Another Sunday has come and gone and again a feeling that Latrobe is good enough springs to mind. Isaac Newton has a bit to answer for because I can tell him that gravity….. well it sometimes just doesn’t work.

The colts were rolling around Yarra Yarra, a wonderful course on the sandbelt and were up against Medway who had won their first game and were hungry for more. Keegan kicked us off again and after last weeks fast start, he watched his opponent do the same to him.

Before long it was to be a tough ask for him and it was to be just not his day. Komang however joined with Jordy at 1 and they both drew inspiration from Keegan last week. They burst to the front in their matches and the only bad part of their dominant victories is they played less of the magnificent Yarra Yarra course. Lauchie was battling, down early but fighting and Nick was playing great and up early and it would come down to both their matches. With Lauchie pressing on 17 after hitting a fabulous shot in close the quick greens got him as he slid his first a little past the hole and missed the return to tie it up 2 all with Nick playing the last all square. Chances were there for both Mick and his Medway opponent however they squared the last hole to square the day. The colts are right in this, both matches so far have been in the balance and with momentum at the right time, we could yet see our colts turn the current table on its head.

They quickly rushed to Latrobe as did the Women’s Sunday team fresh from a dominant 6 – 1 win. What they came to and what almost 200 members who came along during the day saw, was the essence of Latrobe as a club. It is amazing how much the meaning of pennant has changed for the club in a few short years.

When Shane McCarthy gathered the players onto the first tee he spoke not just to them but to golf in Victoria. Firstly, about Latrobe the club, how it is proactively creating pathways to make golf a lifetime passion. He spoke about players wanting to play at our club and family ties that fun deep through our club’s history. He spoke about collaboration for the good of the game and as he did, nearly 100 young junior golfers played with joy on our back-practice fairway. They are learning to love the game as he does, it was another weekend where Latrobe joins with Yarra Bend to help create golfers of the future.

He presented the junior shirts to our pennant squads young children again which is now part of our home match. The wide eyes of excitement from these little golfers matched by the warmth of their parents that play at our club. They can’t wait to walk the fairways of Latrobe with their kids in years to come. Families that are and will be part of our history; it gives our club a soul built on what really is important in life.

Then, when the tee was cleared Shane saw his own son lead us off in his first pennant match for 2 years, a spot earnt and wow, did C Mac do Shane and all of us proud. He led from the front as the number 7’s do, and the team followed. The leaderboard was looking bleak early on, with only Pagey at 1 up and everyone else either 1 or 2 down. Latrobe needed a little change of momentum as Cal walked off the 7th tee 1 down and heading towards our beautiful Oak Tree.

What waited was the throbbing heart of our club. Tom Robson thought it would work, many didn’t believe him but when Simon Preece and the young members committee decided to make the Pennant Village happen, it has become in 2 short years the only place to be on Pennant Sunday. The players played through what is now the Latrobe Loop. Holes 7 through 13 allows the charge of atmosphere in Pennant Village to hit twice in an hour in the middle of the round and it is the energy that fires the golf of our players and lifts the spirit of the game.
One by one, Cmac and the tallest caddy, Streets and Bainy, Big hitting Dyl and Corey, Pagey and the world’s favourite Irishman, our captain and the Doc, the peoples beard Brett Kellow and dart guru Mitch and finally Latrobe’s favourite son Toby and his ever-loyal bagman Cookie. Again and again they were cheered, encouraged and urged on by members that were rapt with how they were going, marvelling at the golf and proud of the manner in which they represent Latrobe. Tommy’s dream is a reality through the energy of Preecey and his team, and the club and our pennant boys are lifted and better because of it.

The golf continued though as two momentum swings were still to happen in the closing holes. Firstly to Victoria which grabbed some holes through 13 – 16 to suddenly have Matt and Toby down 3 & 2 and after Cal birdied the 17th to win our first point, it was 1 – 2 down, Streets in a dog fight on 18 after winning both 16 and 17 with birdies to stay alive, Dyl square right behind him and Pagey up and Brett down. We needed 3 more in.

When Streets just fell short on the last, Dyl headed to extra holes needing to win and Pagey and Brett behind him both needing to win. A magnificent 19th had our big left hander shaking hands for his second extra hole win in 2 rounds, the magnificent Dylan Grandell. Pagey heading to 19 and a Kellow birdie on 17 squaring his match, suddenly we had momentum moving our way.

Brett won on 20, he won the Latrobe Open in extra holes and seems to enjoy the pressure that closeness brings. His swing is effective, he does the simple things well and his casual demeanour suits matchplay well and our clubs culture. Pagey, who has held out club up so many times in the past in pennant battles continued his great ball striking that is his strength.

Then on the 20th hole, he putted to the edge of the hole and we all watched the ball refuse to drop, teasing the edge of the hole, a win over the strong and spirited Victorian team hung in that balance. Golf can be a cruel game. When Pagey took off his cap and offered his congratulations to his opponent on the 21t hole, Latrobe had come up just short 4 – 3, a loss in result only. Latrobe as a club had done good.

We move on to Round 3 where the Colts will be at Kingston Heath playing Waverly and the GV side heads to Commonwealth to play Peninsula Kingswood. We again have proved that we are good enough to compete in these divisions. The season will be a challenge for us all, the teams we play are wonderful golfers and we will need to be at our best each week to breakthrough. We will continue doing just that, energized by the spirit of what is surely the best walk in golf…. being a pennant player representing Latrobe around our beautiful English Oak tree.