Inside Golf August 2016 by Inside Golf

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 133 // August 2016 www.insidegolf.com.au

TOP TIPS

Getting into “The Zone” PLUS How to keep chipping simple

> FATHER’S DAY FAVOURITES Great golfing gear for Dad

> CLUB OF THE MONTH: The spectacular Settlers Run

A GOLDEN

OPPORTUNITY Golf returns to the Olympic Games. But will our sport ‘make the cut’ in Rio?

> GOLF TRAVEL LIFTOUT Great golf in the Hunter Valley, Newcastle and Port Stephens

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starters box

Will Olympic golf make the cut? Richard Fellner Group Editor richard@insidegolf.com.au @insidegolf

s someone who once held a glimmer of hope for Olympic glory (I was a competitive fencer in my youth) I can attest that there are few things on Earth more alluring than the opportunity to compete for a gold medal on behalf of your country. From the thumping of the drums in the “Olympic Theme” song to the dream of your national anthem playing as your country’s flag rises skyward, it’s no wonder why so many athletes dedicate most of their lives to The Olympic Games. This month, golf makes its longawaited return to the Olympics. And while it is being heralded by many as a great way to grow our game, the truth is that Olympic Golf is already struggling to “make the cut” in the eyes of many. Despite the much-publicised Zika Virus debacle (or should I say ‘excuse’?), Olympic Golf’s troubles actually began well before it even reached the Starter’s Hut: The International Golf Federation (IGF) got it unequivocally wrong when they set the format as 72-hole strokeplay. While it is a tried-and-true format, it will become abundantly clear after Round 1 in Rio that the vast majority of the field is out of contention, and will have absolutely nothing to play for. On tour, players who are back in the field can at least strive to make the cut, earn an all-important paycheck, secure FedEx cup points, etc. But in the Olympics, if you are outside the top 3, you get absolutely nothing. Ask any competitive athlete in any sport to compete all-out for 3-4 days with nothing on the line, and see what they say. Olympic Golf also suffers from a lack of prestige. For sports like Fencing, Archery, Gymnastics, etc, the Olympics represent the pinnacle of their sport. Sure, there are annual World Championships and other competitions featuring “the world’s best”, but nothing comes close to the Olympic Games. In golf, however, it’s a different story. Our four ‘Majors’ represent the sport’s pinnacle. You’d

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hardly find any players who would trade a Gold Medal for a Green Jacket or Claret Jug. Similar to Tennis (Wimbledon, etc), and Cycling (Tour de France), the Olympic flame hardly holds a candle to their events. The truth is, the world’s top male players have little to gain by playing in The Olympics. The format is boring, there is no money (nor should there be), and no real incentive. Three strikes. So it’s no wonder why so many men have pulled the pin on Rio. The Silver (Medal) Lining? While the majority of the media has condemned players for withdrawing, there is perhaps a silver lining to this cloud. In my opinion, it’s actually a good thing that the top players have pulled out, as it may level the playing field and open the door for a player from a non-golf-centric country to grab the gold. Sure, the odds-on favourites will still be players like Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, Spain’s Sergio Garcia, or one of the Americans like Bubba Watson or Rickie Fowler (assuming these players all attend). And who can look past New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, or Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist? But in order for Olympic Golf to fulfil its purpose of ‘growing the game’, then the best possible outcome might be for a player like Kiradech Aphibarnrat from Thailand, or India’s Anirban Lahiri to take home the hardware. And could you imagine the thrill for the Portuguese if their own Jose-Filipe Lima took home a medal? Or Malaysia’s Michelle Koh? Or Morocco’s Maha Haddioui? And just think how quickly and fervently golf would grow in their countries as a result? So while we are certainly going to cheer on our Aussies in the green and gold, let’s quietly hope that one of the “outsiders” can also nab a podium spot! Hindsight is (Tokyo) 2020 Olympic Golf is locked in for Japan in 2020. But beyond that, its future is uncertain. In my opinion, in order to give golf a fair go at the games, it’s important that the IOC and IGF make a few modifications for 2020. First off, it needs to be changed to a team event, like the World Cup of Golf, or Ryder Cup, etc. Try knock-out Contributors: Bill Colhoun, Larry Canning, Henry Peters, Denis Dale, Karen Lunn, Brian Thorburn, Richard Nizielski, Steven Jeffress

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Matchplay, or Modified Stableford. Or Alternate shot, or Best Ball, or aggregate scores. Heck, even twoperson Ambrose. Or whatever. But find a format to keep everyone in the field involved all four rounds. Maybe we could add a points/ ranking incentive. A golfer’s career can live or die by their world/season ranking, so why not assign serious FedEx/Rolex/OWGR/Race to Dubai points at the Olympics? For some of the journeyman/woman players out there, a high finish could help them regain status, or sponsors, or whatever they need. Barring that, maybe we should consider amateurs instead of the professionals. After all, this was an original model for The Games itself. While the line separating amateur and professional athletes can be blurry for some countries and sports, in golf the line is clearly drawn. Think of the excitement among the world’s top amateur golfers if they had the chance to compete for the gold? Heck, some players might even delay turning professional if the timing was right. And you can bet that there wouldn’t be very many of them pulling out. If none of that works, perhaps Olympic Golf can be a Women Only event? The world’s top women golfers are, after all, charging full-steamahead to Rio, with nine of the top-10 players aiming to compete. They are looking beyond the money, rankings, inconvenience...and even Zika...and daring to dream for Olympic Glory. They “get it”, and should be applauded for their collective decision. As a true golf nut, I will be watching every televised moment of Olympic Golf this month. It’s our game’s golden opportunity. And for the future of our sport, let’s hope it not only makes the cut, but scores an Ace along the way.

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news

Spieth, Scott set to sizzle this summer

merican golf sensation Jordan Spieth and Australian superstar Adam Scott have confirmed their return to Australia to compete in the Australian Summer of Golf.

The pair have committed to joining what promises to be an impressive field for the Emirates Australian Open at Royal Sydney Golf Club from November 17-20. Scott has also confirmed for the Australian PGA Championship at RACV Royal Pines Resort from 1-4 December. 22-year-old Spieth won the Emirates Australian Open at The Australian in 2014 with a stellar 63 on the final day, and narrowly missed a playoff at the same venue in 2015 when he finished tiedsecond with Adam Scott, a single shot behind Matt Jones. The 2014 triumph launched Spieth on an amazing run of success in which he climbed to No. 1 in the world and won consecutive major championships, the Masters tournament at Augusta National and the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in 2015.

“The Australian Open has always been a tournament I value highly, Sydney is a great city and I have fond memories of Royal Sydney as a great venue for championship golf,” Scott said.

“Adam coming home and playing on the Gold Coast was a key focus for us this year when organising the Australian PGA Championship,” said Thorburn.

“The Emirates Australian Open seems to grow in stature among the world’s players every year. The field is always strong and Royal Sydney should be a great test.”

“While the tournament is now co-sanctioned by the European Tour and we anticipate some quality Europeans competing, it is important to us that our home grown talent also tees it up.”

“Jordan is one of the greatest players in today’s game and has proven to be exceptionally popular with audiences in Australia and around the globe. We are really delighted that he is coming back again and think that he will form part of a very formidable line-up for fans at Royal Sydney,’’ said Pitt. “Adam has been a regular at his national championship over the years and he always seems to bring his A-game. We look forward to seeing him play again and we know that the crowds appreciate not only his golf, but the way he carries himself. He’s an immensely popular figure and a great ambassador for the sport in this country,” added Pitt. One of Australia’s all-time great players, 36-year-old Scott has had no fewer than 15 top-10 finishes in major championships and continues to thrive with two wins in the United States already this year, including the World Golf Championship at Doral in March.

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IG BUSINESS GENERAL MANAGERS COVER STORY ON TOUR Celebrity swinger JUNIORS PEOPLE clubs gear INSTRUCTION SENIOR AMATEURS EVENTS CALENDAR YOUR VOICE 19TH HOLE DEMO DATES

PGA of Australia Chief Executive Officer Brian Thorburn was also delighted to welcome home Scott.

“I have really enjoyed my previous visits to Australia and I can’t wait to get back in November,’’ said Spieth.

Golf Australia chief executive Stephen Pitt welcomed the news.

IN THIS ISSUE:

“Aussie fans love cheering on their own and I am sure Adam will have large crowds supporting him this year at RACV Royal Pines Resort.” The Emirates Australian Open will be played at Royal Sydney Golf Club from November 17-20, and is a flagship tournament on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia. The winner will receive a minimum of 32 Official World Golf Ranking points. The Australian Golf Club will host the championship in 2017, 2019 and 2021. Venues for other years are yet to be finalised. The 2017 event will be played from November 2326 and in 2018 from November 22-25. The Australian PGA Championship will be played at RACV Royal Pines Resort from 1-4 December and will be co-sanctioned by the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and European Tour for the second consecutive year. For more information: www.ausopengolf.com and www.pgachampionship.com.au •

www.insideg olf.com.au

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August 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

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news

All aboard for the World Cup

ickets for the for the World Cup of Golf officially went on sale last month, with the event returning to Melbourne for the tournament’s 58th edition at Kingston Heath Golf Club on 23-27 November. Australian golfing legend and twice World Cup of Golf winner, Peter Thomson, was presented with the first ticket to the event at Kingston Heath. “It was such an honour to play for my country in the World Cup of Golf, known in those days as the Canada Cup. Kel Nagle and I won it twice, in Montreal and in Melbourne,” Thomson said. “With the world’s best players from 28 countries competing, there is nothing quite like it. I urge everyone to come out and join me in watching the action, and supporting their own country in November.” The event will return to a 72-hole, stroke play, two-man team event format, with teams battling for an $8 million (US) purse with the first-place team splitting $2.56 million. The first and third days of competition will be the foursomes (alternate shot) format and the second and final days are fourball (best ball) play. “We expect to have a world-class field with many top players already commenting publically about their desire to play,” said Executive Director Matt Kamienski. “The ability to play in a rare team format, the reputation of Kingston Heath as a course and Melbourne as an incredible host city, as well as the stature

THE Ned Kelly Shootout tournament is attracting plenty of attention and all for the right reasons. Played on the last Thursday of each month at the Peter Thomson/Ross Perrett-designed Club Mandalay golf course situated just off the Hume Highway 45 minutes north of Melbourne, the event challenges players of all abilities. Peter Thomson with children from Kingston Health Primary School, representing the 28 countries playing in the World Cup of Golf of the World Cup as a historic/international event, are all factors in drawing some of the biggest names in the game.” The event boasts an impressive and prestigious list of winners that includes the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Davis Love III, Fred Couples, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Arnold Palmer, Bernhard Langer, Sam Snead, Peter Thomson, Ben Hogan, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Jason Day, among many others. As defending champion of the event, Day, automatically qualifies for this year’s edition.

Ticket options range from practice round tickets ($30), single-day competitive round tickets starting at $60 and two-day weekend tickets ($95). Additional options include a full-week pass, upgraded tickets in the MacKenzie Club and other options. Ticket buyers are reminded that children under 16 are admitted to the event free of charge when accompanied by a ticketed adult. To purchase tickets or find more information on ticket options, visit www.WorldCupofGolf.com.

the facility as a going concern had stalled because of the need to gain an ongoing lease from the holding company. Members who paid their subscriptions before the administration were now creditors while those who paid post Mr Morton’s appointment would be refunded the balance of their fees. “There are really no surprises,” Mr Morton told the Sunshine Coast Daily. “I could not have been clearer at the first creditors’ meeting regarding the

Lakelands Golf Club

Just by entering, golfers receive a sleeve of logoed Ned Kelly Srixon Q-Star golf balls and anyone who scores 36 single stableford points or more will receive a dozen golf balls. The top-three place-getters each month qualify to play in the final on Thursday, November 24. Win the grand final and you’ll be off to Moonah Links for a stay-and-play package, which includes two rounds of golf in a shared golf cart and two nights’ accommodation for four people with breakfast. The runner-up will receive a TaylorMade Performance Lab fitting and a TaylorMade M2 driver. Finish third in the final and you’ll win a TaylorMade golf bag. Why is it called the Ned Kelly Shootout? Well, Mandalay is situated in the suburb of Beveridge, which is the birthplace of Ned Kelly and the house he grew up in is still there.

Peregian Springs closes doors NOBODY likes to hear of golf clubs closing their doors, but news out of the Sunshine Coast is that Peregian Springs Golf Club has shut up shop just 13 years after opening. Administrator Gavin Morton told the Sunshine Coast Daily’s Bill Hoffman the club had simply run out of money to operate. To many, the news came as no surprise. The club’s staff were stood down on July 19 although a skeleton crew have been retained to maintain the golf course. According to Mr Morton, attempts to sell

Fire up for the Ned Kelly Shootout

Club Mandalay is a terrific links-style golf course that has set a new golfing benchmark in Melbourne’s north. options and possible outcomes. “The surprise is the club has been able to battle on for so long under administration.” At the time of going to press, Inside Golf understands that the club may have a potential buyer in the pipeline. See our website for the latest news.

The 18-hole par-72 course features some stunning holes and provides spectacular views of the surrounding area. The next Ned Kelly Shootout is on Thursday, August 25. To book a place in the field, call (03) 9037-3700.

Stay and Play PackageS • Unlimited Golf at Lakelands & accommodation packages available • from $157.50 per person per day (based on twin share accommodation) **Conditions apply**

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August 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

news

Mob mentality pays off at Anglesea Henry Peters

ed@insidegolf.com.au @hsspeters

orrowing from the old proverb “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”, Victoria’s Anglesea Golf Club has turned what was once a potential health and safety hazard into a bustling wildlife tour business. The Surf Coast-based golf club has long been famous for its generous population of kangaroos roaming the fairways. As a result, tourists from far and wide would travel to the club, and wander the course, unsupervised, to catch glimpses of these lovely animals. “They would come up here to look for kangaroos and we end up with tourists just wandering out onto the golf course, which is obviously very dangerous,” says Anglesea general manager Rachel Kane. “So we decided to try and control that from an occupational health and safety concern and insurance concerns, and create structured, guided tours,” Kane says. “Yes, one of the aims was to make money, but the other aim was to try and structure it and make it safer for everybody concerned. Our volunteers who drive the cart and take the tours are all golfers themselves. They’re all club members, bar one, so they’re quite aware of when to give way and when not to give way, so it hasn’t had a great inconvenience on our members.” The club’s ‘Kangaroo Tours’, which are run almost entirely by volunteer members, came into existence in August last year and in the 2015-16 financial year generated $62,500 in gross ticket sales revenue.

The 2015-16 figures show 7,200 people came to Anglesea’s 18-hole layout for the sightseeing tours with adults paying $10, children under 12 charged $5 and $25 for a family of four. “We operate Monday to Friday [10am-4pm] during the winter months and from October through until April, we do seven days a week,” Kane says. “It’s certainly driven revenue. We’ve made considerable money since its inception in August, from taking people out, so I think the kangaroos might start forming a union shortly and want a cut,” laughs Kane. Visitors have come from more than 50 countries to experience the 25-minute tours. According to Kane, the vast majority of the Kangaroo Tours’ customers are Chinese while there are often visitors from Scandinavia and other parts of northern Europe.

“The Chinese new year that we had in February was huge. Volume-wise, they were just pouring down the coast and there was one day in particular where we couldn’t keep up because the cart only takes five people so I took out walking tours of 72 people over three walking tours, plus the cart was going non-stop, so we had hundreds,” Kane explains. With many international tourists visiting the golf club purely to look at kangaroos, the tours have only generated a small increase in green fees but since October last year, food and beverage sales have spiked close to 10 per cent. “If they turn up late morning, early afternoon, they’re inclined to have something to eat while they’re waiting.” The Kangaroo Tours do not operate on Total Fire Ban Days or extreme weather days. •

Badds wins, regains PGA TOUR card Aaron Baddeley has punched his ticket back into the PGA Tour, courtesy of a hard-fought win at last month’s Barbasol Championship, his first PGA TOUR victory since 2011. While the world’s eyes were on The Open at Royal Troon, Baddeley was teeing it up at the RTJ Golf Trail - Grand National Lake, Alabama, in his quest to secure his playing future on the PGA TOUR. Playing on a past champion category with limited status, Baddeley opened with rounds of 70 and 76 to be 11 shots off the lead heading into the weekend. The 35-year-old fired the best round of the day on Saturday, his 7-under 64 moving him up the leaderboard. Starting the final round three shots off the lead, Baddeley fired 5-under 66 to finish regulation play tied for the lead with Korean Si Woo Kim. It took four playoff holes for Baddeley to secure the victory with an incredible 28 foot birdie putt. Leaping in the air, Baddeley was clearly elated to have won the tournament which will secure his future on the PGA TOUR. The Barbasol Championship becomes Baddeley’s fourth PGA Tour victory since he turned Professional in 2000. Of the other Australians to make the cut, Stuart Appleby finished a solid T11, five shots back on -13, while Jarrod Lyle, who is battling to regain his tour card before his medical exemption expires finished T62 on -5.

www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

IG BUSINESS

Research points to positive future for Aussie golf industry

he Australian Golf Industry Council (AGIC) has undertaken the most indepth analysis of the Australian golf industry since 2005. The research project provides fresh insight into the golf landscape in Australia. The data collected will enable the golf industry to understand and engage current and potential participants in order to grow participation and ensure the continued relevance of the sport to future generations. The comprehensive study surveyed males and females aged 18 and above across metropolitan and rural areas, and produced some interesting key findings including: • 1.15 million Australians have played a round of golf in the last 12 months • 2.1 million Australians have picked up a golf club to practice or play some form of the game in the last 12 months (includes the 1.15 million who have played a round) • One third of current players have participated in a golf lesson or clinic • The most common way people start playing golf is via a friend or partner introducing them to the game. “An important project for every stakeholder in the Australian golf industry, the AGIC commissioned this research so that it could be shared with everyone for the benefit of the game” said Brian Thorburn, CEO of the PGA of Australia and Chairman of the AGIC. “The research identifies the key changes in the golf industry as well as emerging consumer demands, which will allow the golf industry to capitalise on a range of opportunities.” Another key part of the research was a segmentation analysis across current and potential golfers.

The research identified six main consumer segments: Golf Traditionalists, Variety Seekers, The Incidentals and The Alternates made up the current players, whilst Get Me Started and the Health and Fitness Crew were identified as the key segments among potential golfers. Golf Traditionalists and the Variety Seekers lead the way as the top financial contributors to the golf industry, while the Get Me Started segment offers the biggest opportunity among potential golfers. Twothirds of people in this segment have been to a course, driving range or into a golf shop in the past 12 months and they have the strongest interest in the game among those who don’t currently play. After assessing this research the AGIC has established five key themes that are shaping the next steps for the golf industry. • Leadership: From this point forward, golf’s participation strategy, planning and program management will have strong leadership from the National Sporting Organisation (Golf Australia), with clear ownership and dedicated resources to enable the sport to step up to the challenge.

• Focus: The limited investment available requires the sport to be crystal clear about its participation objectives in order to establish its next move; these objectives will therefore be clearly aligned with golf’s overall strategic and marketing objectives and will underpin the sport’s next participation plan. • Enabling success: The enablers of success highlighted in the report remain critically important. They must be tackled or they will significantly hinder the sport’s efforts in the participation area. As such, planning and delivering programs of work to address them will be high on the agenda. For example, helping the wider golf community to understand the challenge the sport is facing and how it will need to evolve in order to flourish. • Building on what we have: Any ideas and/or programs of work commissioned to capitalise on the priority opportunities will ‘seek first to understand’, building upon the best existing initiatives, programs and marketing - for example, Swing Fit in the health and fitness area and the best introductory programs in each state. • Supporting clubs and facilities: Flexible

membership models currently seem poorly understood but will be integral to the commercial success of clubs and facilities. As such, as part of a continued commitment to building capability and supporting clubs and facilities with their business models, the AGIC will work towards providing great tools, training and coaching. With this research providing a knowledge base and benchmarks against which to measure progress, it was clearly essential to the health of the Australian golf industry that it was completed. “Thanks to this ground breaking research report, conducted by Repucom, our sport is in a much stronger position and will be able to make evidence-based decisions” added Thorburn. “It’s been great to see the industry working so closely together on this project. Strong alignment and the insights we now have provide a wonderful foundation to grow the game in a collaborative way.” To view a summary of the research, visit www.agic.org.au •

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IG BUSINESS

Benchmarking tool helps GMs, Boards

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Aaron Muirhead National Director, Golf Management Australia

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MA Benchmarking, which is supported by Golf Australia, was launched in September 2013 where there are now over 180 Australian golf clubs participating by entering data into the tool. Recently, GMA welcomed New Zealand clubs to access the tool and it is expected over 100 clubs from GMANZ will enter data into this powerful benchmarking tool. The tool was adapted for the Australian market by Club Benchmarking USA, an industry leader, where the tool is recognised as business intelligence developed specifically for the golf industry. Currently over 3,500 clubs in the USA use the tool. Golf Club Benchmarking allows Managers to elevate fact over opinion and will ensure that general managers and boards are properly equipped to focus on strategic issues. In adapting the tool for the Australian market, GMA sought

feedback from Golf Australia, the State Associations, the PGA and the Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association to ensure that Club Benchmarking is fitting as the primary benchmarking tool for the Australian golf club industry. “The ability to have factual information relating to our operations and being able to compare against our ‘like clubs’ was like a bolt from the blue in regards to having tangible evidence to not only prove we were maximising our abilities/income streams, but also highlighting areas that needed attention,” says Brad Constable, General Manager, Bathurst Golf Club.

“This ability is worth its weight in gold when dealing with a Board. Emotion or generalised statements have definitely made way for concise factual reporting which has not only helped me immensely, but has also given GMA members a broader knowledge base relating to the golf industry and where their Club sits in relation to our competitors”.

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Currently, the tool is only available to GMA members. Non GMA (member) managers should contact the GMA Executive Officer, John Stamp, to find out how they too can utilise the tool. eo@gma.org.au

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ANAGEMENT company Troon continued its resurgence in Australia with confirmation of a long-term partnership with Paradise Palms just north of Cairns. The agreement will see the organisation become an integral part of the $550m redevelopment program, which is set to establish the fully integrated leisure resort as an icon in North Queensland. Troon will build a strategic pathway for the major redevelopment plan, instilling the highest standards of service, course conditioning and processes in the golf property. “The vision for Paradise Palms has the opportunity to put the resort and destination on the map in terms of regional golf tourism,” President Troon International Bruce Glasco said. “As Australia continues to overcome its economic turbulence, embarking on a gradual pathway to growth, industries such as the service and tourism sector provide a strong footing to realise increased revenue potential.

Paradise Palms set to become iconic leisure resort. “Our partnership with the ownership at Paradise Palms presents a powerful dynamic that will allow us to provide insight and expertise to deliver a world-class experience and also integrate Paradise Palms into the wider tourism industry which is so important to Cairns and the surrounding area.” Troon has built its reputation on the quality and performance of its global portfolio that includes some of the most successful golf clubs in the world. The organisation provides developers a turnkey service solution with the comfort of best-practice and best-fit models from golf developments in 31 countries and 38 American states. With recent new additions in New South Wales and Queensland, the company’s profile in Australia continues to enjoy a resurgence. “In Troon, we have found the best of both worlds,” Paradise Palms managing director Darren Halpin said. “The company’s global footprint gives us unique insight to how the best clubs in the world operate and

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access to a local and regional group of dedicated industry professionals. “They will partner our vision to create something exceptional in a region with considerable tourism and investment potential.” Paradise Palms is nestled between the world-famous Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest boasting a unique location against the backdrop of a tropical paradise. “Paradise Palms is a terrific location with a great legacy,” Halpin added. “It has the blueprint to be one of the top resorts in the nation and we plan on taking considered steps to increase the quality and service standards.

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“Troon has the experience to collaborate with us on the investment program and lay out a clear pathway to creating a stand-out experience that will build our reputation and stimulate interest within our feeder markets.” Currently ranked as one of Australia’s top-100 courses, Paradise Palms has developed over 25 years of heritage and welcomed iconic Australian players to test themselves over the outstanding layout. • www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

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$66m golf-retirement project launched in Newcastle Bill Colhoun ed@insidegolf.com.au

EWCASTLE’S Shortland Waters Golf Club and Aveo Group Limited, Australia’s leading owner and manager of retirement communities, has teed off on an exciting $66 million golf-residential project. The two parties last month were awaiting the final detailed Development Application approvals from Newcastle City Council but, with Stage 1 already underway, the overall project is expected to be completed by early 2018. It is planned for Aveo to build and operate a master-planned retirement village at Shortland Waters boasting 300 new retirement units, a 127 bed residential aged care facility, as well as extensions to the course for the construction of six new golf holes. This will ensure that Shortland Waters will remain as a 5789m par 71 18-hole golf course and the 600-plus club members also will gain a new clubhouse. Stage 1 of the project, which includes 50 villas, a Community Centre and administration facilities, has been approved with preliminary work having started last month. Subject to DA finalisation by the council and optimal growing periods, it is anticipated the new-look course will be ready by early 2018. The six new holes have been designed by Justin Trott, of Programmed Turnpoint who rebuilt the first hole following damage from the April, 2015 storm.

The club’s Greens Committee has been assured that throughout the reconstruction, Shortland Waters always will have 18 holes in play and will operate as normal. The Shortland Waters-Aveo development – bounded by the University of Newcastle and the Newcastle Wetlands Reserve—is being hailed as a major development initiative for the region that will generate significant economic benefits and improved local environmental amenities. It will be an iconic community-owned recreational facility. Before accepting Aveo’s offer, the club was said to be on the brink of receivership with debts of more than $1million and an overall negative asset value.

As of June 2016, SWGC is debt-free, owns the course, has cash in the bank and is looking forward to gaining a completely new clubhouse, by about June 2017, which also will provide cafe and bistro facilities for members, residents and visitors. Even more significant is the opportunity to continue their custodianship of one of the region’s iconic environmental assets. And the prospect of about 600 new residents living in close proximity presents a unique opportunity to gain more golf club members. For more information: (02) 4955 8169, www.shortlandwaters.com.au. •

New charity partner for NSW Open Little Wings has become the official charity partner for the 2016 NSW Open Golf Championship Regional Qualifying Series. Little Wings provide free professional flights and ground transport to sick children and their families from regional NSW to specialist children’s hospitals in NSW, including the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick and John Hunter Children’s Hospital Newcastle. “We are thrilled to support the work Little Wings does in providing transport for sick children and their families across NSW,” Stuart Fraser, CEO of Golf NSW said. “Many golfers and their families from across the State have benefitted from flights to and from specialist medical treatment that this wonderful charity has provided.” Little Wings has performed over 850 flights and transported almost 2,100 patients and their families from towns across NSW including Armidale, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Forbes, Grafton, Griffith, Lismore, Merimbula, Moree, Narromine, Nyngan, Orange, Port Macquarie, Tamworth, and Wagga since the inception of the charity service back in 2012. The NSW Open Golf Championship will be held at Stonecutters Ridge Golf Course from November 10th to 13th. For further information on the regional qualifying series and entry details, visit www.golfnsw.org. Qualifying details for Golf Professionals can be found at pga.org.au

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Maleny super wins top industry award

ASSION, skill, dedication and hard work continues to pay off for Maleny Golf Club superintendent Mick McCombe who collected Australia’s top gong for Excellence in Golf Course Management at the Australian Golf Course Superintendents’ Association’s (AGCSA) industry dinner in Melbourne last month.

GOSFORD Golf Club PGA Trainee Mitchell Ballard has retained his excellent form from last year to win his first-round match at the Inside Golf NSW PGA Trainees matchplay, and set up a Central Coast clash.

McCombe, who won the Queensland Golf Course Superintendents’ Achievement Award in March, received the award which honours the turf industry’s outstanding achievers.

Ballard beat Moore Park’s Matthew Tierney 1up with a win on the final hole in their match at Castle Hill, fighting back from three holes down with five to play.

The award is judged on criteria including commitment to excellence, maintenance and turfgrass management techniques, innovation, community engagement and outcomes. McCombe was up against superintendents from some of the best and most exclusive golf courses in the country and now stands alongside previous winners representing a veritable “who’s who” of the Australian golf course maintenance industry. The judges commended the key leadership role McCombe played during the construction phase and with a budget of less than $750,000 for full construction of the first nine holes. The award included a $5000 bursary to fund further education or an approved study tour. On accepting the award, McCombe acknowledged the support he had received from committee members including club president Dr Max Whitten and greens chairman Rob Bailo since taking on the daunting challenge in September 2014. “This award is owed to the long-term vision of the club and its board of directors and I also want to thank our fantastic team of volunteers who’ve enabled us to achieve such a high standard of presentation,” he said.

Ballard shines in Inside Golf PGA Trainees Matchplay

Superintendent Mick McCombe was back at work after picking up a top gong. Dr Whitten said the award recognised McCombe’s insight in interpreting the design by golf architect Graham Papworth, diverse operating skills and ability to manage and motivate volunteers who helped build and then maintain the nine-hole course. “This is a fantastic achievement and a great outcome also for Graham Papworth, the club, our project manager and vice-president Rod Richards RPEQ, the management committee and all our volunteers,” he said. “Mick McCombe has played a pivotal role in translating a weed-ridden and largely abandoned dairy farm into an operating golf course which is now receiving high praise from both members and visitors alike.” Dr Whitten said McCombe’s prowess as an A grade golfer and ability to operate dry-hired earthmoving machinery had proved to be valuable attributes. “Above all his personal capacity to work with

Ballard, 21, as a first-year trainee did brilliantly last year to reach the semi-finals. He made an impressive matchplay debut to lose on the final hole to third-year trainee Alex Pitty, who went on to win the final.

and motivate volunteers and contractors has played a huge part in constructing a good golf course in a short time frame and with a modest budget,” he said.

