Friday Pennant – Round Six
Published on 13th April 2026 in GSC/Pro, Guests News, Latest News, Public Latest NewsPennant Report – Round 6
Our biggest challenge for the season came on Friday when we took on Keysborough at The Heritage (St John Course). The girls were keen for the opportunity to challenge the ladders leaders.
Marie teed off first against a very experienced and composed opponent in Sandy. The match began evenly, with the first squared before Marie took the 2nd. Sandy responded quickly with a par on the 3rd, and the next few holes were closely contested, going back and forth. The turning point came at the 8th, where Sandy took control, winning the next five holes. From that point, she proved extremely difficult to challenge. To her credit, Marie continued to compete and was rewarded with a win on the 13th. However, Sandy’s experience and outstanding putting proved decisive, closing out the match on the 14th with a 5/4 victory.
Well played Marie, against a very strong opponent.
Wendy played at number six and started off halving holes, then lost one before gaining confidence and winning the next two. Then an unfortunate water hazard caught her out, flustering her to lose the next two. On the turn, Wendy was two down, losing another one on the 10th and still being flustered before she gained her confidence again. She halved the 11th and then won three holes in a row to bring it back to square. Winning the16th gave her a one hole lead and then having 17th and 18th, she closed out the match one up. Well done, Wendy.
Linda Wilson took on Keysborough’s Joy Adam’s in the Number 5 position. From early on it was obvious that Linda’s strength was going to be her length whereas Joy’s was her accuracy and her work around and on the green. Linda got off to a good start winning the first, even after finding the fairway pot bunker, but Joy quickly fought back taking the second by nailing a long putt for par. Holes 3 and 4 were halved with pars before Joy went on a roll winning the next 3. The 9th was a turning point as Joy found some trouble and Linda played strategically to ensure a win with a bogey. It was now Linda on a roll as she also won 10 and 11 to get the match back to square. From here on in the match see-sawed. After losing 12, a magnificent bunt with a rescue club from off the very rolling 13th green resulted in a tap in and a win. 14 was halved before an unlikely win on 15 following an indifferent drive and then finding the fairway bunker and a chip out. A great 5 wood and another rescue bunt to 4 foot followed by sinking the putt put Linda ahead for the first time since the first hole. 16 was halved before Joy did better out of the deep greenside bunker on 17 to square the match. Going into a stiff wind on 18 it was Linda’s extra length and an excellent approach shot that gave her the advantage. Joy still had a putt to halve the match however it just fell across the front of the hole to give Linda a hard fought victory. It was a wonderful tight, quality match played in excellent spirit
Today at The Heritage, against the top team Keysborough, Dot played at number 4. Her front nine was faultless scoring 42 off the stick, including a birdie, and turned 5up. A few hiccups on the back nine including 3 three putts saw her lead drop to 3up with 4 to play. On the 15th she dropped a long putt to square the hole creating dormie. On her last hole the 16 th her determination got her nicely placed on the green to putt for the match. Another great win at 3/2.
This is Dot’s final game for the season as she leaves for a trip for two weeks which is a shame as she deserved to be in the finals team. Her play this season has been excellent, winning the four matches she played. She played in different positions two at number 6 and one at 3 and 4.
It has been my pleasure to caddy for her on all these occasions. – Margaret Willcox
Angela started conservatively but got going on the second hole. Going up by one before putting in a great birdie on three. We traded blows for the rest of the nine turning one up.
On ten a lovely chip allowed us to go back to two up but a little wobble on 12 and 13 and we were back to square. A squared hole on 14 allowed Angela to gather her thoughts and with a magnificent long putt on 15 we regained the lead. On sixteen we were into the wind, and we played conservatively which paid off with another win. Two up with two to play we knew we couldn’t lose . Again, sensible play was the order of the day with our opponent having to go for it and falling short. A solid win 3 up was just rewards for some quality shots and great putting. Well done Angela, great contribution to a very strong team win
Pam Toole came up against Rosemary McQuade, a single figure handicap and former top playing member at Spring Valley, prior to her joining Keysborough in July 2024. As expected, Rosemary hit into good positions and was outstanding at getting the ball close to the pin with her chipping and sinking important putts.
