THE NUMBER 37 reputedly is magical – and it was for four goers at the Nambucca Heads Island Golf Course.
Paddy Byrne, Graham Weary, Rod Ford and Martin Turner had just that score to reign supreme in the Nambucca Valley Property medley stableford on Saturday.
All four came rattling home for a number said by King David in Psalm 37 that the meek shall inherit the earth. They may not have been bequeathed a planet but surely there was no forgive me, father, for I have shanked, as they rose to the podium.
19-marker Byrne added $40 to his account after a miraculous 38 around the back to win Div 1 from Weary (10 handicap) who birdied the last and had 78 off the stick.
In Div 2 it was Ford (23) to the fore on countback from Turner (24). Both parred the 18th.
Stephen Doherty paint-rolled a long one on the 1st to collect the Ecomist prize pack and the pins went to Peter Klem-Goode on 5, Craig Haworth on 5, Tom Wattison on 8 and Tristram Edwards on 15. John Nebauer smacked it close on 13 for the Pizza This Pizza meal and Weary capped a spiffing day with the $70 Pro Pin on the last.
FEATURE IMAGE: Nambucca Heads was well represented at the 2026 National Handiskins at Palm Meadows on the Gold Coast on the weekend.
Narelle Delaney (33) didn’t card 37 points but did have five sevens in her round to win the women’s single stableford on Wednesday, 6 May.
Bogeys on three of the final four holes saw her head home on countback Jenny Thorne (26), Sue Brooks (13) and Dianne O’Leary (16).
Flagstick huggers were Lillian Lukins on 5, Henny Oldenhove on 13 and Bulahdelah’s Thora-Lou Smith jagged the $17 Pro Pin on 18.
Bellingen’s Skeet McMahon drives from the first at Nambucca.
Nambucca’s Daniel Phelps (once was 23) had the best score of the week with 43 points and 85 off the bat to scorch the Nambucca Valley Property medley stableford on Thursday 7 May.
Five pars and a birdie finish saw Phelps win Div 2 though only one clear of William Mann (23) who matched with five pars and a two on the 18th.
Ken Marriott (19) carded a stellar 39 points for the W in Div 1, one clear of Daryl Wall (10).
Marriott birdied the long par five 11th and had 39 round the back while Wall hit anything but his surname in finishing birdie-bogey-birdie.
Peter Miller sunk the putt from afar on 1 and stick-clingers were Ken Klem on 5, Stephen McNeil on 8 and Darrell Flanders on 15. Coffs Harbour’s Adam Woods will discover the best pizza on the coast can be found at Steve Ward’s restaurant in High Street after hitting it close on 13 and Dan Phelps banked the $60 Pro Pin on the potentially nasty last.
Nambucca Valley Property again stepped up to the plate to sponsor the medley stableford on Tuesday 5 May when Hans Jansen (23) carded 37 points for the victory.
Six pars were more than enough to have Jansen five clear of the nearest chaser, Don Wills (33).
Glenys Thompson was the star of the Nambucca gang who travelled to the Palm Meadows course for the National Handiskins finals. Thompson made the final four in the Peter Lehman Golf Challenge, collecting three skins in the shootout.
Club champion Graham Watson was cheered on by his fellow dolphins in the chipping final but came up short of driving away in a brand spanker golf cart. Probably just as well as it would have taken him weeks to get back home on the M1.
Catchya on The Island where the course is going bangers after a drink and you could too along with a great feed at the friendly clubhouse perched on the river.