Newsletters_files/June 2013

Dunsborough Lakes Golf News
EDITION: JUNE 2013
This issue features the Foursomes Championship and
we conclude the story of the Bridgetown Connection.
In the ‘meet the member’ section, Hartley Joynt’s article
features talented artist Gemma Lybrand.
John Lybrand describes the origin and progress of
‘FAGS’ our Friday Afternoon Golfers. Happy reading...
FROM THE CAPTAIN
Hi everyone. We are moving into the cold and wet part
of the year, and hopefully the rain comes on all the days
when golf is not on. With the winter here we now need
to be wary of looking after our course. If we can endeavour to keep motorised carts off the fairways and take
some time to repair divots, we will all benefit in the long
run.
Slow play keeps popping its head up and here are a few
things that we can all consider:

Walk to your ball as soon as possible, so that you
can choose your club and think about your shot in
ADVANCE, not when it is your turn.

When driving a cart, drop off your partner first, let your partner choose his or her club, and then drive
to your own ball to get READY to play.

Walk to your ball and BE PREPARED to hit; don’t walk to your partners’ and watch them.

When a ball is lost, hit your shot FIRST, and then look for the lost ball.

When on the green, line up your putt BEFORE it is your turn, and putt out immediately instead of
marking, if you are not in someone else’s line.
Congratulations to the winners of the 36 hole Foursomes, Neil Johnston and Nick Carroll, and Sally Thomas and Sally Chandler. A great effort by all who participated. Hopefully next year we can work to get the
field size bigger. Special thanks to Neil and Carol Johnston for organising the food on the day.
Remember to get your ‘Chase the Joker’ tickets with next week’s jackpot at $2,300.
WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS
We extend a very warm welcome
to the following new members
who have joined our club in the
past six months.
We wish you happy golfing and
hope you enjoy your membership
with us.








Jason Radaich
Brett Gilbert
Chris Holman
Gary Norden
(from Busselton)
Todd Kerr
Matthew Jones
Gary Bennington
Phil de Garis
(from Sea View)




