Queenstown Golf Club – International Stableford Saturday Wrap

Saturday 26th July 2025
Global format, local heroes, and a midwinter course in mint condition.

 Course Conditions – Hats Off to the Greens Crew!

Let’s kick things off with a massive thank you to our brilliant greens staff. The course is looking spectacular for this time of year – firm fairways, true greens, and winter lies that don’t require a NASA-level read. The buzz in the clubhouse was unanimous: best winter conditions in years. If you see the team out there, give them a wave – they’ve earned it!

 Men’s International Stableford – Quirky Format, Quality Golf

With stableford values changing hole-to-hole, the International format made for creative strategy and some adventurous play – which, let’s be honest, suits our lot perfectly.

 Top of the Leaderboard:

•  Jim Cullen – 9 points – consistency meets cunning

•  David Grant – 9 pts – matching the winner, just pipped on countback

•  Athol Stephens, Rob Taylor, Ron Cusick, Conleth McLarnon – all bagging 6 pts and sharing the spoils

• Solid finishes from Stephen Jensen, Liam Judkins, Boggy McDowell, and Jesse McKenna rounded out the top ten

 Hot Shots & Big Moments

•  Birdies Galore:

  • Quinton Thompson, Liam Judkins, Stephen Jensen, David Grant, Liam Oh, Steven Ridley, Mike Rivers, Terry Doherty and more found the bottom of the cup early and often

  • Michael Wong & Terry Doherty shared the Birdie Draw, each collecting a tasty $38

•  Net Eagles Bonanza:

  • A jackpot-sized $210 went to Jack Pot (we see what you did there…) thanks to net eagles flying all over – including Jack Walker, David Grant, Ross McFarlane, and Ben Farrell, just to name a few

  • 

•  Twos:

  • Twelve players walked off with neat little two-bird spoils – including Liam Oh, Nick Smith, Mike Rivers, Ben Farrell, Darren Hill, Steven Ridley, Jack Walker, Adam Dawson, Gregory Latham, Qiushing Ying and Danny King.

•  Pin Prizes:

  • Ben Farrell and Nick Smith were bang on target, winning Nearest the Pin prizes

  • Athol Stephens rolled in a monster to claim Longest Putt

  • Jeff Smith took home the Random Card Draw, walking off $50 richer

 Snap Raffle – Bag Bling for $5!

We ran a cheeky $5 Snap Raffle out of the pro shop – and a few lucky winners walked away with some classy accessories for their bags. From headcovers to towels, it was smiles all round. Keep an eye out… there may be more of these “blink and you’ll miss it” raffles popping up!

 Ladies Stableford – Form & Flair on Display

While the gents were figuring out what double bogey’s worth on an International card, the ladies were all business in their 18-hole Stableford.

 Division 1 Results:

•  Annette Fea – 36 points – steady, stylish, and taking top prize

•  Carolyn McIsaac – 35 pts – on form and one to watch…

•  Kate Webster, Julie Grant, Lisa Murphy, Therese Campbell – all strong finishes with 33 and 34 points

•  Twos & Specials:

  • Carolyn McIsaac also snagged the only two, the Birdie Draw, and probably a bottle of bubbles on the way home

  • Annette Fea claimed the Net Eagles pot

  • Jenny Browne sunk the Longest Putt

  • Annie Han hit the pin and didn’t miss for Nearest to the Pin

 Looking Ahead – Interclub Incoming

We’re hosting Ladies Interclub tomorrow with 9 teams and 6 players per side, representing Ladies Golf in Central Otago. Here’s hoping Carolyn McIsaac’s hot form holds through – we’ll need that steady hand and smooth swing to take the honours at home.

Best of luck, ladies – we’re backing you all the way!

 Final Word

A huge thanks to everyone who turned up, teed off, and tackled the International format with good humour and a touch of ambition. The course is shining, the prizes flowing, and the camaraderie mid-winter strong.

We’ll see you all next round – let’s keep this momentum rolling!

Cheers,
Your Queenstown Golf Shop Team
– Putting the “international” in “great Saturday golf.”