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U.S OPEN PREVIEW

AARON BADDELEY’S SECOND COMING

JUNE 2016 ISSUE #328

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EDITOR Brendan James bjames@golfaustralia.com.au

PREVIEW

DEPUTY EDITOR Steve Keipert skeipert@golfaustralia.com.au GOLF AUSTRALIA EXPRESS EDITOR Damian Shutie dshutie@golfaustralia.com.au ART DIRECTOR Allan Bender GRAPHIC DESIGN Oliver Barles

COLUMNIST-AT-LARGE John Huggan COLUMNISTS Mike Clayton, Brendan Moloney, Geoff Ogilvy, Greg Norman

CONTENTS JUNE #328

40 OPEN WOUNDS The US Open returns to its touchstone venue: the diabolically difficult Oakmont Country Club. Steve Keipert previews the year’s second major championship.

46 A STEP TOO FAR FOR THE U.S OPEN?

TOUR PROFESSIONAL Adam Scott CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kevin Barker, Matt Cleary, Dale Concannon, Ben Everill, James Henderson, Andrew Marshall, Rod Morri, Rick Weber CONTRIBUTING PGA PROFESSIONALS Steve Aisbett, Daniel Blackwell, Leon Faulkner, Brad Hughes, Lorien Scott, Christian Small, Anthony Summers PHOTOGRAPHY Getty Images, Matthew Harris/TGPL, Gary Lisbon EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES

PH: (02) 9901 6142 golf@golfaustralia.com.au

A D V E R T I S I N G

The USGA’s Mike Davis has made it his personal mission to transform the image of the US Open by taking the championship to different courses. But have Davis and his team been too ambitious?

HEAD OF SPORT Hamish Bayliss hbayliss@nextmedia.com.au (02) 9901 6176; M: 0411 057 327

52 BADDS REBORN

NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER Peter Curtin pcurtin@nextmedia.com.au (03) 5984 4394; M: 0409 337 736

A new coach and outlook on his swing has Aaron Baddeley aiming for the top echelon of the game again, reports Ben Everill.

57 BIG DAY OUT Can a bigger hole make golf more enjoyable and cool again? We sent our correspondent, Matt Cleary, to find out.

ADVERTISING MANAGER – NSW, QLD & WA Tim Hooper thooper@nextmedia.com.au (02) 9901 6131; M: 0402 445 052 NSW & MARKETPLACE ADVERTISING MANAGER Mark Watkins mwatkins@nextmedia.com.au (02) 9901 6328; M: 0410 418 052 ADVERTISING TRAFFIC MANAGER Alison Begg abegg@nextmedia.com.au PH: (02) 9901 6346, Fax: (02) 9901 6116

PRE-PRESS MANAGER Jonathan Bishop PRODUCTION MANAGER Peter Ryman CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Carole Jones

S U B S C R I P T I O N S

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Building A, Level 6, 207 Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2065 Locked Bag 5555, St Leonards NSW 1590 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David Gardiner COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Bruce Duncan Golf Australia is published by nextmedia Pty Ltd ACN: 128 805 970, Level 6, Building A, 207 Pacific Highway, St Leonards, NSW 2065 © 2014. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior permission of the publisher. Printed by Webstar Sydney, distributed in Australia and NZ by Gordon & Gotch. ISSN 0818-5077. The publisher will not accept responsibility or any liability for the correctness of information or opinions expressed in the publication. All material submitted is at the owner’s risk and, while every care will be taken nextmedia does not accept liability for loss or damage.

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personal information through your participation in any competitions, surveys or offers featured in this issue of Golf Australia, this will be used to provide the products or services that you have requested and to improve the content of our magazines. Your details may be provided to third parties who assist us in this purpose. In the event of organisations providing prizes or offers to our readers, we may pass your details on to them. From time to time, we may use the information you provide us to inform you of other products, services and events our company has to offer. We may also give your information to other organisations which may use it to inform you about their products, services and events, unless you tell us not to do so. You are welcome to access the information that we hold about you by getting in touch with our privacy officer, who can be contacted at nextmedia, Locked Bag 5555, St Leonards, NSW 1590.

www.golfaustralia.com.au

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102

CONTENTS JUNE #328

T R AV E L & C O U R S E S

INSTRUCTION

12 COURSE REVIEW: NORTH RYDE GC

62 EXCLUSIVE: UNLEASH YOUR POWER GAME BY JASON DAY

Steve Keipert makes a long-awaited return to a suburban Sydney course and was impressed by how much it has changed for the better.

The World No.1 and reigning PGA champion reveals his keys to generating a more powerful golf swing.

30 MY FAVOURITE COURSES: NICK O’HERN The former Australian PGA champion opted for a few tournament favourites and some global classics in his top-ten.

73 SWING SEQUENCE: DANNY WILLETT The Golf Australia Swing Doctor looks at what you can learn from the swing that won the Masters.

102 GOLDEN WEST Brendan James looks at the best courses golfers can play while visiting Perth and the Peel region, just to the south of the West Australian capital.

76 TOUR TIP: BUBBA WATSON Pick your spot to land your chip shots and have them finish closer to the cup.

114 THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN Dramatic scenery, beautiful food and plenty of sun are the hallmarks of a holiday to Spain’s Gran Canaria island, writes Andrew Marshall.

126 TOP-100 SPOTLIGHT: SETTLERS RUN G&CC

78 BREAKING 80/90/100 Steve Aisbett: Aiming up in practice. Daniel Blackwell: Bunker line drill. Lorien Scott: A step-by-step guide to a better grip.

This Greg Norman design on the edge of the Melbourne Sandbelt has cemented a place in ourTop-100

10 TEEING OFF: BRENDAN JAMES 16 INSIDE THE ROPES: MIKE CLAYTON 18 AROUND THE TRAPS 32 THE WANDERING GOLFER: BRENDAN MOLO

EQUIPMENT

6 PLAYING WITH … ODYSSEY TOE-UP PUTTER We let our tester loose with this new putter, which is designed to promote a more consistent stroke.

34 HUGGAN’S ALLEY: JOHH HUGGAN 36 IN MY OPINION: GEOFF OGILVY 38 SUBSCRIPTION OFFER: WIN A SEVEN-NIG SUNSHINE COAST HOLIDAY, WORTH $7,100 84 PRO SHOP: LATEST EQUIPMENT

100 PLAYING WITH … GOLF SKATE CADDY

120 GETAWAYS: GOLF TRAVEL

Deputy editor Steve Keipert takes golf’s newest motorised transport for a spin.

130 WINNER’S CIRCLE: JAMES HAHN

89 DRIVING FORCE arating the technology from the playability isn’t always easy w opping for a new driver. Here’s our guide to make it a little ea

JUNE 2016 | golf australia

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TEEING OFF

BY B R E N DA N JA M E S | G O L F AU S T R A L I A E D I TO R

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE LIVE GOLF when a ball was lobbed from the crowd and landed near them. It appeared to have an earplug attached. “So random,” Fowler said later. “The guy tried to say it was a gift. I don’t know why you would give a gift of a golf ball with an earplug attached to it.” But the pros are usually the ones bearing gifts … or advice. One minute you could be standing beside the fairway and the next, a blurry Rory McIlroy is standing over your limp body offering you a signed ball and glove and asking if you’re OK. Good times! Could the opportunity to get a signed glove and ball from Tiger Woods be part of his crowd-pulling power? After all, his form in recent years as been so so a d when he

the front nine, and floored another fan on the back nine. There was no confirmation Woods played the last few holes with the only glove left in his bag. Then, of course, there is the advice you can get. Brad Clegg will never forget the little pearl of wisdom he received from John Daly at the Australian Open in 2008. If you don’t remember Brad, he was the guy who tried to take a photo of the ‘Wild Thing’ when he was swinging away in the trees during the first round. Clegg’s flash went off and Daly reacted by throwing his camera against a tree, before a couple of choice words were dispatched. Daly was fined, and Clegg, who shouldn’t have had a camera out, was short one Canon. If you discount standing in front of a

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

I DON’T know any sports fan who doesn’t like watching their chosen sport live. As a golf nut, there is nothing better than seeing, hearing and feeling the action up close at a tournament. To see the ball flight, hear the sound of impact and, if you’re unlucky, the feel of a ball rattling into your shins. By far the best, and perhaps safest, spot at a tournament is standing directly behind the player who is hitting. This is the added bonus you get when attending events like the Oates Vic Open, where there are no gallery ropes and you get to walk on the fairways behind the players. Even behind the gallery ropes you are close enough to the action where there will usually be some sort of interaction

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Western Australian Golf Club

Located only 15 minutes from the CBD, the recently completed balcony overlooks the Perth city skyline. The golf course is rated #49 in Australia and features a magniicently presented Graham Marsh designed course with the Club recently hosting the WA Open. Limited memberships are available for male and female golfers in 9 hole or 18 hole categories plus Social membership. Join now or book your next function and enjoy the experience.

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COURSE REVIEW

GOLF CLUB N O RT H RY D E â&#x20AC;¢ N S W

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In a pocket of Sydney that’s dominated by private clubs and short courses, North Ryde punches well above its weight. WORDS STEVE KEIPERT PHOTOGRAPHY BRENDAN JAMES

lot can happen to a golf course in 8,550 days. This writer’s only previous tour of North Ryde Golf Club came in a humiliating junior pennants match played on a rainy day in November 1992 that resulted in a 7&5 flogging. That lopsided scoreline not only did nothing for our team, it also prevented me from playing the last five holes. The fact it took me nearly 23-and-a-half years to return can’t be explained by lack of

opportunity, for there’s no earthly reason for Sydneysiders to not play at least the occasional 18 holes at North Ryde. Even in a metropolis as sprawling as the harbour city, this public layout is accessible to all in every sense. Ryde is a central hub within the city and North Ryde Golf Club sits only a few minutes’ drive away. Even in a place so often mired in traic snarls, Sydney’s major arterial roads all point there in some fashion. They also point to a course and club that knows its own identity. A solid Group 2 course on

a compact site, North Ryde is a diminutive 5,307-metre, par-69 layout (4,960 metres, par-70 for women) that won’t attract much fanfare when it comes to golf course rankings but it will when it comes to consistency, popularity and delivering an experience that keeps drawing golfers back. Despite sitting on a 30-hectare site hemmed in by a main road, a school and a hospital, North Ryde is a scenic sanctuary amid the hustle and bustle of modern life. And the place is looking better than ever.

The pond flanking the right side of the 17th hole is difficult to ignore as you approach the green of the par-5.

golf australia | JUNE 2016

A three-tiered target is a defining feature of the uphill par-3 that begins the second nine.

Redesign work carried out by local course architect James Wilcher between 2013 and 2015 saw the reconstruction of four greens (at the 1st, 4th, 9th and 17th holes) plus their greenside bunkers. Simultaneously, the expansion of three dams and the addition of another took place to not only bring these water hazards more into play but to also provide valuable water storage. Meanwhile, the fill created allowed the club to soften the depth of the gully that cuts through the course. About 200 trees were removed but as many as four times that number were planted. Indeed, North Ryde is a A pond and bunkers guard the approach to the green of the downhill par-4 4th hole.

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veritable arboretum where shots are constantly shaped around and turned between stands of magnificent flourishing trees. One tree is famously no longer there. The old 1st hole used to feature an enormous gum tree that stood 45 metres tall and broad like a burly security guard protecting half of the green. Such was its scale, tee shots positioned in the middle of the fairway often yielded no direct line to some flags. That tree is gone but the new 1st is just as intriguing. It’s not often you can say this about a 345-metre par-4: it might be a 6-iron of the tee, it

might be a driver – or it could be anything in between. The reason for the dispersion of options is the way one of the new dams pinches into the left-side of the fairway to create an incredibly narrow landing zone for longer clubs. You can challenge the water but must be highly accurate; the better play might be to start the round with a mid- to long iron even if that means another is required to ﬁnd the green. More redesign work will take place in the coming years and, based on the ﬁrst four holes, will serve to strengthen the total layout when it does

Narrow, pinched-in targets dominate at North Ryde as timber, sand and water defend the short layout.

FACT FILE THE COURSE

happen. All of which boosts the golf ofering in an enclave of private clubs and short courses. Oddly, despite its central location, there are no other full-scale, public-access golf courses near North Ryde. Private clubs Killara, Concord, Avondale and Ryde-Parramatta aren’t far away, as is the par-3-dominated Chatswood Golf Club and several other short courses, but for a full-length public layout, Strathfield Golf Club is more than 11 kilometres away across the Parramatta River. The bulk of the challenge lies on North Ryde’s front nine, which is 169 metres longer than the back yet the par is a stroke lower. A quartet of tough par-4s defines the opening half: the aforementioned 1st hole with its new water hazard, plus the 4th, 5th and 7th holes. The 4th descends a steep hill but is narrow with a tee set obliquely to the straight fairway. Water sits left of the green, which partially wraps around the pond. The 371-metre 5th plays longer as it climbs the same hillside and is best attacked from the right side of the fairway. The granddaddy of them all is the index-1 7th, which stretches 416 metres and has busy Lane Cove Rd along the left side. It plays downhill towards a water hazard designed to catch the second shots of those who miss the fairway before rising to a green benched into the sloping ground. It’s diicult to imagine any golfer making par there and walking away unsatisfied. The serpentine par-5 9th, with its rebuilt green complex, concludes the front nine before the shorter, tighter second side unfolds. Several holes have changed direction through the years but the inward half is still characterised by short par-4s (including three measuring less than 300 metres), a trio of short- to mid-length par-3s and two tempting par-5s. Aside from the par-3s, almost all the back-nine holes bend at least once around tall timber and beckon big hitters into cutting of

distance with some daring drives over or around corners. You get the feeling the design intention is to ask golfers to hang on for the first eight holes then unleash over the last ten. The course is compact and you feel a sense of the small space via the closely set fairways and the proximity of neighbouring greens and tees. However, the design is shrewd and cleverly utilises every useable piece of the property. It also plays longer than its yardage partly due to the number of drives that land on upslopes and minimise roll. The bunkering is far from overdone and all are craftily positioned to the point that every pot plays a strategic role. One oddity to North Ryde is the retention of two grass types in the fairways. On most holes, kikuyu dominates before couch takes over nearer the green surrounds, although how far out that transition occurs varies from hole to hole. It’s a simple adjustment but one that many golfers might not be used to making from shot to shot. Armed with a fleet of 35 carts that cater for golf days of up to 70 players, North Ryde is a haven for social clubs and corporate golf events alike. It’s perfectly located for Sydney’s various business districts and ofers a course that novice players find user-friendly while expert golfers see it as anything but a pushover. Social players in particular rave about the golf course and the total package, yet members retain access to the course for part of each day. The result is a busy place with a thriving energy that golfers clearly enjoy. Oh, and as for those last five holes I missed playing in ’92? Well, here’s a challenge for you next time you tackle North Ryde. On my return trip I played alongside the club’s trainee professional, Alex Emmerson, who birdied the last eight holes in a row in astonishing fashion. A finish like that would surely have dug me out of a deep matchplay hole all those years ago.

LOCATION: Twin Rd, North Ryde, Sydney NSW. CONTACT: (02) 9887 4422. WEBSITE: www.northrydegolfclub.com.au DESIGNERS: Unknown (1949); James Wilcher (2015). SLOPE RATINGS: Men: 129/122/118; women: 124/122. PLAYING SURFACES: Bentgrass (greens), couch (tees), kikuyu and couch (fairways and rough). COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Ron Duffy. PGA PROFESSIONAL: Martin Lyne. GREEN FEES: $40 (weekdays), $50 (weekends and public holidays).

THE CLUB MEMBERSHIP: A handful of full memberships are currently available, with a joining fee of $1,650 and annual dues of $1,850 (inclusive of a $200 bar levy). Other categories include ‘Restricted’, for 25- to 44-year-old men and women, colt, junior and cadet, plus family and partner memberships. Visit the website for more details. RECIPROCAL CLUBS: Belmont, Cowra (NSW) and Box Hill (Vic). FACILITIES: The club is a popular function venue, catering for weddings, dinners, wakes, business seminars and more. The modern, stylish clubhouse includes a bistro, restaurant, bar, auditorium and three function rooms. CORPORATE GOLF: North Ryde hosts numerous corporate golf days annually for a range of clientele and fields of up to 120 players. The club has the staff to run the day entirely or simply help manage it. Optional extras include clinics and the club’s professionals joining groups as they play. See the website for additional information.

golf australia | JUNE 2016

INSIDE THE ROPES

BY M I K E C L AY T O N | G O L F AU S T R A L I A P L AY IN G E D I TO R

DOING IT RIGHT COMES IN MANY FORMS Brown asked them about putting. Trevino admitted to having a recent attack of the yips, but that he had solved it by keeping his left hand going through the ball. He demonstrated his point and it made perfect sense – for him. It was his secret. Player disagree and offered another opinion invoking the method of his fellow South African, “the greatest putter who ever lived – Bobby Locke.” Locke, he pointed out, aimed way to the right, addressed the ball on the toe of the putter, hooked the ball and employed almost no follow-through by stopping his left hand on his thigh. Trevino in contrast to Locke and Player had always played with an open stance. “Well,” said Nicklaus, “that was because he grew up playing on those slow, rough couch greens in South Africa. [Isao] Aoki (the brilliant Japanese putter) did the same because of the coarse Japanese greens. I grew up on bent greens and as a consequence my stroke was much different.” Player famously played with a jabbing stroke where the putter on his short putts never moved past the ball. He was convinced, utterly contrary toTrevino, the no or very limited followthrough method was best. Nicklaus then explained his method where he crouched low over the ball with his right arm, which was

THEY ALL AGREED THE ‘FEEL’ IT TOOK TO BE A GREAT PUTTER WAS A VERY PERSONAL THING.

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almost parallel with the ground, working as a piston. The amazing thing about Nicklaus’ stroke was so few ever copied it and that despite a whole generation reading his book, Golf My Way, and attempting to replicate the principles of his golf swing. Greg Norman was one of the most successful imitators of Nicklaus but it was his own swing and not one to try and emulate. Amazingly, the generation of Australians had PeterThomson and Kel Nagle under our noses yet most dismissed their methods as old-fashioned. It was stupidity and sheep-following on a grand scale. Player suggested Nicklaus’ great strength as a putter was the control he had over the speed.They all agreed the ‘feel’ it took to be a great putter was a very personal thing and all great putters have whatever ‘it’ is. On the long and difficult, and often exceedingly fast putts, so important at Augusta National, St Andrews and US Open courses like fearsome Oakmont, the ability to avoid three-putting was a key to winning big championships. “Sometimes,” said Nicklaus, “it would be June before I three-putted a green.” You never quite knew if he was serious but it’s a pretty sure bet he wasn’t far off the mark. Ultimately, though, the lesson of the great players was there are many ways of doing it right.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

JACK Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and Gary Player were, with Arnold Palmer, the four greatest players in the decade from the mid-1960s through to the emergence of Severiano Ballesteros and the dominant few years of Tom Watson. The three came from wildly differing circumstances and played starkly different games. Nicklaus, from an affluent mid-western American background, took up the game as a ten-year-old, was a prodigy within a handful of years and in time became the undisputed greatest player of all time. He did it with great power, a great mind and a deadly putter. “Who,” I asked Tom Weiskopf once, “was the greatest putter you ever saw?” “Nicklaus was, of course. Did you ever see him miss a putt he had to make?” Trevino came from real poverty and forged a game utterly different from Nicklaus. His ball flew out low and with a swing many thought was particularly unglamorous. The golf writers and the critics made fun of his lurching, looping motion until they realised it produced a purity of strike and a level of control matched only by Ben Hogan. He made his short irons his greatest strength while they were Nicklaus’ only real weakness. The early advice from those who first saw Player’s game was to go back to South Africa and find a real job. Like Trevino he dug his secrets out of the ground and, likeTrevino and Nicklaus, he had his own way of doing it. He was one of the greatest bunker players ever while Trevino had barely played out of a bunker until he came out on theTour. Unsurprisingly they were all very selfassured, placing great faith in methods that worked for them. There is nothing like proving the correctness of your way of doing things than having your way succeed over and over and the three great players played with great assuredness. Recently they played an exhibition match together at a Champions Tour event in Houston. It was an ambrose format, making poor shots largely meaningless as the other two were there to cover. It was a purely television event with the players being interviewed at various points in the play. Normally they are pretty vacuous discussions but on the 15th green Billy Ray

North Ryde Golf Club

Limited spots available in full membership Social play available 7 days a week The perfect location for Corporate golf and Corporate seminars

Twin Road North Ryde NSW 2113 Phone: (02) 9887 4422 Fax: (02) 9805 1646

www.northrydegolfclub.com.au

AROUND THE TRAPS

OPENING SHOT

MARCUS FRASER

A RACE IN THREE Just who will join Jason Day as Australia’s men’s golf representatives at the Rio Olympics in August remains uncertain. Three players – Marcus Fraser, Matt Jones and Scott Hend – are the likely candidates battling it out for the spot left vacant when Adam Scott and Marc Leishman announced they were unavailable for selection. After Leishman, Fraser is the next highestranked player but Jones and an in-form Hend can still grab the spot if they overtake Fraser in

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the official world golf ranking by July 11 when the final Olympic field will be determined. The Olympics will feature a 60-man field, with a maximum of two players representing each country – or up to four providing each is ranked inside the world’s top-15. The United States looks set to have four players as all are ranked inside the top-15 in the world. The Australian women’s team is more clear cut, with World No.12 Minjee Lee and seventime major champion Karrie Webb a lock for Rio.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES X 3

SCOTT HEND

BRAZIL BOUND WOMEN

MEN

*ALL POSITIONS CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS

MATT JONES

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Jason Day (AUS) Jordan Spieth (USA) Rory McIlroy (IRL) Bubba Watson (USA) Rickie Fowler (USA) Henrik Stenson (SWE) Dustin Johnson (USA) Danny Willett (GBR) Justin Rose (GBR) Branden Grace (RSA) Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) Sergio Garcia (ESP) Byeong-Hun An (KOR) Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP) Shane Lowry (IRL) Danny Lee (NZL) Soren Kjeldsen (DEN) Emiliano Grillo (ARG) Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) K.T. Kim (KOR) Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) David Lingmerth (SWE) Thongchai Jaidee (THA) Anirban Lahiri (IND) Victor Dubuisson (FRA) Martin Kaymer (GER) Fabian Gomez (ARG) Jaco van Zyl (RSA) Joost Luiten (NED) Thomas Pieters (BEL) Marcus Fraser (AUS) Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) Yuta Ikeda (JPN) Francesco Molinari (ITA) Ricardo Gouveia (POR) Alexander Levy (FRA) Miguel Tabuena (PHI) Graham DeLaet (CAN) Haotong Li (CHN) David Hearn (CAN) Alex Cejka (GER) S.S.P. Chawrasia (IND) Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR) Ryan Fox (NZL) W.C. Liang (CHN) Mikko Ilonen (FIN) Jhonattan Vegas (VEN) Camilo Villegas (COL) Brendon de Jonge (ZIM) Danny Chia (MAS) Angelo Que (PHI) Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) Adilson da Silva (BRA) Roope Kakko (FIN) Felipe Aguilar (CHI) Rodolfo Cazaubon (MEX) C.T. Pan (TPE) Wen-Tang Lin (TPE) Carlos Ortiz (MEX) Mardan Mamat (SIN)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

Lydia Ko (NZL) Inbee Park (KOR) Lexi Thompson (USA) Stacy Lewis (USA) Brooke M. Henderson (CAN) Amy Yang (KOR) Sei Young Kim (KOR) In Gee Chun (KOR) Shanshan Feng (CHN) Minjee Lee (AUS) Suzann Pettersen (NOR) Anna Nordqvist (SWE) Ariya Jutanugarn (THA) Teresa Lu (TPE) Harukyo Nomura (JPN) Charley Hull (GBR) Pornanong Phatlum (THA) Lee-Anne Pace (RSA) Candie Kung (TPE) Shiho Oyama (JPN) Carlota Ciganda (ESP) Azahara Munoz (ESP) Karrie Webb (AUS) Xiyu Lin (CHN) Karine Icher (FRA) Sandra Gal (GER) Catriona Matthew (GBR) Caroline Masson (GER) Nicole Larsen (DEN) Pernilla Lindberg (SWE) Julieta Granada (PAR) Mariajo Uribe (COL) Gwladys Nocera (FRA) Paula Reto (RSA) Emily Kristine Pedersen (DEN) Christel Boeljon (NED) Alena Sharp (CAN) Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) Gaby Lopez (MEX) Kelly Tan (MAS) Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) Laetitia Beck (ISR) Noora Tamminen (FIN) Klara Spilkova (CZE) Giulia Sergas (ITA) Christine Wolf (AUT) Leona Maguire (IRL) Anne Van Dam (NED) Maria Verchenova (RUS) Giulia Molinaro (ITA) Fabienne In-Albon (SUI) Stephanie Meadow (IRL) Alejandra Llaneza (MEX) Chloe Leurquin (BEL) Michelle Koh (MAS) Liv Cheng (NZL) Aditi Ashok (IND) Miriam Nagl (BRA) Albane Valenzuela (SUI) Victoria Lovelady (BRA)

golf australia | JUNE 2016

AROUND THE TRAPS

COMPE TITIONS & NE WS

APRIL PHOTO CAPTION COMPETITION WINNER We had some terrific entries with names for the LPGA’s girl band. The best entry, according to our judges, came from Alison Albanese, of Henley Beach, South Australia, with: “Iron Maidens.” Congratulations Alison, you win a pair of adidas Tour 360X shoes worth $149.

