AUSTRALIAN GOLFING FELLOWSHIP

COMINGS & GOINGS

ello from your new President. I trust those of you who attended this year’s tournament at Warrnambool and Port Fairy enjoyed the golf and fellowship. I know Heather and I did, and we would like to thank Gerald Shanley and his team for putting on a wonderful week of golf and entertainment.

The AGM was held on Monday 19^th March 2007 at the Warrnambool Civic Centre. The following members were elected to the positions of:

President – Robert Motteram

Vice President – Greg Armstrong

Secretary – Peter Corke

Assistant Secretary/Treasurer – Brian Esselbach

Election of Delegates

2 Years 1 Year

NSW Ernie Dunstan Col Shaw

NT Martin Jolly Wayne Nicholls

QLD Lloyd Fleming Colin Hill

SA Brian Esselbach Barry Bott

TAS Peter Partridge Paul Grubb

VIC David Carmichael Tony Blackmore

Nominating Committee

President Robert Motteram

Immediate Past President: Bill Gurnett

Another Past President: Peter Partridge

5 Year Participating Member: Alistair Ward

COMINGS & GOINGS

“The John Hood AGFR Memorial Scholarship”

The meeting unanimously agreed that the AGFR Turf Scholarship be renamed “The John Hood AGFR Memorial Scholarship” in recognition of John’s wonderful services to the AGFR.

We have two awardees of the scholarship presently in the USA who have commenced work at different golf courses. Brett Stafford is currently working at the Berueley Hall Golf Club in South Carolina and Luke Mortimer is at the Hilton Head Golf Club also in South Carolina.

One of our past awardees, Luke Partridge had an article published in the Australian Turfgrass Management magazine in September 2006. I would like to reprint a couple of paragraphs from his article which talks about his time at the Oakmont Golf Club in Pennsylvania.

“Oakmont is one of the oldest, most traditional courses in America. It has a history steeped in tradition having hosted seven US opens, five US Amateurs and three PGA Championships, and will play host to the US Open in 2007.”

“I think the major lesson learnt working in America under such professional conditions is the importance of communication on a golf course. It also gives you a well trained eye for detail and gives you a better understanding of the differences between the practices employed in Australia and the US.”

Robert Motteram – President

The Rotarians and partners who attended the 29^th Annual Golf Tournament were treated to two of the great country golf courses in Australia. With 160 Rotarians and partners playing it was necessary to have two shotgun starts each day. Although this created a lot more work for the organisers it made the rounds of golf far quicker and therefore more enjoyable.

Monday at the Warrnambool Golf Club the weather was perfect, the course was looking superb and there were some great rounds of golf. The winners were; Div A, Rodney Woodman 42pts, Div B, Leigh Iles 37pts(c/b), Div C, Tim Anderson 38pts and the Partners Bev Sutton 35pts.

Monday night the AGM was held after which the Mayors of Warrnambool City Council and the Moyne Shire welcomed all the participants to their cities. This was followed by some wonderful wine and food.

Tuesday we moved over to the picturesque and wonderful links Port Fairy Golf Club. Once again the weather was perfect 23C and NO wind. Again the conditions were reflected in the scores with the winners all breaking their handicaps. Div A, Leon Holmes 40pts(c/b), Div B, Ern Dunstan 39pts(c/b), Div C, Graham Woolacoot 39(c/b) from two of our older and most respected members Ken Phelan and Joe Devereaux, and the Partners Cheryl Stevens.

At night we had the Rotary Make-up Dinner where we were entertained by a wonderful guest speaker by the name of Tommy Smith, “the other horse trainer”.

Wednesday was a day of rest and touring. A group were taken to the Grampians, while others went walking, driving to the Great Ocean Road enjoying the fine eating places in the area etc.

Thursday, back to Port Fairy, where the morning players were treated to starting in a wonderful “Sea Fog”. This made for interesting golf and shot play, but however when the fog cleared we again had fantastic weather and no wind. Once again the results reflected the wonderful playing conditions with the winning scores being some of the best for the week; Div A, Col Shaw 40pts, Div B, Gerard Maloney 41pts(c/b), Div C Alan Rasmussen 40pts and Partners Judy Iles 42pts.

Friday, the final round and back to Warrnambool Golf Club, the tees are back the pins are in difficult positions and the wind is blowing 30knots from the north with a change due at noon. Players had been seeded in their tee off groups so the pressure was on. The conditions were definitely reflected in the scores with only one player getting over 36 points.

The results were; Div A, Neville Baxter 34pts, Div B, Ernie Dunstan 36pts, Div C, Kevin Beaumont 37pts.

The overall results are on the next page, but a big thankyou has to go to many people at Warrnambool and Port Fairy. Firstly I know the non golfers would like to thank Brian Trennery the bus driver who gave up his time off at no charge and looked after all the partners so well. The gentlemen, who acted as ball spotters at both golf courses, saved many lost balls and helped to speed the game up each day. A special thank you to Leslie Richards and Helen Shanley, who organised the tours, looked after our partners for the week while we played golf. Noel Kenna and his team who looked after time sheets and scoring, we also say thank you.

Finally Peter Reeve, David Richards and Gerald Shanley you can rest easy knowing you have put on one of the best AGFR tournaments. We all look forward to catching up in Hobart in February 2008.

