The flags are flying high in celebration at the Mataura Golf Club.
One Saturday last month one of the women’s teams, the Mataura Shots, won the Golf Southland Women’s Weekend Pennants competition and the next day the men’s team won the men’s MLT Southland Pennants competition.
Mataura Shots captain Nicki Clark said in the first week of the round robin competition the four-woman team did not go so well, losing to Queens Park.
After that the team won the next three matches.
‘‘Once we got going we did really well.’’
The team won its semifinal against Waikaka on a countback and then played the club’s other team, the Mataura Mates, in the final.
‘‘It was awesome.
‘‘We were absolutely buzzing with pride.’’
It was a tight contest and the light was fading as the last holes were being played.
‘‘We won two and a-half to one and a-half so it was close.’’
Considering the size of the club it was an achievement to field two teams in the competition.
‘‘There’s a really good energy and vibe in our club.
‘‘It does say a lot about the culture in the club that we’re able to field two ladies’ teams when we don’t have big numbers,’’ Clark said.
It was the inaugural running of the competition.
Men’s pennants team member Adam Newton said the secret to doing well in the competition was for one or more of the players to score well.
It was the top three scores which counted for the team’s score.
In the final against the Gore Golf Club, team member Doug Clark had a net score of 65 and Newton scored 66, which were the two highest scores of the final.
‘‘We sort of had a hand on the trophy without really knowing what the third counter was going to be.’’
It was the second time in four years he had been part of a winning pennant team but before that it had been 20 years since the club had won the competition.
‘‘Some guys could play golf their whole life and not get a chance to win it,’’ he said.
It was a highly contested competition.
‘‘I would probably put it up there with one of the more enjoyable golf competitions because there’s a good bunch of guys and you get to know everyone.’’
