Welcome, all to the October Edition of your favourite organ.
September brought with it warmer weather as well as some hot scoring, with excellent play by many members in our Member’s Trophy Days, Monthly Medal, and general play. We were also very happy to see a number of visiting members on the course. Our visiting members and (their side bets) are always welcome…
Part of the reason for the welcome influx of visiting members was the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of Raffles, which was celebrated in very fine style, with games and dinners held at both Pandawa and New Kuta.
As one of the early members of Raffles (although not one of the “originals”), it is for me a source of considerable and continuing pleasure to see our club growing as it has. I well remember our first “Club Championships” which consisted of an afternoon’s golf followed by a nosh-up
at “Sambo’s” and small trophies to our winners. As you all know, this event has grown like Topsy over the years to become the biggest event on Bali’s golf calendar, 10 or more days of golf, and registration of 140-odd players for the events.
Recently, we have received several very rewarding statements and letters from members commending our adoption of Golf Australia handicapping, online registration and Golf Genius scoring. All signs of a healthy and continually evolving modern Club.
More on the results of the Anniversary event later…
President’s Report
Hi Everyone,
Well, yet another month has passed and has seen a very successful 10th Anniversary tournament with some very robust celebrations. My congratulations and thanks to our Captain Mike Barber and all those who assisted him with the event. In particular, I would like to thank Tony Brandenburg, whose efforts and contributions to all that we undertake are always done with thought and enthusiasm. Thank you, Tony.
On Dec 1st this year we will be holding our inaugural Captain versus President Challenge. Whilst, I am very confident my team will see off Mike’s efforts, I want to beat him by a very comfortable margin. Something along the lines of the margin achieved by the Tigers last Saturday will do! I am informed that the teams will be selected on a handicap basis, so that we are evenly matched. We are hoping for a large turnout of participants. There will be a dinner provided by the Club afterwards. However, I have issued Mike a challenge. I will provide the beers after the game if his team manages to beat us (not likely of course) if he will provide the beer after the game if the President’s Men win (most likely). What about it Mike? Have you got the confidence and the guts to take up this bet? Come on man! Stand up!
Accordingly, in the event that Mike accepts this beer challenge, there will also be free beer post-game at the bar. I, urge you all therefore, to put your name down for this event as soon as you can and let’s have a great day.
See you on the course,
Robert Nelson
Club President
(It is clear from the unusual brevity of the President’s musings this month, that his lawyerly genetic predisposition towards lengthier missives at hourly rates has been suppressed – I suspect only temporarily -Ed)
Captain’s Corner
A man’s got to know his limitations – Clint Eastwood
I watched with interest last weekend the Alfred Dunhill Links Pro-Am for several reasons ; firstly because next year my wife Sue and I are lucky enough to be making the trek to the UK to play some of these famed courses, and secondly to watch how the amateurs try their best not to totally embarrass themselves in front of world-class pros, galleries and TV cameras beaming images all around the world.
Of course, despite the fact that some of the amateurs are pretty handy golfers (McIlroy senior, for example, shot 3 under par for one of the rounds) the gap between them and the pros is enormous – to highlight the gap, McIlroy junior, aka Rory, complained to officials that the courses were set up too easy !!! Hopefully, they don’t let Rory fiddle with any of the courses until long after Sue and I have played them.
As you’ve probably gathered by the false bravado emanating from our President, our inaugural Captain v’s President Day is scheduled for December 1st. This is the first of our “Board events”, which will become important fixtures scattered throughout each year going forward. All the Board events are to be run on a similar basis to how we held the 10th Anniversary celebration – ie upon registering you will receive an invoice requiring payment prior to the event. Raffles will provide the after-game dinner – Robert and I will provide the refreshments and a golf cap to all participants. This event will be limited to 60 players – 30 on each team – total aggregate team Stableford decides the winner.
At first, I thought Robert was being overly confident, but then I realised he’s only promised to buy beer when he loses! Come on Mr Prez, you can do better than that – clearly he’s more of a realist than I gave him credit for, totally understandable given his golf swing resembles something an axe-murderer would be proud of …… and rest assured, I will organise the caps, as our President’s taste in headwear differs from what the rest of us would consider classy!
