By Peter Owen
John Glennon, laughingly declaring that he’s got his doctor’s receptionist’s number on speed dial, reckons he’s had so much remedial work done on his body that his surgeon has a secure job for life.
He ticks off his list of prior ailments – a two-level spinal fusion to relieve disabling back pain, emergency hospital treatment to combat life-threatening sepsis and, only last October, hip replacement surgery.
“Three months after the hip replacement I was feeling so good my wife and I went for a hiking holiday in Tasmania – the Cradle Mountain track,” he said. “You wouldn’t read about it – I stumbled and did my knee.”
You’d think with a body seemingly as suspect as his, the last place you’d expect to see John’s name is atop the winner’s list of a golf competition.
But John Glennon is nothing if not a fighter, and he’s making a habit of bouncing back.
Three weeks after going into septic shock two years ago, and being rushed to Nambour Hospital with a blood pressure reading of 78/36, John led the Noosa Springs masters team to pennants glory, winning his final match 7 and 6.
And on Wednesday he played an outstanding round of golf to score 40 stableford points and win the Noosa Springs’ club competition by two points.
“With all the trouble I’ve had, my golf game really went to pieces,” John explained.
“I knew I had to do something different, so I slowed everything down – my walk, my swing and my follow through,” he said. “I tried to keep it all under control, and I stopped trying to rotate as much as I used to do.”
It mightn’t work for somebody like Bryson deChambeau or Matthew Wolff, but it did the trick for John Glennon.
On Wednesday, every drive found the fairway, most of his approaches were on the green, and he even made a putt or two.
“I’ve got to admit it was a surprise – but a very happy one,” he said.
John, who’s lived at Noosa for the past seven years, is a relative newcomer to golf, having taken up the game in Brisbane only a decade ago.
Now, the 13-handicapper is looking forward to really hitting his straps on the golf course – particularly after he’s replaced his dodgy knee, a surgical process he’s already discussing with his doctor.
Noosa on the brink of 3 straight pennant titles
With its top two players Toby Harding and George Giblett in fine form, Noosa soundly defeated long-time rival Mt Coolum 5.5 to 1.5 in Sunday’s A grade pennant semi-final, giving the club the chance for a rare three-peat in this weekend’s final at Gympie.
Just as it was in the semi-finals last year, Noosa was much too strong for Mt Coolum in the match played at Noosa Springs on Sunday.
Toby Harding (5 and 4), George Giblett (5 and 4), Sam Boulden (4 and 2), Alex Officer (2 and 1) and Ryan Mulder (5 and 4) all scored impressive wins for Noosa, with Cooper Clarke drawing with his young opponent Adam Van Dorsselaer, and Alex O’Brien going down to Zac Quirk 4 and 3.
The win gives Noosa the chance to win its third straight A grade final.
Like last year, Noosa’s opponent will be Headland, which pipped the favoured Maroochy River team 4-3.
In the Masters semi-final, played at Maroochy River, Noosa Springs beat Headland 4-3 to reach the final, where it will come up against Mt Coolum, which despatched Noosa 5.5-1.5.
Noosa Springs winners were Michael Mason (5 and 3), Simon Cotton (6 and 5), Andrew Tregaskis (4 and 3) and Marcus Dolby (5 and 4).
The B grade final will be contested by Mt Coolum and Peregian.
Sunday’s finals will be played at Gympie, with Masters competition beginning at 7.30am, followed by B grade (8.15am) and A grade (9am).
Cooroy Vets remember their history
It’s 16 years since Cooroy opened its second nine holes, but many of the club’s old-timers distinctly remember how the course used to be played.
And even if those memories may fade, the Cooroy Veterans make sure the old nine-hole track is never entirely forgotten – at least for a couple of rounds a year.
Last Wednesday the Vets hosted the first round of the Foundation Members Old Course Challenge – a highly sought after competition that is decided by scores recorded on the course’s original nine holes.
They are holes one, two, three, four, five, six, 16, 17 and 18.
All golfers play an 18-hole stableford competition on the day, but separately record their scores for the nine old course holes on a second scorecard.
After the first round, Don Clelland led with 21 points, for which he won two bottles of wine. Mike Kent, Tony Kershaw and Rob Nash are only one point behind. The winner, after second round scores are added, receives an embroidered shirt, a dozen golf balls and a perpetual trophy.
