Inside Golf June 2016

A u s t r a l i a ’ s M o s t - R e a d G o l f M aga z i n e

Issue 131 // June 2016 www.insidegolf.com.au

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> U.S. Open Preview:

> Club of the month:

Iconic Curlewis turning heads

Oakmont set to test the best

> Mark Allen:

Move your body for better putting

A Major hrough t k a e r B

> Celebrity Swinger: AFL star

Nick Dal Santo

Which top players are on the brink of capturing their first Major?

> TRAVEL LIFT-OUT: Great golf on the Sunshine Coast and the Murray River

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starters box

Do we want David versus Goliath?

Richard Fellner Group Editor richard@insidegolf.com.au @insidegolf

W

atching the third round of the recent The Players Championship, I was reminded of how much I truly dislike watching the world’s best players be forced to suffer undue punishment on the golf course.

For those of you who didn’t see it (which is probably most of you, as it was only available on Foxtel—but that’s another story altogether), it was similar to watching a train wreck – in slow motion.

The tournament started off rather well – the course had played relatively easy over the first two rounds— receptive greens and generous pin locations led to some extremely low scores, including a 63 from our own Jason Day who equalled the course record on day 1. In my opinion, it was fun to watch. Many media commentators, on the other hand, were remarking about how the course was simply too easy, and that the tournament may not have been exciting as it should be—that TPC Sawgrass wasn’t living up to its challenging reputation, etc.

Then, overnight, something happened. While the “powers that be” denied that they did anything different to the greens, the course somehow turned into a pumpkin at midnight – leading to a course that, many players felt, was nearly unplayable in round 3.

The “party line” is that it was all Mother Nature’s fault, with strong winds and weather—combining with stressed greens that were due to be replaced anyway —the named culprits. At any rate, player after player succumbed to punishingly fast greens in round 3, with three-putts becoming the norm. The 76 players in the field combined for 149 three-putts or worse! What’s more, it was reported that some of the players endured sixhour rounds!

myself—I don’t need another excuse to cringe when I’m watching golf on TV. Sure, today’s pros generally tear up a golf course; and we all get a bit of dark satisfaction from their occasional mis-step that might bring them back to earth. But I contend that witnessing the world’s best struggle to break 80 is far less enjoyable than, say, watching someone close to breaking a course record, or even trending towards the famous “59”.

My point to all of this?

Well, it’s June. And that means that the U.S. Open is once again upon us. And the USGA will be (as always) maniacally wringing their hands in anticipation of imparting their own brand of sadism in the hopes that the winning four-round score is well above par. The course has already been labelled by Jordan Spieth as “America’s toughest course”, so imagine how difficult it will be when the USGA gets their hands on it—double-rolling the greens, thickening the rough and narrowing the fairways.

And then watch them celebrate when the weekend cut is a sky-high +6. And the media will glorify the challenging nature of the course, and make the leader/champion into some sort of David vs Goliath hero that snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, defying all odds to emerge victorious.

And this leads me to the crux of my point: Committees and club managers all over the world will quickly buy in to all the hype, and then get the bright idea of emulating these USGA conditions in the hopes of challenging their club members to recreate this celebrated drama. In the process, they will make their club into something that it was never designed to be.

Many clubs, committees, supers and the like will thus let their rough grow, make their greens quicker and tweak

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On the one hand, it will be great for the extremely low markers out there— giving them the challenge that they may not normally get on their home course. But for the vast majority of us, it will simply lead to more lost balls, six-hour rounds, more frustration and potentially more of us giving the game away altogether.

I’m seeing it more and more at a variety of courses that I visit and play— with pins being placed in ridiculously tough positions, lightning-fast greens and wrist-straining rough. It’s one thing if your course was designed that way, and its main defence is, say, slick greens. But it’s another thing altogether if you’ve already got a tough course to start with. Why make it harder (and less enjoyable)?

For many of us, golf is already hard enough. Just overcoming the obstacles of our own swing is challenge enough for us. We don’t need a course that beats us up as well.

After all, this game is supposed to be (slightly) fun, isn’t it?

See you on the fairways,

YOUR SAY What are your thoughts on the opinion above? Do you agree or disagree?

Do you enjoy watching the professionals being challenged/punished on the course, or would you rather watch them tear up a course? Send us your thoughts to ed@insidegolf.com.au Winner of multiple Australian Golf Media Awards -- including “Best Column” for his monthly Starters Box –Group Editor Richard Fellner is a member of the Australian Golf Writers Association and the Golf Society of Australia, and he is a regular guest on many Australian “sports talk” radio shows.

Get the latest issue of Inside Golf delivered directly to your inbox. Simply visit www.insidegolf.com.au and subscribe to our Insider e-Newsletter. You’ll also be entered into our monthly competitions, and get any special announcements or news directly from Inside Golf!

Whatever the cause, the point remains: it was NOT fun to watch, in my opinion. As an amateur golfer, I endure enough pain on the course

IN THIS ISSUE:

their courses to make everything a little bit harder.

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news

Groundhog Day: another wire-to-wire win for Jason J ason Day has continued to show why he’s World Number 1, going wire-to-wire to clinch THE PLAYERS Championship and his 10th PGA TOUR victory.

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“Together with the Australian golf community I congratulate Jason on his victory at TPC Sawgrass; it’s wonderful to see another Australian claim THE PLAYERS Championship title,” said Brian Thorburn, Chief Executive Officer for the PGA of Australia.

Until this year, TPC Sawgrass hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Day and nerves were apparent in the final round.

“I was nervous starting the day. I told Ellie earlier this morning, this is probably the most nervous I’ve been before a tournament round,” said Day. Opening with par on the front-9 things looked touch and go for Day, accumulating two bogies in four holes, the par-4 6th and the par-5 9th.

A birdie on the par-4 10th, his first for the round, provided some much needed confidence and was followed up with a further two on the par-4 12th and the par-5

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The victory gives Day his third title this season after wins at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play in consecutive weeks.

Firing a tournament total of 15-under the card, the Queenslander played an unstoppable game in which he never relinquished the lead.

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Carding a 1-under 71 for the round, Day proved triumphant in a four-stroke win over American Kevin Chappell.

“To win any tournament is special, but to win the unofficial fifth Major is a fantastic achievement and it certainly sets the scene in the lead up to The Open and the PGA Championship,” added Thorburn.

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Another great Day: Jason with THE PLAYERS Championship trophy (Photo: EPA/ERIK S. LESSER) 16th which saw the Aussie regain his winning focus.

“I just kept on saying to myself, just settle yourself down. Don’t do anything too drastic and try and chase pins or do anything stupid out there because, other than 9, for the most part, I didn’t play a great front nine.”

“Once I got to 10, I kind of said to myself, you’re still in the game, you’ve still got the lead. You’re still in good shape. Just focus on hitting this next tee shot down the middle, which I did.”

“It was tough. I know that it was easy to lose a little bit of focus on the front side, especially with a four-shot lead, and then I just kept on telling myself, just keep yourself in it and give yourself opportunities on the back side, and I played really solid golf on the back side, and am very pleased to walk away the champion.”

This is Day’s second wire-to-wire victory

this season, with the 2016 Arnold Palmer Invitational the first, and naturally the World Number 1 was delighted to take home the trophy.

“It’s such a big accomplishment for me in my career. To be able to finally win as Number 1 in the world and then to go wireto-wire was very special,” added Day. With 600 FedExCup points on offer, Day moved ahead of fellow Aussie, Adam Scott, on the FedExCup standings, with the pair now one and two respectively.

Day becomes only the fourth Australian to win THE PLAYERS Championship and joins Adam Scott (2004), Steve Elkington (1997, 1991) and Greg Norman (1994) in the winners’ circle.

Day joins Tiger Woods (2000, 2002), Tom Watson (1980) and Johnny Miller (1974) as the only Professionals to win wire-to-wire twice in the same season since 1970. •

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Fiji International gets European Tour nod

T

he Fiji International is set to become even more global in 2016 thanks to a new co-sanctioning relationship between the PGA Tour of Australasia and The European Tour.

Professional golfers from all over the world will descend on Fiji when the tournament is played at Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course from October 6–9.

“Being part of the European Tour provides Fiji unprecedented level of exposure and we will be able to reach markets where we do not have a presence,” said the Hon. Acting Prime Minister and Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.

The Acting Prime Minister further added that the FNPF has committed to upgrading the Natadola Golf Course.

“It is important that people not only enjoy the scenic view but also the golf course so that they come back to play the course and recommend it to their friends and families,” he said.

The new co-sanctioning relationship between the PGA Tour of Australasia and The European Tour is set to attract a stronger field, with more nationalities represented than ever before.

“One of the key aims of the Fiji International is to showcase Fiji to the world as not only a beautiful island paradise, but also a golfing mecca,” said Brian Thorburn, CEO of the PGA of Australia which oversees the PGA Tour of Australasia.

The European Tour is one of the strongest professional golf tours in the world, and 2016 will see their global presence boosted with their first visit to Fiji.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of The

2015 Fiji International Champion Matt Kuchar European Tour, said: “It is tremendous news that the Fiji International will be played on The European Tour for the first time this year. The tournament will not only increase the playing opportunities for our Members, it will also increase our presence on the world stage.”

A minimum of 59 players will come from both the PGA Tour of Australasia and The European Tour, whilst an additional eight tournament invitations will add to the diversity of the field.

This year’s tournament will also see the highest number of positions set aside for Fijian golfers, with a minimum of six places available from qualifying events in Fiji and for Fijian nationals. This ensures

Fiji’s leading golfers continue to have the opportunity to compete and enhance their skills in a world-class tournament alongside the best players in the world.

With the PGA of Australia’s continuing relationship with the China Golf Association and the Korean Golf Association, players from both these tours will also be invited to play in the event.

With the involvement of The European Tour, the Fiji International cements its position as one of the strongest tournaments on the PGA Tour of Australasia. The allocation of Official World Golf Ranking points to the tournament is likely to increase as a result of this cosanctioning. •

Nudgee GC chips in for CanTeen MORE than $25,000 was raised at the CanTeen Charity Golf Day at Nudgee Golf Club in Brisbane last month.

Generously supported by more than 110 Brisbane locals, the golf day was a huge success.

“CanTeen is the game changer,” said Nudgee general manager Aaron Muirhead. “They help young people (12 to 24) cope with cancer in their family.

“Through CanTeen, they learn to explore and deal with their feelings about cancer, connect with other young people in a similar position and if they’ve been diagnosed themselves, they also provide specialist, youth-specific treatment teams.

“By feeling understood and supported, young people develop resilience and can rebuild the foundations that crumbled beneath them when cancer turned their life upside down. That’s how CanTeen is the difference.”

The money raised this year will cover the costs to send 50 CanTeen members to Magnetic Island, North Queensland. This includes flights and accommodation for a three-day camp.

The day at Nudgee teed off with a barbeque breakfast, putting competition and ended with a delicious lunch, raffle draw and a huge sporting and golf memorabilia auction.

The 2014 world Para long-drive champion Dave Sawtell who is wheelchair bound, attended the day.

Dave uses one arm and still manages to hit it nearly 200 metres.

Nudgee Golf Club member Ross Haslem, who is a part of the Australian Golf Heritage Society gave up his precious time to spend the day on the 14th hole with a few sets of his old hickory golf clubs.

“This was extremely interesting and really opened everyone’s eyes as to how hard the game was many years ago,” Muirhead said.

“Everyone who had a turn to hit the hickory club found it challenging.”

www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

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news

NSW Open takes on new status in 2016

Are you the One Millionth Holden Scramble Participant?

In 2016 the Holden Scramble celebrates its 25th Anniversary and an exciting new chapter in the event’s extensive history.

The upcoming season will also see the One Millionth Participant grace the fairways. To mark this momentous achievement thanks to Delta Air Lines, the PGA is giving away an experience of a lifetime to this lucky player and their three teammates who will receive: Return flights to the United States, Tickets to the 2017 PGA TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola on the PGA TOUR, Accommodation during the Tour Championship and Airport transfers.

2016 NSW Open Champion Ben Eccles surrounded by volunteers

T

he 2016 NSW Open Golf Championship is set to tee-off this year’s Australian summer of golf.

will become Australia’s only State Open Championship to be afforded coveted Tier One status on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

To be held for the third year in a row at the Greg Norman-designed Stonecutters Ridge Golf Course in Greater Western Sydney, the NSW Open will take place from November 10th to 13th, the week prior to the Emirates Australian Open.

As a result, the winner of this year’s NSW Open will lift the Kel Nagle Cup and be exempt for the remainder of the 2016 season and the following two years, a one-year increase from recent State-based Championships.

“The 2016 NSW Open Championship will be the ideal lead-in event for golfers before the Australian Open,” said John Robinson, Chairman of Golf NSW. “Fans of the game are the big winners from this, with two weeks of world- class tournament golf in our Nation’s greatest city.”

“The NSW Open Championship becoming a Tier One tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia is a huge boost for Tour Professionals in Australia,” said Brian Thorburn, CEO of the PGA of Australia.

The prize pool for the 2016 NSW Open will also be raised to a minimum of $400,000, almost triple last year’s purse, and it

Due to the elevation in status the tournament winner will enjoy the advantage of an increased period of exemption on the Tour whilst the whole field will benefit from the increased number of Official World

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Golf Ranking Points on offer as well as the increased prize purse.

“The PGA is committed to increasing opportunities on the PGA Tour of Australasia and we would like to thank and congratulate Golf NSW for sharing in our vision for a thriving golf scene in Australia,” Mr Thorburn said.

Stuart Fraser, CEO of Golf NSW, said, “Our goal is to ensure that the NSW Open grows and will always be a healthy and viable part of the Australian Golf Calendar.”

“Golf NSW acknowledges the NSW Government and Destination NSW for their ongoing support of the Championship which is set to be a key part of the 2016 Australian summer of golf,” Mr Fraser added.

For more information about the event visit www.nswopen.com.

With over 400 local events already locked into the 2016 calendar, a figure that is increasing every week, who knows where the One Millionth Participant will come from! There is only one way to be certain you’re a contender – sign up to your nearest local Holden Scramble Event today!

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Qld junior pioneers honoured David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

I

The get-together was attended by 10 players from the 1961-’62-’63 series and coincided with the 2016 Australian Interstate Teams’ Series.

Queensland team captain Garth Johnstone, who organised the reunion, was joined by former teammates Ron Hancock, Randall Vines, Graham Tippetts, Ross Petersen, Lance Pennington, Ken McLean, Joe Kiernan, Michael Fitzgerald, Garth Peters and Gary Wright who joined the team in 1964.

Three members of the 1961-’62-’63 teams – Barry Brown, Graham McCarthy and Brian Roebig – had other commitments while former team member Neil Humphries passed away prematurely many years ago.

“We wanted to recognise the tradition established by these teams and celebrate what has been a lifetime involvement for many of the players,’’ Golf Queensland chairman Peter Castrisos said.

Johnstone, now 73 and a member at Carbrook Golf Club, enjoyed returning to The Brisbane Golf Club where, as a barefoot

Dartnall captures WA PGA Stephen Dartnall has broken through to win his maiden PGA Tour of Australasia title at the TX Civil and Logistics WA PGA Championship, played at Kalgoorlie Golf Course.

Starting the final round five shots off the lead, Dartnall fired an impressive 6-under 66 to win the title with a tournament total 16-under 272.

T was 55 years ago, almost to the day, that eight young Queenslanders boarded an aeroplane for Adelaide to represent the state at the Australian Interstate Teams’ Series.

Well, last month the pioneering team of 1961 gathered at The Brisbane Golf Club where they were joined by teammates from the 1962 and ’63 teams at a luncheon hosted

by Golf Queensland’s CEO Lindsay Ellis and chairman Peter Castrisos.

It was a hard-earned win for Dartnall with plenty of challengers contending throughout the final round, but a birdie on the final hole ensured he won by two shots over Aaron Pike and Lindsay Wilson.

Members of the Queensland 1961-’62-’63 teams gathered at The Brisbane Golf Club where they were joined by four current members of the State team – Charlie Dann, Blake Proverbs, Charles Pilon and Steven Cox. youngster, he jumped the fence and played a few holes with former teammate Barry Brown.

“I helped organise the reunion because I am getting long in the tooth and wanted to get together with some of the guys I haven’t seen for 50 years,” Johnstone said.

“It’s been fantastic to catch up with the guys, who have hardly changed in appearance. I’m amazed we got so many here.”

There was plenty of laughter and reminiscing about good times representing Queensland and stories about recent hip and knee replacements.

“For many of us, a highlight was dressing up (blazer, tie, grey trousers and black shoes) and going on a plane for the first time,” Johnstone said. “We had no idea what to expect.

“I was 18 when selected in the Queensland team and the age limit for junior play back then was 21,’’ he recalled.

“It was exciting and it’s been a good ride.

I certainly don’t have any regrets.”

Of the 1961-’62-’63 teams only Randall Vines turned professional.

Asked if he’d consider turning professional had he had his time over, Johnstone was quick to say “no never”.

“Aside from Randall (Vines) we weren’t good enough,” he said. “We all had homemade swings compared to the kids today.

“They have different physiques to us, they go to the gym and work out and they hit the ball miles. They are professionally coached and most of the modern day players all have the same way of swinging the club.”

Following the luncheon, some of the 1961-963 teams walked the fairways in support of the Queensland team who played and defeated Western Australian.

FOOTNOTE: Garth Johnstone is in the process of organising a November reunion of players who represented Queensland between 1961 and 1969.

32-year-old Dartnall was ecstatic to finally notch up his first Tour victory after coming close many times since turning Professional in 2008.

“I have had a lot of good chances in the past but never really capitalised. It’s good to finally get the monkey off my back and go into future tournaments knowing that I have won before,” he said.

Dartnall becomes the second West Australian in as many years to win the WA PGA Championship after Brett Rumford won last year.

“It’s very special. To win a four-day State PGA, especially in my home state really caps off a special week.”

Tour rookie Lindsay Wilson fired a 2-under 70 in the final round to finish runner-up with third round leader Aaron Pike who had an even-par day.

Finishing outright 4th on 12-under the card was Callan O’Reilly who was on fire early in the day recording 29 on the front-9 before ending his day with a 2-under 70. A shot further back and rounding out the top-5 was Victorian, Deyen Lawson.

For his win Dartnall picks up AU$18,000 and moved to 15th on the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.

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Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club

Membership Now Open

Membership is open at Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club on the Central Coast in NSW. This unique 18 hole championship course, designed by Ross Watson, is just 2 hours from Sydney and rated No 23 out of the Top 100 Courses in Australia by Australian Golf Digest, March 2016.

It is owned by its members and is an inclusive and progressive club where men and women have equal playing and voting rights.

A number of membership categories and packages are now available.

Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club 1 Magenta Drive, Magenta, NSW 2261 Phone: +61 (2) 4336 0107 Email: info@magentagolf.com.au www. magentagolf.com.au/membership or visit us on Facebook www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

9

IG BUSINESS

New Management for The Ridge

Golf NSW appoints Marketing Manager Golf NSW is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Piret Elmassian to the newly created role of Marketing Manager.

The Ridge Golf Course.

S

utherland Shire Council has selected Phoenix Sports Management, headed by golf professional Gary Booby, to operate the Ridge Golf Course and Driving Range at Barden Ridge following an open tender process.

“Gary has been involved with The Ridge for the past 12 years and will continue to provide outstanding golf services to the community at this championship level golf course and golfing facility,” said Sutherland Shire Mayor, Carmelo Pesce.

“I’ve enjoyed a number of games there as have many Shire residents. With 18 holes, couch fairways and bent grass greens, which are claimed to be the best of any public course in NSW, the Ridge Golf Course offers something to cater for all ages and golfing abilities and is a great drawcard for locals and visitors alike,” said the Mayor.

The membership program available at The Ridge has been extremely popular.

Competitions will continue to run every Tuesday and Thursday and a new Veterans competition will start in early July.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to still to be involved with The Ridge as it matures into one of Sydney’s premier public golf facilities. I understand the importance of this facility to the local community and I’m looking forward to introducing a range of new events and player programs to help grow the sport,” said Gary. “We’ll have a strong focus on player development at all levels from beginners to elite and will be offering a comprehensive range of golf tuition programs.”

The facility also announced the launch of the MyGolf junior program in term 3.

The program is closely affiliated with and endorsed by Golf Australia, PGA of Australia and Jack Newton Junior Golf.

“While parents are waiting for the new junior program to be launched, the Ridge is offering kids to play free with a full paying adult until the 17 July, with a maximum of two kids per paying adult,” said Gary.

More: www.theridgegolf.com.au, 9541 4960 or gary@phoenixsportsmanagement.com

Ms Elmassian brings to Golf NSW an extensive background in Marketing and Brand Management, Public Relations, Corporate Leadership, Training and Administration throughout her career in Retail and the Luxury Products Market.

“We are delighted to have Piret join the Golf NSW team.

Her experience and knowledge in Brand Management and Marketing will help to build awareness of Golf NSW’s key growth initiatives amongst our affiliated clubs, our interested stakeholders and indeed in the wider sporting community of NSW,” said Stuart Fraser, CEO of Golf NSW. Ms Elmassian has an impressive list of achievements that include the successful management of a number of leading international cosmetic brands including Clarins, Lancome, Prada and Versace.

Piret Elmassian.

“I’m thrilled to be working with the Golf NSW team to promote the enjoyment of a sport that I’m so passionate about. I look forward to supporting all affiliated clubs across the state from a marketing perspective, and growing our great game,” Ms Elmassian said.

Ms Elmassian is a current director of Northbridge Golf Club and an avid golfer with a 17.3 handicap.

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IG BUSINESS

Australian golf appoints National Inclusion Manager

A

ustralian golf has taken an important stride with the appointment of a national inclusion manager.

Long-serving PGA of Australia professional Christian Hamilton will take up the role from July 1 in a ground-breaking shared services arrangement between Golf Australia and Golf Victoria.

Hamilton has been the golf services manager at the Sandhurst Club for the past nine years and has established himself as a leader in providing coaching, club-fitting, mobility solutions and playing opportunities for people living with a physical or neurological disability.

Golf Australia chief executive Stephen Pitt said the newly created position represented two key breakthroughs in Australian golf.

“We are very fortunate to have someone with Christian’s passion and skill set for such an important role that can make a real difference to people’s lives through what our great game has to offer,” Pitt said.

“It also is an example of how we can harness the resources and expertise of the industry and the advantages of a unified approach that delivers clear efficiency gains.”

Golf Victoria chief executive Simon Brookhouse said that collaborative approach was critical in such a vital

Christian Hamilton with a paragolfer at a recent ISPS HANDA Women’s Australian Open. position for those who’ve previously been unable to share in the game.

“We are pleased to have been able to assist Golf Australia in establishing this role through a shared services agreement which clearly demonstrates how we can work together for the benefit of the game as a whole,” Brookhouse said.

“I’m really passionate about the area and the direction it is heading,” he said.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be given the chance to expand its reach around the country with such great scope to reach those people who can really benefit.”

“It will open up the game to many who’ve wanted to take part and haven’t known how to go about it – it’s a great initiative.”

Gavin Kirkman, the PGA’s chief membership officer, said Hamilton was the perfect person to achieve those targets.

The inclusion focus of Hamilton’s role is on golf for people with a disability with the goal to increase sustainable participation in all aspects of the game.

“We are delighted that Christian, who is a very highly regarded PGA member, has been appointed to this position and we look forward to continuing to support this important area through our coach education program,” Kirkman said.

Hamilton said he was excited to start the new role.

Looking for a career in golf?

If you’re looking to start, advance or consolidate a career in the golf industry, then the upcoming PGA Career Evenings may be just the ticket.

The PGA of Australia delivers training and education programs that offer an inclusive solution for a career in golf. The PGA is invested in developing individuals who have a passion for a career in golf. By providing quality education and training, the PGA is ensuring that the Australian golf industry maintains its position as one of the best in the world; producing and maintaining highly trained and skilled PGA Professionals.

While many golfers set their sights on playing on Tour, the truth is a variety of other specialist career opportunities exist within professional golf. Whether it be a Head Professional, Teaching Professional, Director of Golf, Game Development Officer, High Performance Coach, Club Administrator, General Manager or Tour Professional, the PGA can

provide you with an education solution to assist you reach your career potential.

Programs available include the PGA Trainee Program, PGA Bridging Program, PGA Professional Year Program, PGA Golf Performance Program and PGA IGI Programs.

To learn more about how you can get one step closer to your dream career, the PGA will be running career nights in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia during the month of June. Each session will give potential students the opportunity to learn about the various training and education programs available to become a PGA Professional.

PGA career nights aren’t just for school leavers; mature age students are also encouraged to attend, with flexible study options available to help you develop or change the direction of your career. PGA education staff will be on hand at each session to provide information

about courses available, career outcomes, modes of study, degree pathways, enrolment processes and help you identify the pathway or program suited to your career aspirations.

PGA CAREER NIGHTS Western Australia: 14th June, Wembley Golf Complex, Wembley Downs Queensland: 20th June, Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club, Hope Island New South Wales: 21st June, Stonecutters Ridge Golf Club, Colebee Victoria: 23rd June, Sandhurst Club, Sandhurst South Australia: EOI (subject to numbers) Tasmania: EOI (subject to numbers) To register your interest to attend one of the sessions above, please visit www.pga.org.au/education/ register-your-interest

www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

11

IG BUSINESS

Huntingdale grabs top renovation award Henry Peters

ed@insidegolf.com.au @hsspeters

H

untingdale Golf Club’s prized clubhouse has been given formal recognition for the third time, receiving the Best Clubhouse Renovation Award at the Community Clubs Victoria (CCV) Awards in April.

The R&A has announced that Scottish golf course Muirfield has lost its status as a British Open venue after voting against admitting female members.

A proposal to allow female members did not receive the required two-thirds majority needed, with 387 members –(64%) voting in favour and 219 members (36%) voting against.

The accolade follows the Huntingdale clubhouse’s 2015 Victorian Master Builders Award for Excellence in Construction of Commercial Buildings $10 Million - $15 Million and an Interior Architecture Award at the 2015 Victorian Architecture Awards.

“For both of those awards to be backed up by a club industry award says a lot about the building. We certainly think that it’s one of the best golf clubhouses anywhere in Australia,” said Huntingdale General Manager Stewart Fenton.

Muirfield loses British Open after rejecting women members

The R&A reacted immediately by announcing that Muirfield will no longer be selected as a venue for the Open.

“The Open is one of the world’s great sporting events and going forward we will not stage the Championship at a venue that does not admit women as members,” said R&A CEO Martin Slummers.

Rob Horrigan (left) with the CCV Assistant Manager of the Year Award and General Manager, Stewart Fenton (right) with the CCV Best Club Renovation Award

Huntingdale’s clubhouse - which opened to members and guests in August 2014 at a cost of $11.6 million - was designed

by Inarc Architects and constructed by Pellicano Builders.

The new clubhouse has helped drive more than 50 per cent growth in food and beverage sales for the club in two years, according to Fenton.

“We’re doing a lot of conferencing and seminars with local businesses as well. We’re not actively going out and advertising, but we’ve done a lot of weddings and other functions this year both for members and [through] word of mouth. A lot of additional business [has] come about because of the quality of the clubhouse, no doubt.”

Fenton said Huntingdale’s total food and beverage revenue - which includes all clubhouse spending from functions, conferences, corporate golf, members and guests - for the period of 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016 was almost $1.7 million.

That figure was up from $1.27 million in 2014-15 while Fenton

said food and beverage sales for the final full year of the old clubhouse (2013-14) was $1.1 million.

The club’s membership demographic has also shifted.

Huntingdale has reported a wave of new members much younger than the stereotypical club golfer.

“We’ve had 277 new members in the last five years at an average age of 39.2 [years old],” remarked Fenton, who has been the Club’s General Manager since 2008. “A lot of those younger members are saying they’re joining here because they’ve got access to not only a good golf course but excellent clubhouse facilities that are family friendly.”

“We’re getting a lot of members who are using the clubhouse now for business, use of the boardrooms, use of the function facilities, they come down here and do work. We’re getting a lot of people who are coming down here and sitting downstairs and using the quiet space and using the club the way that we like to see it used rather than going and sitting in a cafe somewhere or sitting at home.” •

In an open letter to members of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (HCEG), the club, located to the east of Edinburgh, had recommended that they vote in favour of the resolution.

But after the postal ballot of members failed to reach the required threshold, the R&A announced that it was dropping Muirfield from its 10-course Open venue roster.

Announcing the result of the ballot, Muirfield captain Henry Fairweather said: “The Honourable Company is a members club, and, as such, the members decide the Rules of the Club, including its membership policy.

Muirfield has staged the Open on 16 occasions since 1892 and most recently in 2013, when America’s Phil Mickelson won. It was due to host the Open again in 2023.

Royal Troon, the venue for this year’s Open, is also an all-male club. It will vote later this year on whether to become a mixed club.

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IG BUSINESS - general managers

Innovations, enthusiasm sparking shiny future for Asquith the Board, staff and membership have encouraged and pitched in as a team to help initiate innovations, which have and will continue to provide many benefits.

Bill Colhoun ed@insidegolf.com.au

“We have streamlined and now offer a much wider range of memberships, based not only on a variety of ages but also on seven, six or five-day golf preferences with many top-value offers.

B

OASTING more than 10 membership categories, several enticing joining options and an enthusiastic staff, backed by an energetic Board of Directors, it’s not surprising that Asquith is recognised as one of Sydney’s most progressive golf clubs.

“Our new $550 Lifestyle Golf membership package – introduced in October 2015, aimed at the many time-poor or otherwise golf restricted players – already has borne fruit with 43 new members having joined by early May, 2016.

A major portion of the credit for the current high standing enjoyed by Asquith should be attributed to Matthew Furze, who assumed the role of General Manager about 18 months ago.

“Our next innovation is a Family Incentive Scheme, which is to be introduced in June.

I’m sure it will be just as well received and will be an asset to our club.

In that relatively short period he has instituted several exciting and successful initiatives with the support of what he describes as a “very progressive” Board and a tremendous team effort from staff in every section of the club’s operations.

“We are really excited about Junior Development and are looking at introducing a mentoring programme to further foster the players/members of the future,” he adds.

Furze, at 41, is one of the younger managers in the industry, yet has more than 14 years’ experience in key executive golf operations, club management and five-star service roles.

When it comes to knowing the world of golf, few club managers could match Furze. A six handicapper, he has enjoyed a life steeped in the game as the son of wellknown club PGA professional John Furze.

He started as a PGA Trainee at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney, then gained five-star service experience as an executive at a top city hotel before returning to The Australian as its Golf Operations Manager.

Asquith General Manager Matthew Furze (middle) with his enthusiastic staff

Furze’s first club management post was as Assistant Manager at Killara for four years and in 2010, he accepted the General Manager’s job at Duntryleague club in Orange, NSW.

Bunkerstamp …… a lasting impression

In September 2014 he was appointed General Manager at Asquith where he says he has “been enjoying every minute of every day”.

“I love the golf management industry and the challenge that, while every club is different, almost every member and

visitor seeks the same outcome – great golf course, welcoming and aesthetically pleasing clubhouse, clean and tidy amenities, constant improvement in service, efficiencies and consistency in how this is delivered as well as the overall experience,” he said.

“In the short time I have been at Asquith,

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Furze says he is delighted at what has been achieved so far at Asquith but is even more positive about the future.

