SMERGS History
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Key Dates

1984 First games played at Cammeray, Castle Cove. then Northbridge GC

1984 Ten second rule introduced

1986 First annual tournament against "The Morning After The Night Before Golf Club"

1987 Last tournament against "The Morning After The Night Before Golf Club" (click for photos)

1986 Ten second rule abolished?

19?? SMERGS first tour??

1992 SMERGS name introduced

1993 First Mountain Masters played

1993 SMERGS first annual dinner held

1993 SMERGS handicap system first used

1993 The first ANZAC Day Trophy

1994 Rick Chadwick first said "I can never win off my handicap"

1994 SMERGS' white shirt introduced together with famous SMERGS logo

1995 First Curtley Cup

1995 Riverside Oaks Country Classic

1996 Mother Mary McKillop Cup

1996 SMERGS' song first sung

1998 SMERGS' black shirt introduced

1998 The first Buenes Aires Cup

1999 First Di, Dodi and the Driver Memorial Cup

1999 First SMERGS Memorial Cup

1999 First St Nicholas Cup (at St Michael's)

1999 The first Beige Jacket

1999 The first Carlos Road Cup

2000? Web page set up by Simon Rowe

2000 Riverside Oaks Tweed Jacket first played

2002 SMERGS' green Murray shirt introduced

2002 The first Newcastle Flyer

2003 17 August - the Green Croc Award (courtesy Ken Miller) awarded for the first time

2005 The SMERGS Hall of Fame created and first member inducted (Rob Lowndes). Only anointed members may appoint future members.

2006 2 Oct - The first Croc'n'Brock Memorial Cup to determine the Pairs Champions

2006 Second member (Phil Stabback) inducted to Hall of Fame

2007 28 Jan - a new record on the back nine by Ian Baker with 29 points (34 hits off 23 handicap)

2007 13 May - a new stroke record, 31 strokes on the back nine by Alan O'Donovan (before the temporary holes came into play)

2007 8 Sep - The first Killara Cup played on APEC public holiday

2007 16 Sep - First day on new temporary course while dams built. 10 holes each Sunday until further notice

2008 13 Apr - Peter Burns scores an Eagle on the par5 6th hole at Cypress Lakes.
2008 20 Apr - Return to the traditional back nine after completion of dams. Possibly lowest team score ever with just 7.5 pt average and four players in team!

2008 25 Apr - Rob Miller farewelled in style at Chez Hillyard. Read theOde to Robbie. Rob takes leave of absence at end June to live in Syracuse.

2008 1 June - Rob Miller departs for Jamesville NY. Leaves legacy ofSMERGS Quotes!

2008 20 June - Inaugural Avondale Medal

2008 23 November - Inaugural Northern Beaches Open

2009 12 April - NGC's Black Tee rule adopted for players 65 years and older.

2009 5 October - Lowest recorded four player team average of 9 points (Thornton, Lowndes, Waddington, Figgis), lowest CROC score of 3 points (Waddington), and lowest overall average of 10.25 points (8 players), and the winner had just 15 points - and it was a lovely morning!!

2009 11 November - RNGC Club Captain, Lindsay Domingue, joins us on the 10th tee to congratulate (and thank) all SMERGS for 25 glorious years!

2009 20 November - Annual dinner and four new Hall of fame members inducted - foundation members Peter Burns, Rick Chadwick and Phil Alexander, and Nick Hillyard.

2010 11 April - Simon Rowe reaches zero handicap so 10 strokes added to all SMERGS handicaps

2010 24 October - Phil and Helen sell their lovely Wentworth Falls house so the Carlos Road Cup returns to Blackheath as the Blue Mountains Classic after an 11 year absence.
The Nick Hillyard Pastel Challenge introduced for "the most sartorially elegant pastel attired SMERG golfer" to see if anyone could match Nick's normal attire!

2010 14 November - A rule change!! In future one shot will be deducted from handicaps for every four weeks absence.

2010 14 November - Photo taken showing heritage collection of four SMERGS shirts

2011 13 February - First SMERG booked for speeding on way to golf (Tim Becker). First recorded instance of a group calling through the group behind while looking for lost balls and generally stuffing around!

2011 26 March - SMERGS sponsor Medley 2BBB and Individual Stableford in Saturday competition as "SMERGS of Royal Northbridge".

2011 April - RNGC News and Views features an article on SMERGS including Annual Dinner Ode

2011 13 June - Queens Birthday Club Championship and the second team (Chadwick, Ferreira, Miller, Webb) finished a record one hour behind the winning threesome.

2012 The Country Classic (Tweed Jacket) moves from its traditional home at Riverside Oaks to Lynwood Country Club due to rising costs at RO and general difficulty in dealing with staff there!

