Inside Golf 89 December 2012 by Inside Golf

AustrAliA’s Most Read Golf MAGAzine

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Issue 89 December 2012

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TOUR TALK

FLATSTICK FIXES

Our Pro Panel tackles today’s issues

Two critical tips to improve your putting

A LONG WALK HOME

DECK THE HALLS

How far do you REALLY walk during 18 holes?

Our top Christmas golf gifts

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starters box

How far do you REALLY walk during 18 holes? Richard Fellner richard@insidegolf.com.au

It’s a question I’ve been pondering for years: how far does a golfer walk during a standard round of 18 holes? Sure, you could simply take the yardage on the scorecard, and then add “a little extra”, but when you think about it, there is much, much more walking done by the average golfer. Prior to the round, you have things like walking from the carpark to the proshop, wandering through the clubhouse, walking to the practice tee, walking around the putting green, etc. Once you tee off, the real walking begins. But aside from the Tee-to-Green scorecard length, there are many additional distances you may cover: 18 return trips between your buggy and the tee box, and 18 more to/from the greens. Land in a bunker and you will find yourself walking to a rake, playing the shot, backtracking your way out as you rake, etc. As you approach a green, many players will circle the green to determine the break for a putt. Miss a putt (or three), and you will walk even more. Then there are things like walking from the green to the next tee. Or walking from the 9th green to the clubhouse for a coffee or restroom break. And then there is the biggie: what if you or your playing partner(s) lose a ball (or a dozen) during the round? Depending on your particular “search pattern”, you may walk back and forth across a 30m stretch of area many times. It all adds up. So just how much does an average golfer walk in a round? And how do we measure it? With the recent boom in smartphone GPS technology, the question can now be answered. During a few recent rounds, Inside Golf used various iPhone apps to measure the distance we and our playing partners walked on the course. The apps – Map My Walk, RunKeeper, etc – are designed for walking/jogging enthusiasts to set and measure their fitness goals. Utilising GPS technology, the apps continuously track an athlete’s speed, distance, changes in elevation, etc, and then plot the route on a map.

U S T R A L I A

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Our research shows that searching for a lost ball, circling the green and moving to and from your golf bag can add significantly to the distance you walk. So, iPhone in pocket, I set about to see just how many metres the average golfer covered. Note that this was by no means a scientific test. With only a handful of rounds played (using a Low Handicapper, Mid Handicapper and High Handicapper as guinea pigs) the statistical results are by no means comprehensive. Also, we only tested on one course, The Eastern Golf Club in Melbourne, which lists a distance of 5711m on the card. Not long by modern standards, but a solid middle-ground distance. Our results were astounding. During a standard 18-hole round (measuring the distance walked from the first tee through to the 18th green) each golfer in our test walked around 8.5km. When we added the off-course measurements (Carpark, clubhouse, practice area) the total was closer to a whopping 9.5km! No wonder we are so tired after a round! While that was far longer than any of us had predicted, it was also surprising to note that the difference between the three handicap types was negligible. The hackers and middle handicappers, as expected, rarely walked down the middle of each fairway; instead playing what many of us call “Army Golf ” (left, right, left, right). They also tended to cover extra distance to/ from neighbouring fairways, hazard areas and the trees, etc. The average on-course total for this group was 8.8km. The low handicappers, on the other hand, walked basically down the middle of the fairways, but covered more distance circling the greens (to determined the line/break). They also helped the others to find lost balls, and of course, they still had the same buggy-green-teebox return trips. In all, their distance averaged 8.3km, only about 500m less than the High Handicapper. On a side note, the app indicated that I burned around 1000 calories during each of my rounds. This is based solely on the walking aspect—according to my height/

weight, etc, and changes in elevation of around 150m of climb. It does not take into account things like the actual golf swing, practice swings or pushing the buggy. (Nor does it account for some of our other strenuous activities like club throwing, swearing and other actions that doubtless burn extra calories!) As mentioned, this was not a scientific test, but it certainly shed new light on the fitness benefits of golf. In a world where obesity is a growing problem (no pun intended), it proves that hitting the links can actually be good for you! •

Contributors:

Advertising Sales: Lisa Coleman E: lisa@insidegolf.com.au | M:0406 031 344

Larry Canning, Mike Orloff, Denis Dale, Peter Croker, Stephen Pitt, Brian Thorburn, Warren Sevil, Wally Wright, Brent Dale, Glenn Whittle, Michael Green, Damien Magaton, Lee Harrington, Richard Nizielski, Anne Rollo, Tiffany Mika, Andrew McKenzie, Brian O’Hare, Garrett Johnston, Matthew Pitt, Rob Willis

Editor: Richard Fellner P: 0407 000 440 richard@insidegolf.com.au

National Sales: Sam Arthur P: 1300 4653 00 | F: (07) 5535 4922 M: 0410 575 303 | E: sam@insidegolf.com.au QLD Sales: David Ross M: 0439 612 458 | E: dg.ross@live.com.au

Senior Writer: David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

NSW/ACT Sales: Scott Barsby M: 0424 779 199 | E: scott@insidegolf.com.au

Design & Layout: Nick Thorn, Stacey Fortescue, Rhys Martin, Monique Wilson

VIC/TAS/SA Sales: Jon Perrett M: 0402 852 637 E: jon.perrett@bestingolfgroup.com

Help us expand this study! Naturally, every golf course, golfer and specific round is going to be different on any day of the week. The variations are endless. That’s why we are looking for 1000 Australian golfers to help us expand this research and create what may be a World’s First smartphone study into the distance walked during a round of golf. All you need is a smartphone (like an iPhone/Android, etc) and one of the popular fitness Apps (like Map My Run, RunKeeper, etc). To participate, you’ll need to walk a round of 18 holes. Simply activate your app when you are in the carpark prior to your round (be sure to set your phone on “silent” and also disable any audio updates from your app– lest your partners wonder why your bum is speaking!). Keep it in your pocket for the round, and be sure to turn it off when you return to your car. Then enter the data on our website, www.insidegolf.com.au. The results will be published in a future issue of Inside Golf.

National Agency Sales (non golf) Marc Wilson | M: 0419 107 143

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tour news

Scott tops Masters field Adam Scott claimed the 2012 Talisker Masters title in dominating fashion last month, overcoming defending champion Ian Poulter at Kingston Heath Golf Club to take his 19th international victory. Scott entertained the crowds with a near flawless round to claim his second PGA Tour of Australasia title. Consistent ballstriking and rock-solid putting saw Scott blitz the field, finishing with an impressive 17-under-par total on a course that played tough all week. “This has been a long time coming. I had some close calls about ten years ago, so this is pretty sweet to be in the gold jacket and hold this trophy that I’ve been admiring since I was a kid,” said Scott. “Winning the Australian Open was like getting the monkey off my back a couple of years ago, but this is certainly something I’ve wanted to achieve for a long time. “Maybe I can set the theme of winning jackets and turn it green next year before I come back to defend.” “It’s the only week of the year, maybe one other, where I’ve put four really solid rounds together and the result shows. I’m really, really happy with what I was able to do this week, and especially today.” Trailing Poulter by a single shot after day 3, Scott brought his A-Game to round 4, which was billed as a final day “shootout”. “It was great to be a part of it. The way Ian and I played the last two days was the highest standard of golf there is. You could have brought anyone down here and they would have had to be on their game to play that way.” While the front nine had the final pairing neck and neck, the back nine ultimately decided the tournament with Poulter making a “fatal error” when unable to escape from a bunker at the par-5, 525 meter 12th hole. The error resulted in a bogey, with two more to follow before the end of the round. Poulter finished four shots behind Scott at 13-under par.

“It wasn’t a mistake in club selection, it was a poor swing. So, if you’re going to make a poor swing in that situation then you’re going to get punished, and I did. I made a good six in the end but a bogey there’s costly and obviously a bogey on the next par-5 was also very costly,” said Poulter. And, while he was disappointed not to have retained the gold jacket, Poulter said he enjoyed his week in Melbourne and said he will return. “It’s a good week, it was good to try and defend. I’m obviously just a little disappointed that I wasn’t slipping another jacket on.” Kiwi duo of Gareth Paddison and Mark Brown moved up the leaderboard on the final day to share third, while Queenslander Adam Crawford shot the round of the day, a 7-under 65, to finish in 5th position. Former champion Peter Senior shared 6th position with another New Zealander Michael Hendry, while Graeme McDowell and David Bransdon finished in 8th position. •

LEADERBOARD Pos Ctry Player 1 Adam Scott

To Par R1 R2 R3 R4 Total -17 67 70 67 67 271

Ian Poulter

-13

67 72 64 72 275

Gareth Paddison

-9

71 71 69 68 279

Mark Brown

-9

72 71 67 69 279

Adam Crawford

-6

72 76 69 65 282

Peter Senior

-4

74 74 68 68 284

Michael Hendry

-4

67 69 79 69 284

Graeme McDowell

-2

71 77 67 71 286

David Bransdon

-2

71 69 74 72 286

T10

Matthew Millar

-1

73 67 76 71 287

T10

Jake Higginbottom (AM)

-1

68 75 70 74 287

T10

Matthew Guyatt

-1

65 69 75 78 287

T10

Richard Green

-1

71 72 72 72 287

T14

Jason Norris

71 74 69 74 288

T14

James Mclean

73 73 72 70 288

T14

Kalem Richardson

68 75 76 69 288

T14

Craig Hancock

68 71 72 77 288

T14

Scott Laycock

75 71 71 71 288

T14

Ryan Fox

73 73 71 71 288

T20

Oliver Goss (AM)

71 72 74 72 289

T20

Christopher Campbell

70 72 69 78 289

T20

Stuart Appleby

71 73 73 72 289

T20

Paul Gow

68 73 73 75 289

Jimenez ‘hat-trick’; Fraser third at UBS Hong Kong Open Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez achieved a treble of victories at the UBS Hong Kong Open when he fired a flawless five-underpar 65 to lift the title for his third time. Having won the Hong Kong Open in 2004 and 2007, the charismatic 48-year-old secured his hat-trick with a performance that had the galleries cheering him every step of his way. “I’ve been coming here every year since 2004, never missing a year. I’ve made many friends along the way and that’s why I enjoy coming back to Hong Kong,” said Jimenez. Like the cigar and vintage wine he enjoys, Jimenez continues to ooze class with age as his UBS Hong Kong Open win represents his 12th career victory since turning 40. “I’ve my own style, I like to have my wine. I like to have my cigar, and this week, every afternoon when we finish, I’ve a glass of wine before I go home and it helps,” said Jimenez. “This is not the end of my career. I’m still playing well and still winning tournaments. The most important thing, I do what I like to do in my life, and golf has given me all these pleasures,” added the Spaniard. Sweden’s Fredrik Andersson Hed was denied his second career win by the slimmest of margins after he closed with a 64 to finish one back of Jimenez. Australia’s Marcus Fraser moved atop the Asian Tour Order of Merit after enjoying a third place finish with a final round 64. Fraser described his week in Hong Kong as one of his best after having to endure an indifferent form of late. “I felt like I played pretty ordinary the last three weeks. And then my coach came up this week and turned my game around straight away. It’s nice to be able to do that on the course, as well, and have a really good week. I couldn’t be happier,” said Fraser. •

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December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

news

Royal Melbourne Star quintet join Open field PGA TOUR winners Kyle Stanley and Marc to host 2014 Asia- Leishman join Marcus Fraser, John Senden and Robert Allenby as the latest players to Pacific Amateur confirm their place at the Emirates Australian Royal Melbourne Golf Club has been confirmed as the host venue for the 2014 AsiaPacific Amateur Championship. The annual event is organised by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the Masters Tournament and The R&A, and offers the winner an invitation to the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. The champion and runner(s)-up earn spots in International Final Qualifying (IFQ) for The Open Championship. The 2014 event will mark the first time the championship has been held in Australia. “Australia will be an exciting new destination for the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship,” said Hur Kwang-soo, President of the APGC. “Royal Melbourne is one of Australia’s and the world’s most famous golf clubs, so we look forward to continuing to work with the club and Golf Australia on what will be a spectacular week.” John Hopkins, Chairman of Golf Australia, said the 2014 event would help expand the profile of the championship. “The 2014 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship will mark a new chapter for the event as it visits our region for the first time,” Hopkins said. “Australia has a proud history of hosting amateur and professional events, and Australians will come out in force to watch the top golfers from all across the Asia-Pacific region. The players can be assured of playing at one of the country’s best and most famous golf clubs.” The sixth Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship will be held over the Composite Course, which features 12 holes from the West Course and six from the East Course, a layout developed for the 1959 World Cup. •

Open at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney this month. Stanley won his maiden PGA TOUR title at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February, just a week after finishing runnerup at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in California. The American finished 11th at the Emirates Australian Open in 2011. Leishman also made his PGA TOUR breakthrough with a nail-biting victory at the Travelers Championship in June – the sole Australian victory on the PGA TOUR in 2012. The pair will be joined by two former Australian Open champions in John Senden and Robert Allenby. Senden, the 2006 champion, enjoyed another consistent season on the PGA TOUR with four Top 10 results and finished in the Top 30 of the FedEx Cup rankings. He was runner-up to Greg Chalmers in the 2011 Open. Allenby, who won the Open in 1994 and 2005, narrowly missed out on a PGA TOUR victory when he lost a marathon eight-hole playoff to American John Huh at the Mayakoba Classic in Mexico earlier in the year. The globe-trotting Fraser has been solid this year, with six Top 10 finishes, including runner-up at the BMW International Open in Germany and the Omega European Masters in Switzerland. Golf Australia CEO Stephen Pitt said the group would make their mark on the 2012 Open. “To have players of the calibre of Justin Rose, Tom Watson, Adam Scott, John Senden, Greg Chalmers, Kyle Stanley, Geoff Ogilvy, Marc Leishman, Marcus Fraser and Robert Allenby

Marc Leishman leading the field in Sydney makes for a very exciting week for golf fans across Australia.” Co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia, all four days of the championship will be broadcast on the Seven Network. Golf Australia has also launched a free iPhone App for the event, featuring Live scoring, Draws, Tee Times, Statistics, News, Tweets, Course Guide, Player Profiles and more. The free app is available from the Apple App Store/iTunes. The Emirates Australian Open will be held at The Lakes from December 6-9. Tickets via www.ticketek.com or by calling 132 849. Visit www.emiratesaustralianopen.com.au for more information. Twitter: @ausopengolf •

WIN: Tickets to Australian Amateur Championship Golf Australia is offering the chance for you and a friend to come to Melbourne and experience Australia’s premier Championship for amateur golfers–the Australian Amateur Championship. Up for grabs is an 18-hole round of golf for you and a friend at Commonwealth Golf Club on Sunday 20 January; Return economy airfares to Melbourne for you and a friend from your nearest Australian capital city; One night’s accommodation (double or twin-share); Transfers to and from Melbourne Airport and Commonwealth Golf Club; Lunch at the conclusion of the round; Watching the final 18-holes of the Australian Amateur Championship Final and attending the Presentation and Reception of the Australian Amateur Championship. The Amateur Championships for men and women are Australia’s pinnacle championships, and with a berth in the Emirates Australian Open and the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open at stake, they are coveted titles dating back to 1894. The Championships themselves will be played at Commonwealth Golf Club and Woodlands Golf Club on the Melbourne sandbelt from 1520 January 2013, and Golf Australia would like to give one person and their guest the chance to experience the Final Day of the Australian Amateur Championship, including playing on the course under the same conditions and at the same time as the Finalists. To enter, visit www.australianamateur.com.au and follow the links. Entries close midnight 14 December. •

www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

news

Tour heading back to Toowoomba

The PGA Tour of Australasia has announced it will be heading back to the City Golf Club and Toowoomba for the next two years for the Qld PGA Championship. After successful Championships in 2011 and 2012 the Qld PGA Championship will return to the region for the third consecutive year with the tournament to be held from 14 – 17 February 2013. The Qld PGA Championship will continue to provide sports fans in the area with an opportunity to witness some of Australasia’s top golfing talent whilst also fostering up and coming players. “We are proud to have had the likes of Craig Parry and Peter O’Malley playing over the last couple of years and we certainly feel a sense of ownership when previous winners Steven Bowditch, Gareth Paddison and Andrew Tschudin play well around the world,” said Ed Britnell. “Toowoomba is known for breeding some of Australia’s best sporting talent and we are looking forward to providing the community with a chance to witness some of the past, present and future golfing stars”. Reigning champion and Toowoomba resident Andrew Tschudin says he is pleased to be defending his title in his home town. “It’s great to hear that we will be playing at City Golf Club again in 2013 and 2014, it’s a great course and the local support for the tournament and the players is always so strong,” said Tschudin. The PGA Tour of Australasia brings professional golf to many different areas of Australia and will once again work with City Golf Club in an effort to promote and grow the game. “City Golf Club has been a big part of promoting the game of golf in the Darling Downs region for many years and the PGA Tour of Australasia is pleased to be able to bring the best players in our country to continue the momentum they have clearly built over recent years,” said Simon Butterly, general manager of Tournaments Division for the PGA of Australia. “The PGA Tour of Australasia shows its strength when it comes to regional areas with Kalgoorlie, Ballarat, Queenstown, Moss Vale and Toowoomba leading the way in bringing new people to the game.” “These communities really embrace the professionals and we certainly don’t underestimate the impact they have during their time in the region”. Stay up to date with all the latest from the PGA Tour of Australasia at www.pga.org.au •

AYOF teams named

Members of all ages took part in the inaugural Eastern Long Drive Competition

Pros and amateurs go long at Eastern GC Under calm and cool conditions last month, the members and guests of Melbourne’s Eastern Golf Club joined local professionals to battle it out in the inaugural Eastern GC Long Drive Competition. Contested on Eastern’s long and slightly cambered first hole, the event was a fun and enjoyable experience for all contestants, who ranged in age from 14 to 82 across various categories. The right-to-left sloped hole saw many very long drives roll off the left side of the fairway (for a NQ score), so contestants needed a fair bit of control as well as distance in order to hit a qualifying drive. In the Ladies category, Abigale Chong managed an impressive 212m, taking the top spot over

runner-up Di Bradley on 181m. In the Open Men’s category, Matt Walkenhurst’s booming 280m drive left most contestants in the dust, with Mark Knight taking second on 266m. In the 50-69 years category, Paul Collins managed a drive of 271m, with Neil Lister runner-up on 241m. Even the seniors had a go: In the over 70’s category, Geoffrey Levingston’s impressive 227m drive was enough to pip Barry Wyatt on 212m. Finally, the professionals brought out the big guns and battled for a $1000 prize. In the end, it was Wade Lowrie with the longest shot of the day at 284m, with fellow professional Peter Poposki taking second on 274m. •

Monash Country Club breaks new ground The members of Monash Country Club have approved a new course masterplan designed by Bob Harrison. Bob Harrison has designed such courses as Ellerston, Moonah at The National, Brookwater, The Grand, The Vintage, and The Glades, which are all in the Top 50. Mark Bartrop, Monash General Manager said “This is a very exciting phase for this wonderful golf course. Monash is often referred to as the hidden gem of the Northern Beaches. However, the Board and our members understand that we must be progressive and innovative to continue to encourage current members while attracting new members.” The ground-breaking ceremony took place on

November 5th, and will continue for 3 years. Most importantly, the plan stipulates that members will always be playing 18 holes of quality golf throughout the development phase. Brian Foster, the club’s President said “We will be having mid-week open golfing days throughout the development period for golfers to come and see what we are doing and to experience the unique qualities of our club.” The Monash Board also understands the economic times, which over the last few years has taken its toll on many people. As a result, the Board has relaxed its joining fee costs in the “Monash Spring Special” offer which is valid to the end of December. •

Eight of Australia’s rising star golfers have been selected to compete at the 2013 Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF) at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club in Sydney from 17-20 January. Rebecca Kay (Coolangatta and Tweed Heads) was the 2011 Queensland State Schools champion and finished in the top 10 at the Australian final of the Aaron Baddeley International. She is a former Athlete of the Year in the golf program at the Gold Coast Academy of Sport. Bianca Ling (Kingswood Golf Club) won the Victorian Junior Girls’ Masters in January–an Australian junior ranking event and finished third at the Girls’ Tamar Valley Cup in Tasmania. Frazer Droop (Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort) finished runner up in this year’s Victorian Junior Masters. He finished third at the Northern Territory Junior Championship and fourth at the recent Aaron Baddeley International Junior – Australia final. David Micheluzzi (Cranbourne Golf Club) finished fifth at the Victorian Junior Championships and won the Portsea Junior Open and Latrobe Junior Open in Victoria in 2012. Amy Walsh (Emerald Lakes Golf Club) finished 7th at the NSW Junior Championship in addition to three other top 13 finishes in junior ranking events. She finished 12th at the Australian Girls’ Amateur Championship. Celina and Kevin Yuan are siblings from Bankstown Golf Club. Kevin, the older of the pair, won the Srixon International Sub Junior Classic and finished fourth at the Subaru NSW State Age Championships. Celina finished third at both the Jack Newton Junior Golf International and the NSW Junior Championship. Brett Coletta (Sandhurst Golf Club) won the Peninsula Junior Masters and is the Senior and Junior Club Champion at Sandhurst at the age of 16. He was also selected to represent Victoria at the School Sport Australia Championship. The tournament will be 72-holes stroke play, with no cut and comprise a boys’ and girls’ individual competition with winning players eligible for gold, silver and bronze medals. There will also be a team competition – gold, silver and bronze medals (two boys and two girls from each country, aggregate of all four scores from each round). The tournament will be an official World Amateur Golf Ranking event. •

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December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

news

Eynesbury Golf Course

THINK PINK: It was all smiles as women in pink converged on Mt Coolum Golf Club.

Mt Coolum turns pink WHEN it comes to supporting a good cause, you can count on the generosity of women on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. The recently held Mt Coolum Golf Club Women’s Invitation Day titled “Tee Up For Breast Cancer” attracted a capacity field to raise much-needed funds and awareness for the Breast Cancer Institute. This year the annual event attracted women from most Sunshine Coast clubs and surrounding districts.

“All players got right into the spirit of the day with plenty of money raised through the generous donations of the players, as well as some novelty events and ideas implemented by the Mt Coolum women,” a club spokesperson said. “The event has been running for more than five years and continues a long association with the Mt Coolum women who have been donating funds to Breast Cancer Research for over a decade.” •

Currie joins Sanctuary Cove Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club recently welcomed Brendan Currie to the role of Members Services Manager – Golf. For the past 10 years Brendan has worked for Troon Golf at courses such as The Glades, Brookwater, and Denarau in Fiji. His most recent appointment for Troon was the Area General Manager for Pacific Dunes Golf Club in Newcastle and Kooindah Waters on the Central Coast of NSW. Brendan now oversees the management of Australia’s only Arnold Palmer signature course,

The Pines and the recently refurbished Palms golf courses. He will continue to develop the Member Services Program to service the 1200 Members at Sanctuary Cove, and he welcomes all guests including non-members to The Palms to try the new VIP Summer pass ,which includes 4 rounds of 18-holes of golf and 4 day passes to The Country Club for only $299 (conditions apply). For further information or to purchase a VIP Summer pass, contact Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club on 07 5699 9070. •

Eynesbury on the block One of Melbourne’s most challenging golf courses has been put up for sale. The Graham Marshdesigned Eynesbury Golf Course (which opened in 2007 in Melbourne’s west) was last month listed for sale by expression of interest. This offering provides investors/developers with the ownership of an 18-Hole Championship golf course and the approval to develop a boutique hotel/ conference centre and leisure spa. Also included in the offering is the historic Eynesbury Homestead. This fully renovated classic building is currently being used as the golf clubhouse, Spike Bar bistro/

restaurant, conference, wedding and function venue. The golf business includes the 18-hole golf course, pro-shop, lounge bar area, locker rooms, fleet of electric golf carts and secure cart store. The final part of the offering is the option to acquire super lots which will enable the purchaser to develop and sell up to 281 residential lots. Expression of Interests closes on Thursday, 6 December at 2pm. Expected price range is between $10-12million. www.knightfrank.com.au, or phone Michael Hede 0418 670 499 •

Wooster and Tharle win Australian Mid Amateur titles Canberra’s Andrew Tharle held on to claim his maiden Australian Men’s Mid Amateur title on the Open Course at Moonah Links Golf Club in Melbourne last month. Tharle, the current NSW Mid Amateur champion, finished with rounds of 73-7476 (223) to win by four strokes from Daniel Ong (VIC) who closed with a 3-over par 75. Defending champion Jason Perry (VIC) and James Brownlow (NSW) finished in a tie for third place. Former cricketer Greg Blewett (SA) finished in a tie for 10th after a final round 84. 2010 champion Sue Wooster (VIC) added

a second Australian Women’s Mid Amateur title to her name after shooting rounds of 7972-77 (228) to win by 14 strokes in cold and windy conditions. Gemma Dooley (NSW) finished in second place while defending champion Katrina Jones (QLD) finished in a tie for third with Lisa Holmquest (VIC). Kim Burke (NSW) finished in outright fifth. The Australian Men’s and Women’s Mid Amateur Championships have been played since 2007. The Championships are played over 54-holes stroke play, and are for players aged 30–54 years. •

www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

news

Amateur Goss impresses the experts

Changing of the guard THE days of a retired bookkeeper or some other industry type managing a golf club are long gone, according to Avondale Golf Club CEO Paul Paterson. “In days gone by a golf club manager was someone retired who saw managing a golf club as a nice retirement job,” he said. “In the past golf clubs were easy to manage. Golf clubs had waiting lists, they didn’t have any financial constraints, there was very little legislation so it was essentially a simple job. “Nowadays, we are running a multi-milliondollar business with lots of legislation, sales and marketing, strategic plans, operational plans and we are very HR (human resources) focused. “It’s not the job it used to be. I think a golf club manager these days obviously has to understand golf, but also be across a number of these areas.” At Avondale, Paterson fills a number of roles including sales and marketing and HR management. “Today, you have to have business skills and you can’t run a business without having good business acumen.” When it comes to hiring staff, Paterson seeks out ambitious people. “I look for people that want to progress themselves,” he said. “I don’t want someone who is going to be here for 20 years. “I want someone who is going to be here for 3 or 5 years – contribute a great deal and then move up in my organisation or go to another organisation. “I want career driven people that can help me do the best job I can to make the golf club the best for its members, guests and staff.” •

The Atherton women’s golf team. – Photo: Darryl Day.

Atherton women celebrate FINALLY, after 15 long years the women from Atherton in Far North Queensland have captured the Far North Queensland District annual pennant championship. The girls from the far north had to wait until the final day of the campaign and endure a playoff to get the result they desired. “Atherton and Half Moon Bay were level on points going in to the last day,” team member Shelley Broadley explained. “But we could have been pipped at the post by Cairns if they were to win six out of six against Mossman.”

Cairns and Mossman finished all square, which meant Atherton and Half Moon Bay played off for the title. In the end, Atherton’s Annette Seawright defeated Pam Shay at the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff. “It was a result worth celebrating as we have never won since the inception of the competition,” Broadley said. “Everyone went above and beyond to show their support for each other. This is so exciting for us and for the golf club in general.” •

Possum skin gloves

Howard hopes the deal will result in 300,000 possum skin gloves sold in the South Pacific. According to estimates, there are between 30 million and 70 million possums in New Zealand. Howard is already selling the gloves in the US. Apparently, one possum skin goes into each glove. Indonesia manufactures the gloves, which sell for $30. Howard has a ready supply of skins sources from possum trappers. Australian possums are protected so don’t get any bright ideas. •

A New Zealand businessman has developed a golf glove made from … wait for it … possum skin. Before you choke on your Weet-Bix or spill your beer, we must tell you these sad-eyed marsupials are considered a pest in the land of the Long White Cloud. Anyway, Greg Howard, director of Planet Green, has signed a deal with a global sportswear company in the hope of expanding the market. The licensing agreement is with Fila, which own the Footjoy, Titleist and Pinnacle brands.

Australia National Squad member Oliver Goss (WA) finished an impressive third in his quest to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship as 14 year-old Chinese prodigy Guan Tianlang held on for a one stroke victory at Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand. Goss closed with a final round even par 72 to finish at 12-under par, two strokes behind Chinese Taipei’s Pan Cheng-tsung at 14-under. Tianlang won on 15-under par. “I’m so excited. I’m really happy to become the youngest player at the Masters and looking forward to going there. I don’t know what’s going to happen there, but I know I just want to do well,” Tianlang said. Australian fans will have a chance to see the Chinese junior as he heads to Sydney for this year’s Emirates Australian Open. Tianlang earned an exemption after his victory in the International Final of the Aaron Baddeley International Junior Championship. In a successful week, five of the six Australians finished in the top 7 on the leaderboard. James McMillan (VIC) finished at 9-under par after a final round 4-under par 68 to be in outright 5th place. Nathan Holman (Vic), Brett Drewitt (NSW) and Cameron Smith (Qld) finished at 6-under par for the championship in a tie for 7th place. Ricky Kato (NSW) f i n i s h e d i n a t i e for 3 9 t h pl a c e at 10-over par. •

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news

Are golf fans in Australia missing out? WHAT a shame our end-of-year professional tournaments clash with those in Asia and Africa. Okay, so the Australian summer of golf has attracted a number of class players including Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke and Tom Watson, not to mention the Aussie stars like Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy, Greg Chalmers, John Senden, Greg Norman and others. Meanwhile in Asia, the $1m Thailand Golf Championship from December 6-9 has enticed Hunter Mahan, Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen and Sergio Garcia as well as local favourites Thongchai Jaidee, Thaworn Wiratchant and Prayad Marksaeng. In South Africa, the organisers of the $5m Nedbank Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City from November 29-December 2 have assembled a world-class field. South Africans Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Garth Mulroy will join a number of European Ryder Cup stars including Lee Westwood, Nicolas Colsaerts, Martin Kaymer, Peter Hanson, Paul Lawrie, Justin Rose, Francesco Molinari, Carl Pettersson and American Bill Haas. And that’s not all. At Sun City, they also play a 54-hole seniors tournament. This year Tom Watson, Nick Price, Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer, Mark Calcavecchia, Jeff Sluman, Jay Haas and Fred Funk will do battle.•

Second course planned for St Andrews Beach

A few of “the locals” inspect the soon-to-be-built golf course at St Andrews Beach While Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula is already home to some 28 golf courses, a new project has begun to add one more to the mix. Construction of a new 18-hole course is set to begin soon alongside St Andrews Beach Golf Course — one of Australia’s highestrated courses. Course designer Ross Perrett reports that the course will offer a pure golf experience free from residential development, as the only residents with be the dozen or so friendly kangaroos that live on the site.

