Hats off to all at Warburton for their efforts to get this game played. A special thanks to Warburton manager David Murch for his communication and assistance. After rescheduling this game twice Victoria’s weather won the day. No matter where this game was played, the game would probably had to be cancelled.

Victorian Veterans Teams Championship 2022

This year the event was programmed for early September 2022 at Stawell where the ESVGA was represented by two teams of three, team one was made up of Andrew McMath, Peter Hopgood and Ray Cross, team two Ron Hottes, our president, Ian Young and Noel Blythe. We all arrived on Sunday 4th, with five of us getting in a practice on Sunday afternoon. We found Stawell as cold as Melbourne, overcast with a light southerly but no rain, course was in good condition considering rain that had been constant for the last few weeks. We were allowed preferred lies but only on fairways; greens were excellent if a little fast. The course is only looked after by one worker and the rest by volunteers so condition was excellent considering their set up. The course has three 460 plus par 5’s, eleven par 4’s and four par 3’s.

ESVGA representatives from left Noel Blythe, Ray Cross, Ron Hottes, Peter Hopgood and Ian Young. Absent Andrew McMath

Day one presented itself just as cold but some gaps in the clouds, same light southerly. Shot gun start at eleven, well organised by host club committee, excellent packed lunch provided.

How did we go? No one really excelled on this first day, although team 2 finished about 7 points from the leaders and only a couple points behind 3rd or 4th, we all thought the course played a little long as there was not a lot of run on the fairways, greens also seemed a bit fast. Ball count went down to 30 points which a couple of us just managed to fall inside.

Monday night was spent at the Stawell Harness Centre Bistro where we all thought the meals were good as we dissected our rounds, deciding what we could do better

Tuesday morning.
Tuesday started out clear but still a bit cold, no rain, by the time we finished our round we were all in shirtsleeves. 9am shotgun start. Unfortunately all our dissections we did of our games the night before were to no avail as not much improvement occurred whereas their seemed to be a lot of improvement in other teams, ball count went down to 30 points Monday but finished at 34 points Tuesday which none of us managed. We were treated to a great lunch of party pies, sausage rolls and sandwiches plus three different types of cakes to finish with.

All in all we appreciated the ESVGA for giving us this opportunity to play in this event and would recommend if anyone manages to get the opportunity next year or beyond to grab it. Only incident of note was the presidents wife drove off with his golf shoes on Tuesday morning which left him in runners on a slippery track, don’t think will happen again, he also won one of the raffles held at the presentation ceremony.

Report compiled by Noel Blythe

Rosanna 1st August game report by President Ron Hottes: (Click to enlarge images)

“Those who were lucky enough to play at Rosanna on the August game-day, will not be at all surprised that my Report is full of praise.
This is one Club that very much values our patronage! From the time we arrived, ( pre-dawn), to when Presentation had concluded and the last of the very hard-working Committee members were leaving, the Rosanna staff, both in the Pro shop and in the Clubhouse, could not be faulted in their endeavours to make our day as enjoyable as possible. Club Pro, Luke, saved a potentially difficult situation, as out on the course, 2 holes were out of action due to maintenance, so 2 temporary Par 3’s were in play. With Luke’s steadying hand, the whole field played their round with a minimum of fuss.

Kevin Kane & Derek Wilson prepare to start their round

Chris Crook & Gary Gray waiting at the 1st tee

And, in the Clubhouse, Chelsea and her staff provided us with a very tasty lunch, and attended to our every need. ( And, it must be said, a few of our members are very “needy!”) Well done to all!
And so, to the golf. On a course that elicited many favourable comments, there were plenty of none-too-shabby scores. Noticably, the lowest score came in at 16. The ever-reliable Peter-White topped the list with a superb 38 points. Hot on his heels was Peter-Rosenthal, ( Mr Consistent these days), amassing 36 points. Finding his name in the daily paper the next day was Joe-Ruzicka, who snatched 3rd place on a C’back with 35 points. ( Roger-Kilby was “stiff” to miss out, but can be satisfied with a $30 voucher! )

Game day winner Peter White teeing off watched by David Waters

Ron Hottes lines up on the 14th.

