Great Hammer Hardware Tournament for the VETS
By Graeme Heathcote.
Great Hammer Hardware Tournament for the VETS
The 2023 Vets Hammer Hardware Coastal Pairs Annual tournament played across Tairua and Whitianga Golf Courses was a very successful tournament.
ROUND ONE - TAIRUA Sunday, 13 August. How lucky were we!! Sunday, 13 August at Tairua for Round One dawned a beautiful day with no wind and clear blue skies. Although it clouded over a little as the day progressed, the conditions remained calm and even a little warm. The Tairua course played well considering the wet weather we have experienced in the Coromandel this year. The format for Day One was 4BBB and as a pair your score needed to be 40+ to feature in the top 12. The winners on the day were Graham Eccles and Ken George from Mercury Bay Golf Club with a great score of 46 points. With 45 points in second place was a mixed team of Connie and Murray Graham from Tairua and with 44 points in third place was another home team of Ray Russell and Jeff Turner. Tairua put on a great day with a lovely lunch, raffles and a good prize table sponsored in part by Hammer Hardware, Tairua. The rain came down as we finished play.
ROUND TWO - WHITIANGA Monday, 14 August dawned another beautiful day. Lucky again!! And it stayed that way until the golf was completed. Then it rained as it had done at Tairua. Amazing timing. The Mercury Bay course, having gone through the same issues with a wet course most of the year, was also playing well. We experienced faster greens than Tairua which was a challenge for some, but again some very good scores were returned. The format on Day Two was combined Stableford and Best Gross. The winners on the day played to their handicaps which was a great achievement given tough conditions and speedy greens. The Gross prize was won by Dave Enright of Mercury Bay with a gross score of 73. The Pairs Winners on the day were Charlene Purcell and Glenys Hayes, a ladies team showing their club as New Zealand with 72 points. On 71 points in second place was another ladies team, Diane Eccles and Jane Deadman (Mercury Bay Golf Club) followed in third place on 66 points waving a flag for the fellas was Graham Dun and Rod Stewart, also from Mercury Bay. Mercury Bay also put on a great lunch, raffles and an excellent prize table sponsored in part by Hammer Hardware, Whitianga. There was only one score of 2 on the day which earned a dozen golf balls for Ken George of Mercury Bay. The overall winners (combined score of both days) playing consistent golf over the two days were-drum roll-Diane Eccles and Jane Deadman on a combined total score of 112. A great score by two Mercury Bay regulars. So, two more names to be engraved on the Coastal Pairs Trophy, a great prize pack to each of the ladies and vindicating the new format of this tournament. The changes made were running the tournament as One competition instead of divisions, trusting in the handicapping system to make it even for all players. This made for much easier running of the tournament and more spread of the prizes over the field. The organisers believe this was achieved. Although the field was down slightly in numbers being 72 players, this was due mainly to weather and course conditions putting some off. Of course, the road conditions in and out of Coromandel remain a factor discouraging a full turnout of players. Thank you to Sponsors: The organisers and players alike are extremely grateful to our numerous sponsors who helped in no small way to make this annual Vets Tournament as good as it was particularly Hammer Hardware in Whitianga and Tairua. Also New World, Whitianga, The Lost Spring thermal pools and the Lakes Golf resort, Pauanui.
Another successful Vets Coastal Pairs tournament, well supported by players and sponsors alike. Looking forward to 2024.
2023 Vets Hammer Hardware Coastal Pairs Annual Tournament
Summary of results:
Coastal Pairs Trophy Winners: Dianne Eccles and Jane Deadman (pictured with Graeme Eccles)
Gross Winner: Dave Enright (Mercury Bay) -73,
Day One: Format was 4BBB - required score, 40+ to feature in top 12.
Pairs Winners: 1 Graham Eccles and Ken George (Mercury Bay Golf Club) - 46, 2 Connie and Murray Graham (Tairua) - 45, 3 Ray Russell and Jeff Turner (Bay) - 44.
Day Two
Pairs winners: 1 Charlene Purcell and Glenys Hayes - 72, 2 Diane Eccles and Jane Deadman (Mercury Bay Golf Club) - 71, 3 Graham Dun and Rod Stewart (Mercury Bay) - 66.
Caption: Left to right. Jane Deadman, Graeme and Diane Eccles.