Set amongst the rolling dunes and sandy base of The Cups Country, the layout will be a traditional links course that will feature large undulating greens and revetted bunkers reminiscent of the great courses of Scotland and Ireland. With the new freeway bypassing Frankston set to improve the accessibility of the Peninsula, the patronage of all the golf courses in the area is predicted to increase. Inside Golf will track the project over the coming year to give readers an inside look into the design and construction process of building a golf course. •

Amateurs put on a show

These two young amateurs carded 16-under par totals to finish two shots ahead of seasoned professional Brett Rumford and even further ahead of other leading pros including defending champion Rohan Blizard, Nick Cullen, Ashley Hall and Scott Strange. Another brilliant amateur, Daniel Nisbet, tied for sixth at 12-under par. Soon these fine amateur golfers will join the play-for-pay ranks and you’ll have to fork out your hard earned to watch them play. So, next time there is a major amateur event in town, make sure you get out and support these fine young ball strikers. •

TOLD you they could play. In October, Inside Golf urged readers to head out to Keperra Golf and Country Club to watch (for free) some of Australia’s best amateurs strut their stuff at the Keperra Bowl, a national ranking event. Well, about 100 heeded our advice and turned up to watch the action and see West Australian Brady Watt win with a 20-under par score. A week later Watt contested the WA Open, a professional event, and was beaten narrowly on the fifth extra hole of a sudden-death playoff by fellow West Australian amateur Oliver Goss.

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Matt six-under in three holes AMATEUR golfer Matthew Fulford must have thought all his Christmases had come at once. Fulford, who attends the Australasian G ol f Ac a d e my at Parkwo o d on t he Gold Coast, had an extraordinary start to a Wednesday competition round at Parkwood. He parred the first hole, aced the par-3 second hole, had an albatross on the third and birdied the fourth to be six-under par. Tony Wells, director of instruction of the Australasian Golf Academy, said it was unusual to see a scorecard with a 1, 2 and 3 in successive holes. Fulford used his trusty five-iron to make a hole-in-one, used an eight-iron for his second shot at the 462m third hole and made birdie from four metres on the fourth hole. It was his first ever ace and albatross. “At the time Matt was playing off five so it was rarefied air for him to be that many under par after four holes,” Wells said. “He held his game together quite nicely and finished one-under par so we were very proud of him.” Fulford has since reduced his handicap to three. •

Keep up with us online! Catch the latest golf news online: www.insidegolf.com.au. Join our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/insidegolf, keep up to the minute with our Twitter feed (@InsideGolf ) or if you prefer–drop us a line at ed@insidegolf.com.au

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www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

news

Vale Gwen Osterlund

Awesome foursome take Jeep Pro-Am in WA The final qualifying leg of the Jeep Pro-Am Tour played at the Novotel Vines Resort and Country Club in WA did not disappoint, with four players taking the win on 10-under-par. In a day where only five shots divided the top 15 players, it was Scott Strange (WA), Andrew Evans (NSW), Daniel Fox (WA) and Brent McCullough (NSW) who managed under par rounds to come from behind and tie for the win. Whilst all four winners were equally impressed with their wins, it was Evans who took the greatest joy by recording his first professional four-round win since turning professional in 2008. “It feels pretty good I must admit although winning alone remains another goal obviously”, said Evans after the round, “I played well today and really enjoyed a stress-free Jeep tournament environment”. Strange on the other hand, described it as a tournament to learn from, “I was a bit surprised actually I’d tied for the win, not a lot went right for me this week, I shot a low number yesterday but I’ve played better golf than my score suggests”. For Fox and McCullough the win is a great

platform for the upcoming Summer golf season and each will take solace from their Jeep Tour week at the Vines. “The Jeep Tour is really a breath of fresh air” said McCullough, “I’ve played two now and I’ve enjoyed them both, I’m pleased with my form heading into what will be a busy calendar”. Round 1 leader and eventual tied winner Fox, was content with his week and admitted his form was as consistent as it’s been in a while “The days where I didn’t shoot in the 60’s I merely just didn’t have the putter going, the course was playing great and the greens rolling nicely. Whilst I left a few out there I’m pleased to be tied for the win”, said Fox. Highlighting the day was the ace by professional Henry Epstein of Queensland who holed out a six-iron on the par-3 fourth hole measuring 186 metres. The Hole-inOne is Henry’s eighth ace, and his third as a professional. “Jokingly, I was renouncing my Professional status whilst the ball was in the air, it looked that good off the club. It’s been a while between drinks, my last being at the Korean Tour School in 2008”. •

KEPERRA Country Golf Club stalwart Gwen Osterlund was recently farewelled by family, friends and the Brisbane golfing fraternity. She was 95. Born in Cairns in 1917, Gwen’s love affair with golf began in 1937 and continued until her passing. She played her final game earlier this year aged 95. Gwen left school at age 13 and entered the workforce during the height of the depression in the 1930s. In 1935, aged 18, she moved to Brisbane and found life a struggle. She worked in the cafe at the Canberra Hotel before moving to the Beleview Hotel in 1937. Three years later Gwen was working at the British Empire Hotel where she remained until 1944. She worked hard, knew hunger in the bad times but managed to educate herself in secretarial studies. In 1944, Gwen secured a job as a ‘buyer’ with Singer Sewing Machine Company. A fellow worker introduced her to Keperra CGC and so began her long and valued association with the club. Gwen first picked up a golf club when she joined Vic toria Park G olf Club in 1937. Over the next seven years, she had reduced her handicap from 29 to 14. In November 1944, Gwen joined Keperra. She would catch the train on the Ferny Grove line when golfers would travel in the second or third carriages. A hand held out of the carriage as the train approached the golf club alerted the driver golfers were on the train. A quick stop and golfers would alight on a very narrow rocky platform directly down from the new buggy shed.

A climb up the rocky path led golfers to the club. Going home would see a reverse of this procedure. There is no longer a “stop” between Keperra and Ferny Grove stations. Gwen was a fine golfer in her day, winning the club championship in 1949, 1950 and 1954. In 2009, aged 92, she and a playing partner won the Captain’s Fourball Stroke event. Gwen served on the ladies committee for 15 years in the senior positions of secretary and captain. In January 2006, Keperra CGC awarded Gwen Distinguished Honorary Membership. Gwen passed away on October 8 after a short battle with illness. Gwen’s independent, no fuss self-reliance will be sadly missed along Keperra’s fairways. •

Stone the crows CROWS, those coal coloured birds, have developed a particular liking for yellow golf balls, according to professional golfer Julia Boland. Boland, who will play on the US LPGA Tour in 2013, related a story to Inside Golf following an experience she had with crows pinching her golf balls. “I remember going out with the NSW state team last year and losing golf balls to crows at Kooindah Waters,” she said. “I was using yellow Srixon golf balls and lost about seven in the first two holes because crows were stealing them, but we couldn’t see them doing it. “After I had lost a dozen, I had to go and get some white golf balls because the crows seem to like those yellow ones.” •

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industry news

South Australian Golf Industry Awards

John Robinson

The achievements of the South Australian Golf Industry have been celebrated by around 275 golfing representatives from around the state at the South Australian Golf Industry Awards Night held at the Adelaide Oval. Amongst the highlights of the Awards evening was the induction into the South Australian Golf Hall of Fame of two local legends of the game: Pauline Sanderson and Dr David Cherry. They join 2011 inductees: Rhonda Watson OAM, Murray Crafter, John Crosby OAM, Jane Crafter and Bob Tuohy. In total over 20 trophies were presented as part of the SA Industry Awards Night, which covered industry specific awards from the GMA, PGA and SAGCSA, as well as awards for volunteer contributions to the game from both Metropolitan and Country areas. A special presentation was also made to the SA Boy’s State Team recognising their achievement as 2012 National Champions. The Team presented with a special plaque consisted of: Matthew Lisk (Captain), Kieran Barratt, Jordan Bishop, Lachlan Booth, Anthony

Robinson new director on Golf NSW board Golf NSW last month welcomed John Robinson as a new Director to the Golf NSW Board. Chris Allen, Frank Gal, Alan Harrison, Lynne Ritchie and Darrell Watts were re-elected to the Board for a second term. “Golf NSW, now in its third year as an amalgamated body, is in a prime position to review and implement strategies to develop its programs with the aim to better align with the organisation’s core objectives, said CEO Stuart Fraser. “The depth of experience and expertise which make up this board will no doubt create an environment to drive golf in NSW.” John has been a member of Elanora Country Club for 20 years and also a member of The Australian Golf Club for five years. He is an accredited NSW State Referee and a Golf Australia National Referee. He is enthusiastic about education in all aspects of golf and has been involved in the development and presentation of education material on golf etiquette and the Rules of Golf, including the current Rules Quiz on the Golf NSW website. John is a current member of the Golf NSW Rules and Amateur Status Committee and a Governor of the NSW Golf Foundation. •

Murdaca, Jack Williams, Gareth Jones (Coach) and Tony Bourne (Team Manager).

The full list of award recipients is: • Golf SA Junior Boy’s Vardon–Anthony Murdaca (The Grange) • Golf SA Women’s Vardon–Caitlin Roberts (Royal Adelaide) • Golf SA Men’s Vardon–Brad Moules (Royal Adelaide) • SAGCSA Graduate Award (Sponsored by Toro)–Ryan Smooker (North Adelaide) • SAGCSA Award for Excellence in Golf Course Management (Sponsored by Globe)–Richard James (The Grange) • SAGCSA Distinguished Service Award (Sponsored by Metropolitan Machinery)– Mal Grundy (Murray Bridge) • GMA Club Manager of the Year (Sponsored by MiClub)–Alan Tarry (South Lakes) • SA Golf Industry OHS Award (Sponsored by Monit)–Royal Adelaide Golf Club

• GMA Club Employee of the Year (Sponsored by Innovision Consulting)– Kerry Crossman (Glenelg) • Female Volunteer of the Year (Sponsored by Schweppes)–Nora Estcourt-Hughes (Royal Adelaide) • Female Volunteer of the Year (Sponsored by BGC Industrial Cleaning Supplies)– Beryl Hawthorne (Pinnaroo) • Male Volunteer of the Year (Sponsored by Programmed Property Services)- Russell Miller (Penfield) • Male Volunteer of the Year (Sponsored by Golf Car Solutions)- Gary Lloyd (Jamestown) • Tr ai ne e of t he Ye ar– C h r is D u ke (Blackwood) • Pro A m of t h e Ye ar ( L e ge n d s ) – Swanbury Penglase SA PGA Senior Championship • Pro Am of the Year (Open)–SA Italian Golf Club Pro Am • Professional of the Year (Sponsored by Coca Cola)–Matthew Dent (Blackwood) •

iseekgolf.com joins forces with MiClub iseekgolf.com recently joined forces with MiClub to give its customers the opportunity to improve yield on their golf course by filling unoccupied tee times at their club, via Australia’s leading online tee-time booking service for social golf. This new integration will give MiClub customers the ability to highlight any tee-time availability they have on their club’s tee-sheet and seamlessly make this available to golfers across Australia, with minimal administration for the club, via the powerful iseekgolf.com website.

Craig Kinross, CEO of the iseekgolf business, commented: “Our integration with MiClub is a significant new route to market for MiClub member clubs, who will continue to retain full control and pricing on their golf business, but be able to showcase vacant tee times to our substantial growing online audience.” “We are fully committed to helping golf clubs drive additional green fee revenues to improve their

bottom line, and our integration with MiClub will not only help clubs with the MiClub golf system to grow their businesses, but it also showcases their golf course through our star rating review system to the growing number of consumers now booking tee-times exclusively via the internet.” Peter Maddison, Managing Director of MiClub, said: “The iseekgolf.com integration aligns with MiClub’s objectives to develop valueadded services and revenue opportunities to our clients. Our clients will now have the potential to further increase their revenue by reaching more golfers.” •

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industry news

Aussie golfers playing more GQ introduces A report released last month shows strong growth in competition golf in Australia, with the approaching summer months expected to deliver further momentum. According to the 2012 Australian Golf Industr y Council (AGIC) Competition Rounds Report, over 12 million rounds of golf have been played since the same time last year, which marks a 3.5% increase for the year. Golf Australia CEO, and AGIC Chairman, Stephen Pitt said that the growth of competition rounds being played was a particularly pleasing result for the golf club industry. “What we are seeing is rounds growth being driven off increasing average frequency in the metropolitan areas and in some regions more favourable weather outcomes than in prior years,” said Pitt. The report also notes an encouraging trend being experienced over the summer period in Australia where over the past three years total rounds played over this period have grown by 5%. Pitt added “as the tournament season is about to begin, this outcome is also very pleasing and indicates that increased exposure does appear to impact golf demand.” The author of the report, Jeff Blunden said “let’s hope that off the back of this report there is a greater appreciation of the importance of playing frequency. Membership numbers, whilst the driver to rounds played, are only part of golf ’s outcome. At the coal face it is all about rounds being played. In lieu of membership growth, getting existing golfers to play more golf is one way we can drive improving industry health.”

two-tiered capitation fee model

Report highlights

• Total rounds played in formal club comp et it ions g re w by approximately 3 per cent over the 2009-10 f inancial year, averaging over one million rounds per month. • Male competitive play increased almost 4 per cent with female competitive play increasing 2 per cent. • July 2011–July 1012 approximately 12.085 million rounds were recorded by GolfLink across the same facility base, a 3.5% increase over the previous 12 month period. • handicap rounds accounted for approximately 50% of all rounds played throughout Australia • rounds played in March 2012 fell by 9% over the prior year as NSW experienced its second wettest March on record. • frequency within male golfers is up by an average of 3 % across the country. The AGIC Competition Rounds Report details single handicapped round data submitted by clubs to Golf Link over a three year period from 2009/10 to 2011/12, along with comparative data collected for the 2011/12 financial year and year to date figures to September 2012. The Report can be viewed on the AGIC website: www.agic.org.au •

Sim joins Cape Kidnappers Australian Brad Sim will travel across the Tasman Sea to assume head golf course superintendent duties at top-rated New Zealand golf course Cape Kidnappers GC. Sim, 36, takes the reins at Cape Kidnappers after having served as assistant superintendent at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney. Sim replaces fellow Aussie Steve Marsden, who spent 5 years at the Tom Doak-designed club before leaving in November to assume the head superintendent position at Royal Sydney GC. “We are delighted to have secured the services of Brad Sim, who brings a wealth of experience to the position and a real familiarity with how we do things here,” said Ryan Brandeburg, director of golf at Cape Kidnappers and sister course Kauri Cliffs GC, where Sim served as a maintenance foreman from 2003-06. “At both properties, we’re determined to not merely maintain a balance between superb playing conditions and environmental sensitivity. Our goal is to take that next step — to create a golfing environment

that allows for the active promotion of bio-diversity and sustainability. “Steve Marsden had been integral to that effort since the opening of Cape Kidnappers in 2003, and we wish him only the best in his new position. We’re confident that Brad Sim can build on this foundation and, in time, leave his own unique mark on the property,” he adds. “For a superintendent, it’s quite thrilling to work at a property where the golf is so very good, and the owners are so very keen to foster natural habitats,” said Sim, a member of the Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association, whose resume also includes stints at The Els Club in Dubai, and The Grove, in suburban London. “Looking after such a highly ranked course, a Tom Doak design no less, would have been enough for me. The emphasis on sustainability here — and the resources devoted to that effort — are icing on the cake. It’s an opportunity to show just how green golf course management can be.” •

Following support of the concept from the Golf Queensland Council, the Board of Golf Queensland announced the adoption of a two-tiered capitation fee model. Districts will administer the model as part of their collection of the capitation fees due for payment to Golf Queensland. Golf Queensland encourages Clubs to contact their District regarding how the new model applies to the local fee payment process. The two-tiered capitation fee model will be adopted for a number of reasons. Notably, it is recognised that clubs in remote areas have limited access to Golf Queensland services. In addition, while Golf Queensland has made services such as Sand Green Championships, Country Week, regional/remote clinics for juniors, regional forums and community coaching courses available in various regions, there is still an issue of travel and access for more remote clubs. It is simply not possible that remote regions have access to all services available from Golf Queensland with the resources currently available. In addition, it is also recognised that people in the most remote areas generally have limited access to a broad range of services, not just golf. It should be noted that there are no plans to reduce the current services being provided because of the application of the two-tiered capitation model. Golf Queensland has indicated it will continue with budget provisions for regional and remote services. Services such as course rating and those mentioned above will continue with the current budget allocation. Services such as rules advice or support that can be provided by telephone or electronic means will continue as normal. To read more about the twotiered capitation fee model, go to www.golfqueensland.org.au •

‘Radisson’ Resort to get new name From 18 December, Radisson Resort Gold Coast will no longer operate under the “Radisson” brand and will no longer be managed by Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Asia Pacific. A spokesperson for the resort indicated that the ownership is not changing at the property and this is simply a trading name change due to a change in hotel operators managing the property. “The team will continue to provide the exceptional experiences they have over 15 years at the property and it is strongly positioned to continue its market leading presence in the Gold Coast,” the spokesperson said. •

www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

industry news

Peter Stone farewells newspapers One of Australia’s most respected golf writers has ‘hung up the spikes’ after five decades in the industry. Award-winning golf writer Peter Stone last month announced that he had resigned as golf writer for the Sydney Morning Herald, following 18 years at the publication. “It is not a decision I have taken lightly,” said Stone. “It comes from a growing frustration with the budgetary constraints now in place at Fairfax–and every print newspaper around the world–that have greatly diminished my physical presence at our few major tournaments. To many of the younger players I am a name only, a voice on the telephone, and that is not the sports writing that I knew and loved,” he said. Stone added that, sadly, golf journalism has changed dramatically from days past. “Golf writing is built around respect, trust and friendship with the players, player managers and officials—and I feel I achieved that. Now that personal contact has virtually been removed. Too often in the modern media age, young people come into the industry and rely heavily on the Internet to create their stories.” With a career spanning 50 years—including positions with The Age, Reuters, the Sporting Globe, and the Melbourne Herald—Stone says he has always strived for excellence. “I could have continued on writing for Fairfax but in all truth my heart and soul would not have been on the job. Mediocrity is a quality I have never desired to achieve— I’m stuck with that when it comes to the way I play the game I love.” •

World number one Rory McIlroy and Acushnet Company—which manufactures the Titleist and FootJoy brands—jointly announced last month that McIlroy’s relationship with Acushnet will not extend beyond December 31, 2012, the end date of McIlroy’s current contract. McIlroy has trusted Titleist and FootJoy equipment throughout his professional career that commenced as an 18-year-old in September 2007. “Our goal has been to provide Rory with the best equipment and service that would help him be the best player he could possibly be,” said Wally Uihlein, Chief Executive Officer, Acushnet Company. “He has been a great ambassador for the Titleist and FootJoy brands, and in turn, we are proud of how our equipment has contributed to his success. We wish Rory all the best, both personally and professionally, going forward.” “I would like to thank Wally Uihlein and all of the tour staff and employees at Titleist and FootJoy for everything they have done for

Rory McIlroy me since I turned professional in 2007,” said McIlroy. “I have enjoyed five very exciting and successful years with the company and I will always appreciate the contribution Titleist has made in helping me become the player I am today.” While there has been no official confirmation at press time, McIlroy has reportedly signed a deal with Nike that will earn the young gun somewhere between $200-250 million. •

TaylorMade-adidas Golf reports strong financial results TaylorMade-adidas Golf last month announced strong Q3 results at $333 million. Nine months’ sales of $1.34 billion exceeded the prior year by +21% and sales in North America increased 13% currency-neutral in the third quarter. The company’s exceptional nine months was highlighted by continued enthusiasm in the marketplace about TaylorMade metalwoods, as the renowned RocketBallz fairway woods was the top-selling fairway wood model in the U.S. in both unit share and dollar share during the third quarter. TMaG likewise saw excellent product sellthrough in the footwear category, particularly the new crossflex, a spikeless shoe that combines light

MONWEALT M H O OLF CLUB G

OPEN DAY Monday 21st January 2013

An opportunity for golfers with a Golf Australia handicap to experience a championship Sandbelt golf course the day after it hosts the Australian Amateur Championship Final on Sunday 20th January

weight with excellent cushioning and flexibility for long-lasting comfort. TaylorMade expects continued growth in Q4, fueled in part by the October launch of the innovative new RocketBladez irons. RocketBladez incorporates a “Speed Pocket” that promotes faster ball speed for more distance and a higher peak trajectory that lands on a steep, quick-stopping descent angle. “The irons we’re making now are so much more sophisticated than just a few years ago, with innovative technologies that allow us to enhance performance like never before,” said Mark King, TMaG President and CEO. •

✁

McIlroy, Titleist go separate ways

Club membership drive campaign launches in Qld G olf Q u e e n s l a n d recently finalised the development of creative marketing materials to assist the implementation of a membership drive at golf clubs around the state. This marketing campaign supports Golf Queensland’s vision of ‘more people, playing more golf ’ as it is to be used by golf clubs to attract nonmembers to their club. The campaign has been established with the aim of assisting clubs address the decline in membership numbers that many are experiencing. The promotional concept ‘drop in more often’ will target the casual golfer who has a desire to play more often. Golf Queensland will provide a complete package for marketing of membership, including advertising materials and information to assist with implementation of the campaign. The total package clubs will receive reinforces the need for clubs to consider what they are offering new members and how they are offering it. The materials have been included in a comprehensive marketing package designed to help clubs target casual golfers and others who currently play or frequent golf clubs. Golf Queensland is simply providing marketing collateral to fit in with clubs’ new or existing membership attraction strategies and it is up to clubs to implement the campaign how they see fit. If your club is interested in the Club Membership Drive Campaign, go to www.golfqueensland.org. au and fill out the expression of interest form. If you would like more information, please call the Golf Queensland office on (07) 3252 8155. •

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Commonwealth Golf Club Glennie Avenue, South Oakleigh VIC 3167 Ph: 9575 0444 | Fax: 9570 2587 Enquiries to: peter@commonwealthgolf.com.au

Entries close: Tuesday 15th January 2013

Golf Club - 2013 Foundation Golf Day Inside Golf Half Page Ad.indd December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au 16Commonwealth

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scorecard World Rankings Through 17 November

Manassero triumphs in Singapore

Top 20 Australians 1. Adam Scott (5 in world rankings) 2. Jason Day (31) 3. John Senden (37) 4. Geoff Ogilvy (50) 5. Greg Chalmers (57) 6. Aaron Baddeley (66) 7. Marcus Fraser (72) 8. Marc Leishman (85) 9. Brendan Jones (117) 10. Brad Kennedy (153) 11. Kurt Barnes (158) 12. Robert Allenby (164) 13. Brett Rumford (231) 14. Richard Green (237) 15. Nick O’Hern (258) 16. Cameron Percy (268) 17. Rod Pampling (272) 18. Scott Hend (282) 19. Kieran Pratt (333) 20. Scott Gardiner (348)

Scoreboards Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic Pos 1

Ctry

Player Charlie Beljan

Total R1 R2 R3 R4 Strk -16 68 64 71 69 272

Matt Every

-14 67 69 70 68 274

Robert Garrigus

-14 68 68 70 68 274

Brian Gay

-13 69 69 67 70 275

T19

Matt Jones

-9

71 64 73 71 279

T34

Gavin Coles

-7

71 71 70 69 281

T40

Nick O’Hern

-6

69 73 73 67 282

T40

Stuart Appleby

-6

74 68 69 71 282

T62

Nathan Green

-2

71 72 71 72 286

Mathew Goggin

69 74 72 79 294

CUT

Rod Pampling

70 74

- 144

CUT

Robert Allenby

76 70

- 146

CUT

Danny Lee

74 72

- 146

CUT

Steven Bowditch

82 74

- 156

The McGladrey Classic Player Tommy Gainey

Total R1 R2 R3 R4 Strk -16 69 67 68 60 264

David Toms

-15 65 67 70 63 265

Jim Furyk

-14 66 65 66 69 266

Top 5 World Rankings

Brendon de Jonge

-12 66 69 68 65 268

D.J. Trahan

-12 66 67 66 69 268

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Davis Love III

-12 65 66 66 71 268

T27

Stuart Appleby

-7

69 68 67 69 273

T27

Danny Lee

-7

65 70 69 69 273

T27

Mathew Goggin

-7

67 66 68 72 273

T51

Nathan Green

-4

72 67 68 69 276

T51

Matt Jones

-4

72 67 66 71 276

T51

Gavin Coles

-4

67 65 70 74 276

T57

Jason Day

-3

67 67 72 71 277

Rod Pampling

64 71 72 77 284

T72

Steven Bowditch

-1

68 66 75

- 209

T79

Robert Allenby

69 70 71

- 210

CUT

Nick O’Hern

70 71

- 141

Rory McIlroy (averaged points 13.01) Tiger Woods (9.12) Luke Donald (8.77) Lee Westwood (6.72) Adam Scott (6.23)

Top 20 Rolex World Rankings in Australia 1. Karrie Webb (17 in world) 2. Katherine Hull (68) 3. Lindsey Wright (79) 4. Stacey Keating (112) 5. Nikki Campbell (150) 6. Sarah Jane Smith (170) 7. Karen Lunn (174) 8. Frances Bondad (191) 9. Nikki Garrett (207) 10. Kristie Smith (243) 11. Sarah Kemp (244) 12. Tamie Durdin (252) 13. Rebecca Artis (269) 14. Bree Arthur (270) 15. Rachel Bailey (282) 16. Stephanie Na (329) 17. Jessica Speechley (350) 18. Vicky Thomas (357) 19. Alison Whitaker (387) 20. Julia Boland (392)

Top 5 Rolex Rankings 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Yani Tseng (averaged points 12.24) Stacy Lewis (9.32) Inbee Park (8.55) Na Yeon Choi (8.46) Suzann Pettersen (7.88)

Stats and recaps courtesy of the PGA of Australia, the ALPG and Titleist. Follow Titleist on Twitter: twitter.com/titleist and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ titleistanz

Pos 1

Matteo Manassero (Photo: Getty) Matteo Manassero defied heat, humidity and fatigue to clinch the Barclays Singapore Open title in style after a play-off with South African Major Champion Louis Oosthuizen. At the end of a marathon final day in which he eventually played 36 holes, the 19-yearold eagled the third play-off hole from 15 feet to deny Oosthuizen a third victory of the season, and hand The Race to Dubai title to Rory McIlroy after the World Number One finished third. After Manassero and Oosthuizen had finished level on 13 under par at Sentosa Golf Club, the

IN BRIEF

pair returned to the 18th tee to battle it out for the €770,226 first prize, with the Italian emerging triumphant. “It’s been an extremely long day,” said Manassero. “The adrenaline kept me going and the key was starting really well this morning. Starting with some birdies gave me a lot of adrenaline to go forward. “The play-off was just a great honour to play with Louis. This year has been a tough year for me going through a few swing changes, but this has been an amazing week. I’m glad this came in such a great tournament.” •

CHAMPIONS:

Ian Poulter closed with a 7-under-par 65 to rally from four strokes back to win the WGCHSBC Champions in Shenzhen, China. Poulter carded eight birdies in the final round to finish with a 21-under 267 victory total, two shots clear of four players.The win was Poulter’s second World Golf Championship victory–he also captured the Accenture Match Play Championship in 2010– and the 14th of his professional career. Adam Scott finished solo eighth, and was playing the new Titleist Pro V1 prototype golf ball and 712U prototype 2-iron for the first time in competition.

Tom Lehman captured the Charles Schwab Cup Championship to become the first player to win the season-long points title two straight years. After taking a one-stroke lead into the final round, Lehman birdied four of the last five holes to close with a 5-under 65 and a six-stroke win. His 22-under 258 total broke the tournament mark for lowest score and tied the record in relation to par. Jay Haas, who closed with a 69 to shoot four consecutive rounds in the 60’s, finished solo second. Haas matched the Champions Tour record with a second round 10-under par 60, which also broke the course record on Desert Mountain’s Cochise layout.

LPGA:

SOUTH AFRICA:

Stacy Lewis fired a final round 8-under par 64 en route to a come-from-behind, one-shot win at the Mizuno Classic. Lewis, who was seven shots back to start the day, finished with an 11-under par 205 victory total for her fourth win of the season and the fifth of her career.

Doug McGuigan earned his sixth career win in South Africa, posting a 1-up victory in the 18-hole final of the ISPS Handa Match Play Championship. The event was the first utilizing the match play format on the Sunshine Tour schedule in 25 years.