Until next month
Good golfing
Mike Barber – Captain
Jenggala Monthly Medal
Our Monthly Medalist for September was from C Grade, one of our Monthly Trophy Donors in the form of the ever-cheerful Wolfgang Krebs with a creditable nett 70. Wolfgang held off strong challenges from the winners of A and B Grade, with Tony Brandenburg and Justin Marshall respectively on nett 73. Behind Wolfgang in C Grade was Peter Britt.
Our Best Gross was, for the winner Alan Legg, a less than desirable 79, but still enough to hold off challengers.
Wolfgang receives his Jenggala Medal Plate surrounded by the vanquished, whilst Alan Legg unsuccessfully attempts to distract him and steal it away…
Raffles Tenth Anniversary
On 8th and 9th September, a very healthy field gathered to celebrate this significant milestone with two rounds and dinners, at Pandawa and at our home base of New Kuta. Many reminiscences of the “old days” were shared, in both edited and unexpurgated form, and the tallness of the recollections became positively correlated with the Bintang intake.
On the course, some very consistent scoring was matched and then bettered by the eventual winner, Ira
Septiantari. Ira played quite well at the challenging Pandawa layout with a 32 point tally, but back at home at NK, she recovered her recent good form to power home with an excellent 42 points. Her total of 74 was enough to hold off spirited consistent challenges by Peter Manz on 72 and Tony Brandenburg on 70.As the overall winner, Ira won the trophy, as well as Membership privileges at NKGC for 12 months, a fantastic trophy thanks to the generosity of our home club.
Ira receives the Tenth Anniversary Trophy and 12 MonthNKGC Membership Privileges from The Prez and Mon Cap.
This whole event was a great credit to the hard work and attention to detail by our TOC, and its success was due in equal parts to them and the participating members.
I can barely contain my excitement waiting for the 20th Anniversary.
Member’s Trophy Days, September
Again this month, three members stepped up to offer a trophy, paying forward for the enjoyable golf and camaraderie Raffles offers us all. First up was Greg Welsh on 18th, where a sizeable field tried to 
wrest the bottle of exceptional wine – the famed Penfolds Bin 389. The news of the booty clearly reached far and wide, far enough to be heard in distant Glenrowan in Victoria, where the remnants of the Ned Kelly gang informed their Bali Chapter, presided over by the laconic and close-knit Durkin Clan. Straws were drawn, and thus patriarch Terry was chosen to bring home the prize – which he duly did with a great score in the Par event of +7, rendering Peter Manz’s +4 as ineffective as metal armour without legs.
Well done Tezza! The prize and escaping the posse of handicappers without injury.
Thanks also to the generosity of Greg.
Terry reacts to attempts by Robert Nelson to serve him with handicap sanctions after Greg surrenders the Bin 389
On 22nd, James McKechnie returned again to the donors’ list, offering up another excellent trophy – a 
bottle of 12 y o Chivas Regal to the winner of the strong field. A thirsty Gavin Walker, back for a rest from the cold of Perth, took full advantage of a purple patch of form to take out the winner’s spot, with a fine 40 points. Gavin was pressed all the way, eventually holding off a strong challenge by a parched Brent Rudler on 39 and that day’s Durkin representative on 38, who no doubt went home to an icy welcome from the Clan…
Gavin keeps a strong grip on James to ensure the Chivas gets handed over
The final Member’s Trophy Day for the month was very ably hosted by Wolfgang Krebs, no doubt as the final act of his month-long celebrations at winning the Monthly Medal earlier.
Wolfie came up with a great trophy – a very fine bottle of aged brandy – Carlos I – one of Jerez’s best. Again, the news travelled, and again, smarting from his little boy’s fall at the last hurdle at the McKechnie, Patriarch Terry Durkin came out again for the Clan – and his efforts again prevailed. 40 points this time secured the prize from the pursuing posse on 39 points of Trevor Ford, Aaron Willis and Mark Walker.
It is rumoured that finally the Handicapper’s scalpel has been found and put to good use, hopefully giving us lesser mortals a glimmer of light in the darkness of despair…
Player of the Month
It will come as no surprise to learn that our Player of the Month for September is none other that our in-form septuagenarian Terry Durkin. Terry is “in the zone” at the moment, and despite only playing in 11 events, managed to win 3 of them and his efforts took him over the top of Runner-Up Peter Manz (20) at the last gasp. Third place was secured by Wolfgang Krebs with 16 points.
Well played Terry!!
I cannot help but wonder what might have been for your Beloved Scribe, who only needed a further 19 points to take out this coveted achievement.
Terry on the Practice Range warming up for his round last week.
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