Wednesday October 6 was the first cool morning of the year, but some bleary eyed golfers were up well before daylight to make their way across the river to the Aroeira Golf Course to compete for the Dawson Bowl.
By around 10.30am, the mist had lifted and a bright and humid morning welcomed the golfers as they began the 18-hole competition. With its narrowing fairways, this course was a real test of ability for the 21 members and two visiting guests who had gathered for the competition.
The water certainly claimed more golf balls than the bunkers, but, as I learned later, all those who had wet golf balls paid money into a charity fund.There were a few curses as golf balls ended up not quite where they were intended to be and such joy on faces when golf balls came close to that inevitable pin, whether by playing skill or luck.
The game was over and it was time for a well-deserved drink and a superb lunch at the 19th hole. After lunch it was time for the prize giving. As the Captain was not present, Ed Robbins stood in and first presented the cowbell of the month to Ron Newstead. The prize for ‘nearest the pin in one’ went to one of the sponsors, Bruce Dawson, ‘nearest the pin in two’ went to Ewan Rankin. The guest prize was awarded to Jan Ali and the Captain’s prize to Carole Brandon. Then attention turned to the Peter Dawson Bowl, competed for since 1982. Peter’s son, Bruce, and his grandson Mark presented the trophy to the outright winner, with 35 points, John Brandon. The other prize winners were:
Second: Graciete Gibbon
Third: Derek McIvor
Fourth: Bruce Dawson (tournament sponsor)
Fifth: Henk Itzig Heine
Sixth: Edward Robbins
After an excellent day’s golf, good food and good company, competitors and guests alike left to get some much needed practise before the next RBCGS competition which will be at the Portucale Stone on Wednesday, November 10.
