{"id":115009,"date":"2026-06-13T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/bendigotimes\/?p=115009"},"modified":"2026-06-11T11:13:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T01:13:23","slug":"neangar-park-buzzing-with-pennant-title-haul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/bendigotimes\/sport\/neangar-park-buzzing-with-pennant-title-haul\/","title":{"rendered":"Neangar Park buzzing with pennant title haul"},"content":{"rendered":"
NEANGAR Park is basking in the glow of a golden 2026 Golf Central Victoria pennant season.<\/p>\n
A force to be reckoned with over the years, the Eaglehawk-based club had four of five teams make Monday pennant finals, including both division 1 teams, with three of them winning titles.<\/p>\n
The trio of wins was headlined by Neangar Park Cornalls’ 4-1 division 1 triumph over clubmates Chamberlains.<\/p>\n
Neangar Park also claimed the division 2A and 2B titles with respective wins over Axedale Kookaburras and Axedale Wrens.<\/p>\nBoth Neangar Park division 1 teams (from left) Jayne Smith, Lesley Poker, Anne Weekley, Catherine Byrne (captain), Janelle Brown, Ange Broadbent, Erin Griffin, Helen Leech, Bernice Campbell (captain) and Sally Graham. Photo: Neangar Park Golf Club.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Hailing a tremendous club-wide finals effort, an ecstatic Cornalls captain Bernice Campbell said the division 1 final was far closer than the 4-1 scoreline indicated.<\/p>\n
“It went down to the wire with two matches going to the 19th (hole) which could have gone either way,” she said.<\/p>\n
“The match between Sally Graham and Jayne Smith was even after 18 holes and Sally managed to win the 19th hole to take her game.<\/p>\n
“The match between myself and Janelle Brown was a tight affair all the way around. There was one shot in it all day.<\/p>\n
“As luck would have it, I sunk the putt for a birdie for a win on the 19th hole.<\/p>\n
“The atmosphere around the green with the spectators was electrifying and exciting at the same time.<\/p>\n
“Neangar Park was buzzing.”<\/p>\n
The winning team comprised Campbell, Graham, Helen Leech, Ange Broadbent, Erin Griffin and Prue Skinner.<\/p>\n
Brown, Smith Lesley Poker, Catherine Byrne and Anne Weekley lined up for Chamberlains.<\/p>\n
In division 2A, captain Kristy Draper, Kate Dalton, June Flaherty and Sue Cook represented Neangar Park Emersons in the 2-1 win over Axedale Kookaburras.<\/p>\n
The victorious division 2B lineup, which overcame Axedale Wrens 2-1, featured captain Jenny Donaldson, Joan Oakes and Jenny Penny.<\/p>\n
Adding to the club’s title haul, three players \u2013 Broadbent (division 1), Draper (2A) and Donaldson (2B) \u2013 were further celebrated after going through respective seasons undefeated.<\/p>\n
A big season for Neangar Park follows a resurgence in pennant golf in the district, after a rapid decline in player numbers in the immediate period post-COVID.<\/p>\n
As Campbell explained: “The district was struggling to find people wanting to be involved in keeping pennant going with the many changes happening in the golfing world having a big impact on how the districts were to be run.<\/p>\n
“Last year there was one person looking after both Sunday pennant and Monday pennant.<\/p>\n
“This person was Jenny Brown who did an awesome job, but it took its toll.<\/p>\n
“An SOS went out to all the clubs in November last year to see if people were willing to put their hand up to help run both pennants, otherwise the alternative would be no pennant.<\/p>\nDivision 2B winners Jenny Penny, Jenny Donaldson and Joan Oakes. Photo: Neangar Park Golf Club.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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“Sunday pennant recruited some volunteers and was ran quite successfully earlier on in the year.”<\/p>\n
Following the formation of a sub-committee comprising representatives from Axedale, Belvoir Park, Bendigo, Neangar Park and Quarry Hill, the season went ahead with six teams entered in division 1, four in 2A and four in 2B, all playing on grass greens courses at Neangar Park, Axedale, Belvoir Park, Bendigo and Kyneton.<\/p>\n
Five teams contested division 2 on sand scrape courses at Quarry Hill, Marong, Inglewood, Rochester and Raywood.<\/p>\n
Sixty players in total committed.<\/p>\n
In a break with tradition, the sand scrape and greens finals were played on different days.<\/p>\n
“The idea was to get supporters to come along and play nine holes at the courses and be around to celebrate the winning teams,” said Campbell, who captured her club’s Nell Chamberlain Knockout Championship title just days after her success with Cornells.<\/p>\n
“There is nothing better than creating a finals atmosphere for a very team-oriented competition such as pennant.<\/p>\n
“Pennant golf is one of the very few opportunities you get to participate as a team.<\/p>\n
“You build great camaraderie amongst your players.”<\/p>\n
Played at Rochester, Inglewood won the sand scrapes final 2-1 over Quarry Hill.<\/p>\n
The winning team comprised Dianne Wayman, Helen Ward and Carol Canfield.<\/p>\n
Mirroring the resurgence in interest in pennant golf, Neangar Park has gone from having one team in 2019 to 2024, to four last year and five in 2026, including two each in divisions 1 and 2B.<\/p>\n
“Rather than put all our lower handicap players in one team, we mixed them up, so we had an even mix of players in the two teams,” Campbell said.<\/p>\nDivision 2A winners June Flaherty, Kate Dalton and Kirsty Draper (captain). Photo: Neangar Park Golf Club.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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“We had a few players who had not played division 1 before, so you can imagine they were nervous.<\/p>\n
“But in saying that they loved being part of the team and gaining valuable experience being part of a division 1 team.<\/p>\n
“All our teams are named after some of our oldest women life members, something the players are very proud of.”<\/p>\n
The division 1 triumph added to titles won by Neangar Park in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 and 2025.<\/p>\n
Axedale claimed the top division honours in 2024, while no play was possible in 2020 due to COVID.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEANGAR Park is basking in the glow of a golden 2026 Golf Central Victoria pennant season. A force to be reckoned with over the years, the Eaglehawk-based club had four of five teams make Monday pennant finals, including both division 1 teams, with three of them winning titles. The trio of wins was headlined by […]<\/p>\n
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