Their bar in the clubhouse isn’t wet enough for the toast of Riverside golf nearly two weeks on since hitting heroic rounds 500 kms away on the other side of the ocean.
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Riverside’s club stalwarts Peter Glover, 81, and Michael Guy, 62, are well travelled on the fairway and proved that up against rising golfers more than a third of their age.
Glover and Guy led the Tasmanians towards a brave victory against Green Acres on the course in the leafy Melbourne suburb of Kew at the 56th annual Bass Strait Golf Challenge between the two grassroots clubs.
The challenge on the day came from young Green Acres stars Jack Allan and Will Bate, but in a great advertisement that you just can’t buy experience under pressure the Riverside pair held their nerve with the best of the highest aggregate scores of all players.
Riverside Golf Club manager Frank Tedeschi just marvelled at the final outcome in what was also a great win for the values of a longstanding rivalry.
“That’s the beauty of what the game is – it’s for all ages, isn’t it?” Tedeschi said.
“This competition is a great example of that.
“Here was a 19-year-old [Allan] and a 24-year-old [Bate] from Green Acres top on their side of things and with ours we just had the complete opposite. It’s great to see the interaction between young and old.”
Riverside took out the challenge trophy for the fifth year in a row and a third successive time in Melbourne amid alternating venues.
“Prior to that the home team with the home course advantage has always caused them to win,” Tedeschi said.
The four-ball best ball competition first came about when a visiting Green Acres member loved the course and hospitality of Riverside so much that he suggested the two clubs meet annually.
Tedeschi explains there is a real passion now that has taken off since the first tee-off in 1963 into something of mythological proportions.
“It’s all really is amazing – there’s been a real comradeship out there,” he said.
“I’ve only personally got involved five years ago in my role as club manager.
“I used to hear about it some years back when I was just a member here, but never really got involved.
“I can well understand the real deep feeling about it.
“Not just that, but it’s a real good weekend.”
Andrew Mathieson
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
