Cameron Butler emerged as the big winner in the final of the 2016 Handiskins competition at the Parkes Golf Club last Sunday. Handiskins has been defined as the ultimate game for amateur golfers as it is one of the few competitions where amateur golfers get to play a game of skins golf.

Skins golf is where a group of players compete against each other with the player who records the best score on a hole being the winner of that, however if two players have the same score the hole is squared with the following hole jackpotting. Players did not only battle against the cool weather but also the remnants of an early morning frost at the start of play. It was veteran Ian Phipps who collected on the 1st hole with an easy par.

The Par 5, 2nd Hole was squared by Wayne Butler and Robert Cheney with pars, while on the 3rd hole Cameron Butler exerted his presence with a solid par for his first bank. With holes 4 to 12 being squared, the players felt added pressure as they were playing for $560 on the Par 5, 13th and once again Butler showed his class as he recorded a birdie 4. On the 14th hole players felt the pressure level drop but once again the hole was squared, while on the Par 3, 15th hole it was Ian Phipps who snared the cash with a great par.

The 16th hole became a battle between Robert Cheney and Cameron Butler with Cheney winning. Cameron Butler collected $740 in vouchers with Ian Phipps collecting $300, Robert Cheney $120 and Wayne Butler $40. Last Saturday a field of 82 men and women contested the Parkes Readymixed Concrete 18 hole Medley Stableford for the Don Smith Memorial Trophy with a surprise victory by close friends Peter Boschman and Tony Evans with 44 points.

Nominations for the 2016 SCT Parkes Open Tournament and the prelude event the Atlas Copco Australia Open 4BBB Stableford in Scratch and Handicap, which will be played on 17th and 18th September, are now open. It will be the strongest field yet on record.

The annual Prostate Cancer and Awareness Charity Golf Day last Sunday had 20 teams contesting the 4 Person Ambrose event. Major winners on the day were the team of Guy and Brendon Bennett, Blake Janssen and Adrian Whittaker who returned a very impressive 51 3/8 nett. The team of Mitchel McGlashan, Kasey Fay-Rice, Robert Hey, Alec Maclean and manager Sarah McGlashan finished runner up on 51 7/8 nett after firing a brilliant 59 off the stick for the day’s equal best scratch score with Cameron and Wayne Butler, Lachlan Buesnell and Cherrie Phillips. The minor placing was taken by Phil Bishop, Dub Rodgers, Paul Applebee and Rod Kiley with a 53 ½ nett in the Men’s section.

Margaret Hogan, Frankie Cock, Lynne Guise and Kaye Jones dominated the Ladies section with an impressive 63 7/8 nett. More than $5,000 was raised to help the Parkes branch of CanAssist. President of the Parkes branch of the Prostate Cancer and Awareness Foundation, Michael Lynch, thanked all players and the day’s sponsors, particularily Northparkes Mines and Central West Credit Union, Radio 1400 2PK & Rock FM and the Parkes Services Club.

The final of the ultimate game for amateur golfers Handiskins will be played this Sunday at the Parkes Golf Club. Cameron Butler, Robert Cheney, Wayne Butler and Ian Phipps will battle it out for $1, 200 of club vouchers in a game that sees the four players go head to head over 18 holes off handicap of skins golf. The players all qualified for the final after being the leading players from the five qualifying rounds where the best three rounds counted.

Despite Sunday’s result, all four players will receive an invitation to attend the National Final at Hamilton Island.

By Paul Thomas

The dominance of champion ladies golfer Lynne Guise continued last Sunday when she and partner Robert Hey regained their mantle as the clubs premier Mixed Foursomes champions with a decisive two shot win. Guise, who has partnered with six different players in an 18-year reign, has won the title nine times.

In Sunday’s 27-hole Championship event Lynne and Robert recorded 124 to finish two shots clear of Joey Van Opynen and Cherrie Phillips. Defending titleholders Ian Phipps and Kaye Jones were a further three shots back after gaining the minor placing on a countback from Cameron Butler and Colleen Staples finishing on 129.

In the Consolation Division it was the junior combination of Lachlan Buesnell and Kasey Fay-Rice who held off club captain Paul Thomas and Liz Matthews in a tight finish that saw the victors finish on 145 with just one shot clear. Richard Hutchison and Barbara Donnelly were relegated to third position seven shots behind the winners.

In the Liz Matthews-sponsored Handicap sections, Cameron Butler and Colleen Staples took out the A Division on 108.75 nett with Robert Hey and Lynne Guise in the runner-up position on 110.5. Paul Thomas and Liz Matthews reversed the result when they took out the Consolation Division on 113.75 some 2 shots clear of Lachlan Buesnell and Kasey Fay-Rice.

In other golf results Cameron Butler took out the Peter Dixon, Mark Kelly and John Green-sponsored 18-hole Stableford competition played under Joker conditions last Saturday. He recorded a great 39 points plus 15 Joker points to finish on 54 points,while Tony Evans was awarded the best score under normal playing conditions
with 39 points on a countback from Wayne Parker and Ian Phipps. In the Ladies competition Cherrie Phillips won on 46 points in the Denise Charlton sponsored Stableford competition. This weekend the ladies will play the 5th Golf NSW Medal and Club Medal with the Parkes Golf Shop sponsoring the 18-hole Stroke competition, while the Men will contest the Telescope Tyres & Batteries August Monthly Medal.

On Sunday it’s the annual Parkes branch of Prostate Cancer and Awareness Charity Golf Day with a 4 Person Ambrose with Northparkes Mines, Central West Credit Union and 2PK & Rock FM as the sponsors for the day.

By Paul Thomas