Some weeks remind you why golf gets under your skin and at the same time why you love it. Not because everything clicks, but because it never quite does. Three games in seven days, different people, different formats, flashes of brilliance, plenty of frustration, and just enough hope to keep you coming back for more.
Last week saw me sneak in three games of golf, numbers 13, 14 and 15 for the year. Very grateful
Game 1 - Thursday comp
Game Info: Jan 29, 2026 | St Michael’s Golf Club | 6:30 am 1st Hole | Stableford
Players: Steve Fanale, Greg Barwick, Tim Harbutt
Weather: Steamy summer morning, blue skies ☀️☀️
Conditions: Firm and fast.
GOTY: 13th
Thursday comp as usual, early doors, but with a new group, thanks to our regular crew all forgetting to book. Not ideal, but also one of the underrated joys of golf.
I was paired with Greg Barwick and Tim Harbutt, and it turned out to be a cracking morning. Greg was also an ex-NRL player from the 80s and 90s, a footy career a little more illustrious than my own, which meant we had plenty to chat about. It didn’t take long to discover we also had quite a few mutual friends. The world really is tiny.
Tim and I also found some common ground on the work front. I spent the last 10 years building Drive Yello, last-mile logistics, while Tim did a very solid stint with FedEx. He’s now retired and clearly enjoying life as a frequent visitor to the great St Mick’s course.
That’s the beauty of this game. You meet new people, swap stories, and realise how interconnected we all are.
As for my golf, it was very much 🪨🪨 & 💎💎. Two birdies. One on the 10th, 3-wood, 7-iron, two-metre putt. BAM! The other, on the par-3 15th. It was ridiculous. Hybrid into the right bunker, then a chip-in from the bunker. Honestly, it might be the best birdie I’ve ever made. Unfortunately, that was balanced out by four wipes and three doubles. 🥹
Final tally, 29 points, which hurt a bit. Tim and Greg were clearly a class above, both playing off single-digit handicaps and posting 36 and 37 points, respectively.
Something to aspire to.
Final Scores
Steve 29 pts | Tim 36 pts | Greg 37 pts
Game 2 - Friday Summer 9’s
Game Info: Jan 30, 2026 | St Michael’s Golf Club | 3:55 pm 10th Hole | Stableford
Players: Steve Fanale, Matt Bateman, Penny Davy-White
Weather: Hot Friday afternoon, blue skies, but with a Nor'easter blowing ☀️☀️🌬️🌬️
Conditions: Perfect
GOTY: 14th
Friday afternoon meant Summer 9s, the second nine-hole match of the series. Another hot Sydney afternoon, steamy, but otherwise perfect conditions.
Matt Bateman joined me again, and we started on the 10th - thankfully. We were also joined by Penny, who was relatively new to the game and playing off a high handicap. She was there to have fun, which is exactly what Summer 9s is all about.
Penny was keen to learn too, asking questions along the way and open to a bit of help. We’re no pros, but we can definitely help with course management and rules. As tends to happen in golf, it turned out Penny works in media and advertising, which overlaps with both Matt’s background and mine. Another small-world moment. She’s also moving to Maroubra and recently joined St Michael’s, so she’s clearly keen to play more golf and bring her HCP down.
The round started shakily for her, nerves kicking in while playing alongside the two absolute weapons she’d been paired with. Please note the tongue firmly placed in cheek. But as the holes ticked by, she settled, found a rhythm, and started striking the ball pretty well. Pulled off some great chips on 13 & 15.
Matt and I both played reasonably well, but just couldn’t quite turn it into a winning score on the day. The wind was playing havoc, with gusts of 30-40 km/h. At times, it helped you hit your longest drives of the year, and at others, it turned par 5s into par 6s. On a few holes, it forced you to aim uncomfortably wide of the fairway, only to watch the ball sail back to the middle like it had GPS.
The most notable of those shots was Matt’s tee shot on the 11th. He aimed well left of centre, pretty much at the 14th green, and watched it drift back perfectly into the middle of the fairway. Penny’s response was a very casual, “Geez, that was lucky,” while Matt was clearly hoping for a bit more kudos for what was, in fact, a very well-directed and well-struck shot.
Over the nine holes, I finished with 14 points, Matt with 15, so he pipped me at the post. Despite that, I was pretty happy with how I played; it just didn’t quite come together.
Penny also finished with 14 points, which was a great effort, especially after a couple of wipes early on. To come home strong like that was impressive and a good sign of things to come.
Final Scores
Steve 14 pts | Penny 14 pts | Matt 15 pts
Game 3 - Saturday Comp & Matchplay
Game Info: Jan 31, 2026 | St Michael’s Golf Club | 6:30 am 1st Hole | Stableford + Match Play
Players: Steve Fanale, Matt Bateman, Paul Khoury, Ross Chapman
Weather: Steamy Summer Morning (again), blue skies ☀️☀️
Conditions: Greens were a little furry but still quick, and fairways were immaculate
GOTY: 15th
Game three for the week was our usual Saturday matchup with Matt Bateman, Ross Chapman, Paul Khoury, and me. With Paul and me in the same group, it also meant our ongoing matchplay battle was back on the line.
Another brutally hot Sydney morning. Steamy, uncomfortable, but the course was absolutely magnificent. We were also blessed once again with one of the best sunrises we’ve seen, and we’ve seen plenty.
I started terribly, wiping the first after smashing my second shot straight into the trees in front of me. Completely inexcusable, it meant I was hitting my fourth from a long way out. I went with a 5-iron into a slight breeze and absolutely flushed it. There’s no better feeling. Unfortunately, it ran over the green, and whatever glory I’d basked in from the approach shot was quickly undone by a poor chip and a missed putt that would have scraped in a point.
From there, things improved. The rest of the front nine was solid with three pars and a birdie on the sixth, finishing with 18 points. Paul and I had the usual see-sawing tussle through the front nine, which made the matchplay interesting, with Paul ending up two up at the turn.
I came out hot on the back nine with par, par, only to wipe the par-3 12th. From there, it unravelled a bit. Holes 16 and 17 summed it up perfectly. Two tee shots straight into areas you dare not venture, two reloads, and two second-ball pars. Not bad to salvage second-ball pars, but frustrating given the hiccup came from misdirected tee shots.
Upon completing the 16th, that off-the-tee lapse left Paul two up with two to play heading to the 17th. Another wayward drive pretty much sealed it for him. I did fight back and had him feeling a little uncomfortable late, but he rolled in a great putt on the 17th green to close it out and take the match 3&1.
All in all, I made the cut and finished with 32 points. Ross also had 32, and it was great to see some of his signature shots coming back after the hand injury. Maddie just edged us on 33, continuing a strong run of form as his handicap keeps trending down.
Paul Khoury took the chocolates on the day with 36 points, along with the Match Play 3&1. Old PK might be on his way back. Hopefully, that handicap starts to come down soon and brings him back into the field where he belongs.
Another great Saturday at St Mick’s. Love it.
Final Scores
Steve 32 pts | Ross 32 pts | Matt 33 pts | Paul 36 pts
Match Play: PK 3 & 1 - PK leads 4 - 2
Interesting reading about summer heat down under when I'm freezing my ass off in brutal cold snap in the mid-Atlantic USA. Good stuff!