Lots of golfing action at year-end

As we head towards the end of the 2013 sporting year at the Ladysmith Country Club, the various play-offs and final rounds come around in a very short space of time.

So this week we have much to report, with results of the Monthly Medal ‘Mug of Mugs’, the final round of the Mortimer Toyota Golf League, the Mortimer Toyota Bowls Challenge and the penultimate round of the Ferobrake Business League. A really busy week at the club, fortunately with no rain delays and with some welcome showers to the delight of the golf course and bowling green. The condition of the golf greens and bowling green is possibly at its best ever at the moment, and the sporting competitors are making the best of these facilities.

The Ferobrake Business League penultimate round was played on Thursday afternoon and with the final round to be played today (December 12), the log positions are: Lotus Spares – 192; Afgri – 185; Ferobrake – 182; Neal’s Tyres – 179; Mortimer Toyota – 176; Club Four – 173; ABI Idols – 171; and Team Paragon – 162. Don’t forget to stay for the after-golf braai and enjoy the fellowship after the final.

The Monthly Medal ‘Mug of Mugs’, the final round of the 2013 Eclectic and the December Monthly Mug, sponsored by Clover Leaf Candles, was played on Saturday afternoon. In this event, all the year’s winners of ‘A’ and ‘B’ Division Mugs, Longest Drives and Suckers, along with many other competing golfers, took advantage of the good golfing conditions to challenge for the year-end honours. The winners of the 2013 Eclectic competition, which carries a prize of free green fees for a year, were Patrick Pieterse in the ‘A’ Division and Dave Salmond in the ‘B’ Division. The ‘A’ Division Mug of Mugs was won by Gerald Boardman, with Gerhard van der Westhuizen taking the ‘B’ Division Mug of Mugs. The Mug of Longest Drives was won for the first time ever by a lady golfer, Carla Craffert, who really showed the field a distance thing or two. The Mug of Suckers was won by Chris Nel. Incidentally, one has to play the best golf in the field of qualifiers for the Sucker Mug to take the year-end award. Well done to all the winners and now it is time to get into the swing of things for the 2014 event.

The December Monthly Mug ‘A’ Division was won by Wayne Bentley with 69 net, followed by Sipho Hlongwa, Philip Boardman and Enrico Bozza, all on 70 net. The ‘B’ Division Mug was won by Heinz Habermann with an incredible round of 66 net. Gerhard van der Westhuizen was runner-up with 68 net, followed by Carla Craffert with 69 and Chris Nel with 70.

Thanks to Clover Leaf Candles for the excellent sponsorship of both the December Mug and the year-end Mug of Mugs event.

The 11th and final round of the Mortimer Toyota League, along with the final round of the Mortimer Toyota Bowls Challenge, was played in perfect weather and golfing conditions on Sunday morning. With only three teams in contention for the overall winner’s spoils, a separate Individual / Team Stableford competition was included in the day’s round to give all the competing teams another bite at the cherry. In the end, however, there was one team that just proved too good, not only throughout the year’s competition but also on the final day. The Rough Riders took all the honours by emerging as the overall winners of the 2013 league with 62 points and then also claimed the top score of 194 points in the ‘Team IPS’ event. Runner-up in the league was the Automark Team with 59 points, followed into third spot by the Four Must Get Beers with 55 points. The individual golfer with the best result overall was Leon Petersen who played in 10 of the 11 rounds, won nine matches and halved one match, giving him a 95% ‘strike-rate’.

The Mortimer Bowls Challenge was won by Cheryl Mostert with a score of 12 points +30.

The team and family Sunday lunch that followed the prize-giving event was delicious, and it was really great to see the family activity at the club on Sunday. Sincere thanks to the management and staff of Mortimer Toyota for their continued support of this annual league and for their excellent sponsorship.

Another ‘full activity weekend’ lies ahead, with the Ferobrake Business League final round on Thursday, Night Golf and Night Bowls on Friday evening, the Bowls Christmas Competition sponsored by SA Greetings on Saturday, and a Christmas Turkey golf competition on Monday the 16th (public holiday), so get ready for all the action.

The Friday evening ‘100 Club’ draw was won by Sue Dixon, so this Friday’s draw is for one-and-a-half Gs.