WGC:

2012 Worldwide Ball Count

ARE YOU ON - TEAM TITLEIST ANZ? Bubba Watson Pro V1x

2012 Worldwide Wins

5,000

789

Ctry

BMW Masters Pos 1

Ctry

Player Peter Hanson

Total R1 R2 R3 R4 Strk -21 66 64 70 67 267

Rory McIlroy

-20 67 65 69 67 268

Luke Donald

-17 70 67 68 66 271

Ian Poulter

-16 70 69 68 65 272

Shane Lowry

-15 72 64 69 68 273

T26

Richard Green

-8

70 71 71 68 280

T30

Michael Campbell

-7

71 71 70 69 281

Mizuno Classic Pos 1

Ctry

Player Stacy Lewis

Total R1 -11 71

R2 70

R3 Strk 64 205

Bo-Mee Lee

-10

72 206

Ayako Uehara

-9

67 207

Yani Tseng

-7

68 209

T32

Karrie Webb

71 216

2012 Australian PGA Tour OOM Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Player Michael Hendry Mark Brown Ashley Hall Andrew Martin Greg Chalmers Steve Jones Scott Laycock Brett Rumford Aaron Townsend Peter Wilson Jason Norris Jason Scrivener James McLean Nick Cullen Jin Jeong David McKendrick Terry Pilkadaris Andre Stolz Scott Arnold Ryan Fox

Rep Events Prize Money NZL 5 $164,233.42 NZL 3 $56,537.45 VIC 6 $44,812.10 VIC 6 $40,092.14 WA 1 $36,552.52 VIC 6 $34,861.66 VIC 6 $33,565.15 WA 2 $29,476.14 NSW 6 $28,905.19 VIC 8 $27,700.30 SA 7 $27,454.04 WA 6 $27,138.69 VIC 4 $26,756.02 SA 7 $26,737.94 KOR 5 $26,440.25 VIC 6 $25,848.61 VIC 6 $25,762.80 NSW 4 $23,411.28 NSW 5 $23,373.89 NZL 5 $22,301.23

UNWAVERING TRUST. MAJOR SUCCESS.

Champion Connect 2012 withMasters Titleist product experts, tour pros and fellow brand loyalists. Be the first to receive new product info and announcements. Keep track of your scores and©2012 key Acushnet golf stats. (And more!) Company. Based upon results through 20/4/2012 on the U.S. PGA, U.S. LPGA, Champions, Nationwide, South African, Asian, Korean, OneAsia, Australasian, Japan, Canadian PGA and PGA European Tours. Titleist Customer Service: 1800 660 535

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

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Australian

Amateur Golf Championships

legends tour

Gordon to the rescue Larry Canning ed@insidegolf.com.au

The 2012 Australian PGA Senior Championship received a last-minute reprieve when we found ourselves without a venue for this year’s event. When E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour Player and Gordon Golf Club Professional Peter Criss found out that the tournament didn’t have a home for 2012, he went to work securing Gordon Golf Club as the host course, with Century 21 as the major sponsor. “It wasn’t easy with such little time to prepare but with the help of Matt Drago and Greg Piconi from the Kur-ring-gai council, we managed to bring it all together in time,” said Criss. “We spent over $20,000 in the three weeks leading up to the championship on things like 600 metres of new turf, new machinery and 10 extra staff plus a lot of hours. The Ku-ring-gai Council and the members were absolutely rapt with the interest it sparked in the local community with name players like Wayne Grady, Rodger Davis, Mike Harwood and others.” After round one, the leaderboard had a very familiar look to it, with Victorian Michael Harwood on top after shooting a 3-under 62. Harwood was one clear of NSW pair Mike Zilko—who is currently third on the E-ZGO PGA Legends Tour Order of Merit—and European Senior Tour star Dave Merriman. Prolific winner Garry Merrick was another shot back on 64 with a bunch of great players on 65 including Tim Elliot, Allan Cooper and Kym Olsen.

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

Harwood’s lead didn’t last long on day two when an opening bogey—followed by a birdie by playing partner Zilko on the par-3 second hole—saw him suddenly chasing. The lanky Victorian used his considerable experience at winning championships and quickly composed himself with consecutive birdies at holes four and five. From there he was never headed backwards, cruising to a comfortable twostroke victory. Harwood can now rest his Australian Senior PGA Cup next to his Australian PGA Trophy he won when he defeated Greg Norman back in 1986. That victory set up Mike for a brilliant career which saw him win The Volvo Masters, British PGA, European Open and a secondplace finish in the biggest of them all... The British Open. “This is a great win and something I am really proud of. To win the Australian PGA Senior title is a great honour,” said Harwood. The round of the tournament—and new course record—came from Legends Tour Player Graham Cheshire who recorded a five-under par round of 60. Cheshire’s round catapulted him up the leaderboard to finish in a tie for third position. Australian PGA Seniors Tour Coordinator Phil Boulton praised the work of Gordon Golf Club and the Ku-ring-gai Council for their work in preparing for the tournament. “It’s wonderful to see the pride the Gordon Golf Club’s members have for their course and the council certainly had the tricky layout in tip top condition. I spoke to one of the members who has been a member for 60 years and he had never seen the course look so good.” The E-Z-GO Australian PGA Legends Tour winds up for 2012 at the beautiful Byron Bay for the Players Championship on December 18, 19 and 20. Last year’s champion Ian Baker-Finch is returning to defend his title alongside some of the best players Australia has ever produced. •

2013 PGA TOUR schedule announced Regular Season Event Hyundai Tournament of Champions Sony Open in Hawaii Humana Challenge Farmers Insurance Open Waste Management Phoenix Open AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Northern Trust Open WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship The Honda Classic WGC-Cadillac Championship Puerto Rico Open Tampa Bay Championship Arnold Palmer Invitational

Mike Harwood with this year’s Australian PGA Senior Championship trophy

E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour OOM

Following the Century 21 Australian PGA Seniors Championship OOM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Player Kym Olsen Michael Harwood Mike Zilko Rodger Davis Garry L. Merrick Peter R. Fowler Hugh F. Dolan Tim Elliott David G Merriman Russell Swanson Jim H Lapsley Allan J Cooper Paul A. Dalgleish Peter D. Hayes Larry Canning Krishna Singh Ossie Moore Gary Schofield Mark S Tickle Michael Ferguson Craig Owen John Martin Lucien Tinkler John Kirchner Neil D. Wall

Division Events Prize Money VIC 39 $46,844.90 VIC 20 $34,078.59 NSW 40 $29,627.83 QLD 22 $28,969.72 SA 34 $24,943.82 NSW 7 $17,444.13 QLD 39 $17,334.43 VIC 15 $16,018.50 NSW 14 $14,940.19 NSW 18 $14,844.41 NZL 14 $14,263.16 QLD 28 $14,155.34 QLD 38 $12,422.19 NZ 22 $10,893.67 NSW 25 $10,524.84 FIJ 30 $10,495.22 QLD 18 $10,382.59 QLD 35 $9,975.61 QLD 40 $9,797.93 QLD 19 $9,740.43 NZ 14 $9,311.84 QLD 37 $8,993.31 VIC 16 $8,630.64 QLD 37 $8,391.06 QLD 23 $7,434.86

Shell Houston Open Valero Texas Open Masters Tournament RBC Heritage Zurich Classic of New Orleans Wells Fargo Championship THE PLAYERS Championship HP Byron Nelson Championship Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial The Memorial Tournament FedEx St. Jude Classic U.S. Open Travelers Championship AT&T National The Greenbrier Classic John Deere Classic British Open True South Classic RBC Canadian Open WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Reno-Tahoe Open PGA Championship Wyndham Championship FedExCup Playoffs The Barclays Deutsche Bank Championship BMW Championship TOUR Championship The Presidents Cup The Presidents Cup

Club Kapalua Resort

Date Dec 31-Jan 7

Waialae CC PGA West/La Quinta CC Torrey Pines TPC Scottsdale

Jan 7-13 Jan 14-20 Jan. 21-27 Jan. 28-Feb. 3

Pebble Beach

Feb 4-10

Riviera CC Ritz-Carlton GC

Feb 11-17 Feb. 18-24

PGA National Doral Golf Resort

Feb 25-Mar 3 Mar 4-10

Trump International Innisbrook Resort Bay Hill GC and Lodge Redstone GC TPC San Antonio Augusta National GC Harbour Town GL TPC Louisiana

Mar 4-10 Mar 11-17 Mar 18-24

Quail Hollow Club

Apr 29-May 5

TPC Sawgrass

May 6-12

Four Seasons Las Colinas Colonial CC

May 13-19

Muirfield Village GC

May 27-Jun 2

TPC Southwind Merion GC TPC River Highlands Congressional CC The Greenbrier TPC Deere Run Muirfield Annandale GC Glen Abbey GC Firestone CC

Jun 3-9 Jun 10-16 Jun 17-23 June 24-30 Jul 1-7 Jul 8-14 Jul 15-21 Jul 15-21 Jul 22-28 Jul 29-Aug 4

Mar 25-31 Apr 1-7 Apr 8-14 Apr 15-21 Apr 22-28

May 20-26

Montreux Golf & CC Jul 29-Aug 4 Oak Hill CC Aug 5-11 Sedgefield CC Aug 12-18 Liberty National GC TPC Boston

Aug 19-25 Aug 26-Sept 2

Conway Farms GC East Lake GC

Sept 9-15 Sept 16-22

Muirfield Village GC

Sept 30-Oct 6

from the ceo

Stephen Pitt CEO – Golf Australia

The festive season is approaching, but we’ve got our own major golf celebrations to take care of first. The festivities begin with the Emirates Australian Open at The Lakes from 6-9 December. This year’s Open – live across all four days on Channel 7—brings together the best elements of what the Open is known for: world stars, past champions and precocious youth. Ryder Cup hero and World Number 5 Justin Rose and Australia’s World Number 6 Adam Scott headline the field together with fan favourite and eight-time Major winner Tom Watson, defending champion Greg Chalmers and Geoff Ogilvy, Marc Leishman, Kyle Stanley and Mat Goggin to name just a few. Taking on the seasoned pros are two

Brian Thorburn CEO – PGA of Australia

Looking back on the year that was, it’s certainly been another successful yet challenging period for the Australian golf industry. As we’re now only weeks away from concluding the year, I think all within our community will look back on the last 12 months with renewed optimism for the game we all love so much. From grass roots junior programs to club participation through to the elite ranks, 2012 was a year in which a number of steps were taken, by both the PGA and other industry Associations, to ensure a sustainable future at all levels of the game. The Australian Golf Industry Council recently released a report demonstrating growth in total rounds played in Australia. The report, which focused on competition

Warren Sevil CEO – ALPG

As both mens and womens Tours prepare for our respective tournament months, much of the hype revolves around tournament fields. Often the first question asked by event sponsors, host clubs and golf fans is “who is playing...who are the big names?” The next question is often “who are the upand-coming Australian stars?” For ALPG we, on average, welcome just two or three new members making the transition from the elite amateur ranks each year. Just two or three is discouraging in terms of the depth of talent coming through, but such is the nature of our sport and the competition we face from each of the other sporting “brands” who are also looking to entice the next wave of youngsters to their sport. Those two or three are, nonetheless, top quality players who generally have achieved at the highest level as an amateur and have reached that next stage in their career path, to take the step into the pro ranks. In recent

young rising stars on the international stage. Chinese pair Guan Tianlang and Andy Zhang will arrive at The Lakes GC having made headlines earlier in the year around the world. Both 14 years old, Tianlang will become the youngest player to compete at the US Masters at Augusta next April after winning the Asia Pacific Amateur in November. In June, Zhang became the youngest player to compete at the U.S Open since World War II and although he missed the cut, he showed he has the game to be a world class player for a long time. It seems extraordinary to think Tom Watson’s Australian Open win came many years before either of them was born. We’re all looking forward to what will be another exciting week at The Lakes GC as another chapter of this historic championship unfolds and we crown a new Emirates Australian Open champion. It’s been another productive year for Australian golf and there has been some significant achievements over the past 12 months. The National Course-Rating

program was completed ahead of schedule by the State Associations and good progress has been made on the new GA Handicap System which will be fully implemented during 2013. Our National Junior Program, MYGolf, welcomed its 4000th participant–a fantastic achievement as more and more kids get their first taste of golf, whether through local clinics or games during physical education classes at school. It has also been a very successful year for our up and coming stars, with our elite amateurs having their best year for quite a while. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Australian golf industry in 2012. Our challenge as a collective is to continually share the game of golf with others and to bring new people into the game and we’ve got plenty more work to do in 2013. On behalf of all of us at Golf Australia, we wish you and your family and friends a Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy start to 2013. •

rounds courtesy of GolfLink data, details that for the 12 month period to July 2012 approximately 12.085 million rounds were recorded across the sample facility base, a 3.5% increase over the prior 12-month period. Figures from the past three years also suggest total rounds played over the summer period have grown by 5%. Heading into the peak golf season, from both a Tour and club based perspective, these figures are incredibly encouraging for all within the Industry, and show that whilst there are certainly challenges, golf participation continues to grow. On the tournament front, the PGA is now only weeks away from staging its flagship tournament, the Australian PGA Championship presented by CocaCola. The final event on this year’s PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, the PGA culminates another strong year of tournaments that has seen our Professionals travel to all corners of Australia as well as

into New Zealand and the South Pacific. The 2012 PGA Tour of Australasia consisted of 13 tournaments with over $7 million in prizemoney, a substantial increase on the 2011 schedule, and we look forward to growing this further in 2013. Tournaments of this magnitude only succeed thanks to the dedication of a number of parties, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the golf clubs and local communities who welcomed the PGA Tour of Australasia to their town throughout 2012. Also, to the hundreds of volunteers who gave up their time to assist with scoring, transport and logistics during these tournaments, thank you too for the vital role you continue to play in Professional golf. On behalf of the entire PGA and its Membership, I wish all Inside Golf readers a safe and happy holiday period and look forward to another big year of Australian golf in 2013. •

years, players such as Stacey Keating, Frances Bondad, and Julia Boland have gone on to do great things in their rookie years, but the odds are against us when we search for our next real superstar. The women’s world’s stage is becoming tougher and tougher; countries such as South Korea, China and Japan have, between them, thousands of young girls playing off handicaps of scratch or better. Australia currently has less than 50. We will always produce good female golfers but we need to find a way to develop a larger pool of players from which we produce greater numbers of highly successful professional players. ALPG will soon announce an initiative aimed at doing our bit to assist in the development and decision making pathways for those young golfers who may be considering a career as a tournament playing professional. We want to help build a pipeline of young golfers who stay with the game, who don’t leave the sport for lack of direction, lack of confidence or because another sport is more appealing and less officious and with simpler pathways to the top shelf. We know there are hundreds of young girls out there who have chosen golf and

who are showing outstanding potential and currently hovering between a 2 and 15 handicap. These are our prospective stars that we can’t afford to lose. We want them to be aware of the opportunities available to them and we want them to know that we are here to help! Our management and our members boast invaluable experience and knowledge, and some of our high profile players have put up their hand to help the Next Generation of ALPG members, the next wave of Australian talent whom we hope to nurture as they pursue a pathway to success. We will provide the advice and education to keep these girls in golf and to best prepare them for the decisions they face when it is time to decide whether to take the huge step into the pro ranks. Our Next Generation Club will recruit members from the pool of young gun golfers Australia wide and our program will complement and value-add the High Performance programs currently implemented by the State and National bodies. We aim to make a difference and we aspire to welcome 50 new members every year. Stay tuned for more information at www.alpg.com.au •

www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

cover story

Aussie Battler Jarrod Lyle opens up about his life-changing battle with Leukaemia Richard Fellner ed@insidegolf.com.au

It was early March of this year, and Jarrod Lyle was on top of the world. In the previous two weeks, the 31-year-old from Shepparton had secured a career-high fourth place finish on the US PGA Tour’s Northern Trust Open, and was playing some of the best golf of his life. He’d recently been married, and he and his wife Briony were preparing for the impending birth of their first child. “I was just sitting on the floor, going through the wedding photos and video, just thinking, ‘Life couldn’t get any better’,” Jarrod recalls. “I’d just had a really good finish. We were planning the birth, then my GP called me and said, ‘I’ve made arrangements for you to go to St Vincent’s hospital in Melbourne, they think your leukaemia’s come back’. “I went from a complete high to the lowest of lows,” he says. Speaking to a group of selected media at the eve of last month’s Talisker Masters, Jarrod made his first public appearance since that fateful day, and he opened up about his recent battle against the disease that he had seemingly conquered as a teenager, but which had reared its ugly head once again. Fighting back tears – and at times almost unable to speak—Jarrod’s interview (hosted brilliantly by industry stalwart Luke Elvy) was an emotional and powerful moment that hit home with many of us in the media room. Ironically (or perhaps luckily) it was a routine blood test for an unrelated matter that uncovered

the recurrence of the leukaemia, and began a difficult journey for Jarrod. “I got bitten by something in Mexico. I don’t know what. It just turned out to be a tiny little pimple on my arm. It grew and grew [to the size of a golf ball] and four days later I was in hospital in Orlando [Florida]. They put me on some antibiotics that I had a reaction to. That’s the reason why the day I landed [in Australia] I went to my GP in Shepparton [for blood tests].” Later that night, Jarrod found himself in a Melbourne hospital, beginning a battle with cancer. “Bless the bug or whatever that bit me. I’d never felt sick...I never felt any of the symptoms that I had the first time. We’re just lucky, I guess, that we found it in time.” The news came as an utter shock to Jarrod who had battled the disease at the age of 17, and had seemingly defeated it. “I never thought it would come back. I thought that after all the treatment and stuff that I’d gone through the first time that it was gone.” While early treatment is often critical to success, Jarrod decided to delay treatment until after the impending birth of his daughter, Lusi, on March 10th – allowing him the chance to at least share a few precious hours with her, uncertain if the chance would ever come again. “When she popped out, I just lay on the bed next to her,” he says. “I just stared at her all night, I didn’t sleep. I just wanted to spend that time with her. “(That was) probably the hardest moment of my life. Going through the chemo and the transplant was nothing compared to knowing I only had 12 hours with my brand-new daughter.

“Obviously there was a lot of unknown for me, whether I’d be able to see her again. I wanted to make those very few hours I had with her special. I wasn’t letting her go.” Like all parents, the birth of a child has an everlasting impact. In Jarrod’s case, however, it gave him a new lease on life, providing the added motivation necessary to power through his own battle. “It’s what’s keeping me going. Every day I wake up and whether it’s me or Bri getting her out of her cot, that smile...watching her laugh and kick around on the floor...grab on to your finger, all that stuff, it’s what dreams are made of.” And his dreams are continuing, as Jarrod’s health slowly improves and he gains energy to go out with Lusi on short trips. And despite

being noticeably thinner and slightly weaker than his “Big Fella” persona of days past, Jarrod still has a sparkle in his eyes, especially when he talks about Lusi. “We had our first Father-Daughter day at Bunnings in Shepp,” he says with a smile. “I put her in the pram, walked her around, bought some tools—I don’t know what those tools do— but every day I get to spend with her I feel like I’m the luckiest man alive.” Lucky indeed, when you consider the fact that Jarrod was told he was unlikely to even have children after his first bout of cancer treatment. He is also extremely lucky to be where he is today; to be able to sit in front of an audience and even talk about his life. In truth, over the last eight months, Jarrod’s treatment has been a long and torturous road.

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December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

cover story “[It’s been] unbelievably hard,” he says of his time spent in Ward 5 (cancer ward) at Royal Melbourne Hospital. “Quite often you’d be in a shared ward with two other people, and they might be really, really sick. And you hear things throughout the night that just sticks with you forever. I was in there one day with a guy who...unfortunately has passed away since...but he was having a lot of trouble breathing. There were 10 nurses trying to get him going again. It’s just the last thing you want to hear. You see things that scare the living daylights out of you, and you just hope that it’s never going to happen to you.” In addition to chemotherapy, Jarrod has undergone a number of treatments to battle the disease, including a “double cord transplant” in June, which utilised blood and cells from the donated umbilical cords of two babies – one from America and one from Germany. “They [doctors] couldn’t find an adult [bone marrow] donor for me, so the next best thing was a double cord transplant. There’s a lot of benefit from it since the cells are new, so there’s more chance of a successful transplant. The downside is that it takes longer for the cells to kick in and do what they do. There’s more risk of infection, or me being hospitalised with infections, fevers all that kind of stuff.” Jarrod’s initial treatment was successful, as the cells from a young girl had “taken”, meaning that his prognosis was positive. “It meant the cord that had been grafted had taken over my cells completely. So I’m a man on the outside, but a lady on the inside,” he said with a laugh. Unfortunately for Jarrod, however, the “baby cells” in his system also means that his body is, in essence, re-setting itself back to that of a newborn. “I’ve got to go back after about 12 months and get all my baby inoculations again, because they eradicated all that kind of stuff. I’ve got no fight against measles, mumps, any of that kind of stuff. I’m pretty much starting from scratch again.” This vulnerability means that even a simple fever or cold requires Jarrod to be rushed to hospital as a precaution. In addition, if Lusi or Briony catches a cold, then Jarrod is forced to sleep at a separate house. Of course, this makes raising a young child extremely difficult, a fact that Jarrod openly admits has been frustrating. Even changing a nappy can have dire consequences for Jarrod’s health (though he admitted with a smile that he didn’t mind being excused from nappy duty!). In one of the more emotional moments of the interview, Jarrod shared his frustration with being unable to do all the usual “fatherly” things, and acknowledged Briony’s immense efforts. “I want to be able to do more, but I can’t. It hurts me,” Jarrod said, barely holding back the tears. “I honestly don’t know how Bri’s dealt with this as well as she has. Getting married, then seeing your new husband fighting for his life is something nobody should ever have to go through. “For me, having to put her through that, made it even harder.

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“To see Tiger wear a Leuk the Duck badge and win, and then to see Carl Pettersson win at Hilton Head and wearing a badge, and to see Rickie wearing a badge – you find that people really do care... it’s been amazing” “I love her to death. I don’t think there’s any way I can repay her for everything she’s done for me.” Throughout his treatment, Jarrod has attempted to stay positive, and has found inspiration from family and friends across the world. He has been buoyed by fellow pros and caddies wearing the “Leuk the Duck” badge that represents the Challenge cancer foundation, of which Jarrod is a patron. “I never knew there were that many people out there that really cared about me. Every week [on Tour] you’re out there trying to beat each other’s heads in, but when anything happens to a player or the families out there, everyone gets together and tries to support them as much as possible. “To see everyone at Bay Hill wearing a badge, it was incredible. To see Tiger wear a Leuk the Duck badge and win, and then to see Carl Pettersson win at Hilton Head and wearing a badge, and to see Rickie wearing a badge – you find that people really do care. The amount of text messages and emails and support I’ve had from the guys on the US Tour and the Australasian tour, and guys in Asia and in Europe and things like that, it’s been amazing.” Jarrod believes that a positive outlook is a key aspect for anyone going through a situation like his. “I think the ultimate thing is to just stay positive. The minute you have any negative thoughts or anything like that, I think that’s when you’re giving up. And it’s is something you can’t give up. “Everyone’s got something to fight for. And that’s the sort of thing you’ve got to hang on to. You just gotta fight with everything you’ve got. Everyone’s going to have their crappy days – whether you’re going through this or not. Everyone has

days when they think the world is against them, but you just gotta stay positive and fight.” As for his future, notably the possibility of returning to golf, Lyle says that his current focus is regaining his health, and being a good father and husband. Golf is low on his list of his priorities. “It’s going to take me a long time to get to that stage,” he says. “Playing golf right now ... [would be] a matter of life or death. There is a lot of risk with stuff I never knew was a risk on the golf course. Just digging around in the dirt, taking divots, there’s fungal spores,” he explains. “I’ve got bigger things to worry about now than hitting my first tee shot in a golf tournament. Right now there are scarier things for me and Bri and Lusi to deal with.” If and when he does return to the PGA Tour (perhaps in 2014 or 2015), Jarrod estimates he will have between 18 to 20 tournaments to earn roughly $300,000— the amount required to get into the Top 125 and keep his card for the following year. In the interim, he has been given an open medical exemption by the US PGA Tour. Even if he doesn’t return to competitive golf, Jarrod seems to be content with his past accomplishments, and is happy to keep things in perspective. “I do want to get back to golf at some stage but I guess if I never hit another shot I’ll be happy. As long as I’ve got my health, and as long as I’ve got my family with me, I’m a happy boy.” • (Note: In the week following the interview, Jarrod visited his doctor for the results from his most recent tests, and while we are not privy to the exact results, we are happy to report that he received “good news” and that he will continue to move forward with his treatment.)

www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

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troppo tour

Tales from the Troppo: Mike Ferguson Wally Wright ed@insidegolf.com.au

In 1980, one of Queensland golf ’s favourite sons, Mike Ferguson, returned home after only three months playing on the European Tour to be with his wife, Sandra, for the birth of their first child. However, shortly after touching down in Brisbane, Mike discovered that Sandra wasn’t due for a few more weeks, so he bravely asked her for permission to travel to Moranbah to play in the Pro-Am tournament that weekend. Fortune tends to favour the brave, so Mike was granted a weekend pass to fly to Moranbah. Being one of the more experienced golfers on the ‘Troppo Tour’, Mike fancied his chances of picking up a bit of extra cash in Moranbah, which would at least be some compensation for leaving the European Tour before season’s end. Everything appeared to be going to plan for Mike, who held a handy lead after the first round. That was, of course, until he was woken in the middle of the night by a local policeman, who came bearing news that Mike was now a proud father and ‘that he better get his arse back to Brisbane’. Whilst this is an extreme case, Mike’s decision to appear at Moranbah epitomised Queensland golfers of that era, who did whatever they could to support the ‘Troppo Tour’, because they knew how much it meant to not only their fellow professionals but the rural communities. Mike had first-hand experience of just how influential prominent sportsmen could be on rural folk, especially children who dreamed of sporting glory. In the late 1960’s, Mike was an impressionable teenager working weekends in the Pro shop at Rockhampton Golf Club, when the ‘Troppo Tour’ came to town. Charlie Earp, Ted Ball and Kel Nagle were some of the big names teeing it up, but Alan Murray was the main drawcard. Murray was one of the biggest names in Australian golf during the 1960’s; a decade in which he won the 1961 Australian PGA Championship, the 1962 French Open and the 1967 Australian Wills Masters, along with several other provincial tournaments. Ferguson

Mike Ferguson is one of the Queensland PGA Sunshine Tour’s most prolific winners (Inset): Mike after winning the Northern Australia Senior Championship in Alice Springs vividly remembers the weekend that made him want to become a professional golfer: “My boss, ‘Bronco’ Johnson, told me I was going to caddie for Alan Murray, so I stood out the front of the clubhouse awaiting his arrival. The majority of the field had arrived and were warming up, when a yellow taxi pulled up and Ted Ball and Alan Murray stepped out. I later found out they had been at the Mackay races unloading on a hot tip that failed to salute. They hitchhiked from Mackay to Rocky, and then spent their last five bucks on the taxi to the golf club. Murray ended up winning the Pro-Am and he bought me a cigar and a beer, which I thought was great. I went home that night and said to Mum: ‘I’m going to be a pro golfer’.” Despite the fact that Mike didn’t always play every tournament (because of his commitments in Europe and Asia), he is one of the Queensland PGA Sunshine Tour’s most prolific winners, with close to 70 victories across Queensland. Mike

humbly credits his success to the fact that he was a few years older than the majority of his fellow professionals. “I think in those days, a lot of the young guys didn’t realise how good they were or how good they could be,” said Ferguson. Mike remembers offering some advice to a young Ian Baker-Finch one year in Mt Isa when paired with him in the final round. “IBF had been dominant all week but I could see he wasn’t confident about his chances of holding the lead in the final round,” recalls Ferguson. “He bogeyed one of the first few holes and I remember him saying at one point: ‘I’m never going to win anything’. “My response was: ‘Listen Finchy, I’m three shots back and I still think I can win, so what are you so worried about’.” Mike did end up beating his less-experienced opponent on that occasion, but Baker-Finch has never forgotten those words of encouragement,

recently mentioning the impact it had on him in a speech he gave during one of The Legends Tour events. Although he was one of the more senior players on tour, Mike still enjoyed taking part in the shenanigans that were almost inevitable after a few post-round beverages. “I remember one time in Biloela, when John Downs, Jeff Woodland, Gary Burmester and I were staying with the Club President,” recalls Ferguson. “Gary had this habit of falling asleep when he’d had a few too many beers, so Downsy, Zoomer (Jeff) and I decided to super-glue Gary’s thumb to his nose. “When Gary woke up he ripped a fair chunk of skin off his nose, but he didn’t seem too perturbed, so we decided to super-glue his driver to its head cover. “When he went to pull out his driver on the first tee the next day, he couldn’t remove the head cover, much to the delight of those of us who were looking on. “To his credit, he stuck it to us by using his driver (with the head cover still on) all day.” It was this kind of larrikinism that endeared Mike and his fellow tourists to the local amateurs and won them lifelong fans that followed their golfing careers with keen interest, which is best exemplified in a story Mike tells about the time he came runner-up to Mike Cahill in the 1977 Australian PGA Championship at Yarra Yarra Golf Club. Ferguson recounts: “The PGA Championship that year was the first time an Australian golf tournament had a purse of $100,000, so it was being nationally televised. I was in the clubhouse after the final round, having a few celebratory drinks, when the bar manager shouted out: ‘Telephone call for Mr. Mike Ferguson’. “When I picked up the phone, I could hear this guy telling everyone to be quiet. I said: ‘Hello’. The bloke on the other end responded: ‘Mike, it’s Snowy from Blackall. Just wanted to say well done mate!’ “I said: ‘Thanks mate’. I don’t think he heard me though because I could hear him shouting: ‘See, I told you I knew him’.” •

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business

Membership growth: Provide a shoe that fits will pay off in the long run, as it will attract more patronage to your club and especially to the clubhouse facilitates. So have a look at your clubhouse floor plan for any unused area that could easily be converted. A designated area with a few video games and toys is a good starting point. The main goal is to let kids be kids!

