State Sand Greens Championship
2011 State Sand Greens Championship - Goomalling Golf Club
Photo (L-R): Brian Carter (Club Captain), Chris Schell (Club President), Ryan Peake (Champion), and Bruce Clark
The 31st State Sand Greens Championship was held at the Goomalling Golf Club on August 5 -7, 2011. It was the second time Goomalling has hosted the Championship joining Moora Lake View and Narrogin as the only clubs to hold the event on multiple occasions. With a bumper field of 178 players the championship brought together some the best sand green golfers from around State against some of Perth’s highest profile amateurs including defending champion and 5 time winner of the event Royal Perth’s Michael Dennis.
Saturday’s first round was played in blustery conditions with players struggling to contend with the narrow fairways and slick greens on a tricky Goomalling layout. A number of players stamped themselves as contenders including Dennis who shot a one over par 73 however it was State Team member Ryan Peake from Lakelands who took the early advantage after a one under par 71. This came as somewhat a surprise as this was the 18 year olds first time playing a sand green course.
With only 4 strokes separating the top seven contenders, the Championship was still very much up for grabs in Sunday’s final round. Royal Perth’s Cruze Strange, who started 4 strokes behind the leader, put the pressure on early finishing his opening 9 holes two under par. Peake however answered the challenge in style, birdying holes 10, 11, 12, and 14. He did slip up on the 16th hole with a bogie however he answered right back birdying the 17th and 18th holes to finish with a course record 8 under par 64 leaving him 8 shots clear of his nearest rival Strange who finished with a impressive 4 under par 68. Dennis was again steady finishing 3 strokes further back after another one over par 73. Goomalling local and the holder of the previous course record, Stephan Lord used his local knowledge to great effect, claiming the Closed Championship as the leading Sand Green Player finishing 14 strokes behind Peake, equal 5th position overall.
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HISTORY
The Western Australian State Sand Greens Championship has been held throughout the WA regional area since 1981. Now in its 31st year, ‘the Sand Greens’ as it is affectionately known, has been held at 28 different courses with Goomalling this year joining Narrogin and Moora Lake View as the only other courses to hold the Championship on two occasions.
The Championship attracts players from all over the State with some of the WA’s most decorated having taken out the Sand Greens title; these players include Current State Team Captain and defending champion Michael Dennis (5 time winner), Wayne Edwards (3), and Brett Mollison, Adam Davey, Glenn Tillotson, Craig Leckie have each won on two occasions.
In what is celebrated as a festival of Country Golf, the Championship is preceded by the traditional 4BBB Stabeford competition on Friday and the ever popular Super Scroungers event on Thursday which always provides a great warm up for players playing the course for the first time.
