The morning started early for the NATO Golf Club with our Opening Cup beginning not long after opening our eyes! Beautiful Spring weather contributed to a pleasant day on the Golf Club Kampenhout course as NGC officially began the 2018 Season with a competition to award the Barry Carr Memorial Trophy, named for our first club President.
17 NATO golfers were divided into two categories for a Stableford competition across the challenging layout. Despite water levels being high, the course was mostly dry and in good shape, with the greens quite challenging.
Understandably for an early season competition, the scores were a bit on the low side, but the spirits were high at the 19th hole as we passed out prizes! Playing off front tees, with locally adjusted handicaps the winners bucked the trend and turned in respectable scores. In category 1, first, second and third places went to Jeff Da Rin, Fritz Rademacher and Gaby Waugh with 33 points, 26 points and 25 points, respectively. In Category 2, the winners were E.J. Herold (32 points), Tim Waugh (27 points) and new member Guy Baeten (26 points).
The skills prizes led to some interesting results. The men’s and women’s long drives went to new members and partners, Guy Baeten and Suzanna Michaelis. On closest to the pin, the ladies missed the dance floor and, for the first time in memory, the men had a tie. With Fritz Rademacher and John Briggs ending up on the green, at the same distance from the flag!
With the high Stableford score on the day, Jeff Da Rin took home the Barry Carr Trophy as the third winner since its inauguration. Congratulations to him and to NGC for a fine first outing of the 2018 Season!