“There is just such a terrific united and friendly can-do attitude from everyone involved at the club, you can’t help but be excited at what the future holds for us,” he said. •

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IG BUSINESS

GM bursary meets golf industry needs E

ARLIER this year, Golf Management Australia (GMA) entered a bursary partnership with the PGA International Golf Institute (PGA IGI).

The initiative will allow a golf club manager to receive a fullyfunded bursary to complete the Advanced Diploma of Management and Leadership studied through the PGA IGI. Developed in consultation with GMA, the study program incorporates best practice principles for use in the golf industry.

“The study content was chosen to reflect the education needs of the golf course management and covers a broad range of golf club management and golf related subjects,” explained Nudgee Golf Club general manager and GMA Queensland Division president Aaron Muirhead.

“The Advanced Diploma of Management provides targeted golf education for club managers and includes specific skills and knowledge required by a golf club manager in today’s industry.”

Each GMA state assisted in the compilation of applications.

Three exceptional candidates,

Bursary recipient Brendan Kop. who met all the specific criteria, progressed to the interview stage.

There, they faced the selection panel – Gavin Kirkman (PGA),

Aaron Muirhead – GMA national board member.

John Stamp (executive officer – GMA) and Aaron Muirhead

(GMA national board member).

Each candidate displayed a high level of pride and passion in their positions at their respective clubs and the way they presented and answered the interview panel’s questions.

“The interview process included a number of set questions that were directed to each candidate with spontaneous additional questions resulting from the commentary,” Muirhead said.

“In reality, each of the candidates would have been worthy recipients of the bursary.”

After significant deliberation, the selection panel awarded the bursary to Penrith Golf Club’s Brendan Kop. The panel’s decision was unanimous.

He receives the GMA PGA IGI ADOM bursary and each of the states’ nominations that progressed to the interview stage at national level will receive registration to the GMA national conference in 2017 in Adelaide.

“On behalf of the GMA national board, I would like to thank all those who nominated for the bursary and look forward to this bursary being offered into the future,” Muirhead said. •

Bay golf still going strong SIX years ago, four southeast Queensland golf clubs settled on a plan to help strengthen the playing relationship between the clubs.

Today the concept, the brainchild of retired Nudgee Golf Club general manager Max Mason and former Redland Bay Golf Club general manager (now Nudgee GC GM) Aaron Muirhead, is going strong.

The joint initiative between Nudgee Golf Club, Bribie Island Golf Club, Redland Bay Golf Club and Wynnum Golf Club (all located adjacent to the Bay) was formed to provide a value add to each golf club’s memberships.

The four clubs agreed to offer golfing opportunities at their venues for members of the other participating clubs by way of “Bay Golf Invitational” events on selected days – two to three opportunities each month at the clubs including midweek and Sunday competitions.

The fee to attend and play at these clubs is the host club’s daily competition fee only (no green fee).

Since the launch, the concept remains strong, increasing each year where the participating clubs have members visiting the other clubs on the designated days.

The concept has formed significant bonds between the golf clubs as well as between members of the various clubs.

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www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

15

IG BUSINESS

Aiming for perfect grass greens into turf managers’ programs.

David Newbery

The system can be implemented either by the local turf manager or by an independent person,” Barr said.

david@insidegolf.com.au

S

“It can be modified for different local situations, conditions and requirements.

UPERINTENDENTS often find themselves in club golfers’ firing lines, especially when it comes to grass greens.

“It is a deliberately severe test so that any deficiencies are easily recognised.”

While golfers whinge about greens being too slow, too fast or too rough, superintendents produce the best greens they can with the resources available.

Which brings us to the question: Have you ever seen or played on a perfect green?

In terms of speed, smoothness and “holding” you probably have.

Still, there is more to perfect greens than playability.

For example, there are 20 or so factors, other than weather and outside issues, which will eventually restrict the condition of the green.

Some superintendents even lose sleep just thinking about greens.

Turfgrass agronomist David Barr says he has “never seen a really perfect green”, and believes all greens can be improved through what he calls the Greens Improvement System (GIS).

In 2014, Barr presented a paper entitled Benchmarking Golf Greens Towards The Perfect Green to the World Scientific Congress of Golf.

In the paper, he suggested a numerical code to judge the putting surface.

The numerically coded features of the ‘perfect’ green are: • playability 45 (smoothness 24, speed 12, ‘holding’ of shots to the green 9); • damage to the surface 21 (insect 4, disease 4, weed 4, environment 3, wear 3, other 3); • plant attributes 19 (mat 6, roots 4, ground covers 6, colour 3); and • soil attributes 15 (compaction 6, moisture 3, drainage 6).

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“The numbers refer to the scores assigned to each of the

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June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

features of the ‘perfect’ green, roughly on the basis of their relative contribution to the condition of the green, and adjusted to a total score of 100,” he said.

“Each is then assigned a range of scores below those of the ‘perfect’ green down to the poorest expression of that particular feature.

“For example, if the stimpmeter speed for the ‘perfect’ green was 7-10 feet, it was allocated a score of 12.

“As speed varies around this, the scores allocated were: 6 for speeds of 4-7 feet and 10-13 feet, and 0 for speeds under 4 and over 13.

“In a similar way, scores were allocated by measurement and assessment to all the above listed features using infiltrometer, penetrometer, stimpmeter, soil profiler, ground cover estimates and how a golf ball reacts to surface conditions.”

Collected data was transferred to an Assessment Table as the basis of a report to the turfgrass manager.

The results indicated that the system allows: • a meaningful score to be produced for the overall condition of the greens being assessed and greens to be categorised into the following groups: perfect 100; excellent 90-100; very good 80-90; good 70-80; 60-70 fair; 50-60 poor; and less than 50 very poor or even unplayable; • scores for the performance of each of the individual features to be assessed and a prioritised list to be prepared for suggested corrective actions; and • a pathway for economical and progressive improvement of golf greens to be developed and followed where integrated

The system can be modified to use on other turf areas like lawn bowling surfaces.

“It does not require a high level of skill for its implementation,” he said.

The uses include the monitoring in preparation for tournaments; preparation of long- or short-term programs and targets for greens improvement; and improving greens economically to any desired, affordable or achievable level.

“Its success depends largely on the cooperation of management and the skills of superintendents,” Barr said.

Barr has asked Golf Australia to consider adopting such a “standard procedure” for improving grass greens.

“This would have many advantages over the present traditional ‘system’, which often consists of a surface inspection by management together with the superintendent’s most valuable input,” he suggested.

“But it can sometimes lead to variable results and millions of dollars overall in mistakes and wastage.

“Successful widespread usage of it would potentially and economically improve golf greens throughout Australia, attract players, save money and possibly help stressed golf clubs.

“In my humble opinion, the results from this system, when interpreted by a competent superintendent, are better than from all other such methods because they objectively indicate how good, or deficient, the greens are and how to improve them progressively within budget.

“And it provides a documented record of improvement over time and has many other advantages for clubs, boards, players, management, superintendents and course staff.” •

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Golf course to lift spirits after Tsunami disaster

Report outlines community impact of golf in Victoria It is widely recognised that golf has provided a considerable benefit to the economy of Victoria.

Additionally, the industry has had a significant impact on the health and social wellbeing of those who participate.

Last month, Golf Victoria commissioned a formal study to demonstrate the exact economic, social and health benefits the game provides to Victoria.

A

ustralian golf course architect Ross Perrett is helping the people of Banda Aceh to rebuild the Lhoknga Beach Golf Course in the tsunami-damaged region of West Sumatra, Indonesia. The project, to be named The Tsunami Memorial Golf Course, is part of a Government initiative to boost tourism in the region.

Having been acquainted with the course prior to the tsunami, Perrett has offered his assistance free of charge to help the struggling region re-establish itself. Approximately 300,000 people lost their lives in the disaster when the Tsunami struck on Boxing Day, 2004.

The wave that wiped out the seaside course was estimated to be 30 meters high when it crossed the course. It is hard to imagine a wave as tall as a 10-storey building, but it is little wonder there was nothing left of the course.

Only one large Allocasuarina tree survived the tsunami, but over the past 12 years the sand dunes have reformed and much of the site’s vegetation has

regenerated.

The original course was a modest 9-hole course catering only for the local population, whereas the new course will be a full 18-hole course aimed at attracting golf tourism to the region. Further, the Government has aspirations to hold an annual international amateur golf event to showcase the region and to thank the numerous countries that provided support for the region following the disaster by inviting them to participate in the event. The course will be of championship length and is an interesting layout with two loops of nine with both finishing holes being adjacent to the beautiful Lhoknga Beach – albeit in opposite directions. A contemporary Clubhouse will be built in a central location close the beach.

The site for the course is classical links land reminiscent of St Andrews in Scotland in that it features free-draining sand dunes formed by wind-blown sand. The continually rolling land is

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“There is no doubt that the golf industry throughout Victoria and Australia is an industry in transition,” said Golf Victoria CEO, Simon Brookhouse. “More and more we find that participants are time-poor, want more flexibility in their memberships, and are looking for options to enable them to play with family members, both young and old.”

Highlights from the report include: • Golf in Victoria contributes $883.6 million annually to the community, made up of just under $850 million in economic contribution and almost $34 million in physical and mental health contribution.

• The three largest Local Government Area contributors are the Shire of Mornington Peninsula ($73.2million); City of Greater Geelong and Shire of Queenscliffe ($57.6million ) and the City of Kingston ($55.8million) • Golf tourism generates $152.7 million per year through day and overnight visitation, food and beverage spending, accommodation, travel, shopping, etc • Golf’s physical health benefits contribute $32.7 million per year due to the prevention of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and cancer.

To access the report, visit www.golfvic.org.au

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ideally suited for the golf course which is irrigated from the fresh water aquifer that lies under the course. Most of the holes are of generous width and relatively open which contrast with the balance of holes that are framed by the remnant Allocasuarina and indigenous grasses. The construction team are all dedicated locals who are taking great pride in their work.

The aim of the Community Impact of Golf in Victoria project was to understand the community contribution generated across those three key areas, and the results show the significant impact the sport of golf has on Victoria.

June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

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IG BUSINESS - from the ceo

Golf and the Olympics: a golden Karen Lunn

Executive Director – ALPG

W

hile controversy continues to surround the withdrawal of Adam Scott and company from the Olympic Golf competition, the women from all of the major golf tours have thrown their support behind Rio 2016.

The recent withdrawals of Scott and several other high profile male golfers sparked both Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus to speak out publicly.

On hearing about the spate of recent withdrawals Nicklaus was quoted as saying “That’s a shame for the game of golf; I think it’s really bad, we worked really hard to get golf back in the Olympics after 100 and some years. The game needs stimulation in countries where we don’t have golf. We haven’t got a lot of golf in China or India or Russia or Brazil, large countries that the Olympics would just be amazing for. Because it doesn’t work in their schedule for one week, to not help the game of golf, and that’s what they’re doing is hurting the game of golf,” Nicklaus said. “It’s not themselves; it’s the game of golf. I hope that they’ll rethink what they’re doing, because it’s not about them, it’s about the game.”

Gary Player quoted from his Twitter account “I am sad and disappointed that several top players have withdrawn from the Olympic Games in Rio…I would have given anything to play in the Olympics. Much of my life has

The recently-completed golf course in Rio been spent growing golf around the world, playing on every corner of the globe. Not just me, the Big Three travelled promoting the game everywhere for not a lot of money.

Players today make so much and should be giving back. The Olympics is one place that they can do this as there is no prizemoney.

The Olympics will undoubtedly grow the game worldwide no matter who plays and who doesn’t, all top players should think about this. It is only once every 4 years. Many people fought tooth and nail for decades to get golf back into the Olympic Games, a true worldwide effort.”

Personally I am absolutely in agreement

with Mr Nicklaus and Mr Player, I really don’t think that it is too much of a hardship to ask any player to play for your country if selected once every 4 years. While it may be a slight inconvenience to playing schedules, the opportunity to give back to both your sport and your country by competing in the biggest sporting event on the globe should be considered an honour and a privilege.

During my career I would have given anything to have this opportunity, and am so excited for our current and future players who will get the opportunity to become Olympians.

While it is disappointing that Adam Scott

and Marc Leishman have decided not to compete in Rio, ultimately it is a personal choice to play or not to play. They both have their reasons and whether or not we agree we must respect their decisions.

Fortunately from the Women’s side I have not heard of one player who is not absolutely champing at the bit to qualify to represent their country in Rio. Many of the Korean contingents have been quoted as saying that the pressure of qualifying for Rio is becoming overwhelming, while Minjee Lee and Karrie Webb, who barring injury will be our representatives are both super excited about the opportunity of becoming Olympians.

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IG BUSINESS - from the ceo

pairing When Karrie was asked recently about the prospect of competing in Rio the 41year-old said “The Olympics was something that was never a possibility to me until about eight years ago, I am an absolute sports nut and I’ve always loved the Olympics. The Australian public get behind the Australian team at the Olympics every four years and just to be a part of that will be something really special.”

Webb has stated that she would place an Olympic medal on the same level as any of the seven majors she has won. “It’s definitely been a focus of mine and I think it’s what has driven me to practice as hard as I have the past 2 years. Walking out in Rio at the Opening Ceremony with all of our other athletes will be amazing. I cry now when I hear the national anthem, I can’t imagine what it would be like to stand on the podium draped in the Australian flag.”

Many of the other top LPGA players have also expressed similar sentiments. American sensation Lexi Thompson, who already has a major Championship to her credit and has represented the USA twice in the Solheim Cup has been quoted as saying “Representing the USA in Rio and becoming an Olympian will be the highlight of my career,” while world number 1 Lydia Ko has had the Olympics on her radar since the announcement in 2009 (when she was 12!)

“As soon as I heard, I said ‘I have to be on that team in Brazil in 2016’.”

Former world number 1 Inbee Park said that representing her country in Rio would be “a dream come true” while Michelle Wie has said that one of her biggest goals in life is to represent her country in the Olympic Games.

All aboard for fabulous Fiji It is safe to say that whichever women players are standing on the podium receiving an Olympic medal in Rio will savour that moment for the rest of their lives.

Brian Thorburn CEO – PGA of Australia

There has been much discussion and debate, particularly on social media about whether golf should have been re-instated as an Olympic sport in the first place.

Many feel that professional golf should remain focused on its major championships, that golf as a professional sport should not be involved in the Olympics and that if golf is to be an Olympic Sport it should involve amateur players to represent their nations rather than the professionals.

There has also been a lot of criticism from both players and stakeholders that golf effectively “missed the boat” by making the Olympic competition a standard 72hole strokeplay event rather than some other more appealing format such as a mixed or team competition.

Whatever your personal opinion, and there are many different opinions out there, the one fact that is irrefutable is that the Olympic Games will be good for the game of golf and that the game of golf will be good for the Olympic Games.

Golf across the globe now has access to Government funding which has previously only been allocated to Olympic Sports, and for Golf to have the opportunity to be on centre stage at the biggest sporting event in the world in Rio this year can only help promote our great game globally.

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one of the main drawcards being Fiji as a destination and a place where our Professionals are able to bring their families to enjoy a holiday, whilst they compete in a world-class tournament. Last year’s champion, Matt Kuchar, couldn’t speak more highly of the time he and his family spent on the Coral Coast and his overall love for the island nation.

T

he Fiji International is now an official stop on the European Tour and a huge coup for the growth of golf in the Pacific.

The Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course is renowned for its sparkling backdrop of coral reefs and the Pacific Ocean that lines 15 out of the 18 championship holes. One of the unique offerings at the Fiji International are the various hospitality packages. The Natadola Beach Oasis, which is located on one of the signature holes, the par-3 4th, is one of the most spectacular settings to sit back, relax and watch the tournament unfold. Spectators can immerse themselves in the excitement of the tournament whilst sampling local cuisines, indulging in an array of beverages and enjoying local entertainment on the beach.

Golf doesn’t get any better than that!

Professional golfers from all over the world will descend on Fiji when the tournament is played at the Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course from October 6–9. Our new cosanctioning agreement with the European Tour will see a stronger field competing for the title; with more nationalities represented than ever before. The tournament will also be broadcast live into more homes thanks to European Tour Productions’ global reach.

Close to 400 million homes around the world, including the important Asian, North American and Australian markets, will witness the beauty of Fiji as the Fiji International is broadcast live for 20 hours this year.

Three years ago, the PGA of Australia saw an opportunity to create the Fiji International and put the jewel of the Pacific on the map as a golfing mecca. The inaugural Fiji International in 2014 signalled Fiji’s official arrival onto the global golfing stage, with the Fijian Government, Fiji Tourism and Fiji’s number one player, Vijay Singh, all making a push to put their country on the lucrative world golfing map.

The tournament has quickly earned a reputation as a working holiday, with

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If you’re seeking the ideal golfing escape for either yourself, your family or a group of fellow golfers, then why not consider kicking off your summer early and joining the PGA Tour of Australasia at one of the world’s most idyllic locations for this year’s, Fiji International.

Several hospitality package options exist that allow visitors a VIP tournament experience. Player announcements are also imminent, so please keep an eye on our website www.fijiinternational.com in the coming weeks as exciting news about this year’s tournament is released.

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cover story

A MAJOR BECKONS FOR THESE MEN David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

W

ELL, you can take US Masters champion Danny Willett off the list, but who will be the next player to join the elite “major winners’ club”?

Ten years ago, a betting person would have backed Sergio Garcia, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Brandt Snedeker and even natty dresser Ian Poulter to win at least one of golf’s majors.

Today, they are among a group known as “best player never to have won a major”.

The phrase has been around for donkey’s years and was associated with Adam Scott, Jason Day, Justin Rose and to a lesser extent Danny Willett until they broke through the major barrier.

Anyway, Inside Golf asked UBET’s Gerard Daffy to compile the odds about the players most likely to win one of the four majors in the next five years.

A decade ago, experts tipped Garcia as a future great of the game and had him earmarked as a definite major winner just as they are with Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson today.

So far, the Spaniard has failed to deliver.

If you think Garcia will win a major before the end of 2020 you can back him in at $3.

if their health, and interest, holds up they are going to be around for a while yet.

If you think the odds are rather short, remember he has 19 more shots at a major.

If Fowler’s odds are too short for your liking then why not take a punt on Rafael Cabrera Bello ($11), Kevin Na ($9), Charley Hoffman ($7), Bryson DeChambeau ($7) or Shane Lowry ($6).

For example, Garcia is a $41 chance to win the US Open this month so divide that by 19 – that is how many majors there are between this month’s US Open and the 2020 US PGA – and you are close to the odds pegged by UBET. Of course, the Americans believe Rickie Fowler is a shoe-in to join Spieth, Day and McIlroy as the “next big star” and that’s why he is $1.33.

For the record, the past five years have produced no fewer than 13 first time major winners – Willett, Scott, Charl Schwartzel, Bubba Watson, Spieth, McIlroy, Webb Simpson, Justin Rose, Louis Oosthuizen, Day, Darren Clarke, Jason Dufner and Keegan Bradley.

Interestingly, only four of them were over the age of 30 – Scott, Watson, Rose and Clarke, who was 42 when he won the Open Championship in 2011.

My hard-earned is on DeChambeau. He has the confidence and the game to win a major before the end of 2020 … to be sure.

Rickie Fowler, 27 Credentials: Six professional wins world-wide including the 2015 Players Championship Best finish in a major: T2 in 2014 Open and US Open Odds: $1.33 Has the game and should get a start in all the majors and that’s why Ubet has him the shortest priced favourite. With five top-5s in the majors in recent years, he is a good chance to win a major in the next five years.

It’s been said golf today is a young person’s game so who will be the next young gun to win a major and will five years be long enough for the likes of Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama and Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick?

Dustin Johnson, 31 Credentials: Eleven professional wins including nine on the PGA Tour Best finish in a major: T2 in the 2011 Open Championship and T2 in the 2015 US Open Odds: $1.80 A big-hitter and can generate excitement but often gets twitchy under pressure.

Remember, Tiger is no longer the man to beat. Today it’s Day, Spieth and McIlroy and

Branden Grace, 28 Credentials: 13 professional wins – one on

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Brandt Snedeker, 35 Credentials: The 2012 FedEx Cup winner has 11 professional wins (eight on the PGA Tour) Best finish in a major: T3 in 2008 Masters and T3 2012 Open Odds: $2.25 A consistently good putter, he’s also deadly accurate from 120-150m. He’s one of the more likely hopes.

Hideki Matsuyama, 24 Credentials: Eight pros wins – two on the PGA Tour Best finish in a major: T4 in 2013 US Open Odds: $2.50 From Japan, Matsuyama looks capable.

Henrik Stenson, 40 Credentials: 17 professional wins including the 2007 WGC Accenture Match Play Championship Best finish in a major: Runner-up in 2013 Open Championship Odds: $2.50

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the PGA Tour, seven on the European Tour and five on the Sunshine Tour. At the 2015 Presidents Cup, Grace, representing the Internationals, returned a perfect record of 5–0–0 Best finish in a major: Third in the 2015 US PGA Odds: $2 The South African looks most likely and has that ingrained gritty determination.

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June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

EXCLUSIVE TO ON COURSE GOLF

cover story The Swede and former world number two is a quality player who has been on the brink of a major title finishing top-5 seven times, but his chances are slipping away.

Patrick Reed, 25 Credentials: He has won four times on the PGA Tour Best finish in a major: T14 in the 2015 US Open Odds: $2.50 The world number 10 is on the way up, but needs to relax around major tournaments.

Jimmy Walker, 37 Credentials: Eight pro victories – five on the PGA Tour Best finish in a major: T7 in the 2014 US PGA Championship Odds: $2.75 An under-rated player, Walker should not be underestimated.

Matt Kuchar, 37 Credentials: 12 professional wins (seven on the PGA Tour) Best finish in a major: T3 in the 2012 Masters Odds: $2.75 He’s still a chance, but distance off the tee remains his Achilles heel.

Marc Leishman, 32 Credentials: Nine pro wins including the 2015 Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa Best finish in a major: T2 in the 2015 Open Championship Odds: $2.50 The strong-hitting Victorian, who modelled his game after Ernie Els, has the form and right attitude.

Sergio Garcia, 36 Credentials: 28 wins world-wide including eight on the PGA Tour and 11 on the European Tour Best finish in a major: Runner-up in the 1999 US PGA and the 2007 Open Championship Odds: $3 Capable, but chances less likely against the current crop of players.

Paul Casey, 38 Credentials: 16 professional wins mostly on the European Tour, but did win the Shell Open on the PGA Tour in 2009 Best finish in a major: T3 in the 2010 Open Championship Odds: $3 The Englishman is going okay and has the game to succeed.

Bill Haas, 33 Credentials: Seven pro wins – six on the PGA Tour Best finish in a major: T12 in the 2011 US PGA Odds: $7 The American has never really threatened in a major. His best days could be behind him.

Lee Westwood, 42 Credentials: 42 professional wins world-wide including the 1997 Australian Open Best finish in a major: Runner-up in 2010 Masters Odds: $4 Proved he is still a chance after finishing in a tie for second at the 2016 Masters. He’s on the wrong side of 40.

Brooks Koepka, 26 Credentials: Six pros wins – one on PGA Tour Best finish in a major: T4 in 2014 US Open Odds: $2.50 The big-hitting American is a strong chance.

Matthew Fitzpatrick, 21 Credentials: Won the 2015 British Masters Best finish in a major: T7 in this year’s US Masters Odds: $3 Boom youngster … a major win would be no surprise.

Kevin Kisner, 32 Credentials: Seven pro wins Best finish in a major: T12 in 2015 US Open Odds: $3.50 A good chance, but not if there’s a playoff where he is 0-3.

Hunter Mahan, 34 Credentials: Nine pro wins – six on the PGA Tour Best finish in a major: T4 in 2013 US Open Odds: $6 Seems to go missing when it counts Shane Lowry, 29 Credentials: Three pro wins – one on the PGA Tour Best finish in a major: T9 2014 Open and T9 2015 US Open Odds: $6 The Irishman has two top-10s so must be a show.

Bryson DeChambeau, 22 Credentials: In 2015, he became the fifth golfer in history to win both the NCAA Division 1 Championship and the US Amateur in the same year Best finish in a major: T21 in 2016 Masters Odds: $7 Promising start to career – a big possibility

Danny Lee, 24 Credentials: The Kiwi has three pro wins including one on the PGA Tour.

Won the 2008 US Amateur Best finish in a major: T17 in 2016 Masters Odds: $7 Would like to say yes, but a rung below the best players.

Jamie Donaldson, 40 Credentials: Eight professional wins Best finish in a major: T7 in 2012 US PGA Odds: $8 The Welshman arguably lacks the skills to win a major.

Kevin Na, 32 Credentials: Five pro wins – one on PGA Tour Best finish in a major: T10 in 2010 US PGA Odds: $9 We are yet to see his best form. His PGA Tour playoff record is 0-3 Cameron Smith, 22 Credentials: Strong amateur record with an Australian stroke play and matchplay title under his belt Best finish in a major: T4 in 2015 US Open Odds: $11 Perhaps just short of the top rung … will improve.

Ian Poulter, 40 Credentials: 16 pro wins including the WGC Accenture Match Play in 2010 Best finish in a major: Runner-up in the 2008 Open Championship Odds: $11 The Englishman looks like he has missed his opportunity.

Rafael Cabrera Bello, 32 Credentials: Five professional wins – none in the US Best finish in a major: T17 in 2016 Masters Odds: $11 Right now, the Spaniard is just below the top level.

How the main contenders finished in the past four majors Name US Open Open US PGA Masters 5-year odds Rickie Fowler MC T30 T30 MC $1.33 Dustin Johnson T2 T49 T7 T4 $1.80 Branden Grace T20 T4 3 MC $2 Henrik Stenson 9 T13 T6 T24 $2.50 Patrick Reed T14 T20 T30 T49 $2.50 Marc Leishman MC T2 MC MC $2.50 Hideki Matsuyama T18 T18 T37 T7 $2.50 Brandt Snedeker 8 MC T12 T10 $2.25 Jimmy Walker T58 T30 MC T29 $2.75 Matt Kuchar T12 T58 T7 T24 $2.75 Sergio Garcia T18 T6 T54 T34 $3 Paul Casey T39 T74 T30 T4 $3 Matthew Fitzpatrick DNP DNP DNP T7 $3 Kevin Kisner T12 MC MC T37 $3.50 Lee Westwood T50 T49 T43 T2 $4 T27 MC 24 T4 $4 JB Holmes Luke Donald T58 T12 T43 DNQ $6 Shane Lowry T9 MC MC T39 $6 Hunter Mahan MC T49 T43 54 $6 Bryson DeChambeau MC DNP DNP T21 $7 Charley Hoffman MC MC MC T29 $7 Bill Haas MC MC T65 T24 $7 Danny Lee DNP T6 T58 T51 $7 Russell Knox DNP MC MC MC $7 Jamie Donaldson MC T4 WD T21 $8 Kevin Na T46 T58 MC T55 $9 Cameron Smith T4 DNP T25 T55 $11 Rafael Cabrera Bello DNP T40 MC T17 $11 Ian Poulter T54 MC MC T49 $11 www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

23

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on tour

Visas, taxis and chocolates: the joys of Asia with Steven Jeffress ed@insidegolf.com.au

A

return visit to PNG was my next event but before that, I had to organize three work visas. I needed them for PNG, China and Korea. Unfortunately, I only had about two weeks to get them. Normally they can take up to seven working days to get and the only Korean consulate is in Sydney. After two quick trips to the Chinese consulate and double the normal fee I had my first visa. I then headed to the PNG consulate with my forms and a box of chocolates and, what do you know, instead of seven days, I had my PNG visa in two. Lucky for me there were a couple of really nice ladies on the front desk and I guess they liked chocolate! From there I rushed straight to the post office and express-posted my passport to Sydney with eight days to spare before I headed to PNG. I had a smile on my face when I checked the mail the day before I flew out and there was my passport. It’s a fairly stressful couple of weeks organizing visa as if you don’t get all the necessary visas stamped in your passport, you miss the events. It’s just another part of being a professional sports person that you don’t think of. I guess all this stuff will be easier when I own my jet!

There were two events in PNG but I was only playing one, in Lae. It’s a place that I have been many times before and it always throws up some interesting challenges, on and off the course. I had to fly into Port Moresby and then take a 45-minute flight to Lae. It’s always an interesting flight as some of planes look a little old and it a fairly mountainous country.

The golf course has a great layout but is a

little rough around the edges but it has got better with each year. It really rewards hitting it straight as it’s probably one of the tightest courses I have played.

I played solid over the four days with nothing really happening on the greens.

Rounds of 69, 66, 70 and 68 had me placed tied 7th for the week. I was reasonably happy with the finish as it showed me a couple of things that I had to improve for my trip to China and Korea. I had a nice young local on the bag and gave him some extra money each day which brought a massive smile to his face. Along with that I was able to catch up with a lot of friends that I have made over the past 10 years.

My next event was the Volvo China Open which was being played at Topwin Golf Club in Beijing. Beijing is a bit of a hassle to get to as you have to fly through Hong Kong, so it adds extra hours onto your trip. I was travelling with Michael Sim and he was good enough to pick me up about 8am on his way to Brisbane airport. I won’t bore you with the little details, but we landed into China at around 11.30 pm. From there it should have only taken an hour in a taxi to get to the

MoSS Vale Golf club iS a

Golfer’s Paradise

Hotel. But remember, I was in China!! 3 hours later we finally arrived at the hotel. Our taxi driver was doing about 20km per hour and when we told him to hurry up, he just replied “more money”. As most of my mates will tell you, the best way to get money out of me is turn me upside down and shake. Oh how I’ve missed you, Asia!

Topwin is an awesome course with terribly designed greens. On a lot of the greens there were only two possible pin placements as the greens are so slopey.

I started off poorly the first day and was 4-over through nine holes in really windy conditions. In four-round tournaments, over the first two days you have a morning round and an afternoon round. So you need a little luck in getting some nice conditions in your afternoon round. Unfortunately that didn’t happen as the windy conditions we got was nothing like the players got from the opposite side of the draw. So my 4-over was sitting a long way back in the pack and even when I did start to play some nice golf on the back-9, there were no rewards at the end. I signed for a 76 and in a European tour event, that is just not going to be good

enough. I was going to need a low one on day 2 to have a chance of being there for the weekend. My game lifted the second day and I played great once again without any rewards and could only manage a 1-underpar, 71 which had me sitting 5 shots outside the cut line. There were some great signs in my game so with that in mind, I made sure to keep positive as I still had a great opportunity in Korea the following week.

It’s always disappointing to miss a cut, especially when you are half way around the other side of the world. There was a positive, though. Myself and about five other Aussies who also missed the weekend play decided to go The Great Wall of China. Normally when I’m away I never venture out anywhere beyond the course or the hotel, so it was great to experience one of the most famous places in the world.

My next trip is to Korea for the Maekyung Open. It’s an interesting challenge as the course is a little average, but in saying that it’s a place that I have played well at. I will have to lift my game if I’m going to lift the winner’s trophy but as always I know it’s never that far away. •

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US OPEN preview

I’ll take even par, says Spieth David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

R

EIGNING US Open champion Jordan Spieth has suggested Oakmont, host to this month’s US Open from June 16-19, is arguably golf’s toughest test.

“I know that if you win a US Open at Oakmont, you can go ahead and say that you’ve conquered the hardest test in all of golf because this is arguably the hardest course in America day-to-day,” Spieth told the media during his first visit to Oakmont in early May. “You have to golf your ball around this place, and the person who is in full control of their entire game will win this US Open.”

To give an indication of its degree of difficulty, Argentina’s Angel Cabrera won the 2007 US Open at Oakmont with a score of five-over par.