Pam was up for the challenge today and played fine golf herself from tee to green contesting every hole. It was a very close match with Pam 1 down after 12 holes. The 13th and 14th holes are uphill par 4’s, today playing into a very strong wind. Pam’s two bogeys were not good enough to match two excellent pars. With the 15th halved, Pam’s second on the 16th found the rough next to green and she only managed to moved it a few metres into the green side bunker conceding a hole for the first time and going down 4 and 2. It was a great effort by Pam against a quality golfer played with excellent spirit and mutual respect.
Shirley was making her debut for the Friday Team for this season and slotted into the No.1 spot. The first 5 holes were all halved with both ladies well matched. Shirley made the breakthrough winning the 6th before her opponent had two consecutive 3s, a solid par followed by birdie. Shirley hit back on the long par-5 9th to square the match at the turn. Things could have gone wrong when quick losses on 10 and 11 saw Shirley go 2 behind, but the match turned with some great play as Shirley won the next 3 holes to move 1 up. The 15th hole was lost and the match squared again. The par-3 17th was pivotal as her opponent missed the green and Shirley hit a beautiful 7 wood onto the putting surface before a long putt went close enough to force a concession. 1 up playing 18, Shirley was short in 3, with Keysborough on the green, but an exquisite chip to 18 inches meant the hole was halved and the match won. Shirley played a great match from start to finish and earned a well deserved win against a previously unbeaten opponent who was playing off a significantly lower handicap.
This was an amazing win 5/2 for our Friday Spring Valley ladies. Every player in the opposition team had a significantly lower handicap than our ladies. So proud and impressed with the team effort and the support from our great caddies, Calum, Gavin, Helen, Margaret, Neville, Andy and Christine. It now puts us top of the ladder with one match to go. Next Friday is Kingston Heath (sitting third) at Centenary Park.
Lets keep it going team !!
Jan Draper (Team Manager)
CLICK HERE for the latter & matches on the GA website.
Round 5 Pennant Report – Spring Valley v The Heritage
Crazy wind and rain greeted our Friday ladies when we made the trip out to Medway Golf Club to play against The Heritage for Round 5.
Marie teed off first and despite some early nerves, matched her opponent to square the opening hole. She quickly found her rhythm, taking the 2nd and settled nicely into the round. The 3rd hole proved a highlight for her opponent Lynn, who sank an impressive 15 foot putt to claim the hole. Riding that momentum, Lynn went on to win the 4th. Marie responded with determination and outstanding putting, fighting back strongly to win the 5th, 6th, and 9th holes to turn 2 up.
On the back nine Lynn’s form dipped slightly and Marie capitalised, extending her lead to 4 up by the 14th. To her credit, Lynn made a comeback with a couple of great approaches helping her win the next two holes. However, Marie’s excellent drive and superb fairway shot on the 16th, proved decisive, securing the match with a 3/2 victory.
Wendy played her first Pennant match at number 6. The plan didn’t go as expected losing the first hole, but she then found her feet and won the next two holes. The match see-sawed, putting Wendy one up on the turn. On the back nine, Wendy was able to square or win the next 3 holes, then win the 14th and 15th to seal the match. Well done on a 5/3 win in her first Pennant match.
Playing at 5 Jan won the first hole but was back to square after 3. Some really solid golf saw her win the next 4 holes and turn 4 up on the turn. Conditions were terrible for both players with umbrellas up and down and rain jackets on and off. The back nine was hard fought with both players getting pars on their card. A tap in par on the 15th meant Jan was dormie 3. She was able to close out the match with a great chip on 16 – winning 3/2
With the first hole playing straight into the blustery wind, Linda matched her opponent to square the hole. Unfortunately, the water was found on the second, who knew it cut that far into the fairway? A solid par produced a win on the third, before a sequence of halved holes. Holes 7, 8 and 9 proved difficult, despite Linda finding her line and length on the greens. 3 down at the turn it was time to regroup. The conditions improved slightly and Linda found her form with back-to-back wins on 10 and 11. Linda was unlucky on the next two holes with her opponent hitting a couple of ‘miracle’ shots to stay in the game.
