to 12 holes as the weather got worse as the day went on.

It was a successful day and all the kids, although wet, enjoyed it. Hopefully the next one, to be held on July 3 2013 at Cronulla Golf Club, will be dry.

Congratulations to Ethan Keane, the overall winner, and Danielle Vasquez, the girls winner. Other winners were Kane Manning – Intermediate, Mitch Gannon – Junior and Liam Maccan – Cadet.

DRUMMOND GOLF PORT MACQUARIE

Golfers of the future have been encouraged into the game by an after-school sport program at the Adventist Primary school in Port Macquarie.

When the school chose sport for its Term 2 program, Drummond Golf Port Macquarie came on board to help out with store owner Darren Henderson donating time and equipment to run the innovative Golf Australia national junior golf initiative, the ‘MYGolf’ program.

Adventist school principal Phillip Lillehagan said the after-school program was “thoroughly enjoyed by all participants and looked forward to every Wednesday afternoon”. And one of the real positives was that Mr Lillehagan could see the improvement in the children by the end of the term.

Store owner Darren Henderson said he enjoyed watching the children have a go at golf with such enthusiasm and hopes that some will one day take up the sport. At the very least they have had an introduction to the game that they might not otherwise have had.

For more information about MYGolf go to www.mygolf.org.au.