David Waters with driver off the deck

The Winter Stableford title went to Peter-Rosenthal, who snared that honour from overnight leader, Mr.Fox!

So, a most pleasant day was had by all at Rosanna—in most cases, plenty of happy memories.

Kevin Kane tucks into his pie and chips

Ron Hottes announces the daily winners. Barry Smith with prizes in hand.

And, so onto beautiful, “different” Warburton where plenty more memories will abound. At the time of writing this, we had nearly 70 bookings. I hope that number grows as there are plenty of Warbie/ESVGA members who are only too keen to welcome you warmly and with plenty to offer. ( And, a different extra Presidential NTP will be on offer—for a sleeve of Titleist balls!

One clue only—it will be an NTP for the nearest 2nd shot—on one of our very reachable Par 4’s!! A real test of accuracy!​​

So, Members, see you at Warbie, I hope, for another “rip-roaring” game-day! “

Ivanhoe on July 4th:

A smallish field of 67 ventured to Ivanhoe to tackle what is generally considered an interesting, quirky course. Most of us find it to be a challenge for a number of reasons. The very low slope rating means we are usually playing off a 5 or 6 lower handicap. ( Try 7, says Derek!!) The course itself has some very tight fairways. There are extreme doglegs, uphill tee shots and hidden dangers!

A smallish field of 67 ventured to Ivanhoe to tackle what is generally considered an interesting, quirky course. Most of us find it to be a challenge for a number of reasons. The very low slope rating means we are usually playing off a 5 or 6 lower handicap. ( Try 7, says Derek!!) The course itself has some very tight fairways. There are extreme doglegs, uphill tee shots and hidden dangers!

Life member Dave Rogers tees off watched by David Behan, John Matthews and Ian Young.

Bruce Ferrall hits off watched by Alan McMeekin and Derek Wilson

Peter Noar on the 2nd green putts to within 50mm

There were plenty of mixed responses to playing there on the day—some love the course and the challenge it offers. Plenty of others—not so sure!!

A couple of other “events” happened when we gathered for Presentation. Three of your VVGA Vets representatives were present and were brought forward to be presented with their complimentary team polos and caps. Fine recognition to Peter-Hopgood, Ian-Young and Noel-Blythe, who will all “do us proud” at Stawell in September!! Ray-Cross and Andrew-McMath will be presented with their “gear” at Rosanna.

Dave Waters, one of 3 Spartans in shorts in 5 degrees starting temperature.

Peter Ridgwell contemplates his next shot

Bruce Bower and Neville Evans are ready to head to the presentation and sandwich lunch

Team Championship representatives receive their team uniforms from President Ron Hottes. From left, Noel Blythe, Ian Young & Peter Hopgood.

Members were also reminded that we have just completed the 2nd round of our inaugural Winter- Championship. ( Foxy might be the man to catch after his Ivanhoe exploits!) .

Finally, the President announced that the first winner of the “My favourite hole” wine was Dave-Bowles, who guessed correctly, (and very quickly), that The President’s favourite hole, (not counting his own course), is the iconic 5th hole at Gardiner’s-Run. If you didn’t see the clues, look back at the most recent Newsletter!! Dave will get his wine at Rosanna—if he plays there!

Talking about Rosanna, this is a most pleasant course to play on—and it is awaiting you on August 1st! If you haven’t already booked in, do yourself a favour and DO IT! At Rosanna, there is unlikely to be a cap on the field size—they can accommodate well over 100 any time! I look forward to seeing you there!

” On a day when the elements were predicted to test our resolve, 98 intrepid ESVGA members played the impressive Keysborough course—-and didn’t get wet–at all!!.
Even on a drab day, this course is a pleasure to play, with its well-thought-out design! Beautifully manicured, but still a demanding challenge, the scores were always going to range from surprisingly impressive to—-well, we won’t dwell on those results. ( Suffice to say, the President’s modest return was nowhere near the bottom of the list!!)