MGI SUBSCRIPTION COMPETITION WINNER

PHOTO CAPTION COMPETITION SENIOR PGA champion Colin Montgomerie was recently doing the media rounds to promote the event, which included doing a spot of cooking for a TV show. Looks good in an apron, doesn’t he? What is your caption to go with this photo? Submit your caption on the entry form found on our website (not in the

comment box) for the accompanying photo, and the best entry judged by Golf Australia’s editors will win a pair of 2015 adidas Tour 360X shoes, worth $149. The new Tour 360X shoes continue the evolution of the Tour 360 family. With its Tour-proven performance and stability unquestioned, this model features increased cushioning and comfort.

All subscribers to Golf Australia were entered into a draw to win an MGI

For more information visit the website www.adidasgolf.com or call 1800 700 011

TO ENTER: Visit www.golfaustralia.com.au and click on the ‘WIN’ icon to submit your entry. Entries close June 29. The winner will be published in the August 2016 issue of Golf Australia.

NSW OPEN PRIZEMONEY BOOST THE New South Wales Open has been upgraded to Tier One status on the PGA Tour of Australasia and will offer a minimum of $400,000 prizemoney when it is played later this year. The 2016 championship will mark the start of this year’s Australian summer of

20 JUNE 2016 | golf australia

golf and will be played from November 10 to 13, the week prior to the Emirates Australian Open. The Greg Norman-designed Stonecutters Ridge Golf Club (pictured) at Colebee, in western Sydney, will host the event for the third consecutive year.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES X 2; SUPPLIED X 2; BRENDAN JAMES (STONECUTTERS RIDG

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NE WS & OFFER

TIGER NEARING A RETURN THERE have been a lot of American golf writers jumping at shadows in recent months in the hope of breaking the story of Tiger Woods’ return to the PGATour. After video emerged of Woods playing some holes at the opening of his new Bluejack National design, social media went wild with speculation that the 14-time major winner might be close to a comeback after two rounds of back surgery. Woods, who hasn’t played since the Wyndham Championship last August, has repeatedly said there is no timeline for his return, yet the speculation continues. It was thought that Tiger might return at the Players Championship after Golf Channel reported accommodation for Woods had been booked in the Ponte Vedra Beach area for the week of

the tournament. But the deadline for entries into the field came and went without a peep from the Woods camp. Similar reports have since emerged of the former World No.1 securing accommodation for this month’s Memorial Tournament. Considering he has submitted an entry for the US Open two weeks later, it makes sense that if he is planning on teeing it up at Oakmont that he would want to try to get four competitive rounds under his belt beforehand. In the meantime, Woods is keeping his cards close to his chest when quizzed about his return. “Dude, if I knew, I would tell you. I’m sick of being on the sidelines. “I want to compete against these boys. I miss it,” he said.

WANT MORE GOLF? GET EXPRESS HAVE you caught up with our weekly online magazine, Golf Australia Express? If you haven’t here’s what you will find. Golf Australia Express is e-mailed to more than 34,000 subscribers every Wednesday morning, with all the latest news and results from the world of golf. We are also the first to preview each week’s upcoming tournaments on the PGA Tour, European Tour and LPGA Tour

To subscribe to Golf Australia Express, go to http://www. golfaustralia.com.au/newslettersignup-page/ OR scan the adjoining QR code with your smartphone to be linked to the Express sign up page.

22 JUNE 2016 | golf australia

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES (WOODS);

with detailed observations and tips from our panel of experts. This month, if you sign up and subscribe to Golf Australia Express, you will go into the draw to win a dozen Callaway Chrome Soft golf balls (au.callawaygolf.com). The latest version of Callaway’s Chrome Soft ball promises exceptional distance more control into the green

NE WS

‘I WASTED MY TALENT’: DALY TURNING 50 brought John Daly more than a home to play on the PGA Tour Champions; it might have brought a little wisdom tinged with a hint of regret. The ‘Wild Thing’ made his Champions Tour debut at the Insperity Invitational last month, finishing in a creditable tie for 17th having contending for the lead earlier in the final round. He has since announced he will be a definite starter for the Open Championship at Royal Troon and the Senior Open at Carnoustie, to be played in consecutive weeks next month. In making the announcement, Daly reflected on his career that is probably better known for the on-course meltdowns and off-course behaviour than the two major championships he won. He said he now possesses the mental attitude he needed in the 1990s to go hand-inhand with his immense physical talents. “I think I wasted my talent in the ‘90s, especially the late ‘90s. All the money was coming in and I didn’t work hard enough at it,” Daly said. “I didn’t do the right things to prepare myself to win tournaments. That’s not the case any more. My mental attitude is ten times better now.”

24 JUNE 2016 | golf australia

Of course, Daly famously won the 1991 US PGA as the ninth alternate starter and four years later added The Open title at St Andrews. Given his prodigious hitting and surprisingly silky touch around the greens, the world was Daly’s oyster. But his off-course excesses ruled the way. Now, Daly says, he’s excited to have just made 50 and he wants to celebrate the milestone by winning again. “I’m really excited to make it to 50 and to have a home where I can play,” Daly said. “It’s been pretty tough these past few years, not knowing where I’m going to play and waiting by the phone for exemptions and so on. Now I have a category that means I can play for a few years out here and get a schedule which allows me to play a lot of golf. It’s going to be good for me.” And the Senior Open Championship is

certainly on his radar as a title he’d love to win. “It would be wonderful,” he enthused. “We’re going back to Royal Troon for The Open then on to the Senior Open at Carnoustie. I’m looking forward to it. Links golf is probably my favourite and to have two weeks of it? Hey, I’m all for it. I love it.” He added: “Carnoustie is one of the courses that I love to death, although I’ve never played well there. It’s probably got the best greens in Scotland. They’re always perfect. The golf course is always hard and challenging, and I love it. It’s one of my favourites and I’m looking forward to playing there and at Troon.” Daly will be joined at Carnoustie by more than 30 fellow major champions, including Bernhard Langer, who won the first of his two Senior Open titles at Carnoustie in 2010. Also playing are Tom Watson, Mark O’Meara, Tom Lehman and a host of European legends, such as Colin Montgomerie, Miguel Angel Jiménez and Jean Van de Velde.

“I DIDN’T DO THE RIGHT THINGS TO PREPARE MYSELF TO WIN TOURNAMENTS. THAT’S NOT THE CASE ANY MORE. MY MENTAL ATTITUDE IS TEN TIMES BETTER NOW.”

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

AROUND THE TRAPS

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Q A NTAS GOLF CLUB E V ENT COURSE SNAPSHOT

Concord has a reputation for exceptional playing surfaces at all times of year.

WANT TO PLAY CONCORD?

CONCORD GOLF CLUB CONCORD Golf Club has been part of the Sydney golf landscape from the earliest days of the game being played in the harbour city. The club was established in 1899 and play began on its current site in 1907 on a layout crafted by Scottish pro Dan Soutar, who would later weave his design magic at New South Wales and Melbourne’s Kingston Heath. Nearly all the holes were dramatically changed during the 1980s and early ’90s when Concord became a regular Australasian PGA Tour venue, hosting the New South Wales Open and Australian PGA championships. At the height of his career, Greg Norman was a three-time winner at Concord, as were the likes of Wayne Grady, Craig Parry and Ian Baker-Finch. But the biggest remodelling project began in 1996 when acclaimed course architect Ross Watson was commissioned to reshape greens and fairways, remodel bunkers and add further sand traps to strengthen the challenge. More than $1.4 million was spent on the makeover,

26 JUNE 2016 | golf australia

which included bulldozing all 18 greens and redesigning each hole to suit. It was a successful upgrade and the course was again thrust into the spotlight as host of the Tour Championship, as well as the 2004 Women’s Australian Open won by England’s Laura Davies. There have been more changes in recent times, including the exposing of a meandering creek that now runs across, between and along several holes, such as the dogleg-right 3rd hole, a demanding 364-metre par-4. Now, the stream cuts across the fairway to the inside corner of the dogleg where it feeds into a pond. The reward for driving successfully into the right half of the fairway has been intensified with the addition of the creek and makes a par here among the hardest earned on the course. What has been a constant for decades is its five-star presentation. The big, rolling bentgrass greens are superb, while Concord has had a long-held reputation as having some of the best kikuyu fairways in Australia.

MEMBERS of Qantas Golf Club are invited to compete in the 2016 Qantas Golf Club Challenge in July at Concord Golf Club. The two-person ambrose event will be played on July 21 with Qantas Golf Club members able to experience this highly ranked private course, including lunch, drinks and prizes, for just $195 per person. Plus, the winning team on the day will win an all-expenses paid trip to play in the 2016 Qantas Golf Club Challenge Final to be held at Clearwater Golf Resort in Christchurch, New Zealand, from December 6 to 9, including flights, accommodation and golf. The event is open to all golfers (individuals will be paired with another member), but participants must hold a valid Golf Australia handicap to be eligible to win the trip to New Zealand.

You can play some of Australia’s best courses, like Concord, with the Qantas Golf Club Challenge. Find out more at qantasgolfclub. com/challenge

PHOTO: BRENDAN JAMES

CONCORD • SYDNEY

CLEARWATER GOLF COURSE, NEW ZEALAND

Play Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top courses and win your way to New Zealand

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss the opportunity to play on courses such as Concord, Royal Adelaide and Yarra Yarra. Plus the winning team from each event will win an all expenses paid trip to Clearwater Golf Resort NZ to play in the final!*

2016 Challenge Events 04

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13 OCT The Western Australian Perth

Royal Queensland Brisbane

17 NOV

Yarra Yarra Melbourne

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Book now at qantasgolfclub.com/2016-challenge *You must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member to join Qantas Golf Club. The 2016 Qantas Golf Club Challenge Qualifying Events are subject to tournament rules and regulations, check individual event terms and conditions at qantasgolfclub.com/2016-challenge. To be eligible to qualify for the 2016 Qantas Golf Club Challenge Final, both players in a team must have a Golf Australia handicap. The prize includes entry to the 2016 Qantas Golf Club Challenge Final at Clearwater Golf Resort, New Zealand from 6 to 9 December 2016, return Economy flights from Australia, 3 nights accommodation at Peppers Clearwater Golf Resort, 2 rounds of golf at Clearwater Golf Course, green fees, daily breakfast and lunch, dinner on the first and last nights, polo shirt and cap and airport transfers.

AROUND THE TRAPS

19TH HOLE CH AT

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IS THE TOUR SCHEDULE BURNING OUT STARS? HERE’S a trivia question for you. Combined, how many global wins have the world’s top-ten players accrued since January 1? At the time of writing, and nearing the end of five months of tournaments, the top-ten had hoisted silverware eight times, with Australia’s Adam Scott and Jason Day winning half of those titles. Is it any coincidence that the Queensland duo has played a light schedule where they have teed up no more than two weeks in a row? Day had played nine tournaments from January 10 through May 1, which is an appearance rate of 50 percent. Scott had teed it up in eight events through May 8. Conversely, Jordan Spieth had just three weeks off in 12 weeks, from the end of January through to the Masters, playing events in Abu Dhabi, Singapore and the United States. It was a rigorous schedule that no doubt led to his decision to take extended leave and recharge the batteries after Augusta. Most of the game’s elite set their schedule well in advance ensuring they rarely, if ever, play four or more consecutive weeks. The only players you will find undertaking such a rigorous calendar are the journeymen looking to bank as much money as possible to retain their card. Sadly, it’s not conducive to playing your best. “Four consecutive weeks of competition is on the edge of what could be considered reasonable,” says sports neuropsychologist Dr Fran Pirozzolo, who has worked with PGA Tour players, including Billy Horschel and Hunter Mahan. Pirozzolo said it was common for players to perform well and even win after taking a complete break

28 JUNE 2016 | golf australia

Can Rory McIlroy’s early season malaise be attributed to the yearly schedule of global tournaments?

away from the game. But with wrap-around Tour schedules in the US and Europe extending through 50 weeks of the year, plus tournaments in other regions like Australia, there is always a tournament to be played somewhere. Pirozzolo believes modern players need to stop “behaving like sheep and playing because there is a tournament” and learn from the game’s past greats. “Jack Nicklaus played fewer tournaments than other players, so too Bobby Jones, Sam Snead. Byron Nelson always played in ‘microcycles’. They understood scheduling far better,” Pirozzolo said.

“JACK NICKLAUS PLAYED FEWER TOURNAMENTS THAN OTHER PLAYERS, SO TOO BOBBY JONES, SAM SNEAD. BYRON NELSON ALWAYS PLAYED IN ‘MICROCYCLES’. THEY UNDERSTOOD SCHEDULING FAR BETTER.” Those past champions never played for such money, however. And really, what’s the worst thing that could happen? “Elite doctors such as myself have checked to see if there is any physical or mental evidence of overtraining, damaging a star’s performance,” Pirozzolo said. “In the late 1980s, I took blood samples from the boxer Evander Holyfield and analysed them for markers of stress. Consequently, I recommended that he took breaks in training and scheduled his fights further apart.” Golf is less physically demanding, but Pirozzolo says the number of mental mistakes made by players playing their third or fourth week event in as many weeks shows the same rules apply. All this raises the question: are there too many tournaments? Would the game be better served as a spectacle if the golf season was played between February and October? – Brendan James

YOUR SAY

GIVE US A BREAK I feel the need to reply to Anthony Griffiths’ letter, ‘Stop Whinging’, last month. Why do some people feel they are entitled to have a free hit at golfers who use a long putter? While we are trying to arrest falling membership at club level and social golf, don’t drive people away who have had to resort to a long putter to overcome the yips. This evil affliction is enough to make people take up bowls. Long-putter users don’t become club champions, but are now able to reduce the number of three-putts and prevent 30-centimetre putts that miss the hole completely. Furthermore, users of the broomstick putter are well aware that they are not able to anchor the putter. Peter Westwood via e-mail

SCOTT STILL A CHAMP I’ve never been one to write letters, but I have been so angered by the crap being directed at Adam Scott for his decision to bypass the Olympics. It got my blood absolutely boiling to read comments from Dawn Fraser questioning his patriotism and putting money before country. Unbelievable! Scott represents his country every time he plays. He’s got the Australian flag on his golf bag and for the past few years he has come home to play and support tournaments on the local Tour when he could have been home resting up after a long year. One thing I know for sure: Scott loves his country enough not to embarrass it by stealing a flag. Tim Ashleigh via e-mail

LETTER OF THE MONTH FOREWARNED I’ve been meaning to write for a while after a few high-profile rules incidents. Then, while watching the Wells Fargo, a thought occurred to me. Isn’t it time players were either fined or penalised if they don’t shout ‘Fore!’ when an errant shot hits a spectator? When Roberto Castro hit his shot through the 18th green and hit a man sitting in the gallery in the face, at no stage

did I hear a call of ‘Fore!’ to accompany the shot. I believe it’s only a matter of time before another person is killed on a golf course and I would hate to think players don’t shout a warning in the hope their ball might be deflected back to the fairway or onto the green. Neil Joseph via e-mail

OUR ‘LETTER OF THE MONTH’ WINNER RECEIVES A DOZEN CALLAWAY CHROME SOFT PREMIUM GOLF BALLS

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES X 2

Follow Golf Australia on Twitter @GolfAustMag

Want to get something off your chest? Let us know your opinion via e-mail to: golf@golfaustralia.com.au or send your letter to: Letters to the Editor, Golf Australia magazine, Level 6, Building A, 207 Pacific Hwy, St Leonards NSW 2065.

golf australia | JUNE 2016 29

M Y FAV O U R I T E C O U R S E S

NICK O’HERN The recently retired former Australian PGA champion opted for a few tournament favo some global classics and even a secluded nine-hole par-3 track in his top-ten layouts MT LAWLEY GC Perth, WA This is my home club in Perth (pictured above) and where I grew up playing. In 1996 I had my first lesson with Neil Simpson, who’d just taken over as head pro. After watching me hit a few balls he said, “You’re a pro?” His guidance changed my career forever and to this day I’m still learning from ‘Simmo’. Ballybunion, set hard against the Atlantic Ocean, is an Irish gem.

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The par-3 13th, know ‘Commonwealth’, is KOOYONGA GC Ad I love playing here challenging and quirk doesn’t suit everyone suited me.

COOLUM RESORT Sunshine Coast, QLD I hit my greatest shot here, holing a bunker shot on the fourth play-off hole to win the Australian PGA. It came about an hour after hitting my worst-ever shot, a missed threefooter to win. The course fit my eye perfectly off every tee and the village square at night was the ideal way to finish off each day. It’s such a shame we don’t play a tournament there anymore.

BALLYBUNION GC (Old) County Kerry, Ireland A magnificent layout that tests every facet of your game along with an incredible view of the Atlantic Ocean. If you have a bad day there’s always the Guinness in the local pub afterwards to help ease the pain. ST ANDREWS (Old Course) Fife, Scotland Every time I play here I learn something new. The town, the people and the atmosphere sum up why I love this game.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES X 3; BRENDAN JAMES X 2 (MT LAWLEY, METROPOLITAN)

HEADWATERS GC North Carolina, USA This is a very exclusive nine-hole par-3 course near the town of Cashiers in the mountains. It’s hands down the most spectacular par-3 course I’ve ever played. I just wish there were more than nine holes!

THE O’HERN RÉSUMÉ

ROYAL MELBOURNE GC (Composite) Melbourne, Victoria The greens and bunkering are phenomenal, with the 12th hole one of the great short par-4s of the world. CYPRESS POINT California, USA There’s no doubt Alistair MacKenzie was a genius in course design. Every hole here presents its own challenges and opportunities. The first time I played the 15th, 16th and 17th holes I don’t remember hitting a shot since I was too busy taking pictures. AUGUSTA NATIONAL GC Georgia, USA I wanted to play here ever since watching Jack Nicklaus win in ’86. I passed up an invitation to play from a member one time by saying, “I only want to play there if it’s in the

Masters.” Fortunately I didn’t live to regret that decision. During my first Masters, in 2005, while standing on top of the hill on the par-5 15th, my caddie told me to lay up. I said, “Lay up? I’ve been waiting 20 years to have a crack at this green. I’m going for it!” It wasn’t my wisest decision but that’s the beauty of Augusta. It tempts you in to hitting shots you shouldn’t. METROPOLITAN GC Melbourne, Victoria ‘Metro’ launched my career at the 1997 Australian Open. I remember taking everything out of the bag for the third round to help lighten the load for my wife, who was caddieing. Unfortunately, Melbourne’s weather kicked in and for an embarrassing couple of holes we got pretty soaked while leading the tournament before lightning stopped play. Metropolitan has long been a standout venue among the courses of the Melbourne Sandbelt.

z Won both his PGA Tour of Australasia events on the same course: the 1999 Coolum Classic and 2006 Australian PGA. z Contested 20 major championships, with a best result of tied sixth at the 2006 US Open. z Played for the International side at the 2005 and 2007 Presidents Cups. z Reached a career-high ranking of 16th in the world for several weeks in 2007.

golf australia | JUNE 2016

THE WANDERING GOLFER

BY B R E N DA N M O L O N E Y | G O L F AU S T R A L I A C O LUMNI S T

JUST when we thought we’d seen it all, Jordan Spieth played the 12th hole at Augusta National like Kevin Costner going for broke in the climax of movie ‘Tin Cup’. There the hero blew his chance of winning the US Open by dumping ball after ball in the water while going for the green with a 3-wood. It wasn’t Spieth losing from five shots in front on the back nine on the Sunday that was shocking. Greg Norman had shown it could be done when he handed the Masters to Nick Faldo on a plate in 1996. However, Spieth took golf reporting in a weird direction when someone wrote that his collapse had caused shares in the company that made his shirt, shoes and hat to fall by six percent. What next? Investment advisers on the TV commentary teams analysing what the next bogey, par or birdie would do to our superannuation or home mortgage rate? The finance writers got excited when Tiger Woods blotted his copy book in 2009, estimating his indiscretions cost sponsors $12 billion when their shares followed the trend of his trousers and dropped four percent. Do we really need to know this and are the figures accurate? They are presented as fact but who can tell? A margin of error of just one per cent would throw them out by $12 million. In a game where the slightest mistake on the scorecard leads to disqualification, it is strange that such sloppy reporting is tolerated. There was a time when figures that seemed plucked out of the air were queried by senior editorial staff and if errors slipped through there were consequences. I painfully remember making a blue while working on the sport sub-editing desk of the old Melbourne Sun newspaper as part of my training as a cadet journalist. Getting the TAB racing results ready for publication, I inadvertently moved the decimal point one place to the right, giving an irate punter the impression he had won $100 instead of $10. On the strength of this he went and spent the $100 before cashing in his ticket. Each evening for a week he rang the sports editor to abuse him and the phone was duly passed to me with the order to listen (and learn some new words), agree with him, apologise and not hang up for five minutes. Sponsors whose shares may or may not suffer because of a player’s performance have their place in golf but they should not overshadow or undermine the story. The

32 JUNE 2016 | golf australia

SPONSORS WHOSE SHARES MAY OR MAY NOT SUFFER BECAUSE OF A PLAYER’S PERFORMANCE HAVE THEIR PLACE IN GOLF BUT THEY SHOULD NOT OVERSHADOW THE STORY.

same goes with advertising. Generally speaking, the PGA and Golf Australia save us the excesses seen in motor racing and all codes of football. In motor racing there seem to be no rules at all except that 95 per cent of the car and the driver’s uniform must be covered in advertising. So seriously do they take this that someone is employed full-time to hand the driver a cap with a logo on it as soon as he removes his helmet. Happily, most sports fans can see through this and the constant bombardment of the sponsors’ messages does not affect their spending habits. It was the same with an Australian-made car being advertised by a golfer who normally wouldn’t be seen dead in it and who had a fleet of seven very expensive Italian sports cars in his garage at home in America. The same guy represented our national airline while travelling on his private jet. Football’s transgression of good taste would fill a book but one thing that is particularly obnoxious is the placing of advertising on the collar of business shirts worn by coaches. This is only a short step from getting the message tattooed on your face and the first rule of tattooing is not getting one that the judge can see. Even Albert Einstein or Mother Theresa would be considered idiots if they suffered a monumental lapse of judgment and wore such shirts. Happily, the enjoyment of golf is impaired only by the interruption of the broadcast every ten minutes or so to nag us into buying something we don’t want or need. This time can be used the check the football, cricket or racing on other channels, make a cup of tea or visit the toilet. Perhaps the most bizarre sponsorship offer that was knocked back by the PGA came from a plastic surgeon on the Gold Coast at the height of the silliness in the 1980s when they paid Frank Sinatra $1 million to sing for 30 minutes at the opening of Sanctuary Cove. This medico offered a free penis enlargement or breast implants as a hole-in-one prize. I remember Kathie Shearer, the doyenne of the press tent, asking veteran writer Ted Lazarus what he’d do. He said he’d get an implant on each hip and walk around with his hands in his pockets. No doubt this would have produced a surge in the share price of sports bra manufacturers.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

COMMERCIALISM GONE MAD

HUGGAN’S ALLEY

BY J O H N H U G G A N | G O L F AU S T R A L I A C O LUMNI S T AT L A R G E

PREDICTABLE & BORING: WELCOME TO THE U.S OPEN The end result is oh-so predictable and, at least for this long-time observer, boring in the extreme. Player after player arrives on tee after tee with only one question to answer, only one way to play the hole in front of him. Gone is any semblance of strategy. Or imagination. Or flair. Gone too is top-level golf’s most exciting and interesting aspect – the risky recovery shot – replaced by the mindless wedge back into play, golfers of all standards and abilities reduced to the same pitch-out level. All that is left is the only possible response to one simple (yet difficult) question: can you ‘kick’ your drive between

PROPER GOLF, THAT MOST MULTIFACETED OF GAMES, IS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN. THIS, FOLKS, IS NOTHING TO BE PROUD OF. the two ‘goalposts’ and onto the short grass that sits between the two jungles? In other words, the contest becomes nothing more than a repetitive test of execution. Proper golf, that most multi-faceted of games, is nowhere to be seen. This, folks, is nothing to be proud of. Sadly too, such a scenario is almost exactly what we are going to see at Oakmont this year. With the exception of shaved run-ins that will at last see balls finish in ‘fairway’ bunkers (at last!) rather than stopped by the aforementioned long rough, the course is going to be pretty much identical to the one we witnessed back in 2007, the last time the US Open came to Pittsburgh.