Mike Orloff

morloff@golfindustrycentral.com.au

We are all aware that golfing membership numbers have been in a steady decline at most clubs around the country–a trend that is a great worry to the entire industry. I’m concerned this small steady decline will soon become a large “thud” as approximately 60% of all current members nationally are part of an aging population group of 55 years plus (*National Golf Census 2011) that will eventually drop out of the game all together. We need to hurry up and boost our overall membership numbers over the next couple of decades to offset when this “thud” eventually occurs.

What is going on?

Golf clubs traditionally have had products and services targeted to a fairly male dominated (and currently aging) demographic, but now as the demographic ages and needs have considerably changed, most clubs have not adjusted their products to suit the new market. Clubs used to open their doors each day and members came strolling in. Clubs at that time were providing the product that the consumer wanted and the club could dictate the terms and conditions of the product being sold. A perfect fitting shoe and a seller’s market! Clubs now open their doors and are hearing the gentle sounds of crickets (chirp’ chirp’) as the products that were once at a high demand are now no longer fitting into what the new consumers (younger, family, female, juniors, etc) want. Not only are the products not fitting what the general consumer wants, the consumer also has more choices than ever before, golf and non-golf, to decide where they can spend their money and valuable time. This is a wrong-sized shoe situation

Juniors

and a buyer’s market. Clubs need to have a good look at what they are currently offering and compare that against what the consumer wants. Adjusting and evolving to this new market is crucial for clubs to survive. The biggest challenge at the moment is getting current members to agree to make the significant changes needed to their club that will allow it to continue in the long term. These significant changes will most likely impact current members the most–so why would they want to vote for a change? This is a bit of a ‘catch 22’ situation and the main challenge in progress.

Club culture

The culture of any club is at the heart of any problem they may experience and this is also true when it comes to finding a solution. The make-up of members of a Board is very important as they must understand the needs of ALL members of that club and also for the needs of any new members they are looking to attract. If you are looking to attract women, juniors and families but you do not have any representation

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or at least some form of consultation with these markets, how are you supposed to know how to attract them? The market for golf now is made up of more families who have more time availability pressure. Membership products and services must adjust to properly service this growing need. Facilities that take a proactive approach to welcoming this family market will not just grow their female and junior member bases, but will also increase their male member base at the same time. All big family decisions, like which club to join, are not just made by a single person in relationships nowadays, but usually by both parties and possibly even by their children. A “family friendly” culture is important if that’s what your club is about. Are you providing activities that will attract family members to the club on a regular basis? Is your restaurant suited to children and families and do you have child-sized meals, toys and space available for them to play while parents enjoy their meals? More and more facilities are finding space to build a “kids zone” for this reason. This strategy

The successful transition of junior members to full members is regarded as another key retention outcome. Industry research has found that people who are exposed to the game at a junior level are more likely to take up the game later in life. This is a longer term strategy, but you also have the parents as part of this growth in membership, if you have a product that suits their lifestyle. If you take a different perspective to this target group, you will also understand that by increasing the pool of juniors you will also increase the pool of parents, grandparents and other family members that will become engaged with your club. Make sure you take advantage of these opportunities every time you are holding junior club events. Who is talking to these parents, offering to have them try the game, and inviting them out for some other social event being held at the club? The same approach can be taken for beginner golfers who want to learn the game.

In closing

Make whatever you do fun and social for your members and don’t bury them in too many club rules. All of this will send a strong message out to the community that families, women and juniors are all welcome at your club. Do a little research on the target market you are after and design or alter a current membership product that will fit what they really want. •

awards

And the award goes to… Inside Golf celebrates the people who made 2012 a year to remember BEST PLAYER: Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy by the length of the fairway. He won four US PGA Tour events, including the US PGA Championship, earned $8m in prizemoney and finished atop the money list. The world number one won close to $2m more than Tiger Woods, who he recently defeated in their 18-hole “duel at Jinsha Lake” in China. BIGGEST WINNER: Rory McIlroy, who signed a deal with Nike that could earn him $250m. That will make him the second-highest paid British sportsman behind David Beckham. The 10-year contract reportedly starts at $200m before bonus clauses. BEST NON-WINNER: Lee Westwood, winless in the 15 events he contested on the US PGA Tour, but still banked more than $3m. That means the Brit averaged over $200,000 every time he teed it up. Louis Oosthuizen, winless in 19 events, averaged $180,000 per tournament and Jim Furyk (24 tournaments) averaged $150,000 per event. BIGGEST COMEBACK: Not a player, but a team. The Europeans looked dead and buried against the Americans at the Ryder Cup – that was until the last day when the Europeans muscled up in the singles winning 8½-3½ to “steal” the Cup 14½-13½. BIGGEST COMEBACK II: Daniel Nisbet, who returned to the top of the amateur ranks in Australia after an 18-month suspension from the game. Nisbet, who carded a 59 at his home club Caboolture, finished the year as Australia’s leading amateur. Nisbet last month made his professional debut at the West Australian Open where he finished sixth. BIGGEST SHOCK: Open Championship runner-up Adam Scott, who gave up a four shot lead with four holes to play to allow Ernie Els to rip the Claret Jug from his grasp. Having tied for second at the US Masters in 2011, Scott must wonder what more he needs to do. MIRACLE SHOT: Bubba Watson’s miraculous shot at the second playoff hole to beat South African Louis Oosthuizen at the US Masters. The left-hander hit his tee shot in the trees on the 10th hole and then played a twister from nowhere to within four metres of the pin. BEST SHOT: Louis Oosthuizen’s fouriron second shot into the par-5 second hole at Augusta National. The shot from 228 metres landed on the front of the green, travelled around 25 metres and towards the right and straight into the hole. The smooth-swinging South African’s albatross now ranks second on the list of four that have come at Augusta National – ahead of Bruce Devlin’s in 1967 on the 8th and Jeff Maggert’s in 1994 on the 13th, but still one notch behind Gene Sarazen’s on the 15th in 1935.

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Winners are grinners: Rory and Tiger are two of Inside Golf ’s award winners for 2012 (Photo courtesy of David Paul Morris/i3) BIGGEST COMEBACK: Tiger Woods roared back to life in 2012 winning three US PGA Tour events to finish second on the money list with more than $6m. In 2011, Tiger banked just $660,000 in prizemoney and finished 128th on the money list. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: A number of candidates here, but the two ‘A’s –Appleby and Allenby –disappointed their fans. Stuart Appleby made just 12 cuts from 23 starts on the US PGA Tour earning just $361,514 and finished 162nd on the money list. Robert Allenby made 12 from 26 starts, but did bank $808,000 to be 108th on the money list. MOST IMPROVED: Stacey Keating, who won back-to-back tournaments on the Ladies European Tour and had another two top five-5 results. The girl from Ballarat in Victoria captured the Tenerife Open in Spain and the Lacoste Ladies Open de France. Keating is sixth on the money list with $190,000. BEST RESULT: Scott Gardiner, who became the first Aborigine to win a US PGA Tour card courtesy of finishing 13th on the secondary Web.com Tour where the top-25 wins promotion. The 36-yearold has played the secondary tour since 2005, accumulating 199 starts with one victory in 2010. BIGGEST LOSERS: The Australian golfing public, who continue to give major amateur tournaments in this country a wide berth. Australia has a plethora of talented amateurs who play off handicaps as low as +5 and +6. John Daly fans, too, are the loser as the American, who can draw punters through the gate, isn’t invited to play Down Under. WORST SHOT: World number one Rory McIlroy, who missed the ball twice during a warm-up in China. The first attempt to smash the ball out of sight resulted in an air and the second nicked the ball, which just fell off the tee. BEST ROUND: It wasn’t a 59, but Brandt Snedeker’s 60 during the HSBC Champions in China was as good as it gets. The American missed a five-metre putt on the 18th for a 59, but his 60 is

a new course record. “You don’t get a chance to shoot 59 too often,” he said. “I’d love to have that putt again.” BEST SENIOR PLAYER: We’d love to give it to Pete Senior, but Bernhard Langer takes the gong. The 55-year-old German topped the Champions Tour money list with $2,140,296 in prizemoney courtesy of two wins, five runner-up finishes and one third. He also made every cut in the 20 events he contested. MOST UNDERRATED PLAYER: Jason Dufner, the quiet American who goes about his business without any fuss. Fourth on the money list with more than $4.8m, Dufner scored two wins, two runner-up finishes and made 21 cuts from 22 starts. The 35-year-old won three of his four matches at the Ryder Cup, including a 2-up win over Peter Hanson in the singles. POOR PERFORMANCE: American Kyle Thompson, who graduated to the US PGA Tour after finishing 15th on the secondary tour in 2011, made just three cuts from 21 starts. For that effort, he earned just $45,450. COURAGE AWARD: David Duval, the former world number one, keeps going despite making just three cuts in 17 starts on the US PGA Tour this year. He picked up $32,939 in prizemoney, which he can add to the $18.8m he has banked in his career. BEST JUNIOR BOY: Chinese prodigy Guan Tianlang gets a start in the US Masters after winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Thailand recently. The 14-year-old, who shot 15-under par, will debut as the youngest player to contest the Masters where he will rub shoulders with the world’s best professionals. BEST JUNIOR GIRL: Prolific teenage sensation Lydia Ko. The 15-year-old Kiwi had a stellar year winning the Australian and US Women’s Amateur and was the top individual at the World Women’s Amateur. Earlier this year she became the youngest person to win a professional event when she captured the Women’s NSW Open. In August, she won the Canadian Open on the LPGA Tour. •

www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

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Junior golf fragmented David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

A LEADING golf industry figure says golfing bodies in Australia should put aside their egos for the good of junior golf. Greg Norman Golf Foundation CEO Rae Clarke said many people believe junior golf was too fragmented. “This is true,” said Ms Clarke, who has worked in the golf industry for 30 years – 15 of those at the junior level. “But until egos are put aside and funding is made more available to a combined unit made up of the PGA, National and State Golf Associations and Foundations and everyone knows what their role is in the big picture nothing will change.” Ms Clarke said she had seen some “quite interesting changes” during her time in the golf industry. “There have been many great initiatives, some not always for the better,” she added. “You see programs come and go. They just change names over the years, but have the same outcomes. “When funding stops for these programs they fall flat and then are revived when new funding becomes available, but this time with new branding. “There are many golf professionals who conduct their own junior programs, many clubs have wonderful junior clubs within their clubs and then you have the Junior Golf Foundations and State Golf Associations who all play their own role in the development of junior golf.” This is not the first time the issue has been raised. Several years ago, a speaker at a golf industry forum told delegates there were too many golfing bodies administering junior golf in Australia.

Some junior golfers are under too much pressure to perform. He demonstrated his point by showing more than 20 different organisations’ logos and urged golfing bodies to consider amalgamation. Ms Clarke believes golfing bodies involved in junior development need to outline and table their strengths. “They need to put on the table what they do best and what should be retained in the best interests of junior development,” she said. “Roles within each organisation would be streamlined and some positions made redundant. “The whole process is too top heavy and even if a new body is formed encompassing all areas of junior development this would not be a bad thing.” Ms Clarke also believes many coaches and parents are putting too much pressure on young children. “One thing that frustrates me is when parents/ coaches get 18-hole handicaps for their young child/pupil at approximately 8-10 years of age,” she said.

They do not come through any nine-hole development process and go straight into 18-hole competitive golf. “They are not mentally or physically ready and are not aware of time frames, rules or etiquette. Many come off the course in tears because they cannot compete with the other players. “Don’t push these new juniors into areas they are not yet ready to cope with. “Give them time to develop as a person and player, let them go into the game enjoying it and making new friends, especially girls as they are getting harder to get into the game and keep them there. “The end product is to introduce as many young boys and girls to this wonderful game of golf. “Some will go on to become elite golfers, others good club members and some will play for leisure and enjoyment. “But let’s create a healthy, outdoor sport and make it an enjoyable and fun experience – after all they are only kids.” •

Top junior event for Brookwater THE Brookwater Golf and Country Club near Brisbane will host the inaugural Hills Australian Junior Golf Championship in January. Part of the Hills International Golf Academy’s Asia Pacific Junior Golf Series, the championship is a Royal and Ancient world-ranking event open to boys and girls. The winners qualify for an allexpenses paid tour of the series’ events in Korea, China and Taiwan in June and July 2013. Brookwater general manager Warren Seeto said the club was looking forward to hosting the championship. “We’re honoured that the Brookwater Golf and Country Club has been chosen to host the first championship of the Hills Asia Pacific Junior Golf Series,” he said. “The junior championship series is great news for the industry, representing a big step forward in developing elite golf players in Australia. “Brookwater is a proud supporter of junior golf development, with the Hills Junior Golf Championship a great opportunity for young players to experience what is set to be one of the most challenging competitions of its kind in Australia.” The Hills Asia Pacific Junior Golf Series was developed with the vision of becoming a vital steppings to n e fo r t h e n e x t g e n e r a t i o n of golfers. •

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Melbourne club seeing ‘greener’ pastures Richard Fellner ed@insidegolf.com.au

It’s been a long road for Green Acres Golf Club, a quiet and tranquil course on the banks of Melbourne’s Yarra River. What was once a cow paddock in the leafy suburb of Kew – just 10km from Melbourne’s CBD – the land has been transformed over the years into one of the region’s more playable and enjoyable golf courses. In October, the club added a brand-new feature into the mix: a beautiful $8.5 million clubhouse that will not only give members something to brag about, but will also help ensure the longterm survival of the club through events like weddings, corporate days and business functions. Ian Robertson, the club’s hard-working and savvy General Manager, gave me a full tour of the facility recently, and I was extremely impressed with the final product. From the open and spacious member area and various lounge and dining rooms, to the high-tech Golf Centre, to the professional-grade catering facilities and bars, the facility ticks all the boxes for a modern golf clubhouse. 10 years in the making, the clubhouse is the result of a collaboration that saw numerous discussions, member focus groups, member communiques and input and ideas from inspections of many other clubs, industry consultants and staff. “The entire project encompassed countless hours of making sure that every detail helped promote both efficiencies of the staff and benefits of our members and their guests,” Ian says. “We wanted a facility that was not only comfortable and practical for our members and their guests, but also able to easily accommodate functions opportunities for our corporate clients and other local potential organisations.” I’d say they’ve hit the nail on the head. The main building – designed by architects Crosier Scott—captures sweeping views of the golf course down to the Yarra River. The 96-seat Members Bar is a comfortable and cozy retreat that sits adjacent to the functional open-plan

General Manager Ian Robertson in front of the new clubhouse at Green Acres. (INSET: The new Golf Centre)

Lounge /Dining rooms, which can accommodate up to 200 guests. The commercial-grade catering facilities are also top-notch, providing all the best equipment to ensure the Green Acres catering staff produce meals of the highest calibre – which not only helps a club boost their catering business, but also is becoming more and more important to clubs across the country as an enticement to retain and attract club members. The Golf Centre is another highlight. The Golf Centre is staffed by a dedicated and qualified group who provide a full range of golf equipment, apparel and fashion items, accessories and even a series of unique indoor hitting bays with the latest computer-aided technology. “The indoor bays are designed to help our teaching golf professionals to not only give topquality instruction to our members, but also provide the latest tools in clubfitting and swing measurement,” Ian says. “Being indoors, it also allows our members to get instruction or quick golfing tips regardless of the weather,” he adds. Behind the scenes (or rather, underneath) the attention to detail continues, with a massive cart/buggy storage area, charging bays and a revolutionary sliding club/bag storage compactor that makes maximum use of the space. The new clubhouse will doubtless help raise awareness of what may be one of Melbourne’s

more underrated clubs. While the phrase “Hidden Gem” is regularly overused in our industry, Green Acres is one of the few that truly live up to that title. Despite being only a few minutes from the hustle and bustle of the CBD, the course and club are surrounded by trees, wildlife and a vibe of pure tranquillity. During a recent round, I found the course to be an absolute pleasure to play, and the condition was outstanding – which is a testament to the hard work by the Course Staff, as the course’s location on the Yarra River presents unique challenges throughout the year. “One of our biggest challenges as a business is maintaining consistent course conditions, and budgeting for the unexpected,” Ian says. “Wet weather conditions over the past two Melbourne winters and high traffic usage by members and their guests has been a juggling act for the course staff but they have performed to the highest degree in keeping the course in great condition.It really keeps us on our toes.” And stay on his toes he does, for despite the rigours and time constraints of running a multi-million-dollar business, Ian is always happy and available to chat with the members. A down-to-earth, quiet but friendly individual, he chatted with a lot of members during our tour, waved to countless others whilst we were

on the course (calling them all by name) and even stopped to help one lady member fix part of her buggy which had become jammed. Now that’s good member service! Of course, that’s what running a club is really all about – taking care of the members. And Green Acres has a lot of them, over 1500 in fact, including 430 Lady Members. And from what I’ve seen and experienced, the entire club is packed with friendly and welcoming people who always greet you with a smile, and who are very active in the numerous social activities at the club. The club has also recently extended its membership categories base to include a Neighbourhood category, allowing those who live in close proximity to the Club to utilise the new clubhouse for both socialising and dining. It has been appreciated and well supported by local residents. Importantly, the club has a strong Junior contingent, which benefits in part from a fantastic “Junior Absentee Program” implemented by the club. “Juniors are a strong part of any club,” Ian explains. “But we understand that they sometimes have other commitments, and there are times when they need to step away from a club membership. Our junior ‘Absentee Program’ allows the junior to take a break from membership—mainly due to schooling commitments—and during this absentee period they pay a minimal fee to maintain their status for when they are ready to return,” he says. Brilliant. Green Acres also has a very long tradition of supporting charities, and the club holds a number of charity events and donates around $30,000 plus each year to local and national charity organisations. One recent charity day held by the Lady Members helped raise $8,000 to assist in helping BeyondBlue increase awareness of anxiety and depression in the community. All in all, I’ve found Green Acres to be a very pleasant and enjoyable club, and it is certainly worth your while to check it out if you are considering joining a club, or hosting an event in the future. For more, visit www.greenacresgolf.com.au or call 03 9859 1294. •

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Pros go west to grow the game David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

THEIR mission is simple – grow the game of golf. To achieve their objective, Performance Golf ’s 70 PGA professionals are prepared to take the game and their skills to children in some of the most remote regions of Australia. In recent years, this dedicated band of golf professionals have been to Burke and back, Alice Springs and a few other outlying areas on this great continent. Recently 10 Performance Golf professionals ventured to Kalbarri, 592kms north of Perth, where 150 students in years 4 to 10 received lessons at Kalbarri Golf Club and Kalbarri District High School. Performance Golf general manager Darren Delacy said the event, led by Geraldton Golf Club head pro Duane Crabb and Mark Alderdice (Lakelands head pro), was a huge success. Fellow golf pros Bill Exten, Ken Trimble, Chris Rutherford, Tom Arnott, Steve Tieck, Byron Clarkson and Mark Rainey joined Delacy, Crabb and Alderdice at Kalbarri. “The key for a successful event is not only motivated, active golf professionals but also motivated school staff and golf club officials who are willing to work side-by-side with our professionals to give the kids a fun day that will encourage them to maybe one day play golf as their chosen sport,” Delacy said.

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

“The kids of Kalbarri were treated to a surprise that has never happened before this event. “All 150 are now junior members of Kalbarri Golf Club thanks to this event and the club’s new junior members are extremely keen to take up golf. “Kalbarri Golf Club now has more junior members than adult members, probably a first in Australian golfing history. “In fact, they probably have the biggest junior membership in Australia.” Thanks to the support of the Australian community, the kids of Kalbarri received: • 150 sets of golf clubs donated to Kalbarri Golf Club; • 7000 golf balls donated to Kalbarri Golf Club; • 500 PUMP waters; • 150 PUMA caps for the kids; • 10 PUMA uniforms for the professionals; • Barbeque for 150 kids; • 150 junior memberships to Kalbarri Golf Club; • $4900 grant to support junior development; and • 500 Golf Pride grips. Delacy said the key to the program’s success was the follow-up program that encourages kids to continue in the game. “With the tremendous support of the Department of Sport and Recreation in Western Australia, Kalbarri Golf Club received a $4900 grant that will help junior golf in the region,” he said.

GAME ON: Kalbarri students give golf the thumbs up. “Duane Crabb and Byron Clarkson (Spalding Park head pro) will travel to Kalbarri on a monthly basis to provide junior programs.” Local schoolteacher Lynn Flannery was so impressed with Performance Golf and its staff, she penned a letter to Royal Queensland head pro Chris Rutherford. “I found it interesting watching the students engage with the golf lesson,” Flannery said. “Most had never picked up a golf club before and, funnily enough, the students who are academically strong and well-behaved in school struggled with the new skills they were learning. “On the other hand, students who tend to be uninterested in academic subjects and are prone to poor behaviour in the classroom excelled on

the golf course. “One student, who does not try in class through fear of failure, began the day having had no golf experience and ended the day knowing how to grip a club and successfully chip, putt and drive a golf ball. “It was a good learning experience for me. Not only did I learn to play better golf, but I was able to see my students in a different situation, learning something they find interesting and relatively easy. “I was able to consider different ways I could approach teaching these students that might suit their needs better.” • FOOTNOTE: Kalbarri is a town geared towards fishing and attracts 200,000 tourists each year.

people

Max calls time on career David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

DECEMBER 31, 2012 will be an emotional day for the members and staff at Nudgee Golf Club in Brisbane. That’s the day Max Mason ends his 17½-year reign as general manager. Although Mason has unfinished business at the club, he has resigned his post following ongoing health issues. “The timing of my retirement has been brought forward as the direct result of a number of ongoing pulmonary and cardio health issues – more recently diagnosis of a ‘Meningioma’,” Mason said. Nudgee has been Mason’s second home for close to two decades so it just might take time for him to adjust to life’s slower pace. “Basically, I have been a workaholic and I have spent most of my time at the golf club,” he said. “But I am looking forward to spending time with my family including my two grandsons.” As Nudgee boss, Mason seldom had time to play golf. Now he is hoping retirement will afford him the time to join his mates on the fairways. “Health permitting I would like to think I will get in an occasional game of golf,” he said. Many believe he will continue to attend the odd Golf Management Australia (Qld) meeting, just like good friend Ted Coker. GMA is dear to Mason’s heart as it is a body he was instrumental in setting up in 2005. Mason’s first foray in the golf industry was as general manager at Toowoomba Golf Club (Middle Ridge) in the early 1990s. Prior to that, he worked in the racing industry. At Nudgee, Mason is particularly proud of his and the club’s decision to build a new clubhouse and super-sized dam.

Max Mason (right) presents Rodger Davis with the Queensland Senior Open trophy at Nudgee Golf Club. “When the new clubhouse opened in 1999, we attracted plenty of new members and built a 60 megalitre dam, which basically droughtproofed the golf courses. In the next couple of years there could be some significant changes to the club’s golf courses – something Mason was hoping to oversee. “Originally, it was my intention to see the successful conclusion of changes to the course/s and ancillary facilities that will be necessitated by the government’s change to the Gateway Arterial Roadway,” he said. “Unfortunately, this will not now be the case. “However, this will not diminish my interest in seeing the results, which I believe will greatly enhance many aspects of the golf club and its attraction as a premier golf venue in Queensland.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my 17-plus years as general manager of Nudgee Golf Club. “I have witnessed many fantastic changes and improvements to the two golf courses and practice facilities, the extension of irrigation facilities, the construction of the main dam to drought proof, the playing arena and the building of the new clubhouse and car parks. “Whilst bricks, mortar, greens and fairways are an integral part of all golf clubs, it’s the members who give a club its pulse and reason for being. “Nudgee’s family of members, staff and contractors certainly excel in this aspect and readily maintains its station as the “Friendly Club” and its philosophy as a traditional golf club.” •

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SYNC

Golf Australia announces new directors Golf Australia announced the election of Robert Crosby and Dr Jill Spargo as two new directors to the Board of Golf Australia. Robert spent more than 30 years at National Australia Bank in a variety of senior management positions. He is a former Board member of Golf South Australia and has been actively involved in handicapping, course rating, rules and amateur status committees at state and national level. Jill is a medical practitioner based in Melbourne and has been a board member of Women’s Golf Victoria and Golf Victoria and served on a range of governance committees. She is also a course design consultant for women’s golf for Ogilvy Clayton Golf Design. Golf Australia Chairman John Hopkins said he was pleased to welcome the new directors. “We are delighted to be able to welcome Robert and Jill to the Board,” Hopkins said. “Robert and Jill have extensive grassroots experience in Australian golf, having worked at both club and state level in addition to their professional experience. Their knowledge will be a valuable asset to Golf Australia as we continue our work to increase participation and further grow the game.” The members of the Golf Australia Board are: John Hopkins (Chairman), Stuart Cox, Robert Crosby, John Karren, Michael Sammells, Carmel Smith, Jill Spargo and Malcolm Speed. •

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www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

gear Big Wheel push buggy Enjoyed by golfers at courses like Barnbougle Dunes, Lost Farm and Royal Sydney, the Riksha Big Wheel buggies are now available in two models, one for the Club pro shop and another for the individual golfer. Club pros will welcome the 6.5kg one-piece frame which easily stack within each other and take no more than 30cm per buggy in floorspace. This durable rental buggy requires virtually no maintenance, a result of the rust-resistant aluminium frame and the two 50cm wheels rolling on two sealed bearings. For the individual golfer, the light footprint, perfect balance and amazing ease of manoeuvrability eases tension and strain on the body during a golf round. It stores flat in the car with the quick release of four pins to remove the wheels and top handle. Available via Riksha Golf Australia www.rikshagolf.com.au

SNEAK PEEK

Callaway X Forged Irons FootJoy GTxtreme FootJoy, the #1 glove in golf, introduces GTxtreme™, the ultimate in Grip Technology to maximise grip and durability in all conditions of play. GTxtreme™ provides the best of all worlds; exceptional grip performance in all conditions, maximum durability, comfort, superb flexibility and breathability with a precision fit. The GTxtreme™ glove masters the control of your grip with the use of proprietary digital APL™ leather technology combined with a digital FiberSof™ material that results in a glove that is the ultimate in grip and durability performance. RRP: $22.95 www.footjoy.com.au

Crafted by Callaway Chief Designer Roger Cleveland, the Callaway X Forged Irons combine 1025 Carbon Steel and a pure forging process to offer unmatched feel and extreme precision. Extensive feedback from the professional Tours contributed to Callaway’s development process, ensuring that the X Forged irons have the look, sound, feel and performance preferred by the world’s best players. A new face design, sole profile and optimized CG Height Progression through the line delivers distinct performance advantages, including distance, in a great-looking package. Available in January. RRP: $1099.00 / 7pc set www.callaway.com/au

Cobra AMP CELL Driver The AMP CELL Driver features Cobra’s new breakthrough technologies, MyFly & SmartPad. MyFly allows golfers to select from up to six different loft/trajectory settings (in one club) for optimised performance and distance based on a golfer’s swing or weather and course conditions. SmartPad Technology delivers a square face at address regardless of loft setting. For added shot workability, SmartPad allows the golfer to slightly open and close the driver as needed at address. AMP Cell and E9 Technology free up additional discretionary weight for a 12% larger effective face delivering faster ball speeds, even on mis-hits. Choose your colour, pick your shaft, and adjust your loft. Far is fun! MyFly Technology: 1 Driver. 6 Settings. Adjust your loft from 8.5° to 11.5°. RRP: $349 www.cobragolf.com.au

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Club Whizz In the “Why didn’t we think of that” category, the Club Whizz is a unique golfing accessory that has recently hit the golf world by storm. Designed by Aussie business partners Rob Monzu and Phil Laing from Perth, The Club Whizz is a golf club and shoe brush which attaches to any golf cart wheel. Following a shot, just push your buggy and hold the face of the club against the rotating brush to quickly whisk away dirt, sand and grass. After your round, simply unclip it from the wheel, and you can use it to clean the bottom of your shoes, or even the tyres on the buggy itself. We trialed the unit at our home course and found that it does everything as advertised (it also gives your buggy a very cool “Ben Hur” chariot look!). While it may never replace a professional “groove cleaner” tool, it certainly is quicker and easier than wiping with a towel after each shot. The Club Whizz® is sold all over the world, and is available at The Golf Box in WA and online via www.clubwhizz.com.au

We tried it!