The win sets up an intriguing secondround match, to be decided late this month, against fellow Central Coast trainee Robbie Hogan, from Toukley GC.

McCombe said he was now looking forward to starting construction of the second nine holes at Maleny in the Sunshine Coaster Hinterland.

Hogan is the top-seed for this year’s prized $4000 event, earning the top honour in the matchplay draw for his win in the Car Net Auctions NSW PGA Trainees Championship at Riverside Oaks in June.

Prior to taking on the role of course superintendent at Maleny McCombe was the course foreman at Headland Golf Club and during a 15-year industry career gained international experience at Coombe Hill Golf Club in London. McCombe’s other passion in life is music and he has his own eponymously named Blues and Roots combo – The Mick McCombe Band. FOOTNOTE: The AGCSA 32nd Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade Exhibition was held at The Crown Entertainment Complex.

The pair, who began their PGA Traineeships the same year, are long-term friends from their junior amateur days on the Central Coast, where both played in opposing teams, but never played a match against each other. With 10 byes for the top seeds in the first round, the only other match decided early last month was Bexley Golf Club third-year trainee Rowan Thomson’s 6-5 win over Craig Cox from Brighton Lakes Golf Club.

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High praise for dedicated super Henry Peters

ed@insidegolf.com.au @hsspeters

The Asian Tour and the European Tour have announced a ‘Strategic Alliance’ which will see the two Tours work together to develop professional golf in Asia – from a new joint office in Singapore – combining commercial and marketing resources to explore and maximise opportunities for both Tours globally.

hittlesea Golf Club’s long-time superintendent Brad Tucker has received the ultimate accolade with an Honorary Life Membership to recognise his 25 years of service to the Victorian club. Tucker - who turns 56 in October - joined Whittlesea as a part-time groundsman in 1991 before assuming the top role in 2005.

“For me personally, it means everything,” Tucker said. “I’ve been through a lot at the club and the club’s been through some pretty hard times and they’ve survived and I’ve been here through the whole lot of it. It’s definitely a big achievement in my working career.” “It’s an honour the club has bestowed upon him to say thank you for your work,” said club president Brian Thompson. “When we said to him about being an honorary member, he was very emotional. That is nice for somebody to have that sort of attitude towards where they’re working.” Thompson credits Tucker with helping the club recover from the wrath of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires. “When the fires were going through, he actually was on the course, standing in the dam,” Thompson remembered. “And the police wouldn’t let anybody in, he was going up seeing if he could do something around the greens or just try to save the club.” Tucker said the course took more than three months to recover from Black Saturday, which was the worst fire disaster in Australia’s history. “At one stage there, we thought it wouldn’t survive,” Tucker said.

Asian Tour, European Tour announce ‘strategic alliance’

His 26-year-old son, Dale, is now his second-in-charge and was also front and centre to the 2009 fires. “With the help of my son, who works with me, the two of us got it up and going again.” “The fires didn’t actually come into the golf club but it was right on our doorstep, just the sheer heat alone scorched the whole course, it was covered in debris from the surrounding hills. We had a big seven weeks of cleaning up and trying to get the greens alive again and the course back with virtually no water.” Later in 2009, Tucker donated his Christmas bonus to Whittlesea when its clubhouse was destroyed by an electrical fire, which spread to surrounding garden beds and the club’s putting green. “That [fire] was due to an electrical fault, which was unfortunate, because we managed to get through the Black Saturday, we kept the clubhouse intact, but lost it a few months later. We were fortunate enough to have a member in the club who rebuilt the clubhouse and I rebuilt the putting green.” But perhaps the biggest threat to Whittlesea’s survival during Tucker’s time

was in 1999 when salt water contaminated the golf course’s water supply and led to the loss of an estimated majority of the club’s membership. “I was second in charge then and those water bores went salty,” Tucker said. “Once the salt had started, you virtually can’t stop it, so it killed a lot of our greens so we rebuilt as many as we could with the funds we had and then we managed to save the rest of them but it wiped out six or seven greens totally. In all honesty, it probably took three or four years to recover from.” “I think we had about 600 members at that stage, and we dropped down to about 250,” Thompson recalled. “I myself have been a member here for about 35 years and this club was vibrant, it really was, and then that happened and other guys just went elsewhere.” Thompson said the club has long since regained the vibrancy it had late last century. “If this course was in Melbourne, you’d be beating people away from the door. It’s in a valley, wind is never an issue here, there’s not two holes that even look remotely the same. The layout is fabulous.” •

For members of both Tours this development will also see a significant exchange of playing opportunities. The Tours will, however, retain their own separate identity in terms of brand and logo, and will still be managed by their own individual Boards. The announcement represents a new chapter in the partnership between the two Tours which began in February 1999 when the first co-sanctioned tournament – the Malaysian Open – was staged at Saujana Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur. Since then, there have been 95 cosanctioned tournaments, with a further 14 events tri-sanctioned with either the Sunshine Tour or PGA Tour of Australasia. Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “We have enjoyed a very strong and prosperous relationship with the Asian Tour over the past 17 years, and this formalises that partnership, representing an exciting new era in our association.” Kyi Hla Han, Commissioner of the Asian Tour, said: “This is a very positive step forward in our desire to further grow professional golf in Asia and around the world and we believe it will also greatly enhance the careers of our membership, who have embraced this exciting development.

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Women drive to bridge golf’s gaps

HERE are all the women golfers and administrators? That question is being addressed by clubs, controlling bodies and the golf industry at every level – in every country. Last month a group of 30 women involved in golf club governance participated in a daylong forum hosted by Magenta Shores Golf and Country Club on the NSW Central Coast. The forum stemmed from an idea by Jodie Skellern, the Chair of Magenta Shores Golf and Country Club. Encouraged by Magenta’s Board, Jodie sought Inside Golf’s help in organising the event. Not really knowing what to expect, organisers were impressed with the enthusiastic response to invitations. Among those participating were Chair and Club Presidents, General Managers, Board members and association managers as well as Lady Captains, District Presidents and Golf NSW. Representing some 24 public and private clubs, from Sydney through to Newcastle, it was evident that a range of structures existed within the industry –from relatively young clubs that have always had equal rights for women and men, clubs that are currently transitioning or discussing that possibility, and at least one club intent upon “remaining in the dark ages” where women have no vote and are not ‘allowed’ into the Clubhouse on Saturdays. The forum’s agenda focused on two important issues: How to attract more women into golf club governance, and how to get more women playing golf. Facilitators encouraged an open and frank discussion, and many participants found they shared similar challenges and views. It was acknowledged that women in the golf industry face similar challenges as women in corporate Australia—the most

Forward thinkers: A few of the women who led the way at the Magenta Shores forum prominent being the under-representation of women in leadership roles. Studies across a range of countries and businesses show that organisations where women and men collaborate to solve problems and make decisions out-perform those who do not. Noting that women are often reluctant to become involved in governance, the forum discussed how clubs might create practical pathways to encourage women’s greater participation. Further, they acknowledged the need for culture change—so women and men approach diversity and inclusiveness as an opportunity to enhance their clubs’ performance, and improve the golfing experience for all members. Women represent about 21 per cent of playing club members in Australia. It is accepted that if the industry was to attract many more women to the game, club

memberships would again be brimming with increased revenues, allowing clubs to become creative and work on maintaining members by addressing the members’ clear expectations. Figures suggest that women’s membership figures over the past 12 years have remained largely the same whereas men’s numbers have dropped off significantly. The forum noted the excellent social media campaign by Britain’s getintogolf.org – which is attracting women and girls to golf by emphasising the social and health benefits of our sport, and presenting golf as a fun family activity. Participants asked Golf NSW to consider running a similar campaign. To be included in planned future discussions and network opportunities, email jodie.skellern@bigpond.com •

Vardon status added to NSW Open Regional Qualifiers Golf NSW has announced that all 2016 NSW Open Regional Qualifying Tournaments have been afforded State Vardon status and will be part of the 2016 NSW Vardon Trophy calendar. “The Regional Qualifying Tournaments are the ideal pathway for amateurs across the State to gain entry into the 2016 NSW Open Golf Championship,” Graeme Phillipson, Golf NSW General Manager Golf, said. “Inclusion of the tournaments in the NSW Vardon Calendar means the state’s elite players have another reason to compete and hopefully secure themselves a spot in the NSW Open along the way.” The winner of the Vardon Trophy is the player with the lowest scoring average for the previous 12 months who has played a minimum of 25 qualifying rounds. It is open to male amateur golfers who hold a current handicap of 4 or less. Austin Bautista underlined the future he has in the game by picking up the 2015 title after a standout year that included victory in the Federal Amateur Championship and securing a place in last year’s Emirates Australian Open. The NSW Open Regional Qualifying Tournaments kicked off at Howlong and Thurgoona Golf Clubs in the Albury region on the 18th and 19th of June. The NSW Open Golf Championship will be held at Stonecutters Ridge Golf Course in Greater Western Sydney from November 10th to 13th 2016. More: pga.org.au

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Teeing it up in the Northern Territory

Accomplished Tournament Professional and highly respected industry figure, Peter O’Malley has been appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the PGA of Australia.

Brian Thorburn CEO – PGA of Australia

O’Malley replaces PGA Professional and businessman Mark Gibson, who stepped down after successfully serving two full terms as the Chairman of the PGA over the past six years.

arwin will showcase golf to the Northern Territory this month with the inaugural Northern Territory PGA Championship set to open the second half of the 2016 ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia season.

O’Malley has been a much-respected member of the PGA Tour of Australasia since 1987 and has been a member of the Board since 2010.

The tournament, which will be played from 11-14 August at Palmerston Golf Course, is a welcome addition to the Tour schedule and it is expected the week will produce significant benefits for the development and the growth of golf in the Darwin region. Offering a prize purse of $150,000, the tournament will attract Official World Golf Ranking points and provide the winner with a full exemption onto the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia until the end of the 2017 season. Together with promoting and growing the game of golf across all States and Territories, the PGA of Australia is committed to expanding the footprint of Professional golf; providing new playing opportunities for our Professionals and increasing pathway opportunities onto other world Tours.

“I am incredibly proud to be a PGA Professional so to be Chairman of the Board of Directors of the PGA is an honour,” said O’Malley. “Guiding the PGA and ensuring the long term health of the Australian golf industry is a responsibility I do not take on lightly.” Tim Hart, who will tee it up at the inaugural Northern Territory PGA Championship golf program and it will be wonderful to be part of influencing growth in this area. Palmerston Golf Course and the Northern Territory State Government have been instrumental in bringing the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia to Darwin and the PGA looks forward to supporting their vision for Professional golf in the Northern Territory.

State-based tournaments like the Northern The addition of the Northern Territory PGA Territory PGA Championship are essential Championship sees the 2016 ISPS HANDA to PGA Professionals; they allow players to PGA Tour of Australasia schedule expand to improve their tournament playing abilities 16 tournaments across five countries. and expose local communities to Professional golf that in turn inspire participation. The News of the Northern Territory PGA Northern Territory already possesses a Championship is just one of a number of InsideGolfAd_PTSEvolution.pdf 1 4/6/15 4:05 PM steady golf culture, including a strong junior exciting announcements by the ISPS HANDA

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O’Malley new chairman of PGA

PGA Tour of Australasia recently, including the Fiji International now being a co-sanctioned tournament on the European Tour and the NSW Open’s elevation to a tier one tournament in 2016; supported by a notably higher prize purse of $400,000. Tournaments like the Northern Territory PGA Championship are incredibly important to the ongoing success of Australian golf on the world stage and I encourage you to attend your next State PGA Championship and support our PGA Professionals and golf in your region. You can find the full 2016 ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia schedule on the PGA website pga.org.au •

“I have been afforded many great opportunities over the years and by serving on the Board, now as Chairman, I hope I can continue contributing to a positive future for PGA Professionals and can give a little back to the broader industry.” O’Malley also extended his gratitude to outgoing Chairman Mark Gibson. “Over the past six years Mark has guided the PGA through a large period of change. Through his Chairmanship Mark has given back to our game and industry in many ways and the Board, PGA management and his fellow Professionals are very grateful for his service,” said O’Malley.

IG BUSINESS - from the ceo

Karrie’s Olympic marathon falls agonisingly short Karen Lunn CEO – ALPG

he Australian Olympic Golf Team to compete in Rio this year has been finalised, Australia’s brightest young stars Minjee Lee and Su Oh will join Scott Hend and Marcus Fraser in the Australian line-up. Ian Baker Finch will be the Australian team leader, with eight-time LPGA winner Rachel Hetherington flying out to support Ian to assist during the women’s competition. Without question Minjee and Su are fully deserving of their places on the team, however it is hard not to feel for Karrie Webb, whose Olympic dream was shattered when she failed to achieve the top-five finish she needed at the US Women’s Open to qualify for the team. Karrie’s supporters were hoping for a last-minute miracle, and were handed a lifeline when Su Oh surprisingly missed the halfway cut. Mid-way through the third round Karrie had mounted the challenge everyone had been waiting for and was back to even par for the tournament, just 6 shots off the lead, and all of a sudden there seemed the slightest ray of hope. However, three bogeys on her inward nine saw her Olympic dream at the age of 41 slip away, and she would eventually finish in a tie for 46th place. When the Olympic women’s golf rankings began two years ago, Karrie was clearly the top Australian. The superstar Hall of Famer seemed a lock to make it to Rio de Janeiro, a dream she said was fuelling her with new ambition as she played on into her 40s. Karrie had revealed many times that the honour of competing at the Rio Olympics, had been one of the driving forces in keeping her competing on tour “When I think about the Olympics, I just think of being part of it, walking out in the opening ceremony with the team, the Olympic village,” she once told The Courier-Mail. While some of the best in the men’s game have expressed indifference at golf’s Olympic status, Karrie had been bewitched by the opportunity for the past eight years. “I’ve loved the Olympics since I can remember. I remember watching the Moscow Olympics on TV with Mum and Dad (in 1980). Growing up in Australia you realise how big the Olympics are.” Apart from her incredible success on the course over the past two decades, Karrie has devoted herself, mostly behind the scenes to giving back to golf here in Australia. That’s where the irony behind this story would seem to be a little cruel. Firstly, Karrie’s dominance as Australia’s number one player needs to be put into perspective, she took on this mantle in 1995 before either Minjee or Su were born and only relinquished it twenty years later in June last year after Minjee won her maiden title on the LPGA Tour. Both Minjee and Su were born a week apart in the same year that Karrie won her first LPGA title, 1996. Back in 2013, as shy, young 17-year olds,

Once considered a lock for an Olympic spot, Karrie Webb struggled to maintain top form (Photo by Dustin Satloff) Minjee and Su finished first and second in the Karrie Webb Series, a scholarship program Karrie started back in 2008 to inspire and nurture young amateur women golfers her in Australia. As the scholarship winners, Su and Minjee got to spend a week with Karrie at the U.S. Women’s Open at Sebonack, with Karrie funding the trip and mentoring them. There is no doubt that Karrie is a class act, the eyes of the world were on her as she needed a top-5 finish at the U.S. Open to have any chance of surpassing Su and seizing that precious second Olympic berth. Rather than do what many in her situation would have done, and focus purely on her own game for the week, Karrie played a practice round with Su, (an LPGA rookie playing in just her second U.S. Women’s Open) There is nothing out of the ordinary about this, Karrie has taken it upon herself to practice with both Minjee and Su along with many other young Aussies in the past who she feels could benefit from her great knowledge and experience. At the 2015 Ricoh Women’s British Open at Turnberry, Karrie took it on herself to practice with Su as the youngster had had a tough time of it so far in 2015. She had changed coaches earlier in the year and had clearly lost her confidence. Karrie spent many hours chatting with Su and her team and even though the talented youngster finished well down the field she had at least made the cut which in a major championship was a significant step forward for her. Prior to the opening round of the U.S. Women’s Open, the final qualifying event, Karrie was quoted as saying “I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been thinking about it. A couple years ago, everyone thought it was guaranteed but I knew Minjee and Su were coming through. So, it doesn’t surprise me I’m on the outside

looking in. It just surprises me that I haven’t played better. I’m disappointed that it’s come down to one tournament, but, really, I just want to play well this week, to enjoy the fruits of the hard work I’ve done. If I play well, and it’s not enough, then it wasn’t meant to be.” When asked about how she had felt about her and Su competing for Rio, Karrie was quoted as saying “That’s the thing, the reason behind the scholarship series is to have more girls out here, doing well. And so, since the start of this whole program, I’ve been cheering for that. I’m not cheering against Su at all. I can’t let myself do that.” Apart from the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open in Adelaide this year when she finished third, Karrie has unfortunately not been able to find her best form in 2016. By contrast Su has been a star performer, she started the year with only limited status on the LPGA Tour, made her way through Monday qualifying for tournaments and came close to capturing her first LPGA title finishing second to Ariya Jutanagarn at the Kingsmill Championship in May. This would prove to be a huge confidence booster for Su, she finally believed (what we already knew) that she had the game to match it with the best. Now armed with effectively full playing status for the rest of 2016, it was inevitable that she would kick on, and the turning point in the race to Rio came at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in early June when Su stormed past Karrie in the Rolex World Rankings for the first time with her tie for eighth place. Karrie is without doubt a legend of our game. At 41, she has won seven majors and a total of 57 international tournaments, however her most recent tournament wins came back in 2014 at the ISPS Handa

Su Oh Women’s Australian Open and LPGA Founders Cup. The LPGA and World Golf Hall of famer hasn’t had a top-10 in the five months since her third place at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open in Adelaide in February. As a result of this Karrie’s ranking slowly started to slide in the wrong direction around the same time that Su’s was on the rise. On both a personal and professional level, I am so disappointed for Karrie. I know how much she wanted this and how terribly disappointed she is, it would have been a fitting reward for her to be on that plane to Rio given the enormous amount she has contributed to golf in our country on so many levels over the past 25 years. To have been our best player by some margin for so long and to get pipped at the final hurdle will be a tough one for her to recover from given she has been looking forward to this moment for more than eight years. In saying this you can take nothing away from both Minjee and Su, as Karrie said we have all known for some time what talented players they are and it was only a matter of time until they became our best two players. Regardless of the massive disappointment at missing out on competing in Rio, I have no doubt that Karrie will continue to nurture and mentor both Su and Minjee along with all of other promising young Aussies who come through in the future. I think in Minjee and Su we have two great medal chances in Rio. They have proven that they are up there with the best players in the world, are both incredible talents and great “kids”. Would they both have made it onto the team in Rio without Karrie’s unwavering support and mentoring? That, we will never know. • www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

IG BUSINESS - general managers

Future looking bright at St Andrews Beach years until he accepted a job in 1998 as head pro at Keysborough in Melbourne, where he stayed until early 2004.

Henry Peters

ed@insidegolf.com.au @hsspeters

That’s when a wide-ranging golf operations role became available at The Sands Torquay. Hayes got the job and began six months before the course opened, which gave him a whole new breadth of skills and introduced him to the hotel industry.

dam Hayes has big hopes for St Andrews Beach. Seven years into his role as the Venue Manager for Golf Services Management, he has seen it come a long way since 2009 when it was closed from the public and in receivership.

“I was in a really fortunate position there to oversee the finishing of the clubhouse building. I got to totally fit out all of the carts, range equipment, set up the whole golf course, everything from pins to hazard markers to course ratings.”

“There’s still so much potential here,” Hayes says. “In the seven years, we’ve seen year-on-year growth in our visitation here so our playing numbers have increased every year. I guess in golfing circles, I’m not sure that there are a lot of clubs that could hang their hat on that sort of statement. It’s a testament to the course and the way it’s been promoted through GSM.” Since St Andrews Beach first opened in 2006, its standing as one of the very best courses in Australia has never been in question, yet its temporary clubhouse that still stands a decade later is a reminder of the challenges running a golf course today.

General Manager for GSM, Adam Hayes, ‘minding the store’ at St Andrews Beach down, has hit the thermal water and is going through the planning phase. That will add a different element to the role.”

Hayes stayed at the Bellarine Peninsula venue until February 2008, before spending 18 months managing a boutique Quest apartment building in South Yarra. During that time, he and his partner had three children.

Hayes’ journey in the golf industry to St Andrews Beach has been long and adventurous. It started in 1986 when he began a three-year stint as a trainee professional at Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne’s famous Sandbelt region.

“All of our family’s on the Mornington Peninsula and we weren’t seeing them and they weren’t seeing us so when the third baby came along, we decided that the time was right to move back to the Mornington Peninsula.”

Until 1993, he juggled his role as Victoria’s teaching pro with occasional starts on the Australasian Tour and former ‘Troppo’ Tour in Queensland.

St Andrews Beach has been a pay-for-play venue since Hayes’ arrival in 2009 and part of his role has been to drive that message home to golfers.

“I had a number of wins at that level but I probably had decided pretty early on that tournament golf wasn’t going to be the direction that I would continue on with.”

“What we’re trying to do here is maintain the integrity of the golf course by keeping the price point where we think it should be. Our focus has always been to present the golf course as best we can so that when the golfer comes here, they have a great golf experience.” •

But there is good news. Not only does St Andrews Beach have six two-bedroom apartments on site, which are open to the public for stay-andplay offers, it’s still expecting to build a permanent clubhouse and full-scale accommodation. “All of those things are getting closer and closer to coming to reality, which is the exciting part, albeit seven years into the journey,” Hayes says. But an even more short-term development is St Andrews Beach’s plan to add a hot springs retreat to its portfolio of attractions, pending council approval. “You’d like to think that in the next two-year cycle, a lot of those things would be well underway,” Hayes says. “We haven’t struck any significant hurdles at this point. The thermal water is running directly under this property and the owner has drilled

“I was involved with the project management of doing the 200-room hotel there at the site as well. I was able to further educate myself on the hospitality side of the world by getting involved with Mirvac and heading up to Melbourne on a regular basis for training and learning everything basically about hotel operations. Accommodation 101. I had to cover off on course maintenance, estate maintenance for the 600-lot subdivision so I was the owner’s representative.”

Hayes found greater job security when he landed the Head Professional role at Flinders Golf Club - a position he held for 4

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cover story

Top players put bite on Olympics David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

ITH or without golf’s elite players, golf will feature for just the third time at the Olympic Games after showcasing at Paris in 1900 and St Louis, USA in 1904.

biggest stage is an honour I don’t take for granted,” he told journalist Lali Stander.

“I need to go to Brazil with the rest of the South African team knowing that I am in peak mental and physical health. “The majors will still be there next year, but I don’t know if I will get another chance in 2020.” For players like McIlroy, golf is all about the majors.

Our sport has been waiting 112 years for this moment, yet some players haven’t been able to generate an ounce of enthusiasm for winning an Olympic gold medal.

“I’ve said I have four Olympic Games (major championships) a year,” McIlroy said. “That’s my pinnacle. That’s what I play for. That’s what I’ll be remembered for.

“It’s nothing I’ve ever aspired to do and I don’t think I ever will,” Adam Scott said.

“I don’t think it’s embarrassing for the game because most other athletes dream their whole lives of competing in the Olympics, winning an Olympic gold and we haven’t. We dream of winning Claret Jugs and green jackets.”

Soon after Scott’s announcement to withdraw, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Marc Leishman, Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Charl Schwartzel, Graham McDowell, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Vijay Singh pulled the pin. Most decided not to risk playing if there was a chance Zika-virus-carrying mozzies would be around to put the bite on them. Fair enough, perhaps. Mind you, Jaco Van Zyl – South Africa’s highest-ranked player following the withdrawal of Oosthuizen, Grace and Schwartzel – did the unthinkable. He gave up his spot in the Open Championship and the US PGA Championship to prepare for the Olympics at Rio’s Reserva de Marapendi course. He wants to be mentally and physically ready for the Olympics. “To me, the Olympics is the pinnacle of all sporting events and to have the chance to represent Team South Africa on sports’

August 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

I am sure whoever takes home the gold medal will cherish the moment, but I wonder what the reigning Olympic golf champion Canadian George Lyon would have made of the players who have decided to stay at home. He won gold in 1904 at the age of 46 after taking up the game at 38. From all reports, he was a colourful character. When Lyon was announced the winner, he did a handstand and, amid applause and laughter, walked on his hands to the podium to collect his prize. Lyon was also one of Canada’s most amazing athletes.

OLYMPIC GOLF HISTORY In 1900, 22 golfers competed in the Olympic golf tournament including 10 women and 12 men. Charles Sands won gold for the US and Walter Rutherfod and David Robertson (both Great Britain) won silver and bronze respectively. For the women, it was a U.S. clean sweep with Margaret Abbot taking gold, Pauline Whittier silver and Daria Pratt bronze. The 1904 tournament featured 77 golfers, all men. The women’s event was cancelled due to lack of participation.

At 18, he set a Canadian record in the pole vault. He was a skilled baseball, rugby and soccer player and an excellent curler and lawn bowler.

Canada’s George Lyon won gold, American Chandler Egan took the silver and Burt McKinnie and Francis Newton, both U.S., received the bronze.

He represented Canada at cricket and once scored 238 not out for his club.

In the teams’ competition, the USA completed a clean sweep – gold, silver and bronze.

THE 2016 FORMAT Sixty players will compete over 72 holes of stroke play in both the men’s and women’s events. Men compete from August 11-14, while the women’s event is from August 17-20. In the event of a tie for any of the first three positions, a three-hole playoff will determine the medal winners. There is an additional incentive for gold medallists this year with the men’s winner receiving automatic qualification to all of the major championships in 2017 while the women’s champion will qualify for the 2016 Evian Championship and the Women’s PGA Championship, the US Women’s Open and Women’s British Open in 2017.

cover story

THE COURSE The Olympic course, designed by American Gil Hanse, is a par-71 layout that measures 6522m for men and 5944 for women. It’s been described as a links-styled course and should play like one as it was built on a sand quarry. There are 79 bunkers and water comes into in play on four holes. Hanse said he designed a course that would test, not embarrass, the players. “While we don’t want to see guys shooting 59, we also don’t want to see guys shooting 95,” he said. “It’s the same thing with the women.” Hanse said the wind would be a critical factor. Without wind, he expects players to shoot “low numbers”. The final three holes are dramatic and will more than likely decide the medal winners. The 16th is a drivable par-4, the 17th is a short par-3 and the final hole is a reachable par-5. Those in charge of the leaderboard will have their work cut out as Hanse expects plenty of birdies and eagles over the final three holes. He wants someone to make eagle to win gold rather than losing with a bogey. The Olympic course has a mangrove lagoon between it and the ocean. Great Britain team leader Jamie Spence told BBC Sport the Olympic course was “really, really interesting”. “Contrary to reports, it’s a great design and it’s in really good condition with plenty of grass on it. “There are no tees on the course. You are either on the fairway or in the scrub. “You just (sort of) tee off on the fairway – next to the previous green. It’s really, really interesting and the bunkers are well placed. “I went there expecting a four out of 10 (rating) and I came away thinking ‘this is a really good eight-and-a-half, nine’.” •

Who said what! “It’s sad for the Olympics and sad for the game of golf.” – Jack Nicklaus on Adam Scott’s decision not to play. “I would have given anything to play in the Olympics. I will be in Rio. I have no plans for more children. I’m ready to play if there are more withdrawals.” – Gary Player “Does the Olympics need golf? Yes, I think so. Does golf need the Olympics? I’m not sure.” – Nick Price “For me it’s a huge opportunity. It’s definitely a goal of mine to represent Team GB and go there and win a medal.” – Justin Rose “For the game to grow it’s got to be a success. We have to get out of this fuddyduddy old man’s image. It’s a game worthy of being an Olympic sport.” – Jamie Spence Great Britain team leader. “It’s the only time when it’s a competitive advantage to be 40-plus. I’m done with the bambino thing.” – Henrik Stenson “Any time I can wear the Stars and Stripes, I do it. If I can play for my country, I’m going to play.” – Patrick Reed “Players are not individuals in this. They’re married, their wives are at home saying, ‘this is crazy, you’re not putting the family first if you go to the Olympics’. – Padraig Harrington “I can’t say that I am shocked that Rory McIlroy is the latest professional golfer to pull out of the Olympics. No other sport in the Olympics has a greater risk for Zika than golf.” – Greg Norman “There is more chance of getting killed by a spider in Australia.” – Katie Taylor, Ireland’s London 2012 gold medal boxer.

