Mark Howard

We wish our members well in the South African Nationals By the time this newsletter reaches you, 6 of our Sydney Norths members will be a week away from winging their way to South Africa to attend the Nomads National Tournament in Port Shepstone. The Southern Natal Organising Committee under Coordinator, Tony Fairbairn, has done a mountain of work and this bodes well for a fantastic tournament. We wish the Aussie contingent all the best and trust they will proudly fly the Australian flag! Ruben Sondjaja, a promising JNJG scholarship recipient tells us what he’s been up to in 2011 and what he’s aiming to do in 2012 on Page 2. The 4th Australian National Tournament to be held at Magenta Shores has been moved a week earlier to 5‐7 October 2012 as it was to clash with another tournament. We are grateful to Tony Gooding, Captain of Sydney Souths, for moving their monthly game. There are 3 spots left in the 16 team 2012 Peter Thompson Knock Out Competition sponsored by The Barefoot Group so it’s “first in best dressed” for the last few spots. Northmead Drummond Golf is having its Expo this weekend at the Dural Driving Range with all the major suppliers being in attendance (Page 10). Please get out there to support our sponsor. Cheers Mark Howard-Browne
Inside this issue:
Ruben Sondjaja
2
Nat Tournament
3
St Mike’s winners
3
Apologies to Jason
3
Betters Club
4
Knock Out Comp
4
Feb Game Photos
5
Charity Day Cheque
6
The Barefoot Group
7
Grand Advice
8
Steve van Niekerk
8
David Twycross
The Titleist Gospel
9
Secretary:
Northmead Golf Expo
10
SYDNEY NORTH
Captain:
Myles Craye
Vice Captain:
Des Boucher
Upcoming events:
Favourite Funny Golf Events
The Tom Smith Challenge
Mr. Tom Smith of Kansas City, Missouri -- don't ask me which one -- founded this
annual event for all the Tom Smiths of the world. It turns out there are an awful lot
of them. How can any Tom Smith decline to attend? The John Browns of Ottawa,
Ontario, the Bill Millers of Detroit and the Bobby Joneses of Tennessee also have
their own self-named outings. Maybe someday there'll be a golf tournament just for
people with *your* name!
The Polo Golf Derby
Players in this Hempstead, Long Island game only leave their golf carts when they
putt. The object is to decisively strike the ball with your club without slowing down.
The twosome with the fastest time and least number of strokes is the winner. This
tournament brings new meaning to the term good driver!

10-16 March
SA Nationals at Port
Shepstone

18 March game
Long Reef

22 April game
Wakehurst

20 May game
Liverpool
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you with your insurance needs. Call Trevor or Brad Lofts on 9683-7233.
1
Nomads Scholarship recipient Ruben Sondjaja
Hi Nomads,
Ruben was the 16
Years NSW State
Age Champion in
2011
Hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and wishing everyone all the best for 2012! I just thought I would
give you all an update on my golfing results for the past several months. Below are some results I have
had at the end of 2011:
- 16 years State Age Champion
- T4th in the Jack Newton International Junior Classic
- Chosen in the NSW Combined High School Team
- Bradley Matthews Sportsman of the year award recipient
- Jack Newton Junior Golf Renay Appleby award recipient
The first month of 2012 has quickly gone past and was packed with many golf tournaments. I started off
the month competing in the Harvey Norman Junior Week of Golf. This is one of the major tournaments in
the Jack Newton Junior Golf calendar and is very unique, as it is held at different golf courses everyday
around Sydney. I shot rounds of 73, 75, 71 & 74 to manage finishing 4th overall. Not a bad way to start
the year.
The week after, I flew down to Melbourne to play in the Australian Amateur Championships. It was a
high-class field as always with Australia’s best amateurs and many international teams competing in the
tournament. I started off shooting rounds of 73 77 to qualify 30th for the match play section. My goal for
the week was to make the match play section so I was quite happy. Knowing the level of the players
competing in the tournament, I had no expectation in my matches. I gathered confidence and momentum
as the week went on and managed to make the semi finals where I lost to the eventual winner, Marcel
Schneider in a playoff on the 21st hole. It was a long but very satisfying week.
Because of my recent results, I have been selected in the Golf Australian Team to compete in the Trans
Tasman Cup held at the Peninsula Country Club, VIC in March. It has been an excellent start to the year
and hopefully I can keep it going.
Later on in July, I am planning to play in the Callaway World Juniors held in San Diego, USA. It is one
of the most prestigious junior events and I am looking forward to it.
Thank you all for your ongoing support and I will make sure to play in one of the Nomads golf days
soon.