Eagles & Birdies Magnetic 345 Golf Bag The flagship of the Eagles & birdies range, this bag is engineered with cutting-edge magnetic features, including magnetic openings in the six stadium pockets, and magnetic head cover and ball marker port. This bag includes a 14way full length individual horizontal and vertical dividers organize and protect your club shafts and grips, as well as concave indentations to slot your clubs into place. The bag also has an integrated waterproof rain cover underneath the cooler pocket. The high performance water repellent fabric is also further enhanced with laser lamination technology which prolongs fabric structure. The three very popular ‘stadium’ side pockets provide optimum positioning to get quick and easy access to all your golfing necessities. Other features are a waterproof velour lined valuables pocket, oversize cooler pocket with drainage holes, a semi umbrella sheath positioned at the front of the bag, magnetic ball markers and lift assist handles. Five colour combinations available in Eagles Birdies premium legendary fabric. www.underpar.com.au; (02) 9417 4055

gear We tried it!

adicross II Footwear The new adicross II is designed to combine all of the performance benefits of a traditional golf shoe with the off-course versatility and contemporary styling of a casual shoe. adicross II features new, strategically-placed squareshaped traction lugs and updated outsole design to promote improved traction and to reduce marking on the putting surface. New “flex grooves” are positioned at the forefoot to promote superior flexibility, natural feel and solid sole-toground contact throughout the swing. Available in Black/Dark Silver Metallic and White/Tan Brown (Two additional colours, Iron/FP Highlighter and Tan Brown/ Scout, will be available from February 2013.) RRP $99 www.taylormadegolf.com/adidasGolf

GolfSense personal 3D golf sensor GolfSense, the world’s first portable 3D sensor system, provides amateur and professional golfers with real-time analysis of their golf swing, with statistics sent instantly to their phone or tablet. Simply attach the sensor to your golf glove, download the free App for your smartphone or tablet, and then swing your club. The device is equipped with a high velocity motion engine, which detects club speed, swing tempo and swing path. The Bluetooth-enabled sensor sends this information to your device, allowing you to immediately analyse the swing from any angle. On our trial, we found the unit and app easy to use, highly informative and barely noticeable on the glove (it weighs only 17 grams). It was sensitive enough to uncover a slight fault in our swing plane, and it gives great feedback on the overall swing path. Using the iPhone’s motion sensor technology, GolfSense can also capture hip rotation and lateral translation information, providing corrective advice to golfers of all skill levels. RRP: $179.95 Available at House of Golf, Harvey Norman, Myer, David Jones www.iworldaustralia.com.au

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instruction: putting

Two critical tips to improve your putting Glenn Whittle glenn@whittlegolf.com (02) 9541 4960

Is your putter too long?

When I am coaching, it is common to see a number of golfers arrive to practice their putting. The coach in me cannot help but take a sneak peek at their basic technique, in particular their posture and putter length. In a nutshell, I am surprised just how many golfers are using putters that are too long for them. If they were only out by half an inch I wouldn’t be so worried but it is commonly two or three inches, especially for shorter people, ladies and juniors. Using the photo above as a sample, this gentleman is only 5ft 6 inches but using a 35 inch putter. As you can see he is standing too upright (incorrect posture) and this will negatively influence his ability to use his bigger muscles and shoulders correctly in making a putting stroke, they will invariably use their wrists too much, causing inconsistency with the speed and direction of the putt, sometimes if I have a break I approach them and am not surprised to hear that consistency is often their problem. An important note to make, when you make a putter shorter, you should add weight to the putter head (10 grams per inch) and also adjust the lie angle so the putter sits flat on the green. So how can you check whether your putter is the correct length for you? As you could appreciate, it is not that simple to get you to do this on yourself, but let’s give it a try: Next time you are practicing your putting, bend from the waist until your spine is approximately 40 degrees with your eyes slightly inside the ball target

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line, let your arms hang under your shoulders with a slight bend in both elbows. Now check that you have approximately six or seven inches between the end of the putter and your stomach (for a short putter obviously). If not, then it will definitely pay to have your putter length, head weight and lie angle looked at.

Keep the speed of your stroke constant A while back, I remember a number of clients asking me whether they should stop the putter

head quickly after they contact the ball. They had read an article that Tiger Woods wrote in a magazine about a drill he was practicing which was related to a putting style which promoted a shorter stopping stroke. To be honest, I think this was a feeling he would have had at the time rather than a long-term goal. Over the past fifty years the surfaces of the greens we play on have improved considerably. This has had a major effect on the putting style we as golfers are generally using. The bumpier and slower the greens, the more you will need to put the ball back in your stance and

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use your wrists. The smoother and faster the greens the more you will need to put your ball forward in your stance and the less we need to use our wrists. Now, back to Tiger’s “feeling” he used in the article. The putting analysis system I use is called Puttlab. The founder, Marius Filmater, published the common denominators that good putters share, and (surprise, surprise) one was that they BALANCE the back and forward swings when they putt. I was happy and relieved to read this as I have always taught this. One thing I would like to mention, I see a number of golfers using putters that are too light for them, especially the head weight, and I believe that this is one of the main factors that influences their short poppingtype stroke resulting in inconsistency in speed and direction. If your greens have a reasonable surface, I encourage you to set some matching coloured tees up at an equal distance from your starting line and balance the backswing and forward swing when you’re practicing. You will see a difference in your tempo and on your scorecard. If you would like me to assist you personally with your putting or do a putter fit using Puttlab and the Mitchell Putting System,, please phone The Sydney Putting Studio (based at The Ridge Golf Course, Barden Ridge) on (02) 9541 4960 to make a booking or visit www.sydneyputtingstudio.com. •

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instruction

Get the most out of your driver

What to do when you get nervous Anne Rollo

anne@fixmygolfswing.com.au

The headcover drill setup (Inset: A strong grip)

Damien Magaton (03) 9650 9766

Despite being only 5 ft. 5 in. and weighing approximately 45kg, LPGA Tour professional Lorena Ochoa’s average drive is 248 metres. How is it that she can boom her drives out there so far? It is all in the technique and her ability to create great amount of clubhead speed through impact. Slow-swinging amateur golfers tend to slap at the ball or try to scoop it up into the air which causes the clubhead to slow down through impact. This inevitably results in slicing, high shots and topped shots. There needs to be a build-up of speed throughout the swing into impact to create maximum power and distance in a golf shot. To learn how to accelerate the club through impact, practice swinging with a head cover on

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

Follow through with the headcover on.

Resist with the lower body.

your driver. The resistance and weight on the club head will force you to drive the club through impact into a full finish—which will teach you to generate more speed and power at the right time in your swing. This drill also helps with the tempo of your swing and allows your body and arms to work together to strike the ball consistently. Here are some other techniques you could try which may assist you in generating more clubhead speed and achieving further distance in your shots. 1. Strengthen your grip A strong grip helps create a flatter swing path and a more powerful release of the club through impact. When you look down at your grip you want to see two to three knuckles on your top hand. A flatter and shallower swing path will usually produce drawing top spin golf shots that penetrate lower through the air.

2. Firm stance A solid base creates good balance and supports high clubhead speed. Set your feet in an athletic setup position. A slightly wider-thanshoulder-width stance will create a solid base and foundation for your golf swing. 3. Resist with the lower body As the club starts back, swing your arms away while holding your hips and knees in place. Your lower body will turn no matter how much you try to prevent it, but if you resist with your lower body at the start of the swing, you won’t overturn. Overturning destroys the coil that sets up a powerful downswing. • Damien Magaton is an AA PGA Professional teaching at GolfTec in Melbourne. For more tips on your game visit him at www.golftec.com.au or phone 03 9650 9766

According to psychologists there are a number of things that we do when we get nervous. We do too much: A lot of people try too hard when they are nervous instead of just letting their golf swing/game happen. If you tend to ‘overdo things’ when you are nervous, then relax your shoulders and don’t try so hard. Instead of MAKING it happen, just LET it happen! We hide: We all know there is nowhere to hide on a golf course. Some like to call it “character building”, when we really just want to swear! So, stand tall and proud and hit the ball with commitment and meaning. We rush: I am sure you have felt rushed at some time or another when on the golf course because you were nervous. To overcome this, you can consciously slow yourself down, slow your walking, slow your breathing and slow your swing down. You have time allocated to your shots, so take that time and don’t let anyone or anything rush you. When I was on tour, a good trick I learned from a mental expert was to turn the nervousness around and make it work in my favour. Next time you feel nervous, tell yourself“this is great, this is what I have practised for and being nervous means I am ready to go”. Make it a positive.“The more nervous I get the better I am going to play.” • Anne Rollo is an ALPG Golf Professional and European Tournament Winner. She is the author of ‘Passport to great golf’, a pocket sized golf tips book to take onto the course with you. Visit her website www.fixmygolfswing.com.au and subscribe for lots more tips like this one.

instruction Video lesson:

Golf is not cricket! Peter Croker

0415 292 549 www.crokergolfsystem.com

Have you ever had the goal of having the clubhead travelling along the ball’s target line for an extended period of time in either the backswing or the follow through – in other words straight back and straight through the ball? Have you ever attempted to keep the clubface at right angles to the path of the swing? A major barrier when it comes to learning golf on an ongoing improvement path is the misunderstood word or concept that we are holding on to. In my experience many golfers (including myself at one time) think that to hit the golf ball straight they need to control the clubhead on a straight back and straight through path as you would if playing the “straight bat” in cricket. Along with this “straight back and straight through path”, there is a conscious effort to keep the clubface pointing directly at the ball’s target. This concept is good if you are playing cricket, however golf is not cricket The golf swing is more like a tennis stroke on an inclined plane. The golf club head needs to swing on an inclined arc and while “swinging” on this arc, the clubface needs to fan open in the backswing and close in the downswing similar to that of a swinging door – opening going back and closing going forward – the “Open Door – Close Door” action around a steady centre. There is, however, something special about the

backswing in golf and that is to activate the hip turn from the beginning of the backswing; the handle end of the club needs to start back slightly first ahead of the clubhead. This hip rotation from the beginning helps start the clubhead into a “swinging” motion. While the clubface remains square (the leading edge of the clubface remaining at right angles to the target line) for the first 30cm of the backswing, the swinging clubhead naturally opens as the wrists begin to hinge going back. This hinging action requires an orthodox grip to be in place for the correct opening action to occur. On the downswing and follow-through action, the club head needs to be thrown directly down and out at and through the ball. This direction is not “Down the Target Line” for the ball! – It is at an angle of 30 degrees or greater to the ball’s direction of flight towards the flag. When “throwing” the clubhead down and out at the ball allow yourself to feel that you are “throwing” the clubhead – toe down, toe first – through the ball. In reality this will not happen but will allow you to release the clubface, forearms, hips, and shoulder through to a full and natural finish on the front foot. The alternative – “To steer the club head along the ball’s target line and keep the clubface at right angles to that path will lead to short length shots and more often hooks and slices. Chris Beckett helps demonstrate both actions in the video link below. Chris can be located in Brisbane at both Victoria Park and Mt Gravatt Driving Ranges and his contact details are: keytogolf@gmail.com and phone: 0411814786 Please click on www.keytogolf.com to be sent 5 FREE Videos NOW of the Key Concepts of the golf swing. •

The clubhead should naturally fan open in the backswing – do not try and steer the clubhead.

The backswing should feel like a tennis stroke— on an incline—not a cricket stroke.

 VIDEO LESSON Please check out these video lessons to gain a deeper understanding and ability to hit the golf ball naturally longer and straighter on a consistent basis. The Golf Swing as a Wheel http://youtu.be/whIMijGWjGs Key to Golf Faults http://youtu.be/tEdbwWc6tLI

It’s a swing and a hit http://youtu.be/Dqat1ddc9r0 The Grip: http://bitly.com/VVtleF Grip Right Hand http://youtu.be/gqnZLFoN-PU Grip Left Hand http://youtu.be/wWcPhYU2TVs

Peter Croker has been a PGA member since 1971 and has given lessons with his Croker Golf System to professionals including Vijay Singh, Arnold Palmer, Rocco Mediate, Fred Funk, Olin Browne, and Bob Charles. Based at the Golf Science Centre in Cheltenham, and the Mornington Peninsula, he delivers school instruction, individual lessons, and has an “Online Lesson Program.” www.crokergolfsystem.com/ Academy/view-your-swing.html

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Enjoy three rounds of golf on magnificent Duntryleague. This years event will run for three days of golf only, starting on the Saturday night with a registration and cocktail party. Packages are available for the full event and an early bird special is also available. Book early to avoid disappointment as this event fills quickly. Open to all male and female golfers with an official handicap. For further details and entry forms for all the above events, please visit

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instruction: chipping

When the chips are down Andrew McKenzie ed@insidegolf.com.au

I have often had people ask me to help them with their chipping. When we get to the short game area they proceed to get their 7-iron out and begin hitting bump and run shots all over the place. When I ask them what they are doing, they have a bemused look on their face. The conventional advice that people who are struggling with their chipping often receive is that the safe bet is to take less loft or even their putter and keep it on the ground unless there is no other alternative. There is no doubt it is a far safer option but it certainly is not the answer to becoming good around the greens. In fact, it is the sort of advice you take on board when you have given up all hope of ever becoming successful at chipping and now you just want to make things less stressful on yourself. A select few of the top professionals have learned to chip using all the clubs in the bag, often using similar technique and just changing clubs to get the desired ball flight. Most of the top players now, however, will do the majority of their chipping with their most lofted clubs. Phil Mickelson said he uses his lob wedge for almost every shot around the greens and changes the trajectory by altering the ball position and technique rather than changing clubs. Chipping was always one of my strengths– as a kid I spent endless hours having chipping comps around the practice green. It was always more convenient to have just one club and as a result I too learned to play most of the shots with

my most lofted clubs. By doing this I developed an unwavering trust in my lob wedge. I was so confident with it that I loved taking it out of the bag and when it was in my hands I felt like a magician wielding their wand. When you have two methods that can both potentially be successful there will always be conflicting schools of thought. Those who have problems around the green lose confidence and when this happens you tend to revert to the safest option. If you are reasonably competent around the greens however and not lacking confidence then I would implore you to spend the majority of your time practicing with your wedges and getting comfortable lofting the ball. During a round of golf, the flags are rarely in the middle of the green; more often than not they will be tucked away in the corners. This means that a poor shot into the green will generally result in either a long putt from one side or a short- sided chip from the other. If we miss the green and short-side ourselves, it will be a stressful walk to our ball if we are secretly hoping in our mind that we will have a neatly manicured piece of surrounds with nothing impeding our route to the flag. The reality, of course, is that most times when we short-side ourselves we are faced with a little lob shot that requires soft hands and a deft touch. If you have spent time practicing this shot and built some confidence, then it really isn’t as difficult as some people think. But if you have spent all your time with your 9-iron practicing your bump and run shots whilst avoiding your lob wedge, then you are going to be very intimidated—and that’s when disaster looms. All the great short game players have two things in common. One: they all have wonderful imaginations; when they arrive at the ball they immediately see the best option in their mind.

Two: that they are very good at weighing up the risk/reward of the shot. There will be times where they would like to loft the ball but if the lie isn’t good enough or the penalty for an errant shot is too high they know to play conservatively. The biggest advantage that a good player gets from using a wedge to play a low shot from back in their stance is that they impart far more spin on the ball than you would with an 8- or 9-iron. As a result, the ball is checking and slowing down as it approaches the hole. This makes it far easier to gauge the distance than if they get the ball rolling for the majority of its journey. In short, the safest option is not always the best. A good comparison would be if you have ever played a round of golf in a country area, you may have found yourself in a bunker with a shallow lip. Your immediate thought is ‘great, I don’t have to worry about the lip or throwing it high.’ The problem is that a successful bunker player has an open stance, an open clubface and takes an aggressive swing. The second you are not faced with a lip and begin to think ‘well I don’t need to throw it high’ then that’s when you’ll end up hitting a poor shot and scratching your head.

In chipping it’s similar: when you arrive at your ball and see you have plenty of green to work with, you may start to think ‘well, it would be silly not to utilise it’. This is not the thought process of a good player. A good player thinks positively and hits the shot that will get them closest to the hole most often rather than the shot that has the least perceived risk. The point I make is not that it is always about throwing the ball in the air. The reality is there will be times where a bump and run 7-iron will definitely serve you better—or perhaps a putter or hybrid from a difficult lie off the green is your best option. I’d simply ask that you ignore the advice that it’s ‘always’ best to get the ball on the ground and rolling as soon as possible. Practicing with your sand iron and lob wedge will be time well spent; you will find that you have far more options available on the easy shots and the required arsenal and confidence to combat the difficult ones. • Andrew Mckenzie is a tour professional whose victories include The Samsung Benest Open and The Korean PGA.

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instruction

Why you should practice! Tiffany Mika

tiffany@theladygolfteacher.com.au

When I am teaching, I always ask my client, “What is it that you want to work on?” The main answer that comes back to me is “I want more consistency”. My response then is “How much time and effort are you willing to put into your practice?” You really need to consider this question, as practice is where consistency comes from. I must point out that practicing the incorrect technique will not get you to be more consistent -- it will just reinforce the wrong things and make you even more frustrated. If you are not willing to put the time into practice then you will always remain frustrated with the game. You know that saying “a game of golf ruins a good walk”. It doesn’t have to be that disastrous if you work on all your skills. The best response I have heard to becoming more consistent is from a book I read by Cindy Reid called “Get Yourself in Golf Shape”. When a new student comes to Cindy and they are wanting more consistency, she says ”You need to hit 1,000 balls a day for the next 5 months. You should hit 50 balls with every club in your bag in the morning, break for lunch, then do the same thing in the afternoon”. Ben Hogan, one of history’s greatest golfers, hit 1,000 balls per day. Sometimes he would hit 500 balls in the morning then play holes in the afternoon if he didn’t hit his regime of 1,000 balls. When new golfers take up the game, they become frustrated because they have given themselves unrealistic expectations in their first year. When they don’t meet their goals in the first

year, they give up. I had one lady who said “if I can’t play this game within a year I am taking up bowls!” I stressed to her that it would take about 3 years just to get the feel of the game but you have your whole life ahead of you to learn the game.

Why should you practice?

Firstly, you should practice because you want to feel capable and in control of your game. If you don’t, you won’t. Secondly, you should have regular lessons. Not just a lesson here and there. I know people who have a lesson every 6 months or even once a year. If you are only having a lesson at irregular times then your game will be irregular. Players who have very few lessons are looking for quick fixes, but unfortunately they don’t understand the importance of having lessons. Taking lessons is about being as technically good as you can get. A lot of club golfers think that you should only have lessons if you want to be a pro. That is a misconception. Really, everyone should be taking lessons to make life easier for themselves out on the course. Thirdly, having a lesson may feel like “you are going backwards”. When your teaching professional improves your technique for you, it will feel different--possibly a little awkward--but that is because you are doing a new movement that you are not used to (since you were doing something a particular way that wasn’t working so well). When you learn a new movement it will take time to learn it. So give yourself the time. Because if you do, you will overtake where you were previously and will be so much better off. But the answer is still practice. When I took up the game, I was an adult. My former profession was tennis, so I didn’t want to look inadequate considering my sporting background. I wanted to feel capable and in control. So I had a lesson every week for my first three years, I practiced my heart out. Yes, I wanted to be as good as I could get but also I wanted

what everyone else is telling me now: consistency. The only way I could do that is through learning the correct technique and practicing what I had learned. All of you reading Inside Golf are so fortunate as you have access to really great information from all of the professionals giving you tips and advice. But at the end of the day it is up to you to determine what you want to achieve with your golf. If you want to improve then this is what you need to do: 1. Take lessons from a teaching professional 2. Practice everything you learn: the technique and the drills 3. Practice your swing on the range 4. Practice your short game on the chipping green 5. Practice your putting on the putting green 6. Practice your bunker shots in a bunker 7. Practice out on the course during noncompetition times and get the feel of everything coming together

8. Then apply it out on the course during competition There is no such thing as a quick fix. Unfortunately society is all about quick fixes. I believe if there were quick fixes and we didn’t have to practice we would all be professionals on the tour. It will take time and that is ok. You have your whole life ahead of you! Remember practice the right technique and repeat, repeat, repeat! I’d love to get feedback from you and find out how you are going with your practice or if you need assistance with your game. • Tiffany Mika is the Golf Teaching Professional at Bayview Golf Club in Mona Vale. Tiffany has a Free Online Putting Program where you can learn how to Putt in your home. Contact her at tiffany@theladygolfteacher. com.au or www.theladygolfteacher.com.au

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December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

ADVERTISING FEATURE

St Andrews Beach Golf Course

Moonah Links Golf Club

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Tournament golf on the Mornington Peninsula Following the outstanding success of the May 2012 Tournament, Golf Mornington Peninsula already has plans nalised for its Fourth Annual Mornington Peninsula Golf Classic in May 2013.

WHERE AND WHEN Golfers from all over Australia and overseas are expected to again come together for a wonderful week of golf to be played on some of Mornington Peninsula’s highly ranked courses. Players will all have the benet of playing the magnicent courses at Moonah Links, St Andrews Beach, Eagle Ridge and Rosebud Country Club, with a choice of morning or afternoon shotgun starts.

“Never before has such a tournament been played on the peninsula where top courses such as these have all been available for four days during the same timeframe,” said Tracey Cooper, Executive Chairman of Mornington Peninsula Regional Tourism Board. “As the tournament’s reputation gains momentum, the importance of having different courses to play each year is attractive to many golfers who would not otherwise have that opportunity” she said. The main 72 hole Stableford event will be played Monday 6 to Thursday 9 May inclusive with daily prizes also awarded. An optional extra day’s golf will be offered for Friday 10 May.

Eagle Ridge Golf Course

The Tournament begins with a Registration Day on Sunday 5 May where past players and newcomers will be welcome to register, enjoy meeting old acquaintances and plan their strategies for the week. Wayne Lucas, President Mornington Peninsula Golf Tourism said, “Taking into account past players’ requests, we have added a Dinner to be held on Tuesday 7 May as an optional extra. We continue to try and cater for the majority of requests and include ideas submitted by players as it is important to listen and learn from those who support the tournament every year”.

SPARE TIME? Players and non playing partners will have plenty of time to explore the many wonderful attractions the Mornington Peninsula offers. Morning and afternoon elds have been included to ensure everyone

can have spare time to visit wineries, art galleries, go shopping, or relax in the thermal hot springs. For those who just simply want to play golf all day every day, other courses will cater for your needs. Some of the non tournament courses are shown below. Simply contact them directly for bookings. Says Lucas, “When you stay on the Mornington Peninsula you simply should take in as much as you can, as nowhere else in Australia will you nd such superb attractions all within half an hour of where you will be playing Tournament golf”. “We will be ready to welcome you on May 5, and look forward to an even more successful tournament in 2013”.

EVENT DETAILS › Tournament Dates 6-9 May 2013 › Entry Fee $425 per person Early bird price of $395 for entries paid by 24 December 2012. › Inclusions Four days of golf (two with carts), 3 daily lunches, presentation day lunch, prizes and show bag. › Optional activities Celebrity dinner 7 May and Friday golf on 10 May.

Further details including tournament options and online registration can be found at: golfmorningtonpeninsula.com.au

PLAY AT AUSTRALIA’S NUMBER ONE GOLF DESTINATION

DEVILBEND GOLF CLUB

RACV CAPE SCHANCK RESORT

In the heart of the Mornington Peninsula. Challenge yourself on this beautiful course, set amidst a ora and fauna reserve. With fast smooth greens and lush Santa Anna Couch fairways, you will not be disappointed. Best value for money golf on the Peninsula. ½ price golf and carts after 2pm.

The magnicent 18 hole, par 70 championship golf course offers spectacular ocean views. The course features huge greens with large open bunkers, tree lined fairways and superbly manicured greens. Driving range, pro shop, resort style accommodation and dining facilities.

Ranked #11 in Australia, St Andrews Beach is open to the public 7 days a week. Designed by world renowned architect Tom Doak, the course offers many challenges to the serious golfer whilst still being thoroughly enjoyable for the social player.

With cliff top views across Western Port Bay to Phillip Island and the rugged Bass Strait coastline, the Flinders Golf Club provides a stunning panorama whether you are strolling the fairways of this unique golf course, enjoying a light lunch or hosting your special occasion in our clubhouse.

03 5978 8470 www.devilbendgolf.com.au

03 5950 8000 www.racv.com.au/resorts

03 5988 6000 www.standrewsbeachgolf.com.au

03 5989 0583 www.indersgolfclub.com.au

ST ANDREWS BEACH GOLF COURSE

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More information at visitmorningtonpeninsula.org/golf

fitness

Maintain your balance Richard Nizielski richardniz@gmail.com 0438 027 768

The ability to maintain good quality balance is an area which is way too easy to let slip. Try this little balance test: You will need a flat surface to stand on, a stopwatch or clock to time yourself and a bit of space around you. 1. Stand with your feet together, arms relaxed by your side and looking forward. 2. Raise one leg so your thigh is parallel to the floor. Settle into your balance, then close your eyes and start timing yourself. 3. Stop the timer when you lose balance and put your raised leg to the floor, or youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re having to shuffle and re-position your balance foot to stay on it. 4. Repeat for the other leg How did you go? For this test, 25 seconds or better is considered good. Balance is one area we often taken for granted or rarely train with any specificity. The weight shift from one leg to the other during the golf swing relies on complex sensory input and infinite adjustments that maintain and control our balance. Studies have shown significant changes in

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

balance in both men and women at 40-50 years of age, indicating that the deterioration in balance starts sooner than many people believe. If left unchecked, this can become a major underlying factor for increased falls at an older age. A few simple exercises to develop and maintain balance can be done at home and without the need of special equipment. For example, placing a pillow on the floor and standing on it with one foot. The soft, spongy surface will demand a higher level of balance than a flat, even surface. If you need to, use a wall or the back of a chair for a little assistance. You will quickly feel the small adjustments you are making to stabilise your stance. When that becomes easy, try a set of single leg squats or stand still and close your eyes, whilst maintaining your balance. Another way to add balance work into your training and give a new aspect to exercises is performing them on a single leg. A wide variety of exercises can be done on one leg, try a few you already know or as a suggestion, depending on your ability, try the following: The single-leg reverse dumb-bell fly: Take a single dumbbell in one hand and assume a single-leg golf posture. Place the free hand behind your back and with the other hand, holding the dumb-bell, perform a reverse fly action making sure you engage the lower trapezius muscles so as to draw the shoulder blade down and back. Perform a set of repetitions for each arm and leg combination.

Side view The single-leg reverse dumbbell fly

Step up shoulder press

Studies have shown significant changes in balance in both men and women at 40-50 years of age, indicating that the deterioration in balance starts sooner than many people believe. Step up shoulder press: Take one dumbbell in your hand and place the opposite foot on the step. Perform a step up, balancing on the one foot. At the top of the move, press the weight upwards by extending your arm. Hopping and jumping exercises performed on one foot will also challenge balance, agility and aspects of power transfer. Use a variety of directions, such as forward and backwards, side-to-side or diagonal to help develop the acceleration / deceleration control in a variety of directions. The key to this style of training is landing with control and stability, so try and not use your arms for extra balance. â&#x20AC;˘

ď ľ VIDEO LESSON

To see an expanded video version of this fitness lesson, visit: http://youtu.be/apKvJyC9-z8

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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by Greg Norman

social golf

How will golf respond to the pace of change? Matthew Pitt, founder of Social Golf Australia (SGA) and Bushranger Golf, gives an industry insider’s perspective on current trends in the game and future directions for golf participation in Australia. Australian golf is in the process of a paradigm shift in the way amateur golfers are engaging with the game. Club memberships and overall participation are declining and, as the versatile adapt and the inflexible are left behind, courses and clubs are closing and new participation options are emerging in the market. One of the keys to understanding the current changes and predicting future trends is observing the way our society and technologies are developing apace around the game. If we consider trends in and around golf from 1900 to 2012, the questions for golf become “what is the shape of the game now?” and “where is the game heading in the future?”. Let’s briefly consider some examples on this timeline of the evolution of golf in Australia. 1900: Golf is for society’s elite. Players use guttapercha balls with a textured surface to improve aerodynamics. Clubheads are cast iron with no clubface grooves and are custom-fitted to hickory shafts. The only mechanism for participation is through private golf clubs. 1900 – 1950: The rubber-cored multi-layer ball appears in 1900 which is cheaper to produce with improved performance. By 1910, the dimpled ball, grooved clubfaces and the first massproduced wooden-headed golf clubs arrive. Steel shafts are introduced in 1925 that allow reliable mass-production of matched sets. As the game becomes more affordable, more public access golf courses open. 1950 – 2000: In the 1950s & 60s, television, Palmer and Nicklaus combine to explode the popularity of the game. Club and ball technology continues to advance and entry costs continue to fall. In the 1970s, graphite shafts and steelheaded ‘woods’ arrive, closely followed by the greatest catalyst for growth in Australian golf – the Greg Norman phenomenon. The popularity

Golfers from the SGA Tour in Queensland, the Tour Fore Golfers, having fun at one of their recent events. of the game explodes, the industry flourishes and private clubs, public-access courses and golf retailers experience continued growth. 2000 – 2012: Since 2000, we have experienced decreases in the Norman factor, club membership, participation, green fee revenues, membership waiting lists, club joining fees, pace of play, new golfers and junior participation. And we have seen increases in club and ball technology, length of golf courses, golf internet sales, competition from other sports and leisure activities, golf insurance costs and closures of golf clubs and courses. We have also seen the emergence of golf GPS and lasers, long putters, group buying discounts of green fees (Groupon, Scoopon, etc), online teetime bookings, that more people are time poor, and that new courses are financed by housing. And the list goes on. The world is changing more quickly all the time and the challenge for the game of golf is to adapt to meet these developments to remain viable in the future. In the capital centres, some of the decreases in club membership can be attributed to contracting time and decreasing value proposition in a club membership. If a golfer has less time to play regular rounds, the cost per round of a club membership increases and some

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golfers explore their options. Our response at SGA has been to accept that the market is changing and explore alternative participation models that anticipate the consequences of the current trends in the game. Our project became to investigate developing a handicap and event model that meets the current needs and golfing lifestyle of Australians. The challenge was to incorporate the best elements of the traditional club golf competition model, the social golf club model and the professional golf tours to create a new paradigm for golf participation. As price point and value perception have taken a higher priority in an information-rich commercial environment, we believe that a pay as you play competition event model is the way forward to provide an affordable golfing alternative. We imagined a participation model where golfers can access an official handicap (with personal golf insurance) for a small annual fee and then pay as they play to compete in official competition rounds in an event series based on the professional golf tours. Events can be every two or three weeks on a variety of courses with prizes and competition results entered on GOLF Link.