Angel Cabera won that year; a truly fine player indeed. But the lasting and most vivid memory of the championship is not the march to victory by the burly Argentine. Instead, we are left with the memory of the third round played by Tiger Woods. At a time when he was, by a distance, the best player on the planet – some might say the best ever – the American shot 69. At the top of his game, the man who has played golf better than anyone else in history could only shoot one-under-par. Something smelly was clearly and seriously wrong with the set-up of the golf course. And that’s the problem. Perhaps still a little hacked off by the amazing 63 Johnny Miller shot to win the 1973 US Open at a rain-soaked Oakmont, the combined might of the membership and the USGA conspired to produce an examination paper that all-but neutered the natural gifts of the No.1 player in the field. This is point-missing on a truly amazing scale. Don’t expect anything to be too different this year. Speaking at the US Open media day in late April, USGA executive director Mike Davis called the Oakmont philosophy of “a shot poorly played should be a shot irrevocably lost” a “great culture”. Davis also labelled the Oakmont putting surfaces “extremely strategic”, which is true if you think aiming to putt uphill rather than downhill involves nuanced thought beyond the ken of mere mortals. One last thing. As was the case in 2007, the course presented to the US Open competitors will this year include a 300yard par-3. PGA Tour veteran Paul Goydos called it the only time you could have longdrive and nearest-the-pin contests with the same shot. You have to laugh. The only alternative is to cry.

Oakmont’s famous ‘Church Pew’ bunker is squarely in play on two holes on the course’s front nine. 34 JUNE 2016 | golf australia

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

IN THE run-up to this year’s US Open, prepare yourselves for much flowery rhetoric regarding the difficulty of the golf course, which is fair enough. Oakmont Country Club is, by well-earned reputation, the toughest venue of them all in a championship that perversely prides itself on the levels of frustration and stress it annually imposes on the wide-eyed and invariably sweaty competitors. The same can also be said of the Oakmont membership, a collection of golf sadists whose idea of a good time seems to be a combination of hacking out of long rough, taking multiple shots to escape deep bunkers and three-putting endlessly on greens closely resembling friction-less surfaces. Fun it is not.Torture would be a more appropriate description. Then again, why should we be surprised even a little bit?The United States Golf Association long ago decided that their national championship should also be hailed as the “toughest test”. Displaying breathtaking arrogance born no doubt of their invariably pampered and privileged backgrounds, this blue-blooded collection of Roman numerals and middle names preceded by initials – as in “B. Wally Hamburger IV” – presumes to impose their twisted version of golf on the game’s leading protagonists. If their misguided philosophy were not so screwed up it would be funny. For masochists, anyway. With the exception of Pinehurst in 2014 – and to a lesser extent last year at Chambers Bay – your typical US Open follows the same tedious pattern. Overly narrow fairways? Tick. Stupidly long and thick rough lining those fairways? Tick. Greens running at least three yards faster than the original course designer envisioned? Tick. Pin positions cut way too close to the fringes? Tick.

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IN MY OPINION

E XC LU S I V E BY G E O F F O G I LV Y | G O L F AU S T R A L I A C O LUMNI S T

THE ONLY TIME I’LL MENTION THE ‘C’ WORD

36 JUNE 2016 | golf australia

the point where something bad happens. It’s about hitting, say, five drives in succession right down the middle then, for whatever reason, pulling the next one miles left into the water. Just because it was there and you ‘knew’ you were going to hit it there. It is definitely a mental issue, 100 percent. What got me thinking about this stuff was what happened to Jordan Spieth at the Masters. Given how he played the first 63 holes, it was unbelievable that he was five shots in front. He was clearly fighting his swing. He clearly didn’t have a firm handle on where the ball was going. Yet he thought, fought and putted his way to the lead. He simply refused to not play well. It was an incredible effort. Tiger used to do the same sort of thing on a regular basis. And Phil Mickelson did the same at Winged Foot for 71 holes of the 2006 US Open. He hardly hit a good shot that week yet arrived on the last tee with a great chance to win. But the wild drive he hit was just what he had been doing for the previous three days. Then he went for a recovery shot that was silly. In other words, he played what was normal or ordinary for him that week and it just didn’t work on that hole. I’m not sure if that is choking but it is definitely poor decision-making. At the Masters, Jordan was hitting the ball poorly by his standards. But he was finding a way to hit the

right shots at the right times and he was holing putts. His bad shots were generally going right, though. And when he came to a hole where all he had to do was not hit it right, he was found out. His mental ‘disaster’ came between hitting his tee shot at the 12th hole into Rae’s Creek and chunking his wedge into the water too. That was where he choked. As strong as he is mentally, he just couldn’t ‘save’ his swing at that moment. All of which is such a pity. Had he gone on to win, it would have represented one of the more impressive mental achievements I’ve ever seen in golf. He would have retained the Masters playing a long way from his best. For any professional, that is pretty amazing. There have been many other examples of choking. Jean Van de Velde at Carnoustie in 1999 springs to mind. And, perhaps most memorably for we Aussies, Greg Norman at the 1996 Masters. But, as I said, we’ve all done it. If you play golf long enough, you are going to choke at some point. It’s just a fact. For myself, I’ve been fortunate not to choke away a big tournament. But I’ve missed short putts to miss cuts. And I’ve made bogeys on the last hole to mess up really good days. Sometimes, that is just golf. You get a bad lie or a bad bounce and something bad is the result. Other times though, choking is a selffulfilling prophecy. If the last thing you look at is the lake short of the green, then that is where the ball is headed. We’ve all had that feeling: knowing something is going to go wrong and not knowing how to stop it. You can tell yourself the ball is going down the fairway, but still know, deep down, that it actually isn’t. Perhaps the saddest aspect of choking is the lasting effect it can have on players. Tony Jacklin was never the same after taking four to get down from just short of the 71st green at Muirfield to lose the 1972 Open Championship to Lee Trevino. Two years earlier, Doug Sanders famously missed from four feet to win the Open at St Andrews. Neither man ever contended again in majors, which is one more reason why choking is a taboo subject. Let’s not talk about it again.

THAT WAS WHERE JORDAN CHOKED. AS STRONG AS HE IS MENTALLY, HE JUST COULDN’T ‘SAVE’ HIS SWING AT THAT MOMENT.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

A BIT like ‘shank’, it’s not a word you hear too often in PGA Tour locker rooms. We all know it happens but no one talks about it – because no professional wants it to happen to him. But you know what? We’ve all done it. ‘Choked’, that is. It may not be at the high-profile end of a tournament, but every golfer has known the feeling of dread that comes with choking. It might be as simple as standing on a hole with out-of-bounds up the right side and not being able to see anything except the ball winging over the boundary fence. That, on some level, is choking. So there are many definitions of the ‘C-word’. For me it has always been letting my head get in the way of what I’ve been doing well, to

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MA/606

E N P O

PREVIEW

WOUNDS

With expansive Pinehurst No.2 and experimental Chambers Bay behind it, the US Open returns to its touchstone venue: the diabolically diicult Oakmont Country Club. WORDS STEVE KEIPERT PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES

40 JUNE 2016 | golf australia

nlike the Masters Tournament with Augusta National and the Open Championship with its venerable and iconic venue of St Andrews, the United States Open has no permanent or even semi-permanent home. However, the course with which the championship holds the greatest ainity is unquestionably Oakmont Country Club in western Pennsylvania, for no other course better epitomises the US Open ethos. After two atypical US Open layouts in the redesigned Pinehurst No.2 and untried Chambers Bay, Oakmont represents a return to the more familiar facets of the US Open. America’s 116th national championship will resemble its old self again from June 16 to 19. Oakmont is the ultimate in bare-essentials, defensive golf: hit the fairway then hit the green then do your level best not to three-putt. Then repeat, 71 times. This will be a record ninth US Open for Oakmont – “we certainly feel like we’re coming home here,” says USGA president Diana Murphy – and little has changed since its most recent visit

in 2007. Likewise, little tweaking is required to prepare this devilish layout for golf ’s toughest championship. “It’s often said that the USGA could host an Open literally on a moment’s notice and while I’m not sure that’s exactly correct with all the grandstands and tents, I really do believe this is the one golf course in the United States that, if we had to make a call one to two weeks before the US Open and say, ‘We’re in a pinch, can you host the national Open championship?’ this place could do it,” says Mike Davis, the USGA’s executive director. “And it could do it because it has such a championship pedigree, the golf course seemingly is always in championship condition and certainly tests all aspects of the game. “It’s also been said, and maybe somewhat in jest, when the USGA comes to town, Oakmont must cut the rough, must slow down the greens and utilise easier hole locations. I’m not so sure that that’s not a little bit of a stretch, but you get the drift here. This place loves a tough championship setup.”

And it loves champion golfers, too. Barring the 1935 victory by local professional Sam Parks Jnr, every US Open champion at Oakmont owns multiple major titles: Tommy Armour, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Larry Nelson, Ernie Els and Angel Cabrera. In fact, of that group just Miller and Cabrera have claimed ‘only’ two. While US Open winners at Oakmont are anything but one-hit wonders, the course’s designer deﬁnitely is. The only course that local industrialist Henry C. Fownes ever penned was the famed layout north-east of Pittsburgh. In that way Oakmont is akin to George Crump’s work at Pine Valley and Hugh Wilson’s at Merion, two more one-time designers from when golf-course architecture was a passion rather than a profession. A DISAPPEARING ACT The main recent change at Oakmont occurred between the 1994 US Open and the 2007 edition when anywhere from 5,000 to 8,000 trees were

Oakmont will present much as it did in 2007 when the winning score was five-over-par.

golf australia | JUNE 2016

Almost treeless since midway through last decade, Oakmont deploys other defences.

removed from the site. Vigorous planting during a 1960s ‘beautification program’ had added trees and transitioned the course to more of a parkland layout. A few thousand more trees have gone since ’07, replaced by fescue grass. Now only six trees remain within the Oakmont property and none is in play. The initial clearing, however, truly transformed Oakmont and returned it to a look and strategy that far better resembled Fownes’ initial layout. The site began as pasture land near the Allegheny River and the tree-less move recreated that appearance. For instance, it is now possible to see the distant 6th hole from the clubhouse. All 18 holes will play the exact same distances they did for the ’07 US Open, as only three further changes have been made to the course in the past nine years: much of the rough along the fairway bunkers was cut to allow balls to run more easily into the sand, a cross bunker at the 12th was enlarged by nearly ten metres into the fairway for a narrower landing area on second shots, and an expansion of the back-right section of the 6th green to create new pin positions. What will surely never change at Oakmont is

42 JUNE 2016 | golf australia

the maddening diiculty of the greens, which are respected (and feared) for their slope and speed. Fownes was known to have said: “I know the greens are right at Oakmont if I drop a ball at the back of the 2nd green and it rolls the whole way of the green.” Davis calls them “diferent” and requiring of more forethought on approach shots than most. “The greens themselves really are wonderful and very diferent from an architectural standpoint,” he said. “Some of them slope right-to-left, some left-to-right, some back-tofront and there’s some, in fact three greens here, that slope front-to-back. There are greens that have plateaus in them, valleys going through. “But the point of Oakmont is they are extremely fast, but they’re extremely strategic. Playing into the greens or playing around the greens or putting on it … you want to be below the hole. Which may mean that you want to be on the left side of the hole location, right side, short of it or even past the hole location in the cases of those greens that cant away from you. But they really are what makes Oakmont, Oakmont.” Central to the course’s inherent diicult are

not just the caustically treacherous greens but the bunkers, which historically became mobile if necessary. “When you read back through [Oakmont’s] history, if there were places that members would hit a ball and either H.C. (Henry) or W.C. (his son, William) didn’t think they got suicient penalty, guess what? A bunker ended up there in short notice,” Davis said. “Or if a member happened to carry a bunker that shouldn’t have been carried, a bunker got moved.” And these are penal bunkers with a diference. Unable to create the depth to match the pits and pots of the famed links courses in Britain due to the clay-based soil, Fownes opted for an alternate devious trait. “They put in these crevices, these furrows into the bunkers with these heavy rakes where a ball would inevitably sit down two, three inches and you had to hit a great shot just to get out of the bunker,” Davis said, adding that the USGA heads of midway through last century didn’t necessarily agree with this ultra-penal approach to bunkers, fought a battle with the club and compromised on one-inch furrows.

CARD OF THE COURSE Hole

Yards

Metres

Par

482

441

341

312

428

391

609

557

382

349

194

177

479

438

288

263

477

436

Out

3,680

3,365

435

398

379

347

667

610

183

167

358

327

500

457

231

211

313

286

484

443

3,550

3,246

Total

7,230

6,611

“There’s a couple of great quotes that W.C. made years ago and he said, in terms of diiculty and why there should be a furrowing: ‘A shot poorly played should be a shot irrevocably lost.’” Lost is how players without every department of their game on song will feel when tackling Oakmont this June. Angel Cabrera was five-over in bettering Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods by a stroke nine years ago and no US Open at Oakmont has produced a winning score better than five-under. It is golf ’s answer to the Mensa examination that few solve. “W.C. went on to say about those complaining about Oakmont being too tough, and I quote, ‘Let the clumsy, the spineless, the alibi artists stand aside,’” Davis added. DITCHES AND DRIVEABLE PAR-3S The course is cut in half by the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which separates holes 1 plus 9 to 18 on the western side of the toll road from holes 2 to 8 on the opposite side. The final hole on the eastern portion perhaps typifies Oakmont and the US Open. The long, downhill, par-3 8th measures 288 yards (263 metres) and famously stretched

The eye-catching ‘Church Pew’ bunker separates the par-4 3rd and par-5 4th fairways.

W.C WENT ON TO SAY ABOUT THOSE COMPLAINING ABOUT OAKMONT BEING TOO TOUGH, ‘LET THE CLUMSY, THE SPINELESS, THE ALIBI ARTISTS STAND ASIDE.’ – MIKE DAVIS past the 300-yard barrier thanks to a rear pin position last time. Firm turf and the descent ensured it played shorter, but the ‘short’ hole provided one of the quotes of the week. “Paul Goydos at that point was a veteran on the PGA Tour,” Davis recalled. “Kind of a clever guy and with a good, dry sense of humour. He said, ‘Gee, Mike, this is really a neat hole. It’s fabulous. Congratulations. You know, in my two decades of playing the Tour we have never had a hole where you could have a long-drive contest and closest-to-the-hole in the same hole. So nice going.’” Even the par-5s aren’t easy. The 557-metre 4th ofers the closest thing to a breather hole, while the only other three-shotter at Oakmont, the 610-metre 12th, is what Davis calls the most strategic par-5 in US Open golf. It will toggle daily between the back tee and another that lets the hole play 30 metres shorter. The twin starting points put diferent fairway bunkers in play, also giving variety to the angles and approaches to one of Oakmont’s three front-to-back-sloping greens. Add to the mix more bunkers, the expanded cross bunker plus a drainage ditch, and you have a

major-sized headache on what should be a scoring hole. Complete challenges like this abound across Oakmont, which is why the USGA keeps coming back on a regular basis. “It’s a very balanced test,” Davis says. “This is not an overly long US Open, by US Open standards. But there’s a nice blend between short holes, long holes. But what is interesting is when you look at and study the routing and architecture of Oakmont, the holes are very straight. Sixteen of the 18 holes play really straight away. And what Fownes did was lay the golf course on those hills, used the topography to really make an incredibly exciting but challenging golf course.” No water is in play as such, but drainage ditches that remain from Oakmont’s past life are scattered across the course. They come into play on ten holes but are unlikely to hold water. “What’s interesting is they’re all marked as water hazards but it’s unique because, unless we get a gully washer, there will not be water in those,” Davis said. “From an architectural, but also a strategic standpoint, it’s fascinating,

golf australia | JUNE 2016 43

AUSSIES AT OAKMONT Nick Flanagan is the lone Australian to have tasted success at Oakmont, outduelling Casey Wittenberg on the 37th hole in the final of the 2003 US Amateur at the esteemed Pennsylvania course. Aaron Baddeley led into the final round of the 2007 US Open there, then triplebogeyed the 1st hole on Sunday on his way to a devastating 80.

Neither player looks likely to be in the 2016 field, and here’s hoping Oakmont is kinder to the half-dozen Aussies who definitely are. Others can join these six through sectional qualifying or by entering the top-60 in the world ranking by either May 23 or June 13. Most likely to do so are Marcus Fraser (66th at the time of writing), Matt Jones (74th) and Scott Hend (80th).

because when a player gets his ball in, he’s going to have a chance to play out. Most water hazards that’s not the case, but it’s not always a sure thing coming out. “The ditches play a marvellous part of the architecture here. Then, just because of the rolling land, you have a lot of blind and semiblind shots, which, if you go back more than a century ago, they didn’t use bulldozers to move it, so they just laid the golf course on the land.” All of which adds up to the most demanding of examinations. Indeed, rather than rewarding strengths, Oakmont exposes weaknesses – so look to players who have few. For instance,

ALL OF WHICH ADDS UP TO THE MOST DEMANDING OF EXAMINATIONS. INDEED, RATHER THAN REWARDING STRENGTHS, OAKMONT EXPOSES WEAKNESSES. Dustin Johnson might be able to brutalise the course with his length of the tee but do his wedge play and putting touch match? We envisage another great major opportunity for defending champion Jordan Spieth, former winner Justin Rose and our own Adam Scott, three players with complete arsenals. Cabrera, Oakmont’s most recent male champion, complemented his bazooka-like drives with shrewd iron play and a deft touch on the greens. He broke par twice in ’07, bookending his victory with 69s – two of only eight subpar rounds returned that year. “To be successful here at Oakmont, you have to execute and, in terms of shot-making, you’ve got to think strategically and manage yourself around this course, and you’ve got to be able to handle your nerves,” Davis says. “The player who does those three things the best is going to make history and ultimately be crowned the 116th United States Open champion.”

44 JUNE 2016 | golf australia

JASON DAY World ranking: 1st. How he qualified: Reigning US PGA champion, top-ten at 2015 US Open, qualifier for the 2015 US Tour Championship, top-60 in world ranking. US Opens played: Five. Best US Open finish: 2nd (2011). Best finish so far in 2016: 1st (Arnold Palmer Invitational, WGC–Dell Match Play). Most potent US Open assets: Power and proven ability to scramble. Likely stumbling block: A propensity to become inaccurate off the tee. Comment: Day owns an obscenely good US Open record with two runner-up finishes in an 80 percent strike-rate for top-ten finishes. Part of his success comes from his powers of recovery around the greens and a cool putting touch. Oakmont might not prove so amenable to Day’s around-the-greens wizardry but even a ‘B’ week from tee-to-green should still place him in the picture. Prediction: Top-10.

ADAM SCOTT World ranking: 7th. How he qualified: Masters champion from the past five years, top-ten at 2015 US Open, top-60 in world ranking. US Opens played: 14 (missed cut at Oakmont in 2007). Best US Open finish: T-4th (2015). Best finish so far in 2016: 1st (Honda Classic, WGC–Cadillac Championship). Most potent US Open assets: Total driving and the return of his form with the short putter. Likely stumbling block: The potential to still strike a ‘cold’ week with the flatstick. Comment: For such a long, straight driver, the US Open should be Adam Scott’s ‘bunny’ but until 2014 he had zero top-ten finishes before amending that record with a T-9 and T-4 at the past two. Players will have to be in tune with every facet of their games at Oakmont and Scott fits that bill. Look for a strong week. Prediction: Top-5.

STEVEN BOWDITCH

MARC LEISHMAN

GEOFF OGILVY

CAM SMITH

World ranking: 109th. How he qualified: Qualifier for the 2015 US Tour Championship. US Opens played: None. Best US Open finish: N/A. Best finish so far in 2016: T-10th (Hyundai Tournament of Champions). Most potent US Open asset: Power. Likely stumbling blocks: A lingering injury and wicked inconsistency. Comment: Bowditch has battled health issues and an injured wrist this season but has at least still been able to play, albeit without much to show for it. The US Open does not shape as his cup of tea and earning a weekend tee-time will represent a successful week. Prediction: Missed cut.

World ranking: 35th. How he qualified: Top-60 in world ranking. US Opens played: Four. Best US Open finish: T-51st (2011). Best finish so far in 2016: T-5th (Northern Trust Open). Most potent US Open assets: Patience and a growing selfbelief in majors. Likely stumbling block: Ability to close. For one so talented, Leishman is short on trophies. Comment: Other majors have highlighted Leishman’s many talents better than the US Open, however a rising comfort level at the big events will help. He has the game if it all clicks into place, as it did at St Andrews where he so nearly pinched last year’s Open Championship. Prediction: 25th.

World ranking: 223rd. How he qualified: US Open winner from the past ten years (his final year of this exemption). US Opens played: 12 (T-42nd at Oakmont in 2007). Best US Open finish: 1st (2006). Best finish so far in 2016: T-46th (Shell Houston Open). Most potent US Open asset: The memory of knowing he’s won the championship before. Likely stumbling block: Miserable form coming in, particularly on the greens. Comment: In his last automatic return to the US Open, we hope Ogilvy can do enough to at least book a trip to Erin Hills next year. He can make the cut if the putter co-operates, but don’t expect to see Ogilvy’s name on the leaderboard. Prediction: 60th.

World ranking: 115th. How he qualified: Top-ten at 2015 US Open. US Opens played: One. Best US Open finish: T-4th (2015). Best finish so far in 2016: T-11th (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am). Most potent US Open assets: Tenacity and the memories of his 2015 effort. Likely stumbling block: Lack of driving distance. Comment: As phenomenal as Smith’s major debut at Chambers Bay was, replicating it will be an astonishing feat. Oakmont will be different and favours players with more ammunition in their bags than Smith wields. He also ranks inside the top-100 in only two key PGA Tour statistical categories: sand saves (59th) and strokes gained putting (97th). Prediction: Missed cut.

golf australia | JUNE 2016 45

The USGAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mike Davis has made it his personal mission to transform the image of the U.S Open by taking the championship to a wider variety of golf courses. But was the decision to go to Chambers Bay last June just a little too ambitious? WORDS JOCK HOWARD

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he second major championship of 2015 was, in some people’s eyes, a shambolic catastrophe. Much of the criticism was aimed squarely at Mike Davis, the executive director of the USGA who championed Chambers Bay as the host of the 115th US Open and was responsible for the course set-up. Yet despite all the vitriol and criticism, it had a thrilling finish and the best player in the world last northern summer walked of with the trophy. Whatever the outcome, there are questions to be answered. Now the dust has settled and Davis has picked himself up of the floor, does he regret taking the US Open to Chambers Bay? And has it cost the USGA a large chunk of respect and the championship its identity? “No, not at all,” says Davis, managing a sheepish smile. “We’ve had a look at some of the things that happened both inside and outside the ropes – and that’s an ongoing process. “I will admit to you that I have two regrets about the week. I wish the condition of the greens had been better. And I wish we hadn’t had the diiculties we experienced with spectator viewing. If we take the US Open back to Chambers Bay – and I think we will – we have to do better on both those fronts. And if we can’t improve in both those areas, then I don’t think we’ll go back. “But in general terms, we’re very pleased that for the first time in US Open history we took the championship to the Pacific Northwest. And we’re also very pleased we took it to a new course, a public course, and a place with such a great environmental backstory.” He continued: “It was certainly a diferent type of test [than many previous US Opens]; the course was very wide and very bouncy. Some people liked the architecture, some didn’t; but that’s fine. Some people like chocolate ice cream, some like vanilla.”

THE MAN BEHIND THE DECISIONS Davis is about as far from vanilla as it is possible to be. He is a hugely intelligent, engaging, sensitive, approachable and convivial individual, which you won’t be surprised to hear, has not always been the case with executive directors of the USGA. Davis is the antithesis of the dandruf-collared, gin-swigging, blue-blazer brigade who liked to rule from Far (of ) Hills, New Jersey, with a certain arrogance and with their cards stuck to their chests. His enthusiasm for the game is infectious, in no way dulled by the diiculties and criticism he has encountered over the years. Despite attacks on him and the USGA being personal and biting, there is little sign of bruising. “Last year at Pinehurst,” he said in 2015, “we played a great course, which had been taken back by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw to what Donald Ross originally wanted. It was a diferent look, very dry

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and brown; and it was fast and bouncy, which we love because it accentuates the strategic skills you need. What was really interesting was the feedback we got from that championship. In Europe, by and large, they loved it. [Europeans] get it when it comes to appreciating how the golf course plays, rather than aesthetics. But here in the US the feedback was not all positive. Some thought it was atrocious. They said it was terrible to have a course that had brown spots in the fairways. They said we shouldn’t have taken it to a ‘dead’ golf course. “Some people said the same thing about Chambers Bay. In both cases, in our view, the golf courses were dormant rather than dead; and we had wonderful playing conditions. And none of the players at either Open complained about the colour of the grass or the ﬁrm, fast conditions. Some people, especially in the US, love lush, green, over-watered conditions. “One of the messages we were trying to make at the past two US Opens is that people need to adopt a new mindset when it comes to the conditioning of a course. Water resource is one of the biggest threats to our game. We just can’t maintain courses the way we have been doing, with the footprint as big as they are. We must change our approach.” THE EVOLUTION OF THE U.S OPEN Davis has been involved in setting up US Opens for 27 years, but has only been in charge of course set-up since Winged Foot in 2006. Of all the many and varied jobs he’s had at the USGA, this is the one he enjoys the most; which is why he made sure his new responsibility wouldn’t mean he had to relinquish this labour of love when he was made executive director in March 2011. He sees it as a hugely important craft, crucial to a successful championship, and has spent probably longer than anyone else on the planet thinking about the strategy. And it’s no coincidence that in the past ten years US Opens have changed a bit. Until the 1950s, the USGA had no real strategy with regard to setting up courses for their ultimate championship. Then, their championship committee decided, in their wisdom, that the best way to identify the best golfer was to produce pencil-thin fairways, rough that you could lose a golf bag in (it happened!) and greens that were as hard and fast as the proverbial car bonnet. US Opens became unrelentingly tough, rigorous tests. This philosophy lasted for more than half a century, and then a chap called Mike Davis was handed the keys – and things changed a bit. Davis immediately wrote an extensive report, which he presented to the USGA, that challenged this brand of US Open course set-up. He didn’t say it was wrong; more, he ofered Davis has used his passion for strategy and detail in setting the past ten US Open tests.