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Olympic Entries – Men COUNTRY PLAYER USA Bubba Watson Henrik Stenson SWE Rickie Fowler USA Danny Willett GBR Justin Rose GBR Sergio Garcia ESP Patrick Reed USA Matt Kuchar USA Rafa Cabrera Bello ESP Byeong Hun An KOR THA Thongchai Jaidee Danny Lee NZL Emiliano Grillo ARG David Lingmerth SWE Soren Kjeldsen DEN

PLAYER COUNTRY Gregory Bourdy FRA Julien Quesne FRA Nicolas Colsaerts BEL Ricardo Gouveia POR David Hearn CAN Wu Ashun CHN Miguel Tabuena PHI Hao Tong Li CHN Alex Cejka GER Graham DeLaet CAN Fabrizio Zanotti PAR Padraig Harrington IRL Ryan Fox NZL SSP Chawrasia IND Danny Chia MAS

PLAYER COUNTRY Bernd Wiesberger AUT Martin Kaymer GER Kiradech Aphibarnrat THA Anirban Lahiri IND Thorbjorn Olesen DEN Joost Luiten NED Thomas Pieters BEL Jaco Van Zyl RSA Fabian Gomez ARG Jeunghun Wang KOR AUS Scott Hend Marcus Fraser AUS RSA Brandon Stone Yuta Ikeda JPN Shingo Katayama JPN

PLAYER COUNTRY Mikko Ilonen FIN Jhonattan Vegas VEN Felipe Aguilar CHI Cheng Tsung Pan TPE Adilson da Silva BRA IRL Seamus Power Espen Kofstad NOR Roope Kakko FIN Nino Bertasio ITA Siddikur Rahman BAN Wen-Tang Lin TPE Gavin Kyle Green MAS Matteo Manassero ITA Rodolfo Cazaubon MEX Jose-Filipe Lima POR

Olympic Entries – WOMen PLAYER COUNTRY Lydia Ko NZL Brooke M. Henderson CAN Inbee Park KOR Lexi Thompson USA Sei Young Kim KOR Amy Yang KOR Ariya Jutanugarn THA In Gee Chun KOR Stacy Lewis USA Anna Nordqvist SWE Shanshan Feng CHN Minjee Lee AUS Gerina Piller USA Suzann Pettersen NOR Harukyo Nomura JPN

COUNTRY PLAYER GBR Charley Hull Teresa Lu TPE Candie Kung TPE Pornanong Phatlum THA Carlota Ciganda ESP Su-Hyun Oh AUS JPN Shiho Oyama Azahara Munoz ESP Xiyu Lin CHN Sandra Gal GER FRA Karine Icher Catriona Matthew GBR Caroline Masson GER Nicole Broch Larsen DEN Pernilla Lindberg SWE

PLAYER COUNTRY Alena Sharp CAN Gaby Lopez MEX Mariajo Uribe COL Nanna Koerstz Madsen DEN Paula Reto RSA Gwladys Nocera FRA Julieta Granada PAR Kelly Tan MAS Marianne Skarpnord NOR Ashleigh Simon RSA Laetitia Beck ISR Giulia Molinaro ITA Ursula Wikstrom FIN Noora Tamminen FIN Klara Spilkova CZE

COUNTRY PLAYER AUT Christine Wolf ITA Giulia Sergas Maria Verchenova RUS Leona Maguire IRL Albane Valenzuela SUI Alejandra Llaneza MEX Chloe Leurquin BEL Fabienne In-Albon SUI Tiffany Chan HKG MAS Michelle Koh IND Aditi Ashok Miriam Nagl BRA Victoria Lovelady BRA Stephanie Meadow IRL Maha Haddioui MAR

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www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

on tour

145TH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, ROYAL TROON, SCOTLAND

The Striking Viking Standing on the tee of the long par-3 17th, Stenson was so focused it was almost like he brought the green from 220 yards right up to the palm of his hand and surveyed the green contours, before darting a long iron to 7 feet. That was the moment; it was like the referee in a boxing match blew the whistle, but Phil didn’t hear it, he scrambled for par and gave himself a whiff. That whiff may have transcended into the smell of victory had Stenson’s tee shot on the 18th rolled another 20 cm into the famed ‘Norman bunker’. But it didn’t. Again, this was Stenson’s day, the golfing gods were smiling on this affable Viking.

By Andrew Crockett

s much as we like watching a new rising star like Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy or Jordan Spieth walk into golf’s largest arena and thoroughly beat the best players in the world, and whilst we get transfixed on the re-writing of the scoring records and ushering in a new era, there is nothing quite as captivating for the television viewer, as watching two elite golfers duelling it out, playing their best, on a Sunday in a major. The duel that turns into matchplay, in a major, is a rare sight in this day and age and we got that on major Sunday at Royal Troon, Scotland, but we also got a lot more as Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson re-wrote the history books, on pages that seemed to be previously etched into stone. This was a major that will be talked about for decades and how appropriate that it happened in Scotland and at the oldest championship of them all. The Ballstriking Viking may well be Henrik Stenson’s new moniker after the Swede became the first (male) Swedish golfer to win one of golf’s four coveted major titles. Of the great ballstriking rounds, in major championship history, this one by Stenson will be up there with David Graham’s at the US Open at Merion, Jason Day at Whistling Straights or Tiger Woods at Pebble Beach, St Andrews or Augusta. Yet, dare I say it, maybe Stenson’s ballstriking show is the new benchmark, with a closing round of the magic ‘63’, tying the lowest score in major championship golf. To further the discussion, Stenson’s 20-under total is also a major championship scoring record and it all took place on a golf course as difficult as Royal Troon, a course that last time it held The Open (2004) only surrendered a low score of 67 (Lee Westwood and Davis Love III). Stenson’s closing round 63 and his second-round 65 were both sublime and only matched by his formidable duelling partner Phil Mickelson, who opened with the record-tying 63 and closed with a six-under 65. Royal Troon has a new course record, 63, owned by the duelling pair. Thanks to the Scottish weather, this was no ‘duel in the sun’, although the script definitely had a similar plot with two golfers running away to a ten-shot margin to third place. By day’s end Stenson was 14 shots in front of third place and had rolled in ten birdie putts. Looking back at the infamous ‘duel in the sun’ of 1977 at Turnberry, Scotland between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, it was tight and there was only one shot in the end decision; and a victory to Tom Watson, who became 22

August 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

Henrik Stenson with the spoils of victory (Photo: R&A) one of the most prolific winners of The Open Championship with five victories, matching Australian Peter Thomson’s feat. As much as we like to be sentimental and look back at history and the epic events, we can’t lose sight of the fact that this Open Championship has delivered its own script, one worthy of its own name. If you listen to Jack Nicklaus, he knows how good this final day was. “I was fortunate to watch every second of Sunday’s final round of the Open Championship, and I thought it was fantastic. Phil Mickelson played one of the best rounds I have ever seen played in the Open and Henrik Stenson just played better – he played one of the greatest rounds I have ever seen. Phil certainly has nothing to be ashamed of because he played wonderfully. Henrik played well from beginning to end. He drove the ball well, his iron game was great, his short game was wonderful and his putting was great. Henrik was simply terrific.” In relation to the historic ‘duel in the sun’, Nicklaus offered the following: “I thought we played great and had a wonderful match. On that day Tom (Watson) got me, 65-66. Our final round was really good, but theirs was even better.” Mickelson and Stenson both came within a hair’s whisker of shooting 62 and breaking one of the longest-standing major records. Only three other players in the field broke 67 for the whole tournament. The numbers

just keep on popping out. Ten birdies in the final round, for an 8-under 63, the lowest final round score in a major (tying Johnny Miller’s epic US Open final round in 1973) also contained two three-putts, again signalling the ball striking show that it was, from Stenson. Royal Troon is a demanding and long par-71 at over 7100 yards and in the final round Mickelson and Stenson shot a combined 14 under par. Incredibly, five better than the famed duel in the sun of 1977. The final grouping securing the two low rounds of the day. Mickelson’s 65 was two shots better than anyone else in the field.

The lead changed seven times in the final 18 holes as they halved holes with birdies and lost holes with pars. ‘Phil The Thrill’ shot a bogey-free six-under 65 and still lost by 3. Had Stenson decided not to play this tournament, Phil would have won The Open by 11 shots and been the oldest Open Champion since Old Tom Morris in the late 1800s, but the golfing gods had other plans. One can only hope that Phil Mickelson wins the U.S. Open in the coming years and puts himself in that elite Grand Slam company that he so richly deserves, a star of the game, the best left-hander in history and such a pleasure to watch. This duel was Stenson and Mickelson at their very best and what a sight to behold. Three-times Open Champion Nick Faldo commented that “we will never see perfection on a links like that ever again in our lives.” Phil Mickelson’s longtime caddie Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay offered that ‘this might have been Phil’s best performance ever.’ One cannot argue with that; Phil’s 17-under score would have won or put him in a playoff for 141 of the previous 144 opens that have been contested.

The tension was clear midway through the back nine, who was going to flinch first; this really was like a boxing match. After 14 holes of incredible golf both players walked off the par-3 14th with birdies and there was still only one shot in the match, Stenson one up. The 15th green really changed the match as Stenson holed perhaps the longest putt he had all day, from over 50 feet, it was like a dagger to the heart of Mickelson, yet he did not give in.

Dominant major victories seem to be a phenomenon of the modern era of golf. Beginning with the heroics of Tiger Woods at the 1997 U.S. Masters. The record books were rewritten time and again by Woods and he has set the trend for the next decade with absolutely commanding wins by McIlroy, Spieth and now Stenson. While the aforementioned wins are memorable, none of them were as captivating to watch as this one by Stenson, starring Phil Mickelson.

Standing on the 16th tee and two down, Mickelson ripped his driver and then lazered another wood onto the par-5, while Stenson missed the green left in the rough, a window for Phil. That window was slammed shut with a stellar chip from the Troon rough that finished three feet from the pin. Mickelson’s eagle putt looked in for all money, yet flirted with and stayed on the lip. They halved in birdies. Stenson two-up.

Stenson dedicated his win to his friend (Mike Gerbich) who died on the Wednesday before the tournament, after a battle with cancer. Mike was a left-hander and keen golfer. Perhaps he somehow helped. It sure felt like Henrik Stenson had help coming from somewhere, he was simply awesome out there and anyone that was privileged enough to witness it will be talking about it until the grave. •

on tour

Fiji fun, with a minor calf-tastrophe with Steven Jeffress ed@insidegolf.com.au

wo days after arriving back from the Queensland mining towns, I was on a plane to my second home, Fiji. As I have mentioned before, it is a place that I love to go as I have had a lot of success there over the years. The Qantas Teams challenge was my first event and it was being played at Natadola Golf Club. We were all lucky enough to all be staying at the InterContinental resort which is one of the best hotels that I have stayed at anywhere in the world. Added to that, there was one spare room which I put my hand up to take. Lucky for me they made a little mistake and put me in the most expensive room in the resort. I can tell you it was hard to take! The weather was awesome throughout the entire event with only a little breeze and sunny conditions. The course was set up fairly easy with quite a few front tees as not to make it too hard for the 100 amateurs playing. I shot even-par the first day to be back in the pack. It was another day that included good ball striking but holing nothing on the greens. I spent a little time in-between drinking beer in the beautiful Fijian sun doing a little mental work and visualising the ball rolling into the hole. It must have worked as I shot 6-under the second day to jump into 2nd place. It’s an amazing game in the fact that you can play almost the same from one day to another but have completely different scores. The last day was a mix of day 1 and 2 with solid ball striking but only a couple of putts dropping. I signed for a 2-under to have me at a total of 8-under and in 2nd place. The event was a great success and it was a great partnership between Robbie Bennetts and Qantas. I had three more events in Fiji, a Pro-Am at the Shangri La hotel, another Pro-Am at Natadola and the Starwood Classic which is played over four days; two at Natadola and two at Denarau golf club. I had a good run finishing 8th, 2nd and 4th for these events which was solid but I won’t say that I was unhappy to finish as it was the end of a long run of events. I had been away for about seven weeks that only included four days without golf. Now I think about it, the beer intake was probably around the same numbers!! Golf professionals all around the world at about time of the year are starting to work out their plans in regards to end-of-year tour schools.

This is a hard decision as it can decide not only where you can play for the following year but maybe the rest of your career. There are a lot of factors that you have to consider. Money is the first factor. Different schools cost you different amounts. An example would be the U.S. Tour school. There are three stages which most players have to go to the first stage. As the stages are not together this means three flights from Australia. Then you have rental cars, hotels, meals yardage books and a lot of other general costs that sneak up on you. Added on top of that the entry fee is around $6000 to enter so add all that up and you would be looking about $25,000. Now you can enter Asian Qualifying school which is much cheaper and closer but the down sides are you don’t play for as much money and some of the places you go aren’t, in my opinion, very nice. Food can be difficult and as most of you know, you can get really sick if you eat the wrong thing so you’re always on the look out for something that won’t make you sick. European Tour school is in between the U.S. and Asia in the way of costs but is a long way away. It’s almost double the length of the trip to the states so if you have a family, this can put a lot of pressure on everyone. Not making it sound very nice, am I? On the other side, if you do go and back yourself, there is a great opportunity to set your career and life up. Adam Scott and Jason Day both had to make decisions on where they wanted to

go and it looks like their gambles have paid off. Brad Kennedy, who plays in Japan, has now become very comfortable up there and is making a great living. In the end, it’s all about getting out of your comfort zone. It’s easy sitting back in Australia, playing the Aussie events and Pro-Ams. Suddenly you head over to a new country and challenge and things aren’t as simple. What’s next for me? Well, my plans were to play up in Cairns, then play Pioneer Valley, Mackay, Rockhampton, finishing at the Yeppoon Pro Am that my good mate of mine, Graham Shepard runs. Two days after I arrived back from Fiji, I had a small injection into a vein in my right leg, which is a really simple procedure. Unfortunately some of the solution made its way into an artery in my right calf, stopping any blood making its way into my calf. The end result, my calf muscle on the left side basically died and I have been on crutches for nearly three weeks. On the positive side the surgeon told me that I could have lost my leg if it was a little worse. So everyday I go through the exercises I have been given and just have to wait to see how my body responds. The doc told me it would be anywhere between one and six months before I could walk normally. It’s going well but slow. But I know one thing: I will get there and look forward to reporting good news next month. Good golfing. • www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

on tour Williams victorious in Cairns JACK Williams, a 21-year-old from South Australia, has won the Qantas Golf Club Cairns Classic at Paradise Palms.

Wilson, Backwell triumphant in SIFA Samoa Opens

With rounds of 73-70-67 and a 210 total, Williams, three shots back at the start of the final round, finished one shot clear of fellow South Australian Jason Norris with NSW’s Alex Edge a further shot behind. Victoria’s Peter Wilson, who led after 36 holes, was fourth on 213. In only his rookie season as a professional, Williams was delighted with his victory. “I had a really tough start to the year after a wrist injury set me back from preparing the best I could and therefore my expectations this week were not very high,” he said. “Winning your first ever tournament is something you always remember as a PGA professional and I am really happy it could be here in Cairns. “I have brought my parents with me to get out of the cold weather in Adelaide and therefore to share this moment with them is really special.” At 5’3” (160cm), Williams has often wondered if height would be a restriction to a successful professional career and he has now proved to himself it isn’t. “Paradise Palms is a really challenging layout, especially for someone of my length and therefore to birdie the final two holes to win by one shot is very satisfying.”

eter Wilson and Richard Backwell have claimed the SIFA Samoa Open and SIFA Samoa Senior Open at the Royal Samoa Country Club in Fagalii. For Wilson, the win is his second Samoan Open title while Backwell now claims the unprecedented title of winning three consecutive Senior Opens. Wilson finished the tournament at 13 under-par, but did not have it all his own way, struggling to find momentum with only two birdies in his first seventeen holes. Playing the final hole and with the knowledge that a birdie was required to claim the title, Wilson calmly pitched to within three feet of the hole and tapped in the birdie putt for victory.

“I knew what I had to do and kept telling myself I’ve done it before. This win is really special for me; I’ve won over 40 times but this is the first one my father has witnessed. I love playing in Samoa and I hope to be back next year.”

The low round of the day came from New South Welshman Nathan Park who fired an eight-under-par round of 64 to finish in outright second at 12-under-par. The result came much easier for Backwell in the SIFA Samoa Senior Open, recording a wire-to-wire victory after rounds of 69, 69 and 66 to finish at twelve-under-par and a massive ten shots clear of his nearest Senior competitor. “It’s an awesome feeling winning three consecutive Senior Opens. The growth of the tournament in the past three years is fantastic and each year it seems to get better,” Backwell explained. Local Professional Malesi Maifea (-4) was the best of the local professionals finishing tied 11th in the Open whilst the low amateur score was Pulo Faaliga who finished the tournament in a tie for ninth (-5).

Royal Adelaide, ISPS Handa to boost Women’s Open The 2017 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open will be played at Royal Adelaide Golf Club from February 16-19. Hot on the heels of the raging success of the event’s return to Adelaide in February, world No.1 Lydia Ko and defending champion Haru Nomura have already signed to compete. And further enhancing the tournament’s reputation, Dr Haruhisa Handa confirmed an eighth consecutive year of naming rights sponsorship. “Dr Handa and the International Sports Promotion Society were thrilled with the event’s reception in 2016 and we believe that, and our long-standing relationship with Golf Australia, strongly contributes to our message about the power sport has to inspire, especially to those less fortunate,” said ISPS director Midori Miyazaki. South Australian Minister for Tourism and Recreation and Sport Leon Bignell was thrilled by the commitment of the LPGA Tour and ISPS Handa, both partners to the Open’s recent emergence as a world-class event. “Events like the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open not only continue to contribute to our reputation as a worldclass sporting destination, they also continue to shine a spotlight on women’s sport – which we support at all levels, from grassroots to elite,” Bignell said. Golf Australia CEO Stephen Pitt said securing the signatures of such key players early in the year would prove a real boon for all parties involved, as well as helping to attract other big names.

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on tour

Pro-Am journey a long and winding road

t has been a whirlwind few months for PGA Professionals travelling across the Australian countryside competing on the PGA Pro-Am Series. Since April, more than 100 Pros from all over Australia and New Zealand have tackled not only the golf course but encountered the trials and tribulations of life on tour and more specifically, life in outback Australia. While the journey of a Tour Pro has been well documented before, the past few months for this group could be compared to what European adolescents encounter on a backpacking trip across the Australian outback. Starting the year on the east coast, touring through regional Victoria and New South Wales, the PGA Pro-Am series eventually made its way to the sun-drenched West Coast, and it was here that the journey really began. While there was more than one small group of journeymen taking a similar road, it was hard to overlook this group who made the most of every second as they criss-crossed their way across Western Australia. The journey alone in WA involved more than 4,500kms of open road, and walking more than 300km on the lush fairways and greens on the best courses Western Australia has to offer. “It was an amazing experience and one which was hard at times but we made it something pretty special,” said Callan O’Reilly who joined fellow New South Welshman Dale Brandt-Richards in a hatchback hire car for the final few weeks of the adventure. The pair packed themselves into the yellow rental which was quickly nicknamed

“Thelma” and together shared the journey with South Australian Brad Moules and Western Australian locals Braden Becker, Jason Chellew and the only female on the trip Hayley Bettencourt who also happens to be the girlfriend of Becker. “I can’t even imagine taking a holiday in Australia which would have been more amazing than what we did the last few weeks,” said Becker, who hails from Mandurah Golf Club. The daily itinerary either involved a tournament round on the PGA Pro-Am Series or a spot of fishing. “Most days was spent on the course but we all made the most of the location and we did a fair bit of fishing and found some incredible places in far north WA” said Bettencourt, who matched it with the boys throughout the PGA Pro-Am Series.

The trip was highlighted by the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia tournament in Kalgoorlie which hosted the TX Civil & Logistics WA PGA Championship in May, an event which took the players into the heartland of Australia for the week. O’Reilly held the lead with only a few holes to play in Kalgoorlie but a poor finish on the final hole cost him the title. It was Perth-based Stephen Dartnall who won the Championship but it was O’Reilly who impressed and it was a sign of things to come for the Newcastle-based Pro. The 25-year-old O’Reilly completed the tour of Western Australia by taking out the Broome Furnishings Carpet & Paint Pro-Am with impressive rounds of 68-65 and an eight-shot win over experienced Tour star Kim Felton. The win in Broome was the second for

O’Reilly who also won the Kwinana Pro-Am a few weeks earlier. Brandt-Richards won the Dunsborough Lakes Pro-Am with a superb round of 66, showing that despite not having the most luxurious forms of transport, a good swing will make up for lack of horsepower. “I had never been out to some of these remote parts of the world and we had so much fun along the way…it’s an amazing way to play professional golf and see things most people would never get a chance to see,” said Brandt-Richards who is enjoying a solid rookie season in 2016. Other PGA Professionals joined the group along the way and some even had made the drive from Sydney to Adelaide before making the remarkable trek across the Nullarbor all to compete and experience life on Tour. The Western Australia swing of the PGA ProAm Series comprised 19 events and two ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia events; the TX Civil & Logistics WA PGA Championship and the Nexus Risk WA Open Championship. “It is a fantastic series of events over in WA and something all the players from around Australia and New Zealand find very appealing,” said Moules. The trip did provide some scary reminders as to what can and will go wrong on long road trips as a mature male kangaroo found out on a rainy night somewhere between Geraldton and Port Hedland. Despite the occasional drama, it will surely be an adventure they won’t forget. So when you see them inside the ropes in the years to come, be sure ask who caught the biggest fish. www.pga.org.au •

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celebrity swinger

A quick chat with

Sam Newman Inside Golf chats with this AFL Legend and media personality about his passion for golf. Richard Fellner richard@insidegolf.com.au

How did you get started in golf? “I’ve been playing since I was eight. And here’s my great name-dropping story: I started by wandering around with and watching the great Peter Thomson. He had a manager called Harry Young who was a professional wrestler at Point Lonsdale back in the late ‘50s early ‘60s. And I used to tag around with those two men and a friend of mine who was my age. I don’t think we realised at the time who Peter Thomson was, or what his credentials were [laughs].” How did your golf develop after that? “I dabbled with it, got very interested in it, and I also used to get very disgruntled with it [laughs] —I annoyed myself and the people I played with. I did the club throwing and all that sort of stuff. So I gave it away. And then I started playing again recently and I love it. I’m much more moderate...I’ve tempered myself down. You have to realise that you’re not doing it for a living and it doesn’t matter how badly you play. That said, it’s very important to play well, because I play with a lot of people who like to have a small wager. And some of them a not-so-small wager [smiling].” Who do you regularly play with? “I play quite a lot with Grant Thomas and Shane Warne. And Tony Rosenberg, Dermott Brereton, Jason Dunstall, Mark Maclure, Craig Kelly...they are all very competitive.”

Who’s the best player out of that group? “Shane is a very good golfer who... ‘massages’ his handicap [laughs]. He’ll love me saying that because he loves taking me to the cleaners. I’m his ‘cash cow’. I’ve contributed to his superannuation. But they’re all very good off their handicap. And that’s the beauty of golf...it’s the only sport in the world that if you’re not as good as the person you’re playing with, you can have a very competitive contest.” We hear you’re pretty handy yourself? “I play off, I think, 8.8. But my great nemesis is my putting. I can’t putt. I don’t know why. I don’t have the yips, I’ve got a good stroke. If I could putt, I’d be off 2 or 3. People say ‘Don’t say that you CAN’T putt...say you CAN putt’ and I respond with ‘let’s not fool ourselves’.” And the strength of your game? “I hit the ball so short that I don’t get into trouble! But I’m very good off the tee. I rarely have a second shot that’s not from the fairway. ” We note that you wear a lot of Travis Mathew gear? “Well, I ain’t a fashion plate [laughs] but I wear the Travis Mathew gear every day of the year. My wardrobe is full of it. I wear shorts and a golf shirt every day, as casual gear and sports gear. It’s comfortable, made out of good material, breathes with you...it covers the summer and winter side of golf. And I’m happy to wear it.” What is your favourite course? “Metropolitan is a great course. I also

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played at the opening of Cape Wickham at King Island. Aesthetically speaking, that is the best eye-candy course I’ve ever seen. But it all depends on what you want to get out of a golf course. That’s the great thing about Australia and certainly Melbourne. If people came over here they wouldn’t believe the standard of courses within an hour’s drive from the CBD in Melbourne. It’s extraordinary. People who have a bucket list of playing great courses...if you made your way to Barwon Heads, 13th Beach, Torquay... and then played The National, Moonah, The Dunes...and then got on a plane at Moorabbin and went down to Barnbougle Dunes and King Island...if that isn’t the greatest ‘golf trip of a lifetime’, I don’t know what is.” What’s your favourite aspect of golf? “The camaraderie. A lot of people say golf takes too long, but that’s the beauty of it. You wander around for four and a half hours, have a nice competitive game, chat with people, have a bit of lunch afterward, play on beautifully manicured bits of real estate. It’s good for men or women, young or old. And you have absolutely no one else to blame –if you’re no good at it, that’s your fault.”

Any pet peeves about golf? “The long putter; that is the greatest disgrace on world sport. Ever. That it was ever allowed to go as far as it did. A manipulative tool to overcome the hardest part of the game. That is the only thing that has dragged our game down. It’s a joke.” What are your thoughts on golf in The Olympics? “Absolute nonsense. Playing tennis and golf in the Olympics. I don’t know how many majors we need to have to sort out the best player, but to contrive a competition, between countries is ridiculous.” Finally, if you could do it all over again, what profession would you have chosen? “I would have liked to have been in the top10 golfers in the world. That would be my absolute dream. But to be more realistic, I’m not sure what I’d do. I’m happy with what I do now. If someone like me complained about the life I have, we should be taken aside and given a good talking-to. A lot of people struggle in this day and age, so I feel I’m in a very fortunate position. I never take it for granted.”

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juniors

Qld zones rich with juniors

P in Queensland, junior golf is going ahead in leaps and bounds in some areas.

For example, the Sunshine Coast and South Burnett District Golf Association (SC&SBDGA) takes in three zones – the Glasshouse Mountains, South Burnett and the Sunshine Coast – and the area is rich with juniors. “We have more than 200 junior male and female golfers and the Sunshine Coast juniors come under the Invincibles junior banner led by Graeme Miller,” said SC&SBDGA secretary Terry Ward.

FUTURE STARS: Juniors are flocking to Nudgee Golf Club to learn all the elements of golf.

“But in the Glasshouse Mountains Golf Zone, the junior events compete under its own banner.

Bribie Island Golf Club juniors have their own “clubhouse”.

“This includes the pennants and an eightgame future tour, which covers six-, nineand 18-hole golfers of all ages and an intermediate junior event for 18-20-year-old.

construction of a separate junior clubhouse facility, which is well supported by the members, committee and general manager Steve Middleton.

“They also hold a terrific presentation night at the end of the year for all age group champions, both boys and girls, and the night is a proper dress-up evening with a special guest speaker.”

“The brainchild has always been Graeme Douglass’ with his untiring work with junior golf and applying for grants and implementing new ideas,” Ward said.

Ward said the Glasshouse junior committee had its own by-laws, bank account and committee. “They run under the district as their own identity and have a president (Shaun O’Hara), a very hard working vice president/treasurer (Graeme Douglass) and secretary (Mel Ewing). This committee is doing great things for junior golf,” Ward added.

Bribie Island juniors won the junior pennants in the Glasshouse Mountains Golf Zone this year, which shows what a facility and volunteers can do for junior golf. “The Glasshouse Mountains Junior Golf Association is doing great work for junior golf and the district is proud of their contribution,” Ward said.

Junior participation has increased dramatically in all areas.

“The district and zones have elite scholarships in place to help golfers of all handicap ranges and providing encouragement to golfers of all standards.

At Bribie Island Golf Club, Graeme Douglass is leading the way with the recent

“The cost to the district is around $12,000 per annum.” •

Hend inspires next generation

NSPIRED by 1992, 1993 and 1994 Nudgee Golf Club junior champion Scott Hend, participation in the Nudgee Futures Junior Golf Program has reached epic levels far exceeding the expectation of the organisers. The up-and-coming young golfers are honing their skills on all the elements of golf including chipping, driving, putting and bunker shots under the watchful eye of Nudgee Golf Club teaching professional Gary Warburton. Junior Tai Viking, nephew of former Nudgee Golf Club women’s champion and now professional golfer Elmay Viking, said the best part of the program, apart from “making new friends”, was working on his golf skills to improve his golf. “The success of this program is due to the club receiving a grant from the Department of National Parks, Sports and Racing, which has enabled expansion and development into a successful program it is today,” said the club’s general manager Aaron Muirhead.

“In addition, the program is scheduled to be rolled out to local schools in the coming months to expose the benefits and fun associated with golf to even more youngsters.” The club has adopted the MyGolf junior program that provides a fun, accessible and satisfying introduction to the sport of golf. “MyGolf promotes skills development, social integration and fun aspects of the sport to junior golfers, which is critical to keep these young golfers engaged,” Muirhead added. Nudgee Golf Club recently hosted a number of successful “come-and-try” events. Now the club is planning more such events. Juniors interested in attending these events should call Gary Warburton on 0411-184-125 or the office on 3267-7744. Alternatively, email golf@nudgeegolf.com.au or go to the website www.nudgeegolf.com.au/golf/junior-golf

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juniors

Thumbs up for nine-hole kids “At presentation, I stand with them because some kids do freeze and don’t know what to say. If that happens, I whisper in their ear and tell them to thank mum and dad, the golf club, their opponents and sponsors.

David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

OLF Queensland has committed to the development of golf through a junior program, which offers boys and girls aged between 5 and 12 an affordable entry into playing nine-hole competitions at different venues around southeast Queensland. More than 60 youngsters have already joined Junior Golf Queensland (JGQ) and are reaping the rewards, according to Golf Queensland development officer Scott Simons. Once participating, the kids have a guided path to advance as far as their potential and willingness will take them. “There are some talented young golfers floating around our nine-hole competitions and it won’t be long before some graduate to 18-hole competitions,” Simons said. For some youngsters, success has come early in the program. Among the talent are brothers Anthony and Rory Mannion. “They are champions,” Simons said. “Anthony is only nine years old and has a handicap of seven and Rory is six and plays off a handicap of 28. Anthony and Rory’s dad Kevin said the Junior Golf Queensland nine-hole events were perfect for his boys. “They are a step up from club competitions,” he said. “At the nine-hole events they get to meet other kids of similar ability and then they start chatting and new friendships are created. “Then the kids start arranging to play together again.”

