By KATH GANNAWAY
AS individual sportsmen, the Garside brothers, Phil and Ian, are unashamedly competitive.
When they team up, as they did at Warburton Golf Club on 18 September, they are formidable – some (them, for instance) would say, unbeatable.
They have played a lot of sports at competitive levels, but say they enjoy their golf, and each other’s company.
Warburton has been a favourite course since they were boys living in the valley and as regular players they say they wanted to do something to help the club and show appreciation for “the faceless volunteers” who work tirelessly to keep it running. So the inaugural Garside Challenge, a two-person ambrose was launched with the Garsides putting up $100 prize money and nine bottles of “good” wine.
While no-one questions their generosity, it became a moot point as the Garside boys fulfilled their own predictions and came away winners, by a five-shot margin.
They might be embarrassed by the win, taking home the money and the wine, but they’re not. It just heightens the challenge for the next Garside event.
“We were embarrassed to win so easily though,” said Phil.
“We won by over five shots and that’s a lot in a golf tournament,” he observes.
If their swing and their putting are their chief weapons on the course, their skilful use of banter was a handy tool in building interest for the Challenge.
They were pretty cocky about winning their own competition, and according to club president Ron Hottes, it drove interest with over 20 pairs looking to “bring them down”.
The Garside boys didn’t have it all their own way however. Sledging wasn’t allowed, unless it was against them, and there were four ‘birdies’ auctioned at a $100 each.
They are already working on their next flyer with the suggestion they may have to play a couple of holes blind-folded to give their opposition a chance.
“If all that banter gets lots of people signing up to play, that’s good,” says Ian.
With the gauntlet well and truly caste, the Garside Challenge may become a bi-annual event.
“We already have people pushing for it to be held twice a year, and promising, or threatening, to beat us,” said Phil.
It’s a tempting proposition; not just because they are so damned competitive, but because the Garside Challenge raised $1000 for the club, and everyone enjoyed themselves so much.
