Brisbane Golf Club’s Gold Women’s Pennant team has been denied the opportunity to win the Brisbane District Ladies Golf Association’s Pennant for three successive years.
In the initial planning stages for the 2023 BDLGA Pennant season, six teams were nominated and – in the words of BGC Women’s Captain Janet Nathanson – the prospects were ‘very exciting’.
However, three nominated teams withdrew and with just three clubs – Brisbane, Royal Queensland and Nudgee – remaining, the Gold Division was withdrawn from the competition.
“It is a very sad situation, particularly for our up-and-coming juniors Lisa Edgar, Safina Kyprianou, Angelina Drakos and Ky-An Vu, who would have been in the Gold team,” Janet lamented.
But the Pennant competition will still be played, albeit under a completely new format, and the first matches tee off on Friday, April 21.
BGC has entered teams in three of the four Divisions – Yellow Diamond (played on Fridays), Sapphire Zone Two (also Fridays) and Silver (Sundays), with each team consisting of seven members. The club’s lowest markers will play in the Silver team, which will be convenient for schoolgirls Safina, Angelina and Ky-An.
Members of the Yellow Diamond team will be restricted to a maximum handicap of 20, with the first three matches played off the stick, and the remaining four with full handicap difference.
Eight teams – Brisbane, Wantima, Nudgee, McLeod, Redcliffe, Pacific, Indooroopilly and RQ – will contest this Division, with BGC to play Indooroopilly at Redcliffe on Friday April 21, in the first round.
Notable strong Pennant performers from previous years, Hannah Reeves and Lynne Conroy, are expected to spearhead this team.
Seven teams will also contest Sapphire Zone Two Division, with the maximum GA handicap again 20, but the maximum aggregate of the handicaps will be 100. In this Division, all matches will be played with full handicap difference. BGC will play its first match against Sandgate at Redcliffe on April 21, and the other five teams are Virginia, Nudgee, Wynnum and Redland Bay.
With the Gold competition cancelled, Silver – played on Sundays from April 23 – becomes the premier Pennant challenge for BGC.
As is the Case in Yellow Diamond, Silver team members will be restricted to a maximum handicap of 20, with the first three matches played off the stick, and the remaining four with full handicap difference. The seven teams in this Division are Brisbane, Oxley,
Keperra, Wantima, Nudgee, Riverlakes and McLeod, with the first match for BGC against against Keperra, at Riverlakes, on April 23.
While explaining the 2023 Pennant competition was being played under a different format, Janet said the BDLGA was endeavouring to be more inclusive in an effort to attract additional clubs.
“All we can do is wait for the season to unfold, and see how things eventuate,” said Janet, who revealed the new format had been successfully conducted on the Sunshine Coast for the past three years.
“Our Pennant squad is excited to play this year. And everyone is hoping for fine weather, unlike the very wet 2022 when numerous games were cancelled.”
Friday Pennant matches will conclude on June 2, and the Sunday competition finishes on June 11. – TONY DURKIN