Seven veterans arrived for the Wednesday afternoon get together last week.
The winner after a neat round was Pat Smith with a great 29 points across the 12 holes.
The runner-up with just a point separating the two players was Barry Fahey.
Friday chook run
It must have been the girls all practising for the Rose Bowl, as 44 players turned up during the day to try to capture a chook on Friday last week.
Some of the girls had three games; I hope they didn't practise too much.
The winner with a great score of 27 points for the 10 holes was our wonderful ladies captain Stacey Reynolds after a couple of rounds throughout the day.
Jan Jakitsch also attacked hard to just fail by one stroke.
The last chook was won on 20 points where a three-way count back saw the unlucky player Nigel Webb, who really doesn't like chicken, but will on occasions play hard for the chicken chips win.
The Black Opal Advocate award for encouragement went to Tyrone Lindquist who just beat Wayne Brown.
Saturday Rose Bowl prelude
Saturday saw a total of 156 players descend on our little golf course to have a bit of fun and to show the visitors the way around for the Sunday showdown.
With players hitting off early morning until after lunch things got pretty hectic around the club, where Eddie Webb did his usual fantastic job behind the bar until we got back in.
Not too many had played on a course with so much water around and some were in shock on arrival back at the club.
It didn't take long for them to thaw out with a few drinks and the music of Vaughan Bell ringing out into the night. Brett and his crew had collected plenty of firewood so the bonfire and the fire buckets were closely attended.
The players couldn't believe it when some of our local men hit the course with them for the four-person ambrose, but as always took it in their stride and enjoyed the company.
Things had a fairly early finish at the club as the girls were starting to hit off from 7am for their big day on Sunday.
Results: winners C Hiliam, J Mathews, B Kearney and Ian Hegarty; 2nd L Scott, Richard Boehm, B Weilly and P Langham; 3rd G Campbell, Adam Webb, C White and A O'Brien.
Prizes were given out down to the 10th place, with the placegetters only being separated by five strokes.
Rose Bowl 2002
Sponsored by the Lightning Ridge District Bowling Club, with supporting sponsorship from the Lightning Ridge Hotel/Motel, Lesley Henley at the Glengarry Hilton, the Opal Cave, Jerry Lomax, and Dudley and Elaine Dowdle.
The big day had arrived with a fine outlook, but it was cool and a bit breezy early.
With 180 odd players from Parkes, Cumnock, Bogan Gate, Wellington, Manildra, Condobolin, Narromine, Trangie, Albert, Trundle, Warren, Wyong, Cobar, Peak Hill, Grenfell, Cowra, Bathurst, Parkes, Canowindra, Orange, Dirranbandi, Mungindi, Collarenebri, Brewarrina, Walgett, Coonamble, Dubbo and last but not least our own girls.
To hit off it was always going to be a long day for the players and officials. Ron Hogan assisted by Don Welsh who did a sterling job of making sure things kept going all day and then checked all the cards and compiled the results.
The women under the eye of our ladies vice president Robina, did a sterling job from early in the morning to ensure everyone had a full tummy to get around and the food was available in the shape of sandwiches and sweets throughout the day, with a fine lunch being consumed at the half-way mark while waiting to get back on the course.
Lesley Henley did her usual great work, as well as being one of the sponsors of the event, she spent the day with Eddie Webb, Richard Boehm, Val Boardman, and Kath Johnston's daughter Loella serving drinks.
If she ever gives up the pub she would make a fine cleaner, thanks for your help.
The girls realised it would be a long day and there were no complaints from anyone about the long waits around the course and at the club. You all did your clubs proud.
The last group of girls staggered off the course just as the sun was going down and we could just see the ball going into the hole.
A special mention must go to Carl Huskinson who was there all week before the event and during the event cleaning, cooking, preparing food and generally being there, you did a great job.
To all the non-golfers such as Marcia Welsh and all the Soroptimists girls who helped out on the day serving meals and cleaning up, you are super, never had a baked meal as good was the word from all in the place.
From the president, the board and the ladies committee, thank you to all the club members and friends who helped out during the weekend to make it an event the girls will remember for a long time.
Would've liked to be a fly on the ceiling of the buses going home Monday morning, the stories I could tell.
That fine team of extraordinary golfers from Lightning Ridge, Di Leahey, Sally Williams and Maureen Pandel won the Rose Bowl.
The girls won by half a point from the Parkes team.
Congratulations all.
Local placegetters from the Western Districts Rose Bowl at Lightning Ridge were:
A grade - nett winner Irene Dowton, front-nine gross runner-up Kay Hogan, front-nine nett runner-up Stacey Reynolds;
B grade - front-nine gross runner-up Jan Davis, front-nine nett runner-up Maureen Pandel;
C grade - gross winner Sally Williams, and front-nine nett runner-up Winsome O'Brien.
This weekend
There will be a chook run all day tomorrow from 8am to 3:30pm.
On Saturday a two-person ambrose has been scheduled to start at 12:30pm across 12 holes.
The Men's Foursomes Championships across 27 holes will be played on Sunday with tee off at the early time of 9:30am.
Thanks again to everyone for your help, see you tomorrow.
Col Cooper
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