The Northern Beaches Goodwill Golf Pairs Championship
Sunday 9 Feb 25 (last played in 2022)
TD's Tim Becker and Gary
Skulander
The 2025 event
On a cloudy summer morning it was wonderful to be back at Royal Long Reef for this prestigious event. The Teams were ready to jump into Long Reef’s new carts for the challenging new Pairs Format which was:
Both Partners teeing off on every hole. Each player then plays their partners ball as the second shot and the best of the the two balls is then selected and that ball is then played alternate shot until holed! If anyone hits OB then a one stoke penalty is added at the completion of the hole.
We completed the game and were joined by Sharon M, Helen F, Marie S and Elayne B for lunch in the clubhouse where we all sang Happy Birthday to Peter T for his 76th!
The winners of both the front and back nine each lose one stroke and the winning pair each lose two shots.
A fun morning had by all and thanks to Gary and Marie for their assistance.Cheers Tim
The Results
Team
H'cap Front
Back
Team
1
Rob Lowndes & Peter Thornton
30 17
18
35
2
Nick Hillyard & Neil McLaren
20 18
18
36
3
Tim Becker & Rick Butler
21 21
21
42
4
Gary Skulander & David Thornton
29 17
12
29
5
Peter Burns & Steve Urwin
20 20
17
37
6
Ken Miller & Steve Figgis
29 18
19
37
Goodwill Pairs winners Tim and Ricky B, 2 shots Front 9 winner Burnsie and Steve U, 1 shot Back 9 winner Ken and Steve F, 1 shot NTP 2nd Hole Neil McLaren Longest Drive, 9th hole Neil McLaren NTP 13th hole Tim Becker
The Photos
The Players The Winning Pair
The Obelisk (three club event)
November 10, 2024
TD Nick Hillyard
2024 titleholder: Steve Figgis
2024 Event:
The
Annual Dinner last Friday night was SEMRGing at its best with a tribute to Webbie
(who died suddenly on 23 October) and
great camaraderie between our partners and selves. Thanks to John
Ferreira and
Steve Urwin for taking on the task so willingly and successfully.
This morning, 10 players emerged for the Three Club Event. Steve F
easily won with 19 points and TD Nick threw in a prize for NTP on the 16th
but I can't remember who won it!!
2024 Results: Click here
(or The Golden Putter)
19 October 25
TD: Rick Butler
The
Bobbitt is a celebration of skill with a short stick played in honour of the
legendary John Bobbitt who famously had his penis severed and thrown out of the
window by his wife. He will forever be known for his performance with a short
stick and the moral of the story is "never push your luck on a Sunday morning".
"No" means No so go and play golf!!
(Previously known as The Bobbick until extensive research by Peter Thornton
revealed the mistake. Click here for Peter's
research.)
2025
Rules: This event takes place over the usual 9 holes and all putts on
the green count towards the final result.
This is a two ball event as the Bobbit is played in parallel with our customary
9 holes.
2025 titleholder: Tim Becker won with a massive 15 putts, the second highest
number ever! We must be getting old.
Click here for the Stableford results, which Tim
also won with
just 40 hits for a massive 26 points.
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2025 Results: |
Winners: |
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Australia Day (+1) Saint
Mary MacKillop Miracle Open
Monday 27 January 2025
Tournament Director: Steve Urwin
2025 Rules for the Day
- First group tees off at 5.50am so in the car park no later than 5.35am please. It’s a full card behind us, from 6.20am.
- Back Nine - white tees
- SMERGS handicaps, as listed above
- Usual, ‘putter grip’ length ‘gimme’ puts
- Two balls in
- Order of play in handicap order and miracle ball (provided) is played in rotation through team. Order cannot be changed once set.
- Miracle ball scores double stableford points towards team prize, played/ rotated in handicap order from low handicapper
- To score miracle ball, score normally and multiply by 2. In other words if you score a zero points normally, the miracle ball still scores zero.
- If miracle ball is out of play/out of bounds it can continue to be used, if found, with applicable penalty (e.g. if retrieved from water hazard, one shot penalty, if out of bounds, 2-shot penalty, to continue to use miracle ball)
- If miracle ball found by another group it cannot be played by them
- NTP in 2 on 11
- NTP on 16 and 17
- Long drive on 18
- Other minor and major miracles may occur
2025 TD's Report
A strong field of 11 well outnumbered the Wadds singular ‘coffee club’ on a glorious morning at The Royal for the annual miracle event.
Ricky B set the tone with an inauspicious miracle ball drive, only to find that it was a ball that refused to be lost. Not so for Neil whose ball was unable to make it to the 10th green, so his team graciously paid for coffee.
Team 2 took out the team prize with a miracle ball score of 32, ahead of Team 1 on 26.
Steve Figgis romped home on 22 points from Ken and Gary on 18. The TD took out the NTP in 2 on the 11th, no one hit the green on 16th, Peter T beat out The Prof and the TD for the NTP on 17th and Alan O’D had the longest drive. Minor miracles of birdies on 15th for AO’D and a chip in 2 for Ricky B on 17th rounded out the prizes.
Click here for detailed results
Thanks Steve for a terrific morning
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TD Steve U hands over the coveted MMM mug to winner Steve F |
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And here's the mob |
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ANZAC DAY
TROPHY
Friday, 25th
April 2025 (33rd Year) TD Alan Waddington |
Played each year at Royal
Northbridge Golf Club
The longest
running SMERGS major. Played over the back nine until 2007. In 2008
and 2009
played over 18 holes.
In 2010 rain prevented play on 25th April and the event was played over the back
nine the following day, a public holiday.
In 2011 rain again prevented play on Anzac Day and just four intrepid SMERGS turned up on the following day (a public holiday due to Easter Monday) to play in intermittent rain.
In 2012, played over the first ten holes which proved popular as 12 intrepid SMERGS did battle with the unfamiliar holes.
In 2013. TD Alan reverted to the back nine format.
In 2020 postponed due to Covid restrictions, played close to Armistice Day on 8th November
Since 2021, back to "normal"
In 2025, TD Alan reports:
Nine players teed off in the 33rd SMERGS
Dawn Patrol. Drenching rain which greeted our arrival in the car-park,
eased and we enjoyed a fine, though misty morning with just a few sprinkles. Tim
joined us this year, delivering The Ode, a fitting resume of ANZAC history and
his own story of two years as an Army conscript.
Alan O’D was victorious, recording his fourth Dawn Patrol victory. Nick was
runner-up and the TD took third place on the Honour Roll. The Teams Award was
incredibly close with Teams 1 & 2 equal on 50 points and Team 3 on 49 points.
No one took the Big Bertha award for the second year in succession and the TD
took the Nearest to the Pin Award on the17th.
Thank you all for an enjoyable morning's golf and coffee at OOPS, the old venue
of SCHMOOZE.
Lest we forget
Hearty thanks to TD Wadds and to all who participated this year.
2025 Results:
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Click here for individual results |
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The Winner |
Alan O'Donovan |
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NTP 17th |
Alan Waddington |
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Longest Drive 18th |
No one on the fairway! |
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Best team |
Tied (not team Wadds/Hillyard/ Lowndes!) |
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Coffee at OOPS |
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