David Waters -putting watching Derek Wilson & Laurie Hellier.

Chris Crook teeing off the first hole.

Laurie Hellier putting watched by David Waters.

But, to return to those posted results that WERE impressive; none was more so than Brendan-White, whose 38 points bested all others to take home “the chocolates!” This was Brendan’s first win for a long time, so hearty congratulations to him. Our R/up, Bobby-Smith and 3rd place-getter, Norm-Kearns, both posted creditable 35’s, and there were numerous scores of 30 and above!

The other result that needs highlighting was the win, in our Stableford knockout event, by Robin-Ladd. Robin beat Dave-Rogers by scoring 3 more points to take home the $100 voucher. Good work to both men.​​

Monday’s Stableford winner Brendan White.

Stableford match play winner Robin Ladd with runner up Dave Rogers.

President Ron Hottes congratulating Stableford Match Play winner Robin Ladd.

(A show of hands at Presentation, indicated a clear desire to revisit again!) We were very-well looked after by the Clubhouse staff and Rhyle, the Club Pro. The sangers passed the taste test with flying colours!!Finally, the display of our new polyester polo shirts appears to have been a hit, as I ordered 8 for starters, and I only have 2 left already! You can order them through Barry or myself, but please specify the size you require.

And so, as usual, “onwards & upwards”–looking forward to the July 4th game at quirky, tight, challenging Ivanhoe! This will also be the 2nd round of the Winter Stableford event we are running, (to culminate at Rosanna, in August.)

Your Committee worked very hard to make the Keysborough game a pleasant one, and looks forward to seeing a healthy field at Ivanhoe!! ”
Regards, The Pres!

A neat field of 100 ESVGA members descended on beautiful, but challenging Waterford-Valley, for our May game.
The weather was inviting, the field moved through smoothly— but the course was tough as always. This course is rated too low for our liking, at 119, off the white tees. With lots of water, cavernous bunkers and long walks between tees and greens, even our low-handicap players found the going tough. ( But that is NOT to say that the course was anything other than in excellent condition.) Did I mention the spacious greens—no wonder there were instances of 4-putt efforts!

David Waters watched on by Ken Batrouney (Left) and Derek Wilson

Ron Hottes tees off while Life member Rod Coling and Kevin Kane watch on

Ken Batrouney putts out watched by David Waters

Taking all of this into account, Peter-Hopgood’s score of 38 was a pretty fair effort. Peter-Ridgwell, off a real golfer’s handicap of 8, was next best with 37 impressive points! There were plenty of ordinary scores, too, but we won’t dwell on those!!

As always, we were treated very well in the Clubhouse by Jai, Damon and especially, Judy, whose sangers “went down a treat!!” Overall, an enjoyable day was had by all. ( Also, enjoy the “happy snaps”, courtesy of Neil and Barry.)

Life Member Tom Tarrant enjoying his round

Opps, missed it by that much (Maxwell Smart)

David Waters with fairway metal in hand

Now we look forward to our June game, ( on May 30th!!!), as it is one of our “boutique” games—at a venue much admired by golfers who really take their game seriously!
Keysborough!

​​ We are very fortunate to have this opportunity, so it will not surprise you that we have, at this stage, a very healthy field comprising 112 intrepid ESVGA members. The shotgun start of 8.00 a.m. was not of our choosing! We , the Committee—-YOUR Committee hope to bring you other “boutique” experiences in the future, so keep your eyes and ears open!!

Scorers David Waters and Ken Batrouney in action post game

Members enjoying their sandwiches and a drink after their game.

*And, one more thing. Your Committee has decided to “upgrade” our polo shirt choices. A sleek, polyester polo shirt will be on display soon—-and maybe will be available at Keysborough. At $35 they are a “steal”—no, not Ken-Steele!!
See you on May 30th, members, at 7.15 a.m. for an 8.00 hit-off!!