With the margin cut to one, Linda was pressing but her tee shot on 15 found the trees, there was a small gap to play through and Linda middled her hybrid, but it too hit a tree, which luckily the caddy was hiding behind. 15 was lost but a perfectly executed 7 iron to the green on the long par 5 16th, ensured a hole was won back. Fighting it out until the end, Linda’s putt on 17 came up short giving her opponent a 2/1 victory.
Playing at number 3 Dot was up against a woman with a very long drive, which was a little intimidating at first, but when that drive started to hook on the dog leg haven of Medway the anxiety eased off. After losing the first hole Dot went on to square the second win three and four and halve the fifth and win the sixth.
The seventh hole has a penalty area before the green and after the drive a player needs to be either smart and lay up of brave and go for the green. After a long discussion we decided that due to the wind and the terrain Dot should lay up using a putter under the wind. Her opponent was a lot braver and went for the green. Our strategy didn’t work on this occasion as her opponent was able to land well on to the green. Consequently, Dot lost the hole.
But, not to out done, on the following hole, which was a 100 m par three with an artificial tee ground, Dot played a beautiful 7 iron onto the green to tap in distance from the pin. Her opponent tried to chip in from the edge but was unsuccessful. This win meant Dot turned 3 up. The tenth was another par 3 this time 153m. Both girls hit 2 shots to the green, Dot putted short but her opponent putted in thus momentarily bringing the score back to 2up.
That was the last hole Dot lost. Winning three out of the next four holes. Taking the match 5/3. A great win from an in-form player who played steady golf, full of good decisions and good shots.
Angela’s quest to win her pennant match was thwarted by a very good player on a handicap of 8.3. Extreme weather conditions – strong winds, cold and rain – provided for a very testing time for all players and their caddies. The first two holes were even, the third hole won by her opponent and Angela won the 4th hole. Her opponent was 3 up by the end of the first 9 holes, despite some very good drives and approach shots from Angela. The match was much closer than the end score represents. Bad luck came Angela’s way after twice hitting the pin while putting. Her opponent was able to close out the match by winning a further 2 holes to Angela’s 1 in the second nine, for a 4/3 win
In very poor weather conditions, all players and caddies had a tough round. Jin Yan, unlike her usual self, struggled with her driver and showed some inconsistency off the tee. However, she applied great pressure on her opponent with excellent approach shots, and stayed focused and determined despite the difficult conditions. She finished the front nine 2 up and closed out the match strongly with a 5&3 victory.
A 5/2 win in terrible conditions was an outstanding and courageous victory for the girls under the circumstances. A special thank you to our caddies – Koya, Gilly, Marg, Hayley, Rob, Andy and Christine. A long way to travel and adverse conditions. We appreciate them giving up their time. We have an Easter break then take on Keysborough at The Heritage on April 10. Special mention to Wendy Van Bakel playing and winning her very first pennant match!!
Jan Draper (pennant manager)
Friday Pennant Report – Round 3
It was a very cool start to the morning at Kingston Heath on Friday for our 3rd round of pennant against La Trobe. We were all looking forward to playing the challenging Kingston Heath golf course.
Playing at #7 against Leonie from Latrobe, Sue initially found the speed of the greens tricky, losing the first hole. She was able to steady her shots and putts to win or square the next 4 holes. Some bunker trouble on the 6th hole allowed her opponent to win one back, before finishing the front nine strong again and turning one up. Sue started the back nine well, winning 4 of the next 5 holes. She was dormie with 4 to play, when her nerves took over for a couple of holes. Sue played the 17th beautifully and her opponent could not match her. The final score was 3/1. Well done Sue on a terrific win!