ONE OF THE MESSAGES WE TRIED TO GET ACROSS AT THE PAST TWO U.S OPENS IS PEOPLE NEED A NEW MINDSET WHEN IT COMES TO COURSE CONDITIONING.

THE TRUTH BEHIND THOSE CHAMBERS BAY GREENS They were known to be ‘marginal’, so why wasn’t the problem addressed?

Chambers Bay galleries were hindered by banks like these on the par-5 8th.

ways of improving it. Davis passionately believes the test should still be stern and rigorous, but fair. The ﬁrst thing Davis did when he took charge was to introduce ‘graded’ rough (2006, Winged Foot) – the idea that if you missed the fairway by a metre, you weren’t punished as much as if you missed it by 20 metres. Nowadays, this concept seems obvious and common-sense and is used extensively at most tournaments, but it was Davis who ﬁrst drew attention to it. “I went to the 1980 US Open at Baltusrol with my dad,” he says. “We were walking outside the ropes and I remember seeing Keith Fergus’ ball trickle into the rough and completely disappear. All he could do was hack out a couple of yards. His playing partner missed the fairway by 40 yards, and because people had trampled down the grass, had a shot to the green and made a birdie. I remember turning to my dad and telling him I thought that was unfair.”

Also at the 2006 US Open, Davis introduced the idea that you didn’t have to tee of from the same tee on all four days of the championship – again something rolled out at the Masters and elsewhere today, but revolutionary just ten years ago. At Winged Foot in 2006, three holes (the 3rd, 6th and 12th) had two teeing grounds. And at Chambers Bay last year, we saw how the 9th, a par-3, was transformed into a completely diferent hole depending on whether you played from the elevated teeing ground some 30 metres above the green, or the lower tee a couple of hundred metres away. This ﬂexibility in set-up also enables oicials to take into account hole locations and weather. And at Chambers Bay, Davis introduced another ﬁrst when he alternated the par of the 1st and 18th holes. When the 1st was a par-4, the 18th was a par-5, and vice versa. Some accused Davis of innovation for innovation’s sake, but what you can’t accuse him of is not thinking

The average number of three-putts per player in US Opens between 1997 and 2014 was 4.84. That figure rocketed to 8.58 at Chambers Bay. The problem arose in the autumn of 2014 when the fine fescue greens were invaded by poa annua. Poa can actually be maintained as a putting surface – as witnessed at Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach. The problem comes when you mix poa annua with fine fescue. “We had about 20 percent poa in many greens,” says Darin Bevard, director of championship agronomy for the USGA. “The problem is that the poa and the fine fescue grow at diferent rates. In the mornings the poa tends to stand up tall and so the surfaces become very bumpy. Then, the sun and breeze makes the greens firm and fast in the afternoon.” But given this problem cropped up eight months before the US Open began, why weren’t the USGA able to do something about it? “Our agronomy people tried a number of diferent ways to deal with the problem,” says Mike Davis. “They even tried to get rid of the poa with chemicals. But nothing worked. We were disappointed – as were they – that all these attempts didn’t come to anything. “The bottom line may well be that thin fescue is not the right grass for the conditions you get in the Pacific Northwest. Nor does it fare well when it has lots of traic.”

Surface tension: Billy Horschel makes his point to the media ... and the USGA.

golf australia | JUNE 2016 49

US OPEN GOLF: A DECADE OF EVOLUTION Mike Davis’ mission to broaden the US Open challenge has seen golfers do battle over a wide variety of terrains on new and traditional courses, both public and private. This is how the championship has evolved.

PRIVATE

Private/Traditional (1903) Designed by Henry C. Fownes as a links-style course, Oakmont’s many trees were removed at Davis’ behest to try to restore the course to its original state. Diferent teeing grounds and graduated rough – a success at Winged Foot – were again a focus.

2012 Olympic Club (Lake) 2006 Winged Foot (West) Private/Traditional (1923) Davis’ debut saw graduated rough introduced and diferent teeing grounds. The ﬁrst cut (3.5in) was 20 feet wide before the second cut (5.5in) started. Half the greens were enlarged to allow new hole locations.

Private/Traditional (1924) The set-up was much closer to what we expect from the USGA, with long rough, narrow fairways and fast greens. A great variety in hole length saw the longest hole in US Open history (670-yard 16th) and a par-4 of 294 yards from the tips.

Private/Traditional (1924) Davis oversaw Rees Jones’ renovating of the course, with new greens and tees. Graduated rough meant the ﬁve-inch rough from 1997 was history. Soft conditions contributed to Rory McIlroy’s winning score of 16-under.

2013 Merion (East) Private/Traditional (1912) The USGA proved that a course doesn’t have to be long to be tough. At 6,996 yards, the testing design combined with tricky pins meant the scoring average was 74.55 and Justin Rose’s winning score was one-over-par despite soft conditions.

EW 2014 Pinehurst No.2

2009 Bethpage State Park (Black)

(South) Public/Traditional (1957) Under the guidance of Davis, Rees Jones gave the spectacular course a major redesign. As well as length (at 7,643 yards, it was the longest course in US Open history) he widened four fairways, and moved three greens.

Public/Traditional (1936) Davis made a brutal test ‘fairer’ with graduated rough and great ﬂexibility on the teeing grounds. The 7th hole was the longest par-4 in championship history at 525 yards. Some fairways were widened to accommodate a greater risk/reward focus.

2015 Chambers Bay

2010 Pebble Beach Public/Traditional (1919) Setting up Pebble Beach is perhaps easier for the USGA than any other venue, because it is unique. With a beautiful backdrop, it is linksy in style, and so unlike the traditional US Open set-up. For this championship, Davis moved ﬁve fairways closer to the clifs, to bring the Paciﬁc back into play.

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Public/New (1895) After Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw had lovingly completed a $2.5 million renovation, taking the course back to the original Donald Ross design, the USGA took the unprecedented move to hold the men’s and women’s US Opens in back-to-back weeks.

PUBLIC

Public/New (2007) The first ever US Open in the Pacific Northwest (and the first at a new course for 45 years), Chambers Bay was a fast-running links, on dramatic dunes. The 1st and 18th alternated between being a par-4 and par-5. The 9th was an uphill or downhill par-3, depending on the tee.

TEXT & IMAGES: © BAUER CONSUMER MEDIA LIMITED.

TRADITIONAL

2011 Congressional (Blue)

2007 Oakmont

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAY The world’s top golfers didn’t hold back in their criticism of Chambers Bay. Billy Horschel “A lot of the players, and I’m one of them, have lost some respect for the USGA and this championship this year for the greens. And not only the greens. The viewing is awful … when you’re not able to get up close and watch championship-calibre players play a golf course, it’s disappointing.”

“Like putting on broccoli”: Henrik Stenson found Chambers Bay’s greens hard to stomach.

about the alternatives. Nor can you say he is too scared to try new things. He admits he has got stuf wrong in the past – “plenty” – but that’s not going to stop him trying new things in the future. Davis is also adamant that part of the job of the US Open is to showcase the great variety of courses America has to ofer. And when they go to old classics (it was Davis who was behind bringing Merion back from the wilderness three years ago) their course set-up for the US Open should reflect how the original designer envisioned playing the course. “When we looked at how we set up the course at Shinnecock Hills in 2004,” says Davis, “(with thin fairways and thick rough) we realised this was not the way William Flynn intended the course to be played. Just by setting it up like that, many of the angles and the strategy that Flynn had in mind were nullified. So when we go back there in 2018, the fairways will be much wider; we will efectively play a very similar course to the one the members play every day. That way, all the intricacies of the design will once again be on show.” THE LEGACY OF CHAMBERS BAY Chambers Bay received a pasting last June – although the design received rave reviews from players and commentators alike – but that does not mean it will never be declared a classic. “A good golf course is like good music,” said the great British architect Alister MacKenzie. “It is not necessarily a course which appeals the first time one plays it.” At the 1935 PGA Championship, Donald Ross’

putting surfaces at Pinehurst No.2 were slated by all the competitors. Pine Valley, regularly rated as the finest course in the world now, was called “Crump’s Folly” when it opened. Maybe the last word on Chambers Bay should go to an architect. Steve Smyers became president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects in April and spent a couple of decades working at the USGA. “I can usually find something which makes me feel uncomfortable with a golf course,” he says. “But whenever I feel this, I remind myself of how Bobby Jones reacted on his first visit to the Old Course at St Andrews, storming of and vowing never to return. The distinctive design of Chambers Bay put a spotlight on how diverse and captivating this game of golf can be. That will be its legacy. By contrasting it to the great and established championship courses, it triggered discussion regarding fundamental aspects of the game – the way it’s played, the way courses are designed and the way they are maintained. This is all very healthy.”

Sergio Garcia “I think a championship of this calibre deserves better green surfaces than we have this week, but maybe I’m wrong! If my problem is saying what everyone thinks but doesn’t have the guts to say, I’m guilty of that for sure.”

Ian Poulter “They were simply the worst, most disgraceful putting surfaces I have ever seen on any Tour in all the years I have played golf.”

Henrik Stenson “It’s borderline laughable at some of the greens and some of the pin positions, when we’re actually almost better off plugged in a bunker than being on the top of a ridge … And it’s pretty much like putting on broccoli.”

THE DISTINCTIVENESS OF CHAMBERS BAY SHOWED HOW DIVERSE AND CAPTIVATING THE GAME CAN BE. THAT’LL BE ITS LEGACY.

golf australia | JUNE 2016

PROFILE

BADDS

Aaron Baddeley, once tagged the whiz kid to rival Tiger Woods, has rarely been mentioned in dispatches from the PGA Tour in recent years. But a new coach and outlook has the now 35-yearold conﬁdent of returning to the top echelon of the game. WORDS BEN EVERILL PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES

aron Baddeley walked to the first tee at times in 2015 a broken and lost soul. He was afraid of where the ball would end up every time he swung the club and he was filled with doubt … could he ever get his game back? After all he had already searched just about every swing available on YouTube. He’d practised till his fingers nearly bled on the range for more than a decade with this method and that method. While he had found success at times – three PGA Tour wins no less – his search for the perfect golf swing had consumed him. And this time it might have just about swallowed him whole. But just when all seemed lost, the Victorian took a punt with Scott Hamilton, an American coach known for his simplistic ways and it has started a rebirth for the former whiz kid. Baddeley and Hamilton began working together in July last year and while he wasn’t able to get enough results to keep his Tour card, Baddeley walked away with inner peace at season’s end. Just a few months earlier he refused to even talk about his future, but now Baddeley was beyond confident he was on the right path. The fear had subsided and he was sure he could regain his card from the limited-starts past champion category. His faith is being rewarded and at this stage he is just one half-decent result away from locking up a return to the FedEx Cup Playofs this season, and the Tour fulltime in 2016-’17. So what is the secret? Having had Dale Lynch twice, David Leadbetter, Dion Kipping, Chris Como and Grant Waite plus the infamous ‘Stack and Tilt’ years under his coaching umbrella, Baddeley had listened to his fair share of opinions. “Quite simply, it was keeping it simple,” says Hamilton, who is known as an ‘anti-method’ coach. “Not that they are not brilliant guys but he had some of the most complicated guys in golf working on him that all had their own version or exact thoughts on a golf swing. I am not like that. Guys on the Tour have a DNA or blueprint of their golf swing and you have to live in that. When you start to try to recreate brand

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Despite a moneylist-ranking freefall, Baddeley still topped the 2015 PGA Tour putting stats.

THESE DAYS IF I’M NOT QUITE ON I CAN STILL BATTLE TOWARDS A TOPTEN BUT IN THE PAST, IF THAT WAS THE CASE, I’D MISS THE CUT BY FIVE. – AARON BADDELEY

“Even in time of, mentally I had no time of, I was trying to ﬁgure it out. Now with time of I won’t touch a golf club and rarely think of golf and you come back fresh, as opposed to coming back to try something you thought of and were practising in the mirror at home for days.”

new swings for guys who got to that level with a certain motor pattern … that’s when things go bad.” And Baddeley’s blueprint was one he liked. Who could forget the young 18-year-old, still an amateur, taking down Greg Norman and Colin Montgomerie among others at the Australian Open in 1999? His famous victory had everyone talking about the skinny, baby-faced assassin with the infectious smile who might just be Australia’s answer to Tiger Woods. While those expectations may have been a tad high, the want to be great out of the blocks saw Baddeley make his ﬁrst move away from Lynch to Leadbetter, and with it went some of the fun in golf. Golf became work from then on

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and pretty much has been for Badds, until now. Gone is the obsessive searching online for the better swing. Gone is the need to hit hundreds of balls on the range both before and after rounds, no matter what his form. “I have found the love of the game again. It’s not that you really lose it, but golf can become a grind if you let it,” the 35-year-old explains. “I feel a new comfort level. Scott just got to the crux of the problem and I work on two simple things every day. “The mind is so much freer. I am type-A and a bit of a perfectionist so when I couldn’t ﬁgure it out I’d be all over YouTube looking at other guys’ swings and comparing it to mine, searching for something to do.

THE CHANGE For Hamilton, finding the ‘tumour’ was easy. He noticed a backswing that was of-plane and a left arm that was way too high. It meant Baddeley’s backside was coming in four or five inches towards the ball on the downswing, causing his spine to stand up as he tried to get back on-plane. As a result the handle would get high at impact and bring limited clubface control. “He had always worked on ‘planing’ it by trying to pull his arms back behind him to get the club to go in-to-out to be shallow,” Hamilton explains. “I am a body guy. I lowered his backswing plane. I made the club go way around him and got his left arm way lower and he had the opportunity for his ‘tush’ not to come in so far. “He told me he never had a consistent in-to-out or positive club path, in TrackMan terms, so I just made it simple. We have two things to work on. We have to make your backswing more around you and teach you on the downswing to push your butt back.” Getting Baddeley on board with the basic fix was simple when he compared it to the Australian’s putting. Baddeley has long been one of the best putters on Tour. He actually led the strokes gained putting stat last year while en route to losing his card. “Scott’s given me just a couple of things to work on so I just wake up and do those every day. It’s not getting up and trying to do multiple diferent things. It’s not searching or looking for something new. It’s just get up and do the few things, and do it again tomorrow,” Baddeley says. “That’s how I have always been with my putting. I do the same thing every day. Some days you putt great, some days not as well but you are

Less practice, more play and a quest to ‘own’ his golf swing are the new goals for Baddeley and coach Scott Hamilton.

BADDS BY THE NUMBERS August 2015

May 2016

WORLD RANKING

415

241

SCORING AVERAGE

71.22

70.78

DRIVING ACCURACY (%)

50.29 (184)

54 (186)

GREENS IN REGULATION (%)

62.46 (172)

62.53 (179)

STROKES GAINED TEE-TO-GREEN

-.945 (176)

.021 (109)

STROKES GAINED PUTTING

.722 (1)

.707 (6)

STROKES GAINED TOTAL

-.223 (134)

.728 (41)

(Number in parentheses: PGA Tour rank)

always in the ballpark. And that’s where I am at now with my game. “My good golf is still really good but my poor golf is way better than what it used to be. These days if I’m not quite on I can still battle towards a top-ten but in the past, if that was the case, I’d miss the cut by five.” It also helped that Baddeley is close friends with dual Masters champion Bubba Watson and he finally saw the benefits of trusting what you have. He noticed Watson was scarcely on the range, and when he did turn up to fix his cut shots, he’d hit ten drivers, make sure they all sliced, and then be on his way. Instead of a ‘ranger Rick’, Baddeley is now one of the guys searching for someone to compete against in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he resides. Thankfully there is an abundance of pros in the golf-mad area. “I used to hit a lot of balls and might have two weeks with just range practice. Now I don’t do as much practice. I hit a few balls to warm up or put in a little session at best,” he says. “Instead I am more out on the course, whether it is having a game against other guys or by myself and hitting two, three or four balls on each hole with diferent clubs, shapes and diferent shots and just doing it like when I was a kid. Just playing the game.”

As the trust level rose, and the pair learned more about each other, it was Hamilton finding himself on YouTube. He was checking out the highlights of the 1999 Australian Open and realised they really were onto a rebirth of sorts. “At Bay Hill, his first round was not so good. He had worked so hard getting his butt back that his chest wasn’t open enough at impact,” Hamilton said. “His shoulders weren’t open enough to the target at impact, which makes the clubhead pass. After the first round we worked on just getting as open as you can get through the strike and what was curious was down through the hit his head starting turning and looking down the target line like a David Duval or an Annika Sorenstam. “He told me he did that as a kid. So I got on YouTube and watched the Aussie Open. And sure enough he was way more open through the strike and it made it easier to keep his butt back.” AIMING FOR THE TOP In 15 events, through the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Baddeley had four top-ten finishes. He had just one the season prior and only two the season before that. He hasn’t had four top-tens in one season since 2011, the last time he won. He sat 75th on the season-long FedEx Cup list with 421 points, knowing it took 458 points last year to be inside the top-125. He already has likely locked

up conditional status as that took just 361 points last year. But Baddeley’s goals are higher. “The goal is to get back towards, and into, the top-50 in the world as that gets you back into all the big tournaments. From there you just try to climb up and get into the top-ten,” the current World No.241 says. “There are still little things we are trying to improve but already it’s not so much trying to improve a technique or trying to make things perfect. Now it’s more about getting better at the game, improving statistically in a few areas, and contending more.” While he never rose to the Tiger Woods heights, Hamilton thinks Baddeley can become a rival to a very successful fellow Australian. “He has every tool. I think a guy with the talent he has on the path he is on, I can’t imagine he won’t be in the top-20 in the next year or so,” Hamilton extols. “He could be a Jason Day or one of those guys. He has enough length, he bombs long irons, and he putts better than anyone on Tour. It’s all in there. “A lot of things have to happen but he doesn’t have any weakness in his game and the more he owns his golf swing the better he will be.” Now that would be a rebirth worth watching.

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Can a bigger hole make golf more enjoyable and cool again? We sent our correspondent, and two mates, to the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital to find out. WORDS MATT CLEARY

golf australia | JUNE 2016 57

From tee to green the game remains exactly the same.

With a cup that expands from 10.8 to 20.3 centimetres, putting becomes fast and easy.

hances are you’ve seen it, the cracking bit of shtick by the late, great and ridiculously funny man Robin Williams; the one in which he explains golf in the character of a maniacal, drunken Scotsman. You know the one (and if you don’t then Google is your friend, and you may thank us later). Funniest bit of golf gibber ever. There he is on stage ripping of that thick Scottish brogue, riing about his idea for a sport, one in which you whack a ball towards a gopher hole, with a tyre iron, trees and bushes and high grass between you and the target hundreds of yards away. “Oh, great, oh, and here’s the better part – this is brilliant!” he says. “Right near the end, I’ll put a little ﬂat piece with a little ﬂag to give you hope! But then I’ll put a pool and a sandbox to screw with your ball again! Aye! You’ll be there crashing

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WHY WALK OFF A GOLF COURSE FEELING LIKE YOU’VE BEEN BEATEN UP? YOU WANT PEOPLE WITH SMILES ON THEIR FACES. – MURRAY BLAIR

away, jerking away in the sand – ah-ha!” “And you do this one time?” Williams asks himself. “No!” he bellows. “Eighteen f***ing times!” Brilliant stuf, and there’s been no more eloquent – and virally forwarded, shared and re-Tweeted – piece of commentary on the great game’s challenges and frustrations. And if you’ve ever three- or four- or – oh dear, sweet Ernie Els, no – six-putted, you may have cursed that Scotsman and the torturous size of his gopher hole. One man wants to change that. Murray Blair is head professional at Canberra’s Gungahlin Lakes Golf Club and the creator of Big Hole Golf (BHG). It’s golf as we know it but with a hole the size of a dinner plate. There are other ‘tweaks’ to tradition to entice beginners. But the eight-inch (20.3-centimetre) size of the hole (a

normal hole diameter is 10.8cm or 4.25 inches) is efectively the nub of it. “It adds a lot of fun and spice to the game,” says Blair. “You want people having fun. And if they’re one-putting, chipping in, they’re having fun. Why walk of a golf course feeling like you’ve been beaten up? You want people with smiles on their faces.” Blair has set up a small league which plays Thursday afternoons and says he gets great feedback from juniors, beginners and senior golfers. “And it’s a good option for corporate golf days, which can involve people who’ve never played.” For we rusted-on members of the “it ain’t broke, don’t ﬁx it” brigade, we who have no great truck with the game or the hole’s traditional dimensions, BHG’s theory is that if you already love the game, you’ll love it as much, perhaps even

BIG IDEAS AHEAD It’s the brainchild of Big Hole Golf creator Murray Blair and it’s called “The Eliminator”, and it could really shake things up. Like the Par-3 Contest before the Masters, it would be an adjunct to players’ practice rounds. It would be a made-for-TV Big Hole Golf minitournament held on the Tuesday of regular professional Tour events. Quite unlike the genteel aura of Augusta National, it would feature music blaring from speakers, shot clocks (with yellow cards if players exceed 30 seconds) and miked-up players dressed in shorts. Carts and GPS would speed things up. It would try to mimic the party atmosphere of the par-3 “stadium hole” at TPC Scottsdale. It would be attractive to bookmakers.

Big Hole Golf does wonders for your putting stats and confidence on the greens.

more, when the game is played with a bigger hole. P-p-poppycock? Perhaps. But imagine if the hole was half the size. Would you enjoy golf more if the hole was two inches wide? You would not. A hole that size could ruin a man. It would certainly force one golfer into the Big Easy Retirement Village … So if halving the size of the hole would halve the enjoyment, would doubling it double it? Myself and two mates, Mick and Blacky, are on the 1st tee at Gungahlin Lakes to road-test the theory. It’s a bluebird day in our nation’s capital and we’ve been fortified with rib-eye steak and a schooner of Kosciusko Pale Ale (because, as Blacky says, “We’re not savages”) and we talk of our expectations for the nine holes ahead. “This could be my best ever chance for a hole-in-one,” I muse, and there is nodding. And thus, in the ways of golf kooks everywhere, we

discuss whether such an ace would ‘count’ in one’s personal pantheon. “I’d suggest it would count,” Blacky says. “But with an asterisk that says it’s a Big Hole Golf hole-in-one. You’d still store the trophy in your pool room. But maybe in a sub-pantheon.” “Yes,” I agree. “And then visitors would ask, ‘What’s that there?’ And you’d say it’s my Big Hole Golf hole-in-one trophy. And then they’d ask, ‘What’s Big Hole Golf ?’ And you’d say it’s like golf but the hole’s twice as big.” And so on. And away we go. And it’s a good deal of fun. We play ‘normal’ golf from tee to green – then get onto the dancefloor and become Jordan Spieth. We attack from everywhere. Thirtyfooter? Go at it, son! Take out the break. Leave ten feet coming back? No worries! Jam it home! Good as a gimme, that distance, rap that puppy home with authority.

The competition would see seven players going at it over six holes. Seven players tee off, the one with the worst score each hole is eliminated. If scores are tied, there would be a chip-off, with the furthest away eliminated. And then there would be six. Competition continues until two players battle it out on the sixth and final hole. A chip-off decides a tie, nearest the pin wins. And winner takes all. Blair says BHG for TV would compress all the exciting bits of golf into a shorter, sharper, more exciting package. He’s scouting about for sponsors and television broadcasters, and would love to develop and sell the concept throughout Europe, America and Australasia. “It’s something to spark up the game,” Blair says. “You watch the television highlights packages for pro tournaments, there are a couple of long putts and someone holing out. And that’s after six to seven hours of coverage. Imagine a footy game going that long and showing three goals.”

