Celebrating our Legends: Noel Mannix

The term gentleman often gets bandied around, but if you ask anyone who knows Noel Mannix, they will tell you that the term gentleman, rests very appropriately and naturally with him. A no fuss type of bloke, no wasted words, a kind and engaging man.

This November, we celebrate Noel’s 40^th year as a member as Spring Valley Golf Club, and proudly and deservedly so, he joins the illustrious ranks of 40 Year Loyalty membership group, joining those who have reached this impressive milestone before him, and enriching our club’s long and proud history.

Noel was an accountant by trade, running his own successful accounting practice. Both he and his wife Moira were keen tennis players for over thirty years. They would take it in turns looking after their six children, while the other played competitive club tennis. Noel was a doubles specialist, and was a very handy player, ultimately playing at pennant level.

However, in 1985, he felt like a change. He and his business partner both played a bit of social golf, but mutually decided they wanted to take up the game of golf more seriously, and to join a club.

They felt a sand belt course would allow them to play all year round, and wanted to join a club with a membership that was friendly and welcoming, and unpretentious. They wanted a club where they could proudly bring family and guests.  They trialled a few courses including Woodlands, Keysborough and Spring Valley. They really liked the Spring Valley course in particular, and the General Manager at the time explained that there was a membership promotion on offer, and the rest is history. When asked if Moira was a golfer as well, Noel explained with a grin, that she still plays tennis, and that when she did try her hand at playing golf, it didn’t quite work out. Noel said that “she was frustrated by the fact that it was too difficult that she wasn’t immediately good at it”.

Noel vividly remembers the course as it was presented back then, and reflected on how much the course has changed, and for the better. Noel explained “there were a lot more trees, and lots of tea tree lining the fairways, making the course appear and play a lot narrower”. He is a big supporter of how the course has been cleaned and opened up, particularly with the removal of the tea tree. Of course, the new clubhouse has also made a huge difference as well.

Fairly quickly Noel worked his handicap down to 18, but had a slice that regularly got him into trouble, particularly with the tea tree. He had a few lessons with a few different coaches, and one finally resonated with him, straightening his shot making up, and finally was able to cultivate a nice draw. Along his golfing journey, Noel navigated his handicap down to a low of 11, but comfortably sat within the 13-14 handicap range. He predominantly plays on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Noel won the Monthly Medal on two occasions, and when he paired up with his good mate Barry Gust about 10 or so years ago, they were runners up in the Spring Valley Cup. He painfully remembers that he had about a 1 meter putt on the 18^th to win it, but the putt skimmed the hole, sliding passed on the high side. They went on lost the Cup on the 1^st play-off hole.

Ever the family man, Noel recalls one year when he qualified for the JD Leach Championship, which involved playing on Sundays. He and Moira had long standing agreement that Sunday was a “family day”. He nervously raised with her the prospects of him playing next Sunday in a very important club competition that he had qualified for. Moira asked what happens if he wins next Sunday, and Noel explained that he would then have to play again on the following Sunday, and so on, for three further weeks if he fortunate enough to keep winning. Moira questioned Noel as to whether he realised that it was her Birthday that following Sunday, where Noel recovered quickly enough to say, yes dear, of course I know that. She went on to say that there was also some other family event the Sunday after that. Anyway, a somewhat strained but tacit approval was given for him to play that Sunday, after some tense negotiations. Sunday arrived, and we all know that you can’t play your best golf if you have something other than golf on your mind. Noel found himself 5 down after the first 6 holes in our most famous of Stableford events, playing against fellow member Phil Rogers. He ended up settling down and playing some decent golf, but unable to recover from such a shocking start. However, Noel recalled that on the 8^th hole, he hit a nice approach shot up onto the green with a good look at birdie, and then overhearing one of Phil’s mates asking him how he was going. Phil immediately responded saying that that he was 5 up, but he has just hit a shot “out of his arse”.

On another occasion, Noel recalls shooting a net 62 (80 off the stick) in the 2^nd round of the Presidents Cup one year. Our current club Captain, Marty Rodgers came up to Noel in the clubhouse afterwards congratulating him on his good round. Noel thanked Marty and went on to explain that he had nothing to worry about, as although he had shot a net 62 today, he had shot a net 82 in the first round. Marty had shot two impressive rounds and was the eventual winner.

Noel has never been fortunate enough to join the hole-in-one, but has come close a few times. He recalls playing in our prestigious Philip Courtney event one year, with his good mate Barry Gust, against two single handicappers, one being previous club champion and pennant player, Tim Hargreaves. Noel hit a nice shot on the 10^th hole, which landed on the left side of the green and rolled towards the pin, ultimately lipping out and coming to rest not far from the pin. Tim Hargreaves, well aware of the handicap differential between the two competing teams, responded by saying that “great, now we have to hit a hole in one, just to halve the hole”.

Noel has truly loved his time at Spring Valley, and concludes that there are two stand out things about our great club. He said that “obviously there is our great golf course itself, and then there are our members”.

Please join us in celebrating Noel’s name day event on Wednesday, 5th November. Noel and his group will be playing in the morning, teeing off at 8:12 AM, so if you see him sitting in the clubhouse after the round with his playing mates,

take the opportunity to shake his hand and congratulate him in person.

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