Season Round Up The 2023 Counties-Manukau Veterans Inter-Club
Covic Golf Season 2023 – Season Round Up The 2023 Counties-Manukau Veterans Inter-Club Community season wrapped up on the 5th December with the COVIC Championships. They were played at Waiuku Golf Club under the same threatening grey skies weather that seemed to plague the final months of the year. Across the final six events of the season, we suffered two severe weather postponements that in turn lead to a log-jam of events which severely affected some veterans’ participation. Eventually both our season long competitions were concluded before the Championships. In the final round of the 2023 COVIC Shield event, Hauraki prevailed after four closely fought rounds especially with Onewhero and Clarks Beach. It was Hauraki’s consistent scoring that allowed them to keep their noses in front to claim the shield trophy.
The 2023 COVIC Plate event was also closely fought, with Awhitu and the Covic Extras Team (winners over the previous two seasons) battling it out through into the final round. Once again, Awhitu’s consistent scoring over the last three rounds saw them claim the 2023 Plate, It is this small club’s first season long trophy win in the COVIC competition. In the COVIC Challenge Cup Matchplay battle, it was challenger Huntly-Waiterimu who prevailed over the host Hauraki club, to take home the gold cup until the 2024 season.
They also won the VVV Pairs Combined Cup to start the 2023 season and will now defend it at the Waiterimu Golf Club on Monday 12th February 2024. Seventy players contested the season ending COVIC Club Strokeplay Championships, an individual event played in three handicap divisions on net. It was the absolutely brilliantly presented Waiuku course, that deserved to see no less than 20 players produce some golfing excellence, all scoring between net par to four under par scores. The major winners were: Division 1 (Gold medal): Dean Hancock (Pukekohe) playing off an 11 handicap shot a net 67, to beat Mark Potter (Waiuku), Paul Lamb (Waiuku) and Darren Old (Onewhero), all on 68. Division 2 (Silver medal): Jim Peacock (Onewhero) playing off a 15 handicap, scored a net 67 to beat Peter Wallace (Hauraki) also with a 67 net on count-back. Division 3 (Bronze medal): Bill Holt (Hauraki ) playing off a 25 handicap shot a net 68 to beat Mike Thompson (Onewhero) and Andre Ruiterman (Maramarua) on count back. Prize winners received gift vouchers donated by Craig Smith of the Franklin Golf Shop located at the Pukekohe Golf Club.
The Ford Championship Jug and Salver trophy that is awarded to the club with the best three individual aggregate net scores, was eventually awarded to Onewhero; after no less than five scores for each of three clubs had to be compared on count back, in order to break a scoring deadlock. Onewhero had also won the postponed JJJ Ambrose Cup event played at Waikare Golf Club in October. If you are interested in playing COVIC golf in 2024, please talk with your Club Convenor (see our Facebook Page), or email COVIC Convenor Tim Howard .alhaurintim@yahoo.co.uk