Kind regards,
Ruben Sondjaja
Message from our Captain, Myles
I spoke with Peter Van Wegen (CEO, JNJG) recently and to
get an update on Ruben’s progress.
Peter said that Ruben has had the scholarship now for two
years. This allowed him to travel to South Africa to participate
in the South African Junior Masters in March 2011. Ruben
was in the final group but finished 4th overall. As a result of
this success he received a special invitation to the German
Junior Masters where he finished in the middle of the field.
These international opportunities have provided the
experience and confidence to take his game to the next level
with great results
Gary Weisser and Brad Forman, have everything you need to
enhance your golfing experience: golf bags, shirts, shoes,
umbrellas, tees, etc.
They continue to be fantastic supporters of Nomads, so please
reciprocate and buy their products.
2
National Tournament Update
Due to a clash with the Club Competition, we have had to move the National
Tournament a week earlier to 5-7 October 2012.
Tournament
brochure will
be out at the
end of March
Fortunately, Brisbane had scheduled their monthly game on 14th October at Nudgee
GC so the change for them is perfect.
Sydney South, however, had scheduled their monthly game at Macarthur Grange on
the 7th October. Souths Captain, Tony Gooding, was very accommodating when he
heard of the tournament date change and thankfully they have rescheduled to a free
weekend. Phew! Much appreciated Tony and your Committee.
Planning for the Tournament is progressing nicely and the tournament brochure
together with the entry forms will be sent out to the Club Coordinators to forward to
their club members.
WINNERS from St Michaels – 19th February 2012
A Division
Winner
Runner-up
B Division
Winner
Runner-up
C Division
Winner
Runner-up
Nearest the pin
2nd
8th
14th
Longest Drive
15th
Most Golf and the Crying Towel
Player of the day
Daryl Smith (11)
Mark Reading (11)
Sean Walsh (16)
Adrian Ferrand (15)
Kit Lakin (19)
Derrick Jones (19)
Mark Reading (11)
Tony Gooding (10)
Daryl Smith (11)
Chris Fichardt (14)
Gary Sherwood (7)
Sean Walsh (16)
34
34
37
34
34
33
Points
Points
Points
Points
Points
Points
17 Points
35 Points
Apologies to Jason Drever…x2!
Twice now, Jason Drever (left) has been mixed up with his much,
much older brother Milton (right).
At last year’s Nomad National Tournament at Palm Meadows,
Milton was given a 5year tie award and Jason missed out despite also
qualifying for the tie. Milton thought this hilarious!
Last month, in The Scorecard, Milton was credited for having played
61 games when in fact it should have been Jason. (Ed: apologies)
Jason feels that there is an orchestrated campaign to discredit his
Nomads involvement, but did not go as far to point the finger at the
plotter.
Jason Drever and his brother, Milton
Milton credits his youthful looks to Olay Total Effects: 7-in-1 anti
ageing cream which he applies nightly.
Gary Sherwood, equity partner at RSM Bird Cameron
has kindly donated the Player of the Month Trophy
and also sponsors golf balls. For all your auditing,
accounting and taxation needs, please call Gary on
0438 923 535
3
The Betters Club
Some of you may be aware that Nicky Basson has started a $20 gambling school at our
monthly games for the under 10 handicappers. Since its introduction at Riverside Oaks,
this Club has donated $230 to our Nomads charitable cause and at St Michaels it was
expanded to include 20 and under handicappers?
So there are now 2 Schools:
# Under 10 handicap,
# 11-20 handicaps.
Each month a
contribution
will be made
to the 2012
Charity Day
To be part of either school all you have to do is enter your name on the specific list at
the starter desk before the match and pay your $20. After the game you will have to
report to Nicky (or a nominated person) and give him your score.
There will be a 1st and 2nd prize – possibly even a 3rd prize depending on the number of
punters and a portion of the entries will go as a donation to the Nomads Charity for
2012.
Andrew Brown won the 1st two games with Abi Vikram winning the 1-10s at St
Michaels. Nicky has been the bride’s maid each time. Adrian Ferrand won the 11-20s.
If you would like to take part each month please email Nicky at
[email protected] stating your name and handicap, letting know if you are
interested to be part of the School.
2012 Peter Thompson Knock Out Sponsored by The Barefoot Group
We received, thus far, 13 applications to join the 2012 knockout tournament.
For ease of the draw it has been decided to restrict the teams to 16 – if we have
more than 16 teams, it means another round in which most teams get a bye for the
first 2 months.