“I’d sign for even par right now,” said Spieth, who played the course using a local caddie to learn some of layout’s nuances.

“There’s just so many tough holes that par is going to be a fantastic score.”

Of course, Oakmont is famous, perhaps infamous, for it bunkers and that is where the tournament may be decided.

For the record, Oakmont has 210 deep bunkers, personified by the Church Pews – a block of eight lateral bunkers that separate the third and fourth fairways.

The mammoth, unforgiving 288 yards (263m) par-3 eighth hole features a bunker that protrudes into the expansive approach area about 70m short and left of the green.

In 2007, only 27 per cent of players hit the green in regulation.

“These bunkers may as well be bunkers in the UK,” Spieth said. “They may as well be pot bunkers. You just have to hit sideways out of them for the most part.”

Unless it rains, the field will also face arguably the fastest greens in the world that leave players with big-breaking putts.

Some of the greens slope from front-to-back, requiring precise distance control.

According to Oakmont architect, Henry Clay Fownes, any imperfect shots should be punishable.

This will be the ninth US Open at the notoriously difficult layout, which is located on the outskirts of Pittsburgh.

The club hosted the US Open in 1927, ’35, ’53, ’62, ’73, ’83, ’94 and 2007. It has hosted two Women’s US Opens, three US PGAs and five US Amateurs – the last won by Australian Nick Flanagan in 2003.

Since the 2007 US Open, there has been significant restoration in an attempt to give the course its original look.

The course is void of 15,000 trees that, until 2007, lined the railroad bank, the par-5 12th hole and the Pennsylvania Turnpike and connects the two sides of the course.

The famed Oakmont “Church Pews” bunker (Copyright USGA/Fred Vuich). finest final-rounds ever played in a major championship.

Then in 1962, there was the famous duel between Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

Jack edged out the local favourite to earn his first of 18 major titles.

Ernie Els won the first of his four majors when he conquered Oakmont in 1994.

USGA executive director/CEO Mike Davis said Oakmont was, from an architectural standpoint, a masterpiece.

At the end of the news conference, Spieth was asked if he would pose for a photo with the US Open trophy, but he declined.

“Posing with the trophy at Oakmont would be very, very nice, but I’d rather not and wait until hopefully Sunday (June 19) if that’s okay,” Spieth said. •

US Open fast facts

According to Davis, the club’s members relish the tough layout.

Championship lengths Out: 3680 yards – 3364m (par 35) In: 3550 yards – 3246m (par 35) Total: 7230 yards – 6610m (par 70)

Now the players must adjust to the perilous winds that will affect club selection.

“When we come to Oakmont, we virtually don’t have to change anything,” he said.

Course record Johnny Miller (1973 US Open) 63

Oakmont has been the site of historic US Opens like the 1927 tournament won by Tommy Armour with a winning score of 13over par.

“These are the same fairway widths that they play every day of the year and they play fast greens every day of the year.

Oakmont’s US Open champions 1927: Tommy Armour Sam Parks 1935: Ben Hogan 1953: 1962: Jack Nicklaus 1973: Johnny Miller 1983: Larry Nelson 1994: Ernie Els Angel Cabrera 2007:

In 1953, a 30-metre putt on the 13th helped propel Ben Hogan to victory.

“So when we come here it’s the same old Oakmont. We just put the US Open flag in instead of the Oakmont flag.

In 1973, Johnny Miller carded a magnificent final-round 63 on a rain-softened course to win with what many describe as one of the

“This place is storied with championship drama and I can’t imagine in 2016 that we won’t have another great United States Open.”

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www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

25

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celebrity swinger

A quick-nine with:

AFL star Nick Dal Santo Richard Fellner richard@insidegolf.com.au

W

idely respected for his maturity, passion and exceptional skills on the field, three-time AFL premiership player Nick Dal Santo is also quietly known off the field for a different set of skills—namely, driving, pitching and putting.

A friendly, honest and outgoing individual, the current North Melbourne Kangaroos midfielder loves his golf. Bitten by the ‘golf bug’ as a teenager, the Bendigo native is also a proud ambassador for Cobra Puma, sporting bright fluoro Puma boots on the oval, and the latest Cobra gear on the course.

Inside Golf sat down with Dal Santo to discuss his passion for the sport.

How did you get started in golf?

“I was always an active, outdoors kid; I played a lot of basketball, football, athletics. I never played Playstation or those sorts of things. My golf literally started with a 40- or 50-metre chip in the back yard with a sand wedge, from one of dad’s old sets. Then I played cricket for one summer, and there was a lot of standing around, so I started playing golf on Saturday mornings. I just loved it. I’d play out at Axedale Golf Course with some of the older guys each week. I loved the banter. They’d have a couple of beers afterwards and I’d have a soft drink with a dim sim.”

And you were hooked?

“I’d play every Saturday. I’d get mum to drop me off and pick me up and I remember, driving home, I’d take her through every single shot! I got addicted to the improvement and the constant drive of wanting to get better. I started in competitions about the age of 15, with a handicap of 36, and worked my way down to about 9 at the age of 16 or 17. Plus it was cheap. I think my membership as a junior was $50. Mum and Dad would buy it for me for Christmas.”

And your handicap now?

I think it’s about 5. I play at Woodlands, but it’s really difficult for me to get out these days, being a new father [Nick and his wife, Julie, have a 14-month-old son, Jude].

What excites you about golf today?

“Just the enjoyment and competitive edge of it. And with the handicapping system, it’s a level playing field—you can play against a scratch marker or a 36-handicapper and it’s a challenge to try and beat either of them on the day. It’s also a great release away from football.”

How does golf fit in with your busy AFL schedule?

We get one day off per week in the pre-season. Back at St Kilda, we often played on a Thursday, so on Wednesday afternoons we’d go around and see who wanted to play. We’d get around 12 to 16 of us

turning up the next morning, ready to go.

We’d set up our own little tournament, put a few bucks in and play a comp. We were based out of Seaford, with so many good golf courses literally around the corner. During the season, sometimes we’d finish training, and everyone always had their golf clubs in the car—that was one of the rules: golf clubs, shoes and a polo shirt ready to go!”

Who were the golfers on the team?

“At St Kilda, Nick Riewoldt was a player. Sam Fisher is a fantastic golfer.

Brendon Goddard, David Armitage, Brett Peake, Leigh Montagna, Lenny Hayes, Steven Baker, Stephen Milne.

At North Melbourne, Daniel Wells is a really good player. Scott Thompson, Aaron Mullett, Brad McKenzie. Ryan Bastinac, who’s now with Brisbane— he was a fanatical golfer.

Does golf help with your footy in any way?

One thing that helps a bit is that, with golf, you learn to put things behind you. In football, you’re out there for two hours, and you make mistakes all the time. You have to be resilient. On the golf course you hit numerous bad shots—on a single hole, let alone on an entire nine— and you just need to be able to reset and see if you can make something out of it.

You’re a current brand ambassador for Cobra Puma; tell us about your long history with the brand.

“I’ve been involved with Puma for 15 years now. I love the boots. They are the tool of our trade. Like a tradie loving their favourite hammer. My footwear is my job, and I have to have my footwear right. And I love the people at Puma as well. They’ve been so generous and good to me.”

Plus you always get to use the very latest gear.

“I was laughing about this the other day; I’d got some new football boots.

And I remember thinking that when I was a 17-year-old kid, if someone would have said to me you could have a free pair of Puma football boots, well, I would have happily said, ‘My life is done! I’m happy, I’m complete!’”

You’ve been involved with the Cobra golf side for a few years now.

What’s impressed you with that?

I always knew there was a lot of technology involved with golf, but when I actually sat down with the Cobra boys and saw what goes into the golf clubs... the technical, the science, the strategy of developing something... I was enthralled. I love that aspect of it. How specific they are and detailed with everything. To go through the process of analysing your swing, the length of club, and the shaft and the size of the grip...it blew me away. It makes you feel like a professional. Even though I’m clearly not! I’m also a brand ambassador for Drummond Golf, and I am very thankful for their support.”

The Cobra Puma brand are known for their bold colours and attitude.

Does that match your personality?

“Yeah, I think my personality is naturally a little more ‘out there’. I love the boldness of Cobra Puma. And I love the [Ambassador] personalities like Rickie Fowler, and Usain Bolt. So I love how Puma go about that.”

Finally, if you could say one thing to the golf gods...?

“I’d ask for a few more lucky bounces!

My pet hate is when I hit the fairway and I land in a divot. I feel like it happens to me more often than other people! But I have a theory in life that if you continually put yourself in good positions enough times, then you’ll eventually get what you deserve...out of golf, football and life.” • NOTE: Read more of this interview on our website—including Nick’s experience with the 2010 drawn Grand Final, his love of travel, fatherhood and more: www.insidegolf.com.au www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

27

on tour

Jason Day versus Tiger and co

What other world number one players had achieved at age 28 – the same age Jason Day is today.

Note: We have added Rory McIlroy to the list although he won’t turn 28 until May 2017. Out of interest, we have included 22-year-old Jordan Speith’s record. He turns 23 in July.

David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

I

T was a good call by Adam Scott when he suggested Jason Day’s form this year was “Tiger-esque”.

Player

It certainly got me thinking.

I wondered how Day’s record stacks up against some of the former world number one players including Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Adam Scott, Ernie Els, Seve Ballesteros et al at the same age – 28.

Day at the 2015 U.S. Open (Photo: USGA/Darren Carroll)

Day turned 28 in November last year and since turning professional in 2006 has won 15 professional tournaments – 10 on the PGA Tour including the US PGA Championship.

His form in the majors is outstanding.

In the lead-up to the US Open at Oakmont, Day has contested 22 majors and made the cut in 19 of them.

Another former world number one, Rory McIlroy, doesn’t turn 28 until May next year but his record is phenomenal.

He has 11 top-10 results including three runner-up finishes (one in the Masters and two in the US Open) and a third place.

Currently, he has won 11 PGA Tour titles including four majors.

“That (kind of run) is Tiger-esque,” said Scott, after Day won the Players Championship – his third victory this year.

At 28, Ernie Els had won three European Tour events, five PGA Tour titles including two majors – both the US Open.

“It’s that thing I always try to explain how good you feel ¬after one win, and I try to imagine how good Tiger felt just playing about five years into his pro career having won like 50 events, and imagine how you’d feel confidence-wise, and Jason must be kind of feeling something like that at the moment.”

Before Ballesteros celebrated his 29th birthday he had racked up 23 European Tour titles, three US PGA Tour wins and four majors – sensational.

Perhaps it’s a little unfair to compare Day’s record with Scott’s record at the same age.

Remember Scott, and other players of his era, had to live through and battle the Tiger-effect in the majors and World Golf Championship tournaments.

For the record, Scott, a golfing thoroughbred, never finished runner-up to Woods in the majors and only once finished runner-up, with Ian Poulter, behind Tiger in his 18 World Golf Championship wins.

Tiger’s last major victory was at the 2008 US Open.

When Woods turned 28 in December 2003, he had 39 PGA Tour titles including eight majors locked away.

Of course, it’s horses for courses because some players like Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy get their careers off to a flying start early while others like Vijay Singh, Nick Faldo, Nick Price and Phil Mickelson, although Lefty has never been world No.1, only started accumulating majors and PGA Tour wins in their in their early 30s.

Total

Pro wins at 28

Majors at 28

Cuts made

Total weeks world #1

Jason Day

1

1

15

22

19

14 and counting

Tiger Woods

8

14

45

34

32

683

Rory McIlroy

4

4

19

29

25

95

Seve Ballesteros

4

5

30

33

27 DQ, 1

61

Ernie Els

2

4

21

22

17

9

Martin Kaymer

1

2

19

20

11

8

Bernhard Langer

1

2

26

13

8

3

Greg Norman

0

2

27

16

14

331

Adam Scott

0

1

15

31

21

11

David Duval

0

1

13

21

17

15

Nick Faldo

0

6

13

19

18

97

Vijay Singh

0

3

9

3

3

32

Nick Price

0

3

8

14

9

44

Ian Woosnam

0

1

8

6

3

50

Luke Donald

0

0

5

12

7

56

Fred Couples

0

1

3

19

16

16

Lee Westwood

0

0

23

21

16

16

Tom Lehman

0

1

1

2

0

1

Jack Nicklaus

6

18

33

36

30

Unknown

Gary Player

3

9

42

24

22 WD, 1

Unknown

Arnold Palmer

0

7

9

8

5

Unknown

We mention 22-year-old Spieth because he spent 26 weeks at number one and has a total of seven pro wins including two majors. He has played 13 majors and made the cut 10 times.

Still, Day will go down in history as one of the greats and if his health and enthusiasm for the game hold up for another 10 to 15 years, the sky is the limit when it comes to majors and World Golf Championship victories.

Let’s hope Jason can find the time in his busy schedule to come home and entertain Aussie golf fans – and maybe win a few Stonehaven and Joe Kirkwood cups.

And every decade throws up different players and challenges.

Transform Your Ride

Majors

THE BIG THREE AT AGE 28

At age 28, Greg Norman, who was world number one for 331 weeks, had not won a major or a PGA Tour event although the Shark had nine European Tour titles under his belt.

When Jack Nicklaus, arguably the greatest golfer of all time, was in his prime the world rankings system had not started, but at age 28 the Golden Bear had accumulated 27 PGA Tour wins including seven major titles.

Majors wins at 28

Now wouldn’t that be something to cheer about? •

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The power behind the ACGC: giving back to clubs Lauren McGregor Champion Events

A new manual giving guidance to golf clubs and golfers on ways of improving pace of play has been published by The R&A. The new manual provides practical guidance in the three key areas of management, course set-up and player behaviour.

T

hank you to everyone who helped to make the 2015/16 Auto Club Golf Championship series a success!

And what a series it has been with some of Australia’s best amateur golfing pairs showing up to golf clubs all over the country to participate in the fun.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “There is no doubt that pace of play is a key issue for golf today and one on which many golfers have strong views. Through the research exercise and the conference we gained some valuable insights into the views of players, administrators and officials involved in all levels of golf.

Of course, the Auto Club Golf Championship would not be possible without the help of our event partners. The Auto Clubs of Australia (NRMA, RACV, RACQ, RAC, RAA, RACT & ANNT) RACV Resorts, Coca Cola Amatil, Crestlink, Bushnell, Jip Jip Rocks and Simply Energy have truly made this the most memorable series to date.

Simply Energy’s commitment to powering the game of golf around Australia has made a huge impact on the tournament. The Simply Energy Power Drive competition has become a fixture at the ACGC regional events since the partnership formed during the 2014/15 series. Now a crowd favourite at the tournaments, the competition celebrates one male and one female with the most powerful drives on the day.

The 2015/16 series kicked off with a new spin on the familiar competition. In an effort to celebrate the hosting clubs who put such an effort into the promotion and execution of the regional events, Simply Energy and ACGC decided on a prize that would give back.

Each female and male player awarded the Power Drive were placed into a draw based on region (VIC, QLD, NSW/ACT and SA/WA/ NT/TAS) to win a $1,000 voucher to spend at the golf course at which the winning entrant

R&A publishes Pace of Play Guidance Manual

“We fully recognise that in a sport as diverse as golf there is no one-size-fits-all approach and so the new manual outlines approaches which have proved to be effective and offers some thoughtful solutions to day-to-day pace of play challenges which can arise in golf.”

Power Drive Winners Paul Govaaks and Leesa Matthews from Garfield Golf Club won the competition.

Congratulations to Adrienne Fievez, Glen Hildebrand, Marylou Shaw, Donal Bowe, Eleanor Hancock, Graeme Cantrill, Toni Brown and Peter Madigan. These 8 golfers had their names drawn by the team at Simply Energy and won $1,000 gift cards to Gisborne Golf Club, RACV Torquay Resort, Noosa Golf Club, RACV Royal Pines Resort, Griffith Golf Club, Tura Beach Golf Club, Greens Beach Golf Club and Belair Golf Club, respectively. Thanks to Simply Energy, these 8 golfers will be able to power their game of golf with new gear or

more practice and the clubs they belong to will be feeling the love.

The same competition was held at the 2015/16 ACGC Final at RACV Royal Pines Resort, with the one female and one male winner each winning $1,000 to spend at the golf club at which they qualified.

For a full list of winners, photos and videos from the 2015/16 Championship Final, please visit our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/ autoclubgolfchampionship/.

More: www.acgc.com.au •

The R&A carried out an extensive international survey into golfers’ views on pace of play in 2014/15 which attracted more than 56,000 responses from golfers in 122 countries. One of the key findings of the research was that 60% of golfers said they would enjoy golf more if they played in less time.

Recognising the increased pressure that many people face on their leisure time today and the overall time it can take to play golf, The R&A recently announced the launch of a new nine hole championship to promote nine hole golf as a perfectly valid format for the sport. A group of 30 qualifiers will compete in a nine hole handicap event at Royal Troon immediately before The 145TH Open in July.

More: www.randa.org/paceofplay

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June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

juniors

Tiny tots at Australian titles

T

HEY start ’em young in Queensland.

Olympic Golf Medals to go on display

At the Australian Junior Age Division Golf Championships held at Capricorn Resort, Yeppoon in Central Queensland, brothers Jasper and Spencer Lole, aged five and four, turned up to compete.

From Hatton Vale Golf Club, the pair stunned onlookers and tournament officials when they stepped on to the first tee with confidence.

“When they turned up at the tee, I could not believe my eyes but they got the ball off the tee quite well,” said tournament starter and Golf Central Queensland honorary secretary Gurney Clamp.

“They were happy to be there playing each day in the six and under age group. They were full of style and hit the ball well.”

Gurney said all the juniors in that age group travelled in a golf cart with their parent.

“It was an amazing junior tournament with kids coming from Scotland, New Zealand, New South Wales, Victoria and a number of Queensland clubs.

Joining the juniors at Capricorn Resort were a number of top officials including Charlie Earp (tournament ambassador), Tony Rollins (rules official and former Golf Queensland CEO) Barry Sheppard (rules official and former Golf Qld president), Carmel Smith (Golf Australia board member) and Lavinia Hill (rules official and former Golf Qld board member).

“We certainly had some class looking after the event,” Gurney said.

MEANWHILE, in the 17-18 years boys’ division Mount Coolum Golf Club’s Lochie Coleborn won with a 54-hole score of 219 – five strokes ahead of defending champion Ryley Martin (Wantima GC).

Capricorn Resort junior Kiera King carded a 54-hole score of 246 to win the 17-18 years girls’ division from Maroochy River’s Danika Coyne (254).

Alexander Whiteley (Helensvale) won the 15-16 year boys’ event when he edged out Wantima’s Matthew Fisher.

Lochie Coleborn is off to the US after winning the Australian Junior Age Division Golf Championship.

The World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum and United States Golf Association (USGA) will exclusively showcase medals won by H. Chandler Egan at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, the last time golf was part of the Olympic schedule. Golf will make its highly anticipated return to the Summer Olympic Games in August, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The gold medallists have been invited to represent Australia in the World Stars of Junior Golf in Las Vegas and the AAU West Coast Olympic Games in California in July.

Egan’s medals represent his achievements in the individual and team competitions at the 1904 Olympics.

Egan, a Chicago native and a member of Exmoor Country Club, was captain of the Western Golf Association team that won the gold medal at Glen Echo Country Club in St. Louis. Additionally, he won the silver medal in the individual competition, finishing runner-up to George Lyon, of Canada.

They are: Lochlan Coleborn, Kiera King (17-18 years); Alexander Whiteley, Taryn Maher (15-16 years); Ben Scott, Momo Sugiyama (13-14 years); Liam Thomson, Emily Martin (11-12 years); Declan Corke, Megan Smith (9-10 years); Yutaro Matsushita, Sophie Thomsen (7-8 years) and Chase Rendell (6 years).

The medals will be brought to the World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum in St. Augustine, Florida, where they will be featured in a new Olympics exhibit set to open June 23. The medals, on loan from Egan’s grandson, Morris Everett Jr., will also be at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club during the 2016 U.S. Open Championship (June 13-19).

Winners of each individual age division will also represent the team.

The Olympic men’s competition in Rio is scheduled for Aug. 11-14, while the women’s competition is scheduled for Aug. 17-20, both at 72 holes of stroke play.

In the 13-14 years boys’ event, Ben Scott (Capricorn) defeated Ryan Stitt (Gladstone) and Jay Watling (Mackay) in a playoff.

Local juniors included in that squad are Aidan Scott (Capricorn Resort) in the nine years boys division and Ben Swaffield (Yeppoon) in the 16 years boys division. •

WorldGolfHallofFame.org.

www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

31

on tour

Cameron’s Augusta adventure Garrett Johnston

@johnstongarrett

F

ormer Australian Amateur winner Cameron Smith made the cut in his first US Masters at famed Augusta National in April and finished tied for 55th at 15-over-par on a course that played more difficult than usual.

The former member of the Golf Australia team opened with two-over 74 and followed that up with a 1-over 73 to comfortably make the 7-over cut.

The PGA Tour rookie’s tie for 55th at +15 made him $23,400 from his showing.

So what was the Queensland native’s takeaway from his first Masters?

“I loved it, even though it didn’t pan out the way I wanted it to I still loved the week,” Smith said. “I loved the place, and hopefully I can get back in next year.

“I love the course. I think with a little bit more experience next year I can have a crack at it.”

The fact is, it was a treacherously difficult Masters. Harder than many in the recent past due to swirling winds on the course.

“I mean, talking to a few of the guys that have been out here a while, they have never seen it like this,” Smith said of Augusta’s conditions. “It’s a hard golf course as it is, let alone 50kph winds. It doesn’t help.”

Well, qualifying and playing in golf’s greatest tournament wasn’t exactly supposed to be easy from the get go.

Cameron Smith during his first round at Augusta (AP Photo/Chris Carlson).

Unfortunately, the native Queenslander hung an 82 and 74 to finish up the week, and he looked understandably exhausted on Sunday. Smith and the other competitor’s had to deal with howling winds much of the first three days.

“It’s definitely harder than I thought,” Smith said. “Not generally the course, just the conditions. I mean, rarely do you see winds like we had the first three days on TV. I mean, I was coming in expecting it to be tough, but the conditions to be relatively easy and it definitely wasn’t that.”

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stunning vistas and images. For Smith, there was no question which images stuck out the most: the iconic Amen Corner.

“Eleven, twelve, thirteen are just the most amazing holes, especially with the crowd and it gives you goosebumps,” Smith said. “I just sort of soaked it all in, it was pretty cool.”

“This is a course like no other really, your short game and your putting has to be so on point. You can make yourself look like a fool so quickly. The undulation and the speed of the greens.”

Knowing how tough this course can play, and the inevitable butterflies he must have

felt the night before round one, how’d the youngster sleep?

“As soon as I shut my eyelids, I’m out, got really good sleep. No trouble sleeping,” Smith laughed.

Well, to state the obvious, a player’s first Masters comes only once to those lucky enough to make it here. It seems he passed the ‘rest test’ at least.

Perhaps only a few other courses in golf present such a stunning landscape for patrons and players to take in. The visages of past Masters emanate throughout the magnificent pines and steep fairways. And

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on tour the overall beauty and tradition is felt throughout the town of Augusta. In Smith’s mind, very few places could compare.

“Yeah, I mean, this place and a couple others, St. Andrews is one, where the whole town is just about golf,” Smith said. “It’s kind of unique. You don’t get it very often, so you’ve got to soak it all in.”

He soaked it in, alright. Like most blokes lucky enough to make it to Augusta, Smith would inevitably fall prey to the ever-sotempting merchandise at Augusta.

“I bought a few things,” Smith smiled. “This is my first time here so you need to get it all out of the way.”

That shopping spree included purchasing a number of flags, shirts for his family, and even a dog bowl for his dog, Kendrick. When in Rome, right?

Another fun aspect of Smith’s special week was having his dad, Des, caddying for him during the annual Par-3 Contest on Wednesday, where he played with Jason Day. “I had so much fun (Wednesday) with Jason and seeing (his son) Dash out there and his wife Ellie, we had loads of fun together and it’s kind of a cool way to relax before the first round,” Smith said.

It’s a tradition during the Par-3 event for players to have their caddies hit a tee shot on the ninth tee, just your typical forced carry over a large lake.

“I wanted (dad) to hit a shot on the last hole but he was too scared,” Smith laughed There were thousands of patrons on the par-3 course at that moment, not to mention multiple live TV broadcasts.

After now competing in his third major championship, Smith feels as though he’s broken through from the mentality of just

gets out and moves on. He’s just a good player. He’s got a nice long road ahead of him on the PGA Tour.”

being happy to be there to wanting to make a real mark.

Of course his T4 at last year’s US Open to secure his Masters berth was impressive and a good way to begin his major career. His T25 at the USPGA Championship also deserved attention.

In the end, the Queenslander was utterly exhausted as he finished his final day around Augusta National.

“I’m pretty fried after this week given the conditions and the scores I had. I can’t wait for a few days off and to have a couple beers,” Smith said.

However, beyond the majors, breaking through with a maiden PGA Tour win is something Smith feels is attainable sooner rather than later.

Did he feel he accomplished any pretournament goals with his final showing?

“There wasn’t really a goal in place or anything,” Smith said. “The goal was to go out there and just have fun and soak it all in. I did that pretty good. Again, didn’t probably play the way I wanted to, but that’s golf.”

“I think every week that I can win, I don’t show up to become 54th or something like that,” Smith said. “I think if all the good things happen, one week I can definitely be up there for sure.”

Well you can’t blame the 22-year-old for wanting to have fun. After all, it is so very hard to qualify for this prestigious event.

So what do you do for an encore after playing in your first Masters?

What does it take for Smith to make a rendezvous back here next year for a second time?

“I actually just got a house, so I’ll probably be doing some work around the house,” Smith said.

“Just hanging out with friends and family.”

“A win probably or a Top-50 in the world,” Smith said. “That was my goal at the start of this year was to get into the Top-50 in the world by the end of the year. I think my game is there, I’ve just got to keep at it and keep patient and hopefully it all falls into line.

Ah, to be 22 and have literally the world and so much of life still ahead of you. •

“I’d love to be back, I love Augusta,” Smith said.

Smith played with Masters champion Mike Weir and amateur Sammy Schmitz during the first two days. Schmitz was impressed with what he saw from Smith’s game.

Smith’s at last year’s U.S. Open, where he finished T4 (USGA/Michael Cohen).

Garrett Johnston is a golf journalist based in California. He covers the game on an international level for IG, New Zealand Golf Magazine, Today’s Golfer UK, and Golf World UK.

“I think he’s going to be a great player, he’s got a great swing, he’s a wonderful putter and he’s pretty level-headed,” Schmitz said.

“He doesn’t get into a lot of trouble and when he does it seems like he kind of just

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www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

33

people

Aussie Annabel aces it in America David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

A

MERICA might be the land of the free but when you are an Australian living and working in the US, be sure to watch your Ps and Qs. In other words, be careful with your language because what is acceptable in Australia is not always acceptable in the US of A. Just ask Australian Annabel Rolley, who co-hosted a golf show called Lesson Tee Live on the 24-hour Golf Channel that airs to 80 million households around the world, but not Australia.

“On my first ever live show I was demonstrating how to get more club-head speed and explaining that speed is power,” said Annabel, who is a qualified PGA of Australia professional.

to be a qualified PGA teaching professional and I needed to have camera presence and an ability to capture the audience,” she explained.

“I told the viewers to ‘stop pussyfooting around and give the driver a good rip’.

“As as soon as I said it I had producers in my ear saying, ‘Annabel, don’t use the P word again’.

“I attended classes for presenters and commentators at NIDA to hone my skills and that is where I discovered I had a natural affinity for this type of work.

“American idiomatic speech is quite different to ours and the P word is not acceptable, but we would think nothing of it in Australia.

“Strong communication skills are necessary and an ability to multitask because when you are on air you have the producers in your ear while you are speaking.

“So, I had to be a little bit careful with the golf terminology.”

So, who is Annabel Rolley?

“They are guiding me on the timing of segments and throwing to ad breaks. There is a lot going on at once – performing, listening and speaking fluidly.”

From Brisbane, Rolley completed a sports management degree at Griffith University and received a business degree with a sports management major and a diploma of golf management qualification from PGA International Golf Institute.

Rolley’s role was to introduce the show and its guests, interact and chat to the guest performers and the viewers.

En route to working on the Golf Channel, Rolley worked as a teaching pro at Royal Sydney Golf Club, Trump National Golf Club in New York, Royal Melbourne Golf Club and Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey.

“The show prompted viewers to use social media to ask questions of me and the guest teacher would discuss and demonstrate the answers to the problems ,” she said.

“I also had airtime to do my own tuition giving golf tips and general information

“To secure the Golf Channel job I needed

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OF MEMBE

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Others guests included Jim McLean, David Leadbetter, Hank Haney, Butch Harmon, Mike Bender and Chuck Cook.

Rolley said the American public loved her Aussie accent although “the odd person had trouble understanding me”.

Blessed with self-confidence and determination, Rolley describes herself as being innovative.

“I’m constantly thinking of new ways to develop my skills,” she said.

“I’m very ambitious, but there is another side to me that is quite soft and compassionate.”

Rolley only took up golf at 17, but she

• Listed in the Rolex top 1000 courses in the world 2011 • Consistently ranked in the top 20 courses in Australia (Australian Golf Digest) • No 4 Public Access course in Australia (Golf Australia Magazine 2013) • Range of membership packages available • Driving range open to public • Fully Licensed Club House DON’T DELAY - WHY NOT JOIN TODAY? For more information call (08) 9524 5991 or visit our website

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During her time at the Golf Channel, Rolley worked with CBS commentators Jim Nantz, Ian Baker-Finch, Frank Nobilo and David Feherty.

KENNEDY BAY

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A R AN

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“It was a very successful way of interacting with many, many golfers around the world.

With the Golf Channel going out to 80 million households questions would come from different countries.”

The Links

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connected with the sport to the viewers.

developed quickly at Royal Queensland Golf Club and was a scholarship holder at the Queensland Academy of Sport.

“I was offered a sporting scholarship at The University of Tulsa, Oklahoma and played Division One golf,” she said.

“Considering my late entry to the sport, playing wasn’t my sole ambition.

“I saw more opportunity becoming a teaching professional and it’s given me the chance to impart my knowledge via TV. I find that very satisfying.”

Last year Rolley was part of the CBS team at the US PGA Championship won by Jason Day. “I was alongside David Feherty and walked inside the ropes with Jason Day and Jordan Spieth on the final day,” she said.

“It was incredible to see Jason win. I watched him as a 16-year-old win the Queensland Amateur Championship and it was surreal to see him win on the largest stage.

“It was special to be there to congratulate him too. He is classy guy.

“I have been to US Opens at Pebble Beach and Chambers Bay and I have been to the British Open at St Andrews in Scotland.

“I am yet to go to The Masters at Augusta – this is one tournament I do not want to miss.”

Away from work, Rolley works out in the gym and this month will run her first halfmarathon.

“I like to ski every winter and also enjoy hiking, fishing, sailing, tennis and the beach.

The vivacious 32-year-old says she enjoys making people laugh and lifting their spirits … and cooking.

“After every meal I cook my father says, ‘Annabel, you are going to make some man very happy one day’.

“I guess he is impressed with my culinary skills. I like working on my cooking skills and like being creative with food.”