Ron Hottes for ESVGA Committee

It would surprise no-one involved with our ESVGA that Eastwood is one of our most popular venues. After all, nearly a third of our 150+ members call it their Home club! But, there’s something else about Eastwood that makes it popular with all our members. Whether you’re an Eastwood member or not, we all feel welcome there. This is partly due to the well-established staff, ( Neil, Louella and Sabrina), making us feel comfortable there, but also because the course itself is very familiar to many of us—and player-friendly, too.

Ian Storey playing to the first green.

Ian Storey watching his drive off the Par 5 16th tee

A healthy field of 106 ventured to Healesville RACV Country-Club on Monday March 7th, to test their “mettle” against a short, but challenging course! A few of our members have played there regularly, ( especially the Warbie players), some were renewing acquaintances after many years, ( one after 30+ years!) but most were visiting for the first time.

The facilities at the RACV complex are “out-of-this-world”, to the extent that some of the boys became lost trying to find the Pro-shop, or the cafe—for a caffeine hit! But it was the course itself that attracted the most comments—nearly all very effusive about it. Many members gave feedback to the Committee, along the lines of—” I hope we come back again next year!” As expected, it was in great condition, although the larger-than-usual greens found out many of us!!

Members congregating at the Par 3 10th prior to commencing their round.

Stan Lee marks his NTP ball on the Par 3 13th, watched on by Colin Looker.

There were some hiccups on the day, and I need to mention two. Firstly, there were no rakes in the bunkers, but Ben, the Pro forgot to tell us THAT BUNKER-PREFERRED LIES WERE IN PLAY! I know that a few of our players copped a bad lie in their round, so apologies for that —-but it wasn’t our fault!

The other issue is that we, the ESVGA, made a significant loss on the day. We are committed to charging only $40 each gameday, but this result was some hundreds of dollars more than anticipated.

Colin Looker watches his drive on the Par 4 5th.

Colin Looker putting on the Par 4 5th.

Stan Lee putting on the Par 4 5th. Watched on is Ray Cross.

Now—back to golf news. Trevor-Watts won the day with a fine 37 points, Peter-White, another talented Eastern member, was the Runner-up with 36. Coming in 3rd, and seeing his name in the Herald-Sun the next day, was Peter-Mastertoun, scoring 35 points. But, unlike the previous gameday at Berwick Montuna, there were plenty of scores over 30—-which is probably why many want to come back next year. ( Interesting that NO A-grader hit the 13th green, resulting in no NTP being declared. I might add, your very erratic President finished a hand-span from the cut surface—damn!!)

​

Ray Cross driving on the Par 5 5th. Accuracy is the key here to avoid the winding creek.

Ray Cross extracts his ball from green-side bunker on the Par 5 8th.

And so our thoughts turn to April 4th, where Eastwood host us. For many of us, we are back on a very familiar course, and a very welcoming Club. If you are not booked-in, then get moving, as we have over 100 playing already.

And note, it will be a shotgun start at 8.30 a.m.—the later start due to the end of Daylight-Saving!​​

The great action photos here are compliments of Neil-Muller.

See you at Eastwood, Gents!!

Ron Hottes for ESVGA Committee

Berwick Montuna’s picturesque but hardest hole, the Par 4 10th.

Fortunately, players could NOT blame the course condition, as it was in excellent “fettle”. As always, Shaun, the Berwick Montuna manager, and his staff of Fotina, Anne and Glenn, the Pro, looked after us very well.
( And Vic’s sangers went down a treat!) Add good weather and convivial company, and most members rated the day a pleasing-success.

Brian Cullen, Paul Kennedy, Andrew McMath and Bobby Smith (putting) on the Par4, 6th Hole.

Tom Tarrant approaching the Par 4 6th Hole

Par 4 6th Hole. Tom Tarrant putting watched on by Derek Wilson

And so on to Healesville RACV, where a very different course awaits— a superb test of golf!! We have a “bumper” field of 100+, the after-game experience will be smooth, and the company will be convivial again—as always. ( I just can’t guarantee similar pleasant weather—but we can hope!)