Playing at number 6 Dot started well winning the first 3 holes with a little help from poor drives of her opponent. A little hiccup on the fourth in the form of a nasty lie in a bush lost her the hole. Back on line Dot won the fifth and squared the 6th . A concession on the 7th and poor bunker play on 8 also led to losses but the 9th was played confidently gaining a win and turning 2up.
The back nine was full of good decisions and good shots. Dot won three holes and squared three finishing on the tough par three aptly nicknamed “bunker hill”- with a lovely tee shot with a 4 hybrid onto the green. Her opponent found a bunker and the game was over. Dot winning the match 5/3.
Another good win.
Linda started slowly today and quickly found herself 3 down after 4 holes. Finding her stride, she put together a string of excellent holes, with three consecutive wins to draw level, before a couple of gettable putts shaved the hole and left her 2 down at the turn. Linda won the 10th in style and was hoping to use her superior length on the par 5’s on the back 9, however her opponent continually put her approach shots close which applied pressure to Linda’s putting. Unusually Linda couldn’t take advantage when her rival misfired from the tee and throughout the round the bunkers provided an unwelcome challenge. Unable to change the momentum over the closing holes Linda recorded her first defeat for the season a 4/3 loss.
Playing at 4 Jan found herself down early after her opponent played consecutive great approach shots. After getting one back a few mistakes off the tee and a long winning putt from her opponent saw her 4 down on the turn. Two further lost holes made it 6 down – then the fight began! Playing some fantastic golf on the tough Kingston Heath back 9 saw Jan win 5 consecutive holes to take the match to 1 down. Unfortunately putts from just inside 10 feet on both 17 and 18 didn’t drop allowing her opponents to sneak over the line 1 up. A great effort
Angela played at Number 3 today and was feeling very nervous. She began by halving the first hole with some wayward golf from both players .She then took off and won the next 2 holes, halved the next 2 and then won 3 in a row. Her opponent was not having much luck. She was putting badly and found herself in numerous bunkers, failing to get out with her first shot. Angela was 5 up at the turn.
The next hole was halved and her opponent won the next hole, a par 3. Angela wasn’t going to let that upset her and went on to win the next 2, finishing 6/5.
A great game Angela and a fantastic win!
Pam Toole went off at number 2. She won the first hole with an excellent par 5 into the wind. Her driving was consistently good but her approach shots and putting was not up to her usual standards of consistency. Her opponent played some fine shots and Pam was 2 down after 8 holes, but the mistakes kept coming, losing 4 of the next 5 holes, and going down 6 and 5.
Jin Yan struggled from the first hole due to lower back pain, and her shots were not at their usual standard. Against a player who was not particularly difficult, she found herself 4 down after the first 5 holes and was unable to show her usual level of play. She visited several bunkers and it simply wasn’t the kind of performance we normally see from Jin.
I kept encouraging her to forget the mistakes from previous holes and to focus on starting each new hole with a fresh mindset. Gradually, she began to find her rhythm again and finished the front nine 2 down.
As soon as the back nine began, she looked like a different player, producing a number of excellent shots. In particular, her approach shots around the greens were outstanding. She managed each hole steadily without major mistakes and eventually secured a strong 2&1 victory.
Despite playing with an injury, she never gave up and fought hard on every hole. She truly deserves a big round of applause for her determination and effort.
So proud of the team today. A great 4/3 victory against a very solid team. Everyone gave it their best and next week we can all have a break as we host pennant at Spring Valley
Jan Draper ( Team Manager)
CLICK HERE for the latter & matches on the GA website.
Pennant Report – Round 2
The weather was perfect again for our second round at La Trobe playing Centenary Park and the girls were keen for another win .
Playing her first match for the season was Elly Kim who had a solid day with the driver and finished the first 9 holes 5 up. She lost 2 holes in a row – on 12 after getting stuck in a bunker and on 13 with a thin chip. She bounced back straight away winning 14 with a perfect shot and putt to close out the match 5/4
Great teamwork with her caddie Feirn, the communication and rhythm between them worked perfectly.