Golfers can follow Annabel on social media: Instagram-@annabelrolleygolf Twitter-@annabelrolley

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AVAILA

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Proudly managed by:

Email info@kennedybay.com.au • www.kennedybay.com.au • Tel 08 9524 5991 34

June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

people

John quenching his thirst for golf Schweppes sponsor Pro-Ams statewide including the likes of Long Island, Rosebud, Eastwood, Yering Meadows, Growling Frog and Gardiners Run and it’s Halliwell’s job to ensure the venues are supported and supplied with marshal bibs, giant eskies and product for on-course refreshment and promotions.

Henry Peters

ed@insidegolf.com.au @hsspeters

J

ohn Halliwell is a stalwart of Australia’s golf industry. This August will mark 30 years that he’s been working at Schweppes in sales and sponsorship roles and almost all that time he’s been channeling his energies towards golf.

“We also assist clubs with sponsorship if they’re running a Pro-Am to help grow their business. We believe doing so assists to drive people into golf.”

“I’ve spent 27 years looking after the golf industry, firstly golf clubs and then the last six years, professional shops as well,” Halliwell says.

Halliwell is a strong supporter of MyGolf as a vehicle to drive golf’s popularity in primary and secondary schools but his major critique of the golf industry in Australia is that it needs to make golf more appealing for women.

Currently Schweppes’ Victorian Account Manager for Sport and Recreational clubs, Halliwell’s role covers golf venues, basketball stadiums and gymnasiums, to name a few.

He argues that women initially find the rules and regulations of the game imposing and an obstacle to having fun and building friendships.

He offers support to sport and recreational clubs in terms of pricing, promotions, postmix and fridge equipment as well as junior golf equipment and product for clubs to drive their own revenue.

Halliwell’s client base of about 180 venues is partly comprised of private and public courses, driving ranges, pro shops run by clubs and pro shops run independently of clubs.

His long history in the industry, as well as his passion for golf has earned him great admiration and respect by both his peers and his clients.

“John Halliwell is an integral part of the Victorian golf landscape,” says Stewart Fenton, General Manager of Huntingdale Golf Club. “His relationship with golf clubs in general and managers is legendary and he is a fantastic supporter of junior golf. John just “gets” the industry and understands our

“You might eventually get [women] into the competitive side, but at first the competitive side can be daunting.” needs and most importantly understands the value of great relationships.”

Ben Telley, General Manager of The Eastern Golf Club, echoes Fenton’s sentiments abut Halliwell.

“Having had the pleasure of dealing with Schweppes and John directly for over 15 years, he is one of the rare few that still ‘gets it’ in our industry by understanding the value of, and delivering, personal and meaningful service,” Telley says.

Another major part of Halliwell’s role are Pro-Ams.

Halliwell has long been a spectator at Australia’s major pro tournaments.

He remembers fondly the years of Greg Norman’s dominance at the Australian Masters at Huntingdale and is disappointed that the event will not be held in 2016.

“The [Australian] Masters is an amazing event with a lot of history. It should go on and it’s a real shame that it’s not happening this year in Victoria. We really need to plan well in advance, to get marquee players back to Australia and then I think the sponsors will come back on board because they’ll see a commercial return for their investment.” •

WORLD GOLF RANKINGS

(following The Players Championship) RANK 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

PLAYERS NAME Jason Day Jordan Spieth Rory McIlroy Bubba Watson Rickie Fowler Henrik Stenson Adam Scott Dustin Johnson Danny Willett Justin Rose Branden Grace Patrick Reed Louis Oosthuizen Hideki Matsuyama Sergio Garcia Brandt Snedeker Phil Mickelson Zach Johnson Brooks Koepka J.B. Holmes Charl Schwartzel Paul Casey Matt Kuchar Kevin Kisner Byeong Hun An Jim Furyk Justin Thomas Russell Knox

EVENT 42 52 45 47 52 49 44 40 52 52 52 52 47 52 47 52 42 52 52 48 52 52 52 52 52 40 52 52

AVG POINTS 13.38 10.90 8.83 7.86 7.40 7.07 6.87 6.68 6.15 6.02 5.32 5.11 4.99 4.74 4.15 4.04 3.92 3.89 3.76 3.69 3.66 3.51 3.48 3.48 3.37 3.31 3.15 3.13

COUNTRY AUS USA NIR USA USA SWE AUS USA ENG ENG RSA USA RSA JPN ESP USA USA USA USA USA RSA ENG USA USA KOR USA USA SCO

29 30 31 32 33 34

Kevin Na Rafa Cabrera Bello Bill Haas Jimmy Walker Kevin Chappell Charley Hoffman

52 52 52 52 52 52

3.11 3.07 3.06 3.04 2.97 2.96

USA ESP USA USA USA USA

35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Shane Lowry Andy Sullivan Lee Westwood Marc Leishman Danny Lee Soren Kjeldsen Daniel Berger Emiliano Grillo Matthew Fitzpatrick Kiradech Aphibarnrat K.T. Kim Bernd Wiesberger Billy Horschel Ryan Moore David Lingmerth Thongchai Jaidee

52 52 48 50 52 52 52 52 52 52 51 52 52 46 52 52

2.90 2.90 2.87 2.84 2.80 2.73 2.69 2.63 2.59 2.58 2.55 2.52 2.49 2.43 2.42 2.41

IRL ENG ENG AUS NZL DEN USA ARG ENG THA KOR AUT USA USA SWE THA

2.05 1.82 1.80

AUS AUS AUS

OTHER AUSTRALIANS 66 79 80

Marcus Fraser Matt Jones Scott Hend

42 52 52

Upcoming Annual Events DUNTRYLEAGUE ORANGE

CITY OF ORANGE GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

1-3 OCTOBER 2016

ANNUAL VETERANS TOURNAMENT

4-6 OCTOBER 2016

SINGLE LENGTH IRONS

Enjoy a long weekend of golf in NSW’s premier food and wine district and play on each of Orange’s magnificent golf courses - Duntryleague Golf Club, Orange Ex-Services Country Club and Wentworth Golf Club. The three courses are played over three days, with $6,000 worth of prizes to be won. This is a championship event not to missed! Entry Fee $95.

Further information is available from Golf Orange Website www.golforange.com.au This longstanding and popular Tournament includes three days of golf at Duntryleague and a Presentation dinner on the Wednesday night. Accommodation is available on site in our famous 14 room mansion.

Numbers are limited to 216 players.

Further information is available from our Tournament Director Tournament Director Beryl Pearce 0428 622 300 or beejaber@gmail.com

NOW AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA

Is this you?

LADIES OPEN TOURNAMENT

24-28 OCTOBER 2016

HAHN GOLF AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

5-6 NOVEMBER 2016

JOIN THE MOVE TO MILFORD SINGLE LENGTH IRONS

The Ladies’ Open Tournament is a much anticipated Tournament on the Duntryleague calendar.

The Tournament will include golfing events each day and some great social events as well.

Accommodation is available on site in our famous 14 room mansion.

Further information is available from our Ladies Captain - Maria Crawford – 0427 618 164 - dandmcrawford@bigpond.com

(Golf NSW Vardon Event & Senior Event in conjunction) These two days of golf are not to be missed. Saturday and Sunday Championship with individual daily events in conjunction. Test yourself against some of the best players in Australia.

Accommodation is also available on site in our famous 14 room mansion.

Please contact the Golf Shop on (02) 6362 4072 for further enquiries.

STEVE CONRAN JUNIOR TOURNAMENT

27 NOVEMBER 2016

MERCEDES BENz DUNTRYLEAGUE CLASSIC

15-17 JANUARY 2017

A chance for up and coming juniors to experience one of Australia’s best regional courses.

The Tournament is a must in every junior’s golfing calendar. Parents can relax and enjoy the hospitality and beauty of Duntryleague or take the opportunity to enjoy all that Orange has to offer.

Accommodation is also available on site in our famous 14 room mansion.

This 54 hole Individual Stableford Tournament continues to grow and is limited to 180 players to ensure comfortable play for everyone. It is open to anyone with a Golf Australia handicap.

Duntryleague is one of the best regional golf courses in Australia and is constantly in the top 100 courses each year. Entry fees for the Tournament are excellent value at $299 which includes golf, welcome cocktail party, Monday BBQ and Gala presentation dinner. Magnificent local wines, beer and soft drinks are included for the welcome cocktail party and Gala dinner.

• Wish all your irons were as easy to hit as your 7 iron?

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Benefits of Milford single-length irons?

• Simplicity - all irons equal in length, weight and lie-angle • Comfort - same set-up, stance, ball position and swing • Consistency - single swing plane and tempo • Confidence - through consistent ball striking • Success - more accurate shots • Enjoyment - greater success = more enjoyment

IT’S TIME TO START ENJOYING YOUR GOLF MORE For more information on Milford single-length irons, including pricing and the fantastic value offered with our introductory Foundation Club, contact Fred Stewart on 0412 563 977, at fred@milfordgolf.com.au or Milford Golf on facebook

Only 3½ hours from Sydney Ph: (02) 6362 3466

www.duntryleague.com.au

SIMPLE SYSTEM THAT WORKS www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

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interstate golf

NSW men win, Qld women best

UPCOMING PGA TOUR EVENTS DATE

Tournament

Location

Jun 5

The Memorial Tournament

Ohio

Jun 12

FedEx St. Jude Classic

Tennessee

Jun 19

U.S. Open

Pennsylvania

Jun 26

Quicken Loans National

Maryland

Jul 3

WGC-Bridgestone Invitational

Ohio

Jul 3

Barracuda Championship

Nevada

Jul 10

Greenbrier Classic

West Virginia

Jul 17

Barbasol Championship

Alabama

Jul 24

RBC Canadian Open

Ontario, Canada

Jul 31

PGA Championship

New Jersey

Aug 7

Travelers Championship

Connecticut

Aug 14

John Deere Classic

Illinois

Aug 14

Olympic men’s golf competition

Brazil

Aug 21

Wyndham Championship

North Carolina

Aug 28

The Barclays

New York

Sep 5

Deutsche Bank Championship

Massachusetts

Sep 11

BMW Championship

Indiana

Sep 25

Tour Championship

Georgia

Oct 2

Ryder Cup

Minnesota

EUROPEAN TOUR EVENTS

BLUES WIN: The NSW men’s team after claiming the men’s interstate title. Photo courtesy Golf Australia.

A CURLING seven-metre putt from New South Wales number one Cameron Davis on the lake-fringed 17th hole at The Brisbane Golf Club gave NSW the Australian Men’s Interstate Teams event last month.

Davis, 21, who is the reigning Australian amateur champion, edged out Queensland captain Anthony Quayle 2-up after earlier matches were tied up 3.5-3.5.

Earlier, NSW’s Kevin Yuan defeated Qld’s Steven Cox 3/2, Blake Windred (NSW) accounted for Charlie Dann 5/4, Travis Smyth edged Qld’s Blake Proverbs 2/1 and the match between NSW’s Dylan Perry and Qld’s Doug Klein finished square.

For Queensland, victories came from Shae Woods-Cobb over NSW’s Austin Baustista

WINNERS ARE GRINNERS: The Queensland women’s team took out the interstate teams’ title. Photo courtesy Kirsty Wrice, Golf Queensland.

2-up, Mitchel Smith defeated Daniel Gale 2/1 and Charlie Pilon beat Harrison Endycott 2/1.

the series undefeated to claim the trophy at Royal Queensland Golf Club.

For the record, NSW won its six matches to finish with a score of 31-11 and Queensland won five, lost one and ended the series with a score of 31-11.

It was Queensland’s first win since 2010.

The victorious Queensland team: Karis Davidson, Rebecca Kay, Dee-Dee Russell, Gennai Goodwin, Robyn Choi and Kirsty Hodgkins.

Other scores: Victoria won three and lost three (score 24.5-17.5); WA won three, lost three (22-20); SA won 2, lost four (17-25); Tasmania won two, lost four (14-28) and the Northern Territory won none, lost 6 and finished with a score of 7.5-34.5.

MEANWHILE, in the final showdown to decide the Women’s Teams Matches for the Gladys Hay Memorial Cup, Queensland defeated Victoria 4-2 on the final day to finish

GOLF

¦

RESORT

¦

Team

Won

Tied

Lost

Score

Points

Qld

5

0

0

21-4

5

Vic

4

3

2

19-9

3

NSW

3

0

2

13-12

3

WA

3

0

2

12.5-12.5

3

SA

0

1

4

6.5-18.5

0.5

TAS

0

1

4

6-19

0.5

DINE

¦

EVENTS

¦

DATE 2–5 Jun 9–12 Jun 23–26 Jun 30 Jun – 3 Jul 7–10 Jul 14–17 Jul 28–31 Jul 4–7 Aug

Tournament Nordea Masters Lyoness Open BMW International Open Alstom Open de France AAM Scottish Open The Open Championship King’s Cup Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Matchplay D+D Real Czech Masters Made in Denmark Omega European Masters KLM Open Italian Open Porsche European Open Ryder Cup

18–21 Aug 25–28 Aug 1–4 Sep 8–11 Sep 15–18 Sep 22–25 Sep 30 Sep – 2 Oct 6–9 Oct

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Fiji International British Masters Portugal Masters WGC-HSBC Champions Turkish Airlines Open Nedbank Golf Challenge DP World Tour Championship, Dubai

6–9 Oct 13–16 Oct 20–23 Oct 27–30 Oct 3–6 Nov 10–13 Nov 17–20 Nov

Host country Sweden Austria Germany France Scotland Scotland Thailand Scotland Czech Republic Denmark Switzerland Netherlands Italy Germany United States Scotland Fiji England Portugal China Turkey South Africa United Arab Emirates

OLYMPICS DATE

Tournament

Host country

11–14 Aug

Olympic Men’s Golf Competition

Brazil

CONFERENCE

¦

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clubs

Golf and bowls merger a boost for Tocumwal

Good enough, but too young IT wouldn’t happen today, but we are assured it happened in the early 1960s.

Today, if a young player is good enough, he or she is old enough.

Of course, that’s cold comfort to Randall Vines and his former Queensland teammates.

Henry Peters

ed@insidegolf.com.au @hsspeters

T

ocumwal Golf & Bowls Club has officially entered a new era as an amalgamated entity with the two former clubs reaching their settlement date on May 25.

Members at the 36-hole golf club voted overwhelmingly in support of the merger late last year, which will shift the bowls club about one kilometre from its current site beside Tocumwal Hospital and onto the same property as the golf club at Tocumwal Barooga Road.

Construction of two brand-new synthetic bowling greens at the golf club is expected to begin in July and both will be completed before year’s end while the Presidents Course’s new par-three 10th will be unveiled to members on June 12 during its mid-winter tournament.

The amalgamation will guarantee the long-term future of the bowls club while

posing no negative impact on the golf club, according to Tocumwal Golf & Bowls Club CEO Craig Smith.

“We are officially trading as Tocumwal Golf & Bowls [Club],” Smith said. “The merger is efficient and the outcomes produce efficiencies to ensure that both sports and the club itself are on a really strong footing.” “[The Bowls Club] wasn’t necessarily broke, they just saw their demise on the wall. The funds that they’ve brought across have allowed for the [bowling greens] development on-site at the golf club, which also then allowed the golf club to do some developments.”

Tocumwal’s brand-new bowling greens will be built on the land currently occupied by the par-three 10th hole of the Presidents Course.

“It’s about a $700,000 exercise, there’ll be lights around the [bowling] greens; it’s two 36 [metre] by 40 [metre] greens.”

The brand new 155-metre par-three hole was designed by course architect Phil Ryan to incorporate a bentgrass green and couch surrounds.

“In keeping with the undulating fairways, the new par-three incorporates bunkers front-left and back-right with a shaped hole that requires all cards on the table to attack a back pin location,” Smith predicted.

“Alternatively, a more moderate approach is accessible on the front portion of the green between the aforementioned bunkers.”

The new hole won’t replace the former 10th until September due to the club’s upcoming irrigation project.

The club will close the back nine of the Presidents Course between July and August in order to complete the upgrading of its watering system across the Presidents back nine.

“The finalising of the irrigation will see options for morning starts on either course and more resources for rolling out the club’s master plan,” Smith said.

Smith - who began his role as CEO in January 2016 - had previous experience amalgamating the former Sussex Inlet Sport and Recreation Club with Sussex Inlet RSL near Wollongong in 2009. •

In 1961, Vines, 15 at the time, was selected to represent Queensland at the Australian Junior Interstate Teams’ Series in Adelaide, but the Australian Golf Union (now Golf Australia) intervened saying he was too young.

So, Vines, Queensland’s best amateur golfer in 1961, stayed home while his teammates flew the flag at the junior interstate series for players up to the age of 21.

A year later, Vines again was selected to represent the Maroons and this time he was given the green light.

“He was without a doubt the best golfer of the lot of us,” said 1961 Queensland team captain Garth Johnstone. He was a standout.”

For the record, Vines turned professional aged 21 and won successive Australian PGA Championships in 1972 and 1973, the Open championship of Germany, Tasmania, Thailand, Hong Kong and Switzerland.

He lost a playoff for the Spanish Open.

In the 1973 Eisenhower Cup in Spain, Vines finished fifth in the individual section behind players of the calibre of Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, neither of whom matched his closing rounds of 69-69.

www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

39

clubs

CLUB OF THE MONTH >

Curlewis Golf Club Discover one of Australia’s fastest-growing golf clubs

R

egular readers of Inside Golf will have seen Curlewis Golf Club in the news pages lately, as the club has been making many headlines over the last 12 months. The iconic club (regarded as the ‘emerald’ of Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula area) has been turning the Australian golf world on its head following a spate of initiatives, innovations and improvements which has seen the club become one of the (if not THE) fastest-growing clubs in Australia.

Bellarine locals David and Lyndsay Sharp (owners of Leura Park Estate, Jack Rabbit Vineyard and Flying Brick Cider Co.) purchased the facility last year, and immediately set about to transform it into a thriving, energetic and popular club for both locals and visitors.

Some of the improvements included upgrading of the clubhouse decor, improvements in the course itself, the installation of a $50,000, 3.9km rabbit-proof fence circumnavigating the entire course (an Australian first), and the introduction of GolfBoards – a cool fusion between a golf cart, snowboard and Segway—which have been a unique, fun addition to a classic golf round.

Welcoming Green Fee players of all standards, the highly revered Curlewis has recently catapulted up the golf course rankings, and is currently ranked as one of Australia’s top 100 courses.

The recently refurbished clubhouse is commanding both attention and swelling visitation - and not just for golfers. With spectacular vistas spanning the You Yangs, Corio Bay and beyond, it’s both hip and welcoming - a great place to relax and enjoy the full bar, coffee, snacks, lunch and brilliant Bistro dinners on Friday and Saturday nights.

A contemporary menu awaits – one which includes house-made cakes crafted by Head Chef Tara Thyer (See breakout story).

Already a huge hit with members, the array 40

June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

of treats are drawing coffee and cake lovers from near and far.

At last count, more than 110 new members have joined Curlewis since July 2015 (and that number is always growing— with golfers scrambling to become new members at Curlewis, the Inside Golf staff always struggles to keep up to date with the numbers!)

Inside Golf has had the pleasure of playing Curlewis many times over the years, and while it has always provided a fun yet challenging test, it’s currently getting even better and better. Watered year-round via an onsite, state-of-the-art water reclamation plant, the lush greens and undulating fairways of this links-style course are known to lull players into a false sense of security; but beware—it can seriously take

you down if you don’t pay it the respect it deserves. Either way, the course is playable year-round, and is a great spot for a quick round, weekend getaway, annual social golf weekend or corporate event.

If improving your skills is on the agenda, Curlewis Golf Club’s popular, highly respected PGA Pro, Steve Brodie and ProShop team welcomes players of all standards.

Curlewis understands that to the beginner, novice or visitor, visiting a golf club can often be a daunting experience, so they pride themselves on friendliness and inclusiveness.

This is why they offer clinics for people thinking of taking up the game or people who haven’t played for a few years and looking for a way of easing back in.

They have thus tailored three new coaching packages to help golfers get involved with

the game, and transition to course play: Beginners Package (Those who would like to start, but don’t know how or are a bit daunted by golf clubs), Intermediates Package (Those who have played a bit but are frustrated by their game and, as a result, don’t play often), and Starter Package (Those who have been through the first two clinics and are now ready to play golf, but are daunted by joining the regular 18-hole competitions).

One of the great aspects of these three coaching packages is that there is no obligation to become a member before being ready to play regular golf.

“Our objective is for people to discover the enjoyment of playing golf first, then as their skills progress a playing membership will be the gateway to gaining a handicap and playing in the regular comps,” says Brenden Caligari, Curlewis Club Manager.

clubs The club are also offering a free coaching clinic every Friday from 3.30 – 5 pm for all junior members.

Tailored corporate events a hit at Curlewis

A round at Curlews won’t set you back a small fortune– Midweek you can tee off for 18 at $35, Saturdays $47 and Sundays and Public Holidays $40. For pensioners and those under 18, discounts apply. Carts and clubs are also readily available to hire.

Corporate events with a difference are fast becoming a specialty at Curlewis Golf Club.

With its views towards the bay, undulating fairways and natural vegetation, to play Curlewis is to fall in love with this much loved ‘emerald’ of The Bellarine.

Curlewis Golf Club welcomes new members and green fee players. Located 15 minutes from Geelong, Curlewis Golf Club is open 7 days a week. •

Hip, Green and seriously delicious: A true Bistro ‘find’ as Curlewis extends dining to Dinner Under Head Chef Tara Thyer and Chef David Dowling’s direction, Curlewis has quickly gained the reputation as a foodie destination for a great, contemporary lunch (seven days) and more recently, a true Bistro ‘find’ for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights.

Sweet tooths can’t help but delight in the elegant range of house-made cakes on offer, great consorts for barista-made coffee in the clubhouse. Think Madeleines, mini Humming bird cakes, eclairs oozing with crème chocolate patissiere, baby Lemon Merengue pies, warm house-made scones (to mention just a few).

FACT FILE Curlewis Golf Club 1345 Portarlington Road, Curlewis Phone 03 5251 1111 www.curlewisgolf.com.au

The newly-launched, exclusive Dinner Menu represents a brilliant fusion of ‘classic clubhouse’ meets modern Australian.

Bistro favourites include Ham and Manchego cheese croquettes, Coconut Ginger Portarlington Mussels and seared Eye Fillet with garlic mash but there are also dishes such as a delicious Thai Red Duck Curry, a Gnocchi with smoked chicken and

chorizo and a stunning Dark Chocolate Pave thrown into the mix.

Curlewis is a haven not just for members everyone is welcome to enjoy the ambience and offerings of the retro-inspired club house (which has undergone a radical transformation in all respects!) Enjoy the hip, new furniture as well as the expansive al fresco area to relax and enjoy the view with a drink and some nibbles, lunch or perhaps a pre-dinner beverage? It’s up to you!

“Here at Curlewis, we are really tailoring golf days with events and activities designed to suit the clientele with the main emphasis of course being on fun and team building,” says Brenden Caligari, Club Manager.

“Every company has different reasons and desired outcomes for initiating a corporate golf event and the options for the ‘ideal’ golf day are only limited to the imagination - a classic round, an Ambrose format, a simple driving comp, ‘skins’ comp, putting comp, beat the Pro. . .the list goes on!

“Apart from tailoring fabulous, fun golf days complete with events and activities designed to suit the clientele, players are loving the options of matching their unique golf events with the host of dining opportunities on offer at Curlewis,” he adds.

From gourmet BBQs, breakfasts, canapés on the East deck, to roving refreshment carts, on-course pop-ups featuring local food and wine tasting, or a more formal sit-down dining experience in the Club House – the Curlewis Hospitality team will work with you to tailor your perfect day.

The recently-introduced stable of GolfBoards add yet another exhilarating dimension to the fun component of corporate golf events at Curlewis.

Head Chef Tara Thyer.

“They are fantastic fun, easy to learn and can be mastered by just about anyone in a few minutes,” Caligari says.

www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

41

clubs

Noosa Springs, Links Hope Island join forces

N

oosa Springs and Links Hope Island – two of the finest golf courses in south-east Queensland – have joined forces to offer golfers a unique opportunity to become members of both clubs at attractive rates.

Links Hope Island

Dual Corporate Members get monthly statements, the use of a cart whenever they play, access to locker rooms, a personal bag tag and, if they wish, either club will administer their Golf Australian handicap.

The two clubs, owned in the same interests, have launched a new Dual Corporate Membership that can be tailored to perfectly suit the needs of a business – or even of a family.

The two courses are among the best in the region.

“The flexibility is the thing,” said Mark Brady, executive general manager of both properties.

“We offer three memberships – Onyx, Titanium and Diamond – and, depending on how much a member needs, there is a membership that suits.”

Set in a 360ha residential resort community, Links Hope Island is a beautiful 6500m par 72 layout, with 128 bunkers and plenty of water to hold any player’s attention.

The Dual Corporate Membership operates on a user pays basis.

Noosa Springs

An Onyx membership, for example, costs $3000 and provides two membership cards.

That means two golfers can play at any time at either Noosa Springs or Links Hope Island.

They can dine at the clubs’ restaurants, buy gear at the golf shops or enjoy a drink at the bars.

A 20-minute drive from Surfers Paradise and 40 minutes from Brisbane, Links Hope Island is centrally located for businesses in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.

Noosa Springs, too, is easily accessible, being situated so close to iconic Noosa Heads.

Designed by Graham Papworth, the par 72 6180m course meanders its way through tropical bushland, creating a tranquil setting to an enjoyable, yet challenging, round of golf.

The cost is tallied and monthly statements are sent to members so they can keep track.

Should the total cost reach $3000, Onyx members have the opportunity to top up their account.

way beyond that. It allows members to charge everything back, while providing the flexibility to go to either course.”

Titanium and Diamond members pay more – but their benefits are greater (see chart).

Under the membership, a “corporation” can even be a married couple, or a group of mates.

“Our target market is the business community of south-east Queensland,” Brady said. “This membership gives them access to two superb golf courses.

“Say there is a couple who live for part of the year in south-east Queensland and travel for the remainder,” Brady said. “It’s not practical for them to take out a normal membership because they might use the facilities for only, say, four months.

“The old corporate membership was really just about green fees,” he said. “This one goes

“But with this dual membership they pay for only what they use – and they get the added benefit of being members of two separate golf clubs.”

Dual Corporate Membership details

Contact Mark Brady (markb@noosasprings. com.au) or go to the website of either club for details and an application form.

Onyx ($3000)

Titanium ($5500)

Diamond ($8000)

18 holes Noosa Springs

$90

$85

$75

18 holes Links Hope Island

$98

$95

$90

Card holders

2

3

4

Food, beverage, merchandise discount

Nil

10%

10%

Fitness centre discount

50% casual visit

50% casual visit

50% casual visit

Accommodation

Industry rate

Industry rate

Industry rate

Monthly statement

Yes

Yes

Yes

STRATHFIELD GOLF CLUB - CENTENARY DRIVE STRATHFIELD

Members $20.00, Non Members $30.00 RESULTS 13th May 2016 WiNNER - S. Trewin Runner Up - D. Orchard Next Best - M. Vanharen Best Gross - J.Stirling N.T.P 3rd - N. Kazich N.T.P 6th - D. Kapusi N.T.P 12th - P. Coogan Approach 11th - N. King Approach 17th - M. Kelly

42

June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

• Group 1 top class club • Situated in the heart of Sydney • Easy walking course-carts and buggies available • Competitions daily • Open days for members and guests Mondays and Fridays • Excellent dining / bistro/clubhouse recently refurbished • Junior/cadet programme • Free Golf lesson + 2 complimentary guest vouchers for new members • Direct Debit/quarterly/half yearly subscription payment options • AAA accredited PGA professional Mark Reeve available for golf lessons • 3 month membership for overseas guests

Open Days MOnDay anD FriDay Only $32

STRATHFIELD GOLF CLUB www.strathfieldgolf.com 84 CENTENARY DRIVE, STRATHFIELD NSW 2135 OFFICE : 9642 0326 • PRO SHOP: 9642 8642 • EMAIL: office@strathfieldgolf.com.au

clubs

Club support helps put Emerald Lakes on top

T

he Emerald Lakes Golf Club have shown, once again, how a supportive club and management can pay massive dividends, with the talented amateur team capturing this year’s Gold Coast District Golf Association Division 1 Pennant.

Tee it up at Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club Designed to challenge all levels of play, The Palms golf course at Sanctuary Cove has undergone an $8.8 million reconstruction and was redesigned by renowned golf course architect Ross Watson. Open to the public for play 7 days a week, The Palms is considered a championship course rivalling some of the best golf courses in Australia.

It was a slow start in Round 1, but the Emerald Lakes team proved to be too much against the best of the Gold Coast, and the team From Left to Right – Emerald Lakes Golf Club’s Josh Cotter (Captain), Kieran Goodall, Sean Ong, enjoyed a clean Hyun Sik Kong, Hayden Luxford, Andrew Ikstrums, Simon Teague and Dillon Hart sweep throughout the remainder of the competition, eventually triumphing over a very strong Southport team in also taken a similar approach to the development of their the finals. talented golfers, injecting significant resources towards their development.

The Club Management of Emerald Lakes Golf Club have proudly thrown their support behind their amateurs and it “The team is loaded with talent and commitment. they were continues to show as these players produce the goods year absolute gentlemen and have represented the club as true after year. The team have been in the Gold Coast District Golf professionals,” said General Manager Christopher Bagley, who Association Division 1 Finals for the past five years, capturing also personally manages the squad. “The club is extremely Runners-up honours in 2011, 2013 and 2015, as well as the proud of these wonderful young men.

Champion titles in 2012 and now 2016.

“The support group behind the team—Super Coach Josh Over the past decade Emerald Lakes Golf Club has broken Smith and the Committee of Bob Jones (Club Captain) and the mould in terms of the typical golf club, and they are now Steve Kearney (President)—has been an integral part of the considered to be one of the industry leaders. The club have team success over the years,” Bagley added. •

It has total length of 5904m off the championship tees, and has numerous water features and hazards.

Tee placements have been designed to suit a variety of playing conditions and a diverse range of players.

Nestled within century–old Cabbage Palms, The Palms golf course is a return to the traditions of the game, with distinctive holes, deep greenside bunkers and boldly contoured greens requiring creative shot making.

The Palms golf course holds an Open Mixed Competition every Saturday for $99pp. The competition is available every Saturday with tee times available from 7am. There are a number of great prizes on offer each week.

Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club also offers an impressive leisure complex with many other facilities aside from golf, including two driving ranges, practice chipping and putting greens, five tennis courts, a stateof-the-art gymnasium with yoga room and a wide range of fitness classes, a 25m heated lap pool, sauna, spa, complete locker room facilities, dining and functions rooms and much more.

Sanctuary Cove is also home to the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, a 5-star hotel resort located only minutes from the golf courses. The Village at Sanctuary Cove is also abundant with entertainment, dining and shops to suit all visitors.

For more information: (07) 5699 9000, www.sanctuarycovegolfclub.com.au, info@scgcc.com.au.

ASQUITH GOLF CLUB

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43

people

Two historic holes-in-one

E

LEVEN months after opening, Maleny Golf Club in the Sunshine Coast hinterland celebrated not one hole-inone, but two historic aces.

Market gardener Hans van Sambeeck got the ball rolling when he aced the challenging 173-metre third hole during a practice round.

Eight days later, fellow member John Oxenham aced the 135m fifth hole, which earned him a place in history as the first entry on the Terry Lee Memorial Hole-in-One Club honourboard.

John, 74, was thrilled when playing partner Ben Haycroft called out to advise him that his “missing” ball was lying in the cup.

