Fellowship of Golf 2012

The group stayed at the Yarrawonga and Border Golf Club which was a superb venue with two magnificent courses and we enjoyed two special nights at that venue for dinner being the night of our arrival last Sunday and the final presentation night on our last night at the club.


The golf is what it is all about and the winner of the prestigious Brearley/Turner Trophy is Bill Simpson, the husband of Robin. Bill is a legend at Victoria Golf Club having achieved late last year the unique experience of having beaten his age off the stick by recording a score of 74 when aged 75. He is the only person in the history of Victoria Golf Club to have done so in a period of around 110 years of the club’s existence. Nothing more needs to be said. He currently plays off a handicap of 5!!
The event involved three games of golf, two at the courses at Yarrawonga, being the Murray Course (played on Monday) and the Lake Course (played on Thursday) , and the other being a game at the Cobram-Barooga West Course on the Tuesday.

 
The group was blessed with perfect weather on every day of the trip including the lay day of the Wednesday.

 After the first day the leader was Jim Mitchell with 35 stableford points.

 After day two, where Bill had 36 points, Bill was at the top of the leaderboard with 65 points with the defending champion Chris Lanyon on 62 points leading into the final round.

 On the lay day the group experienced a unique and very special luncheon at Pfeiffer’s Winery where we enjoyed a hamper lunch on a bridge over a creek beside the winery. We had absolute privacy, perfect weather, a sumptuous lunch and brilliant wines. As Jack Nicholson said in a well known film – it was as good as it gets.

 On the final day we again had perfect weather and Bill fought off Chris Lanyon who put in a great effort to retain the trophy with Bill finishing with a total of 99 points and Chris as runner up on 97 points.

 The presentation evening at the club was very much in the Brighton North style with much hilarity and genuine fellowship.

 The organisers moved quickly to book Yarrawonga again for next year and it is already in place with the 2013 RCBN Fellowship of Golf being held at the same venue between 19 and 24 May 2013. Significantly, of those attending this year we have had a 100 % take up of a booking for next year.

 All are welcome to attend and anyone wishing to do so ought contact Philip Rowell ASAP as Yarrawonga is a very popular place and one needs to book around a year in advance.

 The Fellowship of Golf is now a fixture in the RCBN calendar and has been an outstanding success in its first two years of existence.

 Long may it continue.