After incorporating this analysis, we established The SGA Tour for amateur golfers in each of the mainland capital centres with a range of annual trophy events including an Order of Merit. The shape of the event series can be seen in detail at www.sgatour.com.au. It delivers great value and quality prizes at the events through our partnerships with Drummond Golf, Heathcote Winery, Wilson Staff, Village Roadshow and Best Restaurants Cards. The SGA Tour is growing strongly because, in an industry that is contracting, more Australian golfers are exploring their options for participating in competition golf on their own terms. We have been able to respond to developments in the golfing landscape and meet the needs of today’s golfers. It is the type of flexibility that golf as a whole needs to embrace as technology and society change at breakneck speed around the game. There will be new technologies and opportunities in five and ten years that we cannot foresee now. How our thought leaders and administrators respond today will have a significant bearing on the success and prosperity of our game as we progress, at speed, into the 21st century. •

2 Day Golf School at Moss Vale Golf Club Receive expert tuition from club professional Robert Kennedy in all facets of the game, while staying on course at the beautiful Dormie House. Package Includes: • 3 Nights accommodation • Morning tea & Lunch on • 3 Buffet Breakfasts two days • 3 Dinners • Professional Tuition Dates: 17th - 20th February and 15th - 18th May 2013

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Thornleigh Golf Centre is Sydney’s newest and most technically innovative golf driving range

Rob Willis

ed@insidegolf.com.au

Borrowing a line from a famous movie, for Sydney-based PGA member Steve Aisbett, the Thornleigh Golf Centre has almost been a case of ‘If you build it, they will come’. Aisbett has always had belief that the golfers from Sydney’s northwest were crying out for a quality golfing facility. He just needed to be patient enough to see his vision finally come to fruition. From an idea to turn an old brick pit into a driving range some 25 years ago, Sydney’s newest and most technically innovative golf driving range recently opened its doors to the public, with the

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

first ball being officially struck at the Thornleigh Golf Centre on August 20. “It was 1988 when I first walked onto this site,” Aisbett began. “Then I went to Dubbo Golf Club where I was the club pro for 15 years before I came back to Sydney.” And back to steering one of the most ambitious golf centre projects of its kind. For Aisbett it became all about gaining the council planning and approval, carrying out extensive research into how he and his partners could deliver the best golfing facility possible, and of course managing to get the thing built. “I travelled to the States—travelled all over— and what we have now at Thornleigh is largely modeled on the ranges we visited in Japan,” Aisbett said. With the range operational and the patrons starting to roll in, it appears the wait has been worth it, with the Thornleigh Golf Centre offering

a variety of special features which stand it apart from its competitors. “We have 56 bays under cover, 20 with fully automatic tee-up technology, a full retail shop, a team of experienced AAA rated teaching professionals and demo days every month,” he said As for the auto tee-up hitting bays, they have proved to be amongst the most popular innovations. “The ball is automatically teed up six seconds after the previous shot. The golfers love it. About 80 percent of our business is done from the auto tee-up bays.” In addition golfers hit from special fibrebuilt mats and the balls land on synthetic grass, ensuring the quality of the range balls remains high. And in another point of difference, Thornleigh has an automated ball retrieval system which cuts down on manual labour at the closing time each day.

“I worked with Mike Kelly at Cherrybrook Driving Range a long time ago and we were picking up balls at the end of each day looking at each other saying ‘there’s got to be a better way’. So here is a quote for you, I never have to touch my balls here at Thornleigh,” Aisbett said tongue-in-cheek. Other than brushing the range balls off the greens at the end of the night there is no manpower so-to-speak involved, with the balls coming back to the golf shop washed and ready for the next golfer. “Plus with the grass on the range being synthetic our balls don’t have the same wear and tear in comparison to other ranges and are always in perfect condition,” Aisbett added. The last piece of the puzzle was to build a range that would keep golfers and their shots, errant and otherwise, within the confines of the facility and away from residents and cars on the

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Thornleigh’s team of highly-qualified PGA professionals (not pictured: Ian Passwell)

A top team Steve Aisbett during the construction phase adjacent roads. To achieve that result a monstrous 36-metre high fence was constructed along the Pennant Hills Road boundary. “It’s the biggest fence in the Southern Hemisphere. Looking at the fence from the road people first think it’s a jail, and then they eventually figure out what it is,” Aisbett said. So with everything in place, Thornleigh opened for business and the early indications have shown golfers of the area were more than ready to embrace a quality facility in the middle of what is a popular golfing area in Sydney’s north-western suburbs. “We had the wow factor the first two weeks we were open and were inundated with people from all walks of life. Since then it has been very steady,” Aisbett said. With the ultra-modern range, the quality coaching, clubfitting, retail shop and the soonto-be-included 36-hole putt-putt course—due to begin construction in January and which has the

potential to encourage more youngsters to come to the facility—and Aisbett’s aim of getting as many people as possible hooked on the game of golf is well on track. “There are lots of golf clubs around this area struggling for members. I would hope we could introduce many new golfers to the game and play our part in getting the full sign out the front of all the local clubs,” Aisbett said. “We’ve got seven AAA rated pros and we’ve put through over 2,000 kids already in schools and in clinics. I want as many kids playing the game as possible.” The catch cry on the website of the Thornleigh Golf Centre claims it to be a ‘new benchmark for golf practice ranges in Australia’ and on inspection that might not be far from the truth. After 25-plus years in the planning Aisbett has finally built it, with golfers of this generation set to benefit for some time to come. •

Some have survived more years in the golfing industry than they would probably care to remember, club pros and teaching experts who have spent a lifetime trying to make a game difficult to many, as easy as possible. Then there are the ‘young guns’: coaches with an eye to the modern trends, an interest in junior development, biomechanics, golfspecific physical fitness and the latest teaching technology. In all seven highly-qualified AAA-rated PGA members have come together at the Thornleigh Golf Centre to pass on their knowledge to kids, beginners, club players, golfing regulars and the elite in a bid to make the game more enjoyable for as many people as they can. As the ‘leader of the pack’Steve Aisbett heads up a team of extremely respected teaching professionals. From long-time club pros Ian Passwell and Bruce Burrows, to legendary golfing retailer and instructor Alan May, to the younger brigade of Paul Latham, Peter Heyhoe and Glenn Kelly. It would seem Thornleigh has all bases covered. “Our teaching pros have been playing and coaching for a lot of years. When it comes to age and experience, there’s not that many around who would compare,” Aisbett said. “In Bruce,

Alan and Ian we have three guys who have a lot of experience and have been playing and teaching the game for a very long time. “Then we have Glenn Kelly who will be looking after a lot of our junior programs and will be pushing to get as many kids involved as he can, while Paul has come from the Olympic Park Golf Range and Peter worked at the Canberra International Golf Centre and is also a very good coach.” Then there is Aisbett himself, who while a club pro in Dubbo for over 15 years, had a huge impact on junior golfers in that area of country NSW. But while quality coaching is the focus, also important to what they are trying to accomplish is to properly fit golfers with equipment that suits. Regularly scheduled demo days go part of the way, with the coaching expertise and range facilities available at Thornleigh also assisting in the club fitting process. “We want them to be happy with the clubs we’ve sold them,” Aisbett said. “We have the advantage of fitting clubs where we can work with a golfer’s ball flight. Lessons and fitting on a screen, a ball machine or launch monitor don’t give you that.” Thornleigh Golf Centre offers group lessons, beginner’s clinics and individualised programs and lessons for all ages and levels of golfer. •

Tour hosted by PGA Professional Josh Marris and Golf Celebrity Larry Canning US Masters 2013 • 3 DAYS at Masters Tournament (extra available on application) 5 star hospitality including breakfast, lunch, canapés, alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages throughout the day, live entertainment of an afternoon and evening and dinner • 7 games of golf • Motorised carts and range balls • Golf competitions and prizes • 12 nights luxury accommodation

• Cooked breakfast daily • 3 dinners at Pinehurst ala Carte Restaurants • Golf presentation night, canapés and drinks • Private transfers • Tour guide • Pre-golf clinic and lessons from PGA Professionals • Group airfares with QANTAS available for additional cost • Porterage throughout *Las Vegas and Pebble beach extensions also available extra cost. Masters week only available on request.

TOUR ALMO ST FULL! Only limited spaces left For further enquires, additional information and brochures please contact: Stacey Arthur P: 4285 0711 | M: 0402 327 606 E: stacey@itravel-au.com | W: www.itravel-au.com www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

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Inclusions

Marysville

rises from the ashes Looking back on the 12th hole from the elevated 13th tee at Marysville.

Richard Fellner ed@insidegolf.com.au

Driving down the main street of the tiny Victorian town of Marysville is a slightly surreal experience these days, not for what you see (for the view is truly beautiful), but rather for what you DON’T see. For a town that lost nearly all of its buildings to the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009, one would expect to see charred trees, blackened bushes or frames of burned-down buildings. But you’d be hard-pressed to see any of that now. Mother Nature certainly has done her part to replace most of the burned areas with lush, beautiful greenery. In fact, much of the surrounding area in town has recovered to a point where you’d hardly notice there had been a bushfire at all. The locals, too, are doing their part. Homes are slowly being re-built; grand, new buildings are sprouting up in town and scenic areas like Steavenson Falls are now fitted with new facilities and lights. Like a phoenix from the ashes, Marysville is being reborn. But the one thing you DON’T see – the one glaring thing missing—is the tourists (well,

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

that and a local pub, but I digress.) The lack of summer tourists is a shame, as Marysville and the surrounding area has so much to offer. Being less than two hours from Melbourne, it is an ideal distance for a short break or weekend away, and there is heaps to do. I had the pleasure to drop in last month for the Marysville Sparkling Wine Festival—a weeklong event celebrating the amazing food, wine and activities of the area. Featuring a Business Breakfast, Golf Day, Gala Dinner and more, it is a fantastic event that sits nicely among a growing stable of great events and festivals beginning to emerge in the area. Of course, I wasn’t just there for the food and wine: I was keen to tee off at the golf day at the Marysville Community Golf and Bowls Club, which I have been anxious to explore for some time. Despite losing 17 greens during the bushfire, the golf course at Marysville is now in amazing condition. I don’t say that lightly. I reckon the greens at Marysville are currently some of the best of any country course in Victoria. They roll true, are well manicured, and have benefitted greatly from an extremely wet winter, which has made them (and the rest of the course) lush and green.

Of course, the great condition is also due to the hard-working greenskeeper Rob Christie, who— with the help of a dedicated group of members— has done some amazing work. The course is a pleasure to play – even in the rain that plagued us during my visit. With plenty of dog-legs, club-grabbing rough, changes in elevation and the ever-present river guarding key areas of the course, there are some real challenges to be had. I really loved this course, and I will be sure to make it a regular stop in my future travels. There is also some amazing scenery. Looking around from the elevated 13th tee offers some spectacular views of the lush surrounds – which are once again beginning to teem with wildlife. The club recently embarked on a funding project to redesign some of the holes, upgrade the clubhouse and improve various aspects of the club. So it will certainly be going from strength to strength in the coming years. Of course, there are also heaps of other things to do in the area. Hiking, biking and bushwalking are popular around areas like Steavenson Falls or the spectacular Lake Mountain Alpine Resort; while anglers will enjoy dropping a line in the river to try and hook one of the many juicy trout that swim

throughout. But there is heaps more. When planning a trip to Marysville, securing accommodation should be your very first task, as the number of places to stay is currently a bit limited (but that will soon change with the recentlyannounced $28 Million Hotel and Conference Centre to begin construction next year, which will include a 100-room four-star hotel, conferencing facilities and accommodation for around 300 people.) While many current visitors opt for one of the popular B&B’s, I was fortunate to stay at the Marysville Caravan and Holiday Park – which features quaint and clean cabins, and sits right on the river. Perfect for a group of golf buddies on an “annual golf weekend”, the cabins have WiFi, big screen TVs, kitchens and clean and comfortable beds. Families will also enjoy the park, as the kids will find plenty to do in the playground or on the “Jumping Pillow”. So do yourself a favour and give Marysville a look these days. You won’t be disappointed. Links: www.marysville-golf-bowls.com.au www.marysvilletourism.com www.lakemountainresort.com.au •

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Eastwood on the rise Peregian Springs

A short 40 minutes’ drive east of Melbourne, at the base of the Dandenong Ranges, sits the beautiful and picturesque Eastwood Golf Club. While it is perhaps not as well known as some of the other courses in Melbourne, Eastwood has experienced many progressive changes in recent years, and is beginning to turn more heads as it completes some significant upgrades. The club’s new superintendent, Travis Scott, (previously assistant super at Commonwealth GC), has brought new ideas regarding maintenance of the course, including a program to allow more sunlight and airflow around tees and greens, creating more healthy turf growth. Other recent improvements to the course include a new 2nd green and new practice putting green, while several pathways have been asphalted with

considerable new drainage installed. The club has also recently appointed a new professional, Luke Young, and trainee, Elisa Orr. They bring with them a fresh enthusiasm and dedication to teaching golf. The club’s new junior programs and ladies clinics have expanded substantially in numbers and sessions, and are well supported by the golfing public and members. Eastwood’s Seniors group also continues to thrive, with over 100 members participating in a 12-hole event on Friday mornings. The camaraderie and fun generated during these events is incredible and even continues on their regular trips to the Murray. Many improvements have been made to the clubhouse, including an outdoor deck overlooking the picturesque course, as well as some internal

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renovations. Also, Eastwood’s first-class catering service is supporting many new functions and is an expanding business offering facilities for up to 150 guests. Even the golf shop has received some attention, having recently been remodelled and expanded to enable members access to a wider variety of equipment and apparel. Eastwood have a new special membership offer available with savings of up to $800.This will be of interest to green fee players wanting to join a private club, and club golfers looking for a change. As always green fee players are welcome at Eastwood. For further information, contact (03)9728 2944, e-mail: admin@eastwoodgolf.com.au, or visit www.eastwoodgolf.com.au. •

Much more than just simply a golf club, Peregian Springs Golf Club is a golfing and lifestyle experience. A short trip south of Noosa on the beautiful Sunshine Coast, the club is located in a stunning subtropical setting. Peregian Springs is a private members’ club that warmly welcomes visitors to share in a true golfing experience. The club offers eighteen unique holes of championship golf on a course designed to reward great shot making. It’s complemented by extensive and immaculate practice facilities. It offers one of the finest club restaurants and bars on the coast. Smart, relaxed and friendly with magnificent views of the golf course and the majestic Noosa hinterland. Peregian Springs is an exquisite setting for weddings, functions and corporate events. State of the art facilities are backed by dedicated and personal service. All this just minutes from the surf and dazzling white sandy beaches. With a climate that delivers warmth throughout the year, Peregian Springs is a little piece of paradise. For more information: phone 07 5471 5400, email proshop@psgc.com.au or visit www.peregianspringsgolfclub.com.au •

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FULL RANGE OF COLOURS

FREE factory

all weather covers!

7995

LIMITED OFFER

HGC

Our 2013 Stock has arrived

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HIGHLAND GOLF CARS 1300 90 60 80

Unit 3 - 230 Old Hume Highway Mittagong, NSW (behind Repco)

80 USED CLUB CARS must clear by Christmas to make way for new stock!

HGC HGC

HUGE RANGE OF SPARE PARTS

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Many of these have

NEW BATTERIES

HGC HGC HGC HGC

CLUB CAR DS HGC available from $

WHY WE’RE

UNBEATABLE

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2395 HGC

CLUB CAR PRECEDENTS available from $

2995

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ALL carts are in SHOWROOM CONDITION. No damage to bodywork; HGC no tears in the upholstery

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ALL carts are WORKSHOP TESTED HGC and SERVICED prior to delivery

World’s Premium Deep Cycle US Battery manufacturer

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EVERY cart at Highland Golf Cars HGC is sold with WARRANTY

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Trade-ins welcome ... even on our used cars!

6x 6V = $1250 6x 8V = $1250 4x 12V = $1250

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Australia-wide delivery available Call us for a quote.

NEW BATTERY DEALS #1

FOR ALL MAKES & MODELS

FREE DELIVERY

of batteries to your front door anywhere in Australia

www.highlandgolfcars.com.au It is recommended you call to inquire about advertised cars as specific products advertised here may have been sold.

The search is on for

AUSTRALIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

best amateur golf pair With over 50 events across Australia, the winning pair from every event will win a trip to play in the final at RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast. Open to all male and female Australian Auto Club members, enter online now!

Hole in one prize A Suzuki Kizashi up for grabs*

Only $30 per player. Register your pair now at

www.acgc.com.au

(Every player receives 6 free Callaway golf balls)

Major Partners

Revised

Auto Clubs

*Conditions apply

Supporting Partners

Original

Media Partners

acgc

Suzuki Ace! The 10th qualifying event at Victor Harbor in South Australia was recently, home to the first Auto Club Golf Championship Suzuki Kizashi Hole in One! Victor Harbor local Nelson Depledge scored the ace on 14th hole at the Victor Harbor Golf Club RAA Auto Club Golf Championship event last month. The lucky player has won a trip to the Championship Final to compete in the Suzuki Shootout to win the sensational Kizashi valued at over $40,000.00. If he is the only hole-in-one winner over the 45 Australian events and four New Zealand events then he will be presented with the car at the Final at RACV Royal Pines Resort. If there are more Aces achieved over the remaining rounds, then those individuals will also win a trip to the Championship Final and compete to find the winner in the Suzuki Shootout on Friday March 1st following the final round of the golf. So if you fancy yourself as a good “driver” then you still have plenty of opportunities to land a “Suzuki Kizashi Hole in One” at one of the remaining 35 qualifying events. •

Host with the most

The Auto Club Golf Championship are thrilled to announce that Australia’s golf host with the most Brett Ogle from the Fox Sports Golf Show will be the official Master of Ceremonies for the Championship Final at RACV Royal Pines Resort. Event Director Taren Hocking said: “We could not think of a better person to officiate proceedings than Brett, he is such a renowned golf identity and an all round great bloke who we know will ensure all the finalists are entertained and informed during their Championship trip. Hopefully he will even share a few secrets about keeping cool under finals pressure and some lastminute tricks of the trade to help or our vying Amateur Pairs.” •

Persistence pays in The Auto Club Golf Championship

ACGC Schedule Event

Kerry and Wayne Elphinstone prove there is truth in the adage “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” Tournament organizers have been overwhelmed by the enthusiastic support of Australia’s newest Amateur Golf Tournament, the Auto Club Golf Championship. With over 10 events now held, and 35 still to go, organisers have been inundated by people wanting to play in multiple events. “Once they play in a regional event and realise just how good the opportunity to win a trip to the National Final is, we are finding pairs are fired up to try again and again increasing their odds of securing a trip to the magnificent RACV Royal Pines Resort in February,” says Assistant Tournament Director and PGA Professional Hayley Hunt. One such triumphant pair are husband and wife team Kerry and Wayne Elphinstone. Kerry and Wayne played in the inaugural event held in October at Southern Golf Club and loved the event so much they came back for a second crack at the trip to Queensland, eventually winning at Long Island Golf Club. “It was great to see them win and prove that persistence pays! You can enter as many events as you like to try and secure your ticket to the Championship Final, so we do encourage keen golfers to have more

than one go,” says John Harriss of the ACGC. The Championship is conducted as a Best Ball Stableford Competition. Two players form a team and play via the Stableford scoring system. At the end of each hole they record the stroke score and stableford points achieved from the best player of the pair. To qualify for entry, one member of the twoperson team must be a member of any of Australia’s State and Territory Auto Clubs (NRMA, RACV, RACQ, RAA, RAC, RACT and AANT). With a one-off entry fee of only $30.00 per person, no additional costs to play in the Championship Final and the immediate bonus of a Dozen Callaway HX Diablo Golf Balls worth $30.00, this event is the best value Amateur Tournament of its kind. So don’t delay. Jump online today and register a pair for a chance to win a trip to represent your region at the Championship Final at RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast from February 28 to March 1, 2013. To register, or for more details, rules and frequently asked questions visit www.acgc.com.au or call the Tournament Office at Champion Events on 08 8239 0666. •

Date

Bathurst NSW

2/12/2012

Ballarat VIC

2/12/2012

North Lakes QLD

2/12/2012

Eden Golf Club NSW

2/12/2012

Capel WA

5/12/2012

Parkwood QLD

6/12/2012

13th Beach VIC

6/12/2012

Albany WA

7/12/2012

Berri Golf Club SA

8/12/2012

Tewantin Noosa QLD

9/12/2012

Griffith Golf Club NSW

9/12/2012

RACV Royal Pines QLD

12/12/2012

Royal Fremantle WA

14/12/2012

Mt Barker GC SA

16/12/2012

Yamba NSW

16/12/2012

Sanctuary Lakes VIC

20/12/2012

Cardinia Beacon Hills VIC

22/12/2012

Cronulla NSW

7/01/2013

Launceston GC TAS

11/01/2013

Cohuna VIC

12/01/2013

Ulverstone TAS

13/01/2013

Bendigo VIC

13/01/2013

St Michaels NSW

14/01/2013

Toowoomba City QLD

18/01/2013

Box Hill VIC

18/01/2013

Mount Osmond SA

18/01/2013

RACV Healesville VIC

19/01/2013

Federal - ACT

24/01/2013

Dubbo NSW

3/02/2013

Mount Lawley WA

22/01/2013

Long Reef NSW

January

The Auto Club Golf Championship has been approved by Golf Australia for the payment of expenses Rule 4-2g/GA/1/2013

www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

Christmas

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Whether they have been naughty or nice, the golf lover in your family will always appreciate a great golf gift under the tree. Here are some of our favourite picks this year!

WIN A GolfBuddy Platinum

Inside Golf and GolfBuddy are giving away a GolfBuddy Platinum to one lucky reader. To enter, answer the following question: How many languages are available on the GolfBuddy Platinum? (Answer is available at: www.gpsgolfbuddy.com.au/ products/platinum.asp) Once you have the answer, enter at www.insidegolf.com.au/competitions.

GolfBuddy Voice

GolfBuddy Voice heralds an exciting new generation of audio GPS rangefinders. As small as a golf ball yet light enough to be clipped comfortably on the peak of a hat or visor, GolfBuddy Voice gives spoken distances to the centre, front and middle of the green, simply by pressing a button. Weighing just 30 grams and measuring only 4.3cm wide, the multi-lingual GolfBuddy Voice uses GolfBuddy’s Auto Course & Hole Recognition technology – which means it always knows exactly which hole you’re playing. It has a 40,000 course memory, is preloaded with thousands of worldwide courses and connects to a PC via a micro USB port for synching when new courses are added to GolfBuddy’s global database. No subscription fees or course download charges. RRP: $225 www.gpsgolfbuddy.com.au

Comet RC4 Full Remote Control Golf Buggy

The Comet RC4 offers 5 speeds as well as full variable speed control when used in non-remote control mode. The buggy operates with ‘soft turn’ technology -- the wheels slow down when turning to provide a smooth, even motion. The buggy also includes a “pause” button: in non-remote control mode, just push the pause button and the buggy will stop, then push again to resume at the preset speed. The Comet RC4 comes with a Deep Cycle 33ah battery, Auto Cut-off charger, Seat, Sand Bucket Ring, Umbrella holder, Rear Anti-tip wheel and a six-month warranty. The buggy is completely self-serviceable and nothing is hard wired. The entire electrics consist of one controller box (under the battery base plate), two motors and simple handle switches. RRP: $495.00 includes freight to Qld South, NSW, Vic, Tas, SA (contact for freight to other locations). www.condorgolf.com.au (03) 9769 1477

GolfBuddy Platinum

The GolfBuddy Platinum features 40,000 course storage capability, target customisation technology, statistics analysis module, and digital scorecard all packed in a water and shock-resistant case. GolfBuddy Platinum is a fullfeatured rangefinder, making it the most powerful golf GPS device on the market today. With its unique automatic course and hole recognition feature, GolfBuddy Platinum will automatically know which course and hole you are playing. Courses from around the world are preloaded with no annual or activation fees. Just turn it on and play! RRP: $449.95 includes two free accessories www.gpsgolfbuddy.com.au

The Belt

Fayde Fayder Walkshort

Keep cool and fresh this summer with Fayde. Fayde Golf are fast becoming known as market leaders in not only polos and outerwear but also their walkshorts. Massive selection available. In many colours and styles. Look good on and off the course all year round. RRP: Starting at $59.95 www.faydegolf.com 58

Fayde Slider Polo

Featuring Fayde’s super technical freeswing fabric and cut and sew panels front and back. Fayde polos have to be worn to be believed. Their slogan is “Feel the Swing” and it fits perfectly with the feel and cut of these garments. You truly can feel the swing wearing one of these garments. RRP: Starting at a cool and funky $69.95 www.faydegolf.com

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

The Belt is a one-size-fits-all customisable belt. Worn by ALPG, PGA players and leading amateurs, this unisex fashion piece is made from the highest quality silicone. It is safe, waterproof and colour fast. The belt width is 35mm to fit all shorts, skirts and pants. Just cut The Belt with scissors to suit your required length. The buckles are interchange between the belts, allowing you to mix the colours to suit your style. The buckles’ tongue and clamp are also fully interchangeable. The perfect accessory on and off the golf course. 15 great belt colours to choose from and 9 buckle colours. www.distinctivegolf.com.au Contact: 0408 330 800

High Tee Ladies

These stunning, La Casa ball markers contain genuine Swarovski Crystals and come beautifully gift boxed with two markers of your choice and a hat/ lapel clip. They are also available as single sets (one marker plus one clip). Whichever you choose, you are sure to make a good impression with your lady golfing friends and loved ones. You can purchase these and other gifts anytime, without leaving home and they will be delivered quickly to your door. For quality, stylish accessories purchase via online, mail or phone order. www.highteeladies.com.au 0419 501229

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GIFT GUIDE Foremost Golf balls

Foremost Golf Australia has partnered with the biggest OEM golf ball manufacturer in Taiwan to develop premium tour golf balls.

That’s My Ball Golf Ball ID Stamps Give family or friends their very own golf ball ID stamp! All the Pros on tour put an identifying mark on their golf ball, and so should you! Using That’s My Ball™ is easier than trying to freehand a neat design. Over 100 different stock designs to choose from or you can create your own customised design. With prices from $14.95 (stock designs) or $29.95 (customised ID stamps) + p&h, That’s My Ball™ makes the perfect present this Xmas. www.thatsmyball.com.au (03) 9434 6770

Pro Tour X4 With higher compression, the Pro Tour X4 is the ideal choice for golfers with swing speeds higher than 110mph.This four-piece ball is made with a HPF 2000 inner mantle, which generates lower spin off the tee. The design of the X4 is also a great choice for golfers who prefer low flight trajectory. The Pro Tour X4 allows golfers to maximize their swing speed off the tee, while still creating enough spin for control around the greens.

Pro Tour X3 Pro Tour X3 is a mid-compression ball, which is more desired by golfers who prefer the softer feedback. This all-performance ball is made from a progressive ND HighEnergy Core with a Multi Blend Ionomer Mantle. These features allow golfers to reach maximum distances when driving regardless of how fast their swing is. Pro Tour X3 has a superior hitting feel when compared to other golf balls.

RRP: $56/dozen www.foremostgolf.com.au

EMG electric golf buggies

Australian-made EMG electric golf buggies are designed for all golf courses, and to suit all bag sizes. Two models available ST10 (folds down) and ST30 (pulls apart). Features include: 200-watt motor (power), T-Bar handle (speed controller & separate on/ off switch), Smart battery charger, Umbrella holder, 15mm drive axle, Seat box, Ball Race and needle roller bearings, 24 amp/h or upgrade to Sonnenschein gel battery, Injection EMG moulded wheels. Powder Coated (colours available). www.emggolf.com.au 0408 237 933

TaylorMade RocketBladez

FIT39 Glove

The FIT39 glove is designed to fit almost any hand by employing a special multi-directional stretch material and special seam fabrication. The glove fits snugly, regardless of the position or movement of the hand, and maintains a powerful grip and supports the hand firmly, even after extended use. Practically waterproof, nonslip and fully washable, the glove does not fade or stretch out of shape and will not become stiff in your bag. Durable, breathable and long-lasting, it absorbs perspiration and dries quickly, preventing hands from becoming uncomfortably damp. Available in a variety of colours on a black or white base. Sizes SS, S, M, L and XL. Both Left and Right-handed sizes in stock. www.distinctivegolf.com.au Contact: 0408 330 800

RocketBladez’ key new technology is its “Speed Pocket,” inspired by the distance-enhancing benefits of the RocketBallz fairway woods and Rescue clubs. Incorporated into the 3through 7-irons, the Speed Pocket is a 2mm-wide slot in the sole of the iron that flexes and rebounds at impact, increasing the speed of the face to promote faster ball speed, a higher launch angle and a higher, stronger ball flight that lands on a steep, quick-stopping descent angle. The Speed Pocket advantage is especially effective on impacts made low on the face. TaylorMade studies indicate that 68% of iron shots by amateur golfers are mis-hits below the centre of the face. The Speed Pocket helps to significantly increase ball speed and distance on those low-face mis-hits. TaylorMade is also offering a RocketBladez Tour model in February. Unlike other distance irons, the RocketBladez Tour iron delivers consistent distance and is void of “hot spots”on the clubface, to ensure predictability and distance consistency from shot to shot. RRP: $899 for 8 piece (4-P + SW) steel shafts, or $999 graphite shafts. www.taylormadegolf.com.