“You can’t see the bottom of the flag from the fifth tee and although I knew I’d hit a good BALLS UP: History-makers Hans van Sambeeck (left) and John Oxenham ball straight at the flag, I was convinced it had celebrate their extraordinary feat. run through until Ben checked the hole,” John, a retired Maleny farmer and former A grade footballer, with me,” he said. “It’s such an amazing feeling.” said.

Club president Dr Max Whitten said members were On most weekdays before breakfast, 66-year-old Hans astonished and delighted to be celebrating two historic heads out at first light for a quick nine holes – often on his holes-in-one in such quick succession. own.

“We were all very excited for Hans and now John’s done Fortunately, Hans was accompanied by good friend and it as well in competition so our congratulations go out to keen golfer Bob Hawkins, who witnessed the club’s first them both,” he said. ever ace.

“We’re still a very young golf club so historic After teeing off into the early morning sun, the pair could achievements such as these are all the more memorable at not locate Hans’ golf ball despite being confident that it this early stage of our development.” made the green or stopped just short.

Hans began to despair when his ball could not be found.

“We then decided to check the hole and incredibly there it was lying in the bottom of the cup,” Hans beamed.

Unfortunately, his rare golfing feat was not achieved during a competition in order to warrant an entry on the hole-in-one honourboard, but he does have the scorecard signed by his playing partner to serve as a proud reminder.

“I’m so glad I wasn’t on my own and that Bob was there

The Graham Papworth-designed nine-hole course has a par of 35 (or 70 for 18 holes) and local member Garth Bailo currently holds the club’s 18-hole gross course record for men after carding a 74 off the stick during the club’s February monthly medal competition.

The women’s 18-hole course record is 94 presently held by a trio of B grade players including club captain Robin Hay, Karen Heading and Liz Mellish. •

Chooks to the rescue TODAY, most metropolitan golf courses present pristine fairways thanks to professional superintendents, fertilisers, fairway watering systems etc.

Back in the early 1960s, Oxley Golf Club in Brisbane had issues getting the grass to knit successfully on many fairways.

“I played at Oxley and we were playing off bare dirt a lot of the time,” said former member and captain of the 1961 Queensland junior team Garth Johnstone.

Another member of the team, Joe Kiernan, told Inside Golf the grass wouldn’t grow because of the poor condition of the soil.

“So the club got feathers and chook manure, spread it over the fairways and the couch knitted to it and they ended up with lovely fairways,” he said.

Johnstone added: “We got the plough disks and flattened them so they were like pizza cutters, put them on the back of a tractor and scarified the fairways.

“Then we put sawdust with chicken droppings on the fairways and it transformed Oxley.”

Today, Oxley’s members and guests enjoy beautiful fairways thanks to the ingenious methods used more than 50 years ago.

DID YOU KNOW???

Submitted by Andrew Crockett Which golfer holds the record for most strokes under par in a men’s major championship?

Answer: Jason Day. 20-under-par, 2015 PGA Championship.

Runner-up, at 19-under par, is Tiger Woods, 2000 British Open.

What do the following players have in common?

Arnold Palmer Jack Nicklaus Gary Player Brad Faxon Mark Calcavecchia Steve Elkington Lee Westwood Joe Kirkwood Gene Sarazen Ivo Whitton Carneige Clark Tim Clark Bobby Locke Norman Von Nida Geoff Ogilvy Peter Thomson Kel Nagle Jim Ferrier David Graham Jack Newton Greg Norman Adam Scott Jordan Spieth Tom Watson Rory McIlroy Answer: They have all won The Australian Open.

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June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

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senior amateurs SENIOR Amateur WRAP With Denis Dale ed@insidegolf.com.au

The National Senior Masters One of the most anticipated senior events each year is the 54-hole National Senior Masters held over the three courses that make up the magnificent golfing complex at The National on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.

National ranking events produce thrilling finishes

Round one saw local member Simon Bracegirdle open up a three-stroke lead with a great round of three-under-par 69 on the Moonah course. Top NSW senior, Stefan Albinski was on even-par 72, a stroke ahead of fellow NSW player Darryl Hearsch on 73. A large group of players recorded scores of 74 and 75 that kept them well in the championship.

Round two was on the iconic Old course and Victorian Gordon Claney recorded one of the best rounds seen in any Australian senior event with a score of five-under-par 67. He had begun the tournament with a round of 78 and was now right back in contention although still trailing the leader Simon Bracegirdle by one stroke who had followed his 69 with a solid 75.Victorian Ian Frost moved into the top three with his rounds of 75-70.

As it stood overnight, The National’s Simon Bracegirdle held a slim one-shot lead over Gordon Claney and Ian Frost. Both Bracegirdle and Frost were looking to go one better in 2016 after they had finished tied runners-up in the 2015 event. As anticipated, the last round went right down to the wire.

Bracegirdle had begun his final round strongly, heading out in one-under-par 35 over the front nine to lead by five. Frost and Claney had plenty of work to do on the back nine after front nine’s of 39 and 41 respectively. When Bracegirdle began the back nine with two opening bogies it was enough to give the challengers a sniff.

It was Frost who seized the opportunity, finishing the back nine very strongly to catch Bracegirdle on the last hole and leave them tied on a score of 220 and heading for a playoff. Gordon Claney finished in fourth position on 223 with Stefan Albinski sneaking past him into third place overall with his closing round of 74.

2016 National Masters champions – Ian Frost and Peter Bence.

On the first playoff hole both fired tee shots that found the fairway, but an indifferent second shot from Bracegirdle gave Frost the upper hand. When Bracegirdle failed to get up and down from a tricky position Frost safely two-putted and the championship was his.

In the 54-hole nett championship, Peninsula senior Peter Bence fired three consistent nett rounds of 73, 71 and 72 to finish on top of the leaderboard with a total of 216. New South Wales’ visitor Peter Good (The Lakes) finished in second place via a countback from overnight nett leader Tony Briers (The National) with a total of 217.

All three National layouts provided a stern test for this year’s field of 192 players who came from all over Victoria, interstate and New Zealand. Since its inception in 2010 the tournament has always produced golf of the highest quality and 2016 was no exception.

Once again the hospitality and organisation was outstanding.

NSW Senior Classic The NSW Senior Classic is played on three of the very best courses in Sydney – The Lakes, The Australian and Avondale. The field is always very strong and this year another classy field was ready for the challenge.

Joint winners of the NSW Senior Classic – Gordon Claney and Stefan Albinski.

Each individual round is a separate event in the NSW senior Order of Merit and details of these individual events are included in the NSW section.

In the overall NSW Senior Classic event the 36-hole leaders were Victorian Gordon Claney (72-73) and NSW’s Stefan Albinski (7473). They were drawn together along with Roy Vandersluis (75-76) who was six strokes behind Claney and probably the only other chance of claiming the title.

It was a very exciting final round with Claney and Albinski swapping the lead several times during the day. The sixteenth hole was critical, as Claney double bogied when his approach missed the green well right and the ball could not be found.

Albinski’s par on this difficult hole gave him a one-shot lead until he bogied the eighteenth to return their battle to all square.

Round three was a shotgun start and the group had begun their round on the second hole so they still had the first hole to play - a short par-four. Both drove safely and found the green with their second, however both missed their birdie chances and they remained level. A decision was made to declare joint winners. Claney 72-73-78=223.

Albinski 74-73-76=223.

The final round was robbed of some of its

drama when NSW senior Lester Peterson was unable to play because of an urgent work commitment. Peterson had opening rounds of 73-74 and he was expected to figure in the finish. His turn will certainly come soon.

Third place went to the 68-year old NSW senior Denis Dale who charged home with the day’s best score of one-under-par 70.

Dale’s opening rounds at The Lakes and The Australian were 79 and 78 and he finished four strokes from the winning pair.

Joint fourth place belonged to Ken Brewer (NSW) who finished the tournament very strongly with rounds of 81-74-74=229 and Roy Vandersluis who recorded scores of 75-76-78=229. Brewer regularly figures in the finish of senior ranking events while Vandersluis has been around for many years and although he is edging closer to age 70 he just keeps on shooting good scores on good courses.

Another ageless veteran Vince Clark was next with rounds of 80-76-75=231. Greg Matheson also had an excellent tournament with rounds of 79-74-79=231. The tournament will be on again in 2017 when competition for a place in the field will again be keen.

More information on the Australian Senior Ranking competition available on the AUSOOM website - www.ausoom.com

Demo the new Ping G30 range in your area, and get a perfect custom fit with your size and your colour.

Get fit today Turn to page 65 for a complete list of fitting days this month

46

June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

senior amateurs

NSW: Big Month of Golf for NSW Senior Order of Merit Players The Lakes Senior Medal

The winner was experienced Twin Creek’s senior Denis Dale with an excellent round of one under-par 70. Dale’s round was highlighted by some accurate chipping and bunker play and several nice birdie putts.

Kingston Heath senior Gordon Claney won the prestigious The Lakes Senior Medal after an excellent round of 72 on this demanding championship layout.

Dale received the Avondale Senior Medal for his round of 70 with Ken Brewer finishing as the runner-up four strokes away on 74. Together on 75 were Vince Clark and Gary Wood.

Teeing off in the first group of the day Claney began slowly and was three over par after four holes. He then played beautiful golf recording four birdies and just the one dropped shot to finish at level par.

Second place went to the recently turned 55 year old Lester Peterson who had quite a different start birdieing the first two holes.

He then played some exciting golf with a mix of birdies and bogies that had him oneunder-par on the seventeenth tee. Dropped shots on the closing two holes saw him finish on one-over-par 73.

Third place went to well-known senior Stefan Albinski who again played his usual controlled golf for a round of 74. Local member Roy Vandersluis used his course knowledge to good effect in recording a score of 75 to be alone in fourth place.

The Lakes course was a genuine test today in a very strong field of low handicapped senior golfers only 12 players recorded scores under 80.

The Australian Seniors Queenslander Phil Towle fired the only subpar round of the day with a great score of 71 at The Australian Golf Club. It was a round of what could have been with Towle positioned at 5 under-par with just four holes to go after he had started on the tenth tee. To be 5 under-par at any stage of a round on The Australian course is something special!

All the players had enjoyed the Avondale course and found it a wonderful way to end a three-day tournament that had begun with rounds at The Lakes and The Australian. This tournament will be on again in 2017 when competition for a place in the field will again be keen.

Phil Towle – winner of The Australian Senior Medal.

NSW Senior Foursomes

However, as all golfers know the game of golf has a way of levelling things out and Towle then closed with bogies on each of the last four holes for his overall outstanding round. Towle’s 71 saw him win The Australian Senior Medal.

Second place at The Australian was shared

by Gordon Claney and Stefan Albinski after both recorded rounds of one over-par 73.

Claney’s round was very interesting - fifteen consecutive pars followed by two bogies and a closing birdie. Albinski struggled early but a back nine of two under-par gave him yet another good round in a major event.

South coast golfers Graham Leake and Eric Greentree made the trip north to the Belmont Golf Club near Newcastle very worthwhile with victory in the 2016 NSW Senior Foursomes Championship. Played over 18 holes on the beautifully presented Belmont course the pair played outstanding golf to finish with a score of one over-par 73.

Avondale Senior Medal

Members at the Links Shell Cove Golf Club south of Wollongong the team of 5 handicappers defeated quite a few lower handicapped pairs to claim this prestigious state title. In their round Leake and Greentree recorded two birdies and three bogies in a very tidy display of foursomes golf.

Often considered the best course on Sydney’s north shore Avondale was produced in excellent condition and with some tight pins it was ready to challenge the top class field of senior golfers.

Runners-up were Richard Greville (Magenta Shores) and Paul Maslen (Moss Vale) with a score of 74. This team also played consistent foursomes golf with two birdies and four bogies in their round.

Next best were the Long Reef pairing of Ross Bockman and Geoff Cranfield, Roy Vandersluis and Keith Thornley from The Lakes and Greg Gillard and Warren Gorton from Hawks Nest all with good scores of three-over-par 75.

Belmont Seniors Long Reef senior Geoff Cranfield and Toronto senior Michael Musgrave finished in a tie after the two rounds of the 2016 Belmont Seniors Championship with the major trophy being awarded to Musgrave on a countback.

Cranfield had held the joint overnight lead with an opening round of 75. He then followed this with a very good round of 74 to make a 36-hole total of 149 and he certainly looked the likely winner.

Michael Musgrave had opened with a round of 79 but then played outstanding golf to storm home with a great score of twounder-par 70. This was just good enough to catch Cranfield and they finished together on five over par total of 149.

Third place went to Bayview’s Dale Tapper who also improved in round two with a score of 74 to follow his opening 77.

Penrith Seniors Local members David Limbach and Denis Day proved too good for a top class field in the 2016 Penrith Seniors played in beautiful autumn conditions on a well prepared Penrith course. The course was very fair with the tees moved a little forward but with some very challenging pins. The overall good scores reflected this suitable course setup.

Both Limbach and Day finished with rounds of one-under-par 71 with the winner’s prize going to Limbach on a countback. This made

$65 *Conditions apply. Mates Rates not available on public holidays. www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

47

senior amateurs

VICTORIA

Cobram-Barooga Senior Amateur The final round of the 54-hole 2016 Cobram Barooga Senior Amateur was played under overcast skies but warm conditions. The bumper field of 254 senior golfers had enjoyed a fantastic three days of golf on one of the Murray Region’s finest layouts.

David Limbach & Geoff Wright – major winners at the Penrith Seniors. it back-to-back wins for Limbach who had also won the main trophy in 2015. Third place went to the ever-consistent Ken Brewer from Concord with his round of even-par 72.

Twin Creeks senior Geoff Wright had the round of the day with a net score of 67 from his handicap of 5. He was a twostroke winner over Rob Scott (Bankstown) who returned a net score of 69 from his 19 handicap. Paul Kammel from Cronulla showed a return to form with his net score of 69 from a handicap of 5 as did local member Les Stock (net 69 from a handicap of 7).

The Over 65 prize went to Denis Dale (Twin Creeks) with a round of 75. Second place in this section went to Tom Yates (Bexley) with a score of 77.

More information on NSW Senior Order of Merit events here - www.golfnsw.org

48

June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

In the Open Scratch event, Kingston Heath’s Gordon Claney capped a strong performance with a final round of 72 on the Old course that included a birdiebirdie-birdie finish. With his earlier scores of 71 and 68 this gave him a total of five-under-par 211. There are not many senior golfers who finish under par in 54hole events and Claney can feel suitably satisfied with his effort.

Claney has been in wonderful form in recent weeks with many under-par rounds. In this tournament he led from start to finish securing a dominant 14-shot win from recent National Senior Masters champion Ian Frost (Bendigo) who finished on 225.

In the men’s nett event, Bairnsdale’s Martin Farrelly finished on top of the leaderboard with a three-round nett total of 210 from his 14 handicap. Runner-up was Trevor Wood (Rossdale) with a nett total of 214.

The Yarrawonga team of Barry Webb, John Wilson and Kerry Parker with 206 points won the team event for the John McAllister Memorial trophy.

In the men’s Stableford event, Cobram

Cobram-Barooga champions – Ian Frost and Gordon Claney.

Barooga’s Kevin Keating took top honours with a three-round total of 109 points. It was a one-two finish for Cobram members in this Stableford event with local Karle Bishop finishing in second place with 104 points.

In the lady’s event, Wodonga’s Dianne Wolfe rattled home to take this year’s event by the slimmest of margins, a single Stableford point. Wolfe snuck past overnight leader Jenny Hunter (Centenary Park) with a two round total of 99 points with Hunter finishing the event just one-point shy of the top prize with 98 points.

All players were impressed with the presentation of Cobram’s Old and West courses, a credit to the course superintendent Matt McLeod and his ground staff. The dates for next year’s event will be Monday 8 – Thursday 11, May 2017 (the week leading into Mother’s Day).

Further information on the Victorian Senior Order of Merit is available on the Golf Victoria website www.golfvic.org.au

senior amateurs

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

QUEENSLAND

Carbrook PresCare Seniors

A field of 50 players enjoyed excellent weather as they teed off for the playing of the 2016 Carbrook PresCare QSOOM event although there was just a little rain as the field was finishing.

As usual, the Carbrook course was fabulous and it must be one of the most improved courses in Queensland. It is one of those courses that is always better than the last time and this is definitely a course to play whenever you have a chance.

The free breakfast and the after-game luncheon were great and the service and hospitality at the pro-shop and throughout the club was again warm and generous.

Men Winner Scratch: Trevor Box 73 Runner Up Scratch: Mario La Chiusa 75 cb Winner Nett: Paul Price 39 points Runner Up Nett: John Jayo 37 points Clive Renner (left) and John Davey with Flagstaff Hill manager Denise Henly.

Flagstaff Hill Seniors The Flagstaff Hill Seniors was played on a well-presented course but in conditions that did herald the fast approach of winter. It was cool, with strong swirling winds but the good field of 68 players were thankful that the rain stopped just prior to hitting off.

The major prizewinner was John Davey from Tea Tree Gully with a good score in the conditions of 77. After a poor start Davey played the last twelve holes under par to now record consecutive senior victories.

Second place went to Bill Winslow from Grange who came home strongly to record a solid 79. Trevor Smith from Naracoorte and Robert Crawford from Tea Tree Gully shared third place with rounds of 80.

The Super Senior section saw two local Flagstaff Hill members running first and second. Clive Renner played consistently as always for a solid 79 to claim the top prize from Paul Starrs on 83.

The Handicap section went to Gareth Greening from The Vines with a nett 75, whilst the Super Senior net section went to another Flagstaff Hill member, Chris Brown on nett 74.

After five rounds the leader in the 2016 South Australian Senior Order of Merit is Norm Cordina from Tea Tree Gully from club mate Phil Smith, who also is leading the nett event. Recent winner John Davey missed the first three events, but with strong performances in the two remaining18 holes events and then the two national events he could go close to closing the gap.

South Australia looks forward to seeing plenty of interstaters in late August and early September when tournaments are scheduled to cover all the major courses including Glenelg, Royal Adelaide, Grange and Kooyonga plus the State Senior Championship at Victor Harbor Golf Club.

More information on the South Australian Senior Order of Merit events here - www.golfsa.com.au

Have Fun at the Run

Ladies Winner Nett: Helen Gray 35 points

The Hills PresCare Seniors A smaller field took up the challenge of playing The Hills International course in the next PresCare QSOOM event.

The weather was excellent and although this is a long and difficult course, there were some very good results that showcased the talent of our senior golfers.

Men Winner Scratch: Tim Deakin 72 cb Runner Up Scratch: Phil Towle 74 Winner Nett: Greg Fraser 38 points cb Runner Up Nett: Ray Harvey 38 points Ladies Winner Scratch: Gwen Clutterbuck 85 Winner Nett: Julie Bevan 28 points More information on the Queensland Senior Order of Merit events here - www.golfqueensland.org.au

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Call now (03) 9739 7522 132 Victoria Road Lilydale 3140 | For more information contact Gardiners Run Golf Course | P (03) 9739 7522 E manager@gardinersrun.com.au www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

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seniors

The E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour takes SA and NSW by storm

T

he South Australian Swing of the E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour wrapped up last month at Blue Lake Golf Links with Glenn Joyner taking out The Barries Water Centre South Australian PGA Seniors Championship.

After tournaments at Adelaide Shores Golf Park, The Vines Golf Club of Reynella and Stirling Golf Club; the tour moved on to Mount Gambier for the principal event of the swing. Peter Fowler, who won at Stirling with a 5-under 62, was the hot favourite to take out the title. Other in-form players coming off wins were John Onions and Glenn Joyner, along with last year’s run away Order of Merit winner, Mike Harwood.

The Blue Lake Golf Course looked picture perfect and good scoring was expected. Queenslander Dan Harrington set the pace early with a 1-over 71 but was later run down by Victorian Senior Open Winner, Lucien Tinkler, who fired 69 and Fowler 68. Mike Harwood took opening round honours; equalling the course record of 67 to take a one shot lead.

Day two saw a seeded draw with the final group of Harwood, Fowler and Tinkler attracting a substantial crowd. Overnight rain and a sudden drop in temperature made the course play harder. The marquee group all struggled through the front-9, however, it was Joyner who posted level par 140 after an upand-down round that included five birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey to card a second round of 70.

Tim Elliott joined Joyner one group later and left Harwood

Photo: Glenn Joyner needing a birdie on 18 to take the title. Two good shots to 10 feet set him up but the putt slid past and the group returned to the 10th hole for a play-off. All three hit good drives but it was Joyner and Harwood who honed in on the flag with their second shots. Joyner holed in from 12-feet for birdie leaving

Harwood 10-feet to take it to another hole, but his putt slid by again giving Joyner his first Senior state title.

“It was a tough day for scoring so I knew I just had to hang in there and try and post a score. When I birdied the last I thought I would be a couple short. Luckily, I found myself in a play-off and it was good fun to birdie the first play-off hole to win,” said Joyner.

“It was a great event at Blue Lake. The course was in excellent shape and my old mate Bill Burley did a fantastic job hosting.

The atmosphere around the hospitality marquee on the 18th was awesome. It’s a great social club and we all had a few beers to celebrate.”

Following the South Australia leg, the E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour headed to New South Wales. Tim Elliott enjoyed back-toback victories at the Jerry Stolhand Memorial Tumut Legends Pro-Am and the Cootamundra Country Club Legends Pro-Am. He also racked up another win at the West Wyalong Legends Pro-Am, where he and Glenn Joyner tied for top honours.

David Merriman won the Forbes Legends Pro-Am by three strokes over Victorian, Peter Woodward.

The PGA of Australia welcomes new events on the E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour. Golf Clubs who are interested in running an E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour event are encouraged to contact Andy Rogers, Legends Tour Coordinator, at the PGA on 03 8320 1992 or arogers@pga.org.au for further information. •

OBE Golfers march into history at Harrington Waters Bill Colhoun ed@insidegolf.com.au

T

HE well-worn maxim of golf being the “game for all ages” has been underscored with the successful staging of the unique Australian OBE Championship at the delightful 9-hole Harrington Waters Golf Club on the NSW Mid North Coast in April.

The clue as to why the inaugural 27-holes event was so remarkable is in its name, it’s nothing to do with the Order of the British Empire medal from the Queen – OBE cheekily but proudly signifies that all of the more than 40 competitors were “Over Bloody Eighty” years of age. They probably deserve a medal for merely playing 27 holes over three days.

For more than 40 years, since championships for seniors (those aged over 50 pros or 55 amateurs) first began, the age boundaries have continued to be expanded in NSW with Super Senior events (for those more than 65 years old) now a regular feature, so the over 80s or Octogenarians category was only a matter of time.

And Harrington Waters has done the oldest golfers proud with its excellent organisation of its Manning Great Lakes Skin Cancer Clinic OBE Australian Championship.

Peter Budden, the President of Harrington Waters Golf Club reports that the event highlighted that the number of Octogenarians still actively involved in competitive sport is “quite an achievement”.

“The commitment from those who participated in the OBE title was the equal to any tournament I have seen,” Budden said.

“And all competitors vowed that ‘God willing’ they will be back next year to play and will have many friends in tow.”

Players came from as far away as Cobram Barooga on the Victorian border, Sydney, Newcastle and Hunter regions as well as Kew and South West Rocks to the North.

“Ken Madden from Merewether golf club who plays off a GA handicap of 6.6 was the Inaugural Men’s Australian over 80 Champion, winning the scratch Stableford event with 36 stableford points,” Budden said.

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June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

“The Ladies Australian over 80 Champion with 19 points is the perennial club champion from Kew Country Club Betty Andrews. Who when interviewed by local television described the experience as one of the best ever in her golfing life.

“The men’s handicap section Australian champion was Bob Burns from the Toronto Golf Club, who played to his handicap in tallying 54 points over 27 holes. “ The men’s Scratch runner up with 33 points was Claude Gregory from Tuncurry Forster Club who played consistent golf for the three days, and the ladies scratch runner up on six points, was Margaret Archer from the South West Rocks golf club.

“The winner of the Ladies Australian Championship Handicap section with 42 points was Harrington local and diligent club volunteer Joan Fleming.

“The tournament Committee Chaired by Bruce Fleming,

who incidentally was the inspiration for this event, organised caddies and bunker rakers for all competitors from the local members who volunteered to walk with every group.

“The players commented that they had never been so pampered on a golf course before.

“It was also important to have extra activities over the three days and many participants took the opportunity to go on a cruise of the Manning River while dinners were organised at Harrigans Irish Tavern and the Harrington Hotel with special tournament prices.

“Local accommodation operators and caravan parks looked after our visitors and naming rights sponsor Manning Great Lakes Skin Cancer Clinic and the Department of Regional Development gave welcome support to the event.”

“Harrington Waters looks forward to hosting the event for many years to come.” •

rules

What’s the Rule?

The Teeing

Ground Frank Gal

Chairman of Rules Committee Golf NSW

I

t would seem to be a fairly simple process to start a hole from the right place. However, golfers sometimes get it wrong, whether playing ahead of the markers, from the wrong markers (e.g., white instead of blue), or on the wrong hole (occasionally even on the wrong course!).

Rule 11 governs play from the teeing ground, but firstly, we need to know what the teeing ground is. It is the starting place for the hole to be played, not the entire “tee box” area prepared for teeing. The teeing ground is defined on page 43 of the Rules of Golf as a rectangular area two club-lengths in depth, the front and sides of which are defined by the outside limits of two tee markers. A ball is outside the teeing ground when all of it lies outside the teeing ground.

What should a player do if he or she plays from outside the teeing ground (Rule 11-4)?

In match play, since a match is more or less a duel between two players, the decision is left to the opponent, who can immediately require the player to cancel the stroke and

play a ball from within the teeing ground, without penalty. If the opponent chooses not to recall the stroke, the ball is in play.

In stroke play, a player incurs a two-stroke penalty for making a stroke from outside the teeing ground and must then play a ball from within the teeing ground (the stroke from outside the teeing ground doesn’t count).

Should a competitor continue on and play a stroke from the next teeing ground without correcting this mistake or leave the putting green of the last hole of the round without declaring an intention to correct it, he or she is disqualified.

We’ve all had bad holes, but that’s hardly sufficient to describe what happens to the unfortunate soul involved in Decision 115/3. In a match, this player hits his ball from the wrong teeing ground. Compounding his troubles, the ball goes out of bounds.

You might think it can’t get any worse for him, but his opponent is wise enough not to recall the stroke. Therefore, the player can’t go to the right teeing ground to play his next stroke. As his ball went out of bounds, he must drop a ball as near as possible to the spot from which the original ball was played, under penalty of one stroke. He doesn’t even

get to tee the ball as he is not on the teeing ground of the hole being played. The only bright spot is that since its match play, he can simply concede the hole and move on rather than playing it out.

Rule 11-1 lists a number of things we may use to tee a ball. It allows a player to place the ball on: • t he surface of the ground, which includes • a n irregularity of surface (whether or not created by the player), • s and, or •o ther natural substance (whether or not placed by the player) • a conforming tee in or on the surface of the ground.

A player who uses a non-conforming tee (see Appendix IV on page 179 of the Rules of

Golf ) or any other object to raise the ball off the ground will be disqualified.

Rule 11-2 advises that the tee markers are deemed to be fixed when making the first stroke from the teeing ground. After making the stroke, the markers are obstructions and the provisions of Rule 24-1 or Rule 24-2 would apply.

Finally, what happens when a player accidentally knocks the ball off the tee at address? This has happened to all of us, and the joker who says “That’s one” is not right.

Rule 11-3 says, “If a ball, when not in play, falls off a tee or is knocked off a tee by the player in addressing it, it may be re-teed, without penalty.” This also applies if a ball, when not in play, is accidentally knocked off a tee by the club when a player makes a practice swing (see Decision 18-2/19). •

www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

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new gear

>NEW GEAR RRP $679.99

Callaway XR 16 Sub Zero Driver The XR 16 Sub Zero represents the lowest CG Callaway has ever engineered in a driver.

This means 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. There are two interchangeable weights in the head (10g and 2g) to fine-tune the launch and spin you need to maximise distance. You can move the heavy weight forward for the lowest spinning, flattest trajectory or move the heavy weight back

36tee 36tee is a new, innovative company who have developed a complete visual solution for golf courses while also providing a valuable strategic tool for the millions of golfers out there.

Combining CGI (computer generated imagery) with NFC wireless technologies, they provide a world first in golf course visuals, giving golfers an insight into the course, before they even arrive, through website virtual tours. While on the course golfers can access quick 20-second hole videos by simply tapping their smart phones on the hole signs and accessing the innovative new ‘Tap & Tee’ system.

The modern version of the Yardage book. Not so number heavy but more as if you had walked the course before. With hints and advice, it’s like having a pro in your pocket. www.36tee.com

to promote a slightly higher trajectory and more forgiveness. And you can choose from 20 premium, no upcharge shafts to fit your swing speed.

The redesigned rear body maximizes storage space and offers the industry’s largest bagwell to easily accommodate the broadest range of golf bags. The interior has been designed to enhance the on-course

Odyssey Toe Up Putter Stroke Balanced technology in the Odyssey Toe Up putter reduces 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. Odyssey engineers have strategically placed more weight towards the face to balance the putter, and the CG is aligned with the centre of the face. This promotes a more consistent stroke.

The Metal-X face is fly cut face so that it’s perfectly flat and it’s chemically etched, which leads to a pure roll. The 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.

experience, featuring contoured, ergonomic seating, larger dash storage, and an optional USB port to power smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices.

Also available with a 13.5 hp Kawasaki petrol engine.

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MILFORD SL-7 SINGLE-LENGTH IRONS

Completely new to the market in Australia, these irons have been specifically developed to simplify the game and make it more enjoyable for golfers of all abilities.

The core set is 4-iron-PW, with LW, SW and GW also available. Milford SL-7 irons are available with graphite shafts in L, A and R flex and with stainless steel shafts in R and S flex.

June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

RRP $329.99

E-Z-GO RXV Refresh The E-Z-GO RXV Refresh is equipped with a revolutionary combination of AC power and IntelliBrake technology for superior performance and increased energy efficiency. E-Z-GO’s AC Drive technology is up to 25 percent more efficient than the DC technology traditionally used in electric golf cars, and provides a powerful, consistent and reliable ride on all types of course terrain. The electric RXV’s patented IntelliBrake system encompasses two technologies: a motor brake that automatically slows the vehicle when traveling up or down steep grades, and a parking brake that automatically engages when the vehicle stops. This system also delivers full-time regenerative braking, redirecting energy back into the vehicle’s batteries whenever the brakes are applied, recharging the batteries during use and further extending the vehicle’s energy efficiency and range.

The SL-7 irons are all the same length, that of a 7-iron, and swing weight matched. They enable you to have the same set-up, stance, ball position and swing plane for all irons.

Grappling with uncomfortable, long shafted irons is a thing of the past.

52

Golf Pride Grips

RRP: Set (4 iron-PW): $469 (steel) $499 (Graphite) Contact Fred Stewart on 0412563977 fred @milfordgolf.com.au

The New Decade® MultiCompound MCC Plus4™ is a tour-proven, hybrid grip that features a larger lower hand and new softer rubber material. With a 4.6% larger lower hand diameter than the Original MCC, the Plus4 encourages lighter grip pressure, reduced tension, and increased power. The lower hand features a soft, responsive rubber compound ideal for enhanced feel. The upper hand material is a soft compound with Brushed Cotton Cord and new, strategically placed MicroTexture for downswing stability.

The TOUR SNSR™ features larger Tourproven shapes that are engineered with innovative SNSR material that delivers unsurpassed Tour-level feel and feedback.