“The kids go from being quite shy to being able to rattle off a speech. “Some of the speeches are awesome and all the kids make me proud. “These kids are awesome.” TEE TIME: Rory and Anthony Mannion prepare to tee off at a Junior Golf Queensland nine-hole competition. Kevin Mannion said the JGQ events were extremely well organised. “Scott Simons is fantastic,” he said. “He has a great rapport with the kids and he’s been a great influence on Anthony and Rory over the last few years.” Other parents, too, are applauding the nine-hole events where children play for monthly prizes and accumulate points that go towards an end-of-year Order of Merit, which recognises gross and nett winners. In addition to learning to play golf in a competitive environment, parents are equally impressed with the life skills on offer that help youngsters prepare for success at school, at home and in the community. Some of these skills include etiquette, responsibility, honesty, honour, respect, integrity and they learn the art of making a speech. “Many kids are quite young, but we encourage them to register when they turn up to events,” Simons explained. “This helps build confidence. “I get the kids to hand in their own scorecards and if they win a prize they have to make a speech.

The nine-hole competitions are played in separate handicap divisions. Mind you, novices are welcome to attend an event at one of the various venues. “Newcomers can come along to one of our events to make sure it’s what parents want for their children,” Simons said. “They play the first event as a non-member of Junior Golf Queensland and if they want to continue they can sign up for a cost of $66 per annum,” he said. “It costs $15 to play in each nine-hole tournament and that includes green fees and prizes. “Most of the kids playing in the nine-hole competitions have some basic skills because they have been to clinics and had lessons. “These nine-nine events are about beginning the journey into golf,” Simons added. “The events give kids confidence, they learn how to communicate with others and learn about goal-setting.” If you would like to know more about Junior Golf Queensland’s nine-hole program, contact Scott Simons at Golf Queensland on (07) 3252-8155, email info@golfqueensland.org.au or view the website www.golfqueensland.org.au

Making

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Home of golf’s past, present and future champions 30

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Pacific Dunes’ Kids Course passes student test Pacific Dunes recently played host to 16 students from Bob’s Farm Public School for the completion of their four-week ‘Sporting Schools’ golf program. An Australian Government program, ‘Sporting Schools’ is Australia’s largest schoolbased sports participation program to help children foster a lifelong interest in sport. In partnership with ‘My Golf’ and local, community golf coach, Amanda Burns from JB-Golf, a four-week golf program was conducted at Bob’s Farm Public School, offering students the opportunity to be introduced to golf. Focusing on all elements of the game— warm-up, chipping, full swing games, golf knowledge and etiquette—the students played three holes and spent some time on the putting green at Pacific Dunes. Pacific Dunes’ newly-established ‘Kids course’ features aqua coloured tees, strategically placed to provide a 3800m golf course with a par 72. General Manager, Kurt Linde commented “The brand-new kid’s course offers junior golfers the opportunity to play alongside their parents and coaches to experience the course, tailored to their ability and strengths.” With the new kid’s course and 2016-2017 ‘Under 18 Golf Membership Category’ from only $50, Pacific Dunes are looking forward to increasing the level of youth participation in golf. The Kids Weekly Clinics run every Wednesday during school term, 4pm-5pm for $10pp. All ages and abilities welcome. Please call the Golf Shop for bookings (02) 4916 0500 or email jamiehook@pacificdunesgolf.com.au

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people

Golf proves it’s a game for all ages David Newbery

Hocking said when it came to golf, and life, young Matt Thompson possessed a “great attitude”.

david@insidegolf.com.au

OLF, once again, proved it is a game for all ages when an 86-year-old and a 15-year-old fought out the C Grade Matchplay Championship at Cowra Golf Club in the central west region of New South Wales.

“Matt has only been playing golf consistently for about 12 months and in the last two months he has shaved six shots off his handicap,” he said. “If he decides to get stuck in and take golf seriously I think he might have a future in the game.”

After 36 gruelling holes, youth won out over experience when Matt Thompson, 15, edged out Noel Riley, 86, 1-up in the final. Cowra Golf Club head professional Matt Hocking, the current Australian PGA club professional champion, said it was a final to remember. “For me, this is what playing golf is all about,” he said. “It’s rare that such disparity in age can create such a thrilling finale for any title.

To reach the matchplay final, Noel, who qualified fifth in the 72-hole club championship, defeated Matt Tremble 1-up and Robert Oliver 1-up. Noel Riley (white shirt) hands his opponent Matt Thompson his marker during Cowra Golf Club’s C grade matchplay final. INSET: Matt Thompson shows off the spoils of victory.

“It proved that age is no barrier when it comes to contesting a title.”

generous person than Noel,” Hocking told Inside Golf.

“I discovered it was the first time it had happened at Cowra Golf Club in 100 years.

It’s a shame there had to be a runnerup because both Noel, who plays off a 19 handicap, and Matt, a 22 marker, played excellent golf and the match could have gone either way.

“He’s nicknamed Mr Golf around here because of his enthusiasm and lifelong passion for the game.

“I’ve done it a few since then and I think I might do it again with a bit of help from Matt Hocking (club pro).”

“He just loves golf and plays three times a week.”

Alan Luff, 83, Noel’s good friend, joined him as an “age breaker” last year.

Still, Noel was gracious in defeat and was happy for his fellow competitor.

Noel, who regularly beats his age, has won his fair share of club championships down the years.

Noel’s advice to fellow golfers is to stay calm on the golf course.

“It was the perfect result and great for young Matt,” Noel said. “It was good publicity for golf and the golf club, which is my main interest.” Hocking said Noel, who joined the club in 1953, was a gentleman’s gentleman. “There isn’t a more graceful, kind and

He won his first and last B grade title 56 years apart – the first in 1955 and the last in 2011 aged 81. “A golf highlight for me, which I didn’t realise at the time, was when I shot my age at 79,” Noel said.

In the quarter-final Matt accounted for Wayne Rodwell 4/2 and then defeated his father Graham 5/3 in the semi-final. Graham said his son Matt was nervous going into the final. “He was four down after nine holes and probably played his worst golf in a while,” said Graham, who caddied for his son. “At the start of second the nine he won the first four holes to get back to square and was 2-up with two holes to play.

“You should be out on the golf course for pleasure, not to get upset.

“Matt lost the 17th (35th hole) and on the final hole his first three shots (drive, approach and chip) weren’t good. His fourth shot, a chip, finished two metres from the hole and he sank the putt to square the hole and win the match.

“I would like to pay special tribute to my wife Geraldine for her encouragement of my golf over many years,” he added.

“But overall he played well and held his nerve terrifically. He loves golf and will be a golfer for some years.” •

“Don’t get upset if you muck up a shot because it’s only a game,” he said.

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women

Meet the sweet-swinging sisters And when it comes to holes-in-one, Judy has two and Sandra one, but who’s counting.

David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

They just enjoy the sport for what it is. “What I love about golf is it allows you to meet new people and to play at other courses,” Sandra said.

ETWEEN them, sisters Sandra Crowe and Judy Finkle have won more than 50 individual club championships at their respective golf clubs.

“I have made some of the best friends and made lasting friendships by playing golf.

Out at Temora Golf Club, 460 kilometres southwest of Sydney, Sandra has won 26 individual club championships – 24 of those in a row.

“David (husband) plays golf so it gives us the benefit of going away and playing different golf courses because we both like golf.”

Meanwhile, 50kms down the road at Cootamundra Golf Club, Judy recently racked up her 25th club championship in 28 years.

Judy agrees.

The sisters get their golfing genes from their mother Loraine, who played golf well into her 80s and scored her first hole-inone at the age of 80.

“I like being competitive and going away to play different courses,” she said. “Everywhere I go I know people I have met over the years.”

Sandra, who took up golf aged 16 at Cootamundra, told Inside Golf she had been playing golf for 50 years.

Aside from collecting club championships, Judy and Sandra are dedicated club volunteers.

“I remember hitting golf balls on the family’s wheat and crop farm,” Sandra recalled.

Regional golf clubs rely heavily on volunteers to keep the doors open and both Judy and Sandra have put up their hands and filled virtually every role on the committee.

“Mum played and when I was 16 she had to get permission from the golf club for me to go into the clubhouse after the game.

Sandra Crowe and her sister Judy Finkle (inset) are prolific winners in country New South Wales.

“I was only a junior at the time and you had to be over 18 to be allowed into the club.”

Younger sister Sandra has an awesome long game while Judy is consistent in most areas of her game.

Since then, Sandra has been a prolific winner by winning titles at most courses in the southwest area.

“My weakness is chipping,” said Judy, whose son Paul is the head professional at Yowani Country Club in Canberra. “I have always had issues when it comes to chipping.”

In 2012, Sandra won the Temora sportsperson of the year award. “I won the club’s mixed foursomes with David, my husband, 11 times and the ladies foursomes with Julie Boland 27 times,” Sandra said. “Sandra has been a fantastic ambassador for the sport,” said Temora Golf Club director Deidre Flakelar. “She loves her golf and is quick to help out if anyone who needs help with tuition or ideas.” Sandra, 65, and Judy, who is seven years older, both play off a seven handicap.

“I have been on the committee since the year dot,” said Sandra, who was on the golf course picking up sticks when I called. “In small country towns we rely on volunteers and hard working boards to keep the club going. “At Temora, the board has been innovative and changed from sand to grass greens and installed a watering system.

That hasn’t stopped her winning 25 club championships, 28 mixed foursomes and 22 ladies foursomes titles.

“The good condition of the golf course has allowed me to maintain my ability to go elsewhere and play.”

In 2012, Judy won the scratch and nett NSW Medal at Pennant Hills and earlier, 2000, she received an Australian Sports Award.

Judy, who is treasurer of the South West Ladies District Golf Association, said volunteering for the various committee positions at the golf club was something she enjoyed.

Twice she has won the Best Local Sportsperson and she won the Australia Day achievement in Sports Award in 1998.

As for club championships, Sandra and Judy will continue to complete and, who knows, they might just add to their already impressive tallies.

Judy also excelled in squash.

FOOTNOTE: If you know someone who has achieved similar results, contact Inside Golf at ed@insidegolf.com.au

“I was the local squash champion for many years winning about 28 championships before retiring in 1997,” she said.

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www.thesavvygolfer.com.au 38

CITY OF ORANGE GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

August 2016 | www.insidegolf.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

LADIES OPEN TOURNAMENT

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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.

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.

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women

Woolooware women top notch

Birthday girl Beryl celebrates centenary

T’S been a wonderful few months for women’s pennant teams at Woolooware Golf Club in Sydney.

In fact, we hear the champagne glasses are still chinking as the players continue celebrating their success.

arrandera Golf Club’s Beryl Kennedy has celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by her family and friends.

Woolooware Ladies Golf Club president Trish Huthwaite told Inside Golf the club was proud of its recent pennant achievements. “We won the Grade 4 Golf NSW pennant against Muirfield in a cliff-hanger. “It came down to the last game and we won by one game. “The Bronze 1 pennant team also went down to the wire and we again won by one game against Beverly Park. Our Silver pennant side finished runners-up when they lost by a game against Bankstown and the Bronze 2 defeated Beverly Park by a single game. This is a great achievement for our club. “Each year we always compete with a sense of pride, putting on our pink shirts and representing the club. “We have developed great friendships within the club by playing in a team and have also made many more great friendships with other competing club members. We always celebrate our wins and losses, congratulating the girls for participating. “We have a membership of around 120 ladies and for such a small club we have had a very good pennant season. “At the end of each year, all pennant team members are invited to share in a dinner provided by the club to reward them for their participation and enthusiasm.” Trish said the secret to success was a strong camaraderie among the club’s players.

their golf has improved dramatically and handicaps are being reduced.” Trish said the excellent condition of the golf course also was a contributing factor. “Golf course superintendent Cameron Dunn is doing an excellent job and has brought the course up to a high standard,” she said. “Woolooware is a challenging golf course with a slope rating of 128 for the ladies. “The course is 5250m in length and there are lots of trees and creeks on the golf course.

Beryl, a life member of the Riverina Ladies Golf Association, has been associated with the game for over 80 years. She was thrilled to receive a card and bouquet of flowers from her friends on the association’s committee to recognise the milestone. The birthday girl shared a few of her memories with her guests like walking to and from the course every day after school as a teenager to practice, and playing golf in the rain at Albury before sitting around an open fire in the evening to talk about the day’s golf with her friends. One of her earliest memories was having to walk up the hill to the 13th green at Narrandera. “I never looked forward to that hole,” she chuckled.

“One of the most challenging holes for the ladies is the 16th. It’s only 120 metres, but it’s about a 90-metre carry over the dam to a large green with a big bunker on the right.” It seems Woolooware Golf Club is a great meeting place for women golfers of all ages. “We have a number of ladies aged between 75 and 85 who continue to play competitively,” Trish said.

Narrandera has always been Beryl’s home club. She met her husband Jack at the course. He was the club’s professional when she started playing the game. As her passion for the game grew, and her skill on the course improved, their love blossomed. It wasn’t too long before he popped the question. “Any wonder I was keen on golf? He proposed to me as we were walking up the first fairway,” she said with a grin. Beryl still promotes the game as often as she can. “Golf is a great game and the friends you make are even better,” she said.

“They are keen golfers and all are great competitors,” she said.

“We are proud of our club and encourage and welcome any new members to come and join in the fun and sport of golf.”

She also handed out a bit of advice about her longevity for some of those golfers who have it easy these days by playing in carts.

“A lot of the players take lessons from long-serving club professional Barry Bent and in the last 18 months

Next year Woolooware Golf Club will celebrate its 60th anniversary.

“Play more than once a week and always walk the course. If you don’t use them (legs) you’ll lose them,” she smiled.

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clubs

CLUB OF THE MONTH >

Settlers Run Golf & Country Club L

ying adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne and located just 40 minutes from the Melbourne CBD, Settlers Run Golf & Country Club is a spectacular and enjoyable golf club that truly lives up to its “Country Club” moniker. This master planned residential community maintains the area’s natural ambience, with the majority of land dedicated to green, open spaces. The centrepiece of the development is the Greg Norman – designed championship golf course and $10million Golf & Country Club. Greg Norman design has taken the best elements of Melbourne’s renowned sandbelt courses and incorporated them into a dramatic, natural golf setting. The design takes advantage of the undulating landscape and natural wetlands to create a layout that fits seamlessly with the surrounding environment. The bunkering is a key feature of the design, with Norman taking inspiration from Alister MacKenzie’s work at famed Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath. The fairways have been designed to provide generous landing areas to accommodate golfers of all levels. Couch grasses have been used on the tees and fairways, with the greens using a hybrid bent grass to provide a putting surface that are among the finest in Australia. From tee to green, Settlers is a true championship course, with exactly the right amount of challenge, risk/reward and aesthetics to make it a world-class venue. During our visits there, the tees are always immaculate, the fairways superb, and the challenging greens a treat. While many golf courses around Australia have “Country Club” in their name, Settlers Run is one of the few that fits the bill perfectly. From the journey up the grand, tree-lined entry drive, through to the full complement of country club facilities, including an indoor pool, tennis court, sauna, 40

August 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

gymnasium, and exquisite dining facilities serving some of the best food around, Settlers Run has been designed from top to bottom in pure style. The course, as a whole, caters for golfers of all levels, and is a true golfers’ indulgence with respect to design, construction and maintenance in every aspect. The greens are quick and challenging, yet pure and true. The course demands thoughtful planning and precise shot making; with plenty of water hazards, bunkers and thick rough grabbing wayward shots. Yet the generous landing areas and ample bail-out areas allow for a safe navigation for those less inclined to take on the risk-reward options. Like most of Greg Norman’s designs, every hole is unique, and all have merit. The opening three holes set the stage perfectly: A strong par-5, a tricky par-3 and a difficult par-4; daunting even if you’ve spent a half hour on the practice tee. The 5th, 6th and 7th are all very interesting par-fours and the 11th is a wonderful par-3 requiring careful consideration on the tee. One of the highlights is the 17th. It is a short par-4 by modern standards at

just 303m from the back. The fairway boomerangs from left to right with a hazard down the right side that the drive must clear. The green is tucked slightly left, sitting in a small gully with trouble all around it. The big hitters can go for the green but everyone must choose how aggressively to play. It demands good decisions on every shot and, being so short, the green has some serious teeth. It is an exquisite golf hole, which completes this layout and sums up the character of the course. Norman places great emphasis on being long and straight, and Settlers Run fits the bill. Don’t immediately reach for your driver on every hole; instead, use your head, swallow your pride and take three-wood or a long iron from some of the tees to avoid trouble and give yourself a chance of reaching the green in regulation. Settlers Run is also very easy on the eye. More than once you may find yourself standing on the tee and admiring the hole and its surroundings. Numerous vantage points around the course provide spectacular views back to the Melbourne skyline as well as the distant Dandenong Ranges, providing

a totally “natural” golfing experience so close to the city.

Memberships Settlers Run is a members golf course offering a limited number of external golfers the opportunity to join residents as members of this exclusive golf club. Being a member means much more than just playing the championship golf course in weekly competitions and honourboard events. Members will also enjoy a range of additional benefits such as discounts in the golf shop, Settlers Bar and Bistro, unrestricted access to the health club and more. External Golf Memberships are currently available which include individual 7-day, individual 5-day, family and corporate membership. They have also launched a variety of junior/young adult memberships that act as a pathway to full membership: Cadet Membership (ages 10-17), Junior membership (ages 18-25), Younger Membership (Ages 25-29) and Intermediate Membership (Ages 30-34).

clubs

Junior Golf Settlers Run recently announced that the club is introducing the MyGolf Junior Program which is delivered over Australia. This will give the Juniors who participate the best chance of being the next Jason Day or Adam Scott. MyGolf is Australia’s national junior introductory program to develop and promote participation in golf. An introductory program to the sport, the MyGolf program is designed for 5- to 12-year-olds and is the major driver of junior golf participation in Australia. Through the MyGolf program, the club aims to increase participation and engagement in golf by children, and provide a fun, accessible and satisfying introduction to the sport of golf by promoting skills development, as well as the social and fun aspects of the sport, to the wider community.

Corporate Golf and Functions Settlers Run Golf & Country Club provides a very unique opportunity to entertain clients for business events, guests for weddings or any number of other large functions.

The Settlers Run Golf & Country Club team work hand-in-hand with you to create a well-rounded event that will leave a lasting impression. Catering for groups of minimum 16 to a maximum of 144 players, they make available a multitude of options to ensure a corporate golf day is a success; from gift packs, prizes and vouchers to delightful cuisine and wine selections. Standard Inclusions for your Golf Event are: 18 holes of golf, complimentary range balls prior to play, pre-golf registration, organisation of on-course competitions and activities, welcome announcements and rule explanation, scoring, post-golf presentation and more. In addition, the state-of-the-art clubhouse, first-class dining facilities and attentive staff ensure that wedding guests or business clients are always entertained in style. They offer a variety of function/meeting rooms as well as audio/visual equipment to cater for most sizes of conferences and seminars. With flexibility of room shapes and sizes, Settlers Run can comfortably accommodate small business meetings in a private setting, as well as having the capability to cater for larger groups of up to 150.

You can combine the day with a round of golf and at the day’s end you can retreat to the bar for a quiet drink. There’s no better place to relax and bond with fellow workmates and clients. For weddings, the team can create personally tailored menus and additional extras to make that special day even more memorable, from organising music, lighting, Ceremony CD, guest book, Celebrant, Wedding rehearsal, PA system, Room set up and more. •

Experience Settlers Run Golf & Country Club

FACT FILE

Settlers Run Golf & Country Club 1 Settlers Run, Botanic Ridge, Vic, 3977 Phone: 03 9785 6072 Email reception@settlersrungcc.com.au Website: www.settlersrungcc.com.au

MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE ■ Greg Norman-designed 18 hole championship golf course ■ Readily available weekend tee times ■ Bar & Bistro available 7 days per week ■ Premier facilities include gym, pool, spa, sauna & tennis

Enquiries call the Membership Manager on 03 9785 6072.

MondAy to FRIdAy Get 20% off online green fee rate by quoting promo code: SRISG001 Just head to the golf section of our website to book. Valid from Monday 1st August to Thursday 29th September. Dress code applies. Motorised carts available for an additional fee.

1 Settlers Run, Botanic Ridge, Victoria, 3977 (03) 9785 6072 www.settlersrungcc.com.au www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

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The Official AFL golf range of products is the perfect gift solution for Father’s day. Available in all 18 AFL teams there is a wide variety of product to suit your budget. Dad will love the AFL golf range, AFL golf cart bags, the fantastic AFL gift packs, toursized golf towels and golf umbrellas, Optima TS golf balls, and team golf head covers so you can be sure to find that perfect Father’s day gift. The beautifully crafted AFL cart bag is packed with features that all golfers are looking for. Not only do they represent Dad’s team, the AFL cart bag features a 14-way top, easy carry handle, large cooler pocket, new oversized putter well, and full rain cover built into the bag making it a fully functional golf bag solution. RRP: AFL Cart Bag $299 AFL Gift Pack $49.99 1800 656 968 www.wsports.com.au ws.orders@wsports.com.au

Silo Club Carrier

How often do you want to play a few holes before or after work, hit the range with a select few clubs or the dreaded carts on paths or missed green where you are forced to carry a handful of clubs hoping you not only have the right club but that you don’t break a finger as you fight to keep the shafts rubbing? Enter the Rival & Revel SILO Club Carrier. The 5.7” long carrier, available in four colours, weighs about 250g and fits most shaft diameters. It holds up to six clubs, three tees and comes with a magnetic ball marker. Fitting in most golf bags allows you to preload your wedges or selected clubs. Being small and compact also allows the SILO to be kept in your bag or in your car for those last-minute decisions. The party tricks don’t end there, the SILO will stand up when three or more clubs are in place, avoiding the dreaded ‘wet grip concerns’. The SILO Club Carrier is now available in Australia, distributed by Golf2Aus to a variety of retailers around Australia. Purchase online with code FATHERSDAY for free shipping. RRP: $34.95 www.golf2aus.com.au

For the father who loves everything golf, help him improve his game and swing with these excellent gift ideas. Pitchfix Twister 2.0

The new Twister 2.0 from Pitchfix is based on a patented invention that makes divot repair very easy for all golfers to do and results in perfect repairs without damage to the green. The Twister 2.0 consists of a head with 3 pins that are retractable into the body. It also comes with a removable magnet ball marker for golf club or corporate branding. To attack the ball mark, you simply jab the tool into the ground vertically and repeat. Simple. No angling, carving, pulling or twisting required. Available in 10 Colour combinations. ABS Rubberised Gun body / Rubberized top parts / Black Metal Arrow Pins. RRP: $24.95 pitchfix@theback9.com.au www.theback9.com.au

Kangaroo Leather Gloves

Give your Dad the grip advantage he’s been looking for with Kakadu Australia 100% kangaroo leather gloves. Over the last 20 years, Kakadu Australia gloves have gained a reputation around the world for being one of the thinnest, strongest, longest-lasting golf gloves available. They offer exceptional grip and feel in all weather conditions. Kakadu Australia 100% kangaroo leather gloves are lightweight yet strong. Because of its unique cross-grain construction, kangaroo leather can be manufactured thinner than conventional glove leather. These kangaroo leather gloves have much higher tensile strength and greater wear-resistance than cabretta (sheep leather) or synthetic leather gloves. Available in black or white, left or right-hand and unisex sizes range from XXXS to XXXL. Free shipping within Australia for orders over $40 plus receive a free pair of Kakadu sports socks (RRP: $6.95) when you spend over $60. RRP: $29.95 www.kakadugolfglove.com

Pro Golf IQ Mind-coaching program Gift Voucher Pro Golf IQ has been described by Inside Golf as possibly the most ‘overall game changing’ product in the market. The powerful mind-coaching program is a ‘must have’ for every keen golfer looking to gain the same mental edge as the world’s top players. Pro Golf IQ provides focus and concentration on every shot while reducing stress and anxiety leading to improved scores. Consisting of a series of five audio sessions, you simply download them to your computer and, using headphones and your favourite device, listen to one session three times a week in the comfort of your home.

August 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

Highland Golf Cars Highland Golf Cars’ showroom and workshop in Cavendish Street, Mittagong, showcases an impressive range of both new and used golf carts ... the largest display outside of Sydney. As a Platinum Dealer for Club Car and EMC Golf Carts, Highland Golf Cars offer the best deals on premium brands. They will not be beaten on price and their trade-in offers are the stuff of legends. A must-have golfing accessory these days, golf carts are increasingly more affordable and feature packed.Whether you’re after the latest model or are interested in a used vehicle, there is simply no better place to start (and end) your journey. If you’re looking for a used cart, check out the extensive selection of pre-owned, fully reconditioned buggies, all with warranty and many equipped with brand new batteries. Speaking of batteries: Highland Golf Cars are leaders when it comes to quality, price and distribution of cart batteries. The current ‘unbeatable’ deals on Trojans and US Batteries is an alltime winner. www.highlandgolfcars.com.au 1300 90 60 80 You simply lie back, relax and let your imagination do the work. The beginning of each session helps get you into a deep state of total body (and mind) relaxation. Through a series of deep breathing exercises, mental imagery, and subconscious cues and tones, you soon find yourself in a deep state of calmness. The system teaches you how to get both the left AND right sides of your brain working together, while also helping you create ‘quiet time’ in your mind; which is critical to playing like a pro. GIFT VOUCHER: $97 (RRP $219) www.progolfiq.com/fathersday (07) 5657 0902

fathers day

Wrightsock double layer socks Now available in Australia, Wrightsock double layer socks provide dual layer performance with the one sock feeling, and they guarantee you no blisters! Made in America with the most technically advanced fibres to wick moisture away from the skin. Wrightsock is the right fit for every Dad, keeping him comfortable during a long day on the green.

Though his swing might already be perfect, the Sureshotgps Hero 350x will help Dad improve strength, stamina, swing and speed. This multi-sport mode can even monitor the duration of a round while out on the green. Now Dad can play just like the pros! If you think Dad’s swing is impeccable but he needs a guide on the course he’ll love the Sureshotgps Hero 750x. This device will follow Dad’s position using auto course recognition and auto hole advance, so Dad can now evaluate any risk on the green and avoid mistakes so he can win that glorious trophy.

www.wrightsock.com.au RRP: $24.95 - $39.95

Callaway Micro Laser Rangefinder The Callaway Micro Laser Rangefinder delivers the benefits of both laser and prism technology within one ultra compact, lightweight device. For courses that have flagsticks with builtin reflectors, Prism Mode is ideal for quickly acquiring the distance to the pin with minimal effort and a high degree of accuracy. To acquire distances to other objects, Laser Mode allows Dad to scan the landscape for distances to hazards, trees, etc. When playing a course without flagstick reflectors, simply engage P.A.T (Pin Acquisition Technology) to lock onto the flagstick quickly and accurately! RRP: $439 03 5277 3944 sales@golfimports.com.au www.callawaydmd.com

IZZO Swami GT

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 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. The core set is 4-iron-PW, with LW, SW and GW also available. Milford

The Bag Boy Express DLX Pro is lightweight and has a simple two-step quick fold, where his golf bag can remain on the cart when folded. Incorporated with a deluxe scorecard holder, smart phone holder and padded storage compartment, Dad can now stay out on the course all day and still message you without any delayed response or impact to his swing. To make Dad’s life easier, you can give him the freedom of having free hands. The Liquid Holster has been designed by busy people who know the importance of having free hands and multitasking, so Dad will be able to attach this extra convenience to his golf buggy or even his boat, or bike.

www.mgigolf.com www.sureshotgps.com

Tracker Tags are inserted into the end of each of Dad’s clubs. These tracker tags work together with the GPS technology to transmit and track data from every shot during every round on the Swami GT – without any manual inputting

MILFORD SL-7 SINGLELENGTH IRONS

For the super active, all-terrain Dad, the Bag Boy Tri-Swivel II is his perfect companion. With 360 degree swivel of the front wheel, Dad’s newest push cart will match his love of effortless manoeuvrability, whilst also appealing to his practical side with a three-step fold making the push cart compact and perfectly convenient.

To help Dad effortlessly pack up after a game or move between courses, the MGI Travel Bag will help provide a durable bag to store even the dirtiest, wet or dusty golf buggy. And is perfect for the Dad that likes to travel with his golf gear.

The IZZO Swami GT works as a traditional GPS to provide instant, accurate distance for each and every shot. But thanks to NFC (Near Field Communications) technology, it can do so much more.

Then, Dad simply logs in to his Swami GT account and instantly sees how he did. All stats of his game are recorded, calculated and displayed.

Great gifts from MGI and SureshotGPS

Pitchfix AlignMee Ball Aligner RRP: $319 03 5277 3944 sales@golfimports.com.au SL-7 irons are available with graphite shafts in L, A and R flex and with stainless steel shafts in R and S flex. RRP: Set (4 iron-PW): $469 (steel) $499 (Graphite) Contact Fred Stewart on 0412563977 fred@milfordgolf.com.au

The new Pitchfix AlignMee Ball Aligner tool has been designed with two key principles. First, it provides golfers with a tool that helps them improve their putting by marking their ball for better alignment. Secondly, it’s also a bag tag. Incorporating the ability to brand with retail images or golf club or corporate logos makes the AlignMee a must-have golf accessory for the golfer. With the pen marker integrated into the design of the AlignMee, Dad will never again need to search for a marker in the bottom of his golf bag pockets. Many golf coaches use the Alignmee as a promotional item and as an aid in their coaching, helping students make putting alignment a key part of their putting routine. Golf Tour operators use the AlignMee in combination with its prestige presentation case as a high-end tour gift. Available in 6 Colour combinations. Lid brandable with your logo. Integrated permanent marker. Soft Touch, comfortable and easy to use with a Durable Metal Hinge. RRP: $16.95 pitchfix@theback9.com.au www.theback9.com.au

www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

fathers day

Nexbelt

Tour Preferred Ball The new Tour Preferred ball (4-layer construction, 80 compression), features TaylorMade’s next-generation SpeedMantle™ inner layer, comprised of a material that is more than 65% softer and more flexible than the previous generation’s mantle. The development of the new mantle has allowed engineers to create a softer feeling ball, while still maintaining the performance characteristics of the original Tour Preferred golf ball. The new Tour Preferred golf ball provides higher launch and more spin for long irons while maintaining the same distance off the tee and greenside spin as the Tour Preferred X but with a softer feel. The new Tour Preferred still features TaylorMade’s proven Soft Tech™ cast urethane cover, the company’s softest and most durable cover to date, and Low-Drag Performance Aerodynamics (LDP™), a 322 dimple pattern that provides distance off the tee and a penetrating flight through wind that tour players prefer. The new Tour Preferred is designed for players of all swing speeds looking for a softer tour performance golf ball. www.taylormadegolf.com.au

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.