Alan Briety
(from Royal Perth)
Neil Jones
(from Coff’s Harbour)
Doug Morphett
(from Kennedy Bay)
Jane and Wayne Gould
(from Narembeen)
Page 2
FOURSOMES CHAMPIONSHIP
This 36 holes Honour Board event was played on Saturday 11th May. Despite a relatively small field, the
competition was strong and the participants enjoyed the fine weather, the friendly company and some
good golf.
Congratulations to the men’s gross winners, Nick Carroll and Neil Johnston, who scored rounds of 84 and
90, and to Sally Thomas and Sally Chandler who won the ladies’ gross with 93 in each round.
.
Nick and Neil, who have played a lot of golf together over recent years, enjoyed the format and said they
combined well over the day. The two Sally’s have also played together on several occasions, including
Pennants golf, and said it was a very enjoyable day and they hope to see more members competing in the
event next year.
Father and son team Gary and Dean Ebert were runners-up in the men’s gross with 179 on a count-back
from Ian Bate and Al Gaukrodger, who won the nett with a score of 153. Runners-up in the men’s nett
were Dave Skidmore and Mike Allwood with 158.
The ladies’ nett winners with a score of 163 were Maureen Hughes and Vicki Haunold, with Viv Allan and
Gemma Lybrand runners-up with 165.
VETERANS’ GOLF
Seven of our veterans played the Margaret River course on Monday 29th April.
Richard Courtney won the day with 33 points in a 3 way count-back from Russell McKay and Dave Jones.
The follow up game was at Bunbury on Monday 27th May but only attracted 3 of our veterans. It was a
very tight game with all three even after 17 holes, but David Smallwood won the day with a birdie on the
18th.
LADIES’ PENNANTS
Once again Dunsborough Lakes ladies have entered 2 teams in the pennants competition which
commenced on 13th May and will be completed in July.
Our ladies’ teams won both the first and second division competitions last year and we wish them well
once again. We will report the outcomes in the next newsletter.
Page 3
MEET THE MEMBER—GEMMA LYBRAND
When you enter Gemma and John Lybrand’s
home, expect the unexpected.
From the front door, you look down a wide
passage straight through the house to the ninth
fairway at Dunsborough Lakes. And, in my case,
as well as the Lybrands, the welcoming committee
included about 10 magpies sitting in the outdoor
area overlooking the fairway. And a lone wild duck.
They all looked very much at home.
As do many of Gemma’s paintings, which fill the
house and the eye with their vibrant colours and
subjects. When you look at her work, it is hard to
believe that she started painting only a few short
years ago. She has already sold more than 50 of her paintings privately and at exhibitions.
“I love the beauty and colour of the region,” Gemma, who is also a talented seamstress and designer,
says. “I took up painting as I have always wanted to do it.”
Love of the area played a big part in Gemma and John moving from the Gold Coast in 2004. Camping
together at the old Greenacres caravan park and Gemma’s swimming and surfing at Yallingup in her
youth helped with their decision.
Gemma was born in WA to Sicilian parents. Later, she spent some years working for Cathay Pacific while
based in Kuwait, organising tours for locals and travelling freely throughout the Middle East.
“Life there was so much easier and safer in those days,” she recalls. “ I enjoyed visiting other countries
and coming in contact with many people of other nationalities and varied walks of life.”
Back in Western Australia, she worked as secretary for a senior partner in a stockbroking firm. Her life
changed in 1983. John was in WA on business and was staying at the Parmelia Hotel in Perth. On a
whim, he decided not to stay in his room that evening, and went to the bar for a drink. Then in walked
Gemma and some of her friends. The rest, as they say, is history.
They have travelled extensively together, enjoy their children and grand-children and are very happy with
their move Down South. What of the future for Gemma?
She is currently doing commissions for others who love her paintings. But listening to Gemma, you get
the feeling that she is looking for another challenge and another adventure.
Expect the unexpected.
Author: Hartley Joynt
GOLF TIP
Never try to keep
more than 300
separate thoughts
in your mind during your
swing.
Page 4
THE BRIDGETOWN CONNECTION (Conclusion)
We conclude this three part story about the amazing
connection between the town of Bridgetown and the
Dunsborough Lakes Golf Club by featuring retired
farmers, a retired pharmacist and others who grew up
or lived in Bridgetown and were later to join our golf
club.
When Barry and Julie Wheatley married in Bridgetown 49
years ago the cattle industries in that area, both beef and
dairy were thriving. Barry was a third generation beef and
sheep farmer from Bridgetown while Julie grew up on a
dairy farm in neighbouring Greenbushes. They remember those days happily but reflect the reality of
today that those industries aren’t as prosperous as they once were, although Bridgetown continues to
thrive with other industries and tourism activities.
Both Barry and Julie were involved in sport and played golf at Bridgetown.
Barry captained a Bridgetown cricket team for 14 years, continuing a family tradition as his father had
captained the side for 15 years before him. Barry claimed 6 hat-tricks in his career, with best bowling
figures being 8 for 1.
Like several young people from the town, Barry and Julie went to boarding school in Perth, Barry at
Scotch College and Julie at Perth College. They returned to farm life until Barry injured his back and after
selling the farm to Barry’s sister they moved to Perth, where they ran a sports store at Karrinyup
Shopping Centre for 23 years. They played golf during that time as members of Lake Karrinyup Country
Club. Barry also played golf at Joondalup.
They retired from the sports store in 2001 and moved to Dunsborough, where they have had a holiday
home since the 1970’s. Barry and Julie have recently moved into their brand new home by the 17 th tee