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The People

No.	Start	End	SMERG	Introduced by
1	1984		Phil Stabback	Carlos Road
1	1984		Rob Lowndes	Carlos Road
1	1984		Phil Alexander	Carlos Road
1	1984		Rick Chadwick	Carlos Road
5	1986		Alan Waddington	Peter Burns
6	1984		Peter Burns	Carlos Road
7	1984	2007	Mike Bell	Carlos Road
8	1986		Tim Becker	Rick Chadwick
9	1986	1987	Lynton Franzi	Rick Chadwick
10	1987		Nick Hillyard	Alan Waddington
11	1987	1990	Russell Higlett	Peter Burns
12	1987	19??	Peter Stenning	Phil Alexander
13	1991		Peter McDougall	Peter Stenning
14	1991		Peter Thornton	Peter Burns/N Hillyard
15	1992		Ken Miller	Rick Chadwick
16	1994		Robert Miller	Ken Miller
17	1994		John Webb	Carlos Road
18	1995		Rick Butler	Nick Hillyard
19	1996		Simon Rowe	John Webb
20	1996		Steve Figgis	Alan Waddington
36	1996	199?	Julian Tre Evans	Nick Hillyard
29	1997	1999	Andy Knott	Nick Hillyard
30	1998		Gary Skulander	Rob Lowndes
31	1998	1999	Tim McAndrew	Andy Knot
32	1998	2002	David Spencer	Robert Miller
33	1998	2007	James Halliday	Rick Chadwick
34	1999		Bruce Rowe	Simon Rowe
35	2001	2002	Steve Ashby	Simon Rowe
36	2004		Alan O'Donovan	Gary Skulander
37	2004		Ian Baker	Rob Lowndes
38	2005		John Ferreira	Ian Baker
39	2009		Roger Meadows	Nick Hillyard

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	Key Dates

1984	First games played at Cammeray, Castle Cove. then Northbridge GC
1984	Ten second rule introduced
1986	First annual tournament against "The Morning After The Night Before Golf Club"
1987	Last tournament against "The Morning After The Night Before Golf Club" (click for photos)
1986	Ten second rule abolished?
19??	SMERGS first tour??
1992	SMERGS name introduced
1993	First Mountain Masters played
1993	SMERGS first annual dinner held
1993	SMERGS handicap system first used
1993	The first ANZAC Day Trophy
1994	Rick Chadwick first said "I can never win off my handicap"
1994	SMERGS' white shirt introduced together with famous SMERGS logo
1995	First Curtley Cup
1995	Riverside Oaks Country Classic
1996	Mother Mary McKillop Cup
1996	SMERGS' song first sung
1998	SMERGS' black shirt introduced
1998	The first Buenes Aires Cup
1999	First Di, Dodi and the Driver Memorial Cup
1999	First SMERGS Memorial Cup
1999	First St Nicholas Cup (at St Michael's)
1999	The first Beige Jacket
1999	The first Carlos Road Cup
2000?	Web page set up by Simon Rowe
2000	Riverside Oaks Tweed Jacket first played
2002	SMERGS' green Murray shirt introduced
2002	The first Newcastle Flyer
2003	17 August - the Green Croc Award (courtesy Ken Miller) awarded for the first time
2005	The SMERGS Hall of Fame created and first member inducted (Rob Lowndes). Only anointed members may appoint future members.
2006	2 Oct - The first Croc'n'Brock Memorial Cup to determine the Pairs Champions
2006	Second member (Phil Stabback) inducted to Hall of Fame
2007	28 Jan - a new record on the back nine by Ian Baker with 29 points (34 hits off 23 handicap)
2007	13 May - a new stroke record, 31 strokes on the back nine by Alan O'Donovan (before the temporary holes came into play)
2007	8 Sep - The first Killara Cup played on APEC public holiday
2007	16 Sep - First day on new temporary course while dams built. 10 holes each Sunday until further notice
2008	13 Apr - Peter Burns scores an Eagle on the par5 6th hole at Cypress Lakes.
2008	20 Apr - Return to the traditional back nine after completion of dams. Possibly lowest team score ever with just 7.5 pt average and four players in team!
2008	25 Apr - Rob Miller farewelled in style at Chez Hillyard. Read theOde to Robbie. Rob takes leave of absence at end June to live in Syracuse.
2008	1 June - Rob Miller departs for Jamesville NY. Leaves legacy ofSMERGS Quotes!
2008	20 June - Inaugural Avondale Medal
2008	23 November - Inaugural Northern Beaches Open
2009	12 April - NGC's Black Tee rule adopted for players 65 years and older.
2009	5 October - Lowest recorded four player team average of 9 points (Thornton, Lowndes, Waddington, Figgis), lowest CROC score of 3 points (Waddington), and lowest overall average of 10.25 points (8 players), and the winner had just 15 points - and it was a lovely morning!!
2009	11 November - RNGC Club Captain, Lindsay Domingue, joins us on the 10th tee to congratulate (and thank) all SMERGS for 25 glorious years!
2009	20 November - Annual dinner and four new Hall of fame members inducted - foundation members Peter Burns, Rick Chadwick and Phil Alexander, and Nick Hillyard.
2010	11 April - Simon Rowe reaches zero handicap so 10 strokes added to all SMERGS handicaps
2010	24 October - Phil and Helen sell their lovely Wentworth Falls house so the Carlos Road Cup returns to Blackheath as the Blue Mountains Classic after an 11 year absence. The Nick Hillyard Pastel Challenge introduced for "the most sartorially elegant pastel attired SMERG golfer" to see if anyone could match Nick's normal attire!
2010	14 November - A rule change!! In future one shot will be deducted from handicaps for every four weeks absence.
2010	14 November - Photo taken showing heritage collection of four SMERGS shirts
2011	13 February - First SMERG booked for speeding on way to golf (Tim Becker). First recorded instance of a group calling through the group behind while looking for lost balls and generally stuffing around!
2011	26 March - SMERGS sponsor Medley 2BBB and Individual Stableford in Saturday competition as "SMERGS of Royal Northbridge".
2011	April - RNGC News and Views features an article on SMERGS including Annual Dinner Ode
2011	13 June - Queens Birthday Club Championship and the second team (Chadwick, Ferreira, Miller, Webb) finished a record one hour behind the winning threesome.
2012	The Country Classic (Tweed Jacket) moves from its traditional home at Riverside Oaks to Lynwood Country Club due to rising costs at RO and general difficulty in dealing with staff there!