Get organised for Fathers’ Day with 20% off all men’s belts. With a large range of styles and colours to choose from, there is sure to be a belt for every special dad. Use promo code 16DAD20 for this great deal. PLUS, get a FREE pair of new 2UNDR men’s underwear for every online purchase in August. For the correct fit, simply type your waist size in the ‘Order notes’ section during the checkout process.

TaylorMade M1 Driver TaylorMade’s longest driver, the M1 has a multi-material construction - featuring an ultra-thin, ultra-light and high-strength carbon composite crown – that unlocks breakthroughs in distance, playability, and feel for all golfers. Each golfer has a unique swing and in the past it’s been challenging to provide ideal launch conditions to all player types with a single club. The construction of M1 allows better players to create the shot they want and other golfers, the shot they need.

RRP: $65 - $150 AUD www.lyleapparel.com.au info@lyleapparel.com.au

TaylorMade M2 Fairway With the multi-material construction of M2 – and the addition of a NEW Speed Pocket – TaylorMade have created their hottest trajectory ever in this category. Players seeking exceptional distance and playability from their fairway wood will find the M2 fairway to go farther and straighter than what they have in their bag today.

A three-step head adjustment system of loft sleeve, Front Track & Back Track - plus three featured stock shaft offerings - M1 gives golfers a tour-level fitting without the truck. A 4° (+/- 2°), 12-position, sleeve for the golfer’s preference of face angle, loft and lie. Available Lofts: 8.5º, 9.5º, 10.5 º, 12º

The Carbon Composite Crown shifts weight low for optimal launch and spin conditions. A new Speed Pocket promotes a larger sweet spot and reduced spin for more distance. A combination of fluted hosel and internal acoustics engineering manages vibrations and pitches to product a solid, hot and crisp sound that offers tremendous feedback at impact.

The M1 Driver comes in 2 head models (460cc and 430cc) and 3 after-market stock shafts, designed for multiple swing types.

Available Lofts: 3 (15º) , 3-HL (16.5º), 5 (18º), 5HL (21º), & 7HL (24º)

www.taylormadegolf.com.au

August 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

Walkinshaw 360 Swivel Navigate the course with ease. Compared to some expensive folding buggies with fixed front wheels the unique 360 degree front swivel wheel lets you simply push in the direction you desire with absolutely no heavy lifting.

Project (a) Ball TaylorMade’s 2016 line-up also features the bolstered Project (a), designed specifically for the competitive amateur player to promote more spin and improved performance where needed most: 30 yards and in. The new Project (a) has an overall compression of 70 (versus 88 in the original model), which was achieved by dropping the core compression 33%. The core compression has been reduced from 60 to 40 by way of a REACT™ Core with a new speed optimised formulation. As amateur players generate nearly 50% less spin than players on tour, Project (a) is specifically designed to deliver more spin on mid irons, short irons and shots around the green, resulting in enhanced control and increased scoring opportunities. The new Project (a) also retains the proprietary Soft Tech™ cast urethane cover to provide higher greenside spin, softer feel and improved durability.

Reward Dad this Father’s Day with this lightweight, one motion push button designed buggy that folds down in seconds to a super compact and easy to lift position. The Swivel also features a Scorecard holder that includes, ball, tee and GPS storage as well as a large volume, quick access storage bag. With a great range of colours and accessories do not miss this opportunity to change the way your Dad navigates the fairways. RRP: $299 1800 656 968 www.wsports.com.au ws.orders@wsports.com.au

www.taylormadegolf.com.au

TaylorMade Spider Limited Putter Inspired by Jason Day. The All-red body presents a striking look, providing even more confidence on the green. The Lightweight 6061 aluminium body paired with a 304 stainless steel frame enables weight to be positioned at the extremities, providing improved stability and high MOI (4900+). Features a seamless top crown and long, single sightline, promoting consistent alignment. Milled Pure Roll™ insert with a gunmetal finish provides better forward roll, increased directional accuracy, and improved distance control. Vibration dampening PU foam embedded between the body and frame for consistent sound and feel. Limited Quantities Available. www.taylormadegolf.com.au

TOUR360 Boost Give Dad the comfort and support he needs on the course with adidas TOUR360 Boost. Features include: energized cushioning from full-length BOOST midsole foam, Premium leather upper with ClimaProof technology for a rich look, soft comfortable feel and long-lasting protection and durability. Advanced dual-density 10-cleat puremotion® TPU outsole with strategically-placed CenTraXion and thintech cleats provides improved stability and grip where it’s needed most. A new TORSION TUNNEL provides independent flexibility and control between the heel and forefoot while providing enhanced arch support and improves green friendliness. Fitfoam® GEO collar and tongue foam for enhanced cushioning and comfort. 90-Day Fit and Comfort Guarantee. 2yr Waterproof Warranty. RRP: $289.00

fathers day

Puma Spectrum 3 in 1 Web Belt

Puma Sport Elevation Pant

Three Belts, one amazing price. Match your belt to your outfit for cool coordination on and off the course. These adjustable, metalbuckled belts completes your look, every time you wear it. 100% Polypropylene with polyester webbing, Brushed nickel buckle, Metal tipping with embossed PUMA Logo and three straps included (white, black, grey).

A great-fitting, functional golf pant. Puma’s Elevation Golf Pants are stamped with their dryCELL seal, meaning sweat-wicking properties in the fabric will keep Dad dry and comfortable. Plus, a UPF of 50+ means he’s protected during even the sunniest of afternoons. 96% Polyester, 4% elastane. Dual side pockets with front coin pocket; back left flap pocket and right welt pocket.

RRP: $59.95

RRP: $149.95

Puma TitanTour Ignite – Black Forget the polite clapping. This shoe calls for thunderous applause. The TITANTOUR IGNITE features PUMA’s finest running performance technologies. It’s stacked with IGNITE Foam for maximum energy return underfoot and PWRCOOL so Dad can power through when the heat is on. Features premium full-grain leather upper for the ultimate performance, durability, and quality. Waterproof guaranteed for two years. Lace closure for a snug fit; packaged with multiple laces for customizable style.. Outsole features removable, low-profile Stealth Cleats for long-lasting abrasion resistance, plus multi-directional GripZone lugs for unrivaled traction and stability. Anatomically positioned flex grooves at outsole provide support while allowing the foot to move naturally. RRP: $229.95

Puma SS Tailored Platform Polo This performance polo was designed with the serious golfer in mind. It’s made with high-tech fabrics for moisture control, and a super-comfortable design so you can focus on your game. 100% Polyester, dryCELL designation for moisturewicking properties that help keep you dry and comfortable. Two button placket with Colourblocking at chest. RRP: $89.95

Perfect Socks for the Perfect Dad Improve Dad’s golf game with the most comfortable socks he will wear. Instead of being distracted by cold feet or blisters he will be able to concentrate on his game. Made in New Zealand from a unique Merino and cashmere yarn these socks have arch support, cushioned soles and a fine toe seam. They are designed and made specifically for golfers. www.perfectsocks.co.nz RRP: approx $24

PnP Siteline Clubs Make Dad’s day by improving his play, with a new golfing partner or two. Around the green, whether putting or chipping, we all have different address positions. Setting up correctly, on or off the green, for these strokes can be difficult for many golfers.

Air Adventure - King Island & Barnbougle Golf Tour Voucher Is your Dad a golf nut? Would he like to play three courses in the world top 40 and Australia’s newest course all in four days? Of course he would! An Air Adventure Golf Tours voucher would be the dream gift. Air Adventure specialise in private charter golf tours to King Island and Barnbougle and organise everything for you including their own private charter aircraft, golf bookings, accommodation and on the ground transfers. Dad will be able to kick back and let his dream trip be organised for him. Cape Wickham, Ocean Dunes, Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm are on all golfing Dads’ bucket lists. Vouchers from $50 available.

With this in mind PnP Golf has developed the new Siteline clubs. They ‘take the guess out of your address’ and set you up perfectly every time you wish to putt or chip.

It’s an easy and natural address to the ball. Position the Siteline’s sole flat on the ground with the white pointer set to your target line. Then simply move your head over the top the club until you see the tip of the white pointer through the top level marker. At this point you’re ready to make a confident stroke. Note: all PnP Golf clubs conform to USGA Golf Regulations and are backed by a 30 day money back guarantee. www.pnpgolf.com 02 6239 3462

The PnP Siteline putter and chipper both feature the patented ‘All square visual alignment’ design (ASVA). The unique features of the white pointer and the visual alignment will firstly, square the club-face at 90º to the target line, and then position your head perfectly, directly above the ball.

golf.airadventure.com.au golf@airadventure.com.au 0402 852 637

www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

new gear

>NEW GEAR

Single Point Water Kits

R&J Batteries Australia now import BWT Single Point Water Kits manufactured for golf cart batteries by Battery Watering Technologies in the USA

The best way to eliminate “under” or “over” filling golf cart batteries is to install a Single Point Water Kit. BWT water kits reduce filling time by 90%, are Safer due to no spillage and have internal spark arrestors and an electrolyte level indicator eye that gives a visual indication that the battery cells have been filled after watering.

Freck’s Grips

A PGA member for over 40 years, Col Frecklington has developed See ad a new type of golf grip that is on page sure to turn heads. 39 After looking at the imbalance in the swing plane of golfers (when the club comes across the ball at impact), Frecklington devised the idea of a “parallel” grip. When custom-fitted to a golfer’s hand size, the Parallel Grip equalizes the balance on both sides. In addition, divots became square at impact, players with good basics lost their fades or slices, and good players that create 90-degree angle on the backswing were not getting caught on the inside coming down (which can be a major problem with an imbalance). It was also discovered with extensive trials that the ball came out in long grass straight with no pulling to the left. There were no balance problems with the club, and single figure players using the grips had no distance issues, some even going further. “Parallel Grips will become the grips of the future. It may take a generation, but the only way to equalize the swing plane is by using custom-fitted parallel grips,” Col says. col.freck@live.com.au 0419 747 396

low that the lead plates are exposed and not too high causing spillage during a charge cycle. Adding a BWT single point water kit makes battery filling process safer and faster (around 30-seconds) using a hand-held water pump or upgrade to a gravity fill system.

Lynlan ladies golf clothes

See ad on page 54

Launching this month, Lynlan golf clothing is the brainchild of two Sydney golfers: Lanna Tran (a chef ) and Carolyn Stanton (a clothing designer). “A few years back we couldn’t find any golf skirts that we liked, so we thought, hey let’s make our own! Soon enough, after a few trips to the fabric markets in Vietnam and with a little trial and error, we had some gorgeous golf fashion in our wardrobes that looked and felt great on the course. All our friends wanted some too,” says Carolyn. The winter capsule range is available now with the spring range to follow in mid August. Alongside their stocked ranges, Lynlan is offering custom-made ‘Golf couture’. Customers can choose their preferred style, fabric design and sizing for delivery in around 7 days after an order is placed. RRP: $65.00 – $85.00 for in stock styles and $95.00 to $115.00 for custom made orders. 0410 454 875 www.lynlan.com carolyns@lynlan.com

The main internal components of flooded Golf Cart batteries are made of lead plates, separators and electrolyte (water and sulfuric acid) and when charging or discharging the batteries they slowly lose electrolyte due to heat and evaporation. Golf cart batteries require a regular service to keep the electrolyte at the correct level, not too

KIDS CLUBS BY GOLPHIN Golphin for kids clubs (GFK) have been innovatively designed specifically for children aged 3-12 new to golf. Developed in Scotland, Golphin clubs were designed in partnership with PGA Professionals and the biomechanical department at Strathclyde University using technology transferred from the aerospace industry. The clubs are 22% lighter and the heads are 35% larger than traditional junior clubs, making them easier to swing, control and hit. A radial profile sole provides greater forgiveness for differing lie angles and children’s various address positions and heights.

122-133cm tall; GFK910 clubs for children 133-145cm tall. Vibrant fun colors vary across the range. Each GFK set includes a driver, 7-iron, “Swedger” and putter in a quality Golphin carry bag. www.golphin.com.au RRP: $265-$310 per set

RRP from $265

The GFK products are based on the height of each child. GFK324 clubs for children 99-111cm tall; GFK526 clubs for children 111-122cm tall; GFK728 clubs for children

Have Fun at the Run Ladies and Over 50’s Ory intrOduCt s MeMbership Or OnLy $370 F r the 1st yea

For more information visit:

RRP: From $220 1300 769 282 www.rjbatt.com.au industrial@rjbatt.com.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 46

August 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

Ian Baker-Finch and the team at Golf Cars International would like to thank Emerald Lakes Golf Club for renewing their partnership with Club Car. And we look forward to continuing our long and very rewarding relationship with Emerald Lakes being part of the Club Car family.

GOLF CARS INTERNATIONAL P/L 20 Kingston Drive, Helensvale QLD 4212 Phone: (07) 55 299 499 | Fax: (07) 55 299 544

www.golfcarsinternational.com.au

clubs

McLeod full of wonder and ‘Vanity’ T HERE is in business, as in golf, the necessity to put your best foot forward.

And that’s exactly what McLeod Country Golf Club is doing as it sets it sights on rivalling the best golf courses in Brisbane. Right now, there is an exciting vibe and freshness around the club located in the western suburb of Mount Ommaney just 20 minutes from the CBD.

The pro shop, the first stop for arriving golfers, has had a major facelift; the golf course superintendent Craig Clarke is transforming the golf course into a must-play layout and a new chef Ross Burton is dishing up delicious lunch and dinner meals. The club’s general manager Sean Kennedy told Inside Golf it was exciting times for the club. “In terms of the presentation, the golf course is in the best condition it’s been in a very long time,” he said. “We have members saying the course hasn’t looked this good in 30 years and I have visitors telling me the layout is one of the best in Brisbane. “We are not there yet, but the plans superintendent Craig (Clarke) has in place means we will be one of the best golf courses in Brisbane inside four years. “I know it’s a bold statement, but when it comes to the layout McLeod is a golfer’s golf course. “If golfers are looking for a challenge, McLeod will certainly deliver that experience. “To play the course successfully, golfers need to be able to shape the ball left and right and use every club in the bag. “The great challenge is every hole is

completely different in design,” Kennedy added.

“McLeod was a thinking golfer’s course,” he said.

The golf course’s best defence might be its hazards. Depending on your shot-making ability, water can come into play on 14 holes.

“You can’t just get up and hit driver off the tees on all the par-4s and par-5s because the fairways do narrow and many holes have hazards around the 220m mark.

“Our Slope rating is 132 so that gives golfers an indication of the challenge,” Kennedy said. “We know how good the golf course is and we want to share that experience with visitors so they can see for themselves how good it is.” Golf shop assistant and one-marker Kevin Roome endorsed Kennedy’s assessment of the golf course.

“That’s what makes it such a good challenge and one of the best layouts in Brisbane. Every hole is different and you never get bored playing the course.” The examination starts early with the 351m (blue tees) and 294m (red) opening hole. Trees and creeks protect both sides of the

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August 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

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fairway meaning a straight drive will keep you out of trouble while the three-tiered green is protected by bunkers left and right. The challenge continues with the 173m (red tees) and 184m (blue) par-3 second hole. It’s downhill with bunkers protecting either side of the green, trees to the right and water to the left and behind if you go long. If you are looking for a relatively easy birdie opportunity, you might have to wait until the 10th hole – a 434m par-5 off the red tees and 448m off the blue tees. The 297m (red) and 370m (blue) par-4

...also e xclus McLeo d Coun ively at try Golf Club

clubs

eighth is a formidable hole and rated the hardest hole on the golf course. There is a water hazard down the left-hand side of the fairway and water crosses in front of the green. The par-4 15th (red tees 267m – blue 292m) is a picturesque hole that circumnavigates the lake. There is water on three sides making the approach daunting so accuracy is the key. Kennedy said golfers of all abilities were glowing in their praise of the layout. “People are coming off the golf course and saying ‘wow, it’s a really nice golf course’,” he said. “It’s a layout golfers can’t wait to come back and play again.” For those who enjoy a warm-up before a round, there is a practice fairway, chipping and putting green and a practice bunker area. McLeod boasts a superbly appointed clubhouse with great vistas of the golf course. It also offers all the facilities and services required. The bistro operates daily for lunch and is open for dinner on Fridays.

“The quality of meals is fantastic and that is what keeps bringing members and visitors back,” Kennedy said. “We have a club night on the first Saturday of every month and a courtesy bus that operates within a five kilometre radius of the club.” McLeod’s clubhouse has dedicated function facilities (Westlake Room) for weddings, conferences, seminars and group meetings, which is supported by a bar and range of catering services to accommodate any function, small or large. The new-look golf shop has members and guests lingering longer as they decide on their new range of apparel purchases.

“It’s great that we have been able to form a partnership and provide a service, not only to McLeod, but to the many loyal customers in and around Brisbane,” said Ms Marsland, a former president of McLeod Country Golf Club and long-standing member of the Brisbane and District Ladies Golf Association committee. “I understand what golf members, male and female, expect from their golf shop.

That’s because it is devoting more floor space to golf apparel, which means golfers have the chance to freshen up their wardrobes. Vanity Fairways, a name synonymous with stylish women’s golf apparel, is supplying the golf shop with an extensive range of attractive gear. Vanity Fairways proprietor Deborah Marsland said the company, which is celebrating its 10th year in business, also offered a range of men’s golf gear.

“We have a great range including Greg Norman and Sligo products,” said Ms Marsland, who is well known in women’s golf circles courtesy of a 4500 customer base and sponsorship of women’s golf events in and around Brisbane.

“It is my aim to ensure that the McLeod golf shop provides members and visitors the best there is to offer in the way of golf apparel and accessories. “We value our customers and pride ourselves on the strength of our customer service. Our relationship with clients is to always do our utmost to ensure that they are happy with their new gear.”

skills can call on teaching professional Randall Hollands-Smith. Now, to clear up the long-standing myth that McLeod Country Golf Club is a women’s only club. “It’s not true,” said Kennedy. “We have as many male members as female members.” “The club is administered by a women’s board for the benefit of male and female golfers. “Membership is open for men and women and we welcome visitors who can get on the course most afternoons, but it’s best to call the club and book a round. “Golfers who have never played here before will be pleasantly surprised at how good the golf course is. “People are already talking about McLeod as being one of the top four or five courses in Brisbane. I think we deserve to be in the mix because of the quality of the layout.” To book a round or inquire about membership, telephone (07) 3376-3666 or visit the club’s website www.mcleodgolf.com.au •

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www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

technology

Thornleigh’s high-tech coach set to get your game on track “The transformation has been miraculous! He’s had about 20 onehour lessons and worked like no one I have seen. He recently broke 80 for the first time, which was unthinkable from where we started.

Bill Colhoun ed@insidegolf.com.au

HE golf industry offers many career fairways to success and British-born Jason Wood has travelled across the world to find his niche as the TrackMan master-coach at Australia’s foremost hightech practice range – Sydney’s Thornleigh Golf Centre. The British-PGA-trained Wood, at 43, is unique in Australia in that he has married 25 years’ experience of trusted traditional PGA teaching methods with the very latest radar based technology of TrackMan to a specialised degree. As a Level 2 Certified Instructor, Wood is among Australia’s most highly qualified practitioners of the scientific-based device which has revolutionised the teaching of golf.

“From my early PGA days I always taught more than I played which is why I am a fulltime instructor and not a player; I’m simply just a much better teacher,” he says. And he never has regretted devoting himself to a career in golf coaching.

There would be few elite players in world golf who don’t rely on their own or their coach’s TrackMan to guide them into perfecting or maintaining their swing/game.

“The most satisfying aspect of teaching golf is seeing just how much a well-hit shot actually can make somebody’s day,” Wood says.

Thornleigh Golf Centre’s owner, highly experienced PGA of Australia member, Steven Aisbett, wanted the most-modern golf teaching aids available when he built his multi-million dollar facility on Pennant Hills Rd at Thornleigh in Sydney’s north-west four years ago.

“That and all the thank-you messages you receive from students after wins or milestones have been achieved.”

And having installed the complete TrackMan system in a dedicated hitting bay with two high speed cameras, he searched for the most-knowledgeable PGAtrained coach to make the most of the new technology’s attributes and be able relate them to every level of golfer. Aisbett certainly picked a good one in Wood, who arrived in Australia in 2012, already boasting a lot of high-tech coaching knowledge and experience with TrackMan. Steeped in golf – he has been playing for 40 years since his Dad, a now-retired PGA pro, got him going at age three -- Wood grew up learning every aspect of the game.

Apart from his PGA-TrackMan training and his accreditation as a Certified Custom Fitter for Nike Golf, Ping, Callaway, Titleist and Mizuno, Wood believes an extra-special coaching skill he provides is his “personal effort level”. “I have seen many coaches over the years who have exceptional knowledge, but are simply ineffective because they are a bit lazy,” he says. “I encourage students to try to match my enthusiasm and work ethic, and when they do, we create something special. “My most-improved client is a student at Thornleigh, named Damian who had the ambition of breaking 100 a year ago (He was scoring 120-130 for 18 holes at the time.)

“My most memorable client is World Long Drive Professional Dan Konyk, I’ve seen him break 200mph ball speed measured on TrackMan with a Driver and also sometimes ‘miss the state’ sideways when it all went wrong. It was never dull!” Wood says he finds the most-common swing faults to be fixed are Poor Club Face, Attack Angle and Club Path, and TrackMan can help with all three. “The key elements of attaining a good swing are Good fundamentals. The set-up takes no talent at all, just effort and diligence; you rarely see players who have a perfect grip and set-up, make poor swings,” he says Wood says anyone trying to learn or improve should understand that there is no simple secret to golf. “There isn’t a mystical golf club or piece of swing information that you don’t have and that, when you get it, will take you to the Promised Land. You need three things to become a better golfer: 1. Start with good professional tuition, including some factual TrackMan analysis. 2. Practise on an excellent range -- such as Thornleigh -- with quality balls, developing what you have learned. And 3. Play golf on the course to verify the work from the previous two points. “ “There are unfortunately no shortcuts to playing better, but the journey can be very satisfying and TrackMan certainly can help you find the way.” More information: www.thornleighgolfcentre.com.au

INSIDE: TrackMan SO why should you have a lesson on TrackMan? Well that’s simple, according to Jason Wood. “TrackMan eliminates the guesswork and only gives you the facts,” he says. “In golf, we instructors have a term that we use frequently ‘Feel isn’t real’ . . . What that basically means is that whatever standard of player you are, generally what you feel and what you actually do are two totally different things. “TrackMan is just like a lab technician; it simply gives Physics data for every shot you hit. It measures the full trajectory of any shot, ranging from short pitches to 300m+ drives and measures the landing position with an accuracy of 30cm at 100m.” Around the world every week on the PGA, LPGA and European Tour, the world’s greatest players use TrackMan. “The superstars test and tweak their clubs with it, practise approach shots or use it for shot analysis,” he says. “During the majors, the controlling bodies — the PGA of America and the R&A — choose TrackMan to monitor player performance during the tournaments, while telecasts use it to add informative value to their coverage. “When a player hits a shot, TrackMan measures 28 individual parameters, giving the player valuable data regarding their flight and swing. “As a TrackMan Certified Instructor, I then can explain this data to the player so they can exponentially improve their fundamental understanding of ALL the cause-and effect relationships that exist in their golf swing. “When you go through the learning process of understanding the data and feedback with TrackMan you will develop a better foundation of knowledge which will enable you to assess what happened on each shot. “And importantly you will know where your “miss” on the golf course comes from and how to correct it immediately. It truly will keep your game on track.”

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instruction

Keep chipping simple 1

Grant Kenny

Use your arms not your hands

hen you are faced with a chip shot, the temptation is to flick the club to get the ball in the air. But the trick is to trust that the club will do the work. The wedge will typically have a loft of between 52 to 60 degrees. When you connect with the ball properly, this loft, combined with the bounce of the club, will put the ball in the air. You do not need to manipulate your hands to get this shot to work. Picture one shows all you need to do is bring your arms back, your wrists remain firm. They do not twist or cock. This will keep the club on a wide arc and the face neutral. Picture two illustrates what happens if you use your hands. Observe the face of the club. It has now lost its neutral position and the arc of the club is now too steep. This means you will end up either hitting behind the ball or thinning it.

Once you have swung the club back with your arms only, then just simply swing them through in a pendulum type action. Photograph three is how the club should look if you do this. It is still in its neutral position after you have hit the ball. Keeping the club neutral ensures that the leading edge of the club contacts the bottom of the ball. The loft and bounce of the club will now do the work allowing the ball to go in the air. Picture four shows the flow on effect of using your hands. The clubface is now closed because you have had to flick your hands to get the club face square at impact. This action limits your odds to consistent chipping. The good thing about this action is that you can carry this through to all of your clubs, for example when trying to hit a bump and run. It’s a simple technique with few moving parts allowing for a more accurate result every time. •

Grant Kenny is an Australian PGA Pro at Thornleigh Golf Centre.

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www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

junior instruction

Putting the fun back into family learning

sing Golphin Clubs and their Flipper or Clicker Balls, try out our fun games with your family and friends! These can be done at home in the garden, on the local oval or in the park. You can play in teams or as individuals.

Jamie McCallum sales@golphin.com.au (03) 9696 4653

FUN GAME 2 – “CHIP TO IT”

FUN GAME 1 – “BROLLY GOLF”

What is it?

What is it? “Brolly Golf” is a fun game that can be played with family and friends almost anywhere. All it requires is a Golphin club (preferably 7-iron) and some balls, an umbrella and an open and safe grassy area. It will help develop balance, rhythm, timing, hand eye co-ordination and distance control. It’s a fantastic way for kids to learn how to chip into a target area.

How to play? Mark your starting position and safety standing positions (jumpers work well)

and place your brolly upside down approx. 3 metres from the starting position. Take turns to try and chip your ball into the brolly. The player or team with the most balls in the brolly are the winners. Move the brolly closer or further away to make it easier/harder as desired or make it a timed game with the most balls in the brolly or “first to five” etc to make it fun and varied.

Outcomes The game is great for family and friend engagement. It’s important to praise effort over performance to build confidence and instil the values of perseverance.

Like “Brolly Golf”, this game helps develop balance, rhythm, timing, hand eye coordination and distance control. It’s a fantastic way for kids to learn how to chip a ball over an obstacle and into a target area. If you are able to master this game, you will never have to worry about chipping over a bunker and onto the green.

turns to try and chip balls onto the blanket. The player or team with most balls resting on or hitting the blanket are the winners. More the blanket closer or further away to make it easier/harder or make it a timed game with most balls hitting the blanket, or the “first to five’ etc to make it fun and varied. To add some complexity, you can place an object such as a picnic chair between you and the blanket so the ball has to be hit over the object.

How to play?

Outcomes

Playing in pairs or as individuals, mark your starting position and safety standing positions. Place a picnic blanket approximately 5 metres away. Take it in

The game is great for family and friend engagement. It’s important to praise effort over performance to build confidence and instil the values of perseverance. •

Jamie offers lessons to all ages and abilities. He is also responsible for the Albert Park Junior Golf Academy - running term clinics and school holiday programs. Jamie is a former Victorian state team captain and Australian team representative. He has been a member of the PGA since 1996 and was an Australian Tour player from 1996 to 2001. For lessons call: (03) 9696 4653. More information on Golphin: www.golphin.com.au, (03) 9021 2073 email: sales@golphin.com.au

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fitness

The ‘Dead Bug’ exercise for torso stability 1

This will assist with stabilising the lower back region and act as a reference.

Richard Nizielski www.golffitsolutions.com

am sure you are well aware that the golf swing incorporates the whole body.

Having a body that is physically prepared will ensure not only a better swing technically, but also less risk of injuries and pain from the repetitiveness of the golf swing action.

One area that is consistently at risk of damage is the lower back region.

One exercise that is popular in the gym, yet ineffective for golf is the abdominal crunch. The abdominal crunch only trains the rectus abdominus muscles (the six-pack muscles), those responsible for flexion of the spine and not the deeper muscles of the torso. During the golf swing the spine and torso must act against flexing forward. This is the job of the muscles that sit deeper inside the torso.

When attempting to control overextension, a familiar exercise is the front

Raise the knees above the hips, place the hands on the knees and imagine you have a belt around your waist that is one belt hole too tight. Extend the opposite arm and leg. Be sure the lower back remains in contact with the floor and the lower abdominals are still pulling in towards the lower back region. Return to the start position and repeat the movement with the opposite arm and leg.

Torso stability and control is essential for the transfer of energy (power) from the lower body to the upper body. Creating a better connection between the lower and upper body, will go a long way to improving your golf swing and preventing lower back injuries.

Not only does the crunch only train the flexor muscles, it places extra strain on the neck muscles and when done incorrectly, promotes a shoulders forward posture. Rather than doing torso flexion exercises, it’s better for golfers to do exercises, which improve posture control, particularly those which train the ability to resist and control the forces (flexion, side bend and overextension) acting on the body when striking the golf ball.

