Milestones Holes in One

Tony Gresham fought many outstanding matches to retain his Club Championship. He defeated Phil Wood on two occasions, Possibly one of the best matches ever played at "The Hills" was his semi final with Phil in 1978. Both players had sub par rounds in morning and afternoon

Jn 1980 Malcolm Jones defeated David Lilly in the Junior Championship Final. The same year Tony Gresham defeated Malcolm in the final of the Club Championship. David Lilly lost in the final of the Club Championship to Tony Gresham the year previously.

ANTHONY YALE GRESHAM

The Pennant Hills Golf Club is fortunate to have amongst its Members, a golfer of International standard in the person of Tony Gresham. He has been a great ambassador for Australian golf and his golfing achievements have been recognised by sporting writers throughout the world. This recognition was first reported during the Eisenhower Cup matches from 1968to1980. It was in 1972 that the sporting headlines applauded his success in becoming the World Amateur Champion. In 1972 Tony's contribution to the golfing world and our Club in particular, was honoured by the mounting of his photograph, with his career highlights, on the wall of the Presidents Room. His career highlights are reprinted in this biography to preserve the feats in the 'Club's archives. Tony has given us all an enormous amount of pleasure, whilst viewing his rounds on Television or following him, as an on course spectator. There, as always, amongst the sea of faces, would be members from our Club, following his every shot. There are many outstanding shots, which undoubtedly lead to his triumphs. I would like to place on record one of these shots, because it has a family association with humour attached to it. The story concerns the second round of the Pennant Hills Cup, some years ago. I was standing on the 10th tee next to Syd Gresham, (Tony's father and committee member from 1967 to 1971), when Tony snapped his drive into the trees on the left, some twenty metres off the fairway. Syd turned to me and said, "That damned right hand." When we reached the ball it was quite apparent that a straight shot to the green was out of the question. One member was heard to say, "chip out and play safe". The only clear line of sight was the large gum tree some twenty metres short and to the right of the green. Tony made the decision to draw the ball and struck a 4 iron towards the elected line. It took off in a perfect parabola and at first looked to be heading towards the trees and trouble. This

optical illusion was soon dispelled as the ball started to draw towards the green. As the velocity decreased the ball made yet another correction and graciously curved into the green, to land feather like two metres behind the flag. I tapped Syd on the shoulder and said, "That damned right hand". He looked at me and smiled, he then remarked with pride, "Shot Son." I had just witnessed the shot of a Champion. · After thirty years of membership with our Club Tony has withdrawn from serious representative golf and now enjoys playing thegame with various members of the Club. He was elected to committee in 1984 and we are quite certain, that with the experience Tony has had, his term on committee can only be of benefit to our Club. In 1988 he was elected to the council of the N .S.W. Golf Association, our first representative on this august body since the late E. J. Hyde.

A. Y. GRESHAM CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 1959TO1986

N.S.W. JUNIOR TEAM N.S.W. SENIOR TEAM N.S.W. SENIOR TEAM CAPTAIN 1974-5-6 AUSTRALIAN EISENHOWER CUP TEAM AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH TEAM AUSTRALIA VERSUS JAPAN AUSTRALIA VERSUS NEW ZEALAND AUSTRALIAN TEAM TO NEW GUINEA WORLD AMATEUR CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN AMATEUR CHAMPION N.S.W. OPEN CHAMPION SOUTH AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPION N.S.W. AMATEUR CHAMPION N.S.W. MEDALLIST AUSTRALIAN MEDALLIST LEADING AMATEUR AUSTRALIAN OPEN LEADING AMATEUR N.S.W. OPEN LEADING AMATEUR VICTORIAN OPEN LEADING AMATEUR SOUTH AUSTRALIAN OPEN LEADING AMATEUR SINGAPORE OEN LEADING AMATEUR JAPANESE OPEN LEADNG AMATEUR MALAYSIAN OPEN RUNNER UP AUSTRALIAN AMATEUR PENNANT HILLS CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN GOLF CLUB CHAMPION N.S.W. CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS 1959 1963 1975 1968 1971 1978 1969 1973 1972 1977 1975 1978 1960 1964 1966 1976 1977 1970 1972

1979 1980 1974 1977

1970 1972 1981 1967 1968 1978 1979 1974 1976 1969 1970 1971 1973 1974 1980 1981 1982 1978 1980

1978

1964 1966 1967 1968 1972 1974 1976 1977 1978 1986 1967 1975 1977 1981 1969 1978 1979 1981 1970 1975 1977 1979 1980 1981 1979 1980 1961 1961 1961 1973 1976 1978 1962 1964to1980 (incl) 1982 1983 1985 1986 196"4 1965 1972 1976 1986

83

N.S.W. VARDON TROPHY WINNER SEMI FINALIST BRITISH AMATEUR FRENCH MEDALLIST

1968 - 1970 (incl) 1972to1979 (incl) 1981 1982 1979 1981 1981 FRENCH AMATEUR CHAMPION 1980 RUNNER UP N.S.W. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP 1968 1969 1983 WINNER N.S.W. FOURSOMES 1966 1969 1978 1981 WINNER N.S.W. MIXED FOURSOMES 1978 1979 WINNER PENNANT HILLS FOURSOMES 1959 1960 1962 1963 1965 1971 1972 1977 1978 1981 1983 1985 1986 WINNER PENNANT HILLS CUP 1963 1968 1973 1974 1976 1979 1982 1983 1984 1987 WINNER PENNANT HILLS MIXED FOURSOMES 1977-1986 (incl) WINNER A.CT. AMATEUR 1980 1981 1982

WILLIAM (Bill) HALE WRIGHT.

Bill was born on the 12th May 1931 on his father's dairy farm, near Nabiac, N.S.W. His first few years of schooling were by correspondence, supervised by his mother. He later attended the Nabiac School, riding seven miles each day, in all types of weather. After school Bill worked on his father's farm and was of great assistance to him. His father also attended to the needs of the district as a Dental Technician. Bill suffered two accidents to his right arm, one a bale of hay falling on it and the other a recoil from a shot gun. His father moved to Penrith to further Bill's Education. With his schooling completed he decided to follow in his father's footsteps and became a Dental Technician. With the experience gained working with his father, he had little difficulty in obtaining an apprenticeship with a Macquarie Street Dental Prosthetist. He qualified with flying colours. At the age of twenty one years, Bill was a well known racing cyclist, performing on the Castlereagh, Mt. Druitt and Wallacia circuits. However, his fiancee had extracted a promise from him to give up this dangerous pastime. There were wedding bells and Bill kept his promise. His father-in-law, Dick Anderson, was captain of the Leo nay Golf Club and he persuaded Bill to try golf. One day Bill picked up a right handed club and hit a ball left handed, with the back of the four iron. "It flew a country mile", Bill had just been bitten by the golf bug. At twenty two years of age he joined the Leo nay Golf Club and sought assistance from the Club Professional who advised him to change his stance to right hand. He was also told he would never be any good as a left hander. But Bill had other ideas and made the decision to stand on the wrong side of the ball and teach himself. He constructed a green and a bunker in the back yard and would practise every night, after work. He approached his neighbours, seeking their approval to play pitch shots over their fences. On a handicap of 27, Bill guaranteed complete safety. Within two years he had reduced his handicap to 7 and won the Leonay Club Championship. Being labelled a south paw, a mauly dooker, a Jeftie and a cackie hander he decided to do something for the lefties in golf and was dominant in the formation of the National Association of Left Handed Golfers in Australia. He was later to win the Australian left handed championship six times.