A great Sanwell Cottesloe Open week at CGC

Thank you sponsors:
Sanwell Plumbing and Civil, Lexus, Gage Roads, Nexus, Mack Hall Real Estate, New Ground Water Solutions, The Boatshed, Brite Financial Solutions, EZGO, Mobi Storage, Budget Truck Rental, Oldfield Knott Architects, Owenell Partners, Trinix Lawyers, Zephyr Wealth, Rosily Wines, Schweppes, Stella Bella, Rainbird, Progressive Materials, Alcolizer, Whaleback GC, and SNK.

The field enjoyed ongoing hospitality and fun on and off course. The golf was a 18-hole shotgun start Irish Stableford and the winners were all recognised at the fabulous presentation and festivities after the golf. Included in the groups were many invited senior professionals, a great chance for some on course golfing wisdom passed on and plenty of reminiscing. Fred McMurray and Mack Hall also hosted their annual dinner for the Seniors Professionals on Saturday evening, with a dignified lunchtime tee off Sunday allowing a necessary sleep in for many.

Corporate Classic presentation gallery:

Our past Champions welcomed and remembered!
All available past Cottesloe Open champions are welcomed along to the dinner, some also playing in the Corporate Classic and some also the Sanwell Senior Invitational over the weekend. The Corporate Classic Dinner also sees the previous years Cottesloe Open winner presented with their special embossed Cottesloe Open winners jacket and 2022 winner Braden Becker received his from President Rob Johnson. our gathered past champions pictured here:

Past Cottesloe Open champions: Tim Elliott (2013), Garry Briggs (1978/1979), Craig Mann (1988), Len Thomas (1975), Stan Peach (1958/1970), Michael Long (2015), Terry Gale (1969/1973/1976/1977), Brody Martin (2021), Braden Becker (2022), sponsor Fred McMurray and President Rob Johnson. Roy Draddy (1961/1965/1966) also along and is pictured following.

Also quietly attending the Corporate Classic dinner was Roy Draddy, a three-time Cottesloe Open winner in 1961/1965/1966,  and a proud Cottesloe Golf Club Professional 1962-1969. Roy will turn 90 years in December he advised the Editor and his winner’s jacket a very special one for him. Roy also clocked up 70 years as a PGA professional in 2022 and the great Terry Gale was very happy to formally present to Roy his plaque from the WA PGA honouring that great feat as well.

Roy Draddy has also generously shared with the club two great cards: A 67 course record at his 1961 Cottesloe Open win and a 66 gross in a club competition in 1965 with our member Reg Hellein.
Interesting to see the yardage in 1961 6640 yards par 72, with 3 par 3’s and 3 par 5’s. Our yardage now 6766 with par 72 4 par 3, 4 par 5.

Corporate Classic Dinner – Bonnie Tye chats to some Cricketing Stars
Bonnie Tye (née Raynor) is an accomplished media figure but also very Cottesloe GC connected as a past junior member 2004-2009 and daughter of our long-term member John Raynor.
Our CEO Tracey-Lea recruited Bonnie to be along and she conducted a most interesting chat panel with three significant cricketers: Past great our CGC member John Inverarity, current West Australian and Australian Women’s representative Alana King and West Australian and Australian rep AJ Tye, who also doubles as Bonnie’s loved husband and jointly proud parents of a little one. In chatting with Alana and John , Invers revealed an inter-generational connection as Alana’s past bowling coach Dan Marsh, son of the late Rod, John saw on the day he was born!
Bonnie conducted an informative and thoughtful touching interview with all three at once and the audience were focused listeners, very interesting to hear what their career highlights and challenges were. Also very interesting around the evolvement of the game of cricket in all formats and happily our women cricketers rightly very celebrated in the modern era.

Golf wise Alana plays off a tidy 12.0 GA at Royal Perth and AJ 16.2 and the smooth-swinging John still a tidy 14.8. All three had enjoyed a game on course in the Classic. 

We salute Stan Peach: 65 years on from his first Cottesloe Open
Our oldest living champion Stan Peach won his first of two Cottesloe Opens in 1958, fully 65 years ago. Stan loves the Corporate Classic dinner and the Editor privileged to have Stan along in his cart on Sunday afternoon. Stan very Cottesloe connected , serving his apprenticeship at Cottesloe 1954-1959 under Eric Alberts. The still very youthful Stan had me awash with reminisces on course of where old holes used to be along with memories of big drives the power-hitting Eric Alberts had hit. Stan went on to an extended career as a playing professional. Very much a year-round traveller with tournaments worldwide and he said in a year he would play New Zealand, Far East, India, Europe and home for a 4-week Australian tour. Stan remembers qualifying in the 1959 WDHO Wills Masters, a massive event. He had to win the WA qualifying, then go to South Australia and play the SA and Tasmanian winners to get a spot in the tournament. He successfully did that and noted the Tasmanian winner he beat was none other than our much loved later Cottesloe professional 1969-1979 in Barry Fry.

