The classy Goulburn outfit also has the ACT Golf A Grade pennant in its keeping and features four men who play off scratch or better. Their record won’t mean anything this Sunday, however.

The Goulburnians tee-off their pennant defence against a team of six at Murrumbidgee Golf Club in Canberra. Mick Gerstenberg, Luke Bartlett, Jono Gann, Col Lamb, Dave Laurie and Mark Guthrie face pressure from more their opponents.

A handful of golfers could manage the step-up from the A Reserve team, such is the depth of talent in Goulburn.

“There was a fair bit of competition for the [last] spot, which is good for us,” Gann said.

“A lot of players in the club have improved over the last 12 months; they want a place in A grade after we took it out last year.”

That strength in numbers, along with a guaranteed two matches on the Goulburn Golf Club course, has the defending champion nicely placed.

But golf is a difficult game. A breath of wind, overhanging tree branch, or fortunate bounce can change the outcome of a tie.

And with rain forecast for much of the next month, golfers need to be wary of potentially slow greens and uncomfortable rough.

There’s little room for error. Only the top two teams from each pool advance to the semi-finals. Standing in Goulburn’s way are teams from Yowani, Murrumbidgee and Royal Canberra. Over six weekends, the contenders will be separated from the pretenders in a home-and-away round robin fixture.

The key for the local men, Gann says, is to notch wins on enemy turf. “Home course advantage is massive, especially as the Canberra guys aren’t as familiar to Goulburn as they would be around the Canberra courses,” he said.

“You should win all your home games, so we will need to get up in the others.”

Much of the positive culture from last year remains. Aside from the withdrawal of Stu Weatherstone and Luke Humphries - the latter of whom is touring Australia and is hopeful of success abroad - and the addition of Mark Guthrie, the lineup identical to that of 2011.