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BIG HOLE FACTS z The normal golf hole is 4.25 inches (10.8 centimetres) in diameter. The Big Hole Golf hole is eight inches (20.3cm) in diameter, about the size of a dinner plate. z “Fastball” is a scoring system in which new players don’t need handicaps, and is based on a combination of shots and putts. z BHG can be played in two-person teams – one regular golfer, one beginner – with players playing a combination of alternate shot and ambrose. z BHG organisers are in talks with governing bodies about handicapping. z For a club in your state that hosts Big Hole Golf, or to see about bringing it to your local club, check out www.bigholegolf.com.au

“That would’ve gone in centre-cup in a normal-sized hole,” is something all three of us say more than once after one of us says it ﬁrst, in the ways of men. We also agree that we will not be giving up golf to play Big Hole Golf. The expanded-hole game could never substitute the thrill of riding a putt into that 4.25-inch gopher hole. Would chipping in from the fringe be as groovy if you did it every round? No. (Though it would still be quite cool, you must admit.) Blacky gets philosophical. “This is fun, but is it golf ?” he asks. The answer is yes – it is golf. But it’s not real golf. And if you’re a real golfer you won’t be brushing RG for BHG. But then Blair doesn’t want you to. He sells BHG as a fun thing to do on a Thursday afternoon. Or as an option for a corporate day with people who don’t play. Or to get kids interested in having a whack. Or as something to play just for the very hell of it. And if he ever gets his professional tournament idea going (see breakout) he could be BHG’s Chubby Chandler. After nine fun holes we rap in on the last, the three of us completing the go-round in 90

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PLAYING NUMBERS ARE DECLINING. AND TO GET THE KIDS IN, TO GET LAPSED GOLFERS BACK, TO GET REGULARS IN FOR A LAUGH, FOR CORPORATE DAYS, THERE’S A LOT TO LIKE ABOUT IT.

minutes. Admittedly we were pretty much on our own. But we stufed around taking photos and holding impromptu super-long putt-ofs for money. (And that, my friend, is very good fun.) We could have easily played the nine holes in an hour. I have had nine putts and three from the fringe. “You know what?” says Blacky, once we’re back in the bar. “There’s a lot of things that golf needs to change and the size of the hole isn’t necessarily one of them.” “Dress rules!” asserts Mick. “Inﬂexible membership models!” asserts Blacky. “Both of those things are true,” I ofer. “But playing numbers are declining. And to get the kids in, to get lapsed golfers back, to get regulars in for a laugh, for corporate days, or just for something diferent, there’s a lot to like about it.” “It is good fun,” concedes Mick. “But I’d actually like to see an even bigger hole! Make it the size of a beer barrel lid. You’d be knocking the ball in from everywhere.” “You could almost take putting out of the game,” says Blacky. “That would please Ernie Els,” I say. “It would bloody please me also,” says Mick.

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EXCLUSIVE

unleash your

BY WORLD NO.1

JASON DAY INTERVIEW GARRETT JOHNSTON

he majority of amateur golfers mistakenly believe that more power in the swing is simply an increase in clubhead speed that will result in longer drives. How they try to achieve that gets them into trouble. The application and delivery of this power to apply pressure to the golf ball correctly is just as important as increasing

clubhead speed. Ideally, you need to get a square clubface to the ball at impact with the club travelling at maximum speed towards the target. Here, World No.1 and PGA champion Jason Day talks about his swing and where the power is generated to hit drives up to 320 metres, and what you can do to hit drives longer than you are now.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR STANCE T

o hit with power you need to have a wider stance. When I’m really trying to rip a drive, my stance is wider than my shoulders just because I know that feels athletic and I know I can just get at it and ‘kill’ the ball. In saying that, you don’t want your stance to be too wide to where you can’t turn. But you’ve got to find a width that feels comfortable and slightly wider than your shoulders. Like the old saying that you’re trying to shoot a cannon out of a canoe, well I’d much rather shoot a cannon from a ship than a canoe. Why? It’s a nice stable base. If you’ve got a little base, you’ll be kind of wobbly and it’s not going to be accurate when you try to shoot something out of that little canoe. Sure, the narrower your stance the more you’re able to turn. That can be a good thing but then you lose power as well.

HOW TO GRIP IT TO RIP IT I like to have a neutral left-hand grip but my right hand is also neutral sometimes, not because of anything technical but it just feels comfortable to me. You know what I mean? So I’m always trying to get that right-hand grip over, over, over just so that it’s neutral so I can hit drives with a right-to-left and a left-to-right shape. If you have a grip that is too strong you can be locked into a draw shape, whereas if your grip is too weak you’re probably going to hit fades and slices all day long. I like to hit draws primarily but I also like to know that if I can hit a cut I can get used to either one.

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So you’ve got to have a good, athletic stance. And that stance must be stable so you don’t sway. If you’re wobbly and swaying it’s impossible to consistently find the sweet spot. The number one thing for amateurs is to get centre contact on the club. If you’re stable with your legs and flex, then you can turn through the ball and hit the shot. But when you’re not balanced, you fall back on the swing and you lose power and there is no sweet-spot contact. Simply, I turn behind the ball with my shoulders on the backswing and from there I can just can unload and bump a little bit with my hips and swing through.

UNIFORMITY OF THE ARMS M

y arms work as a unit on the backswing. When I’m taking the club back I try to take it back as far as I can, so the width of the backswing is huge. The width of your swing needs to be big on the takeaway so when you’re swinging back down into the ball you can lag the club down and swing into the ball on an inside-the-target-line swing path. Every time I played, even as a kid, when I first took the club away it has always been pretty much all shoulders and arms. They all work together as

one. Then, from there, I can fold up the right arm and make sure I still have good width because width equals power and power equals distance. If your arms are close to your body does it look like a powerful move? No, not when they’re really close. But, when they’re extended, it just looks so much more powerful. You’ve got more room to work with through the hitting zone and you’ve got more power into impact to work through so you can just get in there and rip it.

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WORK ON YOUR FLEXIBILITY I

have no doubt if you work on your fitness, you will definitely see an increase in your driving distance. It’s not about throwing weights around a gym or running miles or riding a bike. Most amateurs are not flexible in certain spots – they get very, very tight, which is no good for hitting your driver its maximum distance. For amateur golfers, in terms of their golf fitness, I think it should be more about flexibility and stability. Why? Well you’ve got to be able to turn behind the ball and keep your hips pretty still. When amateurs ‘turn’ they’re swaying side to side. Everything – hips and shoulders – go as one. When I’m taking it back there’s a little bit of hip turn but there’s about 90 degrees of shoulder rotation. If you were going to throw a ball as hard as you

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can like a baseball pitcher, you wouldn’t stand flat-footed and expect to generate any speed. You need to step into it. Watch how a pitcher (or a golfer throwing their ball to the crowd, inset photo) will make sure everything leans back so then they’ve got the separation between hip and shoulder turn. From there they uncoil and everything, including the arm, lags behind. Their flexibility allows them to do this. That’s what I’m getting at with the gym. You need to work on the overall flexibility of your body and you will see a drastic improvement in your distance. Overall, flexibility comes first for amateurs. When I look at amateurs every week I feel like most have no flexibility at all. Improve your flexibility and you’ll improve your power and distance from tee to green.

PLUG THE POWER LEAK A

lot has been written over the years about the X-factor of a golf swing. The X-factor is basically the turning angle diference between your shoulders and hips. The bigger the angle diferential, the more power you will be able to generate. For example, if your shoulders turn 90 degrees (so your back is facing the target) and your hips turn back 30 degrees, you’ve got an X-factor of 60 degrees. If you don’t get the X factor you need between the hips and the shoulders, you will never

generate lots of power to hit the ball a long way. When I see a golfer turning their shoulders about 45 degrees, it is not much of a turn, so there is no real diference in the turn angle of the shoulders and hips. In short, there’s no explosive twist, no X-factor. There has to be that separation and twist. Where a lot of golfers lose power is by coming ‘over the top’ because they don’t have that initial move where you can slot the club back on the inside. If you swing like that, you may start turning your hips but they develop no separation in the turning angle of the shoulders and hips. There’s no rubber-band uncoiling movement because the ﬁrst move down is with the arms.

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THINK IN OPPOSITES

or most of you reading this, one of the hardest things to do is to get your club moving on a better swing path into and through impact. This usually means getting rid of that ‘throw-it-over-the-top-move’ where you hit the ball left-to-right (for right-handers) with a big old cut. You not only miss the fairway, you don’t hit it very far either. So for you, it’s imperative to think in opposites. To hit less of a slice, you actually have to feel like you are going to hit the ball to the right. Easier said than done, right? When you’re hitting cuts and realise you’re going right, you think, ‘Well I don’t want to do that,’ so you align even further and further left and you see the ball

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moving right even more after impact. So you keep aiming further left and the bigger the slice to the right becomes. You’ve got to work it in opposites. Golf is all about opposites. Coming and going on the range, that’s where you need to be practising that swing and feeling like you’re attacking the ball from inside the target line, and getting the hands inside that line too. When you have the club outside the line on the descent, you don’t even give yourself a chance to release the club through the ball. Coming from the inside, you can release the club and all its stored power as you move through impact.

LESS SPIN, MORE DISTANCE W

hen I talk about driving, I try to feel like I’m not only hitting the ball from the inside of the target line, but I’m also hitting the ball on the up – that is, the clubhead has already bottomed out in the arc and is swinging up. When you do that, then you can get more power … every time. Most amateurs try to muscle the ball and, in doing so, they mistakenly make their first move down with their arms, which throws the club away (casting) and onto the wrong swing path once they hit down from the top of the swing.

Hitting down into the ball with your arms sees the clubhead come into impact on a steeper angle. When you hit down on the ball like this it creates a lot more spin (backspin and sidespin) and robs you of distance and produces the high and right kind of ball flight and shot shape you don’t want to see. But if you hit the ball ‘on the up’ (pictured inset), there is less spin and what spin there is creates a right-to-left shot shape … a draw (for right-handers). You get a lot more distance on the draw move, which is why I try to get on the inside and hit a big, high draw.

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HITTING THE BALL HARD I

try to draw the ball all the time and I try to hit it as hard as I can every single time. Personally, if I’m going to hit it in the junk, I’m going to hit it 350 yards into the junk, I’m not going to hit it 300 yards in the junk. When I’m getting up there on the tee I’m trying to rip the cover of the ball every time. I’m just trying to get it down there as far as possible because if I have a shorter club in, then I can get at or around a green with my second and then get up and down. I’ve got a shorter iron in my hand with more loft, even if I am hitting out of the rough. If you want power it’s all about the draw. The draw is clearly the most powerful and the fade is the most accurate.

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What I do think about is pushing my driver. You want the driver to naturally extend back, but I try to keep my driver as low and long and as far away from my body as possible. You want to try to feel like your arms are extending as far back as they can. For me, part of this feel is releasing the club (pictured inset). One big power release is being able to rotate your hands. If you are one of those guys who cuts the ball all day, you’re just holding the release of … there’s no hand rotation. You don’t know what a true release feels like. That’s where getting on the range and getting to feel like you’re starting it right and fully releasing the club is key.

IMPROVEMENT AND PRACTICE E

veryone’s greedy, it’s really true. Everyone wants more distance. We certainly can improve from the technology we currently have. You can definitely do that but let’s face it, it’s about the self-improvement of trying to get better with your golf game and trying to get better with your body. Unfortunately those things go hand in hand. You’ve got to improve your body first to get better at golf and to be able to hold the stability and force through a golf swing. If you’re into that and you want to improve your driving, specifically the length, you would go with that first. Fitness, stability, and functional movement is obviously key and from there working on your golf swing and making sure you’ve got sound fundamentals from there. But it’s kind of hard to say for a normal amateur, “Well, five days a week we’ve got to go to the gym and work on a golf swing.” Obviously

with your daily work, if you want to improve you need to spend an hour-anda-half on your swing each day. So it’s very time consuming when it comes to improvement. You have to be open to it. If you really want drastic improvement straight away, you’ve got to work on it every day, but if you want to improve even gradually then two to three times a week improve your health and swing. That’s not much. Maybe on the weekend you can find a day and then maybe more time in the middle of the week – so you’re pretty much good to go. It may take a little bit longer but things happen like that because you don’t get to work on it as much as I get to work on it. Repetition, it’s like anything – the only way to get better at something is to practise consistently.

golf australia | JUNE 2016

PUT THE RIGHT CLUBS IN YOUR HANDS

SWING SEQUENCE

THE THAT WON THE Danny Willettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Masters victory may have surprised a few golf followers, yet his unique and reliable action is behind a fast-paced ascent of the world ranking. WORDS GOLF AUSTRALIA SWING DOCTOR PHOTOGRAPHY MARK NEWCOMBE/VISIONS IN GOLF

golf australia | JUNE 2016 73

Danny has an athletic set-up here with good body angles. The red line shows his shaft plane at address.

He takes the club away using his hands and arms. Note the club is outside the line of his hands.

His early wrist set is obvious here. His right arm is folded and there’s little body turn, as he swings the club up on an upright plane (yellow line).

Danny now has the club right plane as his hips start to clear.

Club is smack bang on plane with the butt pointing at the target line. Plenty of clubhead lag here too as he starts to motor into impact.

Hips have completely cleared and Danny is ready to rip it.

n just one year, Englishman Danny Willett has surged nearly 40 places to settle into the Top-10 of the world ranking. His Masters victory in April was validation of work he has done with coach Mike Walker during the past two years to match his swing to his physique and capabilities. The 28-year-old was only briefly mentioned in dispatches on the eve of the year’s first major but his tie for sixth at the Open Championship at

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St Andrews last year should have been warning enough that his star was rising. He has not missed a cut in 19 events played since July 5 last year and in that time he’s had three wins, including the Masters, and a further six top-six finishes – two of which came in World Golf Championship events. “I attribute my improved consistency to a better understanding of my swing, and my body. I have a long-term injury that restricts my hip

rotation,” says Willett. “Physical issues like this often lead to damaging compensations.” Willett has worked with his hip issue without compromising fundamentals. And if there is one aspect of his swing that every club golfer should try and emulate is that he keeps the club out in front of the his body throughout the swing. If you can feel the club working more in front of your body, you will be able to free-wheel swing with power like Willett.

Danny’s wrists are already fully hinged as he nears the top.

Power move here. He has a 90˚ shoulder turn and minimal hip turn. Look at his belt buckle, it has hardly moved from his address position.

His first move down is to drop the right elbow in close to his body and down, which shallows out his shaft plane to be closer to the plane established at address.

His right wrist is flat and left wrist slightly cupped, which is indicative of a free-wheeling swing.

All the energy has been released and his finish is perfectly balanced.

Bang! The clubhead lag coming into the ball has all been released as the right arm and wrist straighten.

1. Make a full turn A full shoulder turn is a must for any good golf swing. Willett makes a big rotation and maintains the really good body angles he established at address. Massive power X Factor here with very little turning of the hips.

2. Open hips to free your arms

3. Swing fast, but smooth

Starting down, Willett’s hips start to open as the shaft of the club drops straight onto a good plane. The opening of the hips leaves Willett heaps of room to swing his arms through the impact zone.

You will never hit the ball a long way with a slow swing. Swing smooth, not slow … that is the key. Finding the right tempo for your swing is something you can work on with a metronome.

WILLETT’S KEY PGA TOUR STATS Scoring average Driving accuracy Driving distance Clubhead speed Greens in regulation

68.99 62.27% 289.5 yards 113.31 mph 70.14%

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TIP FROM THE TOUR

H E S W I N G D O C T O R | G O L F AU S T R A L I A’S R ES ID E N T S W IN G T HE R A P I S T

BEING able to chip well isn’t just about perfecting technique. It is the one area of the game that calls on you to be creative and use your imagination. Part of this process is visualising the shot you are about to hit. It doesn’t matter if it is a straightforward chip-andrun with a 7-iron or a high flop shot over trouble with your lob wedge, if you can’t “see” the shot you need to hit you won’t be able to hit that shot. Once you can see the shot you then need to visualise where you need to land your chip shot for it to finish close to the hole. I see a lot of club golfers stand up to a chip shot, look at the flag and play their shot. Nine times out of ten their chip lands most of the way to the cup and rolls beyond the hole to a distance that presents a difficult putt to finish off. Any club from a 5-iron to a lob wedge can be used for chipping, depending on the position and lie of the ball relative to the pin, the amount of green you have to work with and the ground you have to carry before reaching the green. Choosing the right club for the shot is all a part of the visualisation process. Don’t always reach for the sand or lob wedge because it may not be the right club for the shot you need to play. Here, one of the great short game players, Bubba Watson, is hitting a low chip with a wedge, where he just needs to get the ball over the fringe and running towards the flag. It would be impossible for Watson to play this shot with success if he didn’t predetermine his landing spot by ‘playing’ the shot in his mind’s eye first.

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BREAKING

80 AIMING UP A YOU can have the best swing in the world but if you don’t aim correctly, you won’t hit your target. A few months back Marcus Fraser won in Malaysia and later admitted he started that week not being able to hit the fairway because he was aiming too far right on every tee. He fixed his alignment in practice on the range and went on to win the tournament. Have a look at any good players practising and they will have an alignment stick aimed at their target or a club along the line of their toes parallel to their target line. Bear in mind, the target line and your toe lie always run parallel, like railway tracks, so you get a straight ball flight. If railway tracks ever ‘meet’, the train will crash. It’s the same with your golf swing. If the tracks meet you will add sidespin to your golf ball, and your ball will crash into the trees beside the fairway. You can also add another stick to your practice session to ensure your ball position is always correct. I like to play most full shots with an iron, about five centimetres inside the left heel, because as I move my weight towards the target, the bottom of my swing arc is opposite my left heel. This means I will hit the ball then take a divot. For the driver, the ball position moves forward of my heel. This is so I can hit up on my driver, with less spin, and it’s easier to get all your weight behind the ball.

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BUNKER LINE DRILL DELIVERY of your clubhead into the sand with the appropriate angle of attack is paramount for success in getting out of greenside bunkers. Your ability to hit a precise point behind the ball will determine if you achieve the necessary loft and spin to get your ball out and on the green safely. You only want one attempt at this shot and to achieve the best result. This drill will provide instant feedback and clubhead awareness to help you take the

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ideal amount of sand from underneath the ball. Firstly, draw a vertical line in the sand approximately one metre long. Create up to four dots, five centimetres left of the vertical line (main image). These dots will represent the golf ball position. Draw a second line, which is nearly ten centimetres further left of the dots. Now take your bunker set-up with a wider stance with plenty of knee flex. Open your clubface to the right with the ball

position slightly left of centre. Make practice swings, hitting the line and removing the dot and have your clubhead exit by the time it reaches the second line (insets series, below). Repeat the exercise. Draw another set of lines and now place balls down in front of the line rather than creating dots (inset right) and simulate the same sensation (inset series, opposite page), which best represents the action that you just attempted when you practised the drill. This exercise will help you develop the preferred divot pattern in a bunker and see your shots fly high above the bunker lip.

AAA-certified PGA professional DANIEL BLACKWELL is the teaching professional at Royal Adelaide Golf Club. You can book a lesson with Daniel on (08) 8356 8508 or visit the website www.blackwellgolf.com

PHOTOS: BRENDAN JAMES X 8

RETENTION TEST Hit ten balls in a row.

golf australia | JUNE 2016

BREAKING

100

BY L O R IE N S C O T T | P G A O F AU S T R A L I A T E A C HIN G P R O F ES S I O N A L

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO A BETTER GRIP YOU can’t make a good golf swing with a poor grip. Your grip is one of the foundations of your swing and if it is not secure, while also allowing for a free range of movement in your wrists, then you won’t be able to swing with power and accuracy. This is particularly true of your left-hand grip (for right-handed players). A common mistake I see by players is that, with the club sitting out in the middle of their stance, they reach down and rotate their arm so their left hand comes from underneath the grip. One thing I try to encourage students to

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do is to position the club so the butt of the shaft is in line with the outside of their left thigh. This lets you put your left hand on the grip coming from above, rather than under the grip, which places the club more in your fingers and your arm will actually be in a more natural sitting position. Once you have gripped the club like this, you should feel the last three fingers on your hand and the fleshy part of your palm actually supporting the club. The index finger and thumb then just rest on the club. With your right hand, place them on the club with your right ring and middle fingers acting like a cradle – up against the index

finger of your left hand – and these will support the weight of the club. All you need to do now is close your right hand. You now have a grip that will not only keep the club secure in your hands but you will have a range of motion where your wrists can cock, uncock and release through the ball. You will also find your hands and arms start to work better without compensations during the swing.

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AAA-certified PGA professional LORIEN SCOTT is a teaching professional at New South Wales Golf Club, La Perouse. You can book a lesson with Lorien on (02) 9311 2573 or e-mail lscott@pgamember.org.au

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PERFECT STEPS STRIKE A B Pain Strike Oil is a 100 percent natural blend of essential oils that can assist in the relief of muscle and joint aches, minor skin irritations and congestion. This Australian-owned and manufactured product is a blend of cajuput, wintergreen, clove and camphor. When applied topically, clove oil may have local anaesthetic and antiseptic properties and might assist in the relief of muscle and joint aches and pains, while camphor oil is renowned for its use as a topical chest rub. The unique roll-on applicator ensures golfers can conveniently target pain directly without any mess or waste. It comes fitted with a children’s safety cap. Pain Strike Oil is available online and at a range of chemists. RRP: $12. Contact: For stockists or more details, visit www.painstrikeoil.com.au

ON THE RADAR Two new additions to Oakley’s range of golf sunglasses ca have you echoing Adam Scott’s on-course style even if you swing is nothing like the Queenslander’s silky technique. Radar Lock is the ultimate sport performance product, this revolutionary eyewear letting golfers take full advantag of Oakley’s wide array of performance lenses thanks to ingenious Switchlock™ Technology, which makes lens changing fast and hassle-free. Radar EV Pitch represents a new milestone in the herita of performance. Radar® EV takes breakthroughs of a revolutionary design even further with a taller lens that ext the upper field of view. From the comfort and protection o Matter® frame to the grip of its Unobtanium® component premium design builds on the legacy of Radar innovation a RRP: $309.95 to $319.95 for Radar Lock; $249.95 for Radar EV Pitch Contact: For stockists or more details, phone 1800 625 539 or visit

JUNE 2016 | golf australia

With eyes on being labelled “the best golf socks ever”, Perfect Socks are made in New Zealand by golfers and for golfers. With the intention of improving your game through the perfect yarn for an 18-hole walk, these merino and cashmere socks are long on strength and softness but short on smell and blister-inducing fabric. Using merino wool creates a sock that wicks away moisture, resists odour and ensures breathability in both summer and winter temperatures, while the addition of cashmere creates a softness golfers will appreciate. These eye-catching socks are available in men’s and women’s styles, and all Perfect Socks are sold with their own laundry bag to provide superior care. RRP: NZ$25. Contact: For stockists or more details, visit www.perfectsocks.co.nz

KING AMONG IRONS Cobra Golf’s new King Utility iron is the brand’s first hollow-body utility iron to offer multiple loft setting The King Utility is available in a 3-iron, featuring a lar hollow head and is packed with Cobra’s game-changin metalwood technologies, including MyFly8 that allows to seamlessly adjust the loft to best fit their games. The King Utility provides the feel and performance of an combined with the forgiveness and slightly higher flight of hybrid. In a first for Cobra and a first for golf, the use of MyFl Technology in an iron affords golfers an ability to fine-tune their designed launch conditions from a 3-iron at 21° down to a 2-iron RRP: $289 steel, $319 graphite (available in right-hand only with lofts rang from 18° to 22°). Contact: For stockists or more details, phone 1800 053 164 or visit www.cobragolf.com.au

THAT’S A GIMME Gimme Charge is a unique device that lets you plug your phone into any electric golf cart. You can also plug in speakers, GPS devices or anything else that plugs into a USB port. The universal Gimme Charge is compatible with all current electric Club Car, E-Z-Go, and Yamaha carts. It can power anything that plugs into a USB, straight from the existing receptacle in your electric golf cart, including iPhones, Android, BlackBerry, Windows phones, iPads, Windows tablet, USB speakers and GPS units. No installation is required and each Gimme Charge comes with a microfibre bag. Cables are not included. RRP: $98, plus postage and handling. Contact: For stockists or more details, phone 1300 852 433 or visit www.golfscene.com.au

SUB ZERO GAINS The XR 16 Sub Zero represents the lowest centre of gravity Callaway has ever engineered in a driver. Players with high swing speeds that generate a lot of spin can use the extremely low-spin Sub Zero to drive the ball even farther. Using a new proprietary Carbon Triax Crown that is Callaway’s lightest carbon crown ever to redistribute weight below the neutral axis, the process also included adding two interchangeable weights (two and ten grams) in the clubhead to fine-tune launch and spin. Move the heavier weight forward for the lowest spinning, flattest trajectory or move it back to promote a slightly higher trajectory and more forgiveness. RRP: $680 (available in 9.5° right-hand only). Contact: For stockists or more details, phone 1800 217 777 or visit au.callawaygolf.com

golf australia | JUNE 2016

P L AY I N G W I T H . . .