Sporte Leisure 2012/13 Range Launch

Sporte Leisure have combined the latest style trends with performance properties to make the Summer 2012/13 range for men and women a ‘must have’ for the summer months. Designed in Australia for Australian conditions there is a strong technical emphasis of moisture wicking, UV protection and Anti-Microbial properties in both tops and bottoms. More than 50 brand new styles are available in leading golf apparel stores. RRP: polo’s from $39.95, shorts from $49.95 www.sporte-leisure.com.au (02) 9693 5777

Boomerang Total Putting Solution

The perfect putter, the perfect practice regime and the perfect stroke are now yours for the taking. The Total Putting Solution consists of an EZ-1 Putter, Putting Pro Training Aid, 1.5m ‘Prestwick’ Training Mat, 3m ‘Carnoustie’ Tournament Mat + and an invitation to learn the Boomerang Putting Technique for FREE. Inside Golf uses this unit at home, and we swear by it. Buy a New 2013 Boomerang Total Putting Solution as an early Christmas present and you, or the golfer in your life, can learn the Boomerang Putting Technique anytime in the New Year for FREE! RRP: Total Putting Pack $199 www.boomgolf.com 0435 717 022 www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

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Greg Norman – Bleeker Street

Greg Norman’s new women’s collection is designed with sophistication and intricate details that lend themselves to the avid golfer’s lifestyle on and off the course. Bleeker Street is built on Greg Norman’s lifestyle approach, using cotton blends and moisture wicking fabrics, whilst always maintaining significant performance benefits. This collection contains a mix of sleeveless styles, polo’s, prints and splicing, feminine button and placket detailing and technical moisture wicking stretch shorts. A full range of polo’s, shorts and bottoms in a sophisticated colour palette of Black, Scarlet and White. RRP: from $69.95 www.sporte-leisure.com.au; (02) 9693 5777

2012/13 Sporte Leisure Fashion Ranges

Sporte Leisure Fashion Collection for men and women combine this season’s fashion trends with technology in golf wear design. Utilising a blend of high quality performance elements and the latest fabrics and colours, the Summer 2012/13 fashion collection brings together the ultimate range that is perfect on and off the course. The range includes a wide variety of fabrics including Dri-Sporte with moisture wicking benefits and Flex Sporte for performance stretch and comfort. Full range of polo’s and shorts. RRP: Prices start from $59.95 for polo’s and $69.95 for shorts. www.sporte-leisure.com.au; (02) 9693 5777

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

Christmas Niblick Crossover Shoe Range

Niblick is proud to launch the new 2012 Crossover range in the tradition of the famous Niblick Walker. Jump straight out of the car onto the course for a quick nine holes at the end of the day. The design of the Niblick Crossover grass sport sole has excellent grip driving off the tee, and is perfect on hard or soft surfaces. Heavily padded tongue and double insole makes these shoes comfortable for all occasions. Three great designs. RRP from $49.95 to $79.95 As comfortable as a NIBLICK Proudly distributed by Sporte Leisure, call (02) 9693 5777 for stockist information www.niblick.com.au

Microfibre Niblick Shoe

With over 100 years perfecting its Comfort Fit Technology, the 2012 range of Niblick microfibre golf shoes are the preferred golf shoes for fit, stability and weather protection. The six new models are made from the new SHEILD System Microfibre. Ultra-light weight with superior breathability, SHEILD System Microfibre is designed to shield your feet from the weather while giving ultimate comfort. This revolutionary material is easy to clean and super soft with an EEE last for superior fit and comfort. But the technology doesn’t stop there. The new RAPTOR TPU sole features four separate layers for extra comfort and stability and utilisers superior “Champ” Stinger III cleats for grip. Finish with a 12 month waterproof warranty and this shoe has every feature any golfer could ask for! RRP $89.95 As comfortable as a NIBLICK Proudly distributed by Sporte Leisure, call (02) 9693 5777 for stockist information www.niblick.com.au

Niblick Horizon Golf Shoe

The 2012 Horizon shoe from Niblick is the preferred golf shoe for fit, stability and weather protection. The Horizon is a lightweight soft leather upper shoe with a revolutionary new Rubber/TPU sole that reduces the weight yet maintains the strength. The wide EEE last combines with the super soft foot bed and innersole to provide Niblick comfort. The Horizon uses a combination of a rubber nibbed sole with the superior “Stinger III” cleat from Champ with the quick fast twist fitting for great traction and stability. Add to this a 2 year waterproof warranty via a full boot lining and this shoe ticks all of the boxes. Available in White with a Nubuck Tan trim, and Classic White with Black trim. RRP: $119.95 As comfortable as a NIBLICK Proudly distributed by Sporte Leisure call (02) 9693 5777 for stockist information www.niblick.com.au

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GIFT GUIDE PING Anser® Adjustable Driver

The Anser adjustable driver enables golfers to fine-tune trajectory through a combination of loft adjustment and shaft selection. Players can add or subtract ½ degree of loft and also choose one of four high-performance shafts to fit their swing profile -- a process called Trajectory Tuning™ Technology. The shafts are the PING TFC 800D, Aldila Phenom, Fujikura Blur Red, and the Mitsubishi Diamana ‘ahina. They vary in weight, stiffness profile, and the trajectory they deliver. A PING torque wrench is used to add or subtract 1/2° of loft beyond the standard settings of 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5°, and 12°. The adjustable hosel is lightweight and small in diameter to maintain the size and look of PING’s traditional fixed hosel. RRP: $500.00 per club

PING Anser® Adjustable Fairway Woods

The Anser adjustable fairway wood features Trajectory Tuning Technology for adding or subtracting ½ degree of loft to the standard setting. To maximize distance and accuracy, the 17-4 stainless steel head has more surface area low on the clubface to make sure the ball contacts the club properly on the face. A rear sole weight optimizes the CG to promote a slightly lower, more penetrating ball flight with low spin, which adds distance and elevates the MOI across the face. The back of the sole is tapered to provide extra relief and ensure clean contact, even from tight lies, uneven lies, and light rough. Fairway woods available: 3-wood (14.5º), 4-wood (16.5º), and 5-wood (18.5º) with plus or minus ½ degree of loft adjustment Shaft: TFC 800F graphite (Soft R, R, S, X) RRP: $330.00 per club

PING Anser® Hybrids

Progressive CG locations in the 17-4 stainless steel Anser hybrids promote high launch and improved accuracy so players of all abilities can gain added distance and control. Through internal and external weighting, CG positions vary in the four loft options to produce the desired trajectory for extra distance and improved accuracy. In the lower-lofted hybrids, the CG is slightly lower and farther back for higher launch and optimal spin. The higherlofted hybrids have a more forward CG position to optimize launch conditions. The traditionally shaped head is larger to increase MOI and inspire confidence. Hybrids available: 17°, 20°, 23°, and 27°. Shaft: TFC 800H graphite (Soft R, R, S, X) RRP: $300.00 per club

An 8620 steel body combines with a dense tungsten weight and internal cavity above the sole positioned close to the face to optimize the CG and elevate MOI. Predictable ball flights are achieved through progressive stabilizing bar technology. In the long irons, the bars angle out wider and are thinner, lowering the CG to launch the ball high. The bars get increasingly vertical and thicker through the shorter irons for more controlled, penetrating trajectories with high spin. A progressive set design makes it easy to launch the ball higher with the long irons and lower with the short irons for precise, consistent shot making. Larger long irons promote forgiveness and higher launch; heads progress to smaller short irons for more control. Machined face and grooves. Shaft options: Project X (5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5) or TFC 800i (Soft R, R, and S) Irons available: 3-PW RRP: $230.00 per club, steel or graphite shaft

PING Serene™ Women’s Irons/Hybrids

PING Tour Wedges

Gorge™ Groove Technology and multiple sole -width options maximize control and consistency. The grooves are milled at PING’s facility in Phoenix, Arizona, to hold extremely tight tolerances that ensure a groove size and shape that provides golfers maximum spin. The 17-4 stainless steel wedges are available in three sole widths: thin sole (TS), for tight lies, firm conditions and shallower swings; wide sole (WS), for soft conditions, from bunkers, and steeper angle of attack, and the standard sole (SS), for most turf conditions. Wedges available: 47º (SS), 50º (SS), 52º (SS), 54º (SS, WS), 56º (SS, WS), 58º (SS, WS, TS), and 60º (SS, WS, TS). Steel shaft: CFS (Soft R, R, S, and X) Graphite shaft: TFC 169i (L, Soft R, R and S) RRP: $170.00 per club w/steel shaft; $200.00 per club w/ graphite shaft.

PING Anser® Forged Irons

PING Serene™ Women’s Driver

The Serene driver’s large, forgiving head, expansive hitting surface, and high-balance-point shaft (lengthened ½” to 45” as standard) offer women longer, more accurate tee shots. Ultrathin-crown technology in the wideprofile 460cc head utilizes Ti 3-1-1-1 to create discretionary weight that was used to optimize the CG and elevate forgiveness. The lowest portion of the clubface is wide to ensure solid contact and maintain distance and accuracy, even on mis-hits. Using a high-balance-point shaft allowed the shaft to be lengthened, without increasing swing weight, for added distance. Drivers available: 10.5°, 12° and 14° Shaft options: PING ULT 210D Ladies graphite, Lite (49g), Ultra Lite (42g) RRP: $350.00 per club

PING Serene™ Women’s Fairway Woods

With the optimized CG and spin rate provided by the Serene 17-4 stainless steel fairway woods, women will be more confident – and longer – off the tee and off the ground. An external weight pad in the wideprofile head positions the CG back and slightly lower to produce high launch and increase the MOI in both axes. Keeping the CG from being too low helps produce moderate spin, which increases carry distance and roll for slower swing speeds. Fairway woods available: 3-wood (18°), 5-wood (22°), and 7-wood (26°) Shaft options: PING ULT 210F Ladies graphite, Lite (47g), Ultra Lite (40g) RRP: $255.00 per club

In the Serene iron/hybrid sets, women can blend 4H (22°), 5H (26°) and 6H (30°) hybrids with perimeter-weighted 17-4 stainless steel irons to launch the ball higher for longer results throughout the set while ensuring optimal distance gaps. In the irons, a deep CG and perimeter weighting increase the launch angle and elevate the MOI. The iron’s wide sole carves easily through the grass to launch the ball high and straight, even from the toughest lies. The traditionally shaped hybrids are larger and the CG is back and lower to achieve high launch with moderate spin to maximize distance in slower swing speeds. Irons/hybrids available: 5-9, PW, SW & LW Shaft options: PING ULT 210i Ladies graphite, Lite (51g), Ultra Lite (44g) RRP: 140 per club Hybrids sold separately: 4H, 5H & 6H Shaft options: PING ULT 210H Ladies graphite, Lite (58g), Ultra Lite (50g) RRP: $210 per club

PING i20™ Irons

Multi-metal technology in a progressive set design. The long irons are slightly larger, high launching, and more forgiving. The smaller short irons feature less offset and provide exceptional control. Stabilizing bars and a thicker face ensure precise distance control and a solid feel. Tungsten toe weights in the 17-4 stainless steel heads elevate forgiveness. An innovative design gives golfers full command of the clubface for controlling trajectory and shot shape. A low-glare satin chrome finish and ferrule offer a clean, high-performance look. Combined with PING’s new CFS (Control, Feel, Stability) steel shaft, the i20 optimizes feel and trajectories. Available 3-9, PW, UW, SW, LW Stock steel shaft: PING® CFS® (Soft R, R, S and X flexes) Stock graphite shaft: TFC 169i (L, Soft R, R and S flexes) RRP: $140 per club w/steel shaft; $170 per club w/graphite shaft

www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

Shop instore or online at

drummondgolf.com

s a m X t a e r G s t f i G g n Golfi

! W O N T U O E U G O L A T CA Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t decide? d r a C t f i G f l o G d n o m m u r D a e v i G

Shop instore or online at drummondgolf.com

Christmas Shark Qwik-Fold MK11 3-Wheel Buggies

The SHARK Qwik-Fold MKII buggies come in a three- and four-wheel version which utilise a patented push button technology to fold or unfold in one second with one press. On the course the sturdy construction is easy to move around with its fully adjustable handle, so your grip is always at a comfortable height. The low-profile wide tyre wheels with precision bearings and features like the umbrella holder with its own storage clip, foot brake, bungee bag straps, drink holder, and card holder with a built in storage compartment and you’re ready for the course. Also now available is a deluxe seat that fits all Qwik-Fold 3 wheel buggies at only $79.95 Available in five colours RRP: $199 www.sharkgolf.com.au

Motocaddy S1

The world’s favourite electric trolley, the Motocaddy S1 has picked up numerous awards from leading golf magazines since it was first introduced. The lightweight frame, simple features and unsurpassed reliability make it popular with golfers of all ages and abilities because of its simple operation. Features - Nine speed settings, Speed indicator, Battery meter, Easy fold mechanism, Adjustable bag supports, Ergonomic handle, Digital control, Universal battery tray, Whisper quiet motor, Low-profile wheels, Deluxe pocket seat, Sand bucket loop. Available in Black, Titanium, and White with 21ah, 28ah, or lithium battery. RRP: from $799 www.motocaddy.com/au

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GIFT GUIDE

Motocaddy S3 Pro

The flagship S3 trolley has won numerous accolades and the new S3 PRO looks set to be another winner, as the world’s most feature-packed golf trolley. All the popular features of the S3 Digital are retained - such as distance measurements and control, USB charging port and CartLock pin code but the addition of‘round’and‘lost ball’ timers make it even better. Features Distance measurements (drive, round, life), Adjustable distance control (up to 60 yards), Patented USB charging port, Battery meter, CartLock security pin code, Lost ball timer, Round timer, Clock, Easy fold mechanism, Nine speed settings, Full colour screen, Competition mode, Non-glare matte finish, Whisper quiet motor, Low-profile wheels, Deluxe pocket seat, Sand bucket loop. Available in Black, Titanium, and White with 21ah, 28ah, or lithium battery. RRP: from $999 www.motocaddy.com/au

Caddyrack Pro

Caddyrack Pro has redefined golf bag function and design with Soft Grip technology. The genuine organisation offered by the system is obvious but the protection offered is outstanding. The shafts of the irons make no contact with either the golf bag or other clubs making the system especially suitable for graphite shafted irons. The heads of conventional irons automatically make gentle 3-point contact in soft, uniquely shaped partitions, and are restrained in every direction except removal. Kahma Golf has integrated this Softgrip Technology into specially-designed range of Kahma Golf Bags to take full advantage of the technology. www.kahmagolf.com

Cleveland 588® RTX™ CB Wedges

Cleveland’s 588 RTX CB Wedges combine the legendary performance of 588 with added forgiveness and the breakthrough Rotex Face – Cleveland Golf’s most advanced spin technology ever. Developed closely with tour players, the U-Grooves are more precise and 16% larger to maximize spin on critical scoring shots – especially out of the rough, sand and in wet conditions. The directionally milled face Rotex pattern adds roughness and imparts maximum spin on open-face wedge shots where impact tends to be closer to the toe. RRP $139

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Classic Collection™ HB Putters

Classic Collection HB Putters combine traditional designs with softer, more responsive feel than ever before. A new and improved Winn grip offers soft texture and responsive feedback. A slightly deeper CNC milling pattern on the face promotes a softer feel at impact for more control. Heel-Toe weighting maximizes Moment of Inertia for minimal distance loss on off-center hits. Classic Collection™ HB putters are available in four standard-length versions (#1, #3, #7, #10) RRP: $99 Belly version is available in four different lengths – including a 39” Almost Belly RRP: $149

GIFT GUIDE

Srixon Q-Star

The Srixon Q-Star is designed for players who are looking for an all-ability ball with STAR performance. The process of precisely tuning the ball’s STAR performance (Spin, Trajectory, Acceleration and Responsiveness) during development enhances total playability on every shot, allowing you to shoot lower scores. The Q-STAR is the perfect combination of distance off the tee and spin control around the green. Coupled with its superior soft feel and visual performance of Pure White and Tour Yellow, the new Q-STAR is Srixon’s most advanced 2-piece ball to date. RRP: $39.00

Srixon Softfeel

The Soft Feel has a resilient core that gets progressively softer toward its centre, while the Pana-Tetra® blended cover delivers greater ball speed and lower spin off the driver for incredible distance and amazing soft feel. The higher trajectory and greater lift force make high, long ball flights effortless for golfers of all abilities. The “Hit Straight” alignment aid provides a clear line toward the intended target, putting more fun back into your game. RRP: $35.00

Sandbaggers

Sandbaggers was founded 25 years ago in the U.S.A. and has only recently been introduced into the Australian market. Sandbaggers shoes have been designed for barefoot comfort, casual walk shoes, and for golf. Wearing socks isn’t necessary. They have built-in orthotics that promotes stability and reduces athletic fatigue in your feet. The flexible grip soles are light-weight and flexible and offer fair-weather traction both on and off the course. www.sandbaggers.com.au

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December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

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GIFT GUIDE

Parmaker

Parmaker has been building golf mobility vehicles for over 30 years. Over that time they’ve honed their designs to such perfection that they are unmatched for sturdiness and reliability. To prove this, Parmaker offers you a 5 year extended warranty on all their buggies, including their biggest seller – The Scout (pictured). Built 100% from the ground-up in their Melbourne factory, The Scout is unmatched for quality and value retailing for just $795 (excludes battery and charger, but includes Australia-wide delivery). If you trade-in your old buggy you’ll save an additional $100 on this price. www.parmaker.com

Sporty Girls Gear

Set to take the course this summer is the new range of ladies golf skirts from Sporty Girls Gear. Two fresh designs, Treehugger and Blue Pixel, both with built-in fitted shorts underneath for complete comfort. Skirt is made from high quality performance fabrics and includes two velcro side storage pockets for tees, markers or balls. Designed with hues of blue, purple, and black the colours are bold and bright. Look and feel great on the golf course this summer in the NEW Golf skirt from Sporty Girls Gear. Available in sizes 10-16 RRP $65 www.sportygirlsgear.com.au 0409 748 647

Royal Albartross

If you’re looking for the definition of luxurious sports footwear, the answer is right here – Royal Albartross. Even the golfer who has everything might not have the world’s most luxurious Italian made golf shoe! Royal Albartross golf shoes are 100% leather. This provides the wearer with a unique style and comfort that every golfer deserves. Leather upper with interior waterproof membrane provides protection, and is 100% Waterproof. The leather/rubber sole comes with 7 Q-Lok cleats that enhances stability and the finishing touch is the stainless steel ball marker that sits on the right shoe just below the laces. Each pair of shoes are handmade and takes over 70 hours to make. Royal Albartross golf shoes are available to purchase from their Australian partner retailer Jones & Berkley. Free Shipping within Australia. RRP: $595 Men’s styles; $545 Women’s styles www.jonesandberkley.com Toll free 1300 663 531

Wood Retractable Golf Divot/Pitch Tool

The world’s first retractable golf wood tool. Available in 5 colours, light weight timber design, water proof and sturdy. Handmade to perfection. Retracts open like a modern car key ring when in use. It does not put holes in your pocket and comes with a personalised ball marker or range of standard images. Can also be used as a club rest. Simple to use, easy and safe to keep, just press the button to release the unique golf repair tool. Have fun while protecting the greens. Makes a great corporate gift. www.distinctivegolf.com.au or email Peter@distinctivegolf.com.au

Summer Special @ Riverside Oaks Golf Resort

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Take advantage of the longer evenings - Tee off after 2pm for more information contact our team on (02) 4560 3200 Corporate, Social & Competition Golf. Accommodation - Weddings - Conferences - Functions - Celebrations

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

$20

In terms of scenic beauty, the Mid-North Coast and the Northern Rivers of New South Wales are unsurpassed. And when it comes to golf, this stretch of NSW manages to combine the attraction of a resort golf destination with the charm of friendly local clubs.

Bonville’s 17th hole

233 Byangum Road Murwillumbah NSW Phone (02) 6672 1799

www.murwillumbahgolfclub.com.au

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Open Comp - Friday & Sunday Mens - Wednesday & Saturday Ladies - Tuesday & Thursday Veterans - Monday Social golf 7 days Motorised golf carts Golf Academy

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Large function room Hot Wok & Grill Chinese & Australian resturant Licenced Bar, TAB & Keno Kids Play station area Friday night members draw & raffles Huge Veranda coming soon. www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

travel Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club

Bonville’s 18th fairway & clubhouse

JUST 10 minutes from the Coffs Harbour Airport, Bonville Golf Resort is nestled at the foot of the Great Dividing Range on the beautiful Coffs Coast. Voted “Australia’s Leading Golf Resort” in 2006, 2011 and 2012 by the World Travel Awards, the par-72 championship golf course rises and dips through the serene and beautiful layout with each fairway private from the next. Bonville’s restaurant The Flooded Gums has been awarded 1 “Chef’s Hat” in the 2013 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, making Australia’s first and only golf course/golf resort to be awarded a highly regarded and sought after “Hat”. The golf course, which has that Augusta National look about it, has impeccably manicured fairways and greens set against a breathtaking backdrop of colour and tall timber. The golf course boasts magnificent tall flooded gums while Augusta has pines.

The 470m par-5 seventh hole is a definite birdie opportunity while the 404m par-4 12th is arguably the toughest hole on the course. Almost every hole has that wow-factor, but the second, fourth and 15th are feature holes. The golf course has that intimate charm that gives the feeling you have the place to yourself. There are virtually no parallel holes and although there are other groups out there, you hardly ever see them. Accommodation is on-site and all of the recently refurbished rooms enhance their modern conveniences further enabling guests to relax and unwind taking in the beautiful surrounds. Recreational facilities include three-floodlit tennis courts, 30-metre rock lap pool and rainforest walks. Once guests have experienced the beauty and allure of Bonville Golf Resort they usually want to return. Bonville runs many in-house golf events including four-day pairs’ events, single day events and events specifically designed for women each year.

Both have conquered the sensational Ballina layout… can you?

For further details contact: Ballina Golf and Sports Club (02) 6686 2766 admin@ballinagolfclub.com.au

www.ballinagolfclub.com.au 68

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club

YOU will never hear a member of Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club complaining. That’s because the members are spoilt for choice with two first-class golf courses on which to play. In addition, they have a clubhouse on three levels plus mezzanine. 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. The club’s entire 101 hectares is a dedicated nature reserve and last year both courses, the River Course and the West Course, were ranked in Australia’s top100 public access golf courses. All 36 holes offer great golfing challenges – relaxing but testing, gently undulating to flat, wide fairways

✁

“Norman won here” “Senior won here”

To be find out about Bonville events and the award-winning resort, call (02) 6653 4002 or visit their website www.bonvillegolf.com.au

guarded by groves of well-established trees and plenty of bunkers and water hazards to keep golfers’ minds on their game. A small rainforest in the middle of the River Course is home to an abundance of goannas and bird life, generations of which have happily shared their lush riverside habitat with golfers. A round at Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club is a fraction of the cost of many Gold Coast courses and is available all year round. The savings made can be used to enjoy some of the other great facilities available at the club. There is a restaurant, bars and entertainment at the club seven-days-a-week. When all the features of Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club are taken into account – two outstanding courses, reasonable price and unbeatable location – it is easy to see why it is regarded by many as one of the best-optioned courses in the region. To book a round of golf, contact Coolangatta and Tweed Heads Golf Club on (07) 5524-5545.

MateS RateS SuMMeR Special !!!

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Bonville Golf Resort

18 Holes Motorised Buggy Hire *$30 per person !!! Conditions: Special price applies to groups of 2 only. Bookings essential to be made through the Pro Shop. Subject to availability. Not valid for competition play. Original voucher must be presented to receive special price. Vouchers valid from 1 December 2012 – 28 February 2013.

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travel

The 9th hole at Ballina Golf Club

Ballina Golf and Sports Club

SITUATED on the Far North Coast of NSW, less than an hour’s drive from the Gold Coast is the stunning Ballina Golf Course. Known for its award-winning gardens, which are a visual delight for members and visitors alike, the layout is the “Garden Course” of the Northern Rivers. The popular Ballina destination is an easywalking, tree-lined course with lush fairways complemented with true and consistent greens that are a pleasure to putt on. The area is fortunate to experience cooling ocean breezes in summer that definitely enhance your golfing experience. Heavily steeped in tradition, the club proudly celebrated its centenary in 2008. From inaugural pro-am winner Greg Norman in 1976 to this year’s champion and course record holder Steven Jones, the Ballina course has hosted many outstanding golfers, including Rodger Davis,

Ocean Shores Wayne Grady, and Peter Senior just to name a few. The recently renovated modern and airconditioned clubhouse provides all the usual conveniences for members and visitors including full bar facilities, Keno, a well-appointed gaming lounge and quality Chinese and contemporary meals in the Asian Green Restaurant. Kiosk facilities are also available. Access to Ballina has never been easier with regular flights for interstate and Sydney travellers. And it’s only a short drive from the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Whether it’s for the day, a weekend or even longer, a visit will not disappoint. The Ballina Golf and Sports Club provides an immaculate golf course that presents an enjoyable challenge for all levels of players. The course has been a hidden gem for far too long. For more information, telephone (02) 68662766, email admin@ballinagolfclub.com.au or visit www.ballinagolfclub.com.au

Ocean Shores Golf Course

LOCATED in a remote seaside setting, Ocean Shores Country Club is one of Australia’s hidden gems. Rated one of the 20 best courses in NSW, Ocean Shores is a test of golf that will challenge all levels of golfers. Designed by Bruce Devlin and Robert von Hagge in 1972, the golf course has many unique features including enormous greens. The total area of all 18 greens is 13,000 square metres with the fifth green alone taking up 1100 square metres. The 18-hole championship layout comprises six par-3s, six par-4s and six par-5s with the longest stretching to 556 metres. The lush fairways and pristine greens set against a background of bushland and sparkling lakes makes it one of the most spectacular golf courses in Australia. Visitors with a club handicap are welcome to play in club competitions. Players looking for a social game should take

advantage of the $49 (per player) mid-week package, which includes 18 holes of golf, hire cart and lunch. In 1980, the Blue Marker Challenge was introduced to challenge golfers and with the course set up for tournament play it was a true test of character. The Blue Marker Challenge continues and is played on the last Friday of every month. If you are up for a challenge, book in for the next “bluey” and if you happen to play to or better your handicap the club will give you a dozen golf balls. Other events include: medley comp every Monday; ladies comp every Tuesday; men’s comp every Wednesday; veterans comp every Thursday ($16); Blue Marker last Friday of each month ($29); men’s and ladies comp every Saturday and Sunday mixed comp every second Sunday ($18). Play-and-stay packages are available through the Pacific Palms Motel. Visitors and social groups are welcome on Saturdays.

Bonville Golf Resort Stay, dine and play at ‘Australia’s Leading Golf Resort’*. All accommodation rooms at Bonville overlook the picturesque 1st fairway. Dine in The Flooded Gums Restaurant, Australia’s 1st & only golf resort/course restaurant to win a prestigious ‘Chef’s Hat’*. Play the 18hole Championship golf course voted ‘The most beautiful golf course on mainland Australia’*. Located only 10mins south of the Coffs Harbour airport & CBD. *As voted by the World Travel Awards 2006, 2011 & 2012 *As voted by the SMH Good Food Guide 2013 *As voted by The Golf Course Guide 2002 - 2013

Beautiful course with bent grass greens Open competitions Thursday & Saturday Social Groups a Specialty North Bonville Rd, Bonville Toll Free: 1300 722 444 www.bonvillegolf.com.au

Whiskey Creek Road, Dorrigo NSW 2453 Ph (02) 6657 2294

www.dorrigorslgolf.com.au www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

travel Murwillumbah Golf Club

Byron Bay Golf Club Ocean Shores is located just north of Brunswick Heads, 30 minutes south of Coolangatta and 15 minutes north of Byron Bay. Chris Graham and his staff handle all golf bookings and enquiries. The pro shop has the latest in golfing technology to enhance your game, but if a new club is not the answer then lessons are available. For information or bookings contact the pro shop on (02) 6680-1247 or visit the website www.oceanshorescc.com.au

Murwillumbah Golf Club

MT WARNING and its neighbouring ranges provide a dramatic backdrop to one of the most popular and challenging 18-hole golf courses in Northern Rivers of NSW – Murwillumbah. Sometimes words like “hidden gem” are overused, but not when it comes to Murwillumbah golf course. Located 90 minutes from Brisbane’s CBD and 20 minutes from Coolangatta Airport,

Murwillumbah is popular with professionals and amateurs alike. In fact, Scott Gardiner, who will play on the US PGA Tour in 2013, once held the course record there. The par-71 championship course is one of the most challenging and aesthetically pleasing golf courses in the area and rates up there with the typical Gold Coast courses, but at half the price. Both membership and green fees are affordable for social, average or elite golfers. Green fees for visitors start at $25 and full membership is just $688.45 with no joining fee. The golf club has opened a coaching facility, which is run by AAA-rated PGA professional Graeme Trew. The facility includes an undercover hitting area, pay-for-ball service and specialised coaching from Trew. The golf club recently upgraded and increased the number of carts to 25, which makes it an attractive venue for social clubs and groups at affordable prices.