The new grips are made of a soft-tuned rubber formulation that gives these grips an extraordinary feel, and encourages a lighter grip pressure that golfers seek in creating a smooth stroke. The new SNSR compound also enhances Tourlevel feedback into the hands to improve player distance control.

Players can dial in the feel that fits them best with two Tour proven shapes: TOUR SNSR STRAIGHT offers a contemporary, non-taper shape promoting a consistent hand pressure and feel. The straight taper design features soft, rounded edges that are strategically bevelled for palm and finger pad comfort. TOUR SNSR CONTOUR is an evolution of the classic tapered pistol profile that is the shape preference of over 75% of Tour players. The pistol allows golfers to “lock in” their upper hand for consistent hand placement that translates to more confidence in every stroke.

All TOUR SNSR models feature a wide paddle front, sculpted to promote lighter grip pressure and consistent hand placement. Additionally, they are each finished with a traction-textured design that provides heightened feel and moisture control. Each shape is available in two oversize options, 104cc and 140cc.

Phone: 03 5277 3977 www.golfpride.com sales@golfimports.com.au

new gear

NIKE Method Origin putter Over a decade of research and insight from some of the world’s greatest golfers prompted Nike engineers to embark on a new putter design that minimises distractions.

Nike engineers employed a unique construction comprising three pieces: the face, a secondary mass on the back and a RZN layer compressed in-between. The RZN layer is activated on off-centre hits, returning energy to the golf ball within the contact time.

The newly designed face features twice the number of polymetal grooves of previous Method putters. More grooves means increased coefficient of friction and traction on the golf ball, creating earlier forward roll and a smoother, softer feel at impact.

Available in two models: the B1-01 and B2-01.

RRP $649.99

>WET WEATHER GEAR Cross Cloud Set

RRP $319.00

Over the years Cross Sportswear has acquired unique knowledge and experience when it comes to sourcing fabrics and materials for creating garments that allows passionate users to perform optimally without being restrained by clothing.

The Cloud set features FTX fabric, H2O protection, Breathable and Sealed seams.

FTX garments protect the user from rain while keeping the body cool and dry by allowing moisture to evaporate. Breathable outerwear allows moisture to evaporate rather than trapping it against the body.

The FTX ultrathin membrane is laminated (glued under pressure) to the inside of the outer fabric. The membrane releases water molecules in the form of steam to protect the wearer from getting wet. The difference in temperature is what drives the steam out through the fabric.

Cross manufactures waterproof and breathable garments for maximum comfort.

Nexbelt Bring some style and colour to the golf course with a range of vibrant Nexbelt products.

Nexbelt products have several unique features that set them apart from the rest. All belts come in one length and can be cut to size for a perfect fit, eliminating the need to shop for your specific size. There are no holes in Nexbelt’s genuine leather straps, which means you have the luxury of ¼” adjustments using a ratchet system.

Best of all, you’ll no longer have a belt that falls apart where you position the buckle. In addition, all belts in Nexbelt’s golf series feature a hidden ball marker inside the buckle.

The buckles and straps are interchangeable between designs, so the right selection of two or three different Nexbelt products will provide you with several unique accessories for a variety of outfits.

RRP $65 - $150 AUD www.lyleapparel.com.au info@lyleapparel.com.au

Available via your local Drummond Golf, House of Golf, Golf Box or Power Golf.

PUMA WINTER COLLECTION

PWRWARM 1/4 ZIP GOLF VEST This high-performance golf vest will keep you warm in cold conditions. With a zipper garage, shoulder stitching and warmcell technology, you’ll be ahead of the competition well before tee time.

STORM GOLF JACKET Bring breathable and water-proof protection to the golf course with the storm jacket, designed to help you play through windy and rainy conditions.

BASELAYER MOCK This bad boy was born for layering. Its mock neck stays out of your way while the stitch-free construction reduces friction, enhanced by flatlock seams at the shoulders. Moisture-wicking properties help keep you dry whether you opt for one layer or two.

PWR WARM 1/4 ZIP POPOVER Ordinary jackets are for ordinary golfers. Thankfully, Puma had pros like you in mind when they designed the PWRWARM ¼ zip popover.

Its ceramic PWR Warm internal print regulates your temperature and keeps things equally warm and cool on course. The adjustable bungee at the waist allows for a customized fit while the side panels and logos add an extra dose of style.

SHORT SLEEVE RAIN JACKET Protect your game in the Short Sleeve Rain Popover. StormCELL technology offers breathable and water-repellent protection against windy and rainy conditions to keep you dry and comfortable. Soggy greens won’t slow you down with this go-to jacket in your wardrobe.

LONG SLEEVE RAIN JACKET Gear up and play through the elements. StormCELL technology offers breathable and water-repellent protection against windy and rainy conditions, keeping you dry and comfortable.

FULL ZIP WIND JACKET The elements will be no match for this jacket’s UV resistant finish and dryCELL technology, designed to draw sweat away from your skin and complement your game.

STORM PERFORMANCE RAIN GOLF GLOVE - PAIR Keep your hands warm and dry with Storm Performance Rain Gloves, enhanced with premium soft knit suede, quick dry mesh panel for breathability and comfort and optimal grip in wet conditions.

STORM BUCKET CAP Battle the elements with this waterproof, seam sealed bucket cap with a moisture-wicking performance sweatband. www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

53

instruction

The secret to staying still? Move your body!

A stroke where your body is in control—the arms become “passengers” in the stroke.

Mark Allen

ed@insidegolf.com.au

W

hen I played on tour I was obsessed with staying still when I putted. Greg Norman looked so quiet when he putted. So did Seve. And so did Nick Faldo. Then came Tiger - who was as still over a putt as I’d ever seen.

The bigger the putt, the quieter I wanted to look during the stroke. No wonder so many putts slipped past the hole towards the end of my days on tour. I now know that trying to keep your body still while stroking

a putt only engages your arms and hands to work independently of your body. In simpler terms, it creates more moving parts. And that creates greater margin for error.

We’ve all heard Ian Baker-Finch, one of the most brilliant putters in the game’s history, talk about keeping your head still during the stroke. This makes more sense than what I was always trying to achieve. A body stillness that was unnecessary and incorrect.

Let’s get right to it. If you are actively trying to putt using your arms in a swinging motion, I imagine that you’re having the same issues that I did. A stroke that never feels right.

A stroke that requires too much hand-eye coordination. A stroke that doesn’t stand up

A typical putting stroke: the head is still, while the arms control the stroke. when you need it most – under pressure.

When I watch the best putters these days I can see their body controlling their arms on the backswing. The arms don’t really move in relation to the body on the way back.

I want you to try this simple feeling when you putt: Make a backswing without using your arms. Your body will be forced to move/rotate on the backswing. From there, move through the putt and the impact area as you usually would. You will find that employing the ribcage or the torso to control the backswing of a putting stroke puts you in the sound position to look quiet during the entire putting action.

Your arms and hands become “passengers”

throughout the putting action, just as they should. You won’t be relying on the smaller, twitchy muscles to control the putter. And the larger, slower moving muscles will take over.

Crazy, right?! It’s taken me 40 years to work out that the secret to staying still during the putting stroke is to MOVE your body!

Mark Allen is a former touring golf professional with over 15 years’ experience on the world golfing stage, including Australia, Asia, Europe, The US Nike Tour and the 1999 Open Championship. After 10 years of coaching, producing instructional DVDs and television commentary he now works as a radio host for Melbourne Sports Radio Station - 1116SEN.

mental game

Consistently inconsistent? Take a leaf out of Jason Day’s book.

Nick Sutherland

contact@nicksutherland.com.au

D

id you see those 3 fluffed chip shots in a row on the 9th hole in the final round of the Players Championship?

Everyone did….they replayed it over and over again. What a lot of people didn’t see, however, was Jason Day smiling and laughing as he handed his wedge to Colin Swatton before knocking in the bogey putt.

A WINNING MINDSET That moment is a great example of Jason’s attitude, and it’s something that barely changes. When he won the WGC Matchplay title in 2014 against Victor Dubuisson, who just kept getting up and down from the most ridiculous places, Jason simply smiled. The smile came from his self belief – he knew that he was going to win so his confidence and trust in himself never waivered.

All of those things combine to give Jason a winning mindset. He may not have his “A-game” or the course conditions may change as they did in the Players, but he 54

June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

has the discipline to stick to his game plan.

This mindset also helps him to stand on the first tee with positive thoughts in his head, allowing him to focus on what he needs to do in order to win. Jason’s mind is rarely full of clutter – a vital element to a great round is to go out there with an empty head.

WHY WE NEED ROUTINE Jason also has something that a lot of amateurs don’t have – a pre-game routine.

Getting himself into a habit of hitting a certain amount of practice balls helps create a clear mind as it puts him on auto pilot. He doesn’t need to think about what he’s doing, it’s now just something he does. When we think, we use energy so by creating a habit, we’re also conserving energy.

Whenever I’m assessing a client, I’m always more interested in what they do before they tee off rather than what they do on the course. Take Mike, for instance – he’s a busy CEO who plays a few times per month but is frustrated at how inconsistent his score is.

Sound familiar? Mike’s goal is to play to his handicap more often but what he’s doing isn’t aligned with what he wants.

Mike is like the majority of people I see, both as clients and as playing partners – none of them have a pre-game routine yet there is an expectation that they should be able to go out and win the monthly medal.

They turn up to the course late, swipe a few bad putts on the practice green, swing the club a few times on the first tee before hitting off then wonder afterwards why they played the first 6 holes so poorly?

Their clubs are still dirty from the last round, they’re feeling rushed and still upset, angry and blaming whatever “made them late”. None of this is conducive to playing good, consistent golf. As a result of that inconsistency, all you do is spend the entire round thinking of swing mechanics, which is a surefire way to ruin a round.

THE KEY TO GOOD GOLF? Balance. A great round of golf starts before you even leave home and it begins with being ‘centred’ or calm. How many times have you been satisfied with your round walking off the 18th after rushing to get to the first tee and not warming up? You may have started playing well on the 4th or 5th

hole but I bet those first few holes weren’t your best, and they can be the ones that win you the monthly medal.

Everyone uses excuses as to why they don’t have time to prepare properly but the reality is, if it’s important enough to you then you will mentally allocate the time and energy to do it. Think about those times when you get a certain hankering for something – it could be a certain beer or food, for instance.

Nothing will get in your way until you get what you need because you make it a priority. Jason Day makes winning a priority and if you want to win more, you need to make it a priority too.

Nick Sutherland is a psychotherapist and performance consultant based out of Moonah Links Golf Academy on the Mornington Peninsula.

Nick specialises in helping golfers of all abilities to take their game to the next level by improving their mental performance. Nick has worked with Olympic and World Championship winning athletes, AFL players, Hall of Fame triathletes and professional golfers to achieve their goals and he can help you too. For an free assessment and phone consultation call 0448 339 662 or email contact@nicksutherland.com.au

instruction

Different coaching for different levels of golf; Part 2 incorrectly, you will play inconsistently, the more you play inconsistently the better you will become at being inconsistent. My tip this month is to practice correctly. Make sure when your coach gives you a drill to work on that you understand the drill and that you are doing that drill correctly. Focus on “correct” practice. If you grab a 7-iron, go to the range and do the same drill correctly over and over you will become very consistent with the 7-iron.

David Merriman

Golf Professional, Australian PGA 0412 44 2205

I

n my last article, I talked about different kinds of golf lessons and the type of lesson that is right for you and I covered golf coaching that will get you started in golf.

Remember that golf instruction for the average golfer is not just a case of running through a routine with a set of drills and instructions and hoping that one size fits all. We are all individuals with different body types, different golf swings, different levels of agility and different lifestyles.

In this article I will look at the type of coaching you might seek if you are player who plays two or three times a week, practices on a regular basis and wants to lower your handicap to single figures or scratch.

Becoming a better player is not just a case of simply working on your swing, or just focussing on your putting. Becoming a better player is like making a great cake with main ingredients mixed together forming harmony and balance to create the best texture and taste. There are five main ingredients or attributes in golf that when mixed together form a great player.

They are: good set up, proper technique in your golf swing, good balance, club head path awareness and how to connect your

The bottom line to achieve a better, more consistent result is correct practice and plenty of it.

thoughts with your physical actions.

If you have a good set up, good fundamentals in your swing, good balance and good clubhead direction through the ball, but your thoughts are not connected to your mechanics in a correct way the whole thing will break down. You need to join all the attributes together to achieve a consistent result. Your golf lesson should cover these areas and teach you how to connect them all together to get them working in unison.

For example, if you set up to hit a fade and your brain is thinking “avoid the water” then you don’t have all five attributes connected to make a free flowing swing. If you want to hit a fade your brain has to be focussed on a fade, your set up has to be in a position to hit a fade and your club head has to be going in

the direction to hit a fade. A great exercise for this is to lay three alignment sticks down on the ground: one in front of your toes for alignment and one either side of the golf ball for club head path direction. Alternatively, if you are trying to hit a straight shot then all three of the alignment sticks should be parallel to each other down your target line.

Using the alignment sticks allows you to see whether your alignment matches your club head direction and ball flight matches the alignment. If you combine this exercise with good balance and visualising ball flight you have connected all five attributes.

Becoming a better player also requires consistency and practice. It is the question I am asked most as a golf coach – “how can I become more consistent”. If you practice

There are many other aspects of the game such as fitness, diet, short game, how to practice to become a better player, and brain training and your golf coach can work through with you depending on how far you want to go with your game.

The right lesson for the better player will result in a good practice routine that allows you to leave practice on the range and simply play the game in auto pilot.

For more information on how to play better golf contact your local PGA member or contact me at Royal Pines Golf Course on the Gold Coast.

A three-time winner of the Queensland PGA Legends championship held at Redland Bay Golf Club, David Merriman is an Australian PGA Tour Player and Teaching Professional at Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast. Contact him on 0412 44 22 05. www.davidmerrimangolf.com.au

Building the foundation of the golf swing Peter Croker www.keytofgolf.com

H

ave you ever had doubt about what makes up a powerful, controlled, and consistent golf swing? Do you have a well-defined set of fundamentals that you know are correct?

It may come as a surprise to you that the Secret to Mind Control in Golf is to be found in the attention to the physical alignments that create an orthodox golf swing. However, without knowing what a correctly aligned golf swing is, you are in a mystery as to how to create one. This “mystery” leads to over thinking, tension, self-doubt and the downward spiral in performance cannot help but follow.

Golf is a physical game requiring a high level of mental focus and emotional control. There is no doubt that as a player advances from beginner through to advanced levels and especially to tournament golf that the mental side of the game takes on a much greater importance. However, it would be misleading to say that golf is 90% (or even100%) mental as has become fashionable in recent times.

If that were the case, then the Dahlai Lama would potentially be the best golfer on the planet.

The reality is that golf is a balance between the mental and the physical - with the true

Alignments 1 and 2 Alignment 3

Alignment 6

Alignment 7

foundation lying in the understanding of the mechanics. Without a foundation of correct mechanics … leading to solid fundamentals, the best mental approach in the world will not get the job done.

Now when we talk about mechanics we are really talking about the geometry of the golf swing first. In order for the swing to have the correct geometry we have identified nine basic alignments that must be mastered in order to get a strong repeating action that will deliver the club face to the ball squarely and solidly on a consistent basis.

An interesting point is that six of these alignments relate to the setup position, i.e. the grip and stance in getting set up.

The remaining three alignments are then

Alignment 4

Alignment 8

possible to be understood and then trained into the motion itself in order to produce a powerful, orthodox, controlled and repeating golf swing.

The 9 Alignments 1. The left wrist to the club shaft 2. The left wrist to the club face 3. The club shaft to the body centre of gravity 4. The elbows to the hips 5. The spine to the ground 6. The club face and body to the balls target 7. The knee motion during the swing 8. The arm motion in relation to the body 9. The direction of the hit in the downswing and the relationship of the club shaft to the left arm during the downswing and through the impact zone

Alignment 5

Alignment 9 All 9 Alignments are thoroughly covered in the Croker Golf System MASTER COACHING COMMUNITY at www.

MasterCoachingCommunity.com Peter Croker is a Certified PGA Professional, and has been a PGA Member since 1971. He has given lessons using The Croker Golf System to many students from beginners to Major Championship winners including Arnold Palmer, Vijay Singh, Rocco Mediate, Fred Funk, Bob Charles, and Olin Brown. Experience the complete Croker Golf System material and more through the Master Coaching Community for free at www.crokergolfsystem.com, or book an Individual Lesson, School or Workshop.

Phone: 0415 292 549 or email: crokergolfsystem@gmail.com

www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

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instruction

The rope drill for a better takeaway Glenn Whittle

glenn@whittlegolf.com.au 0439 165 750

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en Hogan, the man known as the pioneer of the modern day swing once said if you get the first part of the swing wrong, then you will spend the rest of the swing trying to fix the poor start.

Having coached thousands of weekend golfers, I agree with Hogan’s comment and spend a lot of my time coaching my clients the correct grip, set up and takeaway. You would be surprised how much better people get when these three factors are carefully managed.

Here’s a recent example: I was coaching a

lady with a false concept of what she should be doing.

She thought, after watching a YouTube video, that she should swing the club more around her body in the takeaway in the hope that she will not swing the club “out to in” during impact. When I showed her (on video) that when she sets up correctly and swings the club back in front of her (and not around) how much better her downswing is, she was amazed and the quality of her shots improved immediately.

In the photo, I am using a rope at approximately knee height to help my client improve his awareness of keeping his hands close to his body in the takeaway while his club shaft swings along the rope (on the correct plane).

If you can set up a rope in the backyard, let the club rest on the rope and then practice swinging along it back and forward with small slow swings first, this will give you time to feel the right versus wrong way.

If the club swings down slightly underneath the rope, this is not a problem—especially if you want to hit a draw.

This drill is one of my favourites as it encourages you to keep your grip pressure soft and allow the club to swing in sync with your body. I am sure if you do it a few times a week it will help you play more consistently.

NOTE: I have moved and am now coaching at Barton Park Driving Range in Arncliffe.

I am enjoying teaching using real balls off grass again. To book a lesson, visit www. whittlegolf.com.au and click on BOOK NOW.

Three tips to make swing changes fast and easy Liam Warburton

liam@completeplayergolf.com

S

wing changes are an important part of golf. When the right changes are applied correctly they will improve your ball flight and make you a more consistent player.

However they can also derail progress and lead you down a path of frustration if they are not implemented correctly.

When you make swing changes you enter a learning phase that causes you to become more mechanical and conscious about the way you move the club. It temporarily disrupts the natural athletic flow of a good swing while new neural pathways that connect the mind and body are being built.

This is why swing changes feel foreign and uncomfortable.

Professional golfers put in 1000’s of repetitions on the range or putting green to reinforce a new movement so that they no longer have to think about the change on the course.

If you are a weekend golfer or someone who has limited spare time then you will need to make this learning period more effective. It will still take repetition and practice but there are ways to speed up this process so that you build a better swing faster.

Use these 3 tips to get on the fast lane of improvement: Get feedback: To begin you need to have a good verbal understanding of the new change and why it is important. Your swing coach will help you understand what you are trying to accomplish. After a while you should become independent enough to know when you are doing the new change correctly on your own. That is why fast corrective feedback is important. Ask your swing coach which props and drills would help provide the corrective feedback you need. Consider using props like 56

June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

“You swing your best when you have the fewest things to think about” - Bobby Jones a mirror, a chair, an alignment stick, a wall or video to help you know if you are performing the new movement correctly.

Build feel: Once you have a verbal understanding of your swing, your goal is to translate this information into a feeling, which is the language of the subconscious mind. When you start to get a feel for your new swing it becomes easier to swing the club without thinking. To build and strengthen neural pathways faster, try swinging the club slower.

Do at least 3 or 4 repetitions as slow as you can and swing to a complete finish. Then hit a few balls and repeat the process This will enhance your feel for the new movement and get your mind and body more comfortable with the change faster.

Tour professionals use this technique during practice sessions and you will also notice they swing the club slowly during their pre-shot routine to enhance their feel for a particular shot.

Use your time better: To build new motor memory requires repetition through practice. However, this time can be made more effective with the right approach. Short and regular practice sessions have been proven to be more effective than long and infrequent sessions.

With this approach you will be more focused and energetic to ensure your technique is correct. Instead of doing only 1 x 60 minute session a week, try doing 6 x 10 minute sessions and you will be rewarded with faster progress.

In summary, golf swing changes can be a challenging time. You often have to take one step backwards so that you can take two steps forward. Focusing on only one or two swing changes at a time is recommended to avoid creating too much mental interference.

If you apply the tips above and have some patience and persistence you will be on the fast track to improvement. You can then enjoy the rewards of your efforts in the form of a better ball flight and lower scores.

If you are making swing changes and want to extract your best golf then you can get a free copy of my new book at: www.freegolfbook.com • liam@completeplayergolf.com. For more information, visit www.completeplayergolf.com

fitness

Improving and maintaining mobility

Richard Nizielski richard@golffitsolutions.com 0438 027 768

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orso rotation is area where many players feel they need to improve.

More often than not, the daily routine of sitting and working in a bent forward posture creates stiffness and tightness when turning the torso.

If left, the ability to rotate the thoracic spine will decrease.

Whilst it is not the only factor that may affect swing plane and rotation through the golf swing, it is definitely an area which can benefit from regular stretching and mobilisation.

Here are a few stretches, which are both effective for improving and maintaining mobility and are relatively easy to do.

Thoracic Spine and Rib Rotation In a sitting or standing position, place a golf club or broomstick behind your back and under the arms. With the

hands on the stomach, keep up an upright posture of the upper back and rotate the torso. Keep the hips still and facing forwards. The golf club / broomstick should remain against the ribs. Hold the stretch for a few seconds, then take a deep breath and as you exhale gently increase the stretch, hold this position for 20-30 seconds and repeat for both sides for 3 repetitions.

Latissimus Dorsi, Thoracolumbar fascia (TLF), Rotator Cuff and Abdominals Sit on the floor with one leg extended and the other with the knee bent and sole of the foot touching the inside of the opposite knee. Place the opposite arm onto turned out leg and hold down. Reach the other arm behind the head and gently tip the torso side ways. Aim to maintain an upright, flat back posture as you do this. The stretch should be felt down the side of the trunk. Hold this stretch for 20-30 seconds, repeating the stretch for 3 repetitions on each side.

Latissimus Dorsi, (TLF), Rotator Cuff and Abdominals In a kneeling position beside a stool or bench to steady yourself, reach the arm overhead, flexing the torso, laterally toward the stabilised side. Aim to maintain a straight spine (try not to flex forwards) as you laterally bend. The stretch should

be felt down the side of the trunk. Hold this stretch for 20-30 seconds, repeating the stretch for three repetitions on each side.

Latissimus Dorsi, (TLF), Rotator Cuff and Abdominals In a kneeling position beside a stool or bench to steady yourself, reach the arm across the body, twisting the trunk towards the stabilised side. Aim to keep the hips aligned straight ahead and level. The stretch should be felt down side of trunk, into the hip flexors and back of the shoulder and arm.

Hold this stretch for 20-30 seconds, repeating the stretch for 3 repetitions on each side.

Mobility is only part of the puzzle to improving your golf fitness and your golf swing.

Stretching does not take elaborate or specialised equipment.

It does however, take persistence and time. This is time worth spent, if the payoff is a freer golf swing action that is pain free.

Happy golfing.

NOTE: Thank you to Australian Long Drive Champion Brendan Moylan for appearing in the photos. •

Incorporating recovery into your training

I

f you’ve done any weight training in the gym or manual labour where repetitive heavy lifting is involved, then chances are within the next 24-48 hours you would have experienced sore muscles and or some restriction in movement. That soreness is the muscle going into a recovery phase and repairing damage to the small fibres inside the muscles, in preparation for the next bout of work.

Whilst the muscles you have trained will benefit from the work done it is quite possible that the ache and soreness will affect your golf game.

Two ways of lowering the effect are incorporating recovery into your training and having a better plan for your training week.

Recovery should include: Developing an effective stretching routine, which covers all the muscles you have trained and the areas where you feel tightness.

Regularly use recovery tools such as a foam roller, theraball, hot and cold hydrotherapy and massage, to name a few.

Nutrition, hydration and sleep all play a big part in our ability to recover from training and muscle ache.

I will make a point here and say there is a difference between soreness from training and pain from injury. Any pain you believe to be associated with an injury should be looked at by a medical or allied health professional.

As well as including the above suggestions, planning your

training so it has minimal effect on your golf is helpful.

Athletes commonly use planning and periodisation to ensure their body is at its peak fitness level at the most important events during the season.

So, an athlete will lower the intensity of the training and the amount of training they do in a session thereby lowering the stress on the body while at the same time placing more focus on the technical aspects of their sport.

Even if you’re not a professional athlete, a similar approach can also be taken to ensure you are playing ache free and at your best.

For the sake of the article, let’s assume you regularly play golf at your club on Saturdays.

If we were to plan the training week, it may be something like the following: Sunday: Maybe a rest day (spent with the family).

Monday: Fitness training in the gym – A full body training program (3 sets of each exercise). This will be a high intensity training session Tuesday: Cardio fitness training (Intervals – High intensity).

This session will be high intensity, mainly targeting the cardiovascular system.

Wednesday: Fitness training in the gym – A full body training program (consider doing one less set per exercise).

The intensity and volume of this session have been reduced from that of the Monday session.

Thursday: Core control fitness and power development (med ball throws). Core control is focused on stability and the med ball throws a focused on the body creating a coordinated, strong, fast contraction with plenty of rest between the exercises, with the emphasis on quality rather than quantity.

Friday: Cardio fitness (Longer medium paced intervals, or long steady pace training – 20-40 minutes). Lowered level of intensity, which can be used as an active recovery session.

Saturday: Play golf Of course I have not included any golf practice you may do during the week in this example, but nonetheless you can see the aim of the example training week is to reduce the amount of intensity and volume over the week and have the body fresh and ready to play golf on Saturday.

Whatever you decide to put into your training for the week, if you keep in mind the principle of doing the high volume, high intensity training away from your golf game, you will give yourself the best opportunity to play better golf.

Richard Nizielski is a Brisbane-based golf fitness expert and the Director of Golf Fit Solutions. A three-time Olympian and medallist in the sport of short track speed skating, Richard is a qualified sports and personal trainer designing individual fitness and nutrition programs for both professional and amateur golfers here in Australia and overseas. www.golffitsolutions.com www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

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golf new south wales

Howlong helping Culcairn grow

The Valley on stage for next three years Yamba and Grafton Golf Clubs are helping to pave the way for Northern NSW regional golfers to qualify for the 2016 NSW Open Golf Championship.

Clarence Valley Council in conjunction with the two clubs have secured the right to host a Regional Qualifying Tournament for the next three years.

“The council is very happy to support the sport of golf and we have been for a number of years invested in sports tourism in our region. This is another terrific opportunity for our community to be a part of what is very much a growing sport in our area,” said Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson.

The members of Culcairn Golf Club are beaming with pride at the sight of the new grass verges that have appeared around the Murray District Club’s sand greens.

The new verges have been grown in from clippings supplied from their Big Buddy Club, Howlong Country Golf Club, and with some expertise from Howlong’s Course Superintendent Paul Irvine.

“We’ve got a good coverage already. Paul made a visit to advise us and the result has been excellent,” Stuart Lowe President of Culcairn Golf Club said.

Culcairn Golf Club was paired with Howlong Golf Club in the Golf NSW Buddy Club initiative that is designed to help smaller clubs benefit from the expertise of the State’s larger clubs.

“The Buddy Club Program is a wonderful initiative by Golf NSW and has proven to be a great support for our small club,” Mr Lowe

said. “Our relationship with Howlong has been a real success.”

Culcairn has also benefitted from its relationship with Howlong in a number of other ways too.

Ken Walton Howlong’s Club President supported Culcairn’s grant application for funds to be connected to recycled water for irrigation on the golf course, a grant they are hopeful of receiving.

Howlong also donated a prize for the Culcairn Ladies Tournament; A night’s accommodation and unlimited golf at the Country Club. They intend to donate the same prize for the Men’s Tournament in August as well.

“We hope to build our relationship with them throughout this year and we look forward to it continuing in years to come,” Mr Lowe said.

Congratulations to the latest St Hallett Wines Hole-in-One Achievers: Peter Chatillon, John Faint, Bruce Fischer, Simon Gilbert, Rodney Hill, Rick Johnston, Ashley Lohman, Dennis Martin, Raymond Perkes, and Patrick York.

GRAB YOUR CHANCE TO COMPETE IN THE

“Last year we held some Pro-Ams and this qualifying event will be on top of what we did with them last year. We can’t wait to see some of NSW’s best golfers come to the Clarence. I hope the courses at Yamba and Grafton will challenge them and they walk away impressed,” Cr Williamson added.

“This is a first for the Valley and it’s a great event,” said Grafton Golf Club President Trevor Townsend. “It’s such an opportunity

for our regional golfers. It also gives us the opportunity to showcase the Grafton course and our new 10th hole.”

The two-day 36-hole Tournament will attract the best golfers from across Northern NSW and South East Queensland. The winner will gain automatic entry to the State’s premier event.

Lin wins 2016 Harmony Cup Many New South Wales business entrepreneurs, community leaders, government representatives, and consulates-general of the State’s wonderful and varied cultural backgrounds got together recently at Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club to contest the Harmony Cup. The Harmony Cup celebrates NSW Harmony Day, and supports multiculturalism in Australian society.

The invitational golf tournament is a charity event, and all proceeds from the tournament are donated to NSW Rural Fire Service. The event organisers were the Australia China Economics, Trade and Culture Association (ACETCA) and the Australian Council of Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China (ACPPRC).

The official Tee off ceremony was conducted by John Alexander, Federal

For your opportunity to compete in the prestigious 2016 NSW Open Golf Championship at Stonecutters Ridge Golf Club, come and try your luck in one of the 8 Regional Qualifying events for amateur golfers.

For details of all Qualifying events and how to enter go to: www.golfnsw.org/nswopen-event-qualifying

Member for Bennelong and included Dr. Amen Lee OAM, Executive Chairman, ACETCA, QIAO Shixue, Chairman, Chinese Golf Association Australia.

Other special guests included John Sidoti MP Jonathan O’Dea MP, Damien Tudehope MP, Tommy Jiang, Chairman, Ostar International Media Group, Bernard Bratusa, Government Relations Director, Golf NSW, Victor Lin Managing Director, Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club, and Shawn Mahoney, General Manager, Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club.

The Presentation after the event was held at Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club. The gross winners of the men’s and women’s event were Victor Lin and Wendy Gong, runners-up were Jeremy Chang and Jean Zhou. Third place went to Lin Jianghua and Shirley Luo.

Next Event: Howlong and Thurgoona Golf Clubs on Saturday and Sunday, June 18th and 19th.

2016

NSW OPEN GOLF

CHAMPIONSHIP

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June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

The NSW Open Defining Legends since 1931

golf queensland

Senior Amateur Championships District Challenge draw naming rights partners

added to junior Amateur

I

n a new initiative for 2016, Golf Queensland has introduced the Fayde Junior District Challenge to be run in conjunction with the Queensland Boy’s and Girl’s Amateur.

The Challenge will be run over the first two rounds of the Queensland Boy’s and Girl’s Amateur at Bargara Golf Club on the 28th and 29th June.

Golf Queensland’s golf operation manager Luke Bates said the Junior Amateur was shaping up to be a terrific Championship, now with the added bonus of the District Challenge.

