Big Nose
Trashes The Trenches!
25th
April 2009 – Anzac Day - ‘Lest We Forget’: And how could one forget
because it was truly an event to remember, or not remember depending on your
point of view and experiences on the day! So where to begin? Well it all
started early on Anzac day as competitors started to arrive at the Growling
Frog, (that’s frog, not flog), 40 kilometres north east of Melbourne. It
quickly became obvious in the car park that the 2009 Anzac Day Medal had
attracted a top class field of competitors. Mind you, it wasn’t that surprising
considering they were competing for the prestigious Anzac Day Medal pin, which the
winner of the event keeps for eternity, and the perpetual Anzac Day Medal trophy, on which the winners name is engraved for
eternity. “After years of training you finally
earn that Anzac Day pin. It’s like gaining eternal life” explained last
year’s winner Mark F, who fancied his chances at winning back to back ADMs.
However, Mark’s mistake was that on the day he couldn’t find his Anzac day pin
to wear to this year’s event. That was a bad move incurring a mandatory 2
stroke penalty. “Gone to his head. He
doesn’t understand the responsibility that comes with winning” nodded Jack
to Tom, both previous winners and both wearing their Anzac Day Medal pins
proudly.
There
was another reason so many quality players wanted to contest the 2009 Anzac Day
Medal and that is because it was the third nnomads Golf Club sanctioned event
for 2009 and thus contributed to the nnomads Golf Club championship for 2009
(which will be that player with the lowest average net score over the best
three score cards from any nnomads Gold Club sanctioned events run in 2009).
Hence there was a strong sense of competition between the players as they eyed
each other off at the player briefing prior to the game.
A Quiet Moment To Remember The Lost: Then
silence came over the group and heads were bowed as they remembered those who
were not able to play that day. Tim for example cancelled an hour before the
game saying he needed to fix some plumbing urgently. “Who’s plumbing was he talking about? Is he having trouble taking a
wee?” asked nurse Min who didn’t think it was much of an excuse. “He was on the way to the doctor or was it a
hardware store, I’m not sure” murmured Harry who took Tim’s call. “Well it was a better excuse than Emile’s”
scoffed Brendan who rang Emile from the first tee to hear ‘Oh dear, did I say I would play today?’ from a surprised Emile
sitting at home reading the paper. “And
as for Steph, Frankston station, that’s all I can say, Frankston station”
stated Brendan who was clearly disgusted with all three. “And then there are the interstaters and others. We should remember
them all” suggested Jack sounding quite sombre. “Pete says - a good game begins and end in the car park” announced
Fritz as he read out Pete’s text message. “Well
at least the Cardinal and Pete had more legitimate excuses” observed Tom
raising his head for a second, only to see he was standing on his own as the
rest of the players had since walked off to warm up for the tee off.
The
Veterans came out of the Trenches: And rightly so because it
was clear from the player groupings that the competition was going to be tough.
In the first group onto the tee was immediate past winner of the Anzac Day
Medal - Mark F, no longer bridesmaid and recent winner of the ‘Blessed are the
Big Nose’ Cup 2009 - Mark Vas and only Victorian to ever win the Patricia
Isable Slape Green jacket - Harry. They were followed smartly in the second
group by always email box full and professional five iron coach - Fritz, part
time baker and 2006 winner of the Anzac Day Medal - Tom, and 2005 winner of the
Anzac Day medal and current holder of the Monarch of the Tulum - Jack. The
final group of veterans onto the tee included event sponsor and winner of the
Australian Masters Open Kup 2009 - Brendan, the Callaway King and current
holder of the Shanksy Invitational Tournament - Steve, and part time Killer
Whale trainer and full time nurse - Min. With a line up like that anything
could happen (See player groups 2009).
Tough
Conditions on a Great Course: Now it should be said that
the conditions were tough that day on this Graham Marsh designed 18 hole, ACR
73, 6185 metre, links type course. Essentially, Melbourne turned on its four
seasons in one day type of day. For much of the game, there was a cool brisk
wind blowing that came into play on a number of holes. Clearly, the conditions
had the potential to separate the men from the boys. But from out of the
trenches the quality of the field shone through because everyone rose to the
occasion and as was expected some quality golf was played. (See on course in 2009).
Spirit
of the Anzacs Rewarded: As it turned out it was difficult to see
an obvious winner as the wounded struggled off the battlefield at the end of
the round. The battle scared immediately headed for the safety of the warm bar
before being coaxed into the car park, the traditional place for Anzac Day
Medal presentations. Event organiser Brendan slowly read out a list of the
casualties… in 9th place…. in 8th place and so on but I
won’t make you endure the pain (unless you really have to in which case see video of minor place getters 1296 KB).
Eventually he got to the quality end of the field announcing that Harry (104,
21, 83) and Tom (102, 19, 83) had achieved equal 4th and each had
won a ball for their efforts. He went onto present Jack with a ball for the
longest drive, Steve with a ball for the only NTP of the day, Min with a ball
for equal 2nd along with Jack with another ball, again for equal 2nd.
