IT has been a busy time for the women at the Blue Lake Golf Club recently, with two teams involved in Pennants, qualifying rounds for Handicap Championships, the Gem Easter tournament on Saturday and Sunday and club golf.
Last week the semi-finals of the Belgiornos Cafe Handicap Championships were held as well as a stableford competition for those not involved in finals.
The Division 1 first semi-final between Kate Hommelhoff and Josie Ashby was always going to be a tough one for Ashby, her 20 handicap giving nine strokes to Hommelhoff.
Credit must go to Hommelhoff, having qualified eighth and worked her way steadily into the grand final this week, making good use of those extra strokes to win 2/1.
Last year she was the Division 2 Handicap champion and has moved up to Division 1 this year.
The scores see-sawed on the outward nine, with Hommelhoff 1-up heading to the 10th hole.
Ashby claimed a win and three halved holes, a loss on the 14th and a win on 15th.
A wide drive on the 16th hole allowed Hommelhoff in with a win, then she clinched the match on the 17th.
The second semi-final was also a close one between Sue Agars and Rosemary Martland, with five extra strokes going Agars’ way.
Martland took control on the outward nine, turning to the 10th 3-up.
The scores then see-sawed until Agars parred the 14th hole, however Martland now only 1-up.
But Agars found something extra to win the 16th, 17th and 18th holes to finish 2-up and cement a place in the grand final.
In Division 2 the first semi-final saw top qualifier Carol Melhuish put her stamp on a place in the grand final after her 3/1 win.
Melhuish was pitted against 32 handicapper Jaynee Oberer and received four extra strokes.
She made good use of three of them to win the sixth, seventh and eighth holes to go to the 10th 2-up.
Oberer was able to have two wins and a halved hole to make the score all square, but Melhuish was not done, with wins on the 13th and 14th holes, then a loss on the 15th, before wins on the 16th and 17th to advance to the grand final.
The second semi-final was a forfeit to Jo Gogan.
Grand final draw: Division 1 – K. Hommelhoff v S. Agars, 36 Holes; Division 2 – C. Melhuish v J. Gogan, 27 holes.
Due to the forecast of wet weather on Saturday, only a small number of women took to the course, with young gun Jorja Morale claiming the honours off a 24 handicap with 33 points.
A front nine 20 points included four three-pointers, but a disappointing 13 points on the back with only one three-pointer was a case of what could have been.
It was still good enough to take the win.
Ronda Edwards claimed the second-place voucher after a three-way tie from Karen Panagopoulos and Josie Ashby, all with 30 points.
Edwards had splits of 12/18 and included pars on all the par three’s.
Meanwhile, the aggregate women’s winner of the two-day GEM Easter tournament for the best nett score was Cherryl Hill with 142, followed by Dianne Perryman with 155.
Saturday’s best nett scores were Helen Myers 69, Karen Panagopoulos 73 and Rosemary Martland 76.
Best gross went to Myers 89, Martland 90 and Helen Stratford 96.
The pro-shot on the fifth hole went to Myers, nearest the pin second shot on the 14th to Kate Hommelhoff and on the 16th to Stratford.
Sunday’s best nett score was Cherryl Hill 71, followed by Carol Melhuish 75 and Dianne Perryman 77.
Best gross was Hill 93, Perryman 96, Helen Stratford 99.
The pro-shot on the fifth hole went to Bev Pascoe, while nearest the pin second shot on the 14th went to Hill and on the 16th to Stratford.
