Loose Cannons: Results - Staffield Golf Resort

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Results - Staffield Golf Resort - 16th October 2012

Report

Cannons all.

Staffield Country Resort was in super condition for today's game and with dry weather throughout, (the first spots of rain started to fall as the last flight walked off the 18th) it was a real pleasure to play this wonderful track again.

We were 16 until 10:30 last night when Geoff Parslow pulled out.....some emergency that Ted would explain to me. More on this later. Then at 6 o'clock this morning Barry Cousins called me to say he had twisted his knee putting his clubs in the car. Old age is the pits isn't it? So 14 LC's teed it up promptly at 8 o'clock behind what appeared to be a rather slow 4 ball with Andrew muttering that this had the makings of a 5 hour job.

Berjaya; the owners of Staffield, continue to carry out long overdue major maintenance of this once lovely course and the playing surface was excellent, particularly the greens which were quick and true and a real pleasure to put on. After so much rain in recent days the drainage improvements that they have undertaken are clearly working as no soft patches were encountered. The bunkers are currently undergoing a complete work over; those that are completed were good but there were several that were in progress and not in play.

We played the Northern and Southern 9's and with two 3 balls leading the way we were all round in just over 4 hours so not the protracted game that Andrew had feared. There was a small competition competing for space but they didn't affect our game at all. Good management by the starter.

The winner was Mike Smith with 42 points OCB from runner-up was Aftab Ahmad.

The lowest gross was 79 by Geoff McLaws who also had the longest drive, (see below) and the most golf was played by Allan McNicoll, Glen Wombwell and Stuart Taylor all with 109.

Mike Smith is cut 6 strokes and Aftab 1 stroke.

10 of us drove the 5 mins to Mantin for lunch at the usual place and excellent it was too. We would have been 11 but Geoff McLaws missed the place, drove 11km past, turned around and missed it coming back having said he 'knew' where the place was, then found himself on the way to Nilai Springs, turned around and started back before declaring himself "completely f....g lost" and abandoning the expedition, heading home with the aid of his GPS. For this Geoff picks up the coveted honour of "Longest Drive". Editor's note: Barry Cousins should get an award for the "shortest drive" of the day!

While Allan, Glen and Stuart all racked up 109 strokes on the course this pales into insignificance with the 110 clocked up by Geoff Parslow........days that is, over stayed on his visa! Hence his late withdrawal since he had more pressing matters to attend to with Immigration this morning. Ted will let us know if the deportation holding cells allow visitors.

It's also worth mentioning that John Laidley couldn't remember whether he had played Staffield before or not!!! Oh dear. What with Barry's knee and Johns memory what are we coming to?

Photos

1st tee on the Northern Course

Julien tees off on the 1st

Ted Parslow and John Laidley smiling as they head off up the 1st fairway

John Laidley "The Big Easy"on the short par 3 2nd

Ted Parslow hits on into the bunker on the 2nd

The 3rd hole on the Northern Course with a large sand trap next to the green

The 4th hole on the Northern Course narrows through a small neck of the fairway guarded by two large trees to the green

Ted hits one from the tee on the 7th hole on the Northern Course

The 7th green is backed by a large pond and also guarded well by bunkers

Ted putting on the 9th hole on the Northern Course

John Laidley set up nicely on the tee of the 2nd hole on the Southern Course

A beautiful view over the green of the 2nd hole of the Southern Course

The large structure behind the tee on the 5th hole of the Southern Course is apparently a swallow house where the birds nest .... no doubt to end up in some soup at our favourite restaurant in Mantin later!