BALLARAT has again reigned supreme as the best golf region in country Victoria, winning the Junior Country Regional Championships for the third straight time.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Ballarat and District Golf Association became the first team to win three consecutive Vic Country titles, winning by 14 shots over Goulburn Valley.
Their success followed that of Ballarat's senior team, which won the open country week championship for the second year running in October.
Junior team manager Ivan Cato said the results were reflective of a golden era for golf in Ballarat.
"We're thrilled because there is a friendly rivalry between ourselves and the senior guys and we have bragging rights because we have won three in a row now," he said.
"Six years ago we sat down and said we had to put something in place to lift junior golf in Ballarat and it is really starting to pay off."
The two-round event at Heathcote Golf Club saw the top six scores from each team count towards the total score.
Ballarat had the maximum of nine players competing, winning both days to take out the event.
Midlands Golf Club two-handicapper Corey Haase was the standout performer for the weekend, as he was for the open event earlier in the year.
The young gun shot two one-over par rounds of 73 to easily win the scratch event for the tournament, beating his nearest opponent by six shots.
Cato said the success of the team was testament to the skill of Ballarat's young golfers, as well as the hard work of coach Andrew Cartledge.
Just six years ago Ballarat was battling it out in B-grade and was not even within reaching distance of an A-grade trophy.
Now it has won three main titles in a row.
"The golf professionals in Ballarat are really good and they have helped the sport grow a lot," Cato said.
A total of 16 regions competed for the title this year.