Sue playing at 6 had a very steady match. She got off to an early lead being 3 up after 4 holes. She continued her good form to turn 3 up. Over the next 5 holes, Sue showed a few nerves as most holes were halved. She finished strong, winning the last 3 holes to end the match 4/2. Well played, Sue.
Despite getting a last minute early morning call at 5:45am this morning asking her to play and awakening her from a deep sleep, Carol was a great sport and put in a good show as an emergency player after rushing to pick her clubs up from Spring Valley and then dealing with traffic delays on the way to Latrobe.
She made a good start winning the first hole and went on to halve the next 4. Her opponent found her form and started hitting long first and good second shots.
The 6th and 7th holes saw the two swap the lead, with Carol squaring the 8th hole after a great shot onto the green. Unfortunately her opponent had a great long shot onto the green, getting close to the hole. Carol hit some great straight drives and her approach shots were very steady. The greens presented a bit of an issue with luck not on her side today, especially on the par 3 9th hole which she parred, just missing out on a birdie, and her opponent managing the birdie.
Carol ran out of luck, and was only able to square four holes in the remaining 8 holes played, with her opponent Karen winning 4/2. A fighting effort Carol!
Linda our No. 4 today was pitted against a strong opponent from Centary Park, also named Linda. Spring Valley Linda opened with a strategic win on the first hole before her normally consistent putting abandoned her on the tricky greens and she lost four consecutive holes. Not to be denied Linda fought back with some steady long drives and dependable iron play to have the match all square at the turn.
Both golfers played solid golf on the back nine as holes were either traded or halved with pars. Linda played the 17th hole expertly to be 1up going down the last. Unfortunately, a wayward drive from the 18th tee proved costly and despite some determined shots Linda was unable to remedy the situation and Centary Park won the hole to halve the match. Well played Linda and Linda!
Pam Toole playing at 3 found her opponent had greater length off the tee box and Pam was unable to match the string of pars she started with and found herself 3 down after 7 holes. Pam was hitting the ball well and played some wonderful golf changing the match situation by winning 5 of the next 8 holes including the par 3’s on 9, 11 and 13. 2 up and 3 to play, Centenary Park recorded pars on the long 16th and 17th holes and we were all square going down hole 18. Pam’s 2nd shot went just off the fairway into a buried lie and she was unable to finish off from 45 meters losing the match on the 18th green.
At number 2 Angela was very evenly matched with her opponent Jeynelle. Both ladies had great approaches to the green and swapped pars on many holes. After being 2 down at the 7th Angela hit her straps and parred 8,9 and 10. The lead changed several times but Angela’s determination won out and she was 1 up on the 17th. A halved hole on the 18th saw Angela win 1 up. A great round of golf Angela !!
Today, Jin Yan delivered a smart and composed performance against a strong opponent playing off a handicap of 6. She applied early pressure, going 2 up by the 4th hole, and finished the front nine 1 up.
From there, she continued to play patiently, taking each shot with confidence and composure. While she appeared to take a few holes to adjust to the slow greens early in the round, her putting improved significantly on the back nine.
Maintaining her focus and playing strategically all the way to the 18th hole, Jin Yan produced a very impressive and well-controlled match
With a 4.5 – 2.5 win the girls and caddies were extremely happy. A special thank you to Carol Angland for filling in with very little notice. Next week should be very tough match playing La Trobe at Kingston Heath. Love to see some supporters there to cheer us on
Jan Draper (Team Manager)
Friday Pennant Round One v Medway at Keysborough
The Spring Valley Friday team played Medway at Keysborough in excellent golfing conditions. The girls were very keen to represent Spring Valley and have their first win for the season.
Carol led the Friday team out and started strongly with 2 wins on the first 2 holes. The next 3 holes were losses as Carol found some unfortunate lies, and left her putts a little short. Her opponent seemed to find some confidence and started hitting the ball well. Carol fought back to win and halved another 2 holes and was 2 down at the turn.