Thank you to our Staff!
All winners through the three days, together with WA PGA representative Brendan Allenby and our Men’s Captain Gary Harle at all presentations, noted the fabulous efforts of our Cottesloe staff across the board.
Our CEO Tracey-Lea was a continuous presence and the amount of energy and thought that went into all her planning and execution, with the support of all her staff, showed.  Golf Director James Loughnane and his Golf Operations team put in long days and ensured a great Corporate Classic and Cottesloe Open Tournament. The work of Greens Superintendent Des Russell and his team was there for all to see and competitors to enjoy. Cottesloe Open winner Brett Rumford knows his stuff and was fulsome in his praise of the course and his short game wizardry was up for the challenges, old and new. Ultimately 11 players broke 70 Saturday and 14 on Sunday a notable effort. Our Food and Beverage Teams had a very busy 3 days and delivered beautifully. Our Facilities Manager Niall Blundell and Head Chef Kurt Greeve and their hard-working teams delivered at every step. The Corporate Classic evening had outstanding food and a great crowd on Sunday enjoyed Mother’s Day Breakfast and a very well attended Mother’s Day brunch. Many attendees on Sunday kicked on to take in the exciting tournament finish, on course and from the balcony. 

Thank you to our Members!
Captain Gary Harle, President Rob Johnson, Women’s Captain El Reeves and other office bearers and Match Committee members were a continuous presence and hard workers in preparation for the great 3 days. Thank you to them all.
Captain Gary Harle particularly thanked all members who give up their course for the three days and our members out in support watching are the highest for some years. A particular thank you to the members who acted as volunteer starters and spotters, seeing the action first hand and keeping the pace of play going.
Thank you to our volunteers, a number out both days:
El Reeves, Jane Metcalf, David Stanton, Peter Folland, Matt Haley, Jerry Haley, Gail Ryan, Janine Kyle, Dave Ellwood, Ermie Robinson, Anne Hawthorne, Andy Campbell, Nikki Carslaw, Rob Hawthorne and John Atkins.

Cottesloe Players at The Cottesloe Open
Four Cottesloe members played and had a great time while not finding their usual level of scoring. Getting a start was a challenge with a handicap cutoff of 0.8 for the 40 amateurs who played. Sadly for many our reigning Club Champion Ed Hall was 0.2 away from that and just missed out on a start. Great to see our member Michael Pentland earn his first cheque at Cottesloe. Michael, completing his PGA Associateship, is working at Wembley GC and one of three PGA Associates who gained an invitation start, based on their scores in the Associateship tournaments. Great to catch up with Michael’s Mum out for a Mother’s Day on course watch and they are pictured in gallery following.
 Cottesloe Players:

A Salute to Damian Chatterley
Another welcome competitor over the weekend was Lakelands professional and former Cottesloe member 1988-1997 in Damian Chatterley. Damian was Club Champion 1994 & 1997, Foursomes Champion 1996 & 1997, Mixed Foursomes Champion 1994 & 1995 and in 1997 landed the celebrated treble of Cottesloe Cup-RG Norton – Club Champion. Just Tom Patterson has matched that treble in one year in our history.
Damian commenced his traineeship under Bruce Hay and been the long-serving Professional at Lakelands CC for many years. Damian also had the privilege of having our Head Professional Matthew Heath work under him and he still remains Matt’s (a.k.a. Ron Chopper) personal swing coach today. It was a delight for Damian, who enjoyed his Sunday round with Mark Solomons, to proudly be snapped afresh with the Cottesloe Cup and the Roger Mackay Club Champion Trophy which was struck in 2008 and has every champion thereon.

How did our course measure up?
Always plenty of debate around Golf Architecture and green slopes, seemingly not limited by handicap. However our 2023 Cottesloe Open field showed they were up for any challenges and the quality of ball striking showed.

Winning score:
The winning score of 9-under 135 very close to the norm looking at the 20-year history for winners following. The leading amateur 139 from Josh Greer also very close to average of last 20 years:


25 rounds under 70 – Course record stays at 64:
11 players broke 70 on Saturday in the more challenging conditions. The 7-under 65 by Hayden Hopewell just a a shot off the existing course record 64 set by runner-up Brady Watt in the 2022 Cottesloe Open. Brett Rumford, Oliver Goss, Brendan Chant, and LKCC’s Joe Owen all shot 67 on Saturday.