It just means that each round lasts over 3 months and we should then avoid the case
of “blind draws” and extra games outside of the monthly Nomads matches.
Round 1
Quarter Finals (and Plate)
Semi Finals
Final
Mar, Apr, May
Jun, Jul, Aug
Sep, Oct, Nov
Dec
There are just
3 spots left to
play in this
year’s knock
out
competition
The Barefoot Group have kindly stepped forward to sponsor this year’s event so
please have a look at what they do on Page 7.
There are just 3 places left in the competition, so please email Mark HowardBrowne urgently to book one of the 3 remaining spots ([email protected])
Neels Schutte and Istvan Mihalik are the owners of Thyme Square café and
restaurant in Hornsby. Neels and Istvan have generously provided vouchers
as prizes for our monthly competition. Take your wife/partner for a delicious
dinner and be sure to try the South African wine and beer.
4
Photos from St Michaels
Winner of the A Division – Daryl Smith
Runner Up in the A Division – Mark Reading
Winner in the B Division – Sean Walsh
Runner Up in the B Division – Adrian Ferrand
Winner in the C Division – Kit Lakin
Runner Up in the C Division – Derrick Jones
Longest Drive – Chris Fichardt
Player of the Day – Sean Walsh
Another ‘silent’ sponsor is The Greengate Hotel, in Killara, that gives us, free-of-charge, a meeting room at which
we have our monthly Nomads Committee meetings. Take your family and friends down to The Greengate to try
out their Portico Restaurant and Bar or just have a beer with mates at the Highway Bay. They have rooms for hire
for any size function so have a look at their website: http://www.greengatehotel.com.au/index.html
5
2011 Nomads Charity Day Cheque handed over to The Cancer Council
Myles Craye (Captain) hands over a cheque for $27,221 to the Lee Cooper, Cancer Council’s Regional
Manager for Northern Sydney, at their Crows Nest office. With him from left, David Twycross (ViceCaptain), Steve Betts, (Past Captain) and Mark Howard-Browne (Junior Vice-Captain)
Carly Kassel, Community Relations Coordinator, hands Sydney North’s Captain, Myles Craye, a token of
appreciation for the 2011 fund raising efforts of the Club. Congratulations to all of those who participated,
sponsored and contributed to a highly successful golf day.
Jonty Gill of Stanley Street Butchery is a monthly match
sponsor. For all your biltong, boerewors and other South
African products, visit him at 15-17 Stanley St, St Ives, NSW,
2075 – or call Jonty on 9449-9242
6
Gordon Hatch and Selwyn Vos at Taurus Financial Services are there to help you
with any of your financing needs and Taurus has professional migration specialists.
Give them a call on 9411-4161 and they will assist you wherever they can….. Hang
around after the monthly game and you can win some beers in the Remaining 4 Ball
prize sponsored by Taurus
7
Grand Advice
Great Grandfather had been playing golf whenever possible for over 78 years. Today had been no
exception; he was out early and played his 18 holes. Directly after golf he attended his great, great
grandson's wedding.
During the wedding reception, he was conversing with his great, great grandson, giving advice on having
a happy marriage and a great life.
"Well, it’s
kinda like
putting with a
rope"
After a while the young groom said "Grandfather what's it like making love when you reach your age?"
And he replied, "Well, it’s kinda like putting with a rope."
Recent Inductee – Steve van Niekerk
Steve, his wife Valerie and son, Travis, settled in the
Hills Dictrict of Sydney in December 2010.
He works at J.P.Morgan as the Technology Infrastructure
Service Delivery Manager role for APAC region having also
worked in France, Switzerland, UK & Ireland. The
opportunity to live & work in Australia was an exciting
proposition and they have settled into life in Australia
with a long term view to grow & raise their family.
Steve first heard about Nomads from a family friend & via
a SA/AUS forum and was invited to play with the Nomads mid
2011. He can't say he enjoyed his first game with Nomads,
but it is certainly one he will remember having “won” the
"Crying Towel", which now is hanging up in his study. He
vows never to 'earn' that title again. He is looking
forward to many more years with Nomads, especially the
charity day, which he felt very proud of being part of in
2011 – he told The Scorecard “I am big into charity work”.
He will soon join Killara Golf Course as a senior member,
and plans to get his handicap down to single figures
again. Being a Leo, he is very competitive, so has always
been big into sport. Apart from golf, Steve enjoys football (soccer), touch rugby, mountain biking &
several different water sports. He is also a keen adventurer, hence his passion for 4x4'ing & the great
outdoors.