On the 10th and 11th, bunkers were posing a problem for Carol while her opponent seemed to be having a lot of luck !
Carol was now 4 down but with some beautiful putting and strong fighting spirit, she scored some winning holes to get back in the game.
Into the 18th, she was only 1 down and finished with a half to end up only 1 down.
Good comeback Carol!
Playing at number 6 Dot started well winning 2 of the first 3 holes but mistakes on the 5 th and 8th holes kept the match even at the turn. After conceding on the tenth Dot then took the game on and won 4 of the next 6 holes and squaring the other 2 to win the match on the 16th 3/2.
Dot found the bunkers at Keysborough were right on her length and visited a few. She was unable to modify her bunker play to suit the conditions, leading to the loss of four holes. Overall her game was steady and her putting solid. Good win.
Playing at number 5 Jan got off to a flying start and was 5 up after 6 holes only to have her long hitting opponent fight back with some excellent golf to turn only 2 down. After trading wins Jan got the ascendency after her opponent had bunker trouble on consecutive holes. Some smart chipping and putting saw Jan 4 up with 4 to go. Once again her opponent dug deep in this see -sawing match but Jan was able to close the match out on the 17th winning 3/1.
Pam playing at 4 got off to a good start swinging with a great rhythm, but by hole 7, her 3 wins were all given back when she failed to convert opportunities very close to the green. It all then clicked into gear and with Pam scoring 5 pars over the next 8 holes to record a solid 5 and 3 victory on the 15th green. The differentiator was Pam’s accuracy to the pins on all the par 3’s. (and thank you to Shirley Munro for rescuing our runaway buggy hellbent for the Keysborough Dam next to the 12th green!)
Due to an improving handicap Linda stepped out at No.3 today. It was a nervous start to the first pennant match of the season, with Linda unable to take advantage of the opportunities presented by her opponent. Despite driving it well from the tee Linda’s short game was slightly off and she quickly slipped to 2 down. Momentum shifted on hole 7 when Medway hit the wrong ball from the fairway and then found bunker trouble on hole 8. A strong finish to the front 9 enabled Linda to turn I up. An expert chip onto the 12th gave Linda a 2-hole lead before there was another shift and her opponent rallied with solid play to win three holes in a row. Linda held her nerve to win 16, then hit a long drive down 17, but unfortunately her second shot 5 wood just clipped the trees, and Medway made a good up and down from the bunker to win the hole. Heading to the last (par 5 18th) one down, Linda played great positional golf from tee to green. A courageous two putt was enough for her to claim the hole and square the match. A fitting result to a topsy- turvy affair.
Angela received her Pennant Cap for her first match today for Spring Valley. Playing at number 2, Angela had a very nervous start, but recovered well to square the first hole. From there, Angela played solidly and strategically to be 3-up after 7 holes. The momentum changed slightly for the next 3 holes where the holes were halved, and then a great pitch on the 11th saw Angela 4-up. Taking Gavin’s advice from the start of the day, Angela ensured she stayed left of the tree on the 13th fairway (by about 1 metre!), but unfortunately lost the hole. Her opponent started playing without errors and with some chips close to the hole, but Angela responded well and maintained a 2-shot advantage up until the 16th hole. Angela continued to play well, but tension crept in on some key shots on the closing holes, and she completed the day with a squared match. Well done on your first match for Spring Valley!
Today Jin played number one, despite initial nerves Jin began strongly, taking the first three holes. However, her opponent found her footing, and the game was neck and neck until the eighteenth hole. Jin’s powerful drives were a highlight, but her short game proved to be a challenge, landing her in bunkers. Ultimately Jin’s opponent capitalised on another bunker shot on the 18th hole to claim the victory 1up for Medway. Well played Jin.
A great result for our first match against Medway. Well played team and thanks to our wonderful caddies and supporters who came to Keysborough. Also a big thank you to Gavin Toole for being the team photographer. Next Friday we play Centenary Park at LaTrobe – keep it going team
Jan Draper
Team Manager
CLICK HERE for the latter & matches on the GA website.