Lying on the floor, press the lower back down so it is flush against the floor.

Happy golfing. •

bridge/plank exercise. While this is probably the most common exercise for developing torso stability, another exercise which you should consider for anterior torso development is the dead bug exercise.

The great thing about the dead bug exercise is not only is the over extension of the torso region a focus, the dead bug exercise also incorporates coordination of the opposing limbs.

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

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www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

mental game

The “ZONE” – What is it and how to get into it Nick Sutherland

contact@nicksutherland.com.au

ou will have doubtless heard the phrase “getting in the zone”. This month, I’ll take some time to explain what the heck it is and why it’s important.

NERDY BACKGROUND INFORMATION “The Zone” is simply a state of mind…a level of consciousness one experiences when they are involved in an activity which requires no thinking. Day dreaming, meditating, hypnosis, off with the fairies, zoned-out or in the zone – they are one and the same thing. Have you ever driven a route so many times you know it like the back of your hand and one day arrived at your destination and suddenly thought “I’m here already?! I can’t even remember half the trip?” If the answer is yes, then you were in the zone. Sitting on the couch watching the footy on TV and you are absorbed in the game, the wife is talking to you and you don’t register a thing she is saying (much to her annoyance)? You’re in the zone. You see, the mind is an amazing machine. A metaphor widely used is likening it to a computer; it processes data, runs systems and programs, retains information etc, all of which takes energy. Our minds are different, though, in the way they go on auto pilot – when we have done something so often it’s like second nature, we don’t have to THINK about what we’re doing, we just do it. In order to fully understand it, I need you to know there are different levels of consciousness (see photo). We don’t want

to get too technical, but hopefully you understand that you’re basically a ball of energy which creates electricity. Your brain wave therefore has a frequency which it runs on, and this is constantly changing. When you are alert, observant and listening, your brain has to operate faster. It’s too draining for us to constantly operate on this level which is called a Beta state, so our default is to drop down a gear and go into what’s called an Alpha state. This Alpha state is “The Zone”. In order to get in the zone, we need to detach from our thoughts and become unconscious. Contrary to what some people think, it’s impossible to stop thinking but what we can do is not connect with our thoughts. When we do this, our brain wave frequency starts slowing down because the processor doesn’t need to be on and we can simply exist in a state where things just seem to happen.

HOW TO RUIN THE ZONE If you’re working on something on the range and then take that out onto the course with you, you won’t get in the zone. Many swing coaches profess to take a swing thought out onto the course….that will also bugger things right up because as soon as you actively start thinking, your brain wave frequency increases and you enter a Beta state, which is you becoming conscious, and that’s no good. Your body know what to do to make the ball go from where it is to where you want it to be, all you have to do is get your mind out of the way because as great as it is, it can also be the biggest obstacle between you and a great score UNLESS you take the time to learn how to control it.

HOW TO GET IN THE ZONE

BRAINWAVE FREQUENCIES Gamma +40 Hz

• Whole-brain activity • ‘Super-learning’ • Sudden insight

Beta 13-40 Hz

It’s pretty bloody hard. If it was easy, everyone would be shooting 59 every round! Not everyone has the capacity to achieve it either – we all have different brain functions and emotional intelligence, so unfortunately some won’t ever get to experience the feeling. For those of you who can though, here’s 5 tips to help: Breathe – you can only breathe in each moment so connecting with your breathing stops you from being in the future or in the past.

• Cognition • Focus • Analytical Thinking • Stress/Anxiety (at higher frequencies)

Alpha 8-129 Hz

• Relaxation • Creativity • Light Meditative/Trance State • Increased Serotonin Production • Threshold to Unconscious Mind

Theta 4-7.9 Hz

• REM Sleep • Increased Production of Catecholamines • Access to Unconscious Mind • Healing of Trauma and Addiction • Deep Meditation • Transcendent Mind States • Lucid Dreaming

Theta 4-7.9 Hz

Focus – pick a dimple on your ball and let your eyes focus on it until they go blurry. This shuts down part of your brain and stops you overthinking. Routine – develop a practice routine so it becomes like second nature when you’re over the ball. Practice – practicing from abnormal lies will help you when you encounter them on the course. Imagine – visualize your shot going through an imaginary window in front of you, then let your body take over. Overthinking is one of the biggest killers to having a great round, so next time you tee it up, in the words of great AFL coach John Kennedy – “Don’t think, just do!” •

• Sleep/Therapy for Sleep Disorders • Accelerated Physical Healing • Deep Relaxation

Nick Sutherland is a psychotherapist and performance consultant who works with clients from Mornington Peninsula to Melbourne. 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

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rules

What’s the Rule? Match Play disputes and claims Frank Gal

Chairman of Rules Committee Golf NSW

olf had its origins as a match play game and stroke play is a relatively recent development. An essential ingredient of match play is that players compete directly against each other. Only you and your opponent are involved, but in stroke play every competitor in the field has an interest in the results of your play. As you and your opponent are present, you are both in a position to protect your own interests during the match. You are even entitled to overlook a breach of the Rules by your opponent, provided there is no agreement between the two of you to do so (Rule 1-3). There is a difference between overlooking a breach and agreeing to waive a penalty.

Since each hole is a separate contest in match play, the Rules recognise that both parties have the right to know the status of the match at all times. This is why a player in match play is not entitled to play a second ball if he has doubts about how to proceed under the Rules. A player will often adjust his strategy in match play depending on the status of the match. It would negate this strategic element if a player were required to play against two scores for a particular hole. Rule 2-5 covers how to handle any doubts or disputes that arise between opponents. An important element of the Rule is that play must continue without delay if a ruling cannot be given within a reasonable time. To facilitate this, the Rule outlines the procedure to follow when a doubt or dispute arises. The first requirement is that the player seeking a ruling must make a claim before any player plays from the next tee or, in the case of the last hole in the match, before all players in the match leave the putting green.

claim because of that stroke”, the Committee should consider the claim.

A later claim would be considered only if the player making the claim had been unaware of the facts of the situation and had been given wrong information by his opponent.

To illustrate, let’s say you’re playing a match and the match is all square after four holes. During play of the 5th hole, your opponent’s ball lands on a gravel-surfaced road. You believe that free relief is not available since the road is an integral part of the course, but your opponent insists that the road is an obstruction and he is entitled to free relief under Rule 24-2b. Let’s further assume that your opponent takes relief in accordance with Rule 24-2b and the hole is halved if he is correct that free relief is available. Your options are:

Secondly, a claim is valid only if the person making the claim notifies his opponent:

• Continue play on the basis that the match is still square after five holes, or

(i) That he is making a claim or wants a ruling, or

• Make a claim before either you or your opponent plays from the 6th tee.

(ii) Of the facts upon which the claim or ruling is to be based.

If you choose to make a claim, statements to your opponent such as “relief is not available, you are penalised” or “I’m making a claim because you played from the wrong place” would comply with the procedure for a valid claim and the Committee should consider the claim. If the Committee had introduced a Local Rule declaring that the road was an integral part of the course and your opponent was not entitled to relief, the status of the match would be adjusted to reflect that you had won the 5th hole. •

Statements by a player such as “I’m not sure that’s allowed” or “I don’t think you can do that” do not by themselves constitute a valid claim because each statement does not contain the notice of a claim or that the player wants a ruling and the facts of the situation (Decision 2-5/2). However, if a player states “that is not allowed, you are penalised” or “I’m making a

Elite amateurs make rules call David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

HEN Inside Golf greeted contestants on the final day of the Australian Men’s Interstate Teams Matches at The Brisbane Golf Club, we posed the question: If you could change one rule in golf, what would it be? Perhaps unsurprisingly, 27 of the best amateur golfers from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, West Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory argued in favour of allowing players to tap down spike marks. Eleven players approved of a free drop from a divot in the fairway while Queensland’s Blake Proverbs and Min Woo Lee, who played for WA, would call for the placing of a ball, rather than a drop, within two club lengths of the lateral water hazard line. “You are already penalised so I think if you put it (ball) in the water then just place it,” Lee said. Three other players agreed with them. Six of the NSW team would allow the tapping down of spike marks while one player suggested the use of a compass. Most of the players from South Australia and the Northern Territory, too, favoured the tap down spike marks change to the rules. The Victorian team certainly appeared to enjoy debating the question with long-time team manager Brian Lasky. In a relaxed mood, a few of the Victorians players probably wouldn’t make friends if they worked on the rules committee while others might become a player’s best mate. Tongue firmly in cheek, Brett Coletta called for a free throw to the fairway, with penalty, if a ball found a lateral hazard and Andrew Schonewille suggested the reintroduction of the stymie rules in matchplay events. The great Bobby Jones was a fan of the stymie rule. “More than anything else, it points to the value of always being closer to the hole on the shot to the green and after the first putt,” he wrote in his book, Golf Is My Game.

The stymie rule stipulated that if two players’ balls were more than six inches (15.2cm) apart, there was no provision for the ball nearer the hole to be lifted. If that ball lay directly in the way to the hole of the ball to be played then the player was “stymied”. He could try to play around or over the interfering ball but if the nearer ball was struck no penalty ensued. However, the opponent had the option of playing the ball as it lay or replacing it. If the nearer ball had been knocked into the hole the opponent was considered to have holed out with his previous stroke. Victorian Cameron John approves of a drop at the point of entry when a ball is out-of-bounds while another player suggested one mulligan a round is okay. David Micheluzzi approved of making all sand a loose impediment on the fairway and fringe of the green. Currently players can brush away sand on the green only. A few Victorian players argued in favour of tapping down spike marks while others wanted a free drop from a fairway divot. This prompted team manager Brian Lasky to ask: “how do you define a divot”? “Is 100 grains of sand a divot?” he asked. He said he could argue his ball was in a divot that could be three or four weeks old and the grass has knitted back but there remained a small amount of sand. “We’d be calling for the rules officials every five minutes,” he continued. Then Lasky chipped in saying, “metricate the game” by allowing only 10 clubs. “The 10-club rule would test the players,” he said. Tasmania’s Nathan Gatehouse called for a free drop from footmarks in bunkers and Charlie Dann, who played for Queensland, would allow mud to be cleaned off the ball in the fairway. Queensland team captain Anthony Quayle would give full

The stymie was one way of possibly defeating your opponent in a bygone era. relief when a ball is unplayable. “I hit my ball under hedge and asked to take an unplayable no nearer the green,” he explained. “There was a path beside the hedge and the only thing I could do was drop it on the path and the ball bounced back into the hedge, as I knew it would. It was unplayable again and it counted as my stroke. “In my opinion, a ball that’s declared unplayable should get full relief with a one-shot penalty.” No player called for immediate disqualification for rounds over 4½ hours and no one called for an unlimited number of clubs. I thought more players would have called for the elimination of out of bounds to speed up play. Elite amateurs have their say on rules: Tap down spike marks Drop out of divots in fairways Place (not drop) at hazards Drop ball where it cross OB Free drop from footmarks in bunker Allow compasses to be used Free throw from hazard All for a stymie in matchplay Brush sand away on fairway/fringe One mulligan per round Clean mud off ball in fairway Unplayable ball, give full relief No change to rules

27 11 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

senior amateurs

Shepparton Senior Amateur

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

Kym Olsen completed a fine two-day event claiming the Shepparton Senior Amateur with two rounds of 73 for a 146 total. The National member started the second and final round tied in the lead with Ken O’Brien but broke away when O’Brien slipped up with a double bogey on the 17th. A par down the last gave Olsen a three-shot victory.

National

Claney wins Senior Matchplay Championship

This was only the second senior amateur event for Olsen after just turning 55. Olsen is not unfamiliar to the golfing scene after making an appearance at the 2013 US Senior Open and is certainly a senior golfer to watch in coming events.

ictorian Gordon Claney won the 2016 Australian Senior Matchplay Championship played on the West Course at Coolangatta Tweed Heads Golf Club. In a strong display of quality golf, the top-seeded Claney was too good for leading New Zealand senior Michael Barltrop, winning the final 4&3. The final began in drizzly conditions with Claney taking an early lead with some steady golf on a damp course still recovering from the 150mm of rain earlier in the week. Barltrop then rallied to win consecutive holes at the 5th and 6th and take the lead. Thereafter it was all Claney as he birdied the 8th and 9th to retake the lead and then continue with some exceptional golf. The experienced Barltrop is a previous New Zealand Senior Amateur Champion but he could not match the golf Claney was playing. Barltrop was gallant in defeat and

VIC

Heathcote Senior Amateur

Tocumwal Senior Amateur

Gordon Claney – 2016 Australian Senior Matchplay Champion. later commented “Gordon played absolutely flawless golf from the middle holes until the match finished”. This now gives Claney the honour of having won both Australian Senior Amateur Championships - the Strokeplay Championship in 2014 and now the 2016 Australian Senior Matchplay Championship. In the playoff for third place NSW senior Lester Peterson won convincingly over Victorian Alan Bullas recording a 6&4 win. More: www.ausoom.com

Stephen Valentine, winner of the 2016 Tocumwal Senior Amateur.

Paul Ansell (Metropolitan) and Ken O’Brien were the next best with 36-hole totals of 149. With O’Brien finishing on top of the nett leaderboard after nett rounds of 70-73, Ansell was awarded the scratch runner-up prize. June Tickell (Trafalgar) outclassed the women’s field to win the scratch Stableford section with rounds of 30 & 29. Christine Mildren (Albury) took home the Stableford title with rounds of 28 & 30.

A terrific week of golf along the Murray River was wrapped up at the Tocumwal Golf and Bowls Club. With a heavy downpour of rain overnight, the course was left damp but by no means unplayable, the beautifully manicured fairways and greens showing little signs of winter. After the opening round there were three joint leaders on 77 - Buninyong’s Chris Tatt, Bendigo’s Stan Davis and Broadford’s Greg Holmes. Tatt was well placed as he attempted to defend his 2015 title. Stephen Valentine from Kew finished the opening round one shot behind on 78.

The Shepparton Golf Club is home to a fantastic 18-hole championship layout. Players enjoyed the course and hospitality provided with most commenting that ‘they’ll be back next year’.

In the final round Valentine played outstanding golf for a round of 73 to pass the leading trio and record a one-stroke victory over Tatt (77-75) and Kym Olsen (79-73) from The National who matched Valentine’s closing 73. A very excited Valentine regularly plays in Golf Victoria senior events and was thrilled with his win, hanging on well and playing the pressure-packed final holes without a mistake.

Ray Walker from Gardiners Run prevailed as the 2016 Champion, his second title at Heathcote in three years, carding a oneunder par 70, edging out Rossdale’s Ken O’Brien on a countback.

The Heathcote Golf Club hosted its 9th annual Senior Amateur tournament with a capacity field of 82 players. Heathcote was the first of three events in the same week with Shepparton and Tocumwal also hosting Senior tournaments.

Walker completed his opening nine with a one-over-par 37 before finishing the round in stellar fashion with a two-under back nine. As usual Ken O’Brien was very steady and pieced together his round with only two bogeys on the card.

Recent rains combined with an overcast morning left the course damp underfoot, yet it kept its country charm with players walking amongst the kangaroos at the foot of scenic Mount Ida.

Helen Pascoe from Buninyong Golf Club has won back to back titles, returning a fine Scratch Stableford score of 30 points to triumph in the women’s scratch defeating Kooringal’s Heather Harley.

2016 Shepparton Seniors Winners: L-R: June Ticknell, Christine Mildren, Kym Olsen, Paul Ansell.

Helen Pascoe won the Women’s Tocumwal Senior Amateur title with a total of 57 Scratch Stableford points for 36 holes. Helen took the lead after round one and extended this to defeat second placed Heather Harley (Kooringal) by 9 points.

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senior amateurs

NSW

WA Chappell leads Senior OOM

Pymble Seniors In 2015 the well-known senior Richard Greville (Magenta Shores) finished as the runner-up in the Pymble Seniors to local member Gary Mangelsdorf. This year, however, the positions were reversed with Greville recording a good round of 74 to defeat Mangelsdorf by two strokes.

The WA Senior Order of Merit has grown recently and there are now 12 events on the annual calendar.

Dave Morgan, Richard Greville, Gary Mangelsdorf .

Third place went to Asquith senior Dave Morgan with the big hitting scratch marker defeating Ken Brewer, Geoff Cranfield and Ron Hall on a countback after all had finished on scores of 77. Gungahlin Lakes member Abdul Rizvi made the trip from Canberra and went home with the nett prize after his round of net 71 from a handicap of 8. Antill Park’s Ross Nattrass was the runner-up one stroke away. The Over 65 scratch went to Port Kembla’s Ron Hall and the nett to Cessnock’s James Hogg. The field of 60 seniors were pleasantly surprised with the excellent presentation of the Pymble course following some recent heavy rain. The greens were a little slower than normal but the fairways were beautiful and all players enjoyed another day on the picturesque Pymble course.

Oatlands Seniors Long Reef senior Geoff Cranfield continued his good recent form with a clear-cut win in the 2016 Oatlands Senior Cup.

Cranfield had an excellent round of evenpar 70 on the tight Oatlands course to record a three stroke win over Bardwell Valley senior Lester Peterson. Cranfield had started his round with consecutive bogies but then settled down to play immaculate golf for his even par score. Peterson’s only real blemish was a double bogey on the ninth hole. Magenta Shores senior Richard Greville made the trip down from the central coast worthwhile, picking up the third place prize on a countback from the consistent Ken Brewer (Concord) after both finished with rounds of 74. The overall handicap prize went to Roy Shuttleworth from North Ryde with a net score of 69 from his 8 handicap. He defeated local Oatlands member Bill Mitchell by two strokes. Denis Dale was the leading Over 65 golfer with a score of 77 while Alan Moulds was a popular winner of the Over 65 net with a score of 73 from his 9 handicap. As always the Oatlands course was presented in excellent condition, especially considering the very heavy rain in the preceding week. More: www.golfnsw.org

The clubs currently hosting one-day tournaments include Sun City, Araluen, Lakelands, Hartfield, Joondalup, Cottesloe, Wanneroo, Mt Lawley, Lake Karrinyup and Mandurah. Royal Perth will again host the 36hole Royal Perth Seniors and there is also the 54-hole WA Senior Amateur Championship. The calendar also includes the WA Senior Handicap Championships at Mosman Park. The WA Senior Order of Merit table will be used to select the four-man team to represent Western Australia in the Interstate Teams event at the 2016 Australian Senior Amateur Championship. Currently Paul Chappell has a good lead at the top with the following three places being closely grouped. The final four could easily change with three more events to be played before the representative team is announced.

WA Senior Order of Merit 390 Paul Chappell (Hartfield) 325 Dennis Warburton (Melville Glades) 297 Trevor Hughes (Hartfield) 295 Neville Delane (West Australian Golf Club) 260 John Wallace (Lake Karrinyup) 227 John Banting (Royal Perth) 220 Steve Graham (Lakelands) 212 Michael Dunsmore (Hartfield) 172 Martin Minogue (Lakelands) 164 Bob Gamsby (Joondalup)

Recent Results Sun City Seniors: 74 Neville Delane, 75 Brendon Curtin, 76 Dennis Warburton Araluen Seniors: 84 Tom Salvarino, John Wilks, 85 Trevor Hughes, Ian McPherson

Paul Chappell – current leader of the WA Senior Order of Merit. Lakelands Seniors: 74 Neville Delane, 77 Dennis Warburton, 78 Tom Colella Hartfield Seniors: 76 Paul Chappell, 77 John Wallace, 79 Michael Dunsmore More: www.golfwa.org.au

QLD

Toyne on top at Pacific Harbour The Pacific Harbour PresCare QSOOM event attracted a field of 30 players. One of Australia’s best senior golfers, Steve Toyne (Nudgee), was the only golfer to break 80 on the demanding course when he finished with a very good score of 75. Men Winner Men’s Scratch: Steve Toyne 75 Runner-Up Men’s Scratch: Lindsay Brown 80 Winner Men’s Nett: David Hannah 36 points Ladies Winner Ladies Scratch: June Wills 95 Winner Ladies Nett: Amanda Murray 29 points More: www.golfqueensland.org.au

www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

golf new south wales

Michel weaves some MyGolf proves a winner at Howlong Murray magic

hepparton’s Kyle Michel has secured a spot in the 2016 NSW Open Golf Championship by winning the Murray District Golf Association Bob Jane Open at Thurgoona and Howlong Golf clubs last month.

he kids are coming from everywhere to play golf at Howlong.

So how does a quiet hamlet in the Murray Region, with a population of a little over 2500, manage to get around 120 children participating in its MyGolf Program? Howlong Golf Resort General Manager Chris Rebbechi believes it’s about letting kids start as soon as they show an interest, making sure it’s a fun environment, and having committed volunteers who are well trained and ready to help. “The focus is on fun, we let kids come into the program who are as young as four.” The Club identified the need to be reaching out to children who had an interest in golf, and wanted to learn the fundamental skills of the game. “It’s not just about the elite juniors,” Mr Rebbechi said. “We weren’t doing enough to get kids into golf.” The program has been running for several years now, and it has turned into something the membership of Howlong is justifiably proud of. “We started before the whole MyGolf program got going. The Jack Newton Junior Golf Foundation gave us an award for club of the year when we began it,” he said. Mr Rebbechi believes ensuring the MyGolf program can fit into the sports calendar and avoid clashes with other sporting programs is a key factor in its success. “We try not to compete with Net-Set-Go, Auskick, Cricket, Hockey or any other junior programs,” he said.” So we run 12 one-hour

The plus-five marker took the first regional qualifying invitation available to amateurs by shooting an impressive total of 4-under par 138 for two rounds, winning by three shots from Pymble Golf Club’s Corey Jones. Wodonga’s Liam Gransden was the best of the Murray locals, finishing on even par. “I played pretty solid. I hit a lot of greens but didn’t make many putts. Overall it was a good ball striking weekend,” Michel said. clinics. Six before Christmas and six after.” Mr Rebbechi credits the work of Howlong Junior Golf Coordinator Jan Wilson with the success of the program at Howlong and throughout the Murray district as well. “Jan is amazing. She’s a non golfer but a super organised sports administrator. She’s rolled it out across the district and to all the other clubs as well,” he said. “She won the Golf Australia Coaches Recognition award in 2013; the first time the award was given to a coach who wasn’t a golfer.” “Jan follows the guidelines really well. She makes sure every volunteer coach knows what they’re doing, so that the kids get a clear progression through the skills challenges.” Mr Rebbechi said. The last MyGolf program at Howlong saw around 120 juniors participate. The final clinic was followed by a sausage sizzle and medal presentation. The advanced group of juniors who successfully completed the skills challenge received medals and certificates to progress to the Juniors on Course (JOC) program.

Michel was thrilled to secure his spot to play in the tier one PGA Tour of Australasia event in November. “This is what you play for. It’s a stepping stone to get where I want to be. Playing a tier one event is going to be a good experience,” he added. The 20-year-old is at the Victorian Institute of Sport and said it was an inspiration for him to see his fellow VIS team mate Ben Eccles lift the Kel Nagle Cup last year. “He showed how an amateur can go out and beat the professionals if they have a good week. Ben definitely gave a lot of us the inspiration to go out and win a pro event.” The Peninsula-Kingswood member plans to work on his game through the winter and get ready for the upcoming Australian Summer of golf. “I’m planning on pre-qualifying for the

The next MyGolf program at Howlong Golf Club will begin in September.

GRAB YOUR CHANCE TO COMPETE IN THE

2016 NSW OPEN

Golf NSW CEO Stuart Fraser presented Michel with his invitation for winning the tournament alongside Murray District Golf Association President Kelvin Gilder. Mr Fraser was impressed by the quality of golf on display. “There was some impressive golf out here over the last two days. Thurgoona and Howlong are wonderful courses and provided the players with a real test of golf,” Mr Fraser said. The Murray District President agreed. “It was a great weekend of golf. The standard of play was outstanding and the weather held off long enough for us to get through,” Mr Gilder said. The NSW Open Golf Championship is proudly supported by the NSW Government and Destination NSW, and will be held at Stonecutters Ridge Golf Course in Greater Western Sydney from November 10th to 13th 2016. The Championship will form a key part of the 2016 Australian Summer of Golf.

Congratulations to the latest St Hallett Wines Hole-in-One Achievers: Chris Carnegie, Paul Crawford, Marisa Duggan, Margaret Furini, Malcom Gee, Anne Korte, Blair McDonald, and Olga Psomadelis.

Come and try your luck in one of the 6 remaining Regional Qualifying events for amateur golfers For details go to: www.golfnsw.org

Australian Open the week after the NSW Open now,” he smiled.

Next Events: Moree Golf Club Saturday, September 17th and Sunday, September 18th Yamba Golf and Country Club & Grafton District Golf Club – Saturday, September 24th, and Sunday, September 25th

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August 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

golf queensland

Golf Foundation asks golfers to ‘Pitch In’

Mackenzie and Kobori champions at Qld Amateur

olf Queensland’s new charity, the Queensland Golf Foundation, has launched a program called ‘Pitch In’ with the future of the game firmly in its sights.

ay Mackenzie (Ballina) and Momoka Kobori (Rangiora) have claimed victory in their respective Junior Amateur championships after four intense and gruelling days at Bargara Golf Club.

Put simply, golfers throughout Queensland are being asked to give back to the game they play and love and contribute financially to assist three specific areas - Juniors, Ladies and Golf Clubs.

Mackenzie held the 36-hole lead with rounds of 68-69 to sit five shots ahead of James Mee (Royal Queensland), only to falter in the third round with a 5-over 77. Trailing overnight leader Jed Morgan (Hattonvale) by five shots heading into the 54-hole marathon fourth day, Mackenzie found himself in a three-way tussle which also included Mee. Morgan’s 7-under round of 65 matched the previous course record set in the 2015 Bargara Junior Classic.

Golf Queensland Chairman, Peter Castrisos, said the vision for the Queensland Golf Foundation was to grow communities through the great sport of golf. “We want to share golf with communities who may not have access to the game and share it with people who never thought they would give the game a try,” Mr Castrisos said. “Our belief is that everyone, from all different walks of life and in our many and varied communities, should have the opportunity to play golf and experience the multitude of satisfaction and the benefits it offers. “Those of us lucky enough to play the game understand the fun, fitness, learning, perseverance, friendship and personal growth we derive from the sport and we need to encourage others so they can share the same enjoyment. “I am urging everyone who loves the game to help us grow the sport and the golfing community in Queensland by donating to the Queensland Golf Foundation.” The Queensland Golf Foundation will be the fundraising arm of Golf Queensland, the peak body for amateur golf in Queensland, and was borne out of the need to focus on participation and development of golf throughout the state.

The aims of the Foundation are reflected in Golf Queensland’s vision of “more people playing more golf”. The most immediate goals are to secure future participation and sustainability of the game, grow and promote the game and its benefits and diversify income streams to invest in the future of the game. And through the three key focus areas of juniors, ladies and golf clubs, the Foundation will actively raise funds to build new programs and pathways while also enhancing existing programs and ensure the sustainability of clubs by assisting them to manage and grow their operations. Donations to these areas means Golf Queensland can deliver more learn-to-play programs for juniors and ladies across the state. The funds will also help to deliver programs that will help clubs increase their membership bases and ensure the viability of the club network in Queensland. The Queensland Golf Foundation’s fundraising partner is the Australia Sports Foundation. Donations are tax deductible and can be made either directly to the Queensland Golf Foundation page on the Australian Sports Foundation website (www.asf.org.au) or via the donate now button on the Queensland Golf Foundation website (www.qldgolffoundation.org.au).

As Mee and Morgan fell away over the final 18 holes, it quickly emerged that it was a three-horse race between Mackenzie and new contenders Tyler Duncan (Redcliffe) and Mitchell Varley (Sanctuary Cove). With Varley’s bogey on 17 slipping him out of contention, Duncan’s fantastic 67 saw the 14-year old set the clubhouse benchmark. Mackenzie charged under the pressure, playing his final nine holes in 34 (-3) and take honours at the 2016 Qld Boys’ Amateur. All this in spite of his quintuple bogey (9) in the third round! “I was seven behind with twelve holes to go and I thought I didn’t have a chance. Five birdies went my way in those holes and I’m really happy with how I played this week,” an ecstatic Mackenzie said. His victory also earns him a start in the 2016 Isuzu Queensland Open to be held at The Brisbane Golf Club in October. The quiet, yet determined 17-year old Momoka Kobori from Rangiora Golf Club in New Zealand, set the standard early, opening the tournament with a new course record 71 (2-under). Round two saw new contender Hazel Martin (Virginia) improve the course record yet again with her 3-under round 70 with Kobori falling victim to the tricky Bargara layout, stumbling with a 76.