Steve with Valerie and Travis
Other hobbies include photography, online gaming (when he has the time) & collecting wine; although it’s a
challenge in itself as he can't seem to collect wines quick enough for Valerie, who loves a glass or two of
wine slightly more than he does. He’s always told wine is there to drink, not to stare at; Valerie’s
probably right, however only on this occasion.
A New Look Drummond Club
All Nomads
members will
be given Life
membership
of TDC
In January 2012, after 15 years in existence, the Drummond Club announced, in a radical
makeover, that all existing members would be automatic life members and consequently the
annual membership fee will cease.
When you join Nomads Sydney North, we will sign you up to the Drummond Club and the
joining fee of $39.95 will be part of your Nomads application fee.
The 2012 subscription included $20 toward the membership renewal for 2012. As this is no
longer required to be paid, the Committee decided that $20 would not be refunded – rather the
saving would be utilised in furthering Nomads Charitable and junior golf development vision.
The quarterly member magazine, Beyond the Fairways, will be replaced by a more frequent
electronic version.
A new look club, but still with the same good service and quality products.
For all your golfing needs, visit Drummond Golf’s Jeff
Pyle and Chris Moody at either their Northmead store
(Shop 7/2 Windsor Road) or Casula store (Unit 10A
Crossroads, Homemaker Centre). They have a wide
range of clubs and accessories and for every dollar you
spend, 10 cents comes back to Nomads Sydney North in
the form of an annual rebate. Spend BIG!
8
The Gospel According To Titleist
1. Eighteen holes of match play will teach you more about your foe than 18 years of dealing with him across a desk.
~ Grantland Rice
2. Golf appeals to the idiot in us and the child. Just how childlike golf players become is proven by their frequent inability to
count past five. ~ John Updike
3. It is almost impossible to remember how tragic a place the world is when one is playing golf. ~ Robert Lynd
4. If profanity had any influence on the flight of the ball, the game of golf would be played far better than it is. ~ Horace G.
Hutchinson
5. They say golf is like life, but don't believe them. Golf is more complicated than that. ~ Gardner Dickinson
6. If a lot of people gripped a knife and fork as poorly as they do a golf club, they’d starve to death. ~ Sam Snead
7. Golf is a day spent in a round of strenuous idleness. ~ William Wordsworth
8. If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt. ~ Dean Martin
9. If you are going to throw a club, it is important to throw it ahead of you, down the fairway, so you don't have to waste
energy going back to pick it up. ~ Tommy Bolt
10. Man blames fate for all other accidents, but feels personally responsible when he makes a hole-in-one. ~ Bishop Sheen
11. I don't say my golf game is bad, but if I grew tomatoes, they'd come up sliced. ~ Arnold Palmer
12. My handicap? Woods and irons. ~ Chris Codiroli
13. The ardent golfer would play Mount Everest if somebody would put a flag stick on top. ~ Pete Dye
14. I'm hitting the woods just great, but having a terrible time getting out of them! ~ Buddy Hackett
15. The only time my prayers are never answered is playing golf. ~ Billy Graham
16. If you think it's hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball. ~ Jack Lemmon
17. It's good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling. ~ Mark Twain
18. Don't play too much golf. Two rounds a day are plenty. ~ Harry Vardon
19. Golf and sex are the only things you can enjoy without being good at either of them. ~ Jimmy DeMaret
20. May thy ball lie in green pastures, and not in still waters. ~ Ben Hogan
21. If I hit it right, it's a slice. If I hit it left, it's a hook. If I hit it straight, it's a miracle. ~ All Us Hackers
22. The difference in golf and government is that in golf you can't improve your lie. ~ George Deukmejian
AND FINALLY...............
23. Golf is a game invented by the same people who think music comes out of a bagpipe. ~ Lee Trevino
KWV has an extensive portfolio of natural and fortified wines and brandies. Willem
Botha’s generous support of Nomads is much appreciated.
To buy from KWV ‘Buy Online’ page, click on the link below:
http://www.kwv-wine.com.au/BuyOnline/tabid/58/List/0/Default.aspx
9
D
A
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M
H
T
R
O
N
o
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Where: Dural Driving Range, 260-266 New Line Rd, Dural
Date: Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th March, 2012
Time: 10am - 4pm
Company Tech Reps
and Club Fitting Staff
on hand to offer advice
and help find the right
clubs for you.
Entertainment &
giveaway prizes
Great Deals
done on both days
EFTPOS & credit card facilities on site
All major suppliers will be there including:
TM
TM
TM
TM
NORTHMEAD
SHOP 7/2 WINDSOR RD
(02) 9683 7411
TM
TM