ODYSSEY TOE UP PUTTE Cost: $330 each. Tested by: Harold Williamson, G MODEL PLAYED: Odyssey Toe Up #1 putter. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: This putter looks good. It’s new to me to use a putter that calls itself balanced ‘toe up’, but that didn’t create a problem. I also like the fatter, half-square grip. It’s not as bulky as the really fat ones and helped the whole putter feel balanced plus comfortable to stand with at address. The clubhead design is appealing, particularly the three alignment lines that help you line up.

HOW IT PLAY Odyssey Toe event, a form at more putt aggressive was excelle or too light stroke as t The Me a solid gr cut acros Odyssey across i

RESIST THE TWIST Stroke Balanced technology reduces torque during the stroke for minimal twisting, helping keep the putter on line.

THE SPECS SUITABILITY: All golfers. MODELS AND SHAPES: Available in #1 (pictured) and #9 models. LEFT-HANDED MODELS?: Yes. ODYSSEY SAYS: “Odyssey is the leader in putter innovation, and we relentlessly push ourselves to develop new technologies that golfers can use to roll in more putts. “And we’ve reached that tremendously high

THE VERDICT:

standard once again with our new Odyssey Toe Up putters. “We’ve used Stroke Balanced technology to reduce torque during the stroke for minimal twisting, so when you roll it, it’s going to be much easier to get the face back to square. We do it by strategically placing more weight towards the face to balance the putter and the centre of gravity is aligned with the centre of the face. All this is designed to promote a more consistent stroke, and when you put your finger up to the

face you ll see other putter in the market. “Our Metal-X face is fly-cut so that it’s perfectly flat and it’s chemically etched, which leads to a pure roll. Our hi-def alignment highlights the proper address over the ball. And the SuperStroke Flatso 1.0 grip gives you Tour-proven feel and new Counter Core technology.” Contact Callaway Golf on 1800 217 777 or visit au.odysseygolf.com

“The #1 is a good all-round putter, as the weighting helps both long and short putts and the total balance is there.”

JUNE 2016 | golf australia

SOUTH WEST ROCKS COUNTRY CLUB

estled in the idyllic seaside town of the same name, South West Rocks Country Club boasts a picturesque 18-hole golf course worthy of any player. Whether you’re off 4 or 24 you will enjoy the well designed and interesting layout. The course is a par-72 measuring 5,953 metres that winds its way around tree-lined fairways. Most of the 18 holes are straightforward, however accuracy off the tee is rewarded as the treelines can make an escape to the green dificult. The course offers a good variety of

holes, for example our 15th (Fred’s Hole) is a 383-metre par-4 with a water carry for your second (or third) shot. The bentgrass greens are in fantastic shape all year round, as are the fairways. It truly is a beautiful course to play. The clubhouse offers all of the facilities you would expect, including free Wi-Fi and dining options from a quick light meal in our coffee shop to something more substantial in our award-winning Seasons Restaurant.

FACT FILE GREEN FEES: $30. ADDRESS: 2 Sportmans Way, South West Rocks, NSW 2431 CONTACT: Emma Ford on (02) 6566 6252 WEBSITE: www.rockscountryclub.com.au HOW TO GET THERE: South West Rocks is a five-hour drive north of Sydney. Take the Pacific Highway north, turning off at Plummers Lane then on to South West Rocks Rd. ACCOMMODATION: The club has two accommodation partners, the Rockpool Motel and Sunshine Big 4. PLAY AND STAY PACKAGE: South West Rocks Country Club offers a number of packages in conjunction with our two accommodation partners and can tailor a deal to suit any number of people, whether it be a social group or a couple on a weekend escape. If you are in a group and plan on staying for a number of days, we can also create a package that can include an afternoon of barefoot bowls and a barbecue, or a day’s fishing on one of ‘the Rocks’ many charter boats.

South West Rocks is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales at the mouth of the Macleay River, approximately one hour south of Coffs Harbour. The town has a wonderful seaside village atmosphere and is a very popular holiday destination, offering not only great sporting facilities but magniicent beaches and rich heritage with the Old Trial Bay Gaol set high on cliffs above the sea. South West Rocks also offers some of the best diving locations in the country.

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GEAR UPDATE

The options for new drivers are plentiful and glorious, but separating the technology from the playability isn’t always easy. Here’s a guide to the latest drivers – and what’s driving them.

curling putt that drops at perfect pace or a crisply struck pitch shot might earn a nod of approval from your playing partners, but nothing widens eyes and raises eyebrows like a powerful drive boomed way down the fairway. The driver is king, and its reign is stronger than ever, even at club level, in this turbo-charged era of modern golf. Everyone wants to hit the ball farther and today’s technology is all but guaranteeing you can. Features such as carbon composite crowns and titanium cup faces coupled with technology like Speed Pockets, Action Mass and HyperFlight Faces help even modest swingers squeeze every last metre from their tee shots. The research and development is as instructive as it is impressive. Some engineers are turning to

nature for inspiration and insights. Part of the design of Ping’s new G driver, for instance, stemmed from a close-up photograph Ping chairman and chief executive John Solheim took of dragonﬂy wings. Others look to complementary industries. Callaway’s XR 16 driver drew upon the learnings of Boeing’s aerodynamics experts, for example. What each one strives for is the versatility to generate ball speed for all through ideal launches. You might be a fast swinger who spins the ball too much or a slow swinger with not enough loft to generate the requisite carry to match your clubhead speed. Both situations – and each one in between – have a solution when the right driver is coupled with the right setup. The shaft, so often

thought of as the ‘engine’ of the golf club, retains a vital role, but more than ever the various clubhead adjustability settings play their part, efectively allowing golfers to mask virtually any swing ﬂaw. It’s not a stretch to suggest the most important development in the driver realm in recent years is the handy, pocket-sized tool that lets you toggle between settings. Yet this relatively new aspect to modern drivers provides the playability and changeability average golfers crave. Behind those, however, are spacerace-like advances in technology that are utterly mind-blowing when golfers stop to consider the objective of all this R&D is to propel a little white sphere a few more metres along the cut grass. But those are precious, precious metres.

golf australia | JUNE 2016 89

IN LAYMAN’S TERMS The jargon can be baffling but the technology is impressive once you understand a little more about it. Here are less confusing explanations of some of the key attributes found within the eight drivers featured here: * Low centre of gravity: Exactly where your driver’s centre of gravity (CG) sits matters because it is a primary factor in determining launch and spin. A low CG increases dynamic loft (see explanation below) and decreases spin: a happy combination. A CG diference of even just a few millimetres can be profound, which is why slide weights and weight ports have become both popular and important. Generally speaking, a CG that’s low and towards the rear of the clubhead is optimal. * Dynamic loft: The actual loft delivered to the ball at impact. At equivalent measured lofts, a driver with a rearward CG will produce more dynamic loft and therefore launch higher than a driver with a forward CG. More loft produces more spin. * Moment of inertia: Usually deﬁned as the clubhead’s resistance to twisting, that is technically accurate but can lead to the belief that moment of inertia (MOI) plays a greater role in accuracy than is the case. A better deﬁnition is that MOI is a protector of ball speed. The higher the clubhead MOI, the more ball speed – and by extension distance – is preserved on balls struck somewhere other than the sweet spot. * Closure Rate or Dynamic Closure Rate: The rate at which the clubhead closes during the downswing. The further forward the CG, the slower the closure rate. Clubs with slower closure rates are generally described as being more workable; back CG designs with faster closure rates are more forgiving and can help mitigate a slice.

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CALLAWAY XR 16 Boeingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aerodynamics experts p developing the XR 16 line from Call w d s e a s w o d S S a S o P S ( R S a

COBRA KING F6+ The King F6+ driver integrates an all-new CarbonTrac weighting system that features a sliding weight with five front-to-back, low centre of gravity positions that is encased in a carbon fibre shell. It replaces the heavier, titanium track structure used in the Fly-Z+ driver. By creating additional discretionary weight through the use of a carbon fibre crown, new Ti 811 titanium body and forged face, Cobra was able to utilise an 18-gram weight on the sole to deliver an ultra-low centre of gravity and ball flights ranging from towering to penetrating for personalised distance and forgiveness. The F6+ driver also has Forged E9 Zone Face technology, an internal feature that removes weight from key areas behind the face and in the hosel to increase the size of and speed of the sweet spot. Specifications: Adjustable through MyFly 8 Technology to lofts of 9°, 9.5°, 10.5°, 11.5° and 12°, with a Matrix Black Tie 65M4 shaft and three diferent ﬂex options (R, S and X). Available in right- and left-handed in three colours: Glass Black, Blue Aster or White Pearl. Played by: Jonas Blixt and Bryson DeChambeau (pictured). RRP: $599. www.cobragolf.com.au

SUPA GOLF COURSE GETS PGA APPROVAL

ueensland PGA State Manager, Broc Greenhalgh, had never seen Supa Golf played prior to the recent official opening of the Sirromet Winery course at Mount Cotton, south of Brisbane. Now he has nothing but praise for the course and the new format of the game. “I don’t believe there is a golfer of any standard who would not enjoy Supa Golf. We really enjoyed it, and played exactly as we would play any golf course. The equipment may be different and the holes shorter, but the logistics of golf are almost identical. It has many of the components of putt putt, mini golf, the driving range and the actual game itself,” he said. “But unlike those other forms, Supa Golf is a real game. It is competitive, inexpensive, can be played in an hour and the equipment is included in the cost of a round.”

Supa Golf Managing Director John Morgan and Sirromet owner Terry Morris at the opening of the Sirromet Supa Golf course.

The Sirromet course, features four par 4s, four par 3s and one par 5. The longest hole is 150 metres, the shortest 68 metres, and the diameter of the hole is 15 centimetres. Sirromet owner Terry Morris, a keen golfer himself said he was delighted with the layout and condition of the course and, like Greenhalgh, had no doubt all golfers, irrespective of their level of expertise, would find the course a challenge. “Golf is arguably one of the most-loved sports in the world and Supa Golf is an avenue to widen that appeal because it is ideal for family groups.” Mr Morris said, “what appealed most to me about Supa Golf is that it introduces people to the game at a much less daunting level.” Supa Golf was invented in Perth by engineer Andrew van der Meer and it is currently managed by Perth businessman John Morgan, a graduate of Human Movement from UWA and his close friend, former Australian hockey champion Ric Charlesworth. Mr Morgan said that he was excited at the opening of the new course and overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and support that Supa Golf had received at the opening of the Sirromet course. Sirromet is the first Supa Golf course to be built in Queensland however contracts have been signed for four further courses to be built in Queensland over the next four years. The opening of Sirromet has already resulted in great interest from other organisations looking to establish their own Supa Golf course. Supa Golf Europe was established in 2013 and there are currently 11 Supa Golf courses in the Netherlands. Anyone interested in developing a Supa Golf course or wanting further information are welcome to contact John Morgan or Ric Charlesworth at any time.

John Morgan: 0433 319 428 Ric Charlesworth: 0418 906 217 www.supagolf.com

John Morgan tees off to officially open the first Supa Golf course in Europe in 2013.

NIKE VAP The Vapor F 460cc pear-sh trajectory with club has been fi Rory McIlroy p Distinguished Volt colour in Vapor Fly has to fast ball spe Flightweight C Compression C Specification handed (Vapor lofts of 8.5Â° to MRC Tensei 5 60 (Vapor Fly Limited 60 (Va flex options (A Played by: Ro Schwartzel an RRP: $600 for Fly Pro; $850 f www.nikegolf.

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PING G A close-up photograph Ping chairman and chief executive John A. Solheim took of a dragonfly became the inspiration for the primary innovation in the G series driver. He was intrigued by the wing structure and shared the photo with a group of engineers. Inspired by biomimicry, an approach to innovation that emulates nature’s time-tested patterns, they created Dragonfly Technology. The complex exoskeleton design yields Ping’s thinnest (0.43-millimetre) and lightest crown to date, saving eight grams while creating an intricate and stable structure. The weight savings helped drive the centre of gravity lower and deeper than any Ping driver, increasing dynamic loft and elevating moment of inertia significantly for maximum distance and forgiveness. Researchers also studied the base flaps that minimise large-scale vortex shedding behind 18-wheel semi-trailers and integrated their learnings into the G drivers to improve aerodynamics and increase speed. Vortec Technology on the back of the club and turbulators on the crown contribute to reducing drag 37 percent in the impact zone, yielding greater clubhead speed and ball velocity. Specifications: Available in right- and lefthanded in lofts of 9° and 10.5°, with Alta 55, Ping Tour 65 or Ping Tour 80 shafts in three flex options (R, S and X). An additional shaft option, TFC 80D, ofers lite and soft-regular ﬂexes. Played by: Bubba Watson, Louis Oosthuizen (LS Tec model, pictured), Lee Westwood (LS Tec) and Hunter Mahan. RRP: from $700. www.ping.com

golf australia | JUNE 2016 95

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TITLEIST 915 Titleist’s 915 drivers feature a new Active Recoil Channel, Radial Speed Face and highmoment of inertia design to deliver lower spin and higher speed with exceptional forgiveness. The twin 915D2 and 915D3 models benefit serious golfers of all swing speeds by delivering maximum distance while maintaining the high moment of inertia. The proprietary Active Recoil Channel actively flexes at impact and recoils to launch the ball of the clubface with higher speed and lower spin. The Radial Speed Face insert increases ball speed on of-centre hits for more distance and more consistent speeds across the clubface. Both 915 drivers were engineered with a precise, high-moment of inertia design with a low and deep centre of gravity for stability and forgiveness. Specifications: Available in right- and lefthanded in lofts of 7.5° (right-hand only), 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° and 12° (D2 only), with any one of six Aldila Rogue or Mitsubishi Diamana shafts in a range of ﬂex options. Played by: Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott (pictured), Jimmy Walker (all D2), Byeong-hun An and Bernd Wiesberger (both D3). SRP: $679. www.titleist.com.au

TAYLORMAD At first glance, the its predecessor, the composite crown wi black colouring retu there are diference that place forgivene A ﬁve-gram weigh moved to the sole, re that’s 26 percent fur adjustable weight w relocation helps ach forgiveness, raising centre drives. Likew Pockets” return with ﬂex. And in this era back from the M1’s t and retains only the positions. Specifications: Av handed (women’s ri 10.5° and HL (plus w Three shafts are ava Fujikura Pro 50 (R, M TM Reax 45 (L). Played by: Justin R RRP: $649. www.taylormadegol

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Experience golf at its finest Ambrose Estate at Wembley Golf Course

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You can expect to enjoy a whole new experience at Wembley Golf Course this year. Its exciting new Ambrose Estate hospitality complex will include a bar and restaurant, function spaces, a Miniature Golf Course with an open air pavilion, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playground and ceremony garden. Featuring a stylish modern interior and a large timber balcony, the venue will offer a range of event spaces to cater for all styles of functions and the restaurant will be open 7 days a week for all day dining, accompanied by breathtaking views of the Tuart Course.

www.ambroseestate.com.au functions@ambroseestate.com.au 08 6280 1351

Wembley Golf Course

P L AY I N G W I T H . . .

GOLF SKATE CADDY Cost: $4,850 each. Tested by: Steve Keipert, Golf Australia Deputy Editor (GA handicap 4.0) MODEL USED: Golf Skate Caddy 2016 V2. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: This was an entirely new facet to playing golf for me. I’m no surfer and I haven’t been on a skateboard in years, yet judging by the simplicity of the Golf Skate Caddy’s operational features, it didn’t look like it would take long to learn how to successfully manoeuvre it. HOW IT PERFORMED: I really enjoyed cruising the fairways on the Golf Skate Caddy 2016 V2. Granted, it took me a few

holes to get a feel for how it moves but the longer I was on board, the more comfortable I felt. The mechanics behind it are simple – with the V2 you have a choice of a thumb-driven toggle to stop and go or the same hand-held remote control that came with the original version. I tried both options but slightly preferred the remote control. Once you settle on a pace that feels comfortable, steering is the main area to concentrate on. I made the mistake of initially trying to rock my feet to change direction but at times that didn’t allow the

Golf Skate Caddy to turn sharply enough. By instead repositioning my feet on different parts of the board, it became far easier to manoeuvre. And, if you do get stuck, there’s a reverse option or the whole thing is light enough to simply lift it and turn. The aspects that impressed me most were how smoothly the Golf Skate Caddy climbed and descended slopes and how easily it transitioned between surfaces. At one point I rode it up a grassy mound that became bare and dusty at the top and I didn’t sense it reacting to the terrain change. Likewise, any bumps in the

THE SPECS KEY FEATURES: Three-point tuned suspension system, low-impact all-terrain tyres, water resistant computer management system, flexible ABS mudguards, cooler box, quick-release seat, heavy-duty bag strap, ergonomic handle, umbrella mount. TECHNOLOGY & SPECIFICATIONS: Dual 1,000w whisper-quiet, high-torque, brushless motor with soft-start. The 30Ah quick-release lithium NMC (LiNiMnCoO2) battery lasts more than 18 holes and charges in 1.5 to three hours. Golf Skate Caddy carries riders weighing up to 120 kilograms, plus golf bag. Total weight is 39 kilograms plus the sevenkilogram quick-remove battery. Dimensions are 122 x 56 x 56 centimetres. Four speed settings with maximums of five, ten, 15 and 20 kilometres per hour (and these can be speed-limited). GOLF SKATE CADDY SAYS: “The V2 was tweaked to now come with the option to accelerate and brake using either a thumb slide or the remote control. It loves hilly courses and the braking system means the V2 is now even easier to ride. Four pre-programmed speed settings allow golfers to decide whether to ride it like a sports car or a limousine. “Golf Skate Caddy V2 demo units are available for immediate trial. For videos, explore the website or Golf Skate Caddy on YouTube.”

EASY RIDER It takes only five to ten minutes of practice to learn how to navigate the Golf Skate Caddy.

THE VERDICT:

100

“From younger people seeking to add fun to their rounds to older people negotiating injuries, this is well worth trying out.”

JUNE 2016 | golf australia

PHOTO: BRENDAN JAMES

Contact Golf Skate Caddy on 1300 556 979 or visit www.golfskatecaddy.com.au

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We look forward to welcoming you soon With an abundance of free parking, complimentary WiFi throughout the Resort and its tranquil surrounds, Joondalup Resort is both easy to get to and enjoyable to stay.

As part of your stay at Joondalup Resort, you can enjoy: 27 Hole championship course (open to the public 7 days a week) | Perth’s best value driving range | 70 spacious hotel rooms 3 Restaurants serving breakfast, lunch and dinner | 5 mins from WA’s biggest Shopping Centre

The 2nd hole of Joondalupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quarry nine features sand and a steep rise.

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est W nshine per year than any other Australian capital city and a wide selection of acclaimed public-access courses, Perth is the ideal year-round golf destination. WORDS & COURSE PHOTOGRAPHY BRENDAN JAMES

hen you have been sitting on a plane for two hours and the first movie has been watched, you’re into your second in-flight snack and the flight tracker map shows you’re not quite halfway, there is a realisation that Perth is a long way away. But anyone from the east coast who has crossed the two time zones to get to the world’s most isolated capital city (yes, it’s true) in the name of playing golf will tell you every minute of that travelling time is worth it. And, having crossed the two time zones (during eastern states’ daylight saving) on the first daily flight out of Sydney, I was cruising north out of the newly built Perth Airport domestic terminal with plenty of time before my 10.30 tee-time at the

acclaimed Joondalup Resort, just 35km away. Joondalup has been one of the nation’s most acclaimed golf resorts for more than two decades, with luxury accommodation and facilities to spoil the travelling golfer, all just a pitching wedge from the 1st tee of three nine-hole loops – Quarry, Dune and Lake. Of the combinations on ofer, Joondalup’s Quarry/Dune layout is widely regarded as its best. Ranked No.30 in Golf Australia’s Top-100 Courses earlier this year, the Quarry/Dune course will have ﬁrst-timers marvelling at the dramatic holes crafted across a unique landscape by American designer Robert Trent Jones Jnr. He has been able to combine strategic golf values with appealing and dramatic visuals to create a special layout. While there are plenty of courses in Australia

that are tagged spectacular, in many cases it is the view from the course that is breathtaking, not the vista from tee to green. The most striking of all Joondalup’s holes are on the Quarry nine. The ﬁrst of these is the par-4 2nd, which requires a drive from an elevated tee to a fairway that starts in a valley below and rises to a huge tiered green perched on a plateau 370 metres away. In between, there are two massive bunkers – one that resembles a moon crater – to contend with. The next three holes are played over and around a deep quarry gorge and are the highlights of any round at Joondalup. Although the Quarry nine is arguably Joondalup’s ﬁnest, the Dune and Lake nines are also impressive. The 3rd to the 7th on the Lake golf australia | JUNE 2016

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An old quarry dominates a trio of holes within Joondalup’s nine of the same name.

Joondalup’s Dune nine (above) has numerous elevation changes, while Sun City (below and left) is midway through an exciting redesign.

Two things you can always count on in West Australian golf: kangaroos and bunkers. The state has plenty of both.

course covers an undulating landscape that is littered with Jones Jnr’s signature bunkering as well as dramatic mounding. This run of holes covers the high ground at Joondalup and are the most exposed to the sea breezes from the Indian Ocean. Then there are the visually beautiful holes of the Dune course, with few better than the 372-metre par-4 3rd. Here, a split fairway comes into play from the tee – the low road is shorter but presents a more diicult second shot while the high road, to the left, ofers a longer but safer route to the green. Adding to the spectacular visuals and the golﬁng challenge are Joondalup’s playing surfaces, which are some of the best to be found in Western Australia and have been that way for many years. While Joondalup is one of the highest ranked public-access courses in Western Australia, one of its neighbours to the north is gradually climbing the ladder on ranking lists on the back of an extensive redesign.

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Sun City Country Club made its debut in Golf Australia’s Top-100 Courses ranking in 2014 and in January this year it jumped 16 places to No.84. It will move higher in years to come as the redesign by the team of Ogilvy Clayton Cocking and Mead (OCCM) nears completion. The course is set on rolling land on the edge of a national park and was established in 1974 to be part of an adjoining residential development conceived by businessman Alan Bond. Originally created by Bob Green in collaboration with the club’s ﬁrst captain, Murray Dawson, the layout covers excellent terrain but imported trees planted over the years had narrowed many of the dogleg holes to make them too diicult for shorter-hitting players. The OCCM redesign has not lessened the challenge of a round at Sun City but it has made playing there a lot more fun. Of the holes that have been completed, the fairways have been widened to incorporate more strategy as you now have a couple of playing lines on those holes, which can be tackled with a variety of clubs.

THE O.C.C.M REDESIGN HAS NOT LESSENED THE CHALLENGE OF A ROUND AT SUN CITY BUT IT HAS MADE PLAYING THERE A WHOLE LOT MORE FUN.

The Vines’ Ellenbrook course is home to a fine set of par-3 holes, including the secluded 5th (below) and the water-lined 8th (above).

The redesign of the layout has passed the halfway point with six back-nine holes (10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15) and three front-nine holes (2, 3 and 8) now completed and in play. Completed in three stages, the transformation of Sun City has been gradual but dramatic. But what I liked most about the ‘new’ Sun City is the new green complexes. They are bigger, set at diferent angles to the approach and the surrounds are really interesting, including steep drop-ofs, imaginative bunkering and wide open frontages. In fact, there are several of the new greens that I’m sure golf tragics like myself will want to have some fun chipping and putting on after they have completed the hole. While Sun City is only just becoming more widely known outside Perth, my next stop was in the heart of the wine-growing Swan Valley and arguably Western Australia’s most famous golf venue – The Vines Resort and Country Club. The 36-hole complex – about 35 minutes’ drive north-east of Perth’s CBD (and about an hour south-east of Sun City) – has seen some of the

The 5th green of Wembley’s Tuart course is a tight but tempting target when viewed from the fairway.

biggest-name players in the game walk its fairways from its years hosting Tour events like the Heineken and Johnnie Walker Classics as well as the LPGA’s Lexus Cup. There aren’t many places in Australia where you can simply pay a green fee and play holes in the footsteps of golfers like Greg Norman, Adam Scott, John Daly, Fred Couples, Ernie Els, Bernhard Langer, Jose Maria Olazabal, Annika Sorenstam and Se Ri Pak. The Lakes course is the more highly rated of The Vines’ two layouts. Designed by Graham Marsh and Ross Watson, the par-72 layout covers nicely rolling terrain with wide fairways bordered by tall timbers and scrub. One of the most memorable holes out of all 36 at The Vines is on the back nine of the Lakes course and is one of my favourite par-3s in Western Australia. The 179-metre par-3 16th has been a pivotal hole during the closing stages of many championships because it is a hole where birdies can come as easy as bogeys and double-bogeys. The key here is landing your ball in the right part

of the green, in relation to the flag, to minimise the chance of a three-putt. This is what I love about the hole – I have played it many times and don’t recall using the same club twice, simply because of the slopes on the massive green and the way it is angled to your approach. For example, any flag in the back right section of the green can be reached with a faded tee shot landing on the left side of the green, because of the angle and slope of the green. The opening hole of the Ellenbrook course is a great entree to what awaits over the next 17 holes. At 374 metres, this par-4 calls for a precise drive to the right of a yawning fairway bunker on the left of the fairway. The ideal drive should leave a short or mid-iron to the elevated, tiered green. When John Daly played the Johnnie Walker Classic here for the first time, he amazingly used a 3-iron from the tee on most days to avoid trouble. With award-winning wineries and breweries scattered throughout the Swan Valley and close to The Vines, a day trip out of Perth is an option but, better still, book a night in the Novotel Vines

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Wembley’s Tuart layout is home to several big greens, broad bunkers and native bushland.