THE RESULTS

AWARD WINNER

The “Clem Renouf” Trophy

Rotarian Team with highest Ernie Dunstan

Aggregate Stableford score Gerard Maloney

The “Victoria” Trophy

Rotarian Team with 2^nd highest Murray Guille

Aggregate Stableford score Norman Millhouse

The “Royce Abbey” Trophy

Highest Individual Aggregate

Stableford score with Handicap Robert Motteram

The “West Australian” Trophy

Highest Individual Aggregate

Stableford score w/o Handicap John Heathcote

The “South Australian” Trophy

Highest Individual Aggregate

Stableford score Division 1 Bevan Pinner

The “Tasmania” Trophy

Highest Individual Aggregate

Stableford score Division 2 Ernie Dunstan

The “Glen Kinross” Trophy

Highest Aggregate Stableford

Score Player aged 65 or over Murray Guille

The “Northern Territory” Trophy

Second highest Individual

Aggregate Stableford score Gerard Maloney

The “Queensland” Trophy

Second highest Individual Aggregate

Stableford score Division 1 Col Shaw

The “New South Wales” Trophy

Second highest Individual Aggregate

Stableford score Division 2 Murray Guille

Guest Trophies

Guest Team with highest Brenda Heathcote

Aggregate Stableford score Sandy Holmes

Guest Team with 2^nd highest Libby Esselbach

Aggregate Stableford score Bev Sutton

Guest with highest Individual

Aggregate Stableford score Bev Sutton

Guest with second highest Individual

Aggregate Stableford score Brenda Heathcote

Look who has come to town to play golf ????

Email addresses - If you received this newsletter by snail mail could you please email your correct email address to Brian Esselbach at slbach@bigpond.net.au this will save the AGFR considerable sums of money and the time in addressing envelopes printing etc.

Obituary

The AGFR records with deep regret the sudden death in January of this year of our long playing member Doug May. Our sincere sympathy to his wife Joanna, and family.

Hobart 2008 February 25-29

The Rotary Club of Glenorchy invites you to Hobart for the 30^th Annual Golf Tournament. You will join many fellow Rotarians and their partners for a week of golf and fellowship at the AGFR tournament to be held 25 Feb to 29 Feb 2008.

Nestled in the foothills of spectacular Mt Wellington and along the shores of the tranquil Derwent River, Hobart is one of Australia’s most picturesque capital cities. It is an intriguing blend of heritage and lifestyle, scenery and vibrant culture. With warm sandstone buildings, bright spinnakers and sails on the River Derwent, coffee under the sun umbrellas of Salamanca Place, bush walks and bird songs – Hobart is a city of relaxation and rejuvenation.

Play two great golf courses, Claremont and The Tasmania. Claremont Golf Club is on an isolated spit of land that juts into the Derwent River just beyond the Cadbury chocolate factory (yum). Here the undulating fairways afford water views from nine holes.

Only a few kilometres north of the Seven Mile beach, on a promontory, lies the striking Tasmania Golf Club. The third hole, a par five, which affords breathtaking views of water as it sweeps around the cliff-tops overlooking Barilla Bay, is one of the most photographed in Tasmania, and has been compared with the eighteenth at Pebble Beach. The course is undulating to gently hilly, and in typical links style is exposed to any wind. Once successfully on the greens, there’s plenty more challenge with swales and borrow on the fast, true surfaces. Remember, however, the “rule of Tasmania” – there’s only half the borrow you expect!

The RC of Glenorchy have also organised a wonderful programme for the non-golfing partners, plus tours for the Wednesday when there is no golf.

Tournament Contacts:

Beres Taylor Ph 03 6239 0151

Email: bta4954@bigpond.net.au

Peter Brownrigg Ph 03 6225 1268

Email: peteb@southcom.com.au

IGFR Report

The IGFR tournament this year was held in Manila, although the number of participants were down on last year’s event in Turkey, the event was a great success.

The Australian participants were well represented in the trophy winners. Peter Anthony from Melbourne won the “Carl Miller” World Champion Award and Bill Daish also from Melbourne being the Runner-up. Bill also teamed up with Sandy Mitchell from Scotland to win Div 1&2 Teams event. Pierre Kriegler another Melbournite, won the Div 1 Net “Delvaux” Award and Brian Turner another of our long time members of the AGFR finished second in the Seniors Championship. Peter Anthony, Brian Esselbach and Bill Daish also featured in some of the other trophies.

Members of the AGFR may like to note the dates of the next two events for the IGFR as they really are going to be in special places and will be events to be remembered.

Firstly Niagara Falls – Canada – 22-27 June 2008 will really be a golfing experience not to be missed.

Niagara offers history and heritage, Canadian culture, recreation and entertainment in a variety of natural and man-made attractions that can combine the finest of city life with the most beautiful in nature, all within minutes of each other. Non-golfing visitors have an amazing array of options, which obviously includes visiting the falls.

The golfers will be playing the four best courses in Niagara, all situated within twelve minutes of the host hotel.

To book or just for information about the event contact Ethel White-Ashby at White Glove Tour & Reception, 8033 Lundy’s Lane, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada L2H 1H3 or email to: E.white@whiteglovetours.com

Ph (905)357 6331 or Fax (905)354 8604

Secondly put in your diaries Kitzbuhel – Austria

5-11 July 2009. The town of Kitzbuhel is set amid the Kitzbuhel Alps. For further information go to www.golfing-rotarians.com