T

his year’s Queensland Men’s and Women’s Senior Amateur Championship will receive a boost thanks to new partnerships.

Age care provider PresCare strengthened its connection with Golf Queensland this year, adding to the partnership with the Queensland Senior Order of Merit and are now the naming rights sponsors for the Senior Amateur Championships.

Golf Queensland’s golf operation manager Luke Bates said it is pleasing to have the additional support for the senior calendar of events.

“When combined, the senior amateur, both men’s and women’s, is one of our biggest Championships for the year,” Mr Bates said.

“PresCare’s support of both Championships is tremendous and we thank them for partnering with Golf Queensland to deliver these events.

PresCare Chief Executive Greg Skelton said the not-forprofit organisation is proud to sponsor an event which keeps

seniors both mentally and physically active.

“PresCare was established more than 85 years ago to help look after the health and wellbeing of Queensland seniors,” he said.

“Seeing a group of socially active golfers out on the course is a reminder that helping seniors maintain healthy lives is a vital part of our mission to keep people more connected: to family, friends, their community and the social activities that have been important to them throughout their lives.”

“With loneliness and social isolation becoming more prevalent as our society ages, we are finding clients aren’t looking for just domestic and personal assistance - it’s the social contact they value most, so programs like these play a key part in ensuring seniors remain socially connected.”

The Men’s Senior Amateur Championship will be played at Bribie Island Golf Club from July 25 to 27 is also supported by the Moreton Bay Regional Council.

The Women’s Senior Championship will be played at the newest Queensland golf course, Maroochy River Golf Club from July 24 to 28.

“Golf Queensland is excited to add this representative concept to the Junior Amateur and hope that Districts can use it to assist in the promotion of their junior pathway.

“Without the support of Fayde this initiative would not be possible and we are truly thankful for their sponsorship of this new event.”

One boy and one girl will represent a district with each player to receive a refund on their entry and two Fayde polos with district representation noted on the shirt.

The winners will be the best gross score over the two days in both categories. The district/s with the winning boy and girl will receive a $500 Fayde voucher (one for each winner) which can be used by the district on junior initiatives.

Districts will be emailed at the close of entries (1st June) with a request to send through their selected player and shirt size, if Golf Queensland has not heard back within 48 hours the player with the lowest handicap will be selected, contacted to confirm shirt size and have their entry fee refunded.

In addition to the district shirts all players entering the Boy’s and Girl’s Amateur will have the opportunity to purchase a Fayde tournament polo.

Men’s Senior Amateur Championship Bribie Island Golf Club from July 25 to 27 Supported by the Moreton Bay Regional Council

Senior Women’s and Mid Amateur Championship Maroochy River Golf Club from July 24 to 28 www.facebook.com/GolfQueensland

@GolfQueensland

www.golfqueensland.org.au T: (07) 3252 8155 www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

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calendar

Experience a world class golf tournament in paradise!

P

aradise Palms, the most iconic golf course in Tropical North Queensland, will be hosting this years Qantas Golf Club Cairns Classic 2016 held over four epic days from the 4 – 7 July.

“We are excited to be the host of this years Qantas Golf Club Cairns Classic and are looking forward to showcasing our improved course structure and facilities at such a prestigious event.”

The Qantas Golf Club Cairns Classic is a world class golf tournament and will bring the best PGA professionals from across Australia and New Zealand to compete across four days of challenging golf events in tropical paradise with prize money of $50,000 for professionals up for grabs.

Mr Halpin said exciting improvements to the property have created an energetic atmosphere at Paradise Palms and have provided new opportunities to offer a larger variety of golf competitions at local, national and international levels.

Having been almost a decade since the last Cairns Classic was held (2007), Cairns Classic organiser, Leisa Toombs, said they are thrilled for Cairns to once again be hosting this world class sporting event.

“We are very excited to have revitalised this fantastic event and hope to bring many more elite golfing events to Cairns,” said Ms Toombs.

Designed by Graham Marsh and Ross Watson, Paradise Palms 18-hole championship golf course is continuously ranked as one of Australia’s top 100 courses with its combination of sweeping fairways, three lakes, narrow undulating greens and 72 bunkers.

As the first major event for new owners who purchased the tropical oasis from receivership in 2015, local owner and Cairns business-man Darren Halpin said they are excited to be hosting the Qantas Golf Club Cairns Classic 2016 as their first prestigious event after recent facility improvements.

“It is our goal to attract a wide variety of golf competitions to Cairns and encourage golfers to experience one of Australia’s best and most challenging courses.”

Along with top PGA professionals, special guests Tarquin and Mike from Channel Seven’s hit TV show My Kitchen Rules and players from Cairns favourite basketball team, Cairns Taipans, will also be attending the elite event.

Local amateurs are encouraged to grasp the opportunity to play in the PGA Pro-Am series for the chance to win 1,000,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer points and other great prizes.

Registrations are now open and places are filling fast.

Situated between two natural wonders, the Daintree World Heritage Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, Paradise Palms also features a grand clubhouse, 4.5-star resort accommodation, irresistible pools, lush gardens and relaxed dining. A tropical oasis just 20 minutes’ drive from Cairns. www.cairnsclassic.com.au

CALENDAR > JULY

AUGUST

Golf NSW Womens’ Pewter Plate

2016 Women’s Weekend Tournament

The event is an 18-hole aggregate stableford competition for club teams of two competitors on GA Handicaps from 29.1 to 45.4. Each Club entering the competition nominates two players as representatives and The Pewter Plate is awarded to the team with the best aggregate stableford of the two scores.

Open to female amateurs who hold a current GA or overseas equivalent handicap, the event is played over two days, with shotgun starts both days. The format is 18-holes singles stableford on the first day and 18-Holes Best Ball Team Event V Par on the second day.

WHEN: 18 July WHERE: Castle Hill Country Club

Entries close on Friday 8 July 2016.

More: www.golfnsw.org

WHEN: 20-21 August WHERE: The Vintage Golf Club

This event is the most popular participation event on the Golf NSW calendar attracting players from all across the state. The entry fee is $190 per player (online). Entries are taken in pairs.

For more information or to enter this event visit www.golfnsw.org

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June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

OCTOBER 44th SOUTH PACIFIC LADIES OPEN CLASSIC WHEN: 9-12 October 2016 WHERE: Surfers Paradise Golf Club

This long running tournament popular with local and interstate entrants commences with a Mixed Foursomes on Sunday, October 9 followed by three stroke rounds for ladies in this Golf Australia and golf Queensland-ranked event. Four divisions of Classic, Mid Amateur, Senior and Super Senior means everybody is welcome to compete for 54-hole and daily prizes.

The South Pacific Ladies Open Classic has seen many famous players achieve greatness but it is also a venue for enthusiastic lady golfers who have the desire to win but do not want to go onto international fame. It is a friendly event for ladies to meet players from all parts of Australia and the Pacific.

Visit www.surfersparadisegolfclub.com.au for registration and conditions of play, or enquires to surfersparadiseassociates@gmail.com.au

calendar

COMING SENIOR AMATEUR EVENTS June 2 Manly Seniors (NSW) June 6 Pacific Harbour Seniors (QLD) June 10 Oatlands Seniors (NSW) June 19 Heathcote Seniors (VIC) June 20-22 * Australian Senior Amateur Matchplay at Coolangatta Tweed Heads June 20-21 Shepparton Senior Amateur June 20 Pymble Seniors (NSW) June 23-24 Tocumwal Seniors (VIC) June 27 Coolangatta Tweed Heads Seniors (QLD) July 11 Laidley seniors (QLD) July 12 Wyong Seniors (NSW) July 15-16 Coffs Coast Seniors (NSW) July 18-20 Coomealla Seniors (VIC) July 20-22 * Gold Coast Senior Classic July 25-27 * Queensland Senior Amateur Championship at Bribie Island July 25 Cabramatta Seniors (NSW) July 30-31 Seaside Classic at Port Macquarie (NSW) * Part of the Australian Senior Ranking System

GOLF NSW – JUNE CALENDAR OF EVENTS Men’s Vardon Events Date 4-5 Jun 11-Jun 12-Jun

Event Cessnock Cup Cromer Bowl Pymble Winter Cup

Venue Stonebridge GC Cromer GC Pymble GC

Women’s Jean Derrin Date 09-Jun 15-Jun 30-Jun- 01 Jul

Event Venue Cabramatta Cup Cabramatta GC Carnarvon Cup & Salver Carnarvon GC The Australian Golf Club The Australian GC Medal

For information on any of the above events, or for a full list of fixtures go to: www.golfnsw.org

Handiskins

When: Various Where: Various Info: www.handiskins.com.au Handiskins the ultimate game of skins for club golfers.

Handiskins is a five-qualifying-round stableford competition. A player’s best three rounds count towards their final score. Players don’t have to play all five qualifying rounds if their scores are good enough.

The top four players with the best scores at the end of the qualifying rounds go into the ‘skins’ format final and have the opportunity to play for $1,200 in club or pro shop vouchers.

UPCOMING HANDISKINS EVENTS: Nudgee Golf Club 1207 Nudgee Road, Nudgee QLD 4014 5th Qualifying Round 4th June 2016 Final 11th June 2016 Penrith Golf Club 1939 The Northern Road, Penrith NSW 2750 5th Qualifying Round 4th June 2016 Final 11th June 2016 Stonebridge Golf Club 26 Birkdale Bvld, Cessnock NSW 2325 4th Qualifying Round 18th June 2016 5th Qualifying Round 25th June 2016 Final 16th July 2016 Wakehurst Golf Club (Ladies Competition) Upper Clontarf Street, Seaforth NSW 2092 4th Qualifying Round 7th June 2016 5th Qualifying Round 14th June 2016 Final 5th July 2016 Cowra Golf Club Mees Road, Cowra NSW 2794 2nd Qualifying Round 18th June 2016 3rd Qualifying Round 9th July 2016 4th Qualifying Round 20th August 2016 5th Qualifying Round 17th September 2016 Final 25th September 2016

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Parkes Golf Club London Road, Parkes NSW 2870 2nd Qualifying Round 11th June 2016 3rd Qualifying Round 25th June 2016 4th Qualifying Round 9th July 2016 5th Qualifying Round 16th July 2016 Final 14th August 2016 Mudgee Golf Club 21 Robertson Road, Mudgee NSW 2850 1st Qualifying Round 11th June 2016 2nd Qualifying Round 2nd July 2016 3rd Qualifying Round 16th July 2016 4th Qualifying Round 13th August 2016 5th Qualifying Round 20th August 2016 Final 11th September 2016 The Link Shell Cove Corner Southern Cross Boulevarde & Shellharbour Road, Shell Cove NSW 2529 1st Qualifying Round 11th June 2016 2nd Qualifying Round 18th June 2016 3rd Qualifying Round 25th June 2016 4th Qualifying Round 9th July 2016 5th Qualifying Round 16th July 2016 Final 23rd July 2016 Thurgoona Golf Club 1 Evesham Place, Thurgoona NSW 2640 1st Qualifying Round 18th June 2016 2nd Qualifying Round 2nd July 2016 3rd Qualifying Round 16th July 2016 4th Qualifying Round 30th July 2016 5th Qualifying Round 6th August 2016 Final 20th August 2016 Nelson Bay Golf Club Dowling Street, Nelson Bay NSW 2315 1st Qualifying Round 18th June 2016 2nd Qualifying Round 23rd July 2016 3rd Qualifying Round 27th August 2016 4th Qualifying Round 10th September 2016 5th Qualifying Round 22nd October 2016 Final 26th November 2016

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61

19th hole

It’s that time again!

Larry Canning ed@insidegolf.com.au

I

t’s akin to racing in the Dakar Rally … on a moped … naked.

Or facing my mother-in-law after sleeping with her daughter … Naked.

That reminds me … a couple of years ago I was standing on the 1st tee with this young bloke who was clearly feeling pretty cocky and confident that he was about to give me an absolute towelling. I had a bad feeling he was right, so I did what every middle-aged golf pro would do and attempted to insult this upstart and get under his skin. I sidled up to him and said – “Hey mate, you might hit it 40 yards past me and shoot something pretty low today, but I slept with your mother last night!”

To which he replied, “Don’t be a wanker, Dad.” But I digress.

The “it’s” to which I am referring above is, of course, The U.S. Open.

As tradition demands, The U.S. Open is always played on a course set up on the

PEOPLE

Sat’s pride in charity effort Satyendra Sinha has been the driving force behind the Bondi Diggers Social Golf Club for way too many years than he cares to remember.

The revered and feared Oakmont Country Club has hosted America’s most sought-after golf title a record 9 times with the last being 2007 when Angel Cabrera’s 5-over-par total was good enough to edge out Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk by 1 stroke.

The club is an eclectic bunch of golfers from the Eastern Suburbs whose regular get-together has become a Sunday morning rite for many of them.

‘Sat’ as he is affectionately known to his golf buddies has also been the man behind the club’s highly successful annual Good Friday Charity Golf Day for the last 25 years or so, all because he didn’t want to go to the Royal Easter Show.

“I started doing it because I didn’t want to go to the Easter Show with the kids. I sent my wife instead. She asked me what was I going to do and I said I might have a Charity Golf Day. That’s how it started over 25 years ago,” Mr. Sinha said The Charity Day has to date raised over $200,000 for the Sydney Children’s Hospital, and while Sat has a sense of pride with what he has managed to achieve for the Hospital, he’s quick to play down his efforts and what he gets out of it.

“Just personal satisfaction mate. Regulars look forward to coming. Every cent we raise goes to the hospital. It’s a good day out.”

Sat has been involved with the The Bondi Diggers Social Golf Club for over 30 years.

The club itself was based at the famous old Bondi establishment and was a popular activity on the club’s sports calendar for many of the members.

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June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

edge of unplayable with some of the best golfers in the world stumbling off the 36th green with new-found twitches and speech impediments. Greens harder than the Wacca, rough that resembles Donald Trump’s hair in a strong wind and par-4s narrower than the runway he lands his jet on seem to be the perfect formula as seen by the USGA suits.

And this month’s venue appears to be no exception.

Wonder kid, Jordan Spieth played a notso-secretive practice round last month and had this to say to the media who weren’t supposed to know he was playing: “I got involved with the Diggers over 30 years ago. We used to get around 50 members play every Sunday, that sort of thing. It was a good get together with your friends. It got you out of the house. We still enjoy it.”

After 25 years running the successful charity day, Sat is considering stepping aside and handing over the reins to the event.

“It’s very dear to me, and very important I can talk someone into running it, as long as that someone can do the job. There’s lots of time and effort in it. I might have to bribe someone,” he laughs.

Sat however, still intends to be a regular on the day. The importance of the charity will still be close to his heart.

“I will still be there to support the day, anything for the kids you know,” he smiled.

“I know that if you win a U.S. Open at Oakmont, you can go ahead and say that you’ve conquered the hardest test in all of golf,” Spieth said. “Because this is arguably the hardest course in America day-to-day.”

This has to beg the question, how the hell do the members go? Imagine being at the presentation after a Saturday Stableford – “The winner was Judge Smails with 5 points.

Runner-up was Hootie Johnson with 3. The last ball went to Sandy Greenback with none on a countback. Just a reminder, members, we still have no one booked in for next week’s monthly medal.”

Call me sick, twisted maybe even a tad masochistic, but instead of feeling some kind of empathy watching my professional colleagues being physically and mentally tortured during those four days, I’m going to love every second of it! There’s something really quite captivating watching a player celebrating a par like it’s some rare Egyptian

relic he’s just spent three months digging up.

To me, viewing the U.S. Open is like watching a movie with Indiana Jones battling evil villains, massive rolling rocks and a pit full of deadly, venomous snakes to capture one of the rarest artefacts on the golfing planet … a U.S. Open birdie!

Then there’s the sub-plot which always sees Phil Mickelson holding the golden statue worth millions in his hands only to have it ripped out by the evil, rich opportunistic philanthropist played by… well just about anyone who has won the U.S. Open since 1999.

The Aussie contingent, which wasn’t finalised when this was written, will be headed up by Jason Day and, according the 4-time Olympic champion, Dawn Fraser the “Evil Anti-Australian”, Adam Scott. I’m a huge fan of our Dawny and I see the work she does for women’s professional golf in this country but her criticism of Adam Scott and his decision to not play in the Olympics is way off base.

Adam has done more for golf, and sport for that matter, in this country than just about anyone else since Greg Norman back in the 1980’s. What he did to promote our game during the Australian golf season 2013 was nothing short of remarkable and clearly physically taxing although he didn’t let on to his fans or media. Then to cap it off by partnering Jason Day to take Australia to our first World Cup win in 25 years has apparently all been forgotten by Dawn. The Olympics might be the pinnacle for some sports but unfortunately golf isn’t one of them.

It’ll do me, when one of our golfing stars, playing in a major championship across the other side of the world, holes a winning putt and in that moment of passion and emotion, instinctively screams out “C’mon Aussie”.

19th hole

COLOURFUL CHARARCTERS FROM A BYGONE ERA

‘Wild Thing’ tame compared to Ky

By David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

W

HAT do Tiger Woods, John Daly, Mark Calcavecchia, Ben Crenshaw, Ian Woosnam and Bernhard Langer have in common?

If you answered they are all major winners, you would be right but they are also known as occasional club throwers along with Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter, Luke Donald, Charley Hoffman, Jerry Kelly and Tommy “Thunder” Bolt.

Still, this group of alleged club throwers had nothing on Ky Laffoon – a true eccentric of the US PGA Tour in the 1930 and 1940s.

A colourful character, he had a love-hate relationship with his clubs, but he was mostly at war with his putter.

Compared to Laffoon, John “Wild Thing” Daly is relatively tame.

Like Daly, Laffoon was a fine player. He won 12 professional tournaments and made the Ryder Cup team in 1935.

But Laffoon had a bad temper – so bad his wife even threatened to leave him.

The quick nine quiz THERE are 22 stableford points up for grabs on the front nine.

How many can you get?

with David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

1. Can you name the last Australian to win the US Open? (2 pts) 2. True or false: Jack Nicklaus’ first of his 18 major titles was a US Open. (2 pts) 3. Two Australians finished tied for fourth behind winner Jordan Spieth at the 2015 US Open. One was Adam Scott. Who was the other Aussie? (2 pts) 4. Greg Norman twice finished runner-up in the US Open to Fuzzy Zoeller and Corey Pavin in 1984 and 1995 respectively. Which one of these players beat the Shark in an 18hole playoff? (1 pts) 5. American Hale Irwin became the oldest winner of the US Open in 1990. How old was Irwin when he lifted the trophy – 44, 45, 46 or 47? (3 pts) 6. Winning the US Open with an over-par score is quite common, but what is the highest over-par winning total – 15, 16, 17 or 18over par? (3 pts) 7. How many times has Tiger Woods won the US Open? (3 pts) 8. Can you solve the following anagram for 2014 US Open winner – A minty marker?

Clue: He’s European (3 pts) 9. What is the total prize purse for this year’s US Open –$US8.5m, $US9m, $US9.5m, $US10m or $US10.5m? (3 pts)

Once he had three swings at his ball in a honeysuckle bush and then started screaming.

His wife turned on her heel and headed back to the clubhouse.

He hurried after her saying that he wasn’t angry at his golf and that he just hated honeysuckle.

But it was his putter that came in for some serious physical and mental abuse.

Once he tried to strangle the flatstick and when that failed, he attempted drowning the club.

Legend has it he held the offending club under the surface of a pond, shouting: “drown, you son-of-a-b…, drown!”

On another occasion, he missed a short putt on the 18th and, shaking with anger, walked to the nearby car park, pulled a gun from the boot of the car and shot the putter three times all the time shouting, “Take that you son-of-a-b…!

“That’s the last time you three-putt on me.”

Then, after another bad day on the greens, he drove 600 kilometres to the next tournament with his putter tied to the rear bumper of his car because he wanted to “teach it a lesson”.

He rarely blamed himself for a missed putt, but once he did and tossed his putter in the air and positioned himself underneath to head butt it.

The putter won that battle and he was stretchered off unconscious. I think he only did it once, but other times he would punch himself around the head.

Playing the Sacramento Open Laffoon missed a gimme putt and in trying to kick the shaft, hit the putter head instead, knocking it off and breaking his toe.

Angry, he swung the shaft at the ball, missed and earned a penalty shot.

Then there was the time he three-putted on a par-3 and his playing partners looked away not knowing how he would react.

Well, he took all the balls out of his golf bag and started throwing those stamped #4 into a greenside lake, shouting, “How can you make a three with a ball that has a four on it?”

Laffoon had the habit of sharpening the leading edge of his irons on the road between tournaments.

In 1934, he won six tournaments and in 1936 teamed up with Walter Hagan to win the Inverness Invitational Fourball.

He was good friends with Ben Hogan and the pair would often share a car between tournaments.

He even worked with Hogan to develop a hook-proof swing.

Like John Daly, Laffoon never did reach his full potential but he was popular with golf fans because he brought colour to a game that sometimes takes itself too seriously.

Once, he spotted an “easy target” carrying rusty clubs, asked the player his handicap and was told 15.

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Answers: page 67

Laffoon would then double the winnings and collect his share.

He was found dead at home having shot himself.

After that, he continued with his hustling tricks.

His favourite was wearing canary yellow strides and matching shoes.

Thompson would beat most opponents and then say, “Why, even my caddie could beat you – double or quits.”

In 1984, doctors told him he had inoperable cancer and he made a final visit to the boot of his car.

His last victory was in 1950 and he retired aged 42.

Laffoon was a colourful character, but also a colourful dresser long before Doug Sanders, Ian Poulter and Daly.

Just before Laffoon got going in golf, he caddied for Titanic Thompson, who didn’t mind a bet.

After the match, he was seen moping around the clubhouse and was asked if he had lost.

“No”, he replied, “but you can’t trust people these days. I had to shoot 67 to beat the lying son of a b…!”

In 1938, he won the Miami Fourball with Dick Metz and then defeated Sam Snead in the Cleveland Open.

1 You are one most likely (6) 4 Knock-offs (6) 10 Final outcome (3,6) 11 Work out (5) 12 Golf hazard (4) 13 Progress from round two to three in a golf tournament (4,3,3) 15 Advertising catch-phrase often used by sponsors of golf tournaments, say (6) 16 Be a caddie, for example (6) 18 Welsh winner of the 2006 European Masters, Bradley ______ (6) 20 Elbow-room (6) 23 Not beaten in competition (10) 25 Earnest request (4) 27 Winner of the 2006 Australian PGA Championship, Nick _____ (5) 28 The Scottish home of golf (2,7) 29 A pattern of recurrence that may help a golfer’s play (6) 30 High position or standing (6)

He would lean out of the door of the car and use the road surface as a grinder.

Laffoon said he was, in fact, a 16 handicapper and would be willing to play for $50.

30

DOWN

1 Best (8) 2 Kiwi winner of the 2016 Kia Classic and ANA Inspiration (5,2) 3 Not under or over par (4) 5 Winner of 2016 Perth International, Louis __________ (10) 6 Unlawful (7) 7 Attractively slim; slender and graceful (6) 8 City that hosted the 2013 Fiji Open (4) 9 Physical, emotional or mental pressure (6) 14 Regular Aussie commentator on the PGA circuit, Ian _____-_____ (5-5) 16 Hole in one (3) 17 Goes round (8) 18 Unsteady with age (7) 19 Describing the fairways and greens of most golf courses (6) 21 Winner of the 2016 US Masters, Danny _______ (7) 22 Gossip (6) 24 Test of skill and knowledge (4) 26 Prepare for publication (4) www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

63

ANSWERS: (1). Geoff Ogilvy, in 2006; (2). True; (3).

Cameron Smith; (4). Fuzzy Zoeller; (5). 45; (6). 17-over par by Walter Hagan in 1919; (7). Three; (8). Martin Kaymer; (9). $US10m.

your voice

Time to correct problems in Australian handicapping Many golfers I talk to believe the current handicapping system is too harsh, resulting in handicaps that are too low. This letter outlines my memory of how this occurred, and what can be done to fix it.

Club golfers will recall that the gradual move to an Australian version of the USGA system started in April 2010, when some elements of the USGA system were introduced. What were not brought in at that time were the Course Rating/Slope concepts to account for the difference in difficulty between courses, and dampeners on handicap volatility, in particular the Stableford Handicapping Adjustment whereby, for handicapping purposes, any Stroke score on a hole which exceeds one more than a Stableford point, is adjusted downward to only one more than a Stableford point. The reason for the progressive introduction of full USGA handicapping was the organisation required to assess course ratings and slope, as well as the need to give software providers the chance to change programs.

It is worth noting that the reasons given

by Golf Australia for changing to the USGA system were largely around perceived technical faults in the old Australian system.

Many observers, though, felt that the major benefit would be portability of handicaps when Australian golfers travelled to Asia, continental Europe and the Americas.

The result of this partial implementation of the USGA system was a blowout in 2010-2011 in most Australian handicaps, with many B and C graders having their handicaps extended by 4-7 shots, and in some instances by even more.

The Golf Australia solution to the handicap blowout was to move away from the standard USGA rules from April 2011, and make the following changes: • Alter the ‘Best 10 of 20’ cards on which the raw handicap average was calculated to ‘Best 8 of 20’.

• Change the Multiplier applied to the average from 0.96 to 0.93.

• Cap the amount over the course rating that was recorded on Golflink to no more than 50 for women, and 40 for men • Introduce an Anchor to prevent a player’s handicap from increasing excessively beyond their best exact handicap from the previous 12-month rolling period.

Letter of the Month These ‘interim’ changes had the desired effect, and winning singles Stableford scores in the high 40’s were no longer the norm from about the end of 2011.

Then in late 2012, GA announced that the balance of the USGA system would be implemented from 2014. Golf administrative bodies and clubs, as well as Tier 2 and Tier 3 software providers, expended considerable effort over the next two years to implement the remainder of the USGA system. An Australian-unique Daily Scratch Rating (an updated version of the old DCR) was also introduced.

Importantly, included in this second tranche of changes was the Stableford Handicapping Adjustment. This feature had the immediate effect of reducing handicaps by limiting the handicapping impact of Stroke rounds - any score on a hole that is greater than one-more- than-aStableford-point is adjusted downward.

And that is where we are in Australia today.

We have a handicapping system which looks very like the full USGA system, but with some important differences, which I suggest are unnecessary, and which have the effect of producing club handicaps which are too low. The ‘Australian’ features which were introduced in 2011 to reduce inflated handicaps are no longer needed.

GA should immediately (as soon as software changes can be made) re-instate the ‘Best 10 of 20’ cards and the 0.96 Multiplier features.

Some will say, what does it matter if handicaps seem low across the board, since it is fair on everyone being an Australiawide system? The response I think is that Australian golfers are disadvantaged if their handicaps are clearly below what they would be under other golfing jurisdictions.

Moving to full USGA would deliver one major benefit: portability of Australian handicaps.

DSR is another Australian feature which the USGA may consider corrupts the USGA system enough to prevent portability of Australian handicaps. Golf Australia may be able to negotiate around this issue with the USGA body.

John Hogbin, ACT

Your Voice

Have you got something to say? Then tell us! Write to us via email at ed@insidegolf.com.au. Tell an interesting story or something funny about golf and you could win a great prize, like this month’s Inside Golf Prize pack – four Inside Golf shirts and hats – perfect for your weekly foursome!)

Letters received by Inside Golf may be modified and edited for length and clarity. The opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Inside Golf. (Except for the good ones – we really like those!)

64

June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

We should all be colour blind I am writing to very strongly support the ideas you presented in the March editorial of Inside Golf (Starters Box: Going beyond the Red, White and Blue).

I am a 59-year-young female. I took up golf five years ago at 54, after no longer being able to play tennis due to bad knees. I had never considered golf as a sport for me but now I am completely hooked. My GA hcp is 10.3.

I must say initially I was completely shocked at the sexist thinking and activities around golf. Fortunately for me, at our club some forward-thinking women had already taken on the fight and now women can play on Saturdays, albeit in a separate comp, though mixed in with the men. The majority of the men now seem to be comfortable with this but there are certainly still some who object women as well as men!

I have raised the issue a number of times as to why we cannot challenge ourselves and play off whichever tee we choose in

competition. Surely it doesn’t matter whether you are male or female, as long as you are handicapped to the same tees then the sex of the player should be irrelevant. I understand some people are not comfortable playing with the opposite sex. That’s ok and separate sex comps can still be catered for...women tend to have a particular day and “Vets” in my experience is generally exclusively men.

I get a little tired of playing the same tees all the time and get annoyed when the only alternative offered is a very short “purple” course. I also believe that many of the older men would appreciate hitting off the shorter red course. I certainly see them often, quietly, taking this alternative when having a late summer afternoon social round.

I believe the game of golf is fantastic and a great contribution to many communities. I would like to see it thrive. How can we get people to open their minds and embrace changes to enhance the game?

Roslyn Hughes

Good news I wish to compliment you on your latest editorial (Starters Box, May issue). With all the doom & gloom about golf clubs over the past 2/3 years your article is so very refreshing. My particular club (Woodlands)

is travelling very well this year with the time sheets full on Competition days having waiting lists.

Keep up the good work at Inside Golf!

Gary Powerlett

DSR not so BAD I read with interest Allen Alderton’s “DSR is BAD” letter (March issue), and in some ways I agree with him. We have noted this at my club, however it sure beats the old Golf Handicapping system In past years I was a Handicapper for a major yacht club in Melbourne for several years, where we took the last rolling 8 races, dropped the best result and the worst two, then worked out the yacht’s new Handicap on the remaining 5 results.

So when the new GA handicap system was proposed, it looked far better than the old.

The problem stems from the DSR system which seems to work ok on a full-field of scores, with a fairly standard distribution.

If one imagines a full comp day (say 200 persons) of which some 95% will submit cards (a few pull out due to injuries, badhair days, etc) then the “Range of Scores” will cover the typical (say) 42 to 20 Stableford points, with a fairly typical Bell Curve of results scattered across the range.

The DSR will end up being in the -1, 0, +1 variance to the course rating. Some days with extreme weather or conditions may make this variance larger (often to -2) but the Bell Curve distribution will/should remain as a fairly symmetrical shape.

Now take a day which is NOT a formal Comp day, where it is not mandatory that you hand in a card. One finds that the scores submitted now range in the 42 to 30 range, and hence the Bell Curve is highly skewed.

You hit a score of (say) 39, and your DSR score says you just played to your handicap, since the course was way too easy and the DSR was 69 ( -3?)

Nobody (or few) below 32 or 30 put in cards,

and that may be in a field of 100 or 120. If you come in with a score of (say) 36, then your DSR score may well INCREASE your handicap.

It is likely that only 1/3 of the players would submit a card, in the belief that it would help drop their handicap.

I do think there is a reasonable fix. Using the figures above (200 players vs 120 players and a course rating of 72), the system should have data fields to submit: a) The number of players who played a round that day (i: 200, ii: 120); b) Less 5% (injuries, non-finish, i: 190 cards, ii: 114 cards... unless all card submitted); c) No. of cards put into the system (i: 190 scores, ii: 35 scores); d) % rank of scores to expected cards (i: 100%, ii: 30.7% (35/114x100)); and e) Weight the Average (DSR) calc against the % of scores submitted versus cards expected: (i: 100%, so if DSR = 69 versus course DSR of 72, then the 69 DSR stands as correct. True distribution. ii: 30.7%, so if DSR=69 (based only on 35 high scores) Variance of 3 x .307 = 0.92 rounded = 1 Hence DSR = 71).

What this is doing is “weighting” the scores received across a normal expected range.