Resort next to the course and indulge in some world-class beverages. If you are staying in or near the Perth CBD, there is another 36-hole complex virtually on your doorstep. Wembley Golf Course is a ten-minute drive north-west of the city centre and features two 18-hole layouts – the Old and Tuart courses – which are laid out across 300 acres of undulating land. Both feature kikuyu fairways, heavily lined by tuart and banksia trees, with sloping bentgrass greens and bunkers on most holes. The Tuart course features several very good holes but, for mine, it has the best par-5 to be found at Wembley. The 470-metre 6th is a terrific driving hole with a relatively narrow fairway that falls markedly from the tee for the first 200 metres before turning left and descending gradually to the green. Tall timbers flanking the right side of the hole have some big branches that hang well over the fairway so the left half is the best playing line here. Long hitters will have no problems reaching the green in two but they’d best avoid the deep bunker right of the putting surface. The neighbouring Old course was opened for play in 1932 and still covers the original routing, while significant improvements to the greens and bunkering have been made over the years. The Old course has some terrific short holes with the par-4 10th being a standout. The

LONG HITTERS WILL HAVE NO PROBLEMS REACHING THE GREEN IN TWO BUT THEY’D BEST AVOID THE DEEP BUNKER RIGHT OF THE TARGET. 106

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G O L F T H AT I S S I M P LY S U PA I have to admit, at first I was sceptical. But after a few holes, Supa Golf had certainly won me over. Supa Golf was invented by Perth engineer and keen golfer Andrew van der Meer as a means of allowing people of all ages and abilities to enjoy. All the best aspects of conventional golf have been repackaged into a game that is easier to play for everyone. That said, it’s no snack. But on any given hole, a single-figure handicap player could easily be matched by someone playing for the first time, which makes it the ideal game for golfing parents and their kids, or non-golfers just wanting to have a bit of fun. I played at Oasis Supa Golf, a short drive from The Vines Resort in the Swan Valley. Supa Golf is a modified version of golf with just four clubs – known as driva, strika, jigga and putta – required (these come with the green fee). The heads are a polycarbonate composite and are huge, while the larger, softer ball is made out of polyurethane. The ball, which does have sparsely placed dimples across its surface, is nearly three times bigger than a normal golf ball but is still designed to have a similar flight with one telling difference – it will only fly approximately 100 metres, which is fine when the longest hole is 150 metres long. The hole is also bigger, with a diameter of 15 centimetres. Accompanied by Supa Golf managing director John Morgan, I quickly got the hang of it and made a few pars. With the limited club choices, being creative with shots – like hitting little bunt shots around

trees with the driva or chip-and-run shots with the strika – proved to be a lot of fun. I managed to add a few birdies to offset a couple of bogeys and finished nine holes in a tick over 25 minutes. My only regret was that my kids weren’t with me to enjoy the experience. There are two Supa Golf courses in Perth (the second is at Melville, south of the city), while Queensland’s first Supa Golf course has opened at Sirromet Winery, at Mt Cotton, south of Brisbane). For more information about these venues or Supa Golf, visit www.supagolf.com

The par-3 16th at Links Kennedy Bay marries elements of British links courses with Augusta National’s 12th.

Played from an exposed tee, the par-3 8th at Secret Harbour is one place you definitely need to have the right club.

Short but menacing: the driveable par-4 7th at Links Kennedy Bay asks for precision whichever way you play it.

319-metre dogleg left is played from an elevated tee and aggressive players can take it on with a driver but they will need to avoid a huge bunker just right of a very narrow stretch of fairway. Complementing these two popular layouts is a practice facility that ranks as one of the best in Australia, with a two-tiered, 80-bay driving range, fully grassed short-game practice area, pro shop and learning centre. And if you want to try something diferent, Wembley also ofers 18-hole FootGolf three afternoons a week. SOUTH OF THE SWAN If you are heading to Perth and have your clubs in tow, you must sample some, or all, of the great courses to be found in the Peel region. The region, which hugs the coast south of Perth down as far as Mandurah, features eight courses with four ranked among the nation’s top-100 public access layouts. On top of the ‘must play’ list is Links Kennedy Bay – ranked No.3 in Golf Australia’s Top-100 list in 2015 – and regarded as one of the best modern links designs in the country. Gently rolling, fast-running fairways are routed through sand dunes covered with western coastal wattle, grevillea, sedges and lilies. It’s a special tract of sandy links land, which is amazingly less than 50 minutes’ drive south of Perth’s CBD.

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Designed by Michael Coate and Roger Mackay in collaboration with 1991 Open champion Ian Baker-Finch, Kennedy Bay does what many links courses outside the UK aspire to do – it gives you the impression you are playing one of the great links of Britain or Ireland. The opening stretch from the 1st hole to the tempting 285-metre par-4 7th will have you enthralled. Holes dubbed ‘Hell’ – the superb 520-metre par-5 4th – and the demanding 419-metre 5th, known as ‘Thread The Needle’, throw down the challenge early in the round. And then there is the brilliantly designed 7th hole, called (for good reason) ‘Temptation’. In favourable conditions, longer hitters can back themselves here to reach the green with their tee shot but it is a gamble to avoid the staggered pot bunkers left and right, as well as the deep trap cut into the front of the putting surface. I was tempted and while I passed the ﬁrst test and kept my ball away from the sand, a lazy pitch to the wrong side of the hole resulted in an easy three-putt bogey when a birdie was there for the oing. Such ﬁne lines between birdies and bogeys can be found right throughout the course. Even the shortest of Kennedy Bay’s holes, the 138-metre 16th hole, can be a devil to make par on. Called ‘Wee Tap’, the innocuous looking par-3 demands precise club selection and shot execution …

YOU CAN BE LESS THAN A METRE FROM HITTING A GOOD SHOT, FIND THE SAND OR ROLL DOWN A STEEP DROP-OFF AND BE FACED WITH ONE OF THOSE CHIP SHOTS ... usually in some sort of breeze. The mid-section of the green is wedged between one deep bunker in the front and a pair through the back, which had me wondering whether the design team might have drawn some inspiration from Augusta National’s famous 12th hole, ‘Golden Bell’. You can be less than a metre from hitting a good shot, ﬁnd the sand or roll down a steep drop-of and be faced with one of those chip shots you have probably chunked a hundred times before. One of the great aspects of playing golf in the Peel region is that all the courses are very close by. Less than ten minutes after pulling out of the car park at Kennedy Bay, I was unpacking my gear outside the clubhouse at Secret Harbour Golf Links. When course designer Graham Marsh ﬁrst visited this site in the early 1990s, he found towering sand dunes covered with thick coastal scrub and terrain that proved ideal to produce a memorable layout. Secret Harbour features rolling fairways littered with predominantly small pot bunkers, while the other necessary ingredient of links golf, wind, is ever-present. This course is no beast though, as Marsh was mindful of creating a layout that would be fair and challenging to players of all standards. It was blowing a constant 20 to 25km an hour

Meadow Springsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; par-3 16th has a new backdrop but offers the same challenges itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always had.

Sand â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both the size and positioning of the bunkers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is a hallmark at Meadow Springs, particularly at the 7th (below) and 17th (above) holes.

during my afternoon round and I had managed to keep my ball away from any of Marshâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bunkers for 17 holes. Then I reached the elevated 18th tee to be presented with a view of all seven sandy hazards, and the numerous mounds, lying between me and the green some 380 metres away. It is a beautiful closing hole that has brutish qualities, as I was to discover. Nursing a decent score, I missed the huge green to the right with my second shot and found my first bunker for the day. I was then exposed by my lack of bunker practice, and bladed my third straight across the green into â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Marshâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Swampâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, which ultimately led to a hard-fought quadruple-bogey eight, including a three-putt. TouchĂŠ Marshy, touchĂŠ! If you plan on an extended stay in the Peel region, Mandurah is the ideal base for accommodation, restaurants and all the golf courses mentioned here are close by. Meadow Springs Golf & Country Club, less than ten minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; drive north of the Mandurah town centre, is a wonderful accompaniment to its two links course neighbours. The Robert Trent Jones Jnr design is a parkland layout with wide, rolling fairways weaving between tall stands of predominantly tuart trees, several lakes and more than 70 bunkers of significantly varying sizes. Where Kennedy Bay and Secret Harbour have a rough edge to them, by virtue of their links design, Meadow Springs is more polished. In fact, the high quality presentation is something that has wavered very little in the two decades I have been visiting the layout. The immaculate couch fairways and bentgrass greens set a standard of conditioning many private clubs would look upon with envy. Even the edging around the bunkers is kept nicely trimmed, seemingly without a blade of grass out of place. The aforementioned tuart trees, which are native to this part of the Western Australia coast, are a real feature of the Meadow Springs layout as

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some date back more than two centuries. Some of the biggest of these trees line the 484-metre par-5 15th hole. From the elevated back tee, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss seeing the tree troubles either side of what appears to be a narrow fairway below. Long hitters, in the right conditions, can take the risk by blasting their drive by a long fairway trap right and be assisted by a slight downslope to bring the green well within range for their second shot. The best of the closing foursome is the 354-metre par-4 17th hole, which has recently had new tees incorporated into the design. Three bunkers are set diagonally, from right to left, across the fairway, which poses questions of club selection and playing line before you have even stepped in beside the ball. The camber of the fairway does feed balls towards the longest of the bunkers, so a long drive to the left side â&#x20AC;&#x201C; while leaving a shorter approach to the elevated green â&#x20AC;&#x201C; needs to be pinpoint to avoid the sand. If you enjoy your round at Meadow Springs, you should also try Mandurah Country Club,

which is laid out on a sandy hilltop above the Halls Head Peninsula about five minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; drive south of the township. Originally designed in the early 1960s by Murray Dawson, Mandurah underwent a massive upgrade in the late â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s under the guidance of Meadow Springsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; course superintendent Greg Simmons. Over the course of six years, the original fairways were converted to Santa Ana couch, more than 40 bunkers were added to the layout and most of the greens were replaced. Today, the quality of the playing surfaces complement what has always been a challenging and enjoyable design. Another challenge awaits a short drive west of Mandurah at the Pinjarra Golf Club, which is one of the oldest clubs in Western Australia. While the club dates back to 1912, a permanent home was not found until 1938 when nine holes were first established, designed by Dr Eustice Cohen, who had helped create the Western Australian Golf Club course

EXPLORE MANDURAH WITH QANTAS GOLF CLUB. Just 50 minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; drive south of Perth, Mandurah is a beautiful coastal town with something for everyone, especially golfers. This Qantas Golf Club holiday package includes: S CIF B=;<HG 577CAAC85H=CB 5H H<9 :CIF

5B8 5 <5@: GH5F K5H9F:FCBH ,969@ &5B8IF5< S FCIB8 C: ;C@: 5H &958CK ,DF=B;G C@: CIBHFM @I6 S FCIB8 5H -<9 %=B?G $9BB98M 5M (pictured S FCIB8 5H &5B8IF5< CIBHFM @I6 The package starts from $745 per person.

Visit www.qantasgolfclub.com/mandurah for details or call 1300 742 973. *Conditions apply.

The ominous par-4 12th at The Cut is one hole where even elite players stand on the tee praying for a par.

W HERE T O P L AY JOONDALUP RESORT Green fees: $110 (18 holes, Mon-Thurs); $125 (Fri-Sun). Includes twin-share cart. Cheaper rates for resort guests. www.joondalupresort.com.au SUN CITY COUNTRY CLUB Green fees: $40 (18 holes, weekdays); $50 (weekends). www.suncitycountryclub.com.au THE VINES RESORT & COUNTRY CLUB Green fees: $64 (18 holes, Ellenbrook); $84 (18 holes, Lakes). Cheaper rates for Novotel resort guests. www.vines.com.au WEMBLEY GOLF COMPLEX Green fees: $31 (18 holes, weekdays); $38.50 (weekends). www.wembleygolf.com.au

in Perth a decade earlier. The 18-hole layout today is a fine one, with superb fairways and putting surfaces that rate highly alongside more renowned courses in the Peel region. Heading back to the coast will lead you from the oldest club in the region to the youngest, which is laid out on and around huge sand dunes at Port Bouvard. Opened for play in 2005, The Cut is the centrepiece of an expansive residential development wedged into a rolling tract of oceanside land between the Indian Ocean and the beautiful Peel Inlet estuary. Designed by James Wilcher, The Cut has been ranked highly on top-100 course lists for more than a decade. There is plenty to like about The Cut but your memory of a round here will no doubt be dominated by the back-nine experience, which leaves the housing development in the rear vision mirror and covers more undulating topography from tee to green on every hole. It is here where you will come up against one of the best natural par-4s in Western Australia. With a tee perched high above the beach, the 400-metre par-4 12th hole rolls panoramic ocean views and exhilarating golf into one. The fairway

THE FAIRWAY VEERS RIGHT AND CLIMBS UPHILL ... TO THE PUTTING SURFACE LYING ON A TERRACE ABOVE THE SEA. IT IS A TRULY SPECTACULAR HOLE.

THE LINKS KENNEDY BAY Green fees: $50 (18 holes, weekdays); $60 (weekends). www.kennedybay.com.au

drops quickly from the tee, cutting through rugged sand dunes before reaching the corner of the dogleg and the relatively flat driving zone. The fairway then veers right and climbs uphill, past more sandy wasteland and mounding to the right, to the putting surface lying on a terrace above the sea. It is a truly spectacular hole. SECRET HARBOUR golf LINKS Green fees: $52.50 (18 holes, weekdays); $57.50 (weekends). www.secretsgolf.com.au MEADOW SPRINGS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB Green fees: $64 (18 holes, weekdays); $74 (weekends). www.msgcc.com.au MANDURAH COUNTRY CLUB Green fees: $39 (18 holes, seven days). www.mandcountryclub.com.au PINJARRA GOLF CLUB Green fees: $34 (18 holes, weekdays); $39 (weekends). www.pinjaragolf.com.au

The little 16th at The Cut places tee shots at the mercy of any wind whipping off the Indian Ocean.

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THE CUT GOLF COURSE Green fees: $55 (18 holes, weekdays); $65 (weekends). www.the-cut.com.au

Sun City Country Club

Benefits of Membership • Access to other ‘A’ grade clubs and reciprocal clubs throughout Australia and overseas, subject to applicable terms and conditions • Junior development programs • Use of the clubhouse for private functions at reduced hire rates • Members pricing

• A registered Australian handicap after 3 rounds. • Access to a championship standard golf course • Several competitions during the week and on weekends, plus social play at other times • Access for guests at reduced rates • Discounts on motorised cart hire

FIFO:

$1492

* (conditions apply)

A FIFO Member has the same course privileges as a 7 Day Member. FIFO memberships are veriﬁed annually.

5 Day Member:

6 Day Member:

$1516

$1804

5 Day Member has course privileges on all days except Saturday and Sundays.

6 Day Member has course privileges on all days except Saturday.

144 St Andrews Dr. Yanchep WA 6035

Ph: 08 9561 1148

7 Day Member:

$2080 7 Day Member has privileges on the course seven days per week unless the course is closed. Social play is not permitted during tee times reserved for competition play.

www.suncitycountryclub.com.au

EXOTIC DESTINATION

The beautifully maintained Anfi Tauro course is a jaw-dropper.

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Dramatic scenery, beautiful food and plenty of sun are the hallmarks of a holiday to Spain’s Gran Canaria. Here’s the complete golfer’s guide to the island. WORDS ANDREW MARSHALL

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

ocated of the north-western coast of Africa, and with an average annual temperature of about 22 degrees Celsius, a rich history, culture and cuisine all complemented by a range of ﬁne hotels, Gran Canaria has long being a favourite holiday destination for sun-seekers especially as a winter escape from the rest of Europe. The quality of the island’s renowned sandy beaches is now matched with a superb collection of seven 18-hole golf courses, which experts rate as among the best in Spain – with layouts that not only entertain and challenge, but allow you to experience the island’s varied and dramatic scenery in all its glory. “Even though there has been a golf course here since 1891, it’s only during the past six years or so that golf course development has really taken of,” says Pablo Llinares de Béthencourt, managing director of the Gran Canaria Golf Association. Gran Canaria was recently voted as the best European Golf Destination by IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators). Five courses are situated in the south of the island, all conveniently within a 20 to 30-minute drive of each other, while the remaining two are in the north, closer to the capital Las Palmas and the airport.

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SEVEN PLACES TO PLAY Maspalomas Golf. Situated in the resort area of Maspalomas in Gran Canaria’s south (one of the sunniest places in the world), this Mackenzie Ross design has a unique feel, surrounded by rolling sand dunes, views of the Atlantic Ocean, palm trees and golden sandy beaches. Relatively flat with long and wide fairways, the course’s opener is a fairly benign 367-metre par4, which ofers a genuine chance of a solid start. Watch out though, for the 140-metre par-3 10th, where a crisply struck iron is required to carry an expanse of water. With trees protecting the left and right there is little room for error. As an indication of its quality, Maspalomas has hosted two European Tour events in 1995 and 1997, won by Jarmo Sandelin and José Maria

Olazábal, respectively. (www.maspalomasgolf.net) Lopesan Meloneras Golf. This new kid on the block along the Meloneras Bay begins with a front nine of open and forgiving holes characterised by palms and a mountain backdrop, and then gets progressively more diicult as it enters the back nine along the clif tops. Each hole has four tees to suit golfers of all abilities and amenities include golf carts equipped with the latest GPS technology. The course enjoys an ideal location next to a several four and ﬁve-star hotels in Meloneras and nearby Maspalomas. (www.meloneras-golf.com) Salobre Golf Sur. Taking full advantage of Gran Canaria’s amazing geology, and situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty with ravines, volcanic rock and mountain and sea

views, the 36-hole golf complex of the Sheraton Salobre Golf Resort & Spa is a stunning place to tee it up and not to be missed. Designed by Roland Fauvré, in close collaboration with Robert Trent Jones, the parkland-style Salobre Golf Sur is the more forgiving of the two courses and ofers a variety of holes. The well-manicured fairways and greens ramble through terraced valleys lined with palms, and contrast with the surrounding desert terrain, to create a spectacular oasis for a memorable round. (www.salobregolfresort.com) Salobre Golf Norte. Heading deeper into the desert landscape, Salobre’s second course is a more demanding test of golf routed through rocky canyons and deep gullies dotted with cacti. It’s the kind of environment where you half expect

Lopesan Meloneras Golf is fair and challenging for players of all abilities.

... YOU HALF EXPECT TO SEE THE ORIGINAL ‘MAGNIFICENT SEVEN’ COWBOYS COME RIDING OVER THE HORIZON ...

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TAKE a sunset walk among the magniﬁcent sand dunes at OFF-COURSE Maspalomas, ATTRACTIONS protected as a nature reserve and home to a variety of ﬂora and bird life. Contrary to popular belief, these 988 acres of golden sand didn’t blow across from the nearby Sahara Desert; they washed up from the ocean.

SEVEN

▲ EXPLORE the old town of Las Palmas and visit the historic Catedral De Santa Ana (you can go up the tower for city views), the emblem of the city since the Spanish conquered the island more than 400 years ago. SAMPLE the catch of the day in one of many family run restaurants on the seafront of the enchanting ﬁshing village of Puerto de las Nieves, with its characteristic low white-andblue houses. The picturesque 203-metre par-3 6th hole on the Robert Von Haggedesigned Anfi Tauro layout.

the next for an unforgettable round. The course is a dream for the golf photographer and even the most inexperienced snapper can’t fail to capture a good image here. One of the most photogenic holes is the classic 209-metre, par-3 6th framed on either side by swaying palms and a pyramidshaped rock as a backdrop. (www.anfi.com) Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas. Situated in the island’s north is Spain’s oldest golf club, founded by a group of Brits in 1891, although the present site dates from 1957. This strategic parkland-style Mackenzie Ross design has been cleverly ﬁtted into an area of just 375,000 square metres, spectacularly positioned on the edge of an extinct volcanic crater. Spanish golf star and winner of the 2012 Dubai Desert Classic Rafael Cabrera Bello is a member here and trains

▲ BOOK a surf lesson at the southern end of Playa de Las Canteras (Las Palmas city beach), and area known as La Cicer, and have a go at riding some Atlantic waves with city views.

Salobre South’s pretty 13th hole and the testing Salobre Golf Norte (left).

▲ HIKE the spectacular extinct volcanic crater, Caldera de Bandama. A short walk can be made along the lip of the caldera and down to the crater bottom. Measuring about 1,000 metres in diameter and 200 metres in depth, the enormous caldera is the result of a violent explosion and is one of the biggest craters of its kind in the world. VISIT the fascinating Cactualdea Cactus Park located in Tocodomán, La Aldea, in the west region of Gran Canaria. A rich variety of more than a 1,000 species of cactus can be seen at the park from countries such as Madagascar, Bolivia, Mexico and Guatemala. golf australia | JUNE 2016

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PHOTOS: GRAN CANARIA GOLF X 4; PAUL MARSHALL X 2; SUPPLIED

to see the original ‘Magnificent Seven’ cowboys come riding over the horizon on horseback as you tee of. After completing your round, head for the clubhouse terrace for a frosty 19th hole beer and keep an eye out for Sergio Garcia lookalike Fernando Martinez from guest services, who is told several times a day he looks like the Spanish golf star. (www.salobregolfresort.com) Anfi Tauro Golf. Designed by Robert Von Hagge, Anﬁ Tauro is an impeccably maintained desert-style PGA championship course located among rocky canyons and gorges, native vegetation, teeming waterfalls and glistening lakes and ofers a perfect contrast to the surrounding volcanic mountains. Anﬁ Tauro is one of those rare courses that generates a genuine sense of awe from one hole to

IMMERSE yourself in history at two excellent museums in Las Palmas – the wonderfully atmospheric Casa Museo de Colón where the main focus is the discovery of America and the journeys of Columbus and the Museo Canario showcasing in-depth coverage of early Canarian history.

Awesome views from the Salobre Golf Notre layout and the luxurious Lopesan Villa del Conde (above).

whenever he returns home. Although primarily a members club, morning tee-times are available for visitors from Monday to Friday. (www. realclubdegolfdelaspalmas.com) El Cortijo Club de Campo. The final course of the ‘magnificent seven’ is an interesting design and one of the longest in Spain. Integrated into a fantastic plantation of hundred-year old palms, the course follows three valleys filled with indigenous flora and features six lakes, fast greens and sea views. El Cortijo Club de Campo played host to the 2002 Spanish Open won by Sergio Garcia and is conveniently situated close to the airport for that final round before flying home. (www.elcortijo.es)

SEVEN PLACES TO STAY H10 Playa Meloneras Palace. An excellent fivestar hotel ofering all possible comforts, nestled in a peaceful, beautiful spot facing the sea at Meloneras Beach in the south of Gran Canaria. The hotel is in a great location for accessing the ﬁve southern

courses, especially Meloneras Golf which is only a few hundred metres away. (www.h10hotels.com) Seaside Grand Hotel Residencia. Situated in a beautiful palm forest setting, there are 94 welcoming, colonial-style rooms with wide wooden verandahs boasting teak furniture to the large opulent terrace overlooking the extensive pool area. (www.grand-hotel-residencia.com) Seaside Hotel Palm Beach. With a newly created, retro ’70s style, this five-star hotel is a stone’s throw from the Maspalomas golf course, guest facilities include heated saltwater pools, three saunas with diferent health benefits, a new children’s play area and tennis. The cuisine here is also well respected, including the famous Seaside barbecue bufet. (www.hotel-palm-beach.com) Lopesan Villa del Conde. Located right on the coast between two beaches and only a well-struck drive away from the new Lopesan Meloneras golf course, the five-star Lopesan Villa del Conde is the most emblematic of the island’s hotels, reproducing several Canary Islands

architectural details. (www.lopesanhotels.com) Lopesan Baobab Resort. Five-star meets African-inspired design with this Melonerasbased hotel. After checking in at reception, guests pass through an amazing aquatic and tropical landscape with waterfalls, rivers, sandy beaches, pools and African huts. (www.lopesanhotels.com) Sheraton Salobre Golf Resort & Spa. The modern and exquisite design of this exclusive hotel has made it one of the benchmark ﬁvestar accommodations in Gran Canaria. With unbeatable sea and golf course views, you can take a buggy directly from the hotel to play golf, make the most of the golf school services or relax in the clubhouse. (www.sheraton.com/grancanaria) Bandama Golf Hotel. Located 400 metres above sea level on the edge of a spectacular extinct volcanic crater (Caldera de Bandama), and only a long putt from the ﬁrst tee of Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas, awaits this comfortable and convenient four-star base for the two northern courses. (www.bandamagolfhotel.com)

GRAN CANARIA GOLF PASS

Lopesan Meloneras Golf is the new kid on the block of Gran Canarias.