Victorian Kono Matsumoto (Victoria GC) shook the tournament in the penultimate round, recording a remarkable bogey-free 6-under 67 – yet AGAIN another course record! This saw her take a two-shot lead heading into the final day. Fellow Victorian Alex Hilliard (Commonwealth) filled the final spot in the leading group with rounds of 7673-71. Summoning her fighting spirit, Kobori turned with a one shot advantage over Matsumoto, as Hilliard struggled with the blustery conditions. It was ultimately her 1-under final round which saw Kobori claim her maiden international victory. Srixon are to be thanked for their generous support of the Qld Boys’ and Girls’ Amateur. Bargara Golf Club is to be applauded for the magnificent condition in which the course was presented and the hospitality shown to all participants. Golf Queensland and players look forward to returning for the 2017 edition. Full results available at www.golfqueensland.org.au

Queensland Men’s Mid Amateur Championship 11 – 13 September 2016 RACV Royal Pines Resort Entries close 5pm, Monday 29th August Discount accommodation rates available at Proudly sponsored by www.facebook.com/GolfQueensland

@GolfQueensland

www.golfqueensland.org.au T: (07) 3252 8155 www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

events

Caddie Back Marker awaits you

OOLANGATTA & Tweed Heads Golf Club has laid down the gauntlet to golfers who enjoy a challenge: play to or beat your handicap in the Caddie Back Marker event and win a dozen Srixon golf balls. Played on the third Friday of each month, the brand-new event is proving to be a winner with more than 140 players taking up the challenge on the championship River Course last month. The club’s golf operations manager Nicole James said there were a number of reasons for the Caddie Back Marker’s success. “Well, we think the entry price is right,” Ms James said. “It costs just $25 to enter the Caddie Back Marker, which includes the competition fee. We also have a $1000 in prizes up for grabs. “Of course, golfers can also win a dozen Srixon Z Star golf balls if they play to or beat their handicap.” The event is open to men and women who have Golf Australia handicaps. Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club has two 18-hole championship golf courses – the 5946m River Course and the 6018m West Course. “The Caddie Back Marker will predominantly be played on the River Course, but we will use the West Course occasionally,” Ms James said. “The greens on the River Course can be quite tricky so we set it up with nine challenging pin positions and nine normal pin positions. “We don’t want to make the course ridiculously hard for players. “We want it to be a challenge, but we also want the course to be playable.” For the record, the West Course has Bent grass greens while the River Course has 328 grass. The West Course is slightly longer (72 metres) and has a number of testing dogleg holes and water hazards. Situated virtually on the Queensland/NSW border, Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club offers the best of both worlds – great golfing in one of Australia’s most popular holiday destinations. So, are you up for the Caddie Back Marker contest? After all, golf is all about pitting your golfing skills against the golf course and all its defences. To book your spot in the next Caddie Back Marker on August 19, call the club on 5524-4544. Hurry, because places in the field are filling fast. •

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August 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

Playing off a 14 handicap, Neville Conlin fired a nett 68 to win the inaugural Caddie Back Marker event at Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club.

Second year trainee wins Pampling Plate AFTER four days and eight gruelling rounds, second year trainee professional Jacob Boyce prevailed to win the coveted Pampling Plate at Caboolture Golf Club north of Brisbane. Caloundra Golf Club’s Boyce accounted for Sanctuary Cove’s Sam Price 6/5 in the 36-hole final. Boyce, who was the leading qualifier going into matchplay, reached the final when he defeated Josh Ryan 3/2, Josh Bevan 5/4, Jean Relecom 5/4 and Angus Porter 5/4. En route to the final, left-hander and first year trainee Price accounted for Shane Miley 1-up, Jacob Tonkin at the 19th, Nick Rogers 4/3 and Thomas Callender 5/3. Boyce, who won his matches convincingly, said he was feeling fine after playing so much golf. “The body has held up very well considering the amount of competitive golf I’ve played over the last fortnight,” said Boyce, who finished third in the NSW/ACT PGA Trainee Championship a week earlier. “I was going into the final feeling physically okay and I had every opportunity to get the win,” he said. Runner-up Price is the son of Terry Price so he has plenty of golfing pedigree and experience to call on. “Jacob played some great golf today and deserved the win,” Price graciously conceded. “I’ll be planning to be back next year to hopefully get in the final again.” U.S. PGA Tour player Rod Pampling, who grew up at Caboolture Golf Club, continues to have strong ties with the club. “Last year we hoped Caboolture Golf Club would become synonymous with the Pampling Plate,” he said. “With the club’s commitment and the PGA trainees’ enthusiasm for the event clearly that is now a reality.

events

Blindness no barrier for John

John White with caddie Ross Thompson being presented the VisAbility Blind Golf Seniors Trophy in 2015 by Debra Barnes, Executive Manager, Operations of VisAbility.

LIND golfer John White is no stranger to winning. With a successful victory at the 2016 Australian Stableford Championships at the Adelaide Shores Golf Club in late May, the 87-year-old Western Australian has notched up an impressive 25 trophies in Blind Golf...and is looking for more! John was born in the US and pursued a career working on large scale engineering projects, firstly in the US and then worldwide. This brought John to Australia to lead a project at Exmouth for the US Navy. Western Australia must have made an impression on John as he has made it his home ever since – marrying his now wife Gaye from WA and launching his own engineering and design company. Golf was always a passion for John and he has been a member of Royal Perth for the last 50 years. However John found he was to lose 90% of his sight due to macular degeneration when he was in his mid-seventies. “I was

John White with his collection of trophies.

ready to turn up my toes” he remembers. “Losing my sight was devastating.”

John continues to look to the future – even at 87!

It was a suggestion from John’s ophthalmologist that started John playing blind golf.

“I want to continue to play golf, but also to work to promote the sport and encourage people to play.”

“To be honest I hadn’t heard of blind golf” says John “and I was a bit dubious”. But he found that the game is intrinsically the same – played to the same R&A Rules as regular golf, and with no gimmicks. “Learning to rely on my caddie to spot the ball and help line me up was something to get used to”.

Blind golf is open to people of all ages and is a perfect avenue for those club golfers who are experiencing some sight loss to stay involved in our great game. Blind golf has three sight categories; B1, B2 and B3 which relate to how much sight a player has. B1 players are totally blind.

“I’ve been fortunate to play golf not just across Australia but in Canada, the US and Japan too,” he says.

If you know of anyone who has lost their sight and would benefit like John in playing golf, contact:

John has also enjoyed playing in pro-am games and has lined up with Jan Stephenson and Peter Senior. John has appreciated the contribution of his caddies – long term friend Ross Thompson, and his wife Gaye who caddied for him in his recent win – in addition to friends from Royal Perth Golf Club who have helped him over the years.

Western Australia: Western Australian Blind Golf Association (WABGA): www.wabga.org.au or contact the President Gerry Brown on 9293 2517. Other states: contact Gary McInnes on 0417 055 731, or visit www.blindgolf.com.au or www.internationalblindgolf.com.

Win your way to Portugal!

DECISION TIME: The 2015 NSW Father/Son Championship winners Paul and Lachlan Deep enjoy the spoils of victory. It’s unclear if the pair will defend their title this year as Lachlan’s twin brother Mitchell is also a talented young golfer. IF you’re searching for a unique event (two actually) to play in on Saturday and Sunday, August 27-28, round up your family and head for Cootamundra Country Club in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales. For the second successive year, the club is hosting the NSW Father/Son Championship in conjunction with the South West Slopes Family Championship on Saturday and Sunday, August 27-28. The Father/Son event isn’t restricted to fathers and sons. It’s open to fathers and sons as well as stepfather/stepson, grandfather/ grandson and father-in-law and son-inlaw. “To win this championship you have to be in one of these four categories,” said tournament founder and Cootamundra superintendent Chris Dawe.

he World Corporate Golf Challenge (WCGC) returns to Australia in 2016. NBT Golf, the Australian Licensee will host days on the East Coast of Australia, starting on August 22 at the Brisbane Golf Club and finishing with the National Final in December at the Castle Hill Country Club. The WCGC is the largest corporate golfing event in the world. It currently has licensees in over 40 countries around the globe and is represented in every continent. The first WCGC event was run in the United Kingdom over 22 years ago and has a rich history in Australia with the first event being held back in 1997 and an Australian World Champion team in 2002. In 2016 NBT will host the following days: Brisbane Golf Club – August 22, Concord Golf Club – September 1, Woodlands Golf Club – October 11, Kooindah Waters Golf Club – October 19, Port Kembla Golf Club – October 27. NATIONAL FINAL, Castle Hill Country Club – December 2016. The winners of the National Final will receive a trip to the World Final in Cascais, Portugal in June 2017. NBT Golf just returned from the World Final last month with raving reviews of the event. This year’s World Final hosted 40 teams from around the globe.

Two top events for family members

“This is a scratch event, but the nett event is the South West Slopes Family Championship. “This event is open to any family connection – husband and wife, mother and daughter, father and daughter, brother and sister and so on.”

The WCGC is a two-person aggregate stableford competition, with the top teams from each qualifying day receiving an entry into the National Final in December. There are only two entry rules that must be adhered to: You both must have valid Golf Australia handicaps, and you must represent a corporate entity. This means you can bring along a customer, friend, colleague or your normal weekend playing partner to help you win your way to Portugal. Each qualifying day will be an event in itself with breakfast, lunch, drink vouchers, players pack, 18 holes of golf and entry into the WCGC all part of the entry fee. There will also be wonderful prizes on offer as well as an

The championships have prizes galore including a golf, accommodation and airfares package to the Gold Coast. Dawe said he expected more than 100 players to enter the championships.

opportunity to participate in various raffles, NTP and long drive competitions. Places are limited at each venue so register today to avoid missing out. Entry starting from $350 per team. More information: 0418 682 202, email nick@nbtgolf.com or visit Australia. worldcorporategolfchallenge.com OR www.nbtgolf.com. •

Accommodation is plentiful in and around Cootamundra so there are no excuses to make a weekend of it. Who knows, you could be winging your way to the sunny Gold Coast for a fun-filled few days of golf and fun. To find out more, call Graham Cheshire at the Cootamundra Country Club pro shop on (02) 6942-2313. Hurry, bookings are filling fast.

www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

calendar

Australia’s top courses on offer at Seventh Mornington Peninsula Golf Classic The magnificent Mornington Peninsula will once again be on show to golfers as the highly-anticipated Seventh Annual Mornington Peninsula Golf Classic tees off from 2-7 October. The golf extravaganza is regularly recognised as one of the most enjoyable and best-value events on the annual amateur golfing calendar, and will see men and women golfers play some of Australia’s top courses in a 72-hole graded individual stableford tournament, while also enjoying a fun and friendly atmosphere as they meet new friends, or catch up with friends made from previous Classics. This year’s Classic will rotate among some of the best courses that the Mornington Peninsula has to offer: Portsea Golf Club, St Andrews Beach, Moonah Links (Legends), and Sorrento Golf Club. The entry fee of $655 incorporates golf on four days, shared carts, lunches on all four days, daily and overall prizes are included as are the Welcome Function at Rosebud Country Club and a three-course gourmet buffet at the Presentation Dinner at The National Golf Club. You will also receive a souvenir polo shirt. Entries closes on August 31 or when fields are full. This is going to be a sell-out Tournament, so register early to ensure you secure your place. Refer the tournament to your family and friends to win prizes. See website for more details. Phone: 0439 396 617 Website: www.golfmorningtonpeninsula.com.au Email: info@golfmorningtonpeninsula.com.au

CALENDAR >

GOLF NSW AUGUST CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Golf NSW Events Date 20-21 Aug-16 20-21 Aug-16

Event Women’s Weekend Tournament Men’s & Women’s NSW Green Sands Championship

Date 13-Aug-16 14-Aug-16 20-21 Aug-16 20-21 Aug-16 27-28 Aug-16

Event Cumberland Cup Kooindah Waters Cup Zone 2 Regional Championship Mollymook Amateur Northern NSW Amateur Championships

SEPTEMBER

WHEN: 5, 6 and 8 September | WHERE: Shelly Beach, Wyong and Magenta Shores Golf Clubs The Women’s Country Meeting is open to female amateurs who hold a current GA or overseas equivalent handicap and are a member of a Golf NSW Country Golf Club. It is held over three days, the first two being stroke, the third foursomes. Entries are now open – $50 per person per day via hard copy, or $40 online. $110 per person for three COMING SENIOR days via hard copy, or $100 online. To enter log AMATEUR EVENTS onto www.golfnsw.org. Entries close Friday 19 August 2016 at 5:00pm. August 4 Monash Senior Masters (NSW) August 8 Carnarvon Seniors (NSW) 2016 Women’s Coronation Medal August 8 Yarra Yarra Seniors (VIC) WHEN: Monday 12 September Beerwah Seniors (QLD) August 9 WHERE: Cumberland and Lynwood CC August 9 Kingston Heath Seniors (VIC) August 12 Victoria GC Seniors (VIC) The format is an 18-holes stroke handicap August 15 Kooindah Waters Seniors (NSW) competition for teams of four players on GA August 15 Gailes Seniors (QLD) handicaps from plus to 20.0, played over two August 15 Metropolitan Seniors (VIC) courses which are determined by the previous August 15 Mandurah Seniors (WA) year’s competition. Each club entering the competition nominates the players to represent it August 16 Royal Melbourne Seniors (VIC) and the courses on which each pair will compete. August 17 Commonwealth Seniors (VIC) August 22 Glenelg Seniors (SA) More: Nicole Bessant at Golf NSW on 9505 9105 or August 30 Palmer Gold Coast Seniors (QLD) email nicole.bessant@golfnsw.org September 1-2 * Kooyonga Grange Senior Classic September 5-7 * South Australian Senior Amateur – Victor Harbor 44Th South Pacific Ladies Open Classic September 5 Wyong Seniors (NSW) WHEN: 9-12 October 2016 September 11 Shelly Beach Seniors (NSW) WHERE: Surfers Paradise Golf Club September 12 Keperra Seniors (QLD) This long running tournament popular with local September 12 Lang Lang Seniors (VIC) and interstate entrants commences with a Mixed September 15-16 Nudgee Masters (QLD) Foursomes on Sunday, October 9 followed September 15 Melton Valley Seniors (VIC) by three stroke rounds for ladies in this Golf September 19 Camden Seniors (NSW) Australia and Golf Queensland-ranked event. September 22 Port Kembla Seniors (NSW) Four divisions of Classic, Mid Amateur, Senior September 23 Maroochy River Seniors (QLD) and Super Senior means everybody is welcome September 26-27 Northern Seniors (VIC) to compete for 54-hole and daily prizes. September 26 Magenta Shores Seniors (NSW) Visit www.surfersparadisegolfclub.com.au for September 30 Liverpool Seniors (NSW) registration and conditions of play, or enquires * Part of the Australian Senior Ranking System to surfersparadiseassociates@gmail.com.au

OCTOBER

August 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

Venue Cumberland CC Kooindah Waters GC Magenta Shores GC Mollymook GC Gunnedah GC

Pennants / Grade Date 07-Aug-16 07-Aug-16 14-Aug-16 14-Aug-16 21-Aug-16 21-Aug-16 21-Aug-16 28-Aug-16 28-Aug-16

Event Eric Apperly Shield Metropolitan Rd 4 Warren and Gibson Trophies - Rd 2 Eric Apperly Shield Metropolitan Rd 5 Warren and Gibson Trophies - Rd 3 Eric Apperly Shield Metropolitan Quarter Finals Eric Apperly Shield Country Play Offs Warren and Gibson Trophies - Rd 4 Eric Apperly Shield Metropolitan Semi Finals Warren and Gibson Trophies - Rd 5

Venue Various Various Various Various Various Various Various Various Various

For information on any of the above events, or for a full list of fixtures go to: www.golfnsw.org

Handiskins

Rotary Club of Huntingdale , Charity Golf Day

2016 Women’s Country Meeting

Forbes GC & Grenfell CC

Men’s Vardon Events

AUGUST

WHEN: Monday, 29 August | WHERE: Huntingdale Golf Club Registration: www.golflink.com.au/play-golf/open-days/vic/ Info: huntingdale.rotary@iinet.net.au All proceeds from this golf day go towards Rotary local and international community support projects. The Competition is an Individual Stableford event with 4 sections GOLF Link Handicap & Social handicap, Male & Female. Cost: $125. Includes: Pre-game BBQ lunch, show bag, range balls, post-game complimentary drinks & finger food.

Venue The Vintage GC

When: Various Where: Various Info: www.handiskins.com.au Handiskins the ultimate game of skins for club golfers. Handiskins is a five-qualifyinground 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: Cowra Golf Club Mees Road, Cowra NSW 2794 4th Qualifying Round 20th August 2016 5th Qualifying Round 17th September 2016 Final 25th September 2016 Parkes Golf Club London Road, Parkes NSW 2870 Final 14th August 2016 Mudgee Golf Club 21 Robertson Road, Mudgee NSW 2850 4th Qualifying Round 13th August 2016 5th Qualifying Round 20th August 2016 Final 11th September 2016 Thurgoona Golf Club 1 Evesham Place, Thurgoona NSW 2640 5th Qualifying Round 6th August 2016 Final 20th August 2016 Nelson Bay Golf Club Dowling Street, Nelson Bay NSW 2315 3rd Qualifying Round 27th August 2016 4th Qualifying Round 10th September 2016 5th Qualifying Round 22nd October 2016 Final 26th November 2016 Wagga Wagga Country Club Plumpton Road, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650 Final 7th August 2016 Shortland Waters Golf Club Vale Street, Shortland NSW 2287 4th Qualifying Round 6th August 2016 5th Qualifying Round 13th August 2016 Final 24th September 2016

Pacific Dunes Golf Club Championship Drive, Medowie NSW 2318 3rd Qualifying Round 20th August 2016 4th Qualifying Round 1st October 2016 5th Qualifying Round 5th November 2016 Final 19th November 2016 Northern Golf Club 97 Glenroy Road, Glenroy VIC 3046 1st Qualifying Round 13th August 2016 2nd Qualifying Round 10th September 2016 3rd Qualifying Round 22nd October 2016 4th Qualifying Round 5th November 2016 5th Qualifying Round 3rd December 2016 Final 10th December 2016 Hurstville Golf Club Lorraine Street, Peakhurst NSW 2210 1st Qualifying Round 20th August 2016 2nd Qualifying Round 27th August 2016 3rd Qualifying Round 3rd September 2016 4th Qualifying Round 10th September 2016 5th Qualifying Round 17th September 2016 Final 24th September 2016 Moss Vale Golf Club 38-48 Arthur Street, Moss Vale NSW 2577 1st Qualifying Round 20th August 2016 2nd Qualifying Round 27th August 2016 3rd Qualifying Round 3rd September 2016 4th Qualifying Round 10th September 2016 5th Qualifying Round 17th September 2016 Final 25th September 2016 Sandhurst Golf Club 75 Sandhurst Blvd, Sandhurst VIC 3977 1st Qualifying Round 3rd September 2016 2nd Qualifying Round 10th September 2016 3rd Qualifying Round 17th September 2016 4th Qualifying Round 24th September 2016 5th Qualifying Round 8th October 2016 Final 15th October 2016

Letter Let the pros go it alone of the Month Here’s a left-field suggestion: Let’s get rid of caddies. Is there another sport in the world where a top line sportsperson can get assistance/direction/advice prior to playing in their particular sporting endeavour? In golf we are talking about the crème de la crème in this field. Why can’t they make a decision on their own as, I believe, individuals in every other sport do? In women’s golf we even have the extreme absurdity where the caddy stands behind them and approves their setup! We are talking about the elite players in the world, here!

swings (b) consult with the “expert caddy adviser” and (c) wait until the caddy steps out the distance to a marker in “the notes”. Why not let the pro use a GPS/Laser (if they are capable without the help of a caddy!). Imagine the time that could be saved. Let the elite golfer actually make their own decisions like the everyday club member. Bruce Ferrall

Professional golfers are often “put on the clock” because they (a) take 5 or 6 practice

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 two dozen Volvik Vista IV golg balls valued at $69.95 per doz (Your choice of white, yellow or orange.)

Top Shot: ‘Water’ you waiting for? This photo, submitted by Glenys Cummings, shows one of her playing partners at the Coffs Harbour Festival of Golf last October. Her ball almost went into the water and the only way she could hit it was to stand in the water. She took off her shoes and socks, hitched up her skirt and went for it. She hit a great shot into the green and drained the putt. Well played! If you’ve got a “TOP SHOT” you’d like to share, email it to us at ed@insidegolf.com.au

The great Australian Larry-kin Just a note to say how much I enjoy the mag, particularly Larry Canning’s column – I look forward to the next edition. Kevin McMillan

Thank you Mark Allen! I would like to thank Mark Allen for the putting tips in the June edition. The advice about staying still and only move your body to putt has really helped my game, as I was really about to throw my clubs away. But now back to it and I am a lot happier with the results. John Whittle

Outstanding round of golf Just thought I’d share this with you: Recently, a friend of mine, Anne Taylor, who is a ‘sometime’ golfer with a 36 handicap at Randwick Golf Club, competed in a medley stableford competition with her husband as partner. This lady would be the first to admit to being a hacker. Not this day! Anne swept around the Randwick course with a total of 53 Stableford points which included a hole in one (her first ever). Husband Brad, apart from being gobsmacked, managed to add a couple of points to the total which, needless to say, was good enough to win the competition. Noel Simmons

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!)

your voice

SLOPE AND INDEXING I’m a 63yo golfer (8.5 hcp) and I share your feelings about Slope etc. I was really excited to read your article. It almost feels as if someone understands what I’ve been complaining about for a very long time. I always understood the admin, printed cards etc, in the earlier days if you wanted to change ratings or indexing. But nowadays, there really is no excuse, with computers and technology. I feel that at some windy courses For whatever reason when the so called “Slope data” was applied to our course, we fared very badly. Our slope from our medal tees is a whopping 137 and middle tees 135. It is among the highest anywhere, which in itself suggests a very difficult golf course—more difficult than all the Melbourne Sandbelt courses and on a par with The Heritage and the three courses at the National. We have a few OOBs and a river beside two holes but I, like you, have played many courses in Melbourne, Queensland and Asia and China, and there is no way our club should rate so high. I can see an issue with using the same stats to reach a Slope index for a course. The stats being used are primarily those of the member golfers who are all very familiar with playing the course, i.e. they know where to hit it, where not to hit it, how the various bunkers play, the green conditions and slopes, etc. The stats would give a Slope index that reflected the difficulty or otherwise to members, not necessarily for all Your editorial about hole indexing and slope was great. In your final paragraph, you said that using the GolfLink statistics to determine the slope may be ‘too simple’ to be the answer. You are wrong though - IT IS THE ANSWER !! However, Clubs and Golf Australia do not have the will to actually do it. This is to the detriment of us players for whom this system was meant to help. Slopes are clearly not accurate and the GolfLink statistics would at least give clubs some hard data about how fair or tough their course is compared to the par. I have been keeping stats for our course from the Lexus Cup / Genesis Cup results, where they are able to get the stats from Golf Link to run those competitions so why won’t Golf Club managers and Golf Australia do it too?

the Slope and especially the indexing should change on the day according to the direction of the wind. Every time I play a new course I feel that they’ve got the Slope wrong. And I fully agree with you that indexing should be done by checking results over 6 to 12 month periods and Slope can be worked out by a certain number of players. They will get a better result than the current system. Abrie Nimb We get absolutely slaughtered (in handicaps) when we play elsewhere. In my last 20 rounds playing off 14 I have had one score of 36 (sloped to 11.5) and one of 35 (sloped to 11.7) and several scores of 31/32 sloped to 14! As a consequence, my GA has dropped from 13 to 12 without ever breaking my handicap! I believe we have had two attempts to get our rating changed but without success. Let’s hope something happens to improve our lot. Brian Chappel

players, particularly non-members. Whilst I’m a club member I do play both casually and in competition at a lot of different clubs. While most people are club members and can score well at their own club they invariably struggle when visiting another club and this is demonstrated by the fact that few and, sometimes none, of the players will better their handicap. Chris Fraser My summary over two years of Lexus Cup/ Genesis Cup scores (about 170 rounds) from our Club shows the following Stableford points: Autumn average 30.7, Winter average 27.01, Spring average 30.8. (Lexus Cup/ Genesis Cup don’t run their competition in summer). Clearly our course is at least five strokes harder than the par rating and even worse in winter. We need to put pressure on Golf Australia and Club Managers to address these issues and help their members get a fairer deal from the slope rating and the ensuing flow on to our handicaps. Who knows, if we start to enjoy the game, more members may join clubs. Win Win. Paul Thurlow

It is time that the DSR was abolished altogether. Why should I be punished because the other people in our competition can’t hit the ball today? Time and time again I have had my handicap slashed when I have only had about 31 or 32 points in stableford. The game of golf is to pit yourself against the course, not against other players’ scores. As a result of this ridiculous system we are all on false handicaps. Today, once again I had 31 points and broke my handicap. I thought we were trying to encourage more players. This is not the way to do it. The slope system is a good one, but adding a DSR is ridiculous. Give us a break and make it a fairer system, I say. Joanne Todd

On the number I now understand why you are a success in your profession. In your column (Do we want David vs Goliath, June) prior the U.S. Open, when you took “a shot” at the USGA for making this course the toughest for their own gratification/reputation, you said “watch them celebrate when the weekend cut is a sky-high +6”. As we all know, the cut was +6! Genius!! Joe Skimbirauskas Editor’s note: Thanks Joe. But as they say, even a blind squirrel can find a nut every now and then.

www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

19th hole

A TaylorMade love affair ed@insidegolf.com.au

’ve just spent my first couple of hours with my new TaylorMade PSi irons and I reckon it went really well. We met in the Pro-Shop at Mount Broughton Golf Club and to be honest, from the moment I removed those cute little plastic wrapper-bags from each head I knew we were meant for each other. I couldn’t wait to grab the grip end of the 8-iron (always my favourite club in any set, but don’t tell the others), and take my stance behind the counter. Against all common sense and the safety of my professional colleague Dave, who was standing next to me, I suddenly became overcome with anticipation and entered into a backswing. This resulted in me knocking the sharpie pen display all over the floor and Dave leaning back like Keanu Reeves in “The Matrix”. But this bad girl felt gorgeous. Just a couple of weeks earlier, I’d had a hit with three old mates I hadn’t played with for years. Bert, Sime and Deuce are all similar ages to me and despite all of us whacking on enough kilos to create another human, it was just like we had stepped out of the Tardis and back into 1996. A couple of holes into the round and it appeared our games might be a little rusty but then we all realised we were never that good anyway. On the par-3 4th Bert hit first with his 6-iron and pulled it into the lefthand bunker, pin high. Deuce followed that up with a 7-iron and also dragged his nut into the same trap. My partner in this epic match, Sime, and I were already 2up and saw an opportunity to really drive the lob wedge in a bit more, so we spent a good deal of time discussing his club selection. This resulted in Sime cold-topping his 7-iron straight into the thick rough 5 metres in front of the tee, sending two small birds, which were obviously hiding in the long grass sharing a moment of unbridled passion, to

Now it was my turn. For the life of me, I just couldn’t see myself getting a 7-iron back to that flag. I could do the usual and fake a miss-hit or an old footy injury I suffered in my one and only game back in 1972. (“Aaah yes…It was a cold wet winter’s day when I was tearing down the wing, ball in hand about to score one of the greatest tries in Woy Woy High School history. Suddenly out of nowhere appears the full back, Woodbottom. Surely this frail little kid—who wore glasses so thick that if he looked up he would burst into flames—was no match for me as I sprinted towards a fourpointer. Even when I felt his arms wrap around my left ankle I had no thought of being tackled until somehow, after clinging on for another 20 metres, the little mongrel managed to tangle my feet and I went down like I’d jumped out of a plane at 10 thousand feet and forgotten my parachute. Woodbottom, who was still connected to my ankle well into that night, was a hero and I was tormented and stirred within an inch of my life... plus my left knee has never been the same.”) Back to 4th tee; There I was holding my 7-iron trying to get myself up because after all, I am the only member in this group holding a PGA Membership card, which means I have a responsibility to all my fellow members. That’s when I let myself and the entire PGA down, readers. I didn’t just go back one club; I went back to a bloody 5-iron.

THERE are 20 stableford points up for grabs on the front nine. How many can you get?

with David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

1. Who is New Zealand’s highest ranked golfer (men or women)? (2 pts) 2. How many majors has Tiger Woods won? (1 pt) 3. Eight-time major winner Tom Watson and Arnold Palmer (seven majors) both won three of the four majors on offer. Which major haven’t they won? (3 pts) 4. Can you name the famous golfer who, in 2005, featured on the Royal Bank of Scotland £5 note? (3 pts) 5. Which golf venue set the standard round of golf at 18 holes? (2 pts) The second we finished our round and Sime and I began celebrating our narrow and somewhat shallow victory, I snuck into the locker room, rang my techo mate at TaylorMade and told him my pathetic story. I usually do my own specs on my clubs and according to my tech man I was pretty close until I got to the shaft. “You’re using KBS Tour stiff?!” came the voice down the line. “Aaaah…yeah… sorry”. Apparently this is one of the strongest shafts you can get and at my swing speed it’s a wonder I didn’t dislocate my entire body trying to get anything out of them. Companies like TaylorMade spend millions on R&D and when they match a head up with a shaft it’s because they know it gets the best out of that head. I only needed to play 4 holes with my new PSi irons correctly fitted with C Taper 105 shafts to realise this: BANG! 7-iron right into the heart of that green... and I wanted to take my new set home and sleep with them. In fact, I did. •

6. Who invented the golf term “caddie”? Was it “Old” Tom Morris, King Henry VIII, Mary Queen of Scots or inaugural Open Championship winner Willie Park Sr? (2 pts) 7. Can you solve the following anagram – Spent pet hit. Clue: He heads up Australia’s amateur body. (3 pts) 8. The last time golf featured at the Olympics was in 2004. Did the individual gold medal winner represent the USA, Britain, Canada or Scotland? (3 pts) 9. As a player is climbing a tree to play a ball lodged in the tree, the ball falls to the ground. Does the player incur a penalty? (1 pts) ANSWERS: (1). Lydia Ko is world #1; (2). 14; (3). US PGA Championship; (4). Jack Nicklaus; (5). Royal and Ancient GC, St Andrews; (6). Mary Queen of Scots; (7). Stephen Pitt – Golf Australia CEO; (8). Canada (George Lyon); (9) Yes, one stroke and the ball must be replaced.

Larry Canning

take off in different directions screeching out something that sounded very much like abuse.

