The Club

Chapter 15 - Pennants

The first pennant match was out at the Goulbourn golf course, 45 minutes north of the city. The arrangements went without a hitch and we made it out to the course in good time. Dick’s father drove his massive SUV which held me and the four players and all their gear, with room to spare. The team looked fantastic in their red and white shirts with matching hats, and all the players had decided to wear black shorts to complete the outfit.

When we got to the club, the Goulbourn manager welcomed us and went through the rules, stating emphatically that all players would have to play off the championship tees. There was no arguing on my part.

Lorna went first and was in perfect form. Her competitor looked like a capable player but I doubted that he could keep up with the onslaught of pars that Lorna was about to deliver. They walked down the first fairway, chatting together; Lorna always ensured that the awkwardness was gone by the first drive.

Harry was in tough. His collar turned up, he looked like a fancy boy just out for lunch at the club. He hooked his first shot, and his playing partner looked to have the better of him in the early going. As silly as Harry looked with his casual demeanour, I knew that there was a fighter within and the match would come down to the end.

Tom looked very nervous for his match, right from the first tee. He was playing a friend of his and I believe he felt he should win the match easily but there are no easy marks in golf, no way to run out the clock or dead bat the ball back to the bowler. You have to make all the shots to win but as you stand on the first tee, rehearsing them in your mind, it’s like cramming for an exam; once the test paper is revealed and you realize the shots you will be required to play, the nerves dissipate. There are really few things more intimidating than the first tee in a golf competition. I have such admiration for those who can face their fears and remain strong. Tom scrambled his way down the fairway and won the first hole.

Dick was number one for our group. His competitor was a large, 18-year-old man-child with biceps as big as the Blue Mountains. Dick hit his first drive 250 meters down the middle and this massive brute hit his 300 meters dead left. This wasn’t a match I would be overly concerned about; Dick was not going to lose to this behemoth.

After 15 holes Dick and Lorna had both finished off their opponents. Dick won 5 and 4, and Lorna had smashed her partner 6 and 5. Harry was trailing in his match, and Tom was all square. Harry brought his match to square on 17 by sinking a devilish 18-foot putt. He followed that up by hitting a huge duck hook off the 18th tee and was in all sorts of trouble. Tom’s match was still square on the 17th tee, a par 3 that both he and his opponent stuck on the green and two-putted for par. Harry wasn’t able to pull through on the last hole; despite a valiant attempt he could not pull off the miracle from deep inside the woods and he conceded the 18th for a 1-down loss. Tom, on the other hand, missed the fairway with his drive on the 18th, missed the green to the left with his second, and would need to get up and down from 5 meters off the green to halve the hole. His chip shot was delicious; he judged the pace perfectly and trickled the ball within 5 feet of the cup. He struck a confident putt which was enough to give us a 2.5 to 1.5 victory. At the end of the match the players joined for drinks and snacks and, as is the custom, the host team made a brief speech as did the winning side. Dick stood up and spoke on behalf of our team:

“I would like to thank Goulbourn for the competition today. The course was in great shape and thank you to the club for hosting us; and special thanks to my father for driving us today and for caddying for me. I would also like to thank Teddy for coaching us and getting us ready for the Club’s first junior pennant victory in 3 years.”

The following week we hosted Wagga at the Club, for our second match. A number of the Club members came out to support the side. The script was fairly similar. Lorna got us off to a great start with a smooth 3 and 2 victory, and Dick was having a relatively easy time in his match. That left Harry and Tom to come through, and once again Harry lost a close battle which left Tom as the last match on the course. He was 2 up with 2 to play and in good position on the 17th fairway. A good-sized crowd had gathered around the 17th green and I rode ahead in my golf cart in the direction of the green, hoping to see the finish.