If you don’t, then the reason for case ii) being a DSR = 69 is that an amazing field of 35 brilliant golfers played on that one day……. and if they did, under my system, the 35 cards and 35 scores = 100% and therefore the 69 DSR would be correct.

In general, the new system works, but mainly for full fields with a reasonable spread (bell curve) of scores.

Here’s for better golf.

Dale Burrows

demo dates PING

Location

Ph: (02) 9524 8233 or visit www.ping.com Day Date Time

New South Wales Bonnie Doon Golf Club ◊ * Wednesday June 01 Concord Golf Club ◊ * Thursday June 02 Bayview Golf Club ◊ * Friday June 03 June 06 Oatlands Golf Club ◊ * Monday Bankstown Golf Club ◊ * Tuesday June 07 Castle Hill Golf Club ◊ * Wednesday June 08 Royal Sydney Golf Club ◊ * Thursday June 09 Terrey Hills Country Club ◊ * Friday June 10 Thornleigh Driving Range ◊ * Tuesday June 14 The Ridge Golf Driving Range ◊ * Wednesday June 15 Moss Vale Golf Club ◊ * Thursday June 16 Highlands Golf Club ◊ * Friday June 17 Nelson Bay Golf Club ◊ * Tuesday June 21 Belmont Golf Club ◊ * Wednesday June 22 Gunnedah Golf Club ◊ * Thursday June 23 Tamworth Golf Club ◊ * Friday June 24 Illawarra Golf Range ◊ * Tuesday June 28 Moore Park ◊ * Wednesday June 29 Killara Golf Club ◊ * Thursday June 30 Queensland June 03 Maroochydore River Golf Club ° Friday The Grand Golf Club ° * Saturday June 04 Victoria Park Driving Range ° * Tuesday June 07 Pacific Golf Club ◊ * Friday June 10 June 15 Middle Ridge Golf Club ◊ * Wednesday Nudgee Golf Club ◊ * Friday June 17 Drummond Golf Townsville ◊ * Wednesday June 22 Golf World Townsville ◊ * Wednesday June 22 Cairns Golf Club ◊ * Thursday June 23 Cairns Golf Club ° * Friday June 24 Palm Meadows ° Friday June 24 Drummond Golf Cairns at Cairns Golf Centre ° Saturday June 25 Golf Central Thursday June 30 Western Australia Whaleback G C ° * Wednesday June 01 Secret Harbour G C ° * Friday June 03 Marangaroo G C ° Friday June 10 Victoria Spring Valley Golf Club ◊ * Wednesday June 01 Melbourne Golf Academy ° Wednesday June 01 The House of Golf - Epping ◊ * Thursday June 03 Woodlands Golf Club ◊ * Saturday June 04 Melbourne Golf Academy ◊ * Tuesday June 07 Rosebud Country Club ◊ * Wednesday June 08 June 09 Yarra Bend Driving Range ° Thursday Kooringal Golf Club ◊ * Tuesday June 14 Cardinia Beaconhills Golf Club ◊ * Wednesday June 15 National Golf Club ◊ * Friday June 17

MIZUNO

Location

Day

New South Wales / ACT Drummond Golf - Casula * Thursday Sunday Cumberland CC * ** Thornleigh Golf Centre * Tuesday Pambula Merimbula GC * Thursday Drummond Golf - North Mead * Thursday Tweed Heads * Friday Saturday Roseville GC * ** The Ridge Driving Range * Wednesday Toronto G.C * Thursday Moore Park G.C * Tuesday Oatlands * Monday South Australia Kooyonga GC Wednesday Victoria/Tasmania MGA Driving Range Wednesday Bulleen (MCA Fitting Centre) * Thursday Friday Cranbourne GC (MCA Fitting Centre) * ** Beaconhills GC (MCA Fitting Centre) Friday Western Australia Albany Golf Club Friday Spalding Park Thursday Port Headland Thursday Kooyonga GC Wednesday Queensland Palm Meadows * Friday Surfers Paradise * Thursday Logan City * Wednesday Vic Park * Tuesday Grand Golf Club * ** Saturday Boonah Golf Club * Friday Yeppoon Golf Club * Thursday Tewantin Noosa Tuesday Indooroopilly Golf Club Wednesday Rowes Bay Golf Club * Wednesday Golf World Townsville * Wednesday Golf World Cairns * Thursday Cairns Golf Club * Friday Drummond Cairns at Cairns Golf Centre Driving Range 9am - 2pm Golf Central * Thursday

9am - 2.30pm 12 - 5pm 12 - 5pm 1 - 5pm 9am - 1pm 9am - 1pm 9am - 4pm 10am - 3pm 1 - 7pm 4 - 7pm 10am - 3pm 12 - 4pm 10am - 4pm 9am - 1pm 12 - 4.30pm 9am - 4pm 9am - 2pm 4 - 7pm 8am - 1pm 2 - 5pm 10am - 1pm 5 - 7.30pm 11am - 3pm 9am - 1pm 9am - 12pm 9am - 12pm 1 - 3.30pm 9am - 1pm 1 - 6pm 1 - 5pm 8am - 2pm 4 - 7pm 4 - 7pm 9am - 1pm 1 - 5pm 10am - 2pm 4 - 7pm 1 - 5pm 10am - 2pm 4 - 7pm 10am - 2pm 4 - 7pm 1 - 5pm 3 - 6pm 1 - 5pm

mizuno.com.au

Date Time

June 02 3 - 6pm June 05 1 - 6pm June 07 4 - 7pm June 09 8 - 1pm June 09 4 - 7pm June 10 2 - 5pm June 18 8am - 1pm June 22 4 - 7pm June 23 1 - 4pm June 28 4 - 7pm June 30 1 - 5pm June 15 9am - 3pm June 01 June 09 June 10 June 17

4 - 7pm 12 - 5pm 12 - 5pm 1 - 5pm

June 17 10am - 2pm June 09 9am - 1pm June 16 11am - 3pm June 15 9am - 3pm June 24 1 - 4pm June 09 2 - 4pm June 08 10am - 1pm June 07 5.30 - 7.30m June 04 10am - 1pm June 03 1 - 4pm June 02 2 - 6pm June 07 9am - 12pm June 15 9am - 1pm June 22 8am - 1pm June 22 4 - 6pm June 23 3 - 5.30pm June 24 12 - 6pm Saturday June 25 June 30 4 - 7pm

* Appointment Only. ** Members Only. °Ping Demo day. ◊ Ping Fitting. » TaylorMade Demo Day. † TaylorMade Fitting. √ Callaway Fitting Day. ≠ Callaway Demo Day. Dates subject to change without notice. It is recommended that you contact venue before attending.

CALLAWAY

www.callawaygolf.com.au | callawaygolf.com/demo-days

Location New South Wales / ACT Moree Golf Shop Liverpool Golf Club √ ≠ Gunnedah Golf Club √ Nsw Golf Club ≠ Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley √ Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley √ Illawarra Golf Range √ ≠ The Australian Golf Club √ ** Port Macquarie Golf Club √ Pro Shop Taree Golf Club √ Massey Park Golf Club √ ≠ Moore Park Golf House ≠ Waratah Golf Club √ Pambula Merrimbula Golf Club √ Newcastle Golf Club √ ** Sapphire Coast Golf School √ Canterbury Golf Course √ ≠ The Lakes Golf Club * ** Dave’s Golf Shop Morisset √ Kooindah Waters Golf Operation √ Bathurst Golf Centre √ ≠ The Vintage Golf Club √ Wenty Pro Shop √ * Queensland Pro Shop Pacific Golf Club √ Burleigh Golf Club √ Tewantin Noosa Golf Club Victoria Park Golf Complex ≠ Oxley Golf Club ≠ Golf World Townsville √ * Palm Meadows Driving Range ≠ Palm Meadows Driving Rang ≠ Cairns Golf Club Cairns Golf Centre Drummond Golf Townsville √ * South Australia Drummond Golf Darlington √ Drummond Golf Enfield √ Victoria/Tasmania Sanctuary Lakes Golf Club √ Yarra Bend √ ≠ Pro-Shop Long Island Country Club √ Green Acres Golf Club √ * Huntingdale Golf Club √ ** Rosebud Country Club √ * Tirhatuan Lakes Public Golf Course √ ≠ Northern Golf Club √ * Bulleen Driving Range ≠ Western Australia Lakelands Golf Shop Kalgoorlie Golf Club Kalgoorlie Golf Club Maylands Peninsula Golf Course Spalding Park Golf Club

TAYLORMADE

Location Queensland Goondiwindi GC † Caloundra GC † * Royal Queensland GC † * Lismore GC † * Wantima GC † * Redcliffe GC † * The Grand GC † * Parkwood GC † * Rockhampton GC † * Coolangatta GC † * Drummond Golf Cairns † Victoria Park » Golf Central † * Victoria Melbourne Golf Academy » Drummond Golf Niddrie † * Eastern GC † * Morack GC † * Melton Valley GC † * House of Golf Ringwood † * Drummond Golf Preston † * New South Wales/ACT Wollongong GC † * Illawarra GC † * House of Golf - Coffs Harbour † * Port Macquarie Driving Range † * Gunghalin Lakes GC † * Queanbeyan GC † * Murrumbidgee CC † * Bonnie Doon GC † * Drummond Golf Northmead † * Bexley GC † * Roseville GC † *

COBRA PUMA

Location New South Wales / ACT Canterbury GC Pennant Hills GC Pete’s Golf Co Par Tee Virtual Golf Penrith Drummond Victoria MGA Albert Park Driving Range Queensland Windaroo Lakes GC Bribie Island GC Victoria Park GC Surfers Paradise Western Australia Secret Harbour Golf Links

Day

Date Time

Wednesday Thursday Thursday Friday Friday Friday Friday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Thursday Thursday Friday Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Friday Friday Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday

June 01 June 02 June 02 June 03 June 03 June 03 June 10 June 15 June 16 June 16 June 16 June 16 June 17 June 21 June 22 June 22 June 23 June 24 June 24 June 24 June 28 June 29 June 29

12 - 5pm 9am - 1pm 10am - 4pm 9am - 3pm 1 - 5pm 1 - 5pm 1 - 5pm 9.30am - 1.30pm 12 - 4pm 10am - 2pm 10am - 2pm 4 - 7pm 12 - 4pm 10am - 2pm 8am - 12pm 9am - 1pm 10am - 3pm 10am - 3pm 12 - 4pm 1 - 4pm 12 - 5pm 10am - 4pm 10am - 2pm

Friday Friday Tuesday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Friday Friday Saturday Sunday

June 03 June 10 June 14 June 14 June 15 June 23 June 24 June 24 June 24 June 25 June 26

10am - 1pm 10am - 1pm 10am - 12.30pm 5.30 - 7.30pm 10am - 2pm 11am - 2pm 1 - 4.30pm 1 - 4.30pm 2 - 6pm 8am - 2pm 10am - 12pm

Thursday Thursday

June 02 4 - 7pm June 16 4 - 7pm

Wednesday Wednesday Friday Friday Wednesday Saturday Tuesday Saturday Wednesday

June 01 June 01 June 03 June 03 June 08 June 11 June 14 June 18 June 22

10am - 2pm 4 - 7pm 9am - 1pm 10am - 2pm 10am - 2pm 10am - 2pm 10am - 2pm 9am - 1pm 3 - 6pm

Wednesday Saturday Sunday Saturday Saturday

June 01 June 04 June 05 June 11 June 25

10am - 1pm 9am - 4pm 8am - 12pm 8am - 12pm 8am - 3pm

www.taylormadegolf.com.au | 1800 700 011 Day

Date Time

Wednesday Thursday Friday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Saturday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Tuesday Thursday

June 01 June 02 June 03 June 07 June 08 June 09 June 11 June 15 June 16 June 24 June 25 June 28 June 30

1.30 - 4.30pm 1 - 3.30pm 1 - 5pm 1 - 4pm 1 - 4pm 12 - 4pm 10am - 1pm 3 - 6pm 10am - 1pm 2 - 5pm 10am - 1pm 5.30 - 7.30pm 4 - 7pm

Wednesday Friday Saturday Thursday Friday Saturday Monday

June 01 June 03 June 04 June 09 June 17 June 18 June 20

4 - 7pm 10am - 4pm 10am - 2pm 3 - 6pm 10am - 2pm 10am - 4pm 10am - 4pm

Thursday Friday Wednesday Friday Monday Tuesday Thursday Wednesday Thursday Friday Wednesday

June 02 June 03 June 08 June 10 June 13 June 14 June 16 June 22 June 23 June 24 June 29

11am - 4pm 1 - 5pm 12 - 6pm 8am - 12pm 10am - 3pm 10am - 3pm 10am - 3pm 9am - 2pm 4 - 7pm 12 - 4pm 9am - 1pm

cobragolf.com.au

Day Date Time Thursday Tuesday Thursday Friday Tuesday

June 02 June 07 June 16 June 17 June 23

10am - 2pm 8am - 1pm 2 - 4pm 2 - 6pm 4 - 7pm

Wednesday Wednesday

June 01 June 08

4 - 7pm 5 - 7pm

Wednesday Saturday Tuesday Thursday

June 08 June 25 June 28 June 30

2.30 - 5pm 9.30 - 12.30pm 5.30 - 7.30pm 1 - 4pm

Friday

June 03

9am - 1pm

www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

65

golf directory

BARGARA GOLF CLUB Winner 2014 Legends Tour Pro Am of the year

Home of the Bargara Ladies Classic & Qld Amateur Junior Championship

Other packages available

STAY & PLAY PACKAGES

$120 p/person (min 2pp)

“you give up things when you buy a Kahma Golf Bag” • clanging clubs • damaged irons • worn graphite shafts • frustration finding the right iron From the inventors oF the CaddyraCk

• 1 night Twin Share Accommodation • 18 Holes on our Championship Course • Lunch at the BGC Bistro • Twin Share Electric Cart • Beautiful beach side location • Short walk to the first tee

GET ORGANISED WITH

Patented Softgrip Technology

*Conditions apply available Tuesday-Sunday only. Comp fees extra POA.

For bookings call (07) 4159 1180 info@shorelineapartments.com.au | www.bargaragolfclub.com.au

1300 738 557

www.kahmagolf.com

Aquarius R

E

S

O

R

MAGIC MERIMBULA This is the most popular package on the Sapphire Coast, it gets booked out early - don't miss out

T

• 4 days golf playing at the beautiful Sapphire Coast courses of Pambula/ Merimbula, Tathra Beach, Eden, Bega, and Tura Beach. All courses are only 5 to 20 mins drive from the Resort. per person

$250

• 6 nights accommodation in a 2 & 3 bedroom fully self contained apartment (linen supplied).

• 6 FREE fully cooked poolside breakfasts, buffet style.

Packages starting from: $499*pp / 2 Share $415*pp / 3 Share $395*pp / 4 Share

• Free use of resort facilities, indoor gas heated pool, sauna & spa, full size tennis court, BBQ area and outdoor pool.

*Conditions apply

• Large Groups Welcome

Phone Toll Free 1800 688 881 Ring toll free for free brochure

aquariusresort@netspeed.com.au Crn Dunns Lane & Arthur Kaine Drv, MERIMBULA NSW www.aquarius-resort.com.au

Packages

All golfers stay for

$50 per night including cooked breakfast (twin share) week days only ...minimum group of 10.

Rounds of golf not included

Play • Horizons • Kooindah Waters (Wyong) • Pacific Dunes • Cypress Lakes • Nelson Bay • Tanilba Bay • Hawks Nest • The Vintage • Newcastle

*WINTER SPECIAL*

Other packages alsO available

• 3 Games Golf - Horizons, Nelson Bay and Tanilba Bay • 3 x $20 Dinner Vouchers • 3 Cooked Breakfasts • 3 Nights Accomodation (twin share) • Total Cost per person $300 (Arriving Sunday, Monday or Tuesday)

66

For reservations or additional information call Christine or Mike on

47 Meredith Ave, Lemon Tree Passage, NSW 2319

Phone (02) 4982 3300

www.lemontreemotel.com.au

June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

Email: lemontreepassagemotel@idl.net.au

To suit your individual needs

49

$

*

18 HOLES

On our championship course.

Includes Twin Share electric cart hire and lunch.

p/person

1 NiGHt PACKAGE DEALs

140

$

*

p/person

To book accomm call 02 6680 2222

• 1 night’s accommodation in twin share or double room • Continental Breakfast • 18 holes of Golf with shared electric cart at Ocean Shores Golf Club • Main Course Dinner at Coast Restaurant Ocean Shores Country Club

BLUE MARKER CHALLENGE Played last Friday of each month.

Play to your handicap or better & receive a dozen Pro V’s.

Only 30 minutes south of Coolangatta and 15 minutes north of Byron Bay *Conditions apply

For advertising call 1300 465 300

30

$

*

Visitors

golf directory

BARGARA GOLF CLUB

STAY & PLAY PACKAGE

$100pp per night (minimum 4 ppl) $112pp per night (minimum 2 ppl) Package includes 1 night accommodation 18 hole golf game Lunch at Bargara Golf Club Twin share golf cart *Conditions apply, off peak rates

BACKS ONTO 10TH HOLE

For bookings call (07) 4159 2295

11-13 See Street, Bargara Beach, QLD 4670 Email: bargarabeachvillas@hotmail.com | www.bargarabeachvillas.com.au Need new batteries?

IS YOUR GOLF CART SLOWING DOWN?

OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO INCREASE THE LIFE OF YOUR BATTERIES?

Don’t replace them, restore them with the Battery Reviver > Cleans the damaging sulphure build up on the lead plates. > Restores the voltage of the batteries. > Restores the sulphuric acid strength. > Restores the performance of the batteries.

Want to triple the life of your good batteries?

Increase the life of your batteries by up to three times by eliminating the main reasons the batteries fail, SULPHATION. If you eliminate the main reason your batteries fail, it must increase the life of your batteries.

30 DAY SATISFACTION GUARANTEE OR YOUR MONEY BACK Patent # 7374839

For more information, pricing and to order

Phone 1300 852 433 or visit our website

3 Great Courses and a Great Place to Stay in Orange The Original Golf Package Specialist in Orange 2 Night Accommodation and 2 Rounds of Golf (Duntryleague and Wentworth)

$

210

pp twin share

There is nothing like golfing in the high country of Orange only 3 hours drive from Sydney.

Orange has three wonderful courses where visitors are most welcome. All courses are minutes from Melview Greens which is a chip away from Wentworth Golf Course and owned by a keen golfing family. All apartments are fully appointed with undercover parking at the door.

www.batteryreviver.com.au

“Once you have stayed you’ll come back again”

AS SEEN ON TV: Find-A-Ball golf glasses

The Find-a-Ball glasses come complete with a moulded, zip up case that can clip onto your bag and a cleaning cloth.

For more information, cost or to order visit our website www.golfscene.com.au or call us on 1300 852 433.

Find-a-Ball glasses are designed to block out the majority of light, creating a clever way of locating your white or yellow balls easily. The specially tinted, UV coated lenses filter out foliage and grass, enabling the ball to stand out.

MELVIEW GREENS

Phone 02 6362 0955 Studio & Family Apartments, Ploughmans Lane Orange NSW 2800 www.melviewgreens.com.au

Crossword Answers

D R O U N D M D O H E U R R H Y

F E V R E N P B G A K R E R E F I R N C T H

R

S S S U L T V R M A K E S N A S C D G E R E A T E S X S T A Y M M

C O O S T T H U S I Z L E N D E N D I S T

P I E S L V O L V E I L E C U T I E S T B E W A Y I P P L E A L S R E W S T E A T U S For advertising call 1300 465 300

4 NIGHTS ACCOM. 5 NIGHTS ACCOM. 3 Rounds of golf + Carts Breakfast each day

$485

P/P Twin Share Conditions apply

4 Rounds of golf + Carts Breakfast each day FROM

O L Y N D I R A K L O

FROM

G R E A T E S T

$555

P/P Twin Share Conditions apply

www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

67

golf directory

Port Stephens Golfing Holidays

BEERWAH GOLF CLUB

Golf & Accommodation from only $70 per day

At the base of the beautiful Glasshouse Mountains…

9 16 Golf courses including Horizons, Nelson Bay, Newcastle, Muree, Tanilba, Cypress Lakes, Pacific Dunes, The Vintage, by boat to Hawks Nest & others 9 Play any day & with any number of people 9 Golf & accommodation from a choice of motels, hotels, units & resorts

www.facebook.com/golfpsgh

T: 02 4984 9618 | M: 0428 820 477 | info@psgh.com.au | www.psgh.com.au • Timeless Tuesday - Unlimited* Golf for ONLY $25 • Golf Equipment for Hire & Sale • Fully Licensed Clubhouse • Social Clubs & Corporate Days • No JoiNiNg Fees

Nudgee Golf Club

BLACK TEE CHALLENGE

(Wed, Sat & Sun)

More social playing times now on a Monday & Thursday

3rd Friday of each month “Bay Golf Day”

Members & Bay Golf Memberships $13 Visitors $23

Visitors pay only $25 to play in our competitions

Biondi Crescent, Beerwah (only 20 minutes from the Coast) admin@beerwahgolfclub.com.au www.beerwahgolfclub.com.au

Ph: (07) 5494 0630 Golf Shop (07) 5494 6611

pp $215 From share twin eek w mid

Phone: (07) 3267 7744

Benalla Golf Club

Three Day / Two Night Golf Package Includes: Unlimited golf, two nights accommodation, breakfast each morning, 2 x evening meals (vouchers up to the value of $20) • Fully Irrigated Greens & Fairways • Full Bar & Bistro Facilities • Abundant Wildlife including Kangaroos

www.benallagolfclub.com.au (03) 5762 1920 | benagolf@bigpond.net.au

2017 US Masters 3990 From

Packages

3 Nights 3 Nights 6 Nights

tours

US$

6 Nights 6 Nights 9 Nights

Tue-Fri 4-7 APR fri-sun 7-10 APR tue-SUN 4-10 APR

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

• Masters BADGEs • Hotel • Merchandise • Tour host Tue-mon 4-10 APR sat-fri 1-7 APR sat-mon 1-10 APR

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

info nights sydney

Tue 7 jun

• Masters BADGEs • Hotel • Merchandise • Tour host • Play Torrey Pines & Aviara

melbourne

Wed 8 jun

call to register - discounts on the night

Prices twin share and valid at the time of publication

www.thefanatics.com | 1300 326 284 | tours@thefanatics.com 68

June 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

For advertising call 1300 465 300

golf directory

Play anytime - No waiting Howeston Golf Course Enquiries welcome $

16 Weekdays

$

20 Weekends & Public Holidays *

100A Creek Road, Birkdale, Qld | Phone (07) 3207-2452

*prices include GST

Established 1972 • Full length 27-hole course • Excellent greens • Professional tuition available • Clubs for hire • Open seven days - BYO • Electric golf carts available

TRUEMANS COTTAGES

from $125 per person per night (min 4 pp) * Big or small groups...we’ve got you covered!

• Stylish fully self-contained houses & apartments • East Beach, Moyne River, Central or South Beach • Packages tailored to your group • Reduced green fees for Port Fairy & Warrnambool Call us to help plan your next golfing adventure *Conditions apply. Valid May-October 2016.

Mornington Peninsula In the heart of Mornington Peninsula golf country, 3 spacious self contained houses accommodating groups of 2-12 people with Foxtel, Wifi and BBQ areas. Golf Packages tailored to suit.

Stay 7 nights play 5 rounds

from

$650p/p

Choose from: The Dunes, Moonah Links, St Andrews, Portsea, Cape Schanck, Flinders, Sorrento or Rosebud CC.

P: (03) 5988 6540 | M: 0419 365 142 | www.truemanscottage.com.au

Clearwater Noosa

75

$

Genuine All Inclusive:

• On Course accommodation all on ground level.

Central to all Murray Courses • Self-serve, eat as much as you like, Buffet Continental Breakfast • Club evening dinner vouchers • Group organisers free of charge (groups of 12 or more) • Unlimited golf each day (conditions apply at some clubs) • Non golfers deduct $30 per day • Single Supplement $20 extra per day • Upgrade to Spa Room or cooked breakfast only $7.50 per person per day!

• FREE Golf Prizes - min. group of 12 • WEEKENDS & PUBLIC HOLIDAYS $10 extra per person per day • FREE Wifi

$85 per person per day twin share

ll

Bu

ck

Bla

Your choice of resort and club courses.

• Noosa Springs • Twin Waters • Club Pelican • Coolum Golf & Spa • Mt Coolum • Noosa Golf Club • Maroochy River • Headland • Caloundra • Peregian Springs Some conditions apply

For advertising call 1300 465 300

www.insidegolf.com.au | June 2016

69

Contact American Golf Supplies (02 9524 8233) or ping@americangolf.com.au for PING fitting account information

GOLF FACTORY PENRITH 269 High St, Penrith (near Officeworks) (02) 4722 8640 - Mail Order - 6 ½ Days info@penrithgolffactory.com.au

TaylorMade Tour Preferred Balls X Version 5 piece Std version 4 piece Urethane cover

2015 Models

$44

TaylorMade Project (a)

TaylorMade Beanie - Black OSFM One Size Fits Most

$30

$16 Ladies Callaway X-Hot Irons (6)

$59 Doz

$33 Doz

Visa, Mastercard and American Express accepted $7 NSW, $9 VIC & QLD, $10 SA, TAS, NT & WA. Postage and handling any quantity

TaylorMade Irons Graphite AeroBurner Seniors Flex Left Regular Flex Right Regular Flex Left 5 to Sand (7 Irons)

Jumbo Grip Tacki Mac Black Only

$769 $10

Fitted

$8 EACH

Distance

16º or 18º Hybrid Right Hand

Mens or Ladies Models Individually Boxed

2015 Models

$15 Dozen

15º 3 Fairway Right or left 13.5º Strong 3 Fairway Right Hand 9.5º Adjustable Driver Right or Left

$149

$79 $79 $79

$329

$22

Cart Full Length Dividers Full Length Rain Cover Putter Holder Cooler Pocket & Hood Black/Red/White or Black/White

Individually Doz Boxed

Carry with Pop Out Stand Lightweight Black Bag with either White, Yellow, Red or Blue Piping

$189 $239

$109 $169

Mens Black 3 15.5º Loft

$299

Srixon or Cleveland Ladies Tour Special Regular Flex Minimum qty$139 10

$199

Right or Left Classic XL

Callaway Big Bertha Fairway Wood 3 - 15º Regular or Seniors 5 - 18º Regular, Stiff or Lady 7 - 21º Lady Fubuki Shaft Fully Adjustable

$269

Left Hand Only Specials

Ping K15 9.5 Stiff Driver TaylorMade ATV 52° Gap Wedge or 56° Sand Wedge Callaway X-Hot Pro 9.5 Stiff Driver Cleveland Classic XL 3 Wood Regular TaylorMade Speedblades Stiff Irons (8) Callaway Mack Daddy 2 60° Lob Wedge Cleveland MT Irons 5 - PW (6) Regular TaylorMade RBZ II 19° Hybrid Regular

$229 $49 EA $129 $129 $79 $79 $129 $69 EA $99 $89 $599 $89 $279 $79

each

Plus postage Individually Boxed Doz

Cypress Point bag Odyssey Jumbo Lady Precept 14 Full length dividers Putter Grips IQ+ Balls SAVE $60 Magnetic pockets

$20 Lots of colours

Includes Cover & Wrench

Callaway X-Hot 5 Wood Regular or Seniors Cleveland Smart Square Putter

$89 & Birdies$13

BlackCooler Only pocket

$159

Callaway Big Bertha 10.5 Regular Driver Cleveland CG-16 Wedges 52°, 54°, 56° & 58° Lofts - some Silver, some Black, Std Bounce Ping G30 19° Hybrid Regular TaylorMade Jetspeed 9.5 Stiff Driver

$2

Includes Cover Eagles

2015 Model

(02) 4647 8542 - Mail Order - 7 Days

Mens Standard Thickness White Only

$10 Fitted

Callaway Hex Black Tour Balls 5 Piece Urethane Cover

$599

$429

Srixon Z-Star or Srixon Z-Star XV

$49

$29

DOZEN

Doz

Individually Boxed

Callaway Big Bertha Alpha Driver Stiff or Regular Fubuki Shaft 9º Loft Fully Adjustable Cover & Wrench

$259

Ping G30 Sale BOTH STORES

Srixon Black Gloves All Weather Durable Mens Left - S, Medium-Large or Large Mens Right - S, M, M-L, L, XL Ladies Left - Large Only Ladies Right - Small, Medium, Large

$8 EACH

Irons (6) Graphite Stiff 5 - PW Right Hand

$39 Dozen

Dozen

$108 for 6 Dozen Carton Callaway X2 Hot

Urethane Cover White or Yellow

$24

$17

$119

$18

$29

$12

TaylorMade Burner Soft Balls

4 22º Loft $229 3 19º Loft Regular Flex Right Includes Cover Hand

3 Piece Construction Durable Cover Sleeves (not individual) Distance & Green Grabbing Control

Pearl Pink Only

Ladies Graphite Set & Callaway Hex Bag & Putter Package Chrome Ball Graphite Set Divided Bag Putter & Covers ‘Ready to Play’ Tour Special by Srixon

Each

Ping I25 Hybrid

Callaway HX Bite Balls

$199

$22 Fitted

$8 Dozen

Rubber grips Srixon Distance Fairway Eagles & Birdies Augusta Bag 3.7kg Cleveland 14 Full Length Dividers Oversize Putter Tube Waterproof Bag Coverall Cooler Pocket Red/Grey or Black/Orange

Narellan Supa Centre, Narellan Rd

Project X Stiff Graphite Shafts (6.0) Including Covers & Wrench (Drivers)

Optima TS Premium Srixon Deluxe Bags - 2015 Models

Game Improvement Right Hand Models

GOLF FACTORY NARELLAN Tour Velvet Cord Golf Pride Grip

Tour Select Rubber

Callaway X-Hot Pro Model

$499

Easy to use

www.thegolffactory.com.au

Pinnacle Balls

Graphite Shafts 6 - SW

2016 WEBSITE

LARGE SWEET SPOT

$799

$499

Cleveland Irons Graphite Shafts 588 MT 3 Iron or 588 TT Sand Wedge Right Hand

$50

Eagles & Birdies Callaway X-Hot (Right Hand Only) Magnetic Pro Bag 11 Fairway 25º Graphite with Cover $119 14 Full Length Dividers SUPERSEDED 3 Fairway 15º Graphite with Cover $99 6 Magnetic Pockets model Doz Putter Pit $349 4 Hybrid 22º Graphite with Cover $89 Cooler Pocket Not individually boxed adidas BOA leather shoes 3 Hybrid 19º Graphite with Cover $89 Rubber grips Black/Orange URETHANE COVER 2 year waterproof TOURBlack BALL Mens Sand Wedgesystem Lightweight Steel Shaft $39 BOA tightening

$30

Srixon or Cleveland

$249 $2 each

No traditional laces

Legendary White Hot feel with better roll

CALLAWAYGOLF.COM.AU

SOFT CORE FOR SPEED AND FEEL FIRMER STRIKING LAYER FOR INCREASED FRICTION & AUDIO FEEDBACK

©2016 Callaway Golf Company. Odyssey and the Odyssey Swirl Device are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Callaway Golf Company. #1 Putter in Golf claim based on combined wins and usage from 2004 – present on the PGA, EPGA, JGTO, Web.com, Champions and LPGA Tours, as reported by the Darrell Survey Co. and Sports Marketing Surveys, Inc. 15-0438