The quick nine quiz

Junior ClassiCs Gary Player Classic

Katherine Kirk Classic

20-23 September 2016

18-20 September 2016

Pacific Golf Club

Maroochy River Golf Club

Entries close 5pm, Wednesday, 7th September

www.facebook.com/GolfQueensland

www.golfqueensland.org.au T: (07) 3252 8155 64

August 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

@GolfQueensland

19th hole

Age is in the eye of the beholder

IMPLE mathematics tells us the combined age of 89-year-old Cecily Mitchell and 88-year-old Helen Phelan is 177, which equates to plenty of life experience. It also adds up to plenty of golfing wisdom as the octogenarians recently demonstrated when they won the Wagga Wagga Country Club Foursomes Championship handicap division. Mind you, there is a group of regulars at the club whose ages range from 83 to 90 years young. These jovial ladies, with 590 years experience between them, have been members of the Wagga Wagga Country Club for many years and have served on committees at various times as well as

winning a slew of championships between them dating back to the 1960s. Golf has kept them young. “When you are a golfer you have to be active, able to count, converse, remember rules and be aware of your fellow players,” Heather Cramp said.

“It is also a social event as they enjoy coffee and a sandwich after the game. Many of these ladies are also bridge and solo players – a by-product of belonging to a club. “These ladies are a great source of inspiration to the younger players.” When asked with whom they would like to play golf the names Greg Norman, Jason Day, Bubba Watson and Gary Player came up.

Gold Coast women celebrate ALMOST 200 guests, including champion golfer Rachel Hetherington and television personality and keen golfer Deborah Hutton, attended the 40th anniversary dinner of Women’s Golf Gold Coast (WGGC) at Southport Golf Club recently. There was plenty of chatter and belly laughs as players and officials caught up to rekindle old friendships and swap stories. “It was a great bonding evening with a trip down memory lane for so many,” one special guest said. “It’s always good to see long-time golfing friends.” WGGC secretary Christine Brierley said it was a “wonderful dinner celebration”. Emcee Nicole Dyer started proceedings by interviewing Rachel Hetherington, who had many insightful and sometimes amusing reflections on her outstanding career as a professional golfer. “Deborah Hutton was full of energy and humour in her interview with Nicole (Dyer) and managed the panel of Libby Zidar (nee Wilson), Ann Wilson-Lawrence, Jenny Sevil, Anne Alletson-Brown and Allison Woodhouse (nee Chell) superbly,” Christine said.

City Golf Club stalwart Maureen Sloan, 91 years young, her son Neville Sloan, her grandson-in-law Geoff Palmer and her great grandson Harvey Palmer, aged nine, hit the fairways for a leisurely 18 holes. “Four generations playing golf together would have to be quite a rare occurrence,” Neville suggested.

Libby Zidar (Wilson), Ann Wilson-Lawrence, Anne Alletson-Brown, Jenny Sevil with Deborah Hutton (guest of honour) and Allison Woodhouse (Chell) celebrated Women’s Golf Gold Coast’s anniversary. “All the panel members had a takeaway moment during the discussion. “Our juniors, Robyn Choi and Lisa Edgar, although shy when being interviewed, highlighted their recent achievements and spoke of future golfing career plans. “Those golfers present, the young and not so young, had many opportunities to catch up with old friends. “You just had to listen to the chatter in the room to realise the dinner celebration was a great success.”

driver from her golf bag and watched as the ball found the cup. The second hole is no pushover. A deep sand trap right, a grass bunker left protects the green and there is a hidden bunker behind the putting surface. They weren’t even in the picture when Maureen teed up her ball and hit the perfect shot. As they say, families that play together … well, you know the rest.

“I think it’s great that I can still enjoy a game of golf with my mum when she is 91 and still enjoying her golf.” For the record, Maureen, who plays off a 41 handicap, carded a 77 nett to finish nine shots ahead of Neville. “Incidentally, off the stick, there was only 27 strokes separating the four players,” said Neville, a social golfer. Last year, Maureen was the talk of Toowoomba after scoring a hole-in-one at Toowoomba’s Middle Ridge Golf Club. She didn’t have to wait long for the ace. When Maureen reached the 163-metre par3 second hole, she confidently pulled the

Their handicaps over the years have been as low as Claire Slater and Nauma Buchanan’s, who play off nine. Ladies, strength to you – keep swinging and hitting that little white ball down the middle.

Neville Sloan, Maureen Sloan, Harvey and Geoff Palmer made it a family fairway affair at City Golf Club.

Octogenarians Barbara Parnell and Nancy Heaney have 176 years life experience. FOOTNOTE: Wagga Wagga Country Club is situated on the banks of Lake Albert. The picturesque golf course measures 6054m off the back markers and is widely acclaimed as one of the best country golf courses in New South Wales.

Crossword > 1

Four generations hit fairways IT’S not often you hear of a family spanning four generations playing golf together, but it happened at City Golf Club in Toowoomba recently.

Wagga Wagga Country Club stalwarts (back) Nauma Buchanan, Cecily Mitchell, and Barb Hastie and (front) Helen Phelan, Claire Slater and Val Donnelly.

12 13

15 16

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24 25

ACROSS

1 Flourished (7) 5 A sign or indication of something (7) 9 Golfing hazard (5) 10 Coming back (to defend a title, maybe) (9) 11 Welsh pro who won the US Masters in 1991 (3,7) 12 High-profile player (4) 14 Winner of the US Open Championship in 1959 and 1966, Billy ______ (6) 15 Turn into (6) 18 Winner of the 2016 Hyundai Tournament of Champions, ______ Spieth (6) 19 Winner of the 2016 St Jude Classic, Daniel ______ (6) 23 Consistent Australian performer on the PGA Tour, ____ Senden (4) 24 Get through to the third round of a golf tournament (4,3,3) 26 Female attendants who look after special guests (9) 27 Over (5) 28 Fired up (7) 29 Golfers on a green (7) Answers: page 68

DOWN

1 Captain’s pick at the 2015 Presidents Cup, Australian Steven _______ (8) 2 Pleasure trips (7) 3 Veteran US golfer who won the 1986 Australian Masters (4,6) 4 Constraint; compulsion (6) 5 Located (8) 6 Aussie who was Rookie of the Year on the PGA Tour in 2009, ____ Leishman (4) 7 Prickly plant that may be found on Scottish golf courses (7) 8 Winner of The Memorial Tournament in 2016, William ______ (6) 13 Gets discouraged (5,5) 16 Annoyed constantly (8) Relationship of golfers Jay and Jerry Haas (8) 17 18 Winner of the 2016 US Open, Dustin _______ (7) 20 Almost win; get very near the flag (2,5) 21 South Korean golfer who won the 2007 AT&T National PGA Tour event (1,1,4) 22 Prepares to play a hole (4,2) 25 Stiff or wiry grass sometimes used on golf courses (4) www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

demo dates PING

Ph: (02) 9524 8233 or visit www.ping.com

Location

Day Date Time

New South Wales Drummond Penrith ◊ * Thursday August 04 August 05 Elanora Golf Club ◊ * Friday Bankstown Golf Club ◊ * Tuesday August 09 Drummond Camperdown ◊ * Wednesday August 10 Avondale Golf Club ◊ * Thursday August 11 August 11 Drummond Northmead ◊ * Thursday Pymble Golf Club ◊ * Friday August 12 August 18 Cumberland Golf Club ◊ * Thursday Drummond Golf Casula ◊ * Thursday August 18 Illawarra Golf Complex ◊ * Monday August 22 Thornleigh Driving Range ◊ * Tuesday August 23 Royal Sydney Golf Club ◊ * Wednesday August 24 The Lakes Golf Club ◊ * Friday August 26 Federal Golf Club ◊ * Monday August 29 Yowani Golf Club ◊ * Tuesday August 30 Canberra International ◊ * Tuesday August 30 Royal Canberra Golf Club ◊ * Wednesday August 31 August 31 Drummond Fyshwick ◊ * Wednesday Queensland Victoria Park Driving Range ° * Tuesday August 02 August 03 Indooroopilly Golf Club ° * Wednesday Drummond Wooloongabba ◊ * Thursday August 04 August 04 Golf Gurus @ The Big Easy ° Thursday Gripped on Golf @ Twin Waters ◊ * Friday August 05 Coolangatta Tweed Heads Golf Club ◊ * Friday August 05 August 06 Drummond Underwood ◊ * Saturday Mcleod a Country Golf Club ◊ * Thursday August 11 Drummond West Burleigh ◊ * Thursday August 11 Drummond Maroochydore ◊ * Friday August 12 Brisbane Golf Club ◊ * Friday August 12 Surfers Paradise Golf Club ◊ * Tuesday August 16 Nudgee Golf Club ◊ * Wednesday August 17 August 17 Redland Bay Golf Club ° Wednesday Drummond Ashmore ◊ * Thursday August 18 Drummond Underwood ◊ * Thursday August 18 August 19 Drummond Golf Hervey Bay ◊ * Friday Royal Queensland ◊ * Friday August 19 August 24 Wantima golf Club ◊ * Wednesday Burleigh Golf Club ◊ * Wednesday August 24 Golf Central ◊ * Thursday August 25 August 26 Palm Meadows ° Friday Bundaberg Golf Club ◊ * Tuesday August 30 Drummond Golf Rockhampton ◊ * Wednesday August 31 August 31 Yeppoon golf Club ◊ * Wednesday Windaroo ◊ * Wednesday August 31 South Australia Port Augusta Golf Club ◊ * Wednesday August 03 August 10 The Grange Golf Club ° Wednesday Royal Adelaide Golf Club ° Wednesday August 17 South Lakes Golf Club ◊ * Saturday August 20 Victoria Kingswood Golf Club ◊ * Wednesday August 03 Melbourne Golf Academy ° Wednesday August 03 The National GC - Long Island ◊ * Thursday August 04 Kew Golf Club ◊ * Friday August 05 Commonwealth Golf Club ◊ * Tuesday August 09 Kingston Heath Golf Club ◊ * Wednesday August 10 Victoria Golf Club ◊ * Thursday August 11 Yarra Bend Driving Range ° Thursday August 11 Warragul Country Club ◊ * Friday August 12 Green Acres Golf Club ◊ * Friday August 19 Metropolitan Golf Club ◊ * Saturday August 20 Victoria Drummond Stores Drummond Golf Preston ◊ * Monday August 01 Drummond Golf Albury ◊ * Thursday August 04 Drummond Golf Shepparton ◊ * Friday August 05 Drummond Golf Bendigo ◊ * Tuesday August 09 Drummond Golf Ballarat ◊ * Wednesday August 10 August 11 Drummond Golf Geelong ◊ * Thursday Drummond Golf Niddrie ◊ * Tuesday August 16 Drummond Golf Hoppers Crossing ◊ * Wednesday August 17 Drummond Golf Mitcham ◊ * Thursday August 18 Drummond Golf Melbourne ◊ * Friday August 19 Drummond Golf Cheltenham ◊ * Thursday August 28 Drummond Golf Kew ◊ * Friday August 29

CALLAWAY

Location

4 - 7pm 9am - 2pm 10am - 2pm 5 - 8pm 8am - 12pm 4 - 7pm 8am - 1pm 12 - 5pm 4 - 7pm 9am - 2pm 2 - 7pm 9am - 4pm 10am - 3pm 1 - 5pm 9.30am - 2pm 5 - 7pm 8am - 12.30pm 2.30 - 5pm 5 - 7.30pm 9am - 1pm 1 - 5pm 5 - 7.30pm 12 - 4pm 2 - 5pm 9am - 1pm 9am - 12pm 1 - 5pm 10am - 2pm 1 - 5pm 1 - 5pm 9am - 12pm 3.30 - 5pm 1 - 5pm 1 - 5pm 9am - 12am 1 - 5pm 1 - 4pm 1 - 5pm 3 - 7pm 1 - 5pm 12 - 4pm 10.30am - 1.30pm 2.30 - 5.30pm 3 - 5pm 10.30am - 4pm 10am - 1.30pm 10am - 1.30pm 10am - 12.30pm 10am - 2pm 4 - 7pm 10am - 2pm 9am - 3pm 10am - 2pm 10am - 2pm 10am - 2pm 4 - 7pm 12 - 4pm 1 - 5pm 10am - 2pm 10am - 2pm 12 - 4pm 11am - 4pm 11am - 3pm 12 - 4pm 12 - 4pm 11am - 3pm 11am - 3pm 12 - 4pm 11am - 4pm 3 - 7pm 9am - 1pm

www.callawaygolf.com.au | callawaygolf.com/demo-days

New South Wales / ACT South West Golf Club √ Kurri Golf Club √ Cumberland Golf Club √ ≠ * Pennant Hills Golf Club √ ≠ * ** Maitland Golf Club √ Moore Park Golf House ≠ Queensland Victoria Park Golf Complex ≠ Burleigh Golf Club √ Palm Meadows Driving Range ≠

Day

Date Time

Monday Friday Friday Tuesday Tuesday Thursday

August 01 12 - 4pm August 05 12 - 4pm August 05 12 - 5pm August 09 8am - 2pm August 09 11am - 3pm August 18 4 - 7pm

Tuesday Wednesday Friday

August 09 5.30 - 7.30m August 10 10am - 1pm August 26 1 - 4.30pm

* Appointment Only. ** Members Only. °Ping Demo day. ◊ Ping Fitting. » TaylorMade Demo Day. † TaylorMade Fitting. √ Callaway Fitting Day. ≠ Callaway Demo Day. ∑ Cobra Puma Fitting Day. ∞ Cobra Puma Demo Day. Dates subject to change without notice. It is recommended that you contact venue before attending.

August 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

MIZUNO

Location

New South Wales / ACT Thornleigh Golf Centre * Terrey Hills G&CC * ** Oatlands GC * ** Golf Paradise * Roseville GC * ** Bayview GC * ** Drummond Golf - North Mead * Windsor GC * ** Killara GC * ** Kogarah GC * ** Cumberland CC * ** Moore Park GC * The Ridge GC * Queensland Vic Park * Golf Gurus Big Easy Driving Range * Palm Meadows * Tweed Heads * Emerald Lakes * Lismore Oxley GC * Bribie Island Caloundra Golf Club * Tewantin Noosa Headland Golf Club * Wantima Country Club Victoria MGA Driving Range Commonwealth GC (@ Mizuno fitting centre) * ** Centenary Park (@ Mizuno fitting centre) * Royal Melbourne GC * ** Sunshine GC (@ Mizuno fitting centre) * Long Island CC * ** Kingston Heath GC * ** Morack GC * Western Australia Capel Sea View Wembley Carramar Whaleback

TAYLORMADE Location

mizuno.com.au

Day

Date Time

Tuesday Friday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Friday Friday Thursday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Tuesday Wednesday

August 09 4 - 7pm August 12 11am - 3pm August 15 1 - 5pm August 16 3 - 7pm August 17 9am - 1pm August 19 1 - 5pm August 19 2 - 5pm August 18 8am - 12pm August 22 1 - 5pm August 23 1 - 5pm August 24 3 - 7pm August 30 4 - 7pm August 31 4 - 7pm

Tuesday Thursday Friday Friday Thursday Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Tuesday Thursday Wednesday

August 02 5.30 - 7.30pm August 04 5.30 - 7.30pm August 26 2 - 5pm August 19 2 - 5pm August 25 2 - 5pm August 30 1 - 4pm August 31 10am - 1pm August 17 9.30am - 12.30pm August 18 1 - 5pm August 23 9am - 1pm August 25 10am - 2pm August 31 1 - 5pm

Wednesday Thursday Friday Thursday Friday Saturday Wednesday Thursday

August 03 4 - 7pm August 11 10am - 2pm August 12 9am - 3pm August 18 10am - 3pm August 19 1 - 4pm August 20 10am - 2pm August 24 10am - 2pm August 25 3 - 6pm

Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Thursday

August 25 9am - 1pm August 26 12 - 4pm August 27 10am - 2pm August 28 10am - 2pm September 01 3 - 7pm

www.taylormadegolf.com.au | 1800 700 011

New South Wales/ACT Asquith Golf Club † * ** Pymble Golf Club † * ** Magenta Golf Club † * ** Toronto Country Club † * ** Mona Vale Country Club † * ** Ryde-Parramatta Golf Club † * ** The Ridge Golf Club † * ** Cumberland Golf Club † * ** Killara Golf Club † * ** Castle Hill Country Club † * ** Golf Paradise Terrey Hills † * ** Queensland Bribie Island † * Golf Gurus » Pacific GC † * Oxley † * Indooroopilly † * Coolangatta † * Vic Park » Middle Ridge † * Golf Central † * Parkwood † * Victoria MGA » Centenary Park †

COBRA PUMA Location

New South Wales / ACT Tura Beach Country Club Drummond Golf Camperdown Cumberland Country Golf Club Kew Country Club (On Course) ∞ ∑ Hawks Nest Golf Club Camden Lakeside & Valley Country Club Victoria MGA Queensland Brisbane Golf Club Victoria Park Golf Palm Meadows Golf Club Western Australia Spalding Park Golf Club Geraldton Golf Club Wembley Golf Club Tasmania Devonport Golf Club Ulverstone Golf Club Launceston Golf Club Country Club Tasmania Mowbray Golf Club Tasmania Golf Club Drummond Golf Cambridge Royal Hobart Golf Club

Day

Date Time

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Monday Wednesday Friday Tuesday Wednesday Friday

August 01 August 02 August 03 August 04 August 05 August 08 August 10 August 12 August 16 August 17 August 19

11am - 3pm 12 - 4pm 12 - 5pm 12 - 5pm 8am - 11.30pm 12 - 5pm 4 - 7pm 12 - 5pm 12 - 4.30pm 9am - 1pm 12 - 7pm

Wednesday Thursday Friday Wednesday Wednesday Friday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Wednesday

August 03 August 04 August 05 August 10 August 17 August 19 August 23 August 24 August 25 August 31

10am - 1pm 5 - 7pm 10am - 1pm 10am - 1pm 9am - 1pm 2 - 5pm 5.30 - 7.30pm 9.30am-12pm 2 - 6.30pm 3 - 6pm

Wednesday Saturday

August 03 August 13

4 - 7pm 8.30am - 1pm

cobragolf.com.au

Day Date Time

Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Thursday Friday Thursday

August 03 August 10 August 11 August 18 August 19 August 25

10am - 3pm 5 - 8pm 12 - 5pm 8am - 1pm 10am - 2pm 12 - 5pm

Wednesday

August 03

4 - 7pm

Wednesday Tuesday Friday

August 17 August 23 August 26

10am - 2pm 5.30 - 7.30pm 1 - 4pm

Saturday Saturday Friday

August 20 August 20 August 26

9.30am - 1pm 2 - 5pm 11am - 3pm

Tuesday Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Friday Saturday

August 09 August 09 August 10 August 10 August 11 August 12 August 12 August 13

9am - 1pm 2 - 5pm 8am - 11.30pm 12.30 - 4.30pm 1 - 4pm 9am - 12pm 1 - 3pm 10am - 1pm

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

MAGIC MERIMBULA This is the most popular package on the Sapphire Coast, it gets booked out early - don't miss out

• 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)

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

Email: lemontreepassagemotel@idl.net.au

To suit your individual needs

18 HOLES

On our championship course. Includes Twin Share electric cart hire and lunch.

p/person

1 NiGHt PACKAGE DEALs

118

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

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

Visitors

*Conditions apply

For advertising call 1300 465 300

www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

golf directory

Port Stephens Golfing Holidays

Rivers Golf Tours

Golf & Accommodation from only $70 per day

Where golf is only half the journey. VISIT AUSTRALIA, a Country so vast it takes a lifetime to see it all. We have selected 8 areas for you to pick from.

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

riversgolftours.com.au

T: 02 4984 9618 | M: 0428 820 477 | info@psgh.com.au | www.psgh.com.au

EAT. STAY.PLAY WE TAKE CARE OF THE REST

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

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

Escorted Tours, Group Bookings Only

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 B O W D I T C H

4 NIGHTS ACCOM. 5 NIGHTS ACCOM.

$485

August 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

P/P Twin Share Conditions apply

4 Rounds of golf + Carts Breakfast each day FROM

FROM

3 Rounds of golf + Carts Breakfast each day

$555

P/P Twin Share Conditions apply

L O U A T I A N G A S

J K O J O H C N H O S O O I G N

For advertising call 1300 465 300

O M A E R K W O M P E A O R A N B T E N I T

E D U R E O S S R H D A R M A S S S E E D

S I E T U N A T B E D N T K E E E S U P

Y M A U R C M L C O S B E S T H E A R U T

P T O M H C N I N G S I S T A R L T M E B R G E R O O E C U T L H B O V E S R T E R S

golf directory

‘ ‘ The Chalet

“The Chalet” is located within the quaint town of Oberon, which nestles atop the Blue Mountains only 2 1/2 hours’ drive from Sydney. Only a two minute walk away, you can play an 18 hole game of golf on the foreshores of Lake Oberon at the Oberon Golf Course, which has an ACR rating of 68 and an AWCR of 71. The course measures 5582 metres for the white markers and 5209 metres for the red markers.

pp $215 From share n twi week mid

For a delicious seafood meal, you can catch some brown or rainbow trout at the regularly stocked Lake Oberon (Oberon Dam) only a 2 minute drive away.

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

Built in 1946 and originally owned and built by the founders of the timber industry in Oberon, The Chalet is a very unique, substantial 2 storey, 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom home on a large block, surrounded by beautiful gardens. The property is north facing and has amazing views overlooking the town of Oberon.

www.benallagolfclub.com.au (03) 5762 1920 | benagolf@bigpond.net.au

The Chalet is an ideal place for a group getaway as it has a large living space with a fully equipped kitchen and can easily accommodate up to 10 people!

Play Gold Coasts finest Golf Courses then relax at Boulevard North in our north facing ocean view apartments at Broadbeach. We would like to offer 10% discount from our advertised rate to Guests mentioning this add when making a reservation. Discount not available with any other promotions, reservations need to be made direct to the resort on 07 5538 7666

Phone Marian on 0414

E: stay@boulevardnorth.com.au www.boulevardnorth.com.au

919 429 or marianlentfer@gmail.com

Nudgee Golf Club

BEERWAH GOLF CLUB

BLACK TEE CHALLENGE

At the base of the beautiful Glasshouse Mountains…

3rd Friday of each month “Bay Golf Day”

Members & Bay Golf Memberships $13 Visitors $23

• Timeless Tuesday - Unlimited* Golf for ONLY $25 • Golf Equipment for Hire & Sale • Fully Licensed Clubhouse • Social Clubs & Corporate Days • No JoiNiNg Fees

Phone: (07) 3267 7744

Visitors pay only $25 to play in our competitions (Wed, Sat & Sun)

More social playing times now on a Monday & Thursday

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

Read Inside Golf FREE on iPads

Aust

Plus, our unique Golf Map is updated each month with links to reviews and information about all courses featured in both the main magazine and Inside Golf Travel.

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http://goo.gl/ZAXaFD For advertising call 1300 465 300

www.insidegolf.com.au | August 2016

golf directory Your chance to own a piece of golfing history

Authentic hickory ShAfted PutterS Left and Right Hand

$25 each plus p. and p

From Tom Moore 52 Becky Ave, North Rocks, NSW 2151 | (02) 9871 2798

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.

Winter Special – 2 nights midweek with 2 rounds inc carts from $275p/p

Vacancies available for Mornington Peninsula Classic P: (03) 5988 6540 | M: 0419 365 142 | www.truemanscottage.com.au

Clearwater Noosa

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

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

August 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

For advertising call 1300 465 300

Bla

GOLF FACTORY PENRITH 269 High St, Penrith (near Officeworks) (02) 4722 8640 - Mail Order - 6 ½ Days info@penrithgolffactory.com.au

Callaway HEX Diablo Balls Wicked Distance Incredible Feel 2015 Model Sleeves (not individual)

$108 for 6 Dozen Carton

Odyssey Jumbo Putter Grips

$20

www.thegolffactory.com.au Visa, Mastercard and American Express accepted $7 NSW, $9 VIC & QLD, $10 SA, TAS, NT & WA. Postage and handling any quantity

Dozen

$279

TaylorMade Irons TaylorMade Graphite AeroBurner Burner Soft Balls Seniors Flex Left Regular Flex Right Regular Flex Left 5 to Sand (7 Irons)

Srixon Soft Feel Balls Individually Boxed Green Box White Ball Pink Box White Ball Pink Box Pink Ball Green Box Yellow Ball

$240 for 12 Dozen Carton

MIXED CARTON AVAILABLE

$349

$249

www.callawaydmd.com

$20 Dozen

Srixon All Weather Gloves (Black or White)

Mens Left Hand S, M, Med-Lar, Lar, XL Ladies Left Hand Small or Medium Current Model EACH

Individually Boxed Doz

14 Full Length Dividers Oversize Putter Tube Waterproof Bag Coverall Cooler Pocket Red/Grey or Black/Orange

Black Players Microfiber 101 x 43cm

$25

TaylorMade Beanie

$10 $16

Black - OSFM

$29

$159

Includes Cover & Wrench

Left Hand Only Specials Callaway Big Bertha 10.5 Regular Driver Cleveland CG-16 Wedges 52°, 54°, 56° & 58° Ping G30 19° or 22° Hybrid Regular TaylorMade Jetspeed 9.5 Stiff Driver Callaway X-Hot 5 Wood Regular Cleveland Smart Square Putter 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

Cleveland MT Irons 5 - PW (6) Regular TaylorMade RBZ II 19° Hybrid Regular

Wilson Staff Visor Putter

(02) 4647 8542 - Mail Order - 7 Days TaylorMade Irons Players (not offset)

Optima Balls

KBS Tour 105 RSi2 4-PW (7 Irons) Stiff

TS Premium

$875

Individually Boxed TS+

TP MB Blades 3-PW (8 Irons) Forged Heads KBS Tour Stiff

$22 Doz $20 Doz

Callaway Hex Chrome Ball

TaylorMade Balls 2015 Models

$899

Urethane Cover White or Yellow

Lady Optima $20 Doz

Burner Individually Boxed

$39 Dozen

Project (a)

$15 doz $33 doz

Tour Preferred X or Standard

$44 doz

$229 $49 EA $129 EA $129 $79 $79 $129 $69 EA $89 $89 $699 $89 $279 $79 $49

Set of 3 $75

16º or 18º Hybrid Right Hand

$299

15º 3 Fairway Right or left 13.5º Strong 3 Fairway Right Hand

Rubber grips9.5º Adjustable Driver Right or Left

Mens Black 2015 Model Srixon or Cleveland Ladies Tour Special Minimum-qty 10 Iron Covers Black

EACH

$35

Magnetic pockets

Ping i25 Regular Flex Right Hand $119 3 19° Loft Hybrid $119 5 15° Loft Fairway $159 4 22° Loft Hybrid

$119 $99 $89 $89 $39

11 Fairway 25º Graphite with Cover 3 Fairway 15º Graphite with Cover 4 Hybrid 22º Graphite with Cover 3 Hybrid 19º Graphite with Cover Sand Wedge Lightweight Steel Shaft

Bridgestone B330 Balls (Urethane Cover)

Precept Balls

Moderate Swing Speed RX Red Box RXs Silver Box

Individually Boxed

DOZEN

Plus postage

$199

Includes Cover

$33

Callaway Big Bertha

SAVE$60 Fubuki Shaft

Callaway X-Hot (Right Hand Only)

Fast Swing Black Box

Laddie Mens Model $25

$15 DOZEN

$149

$79 $79 $79

Project X Stiff Graphite Shafts (6.0) Including Covers each & Wrench (Drivers)

Eagles & Birdies 3 - SW (9) Eagles & Birdies Fits Right Cypress Point bag Alpha Driver or Left Hand Stiff or Regular 14 Full length dividers

$49

Black - Generic Driver Fairway Hybrid

$269

TaylorMade Speedblades Stiff Irons (8) 4 - SW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 60° Lob Wedge

Narellan Supa Centre, Narellan Rd

$129 $24

Castle BayCooler 2pocket - SW (10) Lots of colours Right Hand Only

3 - 15º Regular or Seniors

Fubuki Shaft Fully Adjustable

LIGHTWEIGHT

$199

TaylorMade Towel

TaylorMade Covers

7 - 21º Lady

Cleveland 2.8kg Black Bag 14 Full Length Dividers

Callaway Big Bertha Fairway Wood 5 - 18º Regular or Lady

$42

GOLF FACTORY NARELLAN

Eagles & Birdies Augusta Bag 3.7kg Callaway X-Hot Pro Model

2015 Model

Callaway GPSync Watch

3 Dozen for

Includes Cover

$769 $17

$22 Fitted

Nike NDX Turbo Balls

TaylorMade Driver AeroBurner

Mens Right Hand Regular Shaft 10.5º Loft Only

$18

Black Only

2016 WEBSITE

$259

9º Loft Fully Adjustable Cover & Wrench

Lady Precept IQ+ Balls

Srixon Z-Star or Srixon Z-Star XV

$30

Doz

SUPERSEDED model

Not individually boxed URETHANE COVER TOUR BALL

Srixon Distance

Pearl Pink Only

$29

$12

DOZEN

$13

Doz

Individually Boxed

Srixon Black Gloves adidas BOA leather shoes All Weather Durable 2 year waterproof BOA tightening system No traditional laces

Mens Left - S, Medium-Large or Large White or Black Mens Right - S, USM,SizesM-L, L, XL Ladies Left - Large Only Ladies Right - Small, Medium, Large

Pinnacle Balls Distance Mens or Ladies Models Individually Boxed

2015 Models

$8 EACH

TaylorMade Small Tour Bag Vinyl not Nylon

$15 $249 $399

Dozen

$189

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Offer Valid June 15 - August 31st 2016 CALLAWAYGOLF.COM.AU * Terms and conditions apply.

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