As well as preserving a bit of club nostalgia, the Old Course Challenge, which was inaugurated in 2017, commemorates the efforts of foundation members Ed Otto and Lionel Willett.
And, fittingly, 94-year-old Lionel was front and centre on Wednesday, taking the nearest-the-pin trophy on the third hole – yes, one of the originals.
Take a golfing break
With golf never more popular with Australians, Noosa Springs is giving people an opportunity to take a last-minute golfing break at affordable prices.
Until September 1, guests can stay at Noosa Springs for two nights, and get a third night’s accommodation for free. The deal includes breakfast on two mornings, and a day’s unlimited golf in an electric cart.
The all-inclusive cost is $420 per person, twin share.
Club competitions
NOOSA
Monday, 19 July
Women’s stableford: A grade – Karen Johnston 40, Mandy Webb 39; B grade – Robyn McManus 38, Diana Stagg 36c/b; 9 holes: Sandy Hyde 19.
Tuesday, 20 July
Men’s stableford: A grade – Bruce Blakemore 38c/b, Aaron Whitford 38, George Bell 37c/b, Craig Strudwick 37; B grade – John Purdue 37, Greg Smith 36, Michael Morgan 35c/b, Dirk Derek 35c/b; C grade – David Hinder 35c/b, Rob Wade 35c/b, Mervyn Neilson 35c/b, Damian Hopkins 35c/b.
Wednesday, 21 July
Vets stableford: A grade – Brian Jackson 38, Ron Read 37, Alec Graham 36; B grade – Roger Waters 41, Ted Burgess 35c/b, Rob Rossow 35; C grade – Paul Davis 41, Graeme Cronk 37c/b, John Jones 37.
Thursday, 22 July
Women’s 4BBB stableford: Michelle Linklater & Jill Hill 47, Christine Baker & Tracy Whitbread 46c/b, Alice Cumming & Diane Porter 46.
Saturday, 24 July
Men’s stableford: A grade – Adam Dehnen 38, David Hood 37c/b, Coman Reynolds 37; B grade – Graeme Caffyn 40c/b, Gary Ogg 40, Trevor Payne 38; C grade – Miles Roxbury 46, Alex McKenzie 41, Peter Bolitho 40; women’s: Jess Fleming 39, Heather Alsop 38, Tina Hammant 37c/b.
NOOSA SPRINGS
Monday, 19 July
Men’s stableford: Alex Wyer 41, Peter Foulsham 36c/b, Richard Bennet 36; women’s: Shard Lorenzo 37, Maree Saunders 34, Janet Dunn 34.
Tuesday, 20 July
Men’s stableford: Dino Degotardi 37, Raymond Orloff 36, Alex Hackett 35.
Wednesday, 21 July
Men’s stableford: John Glennon 40, Gregory Brookes 38, Fergus Legh 36; women’s: Tereza Holley 39c/b, Rosemary Scarborough 39, Jen Carr 38.
Thursday, 22 July
Men’s stableford: Dino Degotardi 34, Jake Stringer 32c/b, Steven Troon 32.
Saturday, 24 July
Men’s stableford: Jock Robertson 39, Bob Bean 38, Ross Marlow 36c/b; women’s: Anne Smith 38c/b, Elizabeth Wadsworth 38, Eugenie Mooney 37.
Sunday, 25 July
Bruce McCleary 35c/b, John Chandelr 35, Craig Willian 33.
COOROY
Tuesday, 20 July
Women’s stableford, 9 holes: Kay Gilmour 21, Beatrice Bruin 20.
Wednesday, 21 July
Vets stableford: A grade – Mike Kent 36, Laurie Staples 35, Mark Kelly 34c/b; B grade – Wayne Carty 36, Bruce McLean 34c/b, Graham Laing 34c/b; C grade – Kevin Pickford 38, Don Cleveland 36c/b, Mike Miklenda 36c/b.
Thursday, 22 July
Women’s stableford: Wendy O’Hare 40, Chris Michael 39.
Saturday, 24 July
Men’s par: Div 1 – B. Robbo sq, P. Jeucken -2; Div 2 – P. Buchbach +3, M. Kent +2; Div 3 – R. Nash +3, P. Simson +2; women’s stroke: Kate Sawrey 70c/b, Kim Gladman 70.