Mark
Kept His Nose Clean: Then everyone slowly turned to look at Mark
Vas, the only player that had not been mentioned in the results so far. And the
crowd erupted and the media scrambled as Brendan announced that Mark’s 104 off
the stick combined with his ridiculously
generous bandit handicap of 26
had given him net score of 78, a full two strokes in front of the field. Now I
have to stop at this point because the media wasn’t ready at the time. So we
waited around for a couple of minutes and when they were eventually ready
Brendan announced that Mark’s 104 off the stick combined with his ridiculously generous bandit handicap of 26 had given him net
score of 78, a full two strokes in front of the field, giving him 1st
place in the Anzac Day Medal for 2009. This time it went live over the networks
with half the world focused in on Mark’s acceptable speech, or at least Tom was
there with a hand held video camera. “Look
I’m not one for speeches, but” and then he went on in the way that speeches
do (See Mark’s acceptance speech). Then
came the traditional ‘passing on’ ceremony where Mark F, last year’s winner,
pined the 2009 Anzac Day Medal pin onto the chest of this year’s winner, Mark
Vas. “I hereby hand over the mantle from
the Growling Flog” says Mark as the crowd erupted into laughter.
Truly, it was a spectacle you wouldn’t want to miss (see 2009 presentations and the ‘passing on’ ceremony).
Veteran
Pokes Big Nose at Championship: All that aside, that leaves Mark
Vas in the box seat at this stage of the year for nnomads Golf Club
championship, assuming he can put in a similar performance in any of the club’s
remaining sanctioned events in 2009. While Harry leads the championship with an
average net score of 78.7 over three Club sanctioned events, it is Mark Vas on
a net score of 74 strokes over two events that is really looking the part. “What a lot of cobblers. I’ll be there for
the next few competitions so we will see about that” typed out Shanksy over
MSN from his fire clearance sale in Malibu California.
Lest
We Forget: Oh, before I forget, the nnomads Golf Club committee said
they would like to congratulate Mark on his fabulous win in the Anzac Day Medal
and indeed all other winners on the day. The committee also wants to remind all
members and associates of the nnomads Golf Club that they need to rise to the
challenge and give Mark Vas some stiff competition by contesting as many
nnomads Golf Club championship events as possible in 2009. Events looming large
on the nnomads Golf Club calendar include the MOTT (May / June - TBA), The PIS
(29th & 30th August) the SHIT (TBA), the VOMIT
(October 9th) the BIT and TSCC (October 10th), and the
MCC (3rd November). In addition, at least one other championship
event is likely to be announced soon. What is the take home message you ask? - Do yourself a favour and get your priorities
right - book in for these club championship events now!
Results: The Anzac Day Medal
2009
Course |
Player |
Gross |
HCP |
Net |
Prizes |
Growling Frog |
Mark Vas |
104 |
26 |
78 |
1st prize
(3 balls) |
Growling Frog |
Min |
113 |
33 |
80 |
Equal 2nd
prize (1 ball) |
Growling Frog |
Jack |
100 |
20 |
80 |
Equal 2nd
prize (1 ball) LD (1 ball) |
Growling Frog |
Harry |
104 |
21 |
83 |
Equal 4th
prize (1 ball) |
Growling Frog |
Tom |
102 |
19 |
83 |
Equal 4th
prize (1 ball) |
Growling Frog |
Brendan |
97 |
12 |
85 |
|
Growling Frog |
Fritz |
114 |
29 |
85 |
|
Growling Frog |
Steve |
110 |
20 |
90 |
NTP (1 ball) |
Growling Frog |
Mark F |
130 |
30 |
100 |
|
Club Championship YTD 25th April, 2009
Player |
Totals Gross Score |
Total Handicap |
Total Net Score |
Number of cards submitted |
Average Net Score |
Harry |
302 |
66 |
236 |
3 |
78.7 |
Min |
337 |
99 |
238 |
3 |
79.3 |
Brendan |
276 |
37 |
239 |
3 |
79.7 |
Steve |
308 |
58 |
250 |
3 |
83.3 |
Fritz |
342 |
87 |
255 |
3 |
85.0 |
Mark F |
362 |
90 |
272 |
3 |
90.7 |
Mark Vas |
201 |
53 |
148 |
2 |
74.0 |
Pete S |
201 |
42 |
159 |
2 |
79.5 |
Tom |
206 |
37 |
169 |
2 |
84.5 |
Steph |
95 |
18 |
77 |
1 |
77.0 |
Emile |
113 |
32 |
81 |
1 |
81.0 |
Fang |
116 |
22 |
94 |
1 |
94.0 |
Jack |
100 |
20 |
80 |
|
80.0 |
Mark’s acceptance speech (video 1277 KB)
‘Passing on
ceremony’ (video 2163 KB)
Video of minor place getters (video 1296
KB)
This month’s competition: What is the
significance of Frankston station?