and now look forward to playing a lot of golf.
Val Schonell (formerly Hester) grew up on her parents’ orchard and later sheep and cattle property. She
attended Bridgetown Primary School and later boarded at Perth College. She worked at the Bridgetown
Agriculture Department before moving to Perth to work at the Radiological Clinic. Val then went on a
working holiday overseas and it was in London where she was to meet another West Australian, Dick
Schonell. Val and Dick were later married in Bridgetown and then moved to the wheat-belt town of
Kellerberrin, where Dick was employed in the insurance industry. While holidaying with Val’s parents,
who had retired to Augusta, Val and Dick wanted to establish their own holiday place, and chose to buy a
block in Dunsborough where Val had met up with a number of old friends from Bridgetown. They built
their holiday house in 1989. From Kellerberrin they moved to Perth for 35 years, and retired to
Dunsborough in 2005.
Val played golf at Lake Karrinyup while Dick played at the Cottesloe Golf Club before they joined
Dunsborough Lakes. Val has the rare distinction of having hit two holes in one, with one at Lake
Karrinyup and the other at Cottesloe.
Val still has 2 brothers farming in Bridgetown and she and Dick enjoy visiting her old home town twice a
year.
Page 5
THE BRIDGETOWN CONNECTION (Continued...)
Jan Collis fondly remembers her 4 years living in Bridgetown, the town where her 3 sons were born. She
remembers living next door to the Hastie girls, and Sandra babysitting for her on occasions. Jan learned to
play golf at Bridgetown by “hitting the ball along the ground with a 5 iron”.
As with other Bridgetown people, Jan had a link to Dunsborough, visiting her friends Loretta and Stuart
McGregor at their holiday home. On the lookout for her own place in Dunsborough, Jan purchased a block
off the planned Dunsborough Lakes Golf Course, which included membership of the Club.
While studying pharmacy in Perth, Stuart McGregor met Loretta, sister of an old Wesley College school
friend. They married in South Perth and while honeymooning in the south-west stayed at the Bridgetown
home of relatives Frank and Frances Willmott, parents of Jack Willmott. They were so impressed they
soon moved to Bridgetown and stayed for 37 years. Stuart bought and ran the Bridgetown pharmacy, and
later a farm where they ran Poll Hereford and Charolaise cattle. Stuart was also to subsequently own
Chemist shops in Bunbury and Busselton.
Stuart and Loretta were active in the running of the
Bridgetown Swimming Club, and recall that some of the
best swimmers in the Club were the Zinnakers, Alf’s children. Loretta also recalls working with Jill Moyes for many
years running the Bridgetown Blood Bank.
Stuart and Loretta’s 3 children went to Bridgetown Primary
School before boarding in Perth for High School.
Both Loretta and Stuart played golf at Bridgetown for 30
years, having been invited to join the Club by Keith and
Beryl Mackinnon, Trevor’s parents. They held various
leadership positions in the Club.
The Dunsborough link for Stuart and Loretta began with
holidays in the early 1970’s, and led to them buying adjacent houses and 15 years ago building their
beautiful home overlooking the ocean, where they live today.
Stuart was an inaugural member of Dunsborough Lakes Golf Club, while Loretta initially played at Busselton before joining Dunsborough Lakes. They have both served on the committee and Loretta played in the
first A grade pennant team to win the shield for Dunsborough.
Like the other former Bridgetown, now Dunsborough residents covered in this 3 part story, Loretta and
Stuart plan to spend many more years enjoying the Dunsborough life-style and playing golf at Dunsborough Lakes.
Many thanks to all those who have contributed so positively to these articles, helping to illustrate the
strong connection between our Golf Club and the wonderful community of Bridgetown. My apologies to
any Bridgetowners who I have not caught up with for inclusion in the story.
Author: Gary Bowler
Page 6
HOLES IN ONE
As mentioned in the April issue, congratulations to Matt
Stiglemeyer and Larry Skene on their achievement of this
rather elusive event, the hole in one.
Larry’s was achieved on the 14th hole on 13th January
2013, using his 6 iron. Matt’s first ever hole in one was on
19th January on the 17th hole. This was also Larry’s first
hole in one in over 60 years of playing golf.
Then it was Gary Ebert’s turn as he aced the 5th hole on
25th May 2013. Gary teed off with a 17 degree hybrid club
and although he knew it was close, he and his playing
partners didn’t realise the ball had dropped in until they
reached the green.
Congratulations Gary on your second hole in one. Gary had previously scored a hole in one some years
ago when playing at Wanneroo Golf Club.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON GOLFERS
FAG’s. – Now that we have your full attention, this isn’t an article about firewood, tedious work, or a British
public school boy. Rather a short story about a group of men who are passionate about the challenging
game of golf, where each Friday, rain or shine, they meet for a round of golf and a bit of socialising.
Ceremony is not encouraged and disturbance of your fellow competitors’ concentration is.
The duly constituted group began about 16 years ago with the General Manager of Dunsborough Lakes,
Ross Walker and Dean Brewster-Jones, watchmaker and owner of Dunsborough Jewellers. Dean, later
referred to as “Chairman Mao”, and Ross were joined shortly thereafter by a chemist and a real-estate
business owner.
The group has now grown to 20 members, with work backgrounds covering some sixteen professions.
The motto of the group is “Friday Afternoon Golf for Fun”. Twice each year a competition is held for the
Winter or Summer Cup.
As is the habit of the FAG’s, golf is always followed by refreshments. Following the ‘Cup’ this May, we
were entertained by Chef Coby Cockburn of Palmers, where prizes became secondary to good food and
wine; followed by more of the same. From the FAG’s.-Enjoy Golf.
Author: John Lybrand. Photo: John Stanton.