Queenstown Golf Club – Combined Pairs Net
Saturday 10 January 2026

If you were looking for a reminder that this is still Queenstown golf, Saturday delivered it in spades. We had drizzle, a breeze, sideways rain, an even stiffer breeze, and just when you thought you’d cracked the code — a burst of sunshine to keep everyone guessing. Proper character-building stuff.

Despite the conditions, the scoring was anything but soggy, and the Combined Pairs Net format produced a cracking leaderboard and a few standout stories.

 Overall Results – Combined Pairs Net

The clubhouse leaders set the tone early… and no one managed to catch them.

1st – Ben Farrell & Richard Thomas – Net 136 – $32
Second group in, straight to the top, and they stayed there all afternoon. A rock-solid combined effort that proved being early can sometimes be very profitable.

2nd – David Grant & Julie Grant – Net 143 – $28

3rd – Tom James & Liam Judkins – Net 144 – $24

4th – Bill Grant & Alan Gaunt – Net 146 – $18
5th – Tom Devonish & Adam Dawson – Net 146 – $18

6th – Matt Groves & Billy Groves – Net 148 – $14
7th – Ron Cusick & Terry McBride – Net 148 – $14
8th – Dean Corry & David Clearwater – Net 148 – $14
9th – Geoff McDonald & Cal McDonald – Net 148 – $14

10th – Bruce Cunningham & Frank Garthwaite – Net 150 – $10
11th – Gregory P Carter & Chadol Han – Net 150 – $10

A tightly packed chase pack, but Farrell and Thomas were simply too steady in conditions where patience paid dividends. On a side note, did anyone notice all the alliteration of pairs surnames in this bunch, might that have something to do with a winning formula?

 Twos – A Rare Hat-Trick $24 each

Twos were at a premium, making it a very rare day with only three recorded:

Hole 11

• Matt Evans

• James Sowerby

Hole 17

• Liam Judkins

Quality over quantity — and each one well earned in testing conditions.

 Birdies Draw – Hole 8 $9each

There was a whole flock of birdies on Hole 8, with plenty of red numbers finding the prize list. Among the winners were:

• Terry McBride

• Roger Hudson

• Conor O’Boyle

• Josh Rees

• James Sowerby

• Liam Judkins

• Gregory P Carter

• Tom James

When the hole gives you a look, you still have to take it — and plenty did.

 Net Eagles Draw – Hole 15 $35 each

Two beautifully timed net eagles on Hole 15, shared by:

• Rose Cross

• Tim McCormick

A tidy return for making one hole really count.

 Nearest the Pins – Properly Struck

Some absolute crackers on the par 3s:

Hole 17

• Julie Grant

• Liam Judkins

Hole 11

• Suzanne Vidak

• Gregory P Carter

Dialled-in irons when it mattered most and Neat Meat vouchers to top up the freezer with

 Longest Putt – Hole 18

• James Sowerby claimed the Longest Putt on the last.
  Not the longest you’ll ever see, but a tricky cross-grain slider that needed perfect pace — and got it. Neat Meat voucher well deserved.

 Random Card Draw

• John Kennedy – $50 credit

Proof that sometimes all you need is your name on the right piece of paper.

 Final Call

Tough conditions, great banter, and some seriously solid golf — exactly what Saturday competitions are all about. A big congratulations to Ben Farrell and Richard Thomas for setting the early benchmark and never relinquishing it.

If this is how January golf is shaping up, bring it on — sideways rain and all.