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PHOTOS: GRAN CANARIA GOLF X 2; SUPPLIED

For guests who book rooms at hotels including H10 Playa Meloneras Palace, VIK Hotel Bandama Golf and others (check website below), a four green fees pass (for any of the island’s golf courses) is available. The cost is about $320 (available from hotel receptions). Visit: www.grancanariagolf.info or e-mail: info@canariasgolf.org

The cut

secrets GOLF Country Club Drive, Dawesville 08 9582 4444 golf@the-cut.com.au the-cut.com.au

Secret Harbour Boulevard, Secret Harbour 08 9524 7133 info@secretsgolf.com.au secretsgolf.com.au

On the edge of the Indian Ocean, this is WAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s must play golf course. The James Wilcher designed 18 hole course offers spectacular ocean views and has been created to excite and challenge golfers of all abilities. An unmissable adventure!

This links course is inspired by the classic Scottish courses. Designed by golf architect Graham Marsh and crafted into the spectacular ocean side landscape, this course boasts 18 superb holes all set against a breathtaking Indian Ocean panorama.

MANDURAH COUNTRY CLUB

THE LINKS KENNEDY BAY

16 Marsh Place, Halls Head 08 9581 2968 mandcountryclub.com.au admin@mandcountryclub.com.au

Lot 199 Port Kennedy Drive, Port Kennedy 08 9524 5991 admin@kennedybay.com.au kennedybay.com.au

This incredible course enjoys an elevated location to offer superbly challenging golf through a parkland setting with majestic trees keeping it interesting all the way. Do not miss your opportunity to play this hidden gem of the Peel region.

Acclaimed as one of WAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best, this course is characterised by beautifully undulating landscapes, fast running fairways and superb greens. This is a true and traditional links course and with 115 pot bunkers it presents an enjoyable challenge.

MEADOW SPRINGS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

PINJARRA GOLF CLUB

23 Meadow Springs Drive, Mandurah 08 9581 6002 golf@msgcc.com.au msgcc.com.au

Cnr Pinjarra Rd & Sutton St, Pinjarra 08 9531 1252 admin@pinjarragolf.com.au pinjarragolf.com.au

This course has proudly hosted 7 WA Opens and is your chance to experience immaculate fairways gently meandering through towering Tuart trees. This is a course that is both a highly regarded test while also being very playable.

Dating back to 1912, this historically impressive course offers golfers a fantastic day of play. Hone your skills on the practice fairways, take lessons with a Golf Pro, or simply soak up the charming scenery - all just 80km from Perth.

BOOK A MULTI-COURSE GOLFING ADVENTURE IN THE PEEL REGION, JUST 50 MINUTES SOUTH OF PERTH.

VISITPEEL.COM.AU

G E T A W AY S

THE MASTERS EXPERIENCE Attending the US Masters is a pilgrimage most avid golfers want to take at some point in their life and so the question for them is, what is the best way to experience one of the world’s greatest sporting events? For a city that welcomes almost as many visitors as regular inhabitants one week per year, hotel accommodation can be tough to procure. One option unknown to many, but one that is becoming increasingly popular, is the option of renting private homes, many of which are literally within a short walking distance of Augusta National.

Thailand remains an ideal place for golfers to escape to once winter takes hold in Australia.

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If you have a group of three or more, choosing a private home not only provides large bedrooms, most with their own bathroom and TVs, but also great shared spaces for your group to socialise in, from large living rooms, to barbecue areas, jacuzzis and swimming pools. The Masters experience is often also very much about who you experience it with, and there is no better way to share the experience than in a large house with your friends and family a matter of a few hundred metres from the gates of the most beautiful golf course in the world.

Put yourself in the picture as Danny Willett defends the 2017 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.

If the idea of a house in Augusta interests you, or whether you still prefer to stay in a hotel, the team at Exclusive Sports can help you plan your Masters trip. Their packages are flexible so you can choose exactly how long you stay, which days you want to attend the Masters and which days you would like to play golf on some of the best private courses in Augusta and the surrounding areas. For more information, go to the website www.exclusivesports.com.au, e-mail info@exclusivesports.com.au or call them on (02) 9555 5195.

SWING EASY IN THAILAND Home to a number of award-winning golf courses, a destination diversity second to none, perfect year-round golf weather along with the renowned Thai hospitality and unrivalled value for money, Thailand really seems to have it all for the passionate golfer. Make the most of Thailand’s golf action at Centara and enjoy the resorts’ proximity and prime access to international golf courses in Hua Hin, Phuket, Pattaya and Bangkok. The friendly Centara staff will organise complete access for you, along with equipment, transport, golf fees (including caddies and carts) so you can do what you love without the hassle. To make your holiday complete you and

St Andrews Beach will host one round of the Mornington Peninsula Golf Classic this October.

COSY HIGHLANDS COTTAGE

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED X 3; GETTY IMAGES (AUGUSTA NATIONAL)

Originally built in 1926, the beautifully presented Garden Keeper’s Cottage is central to six very good golf courses in the New South Wales Southern Highlands, including Bowral, Mittagong, Moss Vale and Mt Broughton. This fully self-contained, threebedroom Federation cottage is totally private, quiet and welcoming. There are two queen beds, two single beds, Foxtel, a combustion wood fire and barbecue, while all Bowral restaurants are within walking distance. There is a special golfer’s midweek offer for $240 per night (two-night minimum stay). For more information visit www. gardenkeeperscottagebowral.com or call Jan Walters on 0412 358 344.

your family can take advantage of the prime locations and facilities offered by Centara in city and beachside locations, such as water parks in many Centara resorts, award winning spa treatments with Spa Cenvaree, a large number of spacious rooms, suites and villas to choose from and only the best in Thai hospitality. For more info please visit the website www.centarahotelsresorts.com and http://au.tourismthailand.org/

MORNINGTON CLASSIC A MUST Want to play three of Australia’s Top-12 Public Access Courses as well as one of Australia’s most exclusive golf clubs? Then you need to register for the 7th Annual Mornington Peninsula Golf Classic, to be played from October 3 to 6. Golfers will experience graded tournament play on four exceptional Mornington Peninsula

courses. The Classic will include play on the beautiful Tom Doak-designed St Andrews Beach layout and the nearby Moonah Links Legends course, wonderfully crafted by Ross Perrett. There will also be rounds at two of the peninsula’s most acclaimed courses – Portsea and Sorrento. The Mornington Peninsula Golf Classic is a graded individual Stableford tournament and is open to men and women. Those golfers who register before June 20 will pay only $595. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to play these bucket-list courses in this great-value, fun and friendly tournament on the Mornington Peninsula – one of Australia’s favourite golf destinations. For more information phone Pamela McDermott 0439 396 617, e-mail info@ golfmorningtonpeninsula.com.au or visit www.golfmorningtonpeninsula.com.au

Triple points and the chance to win a Nissan X-TRAIL in our Mid-Year Extravaganza! Earn triple Qantas Points on all tee times, events and holidays with Qantas Golf Club^, plus you could win a Nissan X-TRAIL, a share of 2 million Qantas Points and more!* Hurry, competition ends 30 June 2016.

Find out more qantasgolfclub.com/extravaganza Disclaimer: ^Earn triple Qantas Points per dollar spent on all purchases made on qantasgolfclub.com between 1 May 2016 and 30 June 2016. QFF members will earn 3 points per dollar spent and Qantas Golf Club Premium members will earn 9 points per dollar spent. QFF T&Cs apply, see qantas.com/terms. Golf holiday packages are offered by Golfer Escapes Pty Ltd. ABN 36 093 86 756 T&Cs apply, see www.qantasgolfclub.com/holiday-packages-terms. *Promoter: Qantas Airways Limited. Eligible Entrants: AU resident QFF members aged 18+. Entry: Register, then purchase any tee time, event, holiday package or Premium membership through Qantas Golf Club. Draw: By MDSA at 2pm 28/07/16 at 15 Grosvenor Street, Neutral Bay, NSW 2089. Winner notification: By phone and/ or email within 2 business days of the draw. Full T&Cs at qantaspoints.com/extravaganza. Authorised under NSW Permit No. LTPS/16/02426, ACT Permit No. TP16/00582 and SA Licence No. T16/499.

TO ADVERTISE IN GOLFER’S MARKETPLACE CALL 02 9901 6100 G O L F H O L I DAY S VICTORIA

VICTORIA

GLENN MC CULLY Golf Schools

Luxury self contained accommodation 2-7 Day Golf Packages Summer and Winter specials

3 and 5 Day Schools Group, Private & Beginner Formats from $525 pp. twin share

www.golfersresort.com.au

info@golfersresort.com.au 03 5744 1994

G O L F H O L I DAY S

Golfers Resort Yarrawonga

US$ sydney

Tue 7 jun melbourne

Wed 8 jun

3 Nights 3 Nights 6 Nights

3,990 US$ 4,390 US$ 8,190

Tue-Fri US$ fri-sun tue-SUN

6 Nights 6 Nights 9 Nights

5,990 5,690 US$ 9,790 US$ US$

www.thefanatics.com | 1300 326 284 TO ADVERTISE IN GOLFER’S MARKETPLACE CALL:02 9901 6100

tours

c gs

call to register - discounts on the night

TO ADVERTISE IN GOLFER’S MARKETPLACE CALL 02 9901 6100

G O L F H O L I DAY S T H E

BUCKINGHAM

INTERNATIONAL

Stay & Play

1130 Nepean Highway, HIGHETT, Vic. 3190 Ph (03) 9555 0011 www.thebuckingham.com.au Email: contact@thebuckingham.com.au The Woodlands Golf Club situated in the world famous Melbourne Sandbelt is a spectacular golf course highly regarded by golfing purists, the championship layout provides a true test of golf. Considered to be among the top five golf courses in Melbourne it is currently rated 14th in the country.

Why not stay with us and take advantage of our “Stay and Play Packages “starting from $199.00pp

Magnolia Lane Luxury Apartments On he Sunshine Coast

2 Nights, one course $330 pp 4Nights,threecourses $610 pp 7 Nights, ive courses $980 pp from

* Fully licensed restaurant and bar * 24 hrs room service and reception * Free parking * Foxtel * Free WiFi *Outdoor pool * Rooms or apartments * Group bookings welcome

from

With views over the 9th green of the magniicent Twin Waters golf club, our spacious 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments are the perfect place for your next goling getaway. You can play your rounds on any of our recommended courses on the Sunshine Coast and still have time to enjoy the relaxed beaches and shopping close by.

Rivers Golf Tours

Visit our website

www.magnolialane.com.au for further details or

phone (07) 5448 8777

Tasmania’s leading group travel experts Packaging group tours since 1976

Where golf is half the journey 10 day tours in every state 6 day tours in the jewel of the crown Northern Rivers NSW If you book with us you will tour with us. Tour travels approx. 700kms

Specialising in King Island and Tasmania, why not combine both into one unforgettable experience

Mob: 0428 185 301 - 7days a week. 33 Howard Cres. BALLINA NSW 2478

riversgolftours.com.au Tailor made packages including: Airfares Accommodation Transport & Tours Green fees Attraction entry fees Luxury vehicles available Call us on 1800 777 726 Email golf@austrips.com.au Visit www.austrips.com.au/golf

G O L F H O L I DAY S

Come and play Melbourne’s famous Sandbelt golf courses

ET MARK

P L AC E

G O L F H O L I DAY S / S E R V I C E S

nd Play the Hunter Way! Package Includes: • 2 x nights accommodation twin share • 2 x continental breakfast buffets • 1 x $40 Dinner and Drinks Voucher valid at Cessnock Leagues Club • 2 x 18 holes of golf valid at Cypress Lakes, The Vintage, Stonebridge and Hunter Valley Golf Club

Midweek Price: $365 pp double/twin share Play Sunday to Thursday Weekend Price: $399 pp double/twin share Playing Friday/Sat or Sun Contact us for groups of 10 rooms or more

★★★★ 5 Darwin St Cessnock NSW 2325 | Tel: 02 4993 2999 | Fax: 02 4993 2998

G O L F H O L I DAY S / S E R V I C E S

Relax, Stay & Play in the Bay!

• 2x Nights Accommodation in a 2 or 3 Bedroom Apartment • 1 x Round of 18 Holes starting from:

$155 per person Four Share • $145 per person Six Share •

enquiries@aquaresort.com.au

02 4916 4777 Subject to availability. Rates are for self-contained accommodation and based on four share only. Excludes all school holidays, public holidays & long weekends. Golf cart hire additional.

THE 2017 US MASTERS

TOURNAMENT

■■■■■■■

APRIL 2017 ■■■■■■■

SEVERAL PACKAGES TO CHOOSE FROM 1 DAY TO 5 DAYS. FROM $A1,050.00

Fully Escorted by an experienced Australian Tour Manager. All inclusive package (not airfare). Entrance tickets to Augusta National Golf Club accommodation transfers and more

Established over 20 years ago we have been running US Masters tours every year since ‘97. We have the experience and local knowledge to make your US Masters Tour unforgettable. Stay in a quality Hotel less than 1 mile from Augusta National with over 6 restaurants close by. ATFS also provides you with official US masters gifts. ATFS plan, run and escort the tour and do not just tag along with some US tour agent and we are a sports specialist Australian Travel Agent so your money is protected with the Australian Travel Compensation Fund.

rated property only a short walk to quirky cafes, beaches, unique shopping. • Central to TheBellarines great golf courses + wineries, farm gates, many other attractions. • A range of accommodation - Studio, 1, 2, 3 & 4 bedroom.

P 03 5254 1066 Barwon Heads VIC www.seahavenvillage.com.au

Call or email PATSI 0439 846 314 patsi@golfinghomes.com.au

Specialising In Golf Course Real Estate Buying, Selling Or Renting Australia Wide

www.golfinghomes.com.au

HOLE IN ONE PRIZE INSURANCE

Underwritten by Lloyd’s of London

HOLE IN ONE PRIZE INDEMNITY INSURANCE FOR ALL BUDGETS. EG: 60 ATTEMPTS, $10,000 PRIZE, 138 METRES: PREMIUM $389

juliekillen@ozprize.com.au

02 9707 2272 www.ozprize.com.au PACKAGES ARE LIMITED SO IT IS BEST TO BOOK AS SOON AS YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO BE PART OF HISTORY.

AUSTRALIAN TOURS FOR SPORT Tel: 1800 806 879 www.atfs.com.au

OZPRIZE & WEATHER INSURANCE SPECIALISTS PTY LTD Corporate Authorised Representative of Warren Saunders Insurance Brokers (Aust) P/L AFS Lic No 240939 Level 2, 550 Princes Hwy, Kirrawee NSW 2232

TO ADVERTISE IN GOLFER’S MARKETPLACE CALL 02 9901 6100

G O L F H O L I DAY S / S E R V I C E S

Golden River Motor Inn

SPECIAL GOLFER’S OFFER - MID WEEK $240 per night for two night stay

5-10 minutes from 6 golf courses in the Southern Highlands

) Located in the heart of Moama, Golden River Motor Inn is within walking distance to the Murray River and other local attractions. ) All air-conditioned rooms feature a flat screen TV and DVD player as well as a kitchenette with tea and coffee making facilities.

) Shuttle buses are available to and from local restaurants, pubs and clubs, including Rich River Golf Club.

Golden River Motor Inn 34 Meninya Street Moama NSW Ph 03 5480 9799 Fax 5480 9917

Here’s your chance to be close to town and 5 minutes from Bowral Golf courses Bowral, Craigieburn and Gibraltar, and a further 5 minutes to Mittagong, Mossvale and Mt Broughton. The warm and cozy federation cottage, offers two queen beds and two single beds. Foxtel, Air/con heating and combustion wood fire, BBQ, walking distance to all Bowral restaurants and comfy couches just to name a few!

6 Belmore Street, Bowral Contact Jan Walters m: 0412 358 344 e: gardenkeeperscottage@bigpond.com www.gardenkeeperscottagebowral.com

Capri Apartments 38-40 Main Street Merimbula Location just 150mtrs from the RSL Club and an easy 2-3 mins walk to shops, Capri is ideally situated for a short stay or longer holiday

/ Fantastic views of Marimbula Bay and Pacific Ocean / 1,2 and 3br FSC apartments(choice of upstairs or downstairs)*All with cooking facilities and own full Laundries. / Free Foxtel and Wi-fi / On-site managers to assist when needed

E: info@capriapartments.com.au Ph: 1800 656 527 or 02 6495 2367

www.capriapartments.com.au

G O L F H O L I DAY S / S E R V I C E S

) Guests can share a meal using the BBQ or have a swim in the solar heated swimming pool.

SPOTLIGHT

Golf & Country Club BOTANIC RIDGE

The par-4 7th hole tumbles downhill towards a green that welcomes bouncing approach shots – if they’re well judged.

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VICTORIA

hroughout his playing career Greg Norman drew huge crowds to tournaments eager to witness his incredible ball-striking. His presence in an event, confidently striding the fairways, made him one of the game’s biggest-ever drawcards. He brings those same high qualities to the game as a golf course designer. Like the man himself, Norman’s burgeoning portfolio of layouts throughout the country, and

the world, make their presence felt by being charismatic, strategic and visually striking. This is undoubtedly why Golf Australia’s Top-100 Courses ranking features 11 layouts crafted by Norman’s design company. Among his list of acclaimed courses is Settlers Run Golf & Country Club, located near Cranbourne about 50 minutes’ drive south-east of Melbourne’s CBD. Settlers Run bears all the hallmarks of Norman’s design hand, with the bunkering being

one of the memorable features of the layout. He has continued his homage to the Dr Alistair MacKenzie-style of bunkering prominent throughout the nearby Melbourne Sandbelt. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Settlers Run course was how much the land rises and falls throughout the 18 holes. There are several high points throughout the round – the 2nd tee being arguably the highest – where you can look over the golf course and see the

golf australia | JUNE 2016

127

The short 11th plays slightly uphill to a green that’s well protected by sand along its entire left edge.

Wetlands to the right of the par-4 12th can be avoided by taking the more cautious route along the left.

128 JUNE 2016 | golf australia

narrow green must be pinpoint accurate with deep bunkers lining the right side of the deep putting surface. The next four holes ofer good scoring opportunities if you can stay out of the bunkers, particularly those beside the 4th green, as well as the water hazards right of the 5th hole and left of the 6th fairway. Another impressive aspect of the Settlers Run course is the variety of its par-3s, of which there are only three. The short holes head towards diferent points of the compass, meaning they will never play the same on any given day. The best of the one-shotters is the shortest of the trio, the 149-metre 11th hole. The tee shot is played across a gully to a huge green that is ﬂanked to the left by an equally large scheme of rough-lined bunkers. The bunker work here is the ﬁnest on the golf course. A row of tall pines to the right of the green frames the hole beautifully.

FACT FILE ADDRESS: Setters Run, Botanic Ridge, Victoria. CONTACT: (03) 9785 6072 (pro shop); www.settlersrungcc.com.au DESIGNERS: Greg Norman, Bob Harrison & Harley Kruse (2007). GREEN FEES: $69 (weekdays), $89 (weekends) *Green fee specials also available via club website. GOLF AUSTRALIA MAGAZINE TOP-100 COURSES HISTORY: No.56 (2012); No.63 (2014); No.61 (2016). RANKING JUDGES’ COMMENTS: “I played at Setters Run four or five years ago and the condition of the course was certainly not as good as I expected. So I was pleased to find the presentation of the course has improved significantly since then. Couldn’t fault the fairways or the greens.” – Lucas Andrews (2016) “The bunkering was a highlight for me. They are beautifully shaped, visually intimidating but very playable, which I think is the hallmark of a good design.” – Alex Chapman (2016).

PHOTOS: BRENDAN JAMES X 3

Melbourne city skyline of in the distance. While much of the surrounding area is relatively flat, the rolling terrain – punctuated with several natural watercourses – for this project was obviously hand-picked because it ofers such variety in terms of uphill, downhill and sidehill lies, which fits in well with the Norman design philosophy. As one might expect from a course designed by one of the best drivers of the ball the game has seen, Settlers Run boasts some fantastic driving holes. There is a run of five par-4s from the long 3rd hole that allows you to use the longest club in the bag without too much trepidation. The 3rd is arguably the best of the quintet with a downhill fairway adding a few more valuable metres to the tee shot. However, this extra length can easily bring into play a lone fairway trap on the right edge of the fairway. The long approach to a

ET MARK

P L AC E

GOLF SERVICES

Pin High golf apparel has arrived in Australia, featuring its unique moisture management system, you will not only look good but feel great on the golf course or anywhere you wear our famous polo shirts.

GOLF SERVICES

We are so confident you will love our polo shirts as an introductory offer we will pay the embroidery costs for any order of 50 or more polo shirts. Terms and Conditions apply. To find out more please call Les Stock on 0412 865 929 or send me an email at les.golfdirect@gmail.com to arrange an obligation free appointment.

It’s the unique, one-of-a-kind, game changing device that let’s you plug your phone into any electric golf cart.

“you giv things w you buy

The Universal Gimme Charge is compatible with all of today’s electric Club Car, Ezgo and Yamaha golf carts. It provides USB power straight from your golf cart batteries. Simply plug it into the recharge socket on Ezgo and Yamaha and with Club Car it is located on the dash. You can charge up and power any device such as smart phones, GPS, Range Finders, tablets etc.

Kah Golf clanging clu ● worn graph ● damaged iro ● stress finding right iron ●

Each Gimme Charge comes with a microfiber bag Simply plugs into your charging socket USB cable not included

$98 .00 plus

Postage & Handling

For more information or to order visit our website www.golfscene.com.au

or call us on 1300 852433

Patented Softgr Technolo

From the inventors of Caddyrack

GET ORGANISED WITH

1300 738 557 | www.kahmagolf.com

GOLF CART SLOWING DOWN? Need new batteries? Don’t replace them… Restore them with the Battery Reviver. he Battery Reviver can bring old batteries back to life by sending a high frequency pulse through the batteries dissolving the sulphate build up and turning the sulphur crystals back into sulphuric acid. he Battery Reviver is powered by your golf cart batteries and it can be let connected permanently to increase the life of your batteries by up to three times, or used occasionally to restore them.

For more information, pricing and to order Phone 1300 852 433 or visit our website www.batteryreviver.com.au

30 DAY

CTION SATISFA TEE N GUARA R U YO OR BACK MONEY

WINNER’S CIRCLE

JAMES HAHN WELLS FARGO CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER WINNING SCORE: Nine-under-par, 279 DEFEATED: Defeated fellow American Roberto Castro on the first hole of a sudden death play-off. DEFINING MOMENTS: Hahn thought he had blown his chance to win when he three-putted the 72nd hole for bogey. But Castro hit his tee shot into the creek left of the fairway on the first play-off hole, before hitting his third shot into the shoe of a greenside spectator. Hahn took full advantage of Castro’s misfortune and parred the hole to bring his eight-run stretch of missed cuts to the best possible end. WITH THIS VICTORY… : S Hahn moved up nearly 80 spots to No.55 in the world ranking. S The 34-year-old had missed eight consecutive cuts prior to winning the Wells Fargo. S Extends his PGA Tour exemption until the end of 2018. S This was his first victory since the Northern Trust Open in February 2015.

DRIVER

PXG 0811X prototype with 9˚ loft and fitted with Aldila Rogue Max 65T shaft.

3-WOOD

PXG 0341 with 15˚ loft, fitted with Aldila NV 2KXV 80X shaft.

HYBRID

PXG 0317 with 17˚ loft, fitted with Aldila NV 2KXV 85X shaft.

IRONS

PXG 0311T 3-iron (Aldila Rogue 110X shaft); 4to 9-iron (True Temper Project X LZ 6.5 shafts).

WEDGES

PXG 0311T Milled (47˚), Titleist Vokey SM5 (54˚ -10S), Titleist Vokey Prototype (60J˚) all fitted with True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 Tour issue shafts.

PUTTER

Odyssey Works 2-Ball.

BALL

Titleist Pro V1x.

130 JUNE 2016 | golf australia

“IT WAS GOING BAD FOR A WHILE … JUST DIDN’T HAVE THE CONFIDENCE, DIDN’T BELIEVE IN MYSELF.” – JAMES HAHN.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES X 2

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