Murwillumbah Golf Club also runs a Back Marker Challenge for golfers who love a challenge. The golf course is ideal for those who want to test their skills, particularly as the course is set up off the back plates with tight pins. Of course, there are some great prizes up for grabs. The golf club welcomes guests and visitors. Anyone interested in a great day out, telephone Murwillumbah on (02) 6672-4200 or go to www.murwillumbahgolfclub.com.au

Byron Bay Golf Club

THE Byron Bay Golf Club offers great value with green fees starting from as low as $45. The club says the chances of finding a better bargain for golf in the region are remote. The course is located near the ocean and the sound and smell of the surf is never far away on any hole. The layout offers some subtle and severe elevation changes, a great mix of medium to long par-3s and beautifully manicured Bermuda

fairways and greens set among tall gum trees. The par-3 holes are outstanding, starting with the short downhill third with a green guarded by two pot bunkers, one with a set of stairs leading into it. Often you will spot a rare red wallaby grazing near the hole. The 155m 14th hole is one of the recent redesigned greens and is a beauty. The green runs diagonally from left to right and is surrounded by swales, bunkers and Dune grasses, which make it both an attractive hole and a difficult target. The 318m par-4 sixth is a severe, semi-blind dogleg to the left. It’s a sporty hole where tee shots need to be hit to the end of the fairway to get a clear view of the green past the hillside on the corner of the dogleg. The view from the elevated tee on the next hole is exhilarating and entices golfers to take out the driver to get some “hang time” to hit the snaking, wide fairway.

Port Macquarie Golf Club Home of the Annual Seaside Classic

Social Tee Times Available Daily – Twilight Rate $12

Port Macquarie’s best championship course Ocean Drive, Port Macquarie, NSW 2444 Telephone: (02) 6582 0409 • Pro Shop: (02) 6582 0784

www.portmacquariegolf.com.au 70

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

travel C.ex Urunga Golf Club

Emerald Downs Golf Course The 485m par-5 18th is another of the redesigned holes. It starts with a wide fairway before some decision-making is required to set up the best angle of attack. Avoid the fairway bunker 100m short of the green by laying up down the left or attack and carry the bunker to get close to the putting surface. The green is set against the side of a hill surrounded by grass, sand bunkers and swales and is a good finishing hole. The club boasts a popular restaurant offering spectacular views across the golf course and to the lighthouse. The golf club is located approximately 5kms south of the CBD on Broken Head Road. For information, call (02) 6685 6470 or www.byronbaygolfclub.com.au

Emerald Downs Golf Course

THERE aren’t too many golf courses where koalas can hold up play.

Well, it’s a regular occurrence at Emerald Downs Golf Course – Port Macquarie’s newest golf course just minutes from the CBD. The privately-owned public course is exclusively open for social play and welcomes locals, visitors and social clubs. The 18-hole par-70 course, which stretches to 5181m for men and 4563m for women, is nestled in the midst of the exclusive Emerald Downs Residential Estate. It’s a quiet, secluded parkland-style course where golfers play alongside abundant native wildlife including koalas. Emerald Downs is an easy walking course with a good mix of par-3s, 4s and 5s. The par3s are glorious, especially the 170m 18th, which requires a solid tee shot over one of the massive lakes to a slightly raised green. As one of the signature holes on the course, it can destroy a scorecard. Featuring a mix of picturesque scenery, most

of the holes are straight and wide so it’s relatively safe to use driver. A few of the doglegs – notably the par-5 fifth – will require careful club selection and course management if you want any hope of par. Emerald Downs offers more than just a game of golf. The clubhouse commands sweeping views of the fairways. Other benefits include electric golf carts, a large range of golf equipment, hire equipment and free BBQ facilities for social golfing groups. It’s the perfect place to sit and unwind after a challenging round. Emerald Downs Golf Course is a favourite with visiting international and touring golfing enthusiasts. That’s because of its diverse degrees of difficulty. Emerald Downs guarantees fantastic photographic opportunities and the chance to get up close to the resident wildlife. Of course, the “Augusta-style” rock bridge has become a feature for wedding photographers.

The 18-hole golf course offers a wonderful experience with enough golf variety to entice you back again … and again. For information, telephone (02) 6582-6120 or www.emeralddowns.com.au

C.ex Urunga Golf Club

LOCATED 20 minutes south of Coffs Harbour rests the seaside village of Urunga, which boasts a charming old-world feeling, anonymous to the commercialism witnessed along the north coast of New South Wales. Incredibly, the village centre is only a five-minute drive from the Pacific Highway turnoff. Many people have suggested a feeling of entering a time warp, such is the tranquillity associated with the town. Nestled alongside the Kalang River at Urunga, lies a picturesque nine-hole layout, which caters for all levels of golfers. While the original site retained a banana crop, the golf course’s condition offers good lies and playability from start to finish.

Emerald Downs Golf Course “Port Macquarie’s Newest 18 Hole Course”

Motorised Carts Visitors & soCial Groups WelCoMe Free BBQ area

Emerald Drive, Port Macquarie Ph. (02) 65826120

emeralddowns@bigpond.com www.emeralddowns.com.au

www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

travel Camden Haven Golf Club

Wauchope Country Club The signature ninth hole at C.ex Urunga, known as “The Hill”, is a challenging 120m par-3 straight uphill with out-of-bounds a real threat for a mishit shot. This hole proves difficult golf holes don’t need to rely on length alone. The 5433m course (par-70 for men and par-72 women) offers a variety of challenges including water hazards, doglegs and different tee locations when playing 18 holes. Available for social play throughout the week, the club offers a daylight saving discount rate every afternoon from 3pm. Urunga Golf Club offers great value to social golfers by offering a complementary snack or beverage for group bookings or those who play as a four. After the round, head for the clubhouse and experience what is arguably the most serenely spectacular outlook of any golf club in Australia. The uninterrupted view over the mouths of the Kalang and Bellinger Rivers entering the Pacific Ocean are magnificent.

Visitors are also welcome to enjoy the club’s other facilities including croquet lawns, tennis courts and squash courts. Lui’s Restaurant serves a wide selection of Asian and Australian cuisine and is the perfect place for a leisurely lunch while enjoying panoramic views. C.ex Urunga Golf Club may be the smallest club among the C.ex group of clubs, but the locals strongly suggest it’s the jewel of the C.ex crown. For information, telephone (02) 6655-6161 or the website www.cex.com.au/play/golf/index

Wauchope Country Club

WAUCHOPE Country Club is the home of golf and bowls in the Hastings area. Started in 1926, the club is situated in the centre of the busy hinterland township 20 minutes’ drive from the thriving coastal tourist destination of Port Macquarie.

One of the nice things about the club is you can sit back in comfort and watch the golfers in action while enjoying refreshments. The club also offers dining from its tasty menu selections. The dining and bar facilities are open seven-days-a-week in the newly-renovated modern clubhouse. “So many of our guests comment on the high standard of our golf course,” a club spokesperson said. “That’s testament to the ongoing dedication and hard work of our superintendent and greens staff.” In 1988, the clubhouse almost burnt to the ground, but since then there have been many transformations. Rebuilt in 1989, the club has gone ahead in leaps and bounds with membership more than doubling to 900 members. Visitors are welcome to play the course and enjoy the facilities every day of the week

“We have a distinct reputation as being a friendly club,” the spokesperson said. “Our picturesque 18-hole golf course has some of the best greens in the state. “We are home to the NSW PGA 36-hole BDM and Wauchope Real Estate Pro-Am. “We also have the privilege of retaining the services of our professional Clark Joyce and Jason Taylor who manage the On-Course, fully stocked pro shop. “Both professionals are fully qualified fitting specialists, who can correctly fit your next set of clubs to suit your game. “The pro shop also has package sets to suit all levels of golfers with attention from experienced golf professionals.” Currently, the club is offering six and 12-monthly memberships. There is no joining fee. For information, call the pro shop on ( 0 2 ) 6 5 8 5 - 3 8 8 5 or v i s it t h e we b s it e www.wauchopecountryclub.co.au

WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA’S ONLY ISLAND GOLF COURSE at Nambucca Heads on the Coffs Coast of NSW. The 18 hole course located on Stuart Island is rated one of the most scenic courses on the North Coast of NSW, a true test of your golfing skills. The Nambucca Heads Island Golf Club venue surrounded by the picture perfect Nambucca River, is the sensational location for wedding receptions, conference venues, and function room facilities. Rivers Family Restaurant at Nambucca Heads Island Golf Club is the ideal venue for family, social, function and corporate gatherings. Plus a fully equipped Pro Shop with sensational prices, lessons, cart & club hire.

NAMBUCCA HEADS ISLAND GOLF CLUB Stuart Island, Nambucca Heads 2448 GPS 153°0’10”E, 30°38’32”S Enquire (02) 6569 4111 Pro Shop (02) 6568 8172 secretary@namgolf.com • www.namgolf.com

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

travel The 7th Hole at Port Macquarie Golf Club

Camden Haven Golf Club (Kew Country Club)

OVER the past 18 months, the Camden Haven Golf Club has been undergoing a facelift and by all accounts members, guests and visitors are thrilled with the results. “From the moment you drive through the new entrance, you start to realise that the aim of the club’s governing body is to provide a great recreational facility for patrons to enjoy,” said Laurieton United Services Club (LUSC) general manager Robert Dwyer, who also manages the golf club. Two new all-weather synthetic bowling greens have been added to the facility, which boasts a quality 18-hole golf course stretching to 5700m. “ There’s been a massive continuous improvement program, with new works being done almost every week following the amalgamation of the two clubs,” Dwyer added.

The club’s excellent staff and many volunteers supported the services club’s huge investment in the property. In order to improve the club’s marketing opportunities members recently approved changing the club’s name from Camden Haven Golf Club to Kew Country Club. Located 30 minutes south of Port Macquarie and 40 minutes north of Taree, the clubhouse at Kew is only 80m from the Pacific Highway. “If you are visiting the Mid-North Coast and are playing in the Port/Taree/ Wauchope area, this course is a hidden treasure not to be missed,” Dwyer said. “From the time we took over the golf club, we have taken the view that we wanted to make sure the golf club, with its three bowling greens, would be one of the premier sporting and community facilities on the Mid-North Coast. The upgrades and improvements include seven new tee blocks, landscaping to most tees

and fairways, drainage and water management with over 150 metres of major drainage pipe installed and over 700 metres of aggie pipe lines, cart paths, practice and warm-up facilities (nets and short-game area). Improvements to the driving range are on the drawing board. Dwyer said the clubhouse improvements include a new bar, TAB, equipment and members’ facilities. It costs $375 to be a member of the club with pay by the month options. There is no joining fee. Beginner golfers will benefit from a membership drive and open group lessons. For more, call the pro shop on (02) 6559-4596 or go to www.camdenhavengolfclub.com.au

Port Macquarie Golf Club

IN the heart of Hastings is the region’s oldest and most highly regarded golf course – Port

Macquarie Golf Club. Boasting more than 100 years of proud history, this beautiful championship golf course features a variety of magnificent golf holes that combine to provide a memorable golfing experience for players at all levels. The course meanders through rainforests, wetlands and sand dunes and is easy walking on all but the hottest Port Macquarie days. The greens are fast and true and the fairways are some of the best around, boasting lush, carpet-like grass that is consistently high quality and a pleasure to hit off. There are some rewards on offer for those willing to take a risk. But be warned, there are plenty of challenging bunkers around the greens and the occasional fairway bunker to punish the wayward golfer. And when you do drop in for a round of golf make sure you say g’day to the club’s professional Ben Hamilton. He can attend to all your needs and may even provide a tip on how to handle the tricky second hole. After the round, enjoy the extensive modern clubhouse facilities, beautiful views and perhaps a delicious meal at Aspire Restaurant. For more information, telephone (02) 65820409 or the pro shop on (02) 6582-0784 or go to www.portmacquariegolf.com.au

Dorrigo Memorial RSL Golf Course

The Dorrigo Memorial RSL Golf Course, arguably the finest nine-hole course on the Mid North Coast, is one of those layouts golfers want to play again ... and again. One of the reasons for this is that greenkeeper Warren Atkins keeps the course in excellent condition. Nestled beside the Bielsdown River, Dorrigo is a challenging layout with nine bent grass greens and 18 different tee positions.

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travel

The course is open for competitions every Saturday from 9am while the veterans play their competition every Thursday from 8.30am. Both competitions are mixed and juniors and beginners are encouraged to take part. Catering for social groups is the club’s specialty. It costs $25 per person to play 18 holes and feast on a delicious local T-bone steak and salad lunch. Bar facilities are available. “We guarantee your social group will have an excellent experience,” a club spokesperson said. Social green fees for visitors are $12 for nine holes or $17 for 18 holes. Members and reciprocal clubs pay just $7 for nine or 18 holes. Limited cart hire is available and carts can be booked by phoning (02) 6657-2294. The par-4 third hole (12th on the back nine) is a challenging, dogleg right, but when it’s played as the 12th it’s a straight-forward short hole. It’s uphill all the way and golfers

Nambucca Heads must not go left or long to avoid going outof-bounds. The fifth (14th on the back) is Dorrigo’s signature hole. The Bielsdown River meanders the length of the fairway and the green is situated on a narrow peninsula within a loop of the river. Miss the green and it’s a tough up-and-down. For information, call (02) 6657-2294 or go to www.dorrigorslgolf.com.au

Nambucca Heads Island Golf Club

LOCATED on the sub-tropical holiday coast, mid-way between Brisbane and Sydney, is the uniquely scenic Nambucca Heads Island Golf Club. Surrounded by water, golfers will experience an exhilarating round of golf with the chance of seeing passing dolphins. The birdlife is also a feature as pelicans, sea eagles and osprey soar overhead.

In the early-1990s, the golf course expanded to 18 holes and since then it’s gone from strength-to-strength. It’s a flat, well-bunkered course with undulating greens but it’s the tightness of the layout that will test golfers of all abilities. The challenging 389m par-4 16th hole is a great hole with out-of-bounds along the entire length of the left side of the fairway and some hazards down the right. If you do mess up on this hole, you can make amends at the 124m par-3 18th – the easiest hole on the course. Locals say if you can play to your handicap at Nambucca Heads Island golf course, you’ll be doing well. Rivers Family Restaurant is the ideal venue for family, social or other gatherings. Nambucca Heads Island Golf Club has a fullystocked pro shop that offers some extremely attractive deals.

One of the highlights each year is the Golfest Week of Golf where golfers have the chance to collect $10,000 for a hole-in-one. For information, call the pro shop on (02) 6568-8172 or go to www.namgolf.com

Forster Tuncurry Golf Club

YOU never know what good fortune will befall you when you visit Forster Tuncurry Golf Club in the Great Lakes area on New South Wales’ Mid North Coast. One man who knows all too well is Charlestown Golf Club’s Brett Meeks. The Novocastrian was visiting the club and drove away in a brand-new Toyota Yaris courtesy of a hole-in-one on the Tuncurry golf course. Playing in the inaugural Beach Bums Cafe Great Lakes Spring Classic Golf Tournament, Meeks, who plays off six, aced the challenging 162-metre fourth hole using his trusty 4-iron.

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December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

travel Forster Tuncurry Golf Club

Tallwoods Golf Course According to witnesses, his perfectly struck shot “never looked like missing” as the ball hit the green on the fly, took one bounce, hit the flagstick and dropped into the cup. It was his first hole-in-one. Twin Towns Toyota sponsorship manager Terry McCartney presented him with the $19,000 Toyota Yaris. Forster Tuncurry Golf Club president Doug Holmes said the tournament was a great success with more than 200 local and visiting golfers competing in the two-day event. Forster Tuncurry Golf Club, three hours north of Sydney, offers golfers two golf courses – the Tuncurry course and the Forster course. The Tuncurry course is virtually an allweather course as it has a sand base and easily absorbs any rain that falls. The Forster course is one of the friendliest seaside courses on the north coast. It’s not overly long and that’s why it attracts

plenty of social golfers who enjoy its generous fairways and forgiving rough. But don’t be fooled by the course’s short par4s. Smaller greens, the sea breeze, bunkers and water hazards have ruined many a good round. Competitions are played seven-days-a-week and visitors are welcome to join in the fun or play socially when available. After a round, golfers can relax with a drink while gazing out over the Pacific Ocean. Stay-and-play packages are also available. For information, call (02) 6554-6167 or go to www.forstertuncurrygolf.com.au

Harrington Waters and Tallwoods

LESS than a three-hour drive from Sydney, you’ll come across the magnificent Tallwoods Village and Championship Golf Course. And less than 50kms from there you’ll discover another idyllic golf course – Harrington Waters.

Both these magnificent facilities come under the same management team. Designed by American Michael Hurdzan, named Golf Architect of the Year by the USGA in 1997, Tallwoods offers spectacular panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, the beaches to Forster and the tall timbered hinterland. Hurdzan’s philosophy is to design golf courses that stir the spirit, exceed expectations and defy understanding. “We want people to play our courses and discover pleasure, whether it is a closeness to nature, certain serenity or an exhilarating challenge,” he once said. “We believe each golf hole should have a distinctive and strong personality, so that it becomes an unforgettable friend whom you cherish revisiting.” That’s what you get at Tallwoods. Meanwhile, Harrington Waters Golf Course is a wonderfully designed nine-hole golf course

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Nowhere else but the Forster Tuncurry golf courses on the majestic mid north coast – less than 3 hours drive from Hornsby. • Social golfers most welcome • Stay and play packages are available Ring the Club on 02 6554 6799 for your booking. • All weather courses that test the abilities of all levels of golfers • Enjoy a drink at the club after the game overlooking the picturesque Pacific Ocean. Forster Course Tuncurry Golf Course Strand Street, Forster Northern Parkway, Tuncurry (02) 6554 6167 (02) 6554 7622

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The home of Sarah Kemp

made by using the natural waters and lakes, with a variety of tee placements that ensure each game is different and challenging. When played twice, the course adds up to a tough but fair par 72. Open to the public, Harrington Waters offers a variety of competitions for members and guests. Naturally, the course is open for social play seven-days-a-week. The club conducts an open competition every Wednesday and Saturday and welcomes all affiliated club golfers. The competition is open to both men and women. Social play is available each day after our competitions have finished. The Cafe & Clubhouse, open most days, also offers a full hot and cold buffet breakfast every weekend. For more, call (02) 6556-0404 or go to www.harringtonwatersgolfcourse.com.au •

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legends

Vines climbed into record books David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

CHAMPION Australian professional Randall Vines was one happy man when the PGA of Australia decided in 1973 to play its premier event, the Australian PGA Championship, as a matchplay event. The championship was in trouble that year because it didn’t have a major sponsor and rather than not play the championship, it reverted to matchplay. That didn’t worry Vines, the defending champion. “I loved matchplay,” said Vines, who defeated Stuart Ginn 2 & 1 in the final. The 67-year-old was a highly rated professional winning 18 professional tournaments worldwide. Four decades after his first Australian PGA Championship win, the tournament still holds a special place in his heart. “I still take an interest in the Australian PGA and go to the event,” said Vines, who once held a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. He entered the record books after he won the 1968 Tasmania Open at Royal Hobart by 17 shots. He began with an ordinary 77, but followed with 65-67-65 to blitz the field. In the final round, he was seven-under-par in one five-hole stretch thanks to birdie, birdie, albatross, birdie, birdie. Vines possessed a deadly short game and he was a very good long iron player. That helped him to find success in Asia where he won the Hong Kong and Thailand Opens. In Europe, he captured the Swiss Open, the Cote Basque in France and finished runner-up a number of times including losing a playoff at the Spanish Open.

Randall Vines “Winning two Australian PGA Championships (1972-73) was definitely a highlight of my career,” he said. In 1973, he represented Australia in the World Cup where he finished fifth in the individual event behind players of the calibre of Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. Brisbane-born Vines first came to prominence as a 15-year-old when named in the Queensland team. He moved to Sydney to start a traineeship at Avondale Golf Club and after 18 months returned to Wynnum Golf Club in Brisbane to complete his training under the guidance of Paul King. Vines turned professional in 1966, aged 21. In the 1976 Colgate Champion of Champions at Victoria Golf Club, Vines fired a 64 that included eight birdies and an eagle and at Yarra Yarra a year later he shot another 64 in bad weather in the Australian PGA that included nine birdies. Throughout his career, he played with some of the world’s best players including Nicklaus and

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Player, who Vines said were “awesome”. “Jack was the best tactician when it came to dissecting the golf course,” Vines said. “He was one of the first players to take measurements. “Peter Thomson used to say ‘just use your eye’, but Nicklaus used to pace off the course and he knew exactly how far he hit every club. “He hit the ball so far, hit the long irons high and was able to get them to come in really soft, which gave him a big advantage.” I ask Vines what he would do differently if he had his career over again. “Probably not drink as much,” Vines joked. “There wasn’t much money around when we were playing and we used to enjoy ourselves a bit too much. “The game is more a business now and the players are all fitter. “With so much money in the game now the players can pick and choose where and when

they want to play.” When Vines turned 50, he joined the European Senior Tour and had some success with a number of runner-up finishes. Earlier, he worked with the legendary Australian Norman von Nida at Kooralbyn teaching students the art of golf. “As far as teaching goes, I learnt a lot from him (von Nida),” said Vines, who has 18 career holes-in-one. “He was a great motivator and could make you think you were good even if you weren’t. “He was so positive all the time with his students. “When I first went to Kooralbyn he would teach 40 or 50 in a day. “He would give them five minutes each and they’d go away happy and with something to work on.” •

Ban long putter, says Randall DESPITE using a long putter, dual Australian PGA Championship winner Randall Vines would have no qualms if golf’s ruling bodies banned it. “I would like to see them (ruling bodies) ban it,” said Vines, who has used the broomstick wand for more than 20 years. “I don’t think it should be allowed on the major professional tours, but it should be allowed for social play. “I have used the long putter ever since Peter Senior won every major event in Australia in 1989 (New South Wales PGA, Australian PGA Championship, Australian Open and the Johnnie Walker Classic).” •

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out of africa

Zimbabwe golf back from the brink David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au

WHEN we think of golf and Zimbabwe the first man that comes to mind is former world number one Nick Price. While Price remains the country’s greatest golf export, there have been others including Mark McNulty, Denis Watson, Tony Johnson and others. Today Brendon de Jonge, 39th on the US PGA Tour’s money list with $2m, flies the flag for the small southern African country landlocked by South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique and a tip of Namibia. Recently another emerging player, Ryan Cairns, visited Australia to catch up with family and play in a number of tournaments on the Queensland Sunshine Tour. Inside Golf caught up with him just after he won the Woodford pro-am to find out about him and golf in his homeland. The 28-year-old is an easy-going character, who doesn’t take life for granted. Why would he when he lives in a country that has for three decades been rocked by political turmoil. But Cairns loves life and when he’s not playing golf professionally, he turns to his second love – music. “It (music) is just a passion of mine that has turned into a ‘sideline business’ that provides some cash-flow for my travels on tour,” he said. “I love playing guitar and singing so it never feels like work and it is a lot more fun than a bad day on the course.” Here is Cairns’ open and honest account of golf in Zimbabwe.

How has the Sunshine Tour developed? The Sunshine Tour has grown and continues to grow every year. We now have six co-sanctioned events with the European Tour as well as about twenty other tournaments. We also have the Big Easy Tour, which is the equivalent to the Web.com Tour or Challenge Tour. It’s become a breeding ground for guys to hone their games before hitting the big tour. It worked wonders for me, as I won on the Big Easy Tour in March and then had that breakthrough win on the Sunshine Tour just six weeks later. Retief Goosen, Ernie Els and Nick Price put so much back into golf that it inspires young guys to aim high. Ernie Els started a foundation that helped Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Charl Schwartzel and others to their success.

Tell us about golf in Zimbabwe? Harare has the best capital city climate in the world so golf is an option 365 days a year. Although we have lost a few courses since 2002 due to political unrest there are still at least 20 playable courses in the country. There are business leagues, junior golf and top amateur events, social games and now we even have a professional tour growing which has about a dozen events on the schedule already with purses up to $US50,000. How many golf courses are there in Zimbabwe? Back in the 1980s and early ’90s there was about 70 fully functional and playable golf courses. Unfortunately, today there are only about 20 courses in good condition. Are those courses of high standard? There are probably about half a dozen courses good enough for elite tournament play. The rest are for the social players who just want to go out for a hit. Courses like Royal Harare, Leopard Rock and Borrowdale Brooke are top quality courses. Royal Harare has perfectly manicured bent grass greens and a world-class layout thanks to a re-design by Nick Price. I would say that Australians who are ever on holiday there would really enjoy our courses. I guess membership has declined dramatically over the years? Warren Hills Golf Club, where Nick Price grew up playing, only has 70 members left whereas Royal Harare has close to 2000 members. What does it cost to be a member at those clubs? On average, around $300 per annum, but Royal Harare is $720.

BIG GAME: Zimbabwe’s Ryan Cairns came, saw and conquered. What does it cost to play a round? Between $10 and $60. Any ‘Royal’ club member in Australia can play Royal Harare at members’ rates. How much are caddie fees? $15 per round plus tip. What are the must-play courses in Zimbabwe? Royal Harare GC, Leopard Rock GC, Borrowdale Brooke GC, Triangle CC and Elephant Hills GC (located in beautiful Victoria Falls). Is it safe to travel the country? Now it is, definitely.

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What were your highlights when playing in Australia? I loved spending time with my family in Australia. I also got to win (Woodford pro-am) on my last day in Australia, which was awesome. My most enjoyable round was in Maryborough where I shot a 63 in the final round to finish fourth. That was my favourite course.” Tell us about your golf documentary – The Grind? It’s just my sideline project to show the reallife of touring professionals around the world. Until we get onto the big stage of playing US or Europe, the title of the show depicts what we go through on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis. It’s a grind out here. Have you experienced any hair-raising moments while travelling to events in Africa? There are quite a few. There is an entertaining clip on ‘The Grind’ at www.cairnzy.com that shows me at a low point due to the conditions on a nine-hour bus trip to Lusaka, Zambia. I never enjoy re-living it, but you might. •

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December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

opinion

Golf gets a lesson Brian Eagle

ed@insidegolf.com.au

OUR game’s professionals spend at least half of their collective lives giving lessons on our game. They earn a reasonable living allowing the uninitiated to get a grip on their new sport. And still we have picked up nothing. Look at cricket, rugby league, Australian rules and cycling for instance. Cycling has been almost exclusively the twowheel activity which has been the pastime of France. For decades they’ve ridden through streets, uphill over mountains and through narrow roads for days and days. They have prizes for the fastest and the best and most consistent and at the end of the day pretty girls in skirts hand out jumpers (jerseys, sorry) to the ones who deserve it. At the end of the Tour some guy gets a trophy, which he holds aloft and they all go away until next year. During the racing, world cycling chases drugs and drug takers and conveniently finds a few bad guys who are smacked and made to wait two years till they can ride again. Enter American Lance Armstrong who was constantly tested by those officials and never tested positive while he won seven Tour de Thingies. Australian Rules in this country finds druggies, keeps it quiet, first time, tells the druggies’ club the second time and so far has not told anyone if there is a third offence keeping its ‘three times and you’re out’ rule intact.

Rugby League journos tell everyone about drugs, assaults on women, drunkenness and other lascivious behaviour. Cricketers in many countries bet on themselves, bowl long-hops, bet on others and do other despicable things relatively free until the ICC has an election coming up and then fine players— who have made millions doing those things—a few hundred dollars. Even horseracing isn’t immune, with recent allegations that our top four-legged athletes were on the juice. All those sports get enormous publicity— sometimes worldwide. Until Armstrong, cycling largely was confined to backstreets of France and Australian public schools. Golf, meantime, is played all over the world and officials can’t even find one player who looks even a little suspicious. Surely someone in the sport played in heaven has used a cigarette rolled backwards, swallowed a pill and set fire to a spoon full of powder.

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I know no-one in our sport would volunteer to stick a drug even partly filled into him/her self. All we need, as in cycling, is for a golfer to admit he once spoke to a doctor about certain things and we are off and running. Maybe a top-line pro could yell “fore”, take six and put down five – please. Adelaide has taken the keys of the city back from Armstrong. That made the headlines in this country. How the hell did they find them under all that money and trophies? Just imagine how much airtime we would get if Kochie or Karl or the pretty weather girl could stop grinning long enough to tell the world in this country the news. “Tatura/Bateman’s Bay/Noosa/Broome/Alice Springs have taken back the keys to their city from newly announced drug cheat (insert your most suspected and likely druggie or just some golfer you don’t particularly like). Golf has had many chances. Maybe it’s about time we took them. •

Willie Park Jr. to join Hall of Fame

The World Golf Hall of Fame Museum will induct Willie Park Jr. as part of the Class of 2013, joining Fred Couples and Ken Venturi. Park will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at its Induction Ceremony on Monday, May 6, 2013, at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida. Along with his father, World Golf Hall of Fame member Willie Park Sr., Park helped form one of the legendary families in golf history. Park is one of the Open Championship’s most distinguished players, winning in 1887 and 1889 while compiling 12 top-10 finishes in golf’s oldest major. He also did pioneering work in many other areas of the game both in Europe and the United States. Park used his prowess as a player as a springboard to other feats within the game. He pioneered ball and club design, registering several patents and expanding the family business. Park’s seminal 1896 book “The Game of Golf” was the first about golf written by a professional golfer. His widely acclaimed “The Art of Putting” was published in 1920. Park made an impressive mark in golf course architecture as well, having designed or modified more than 200 courses in Europe, the U.S. and Canada. His success in this arena carried him to the United States and Canada in 1916, where he continued to design courses of the highest quality, including the Maidstone Club in New York and Royal Quebec. For more information visit their website: www.WorldGolfHallofFame.org. •

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on tour

Tour Talk: the players’ perspective Inside Golf sat down with a few tour players to get their opinions on new technology, slow play, golf in the Olympics, the state of Australian golf and more. David Newbery Garret Johnston david@insidegolf.com.au ed@insidegolf.com.au

What is your feeling toward slow play on the PGA Tour? Nick O’Hern: It’s always an issue. Guys need to speed it up. They just need to penalize shots, they don’t need to fine guys. I think if they did shots—you get a warning and then a shot penalty—that’d be the best way to do it. Stuart Appleby: I think you have to look at it both ways: You got quick players who need to slow down and you’ve got slow players who need to speed it up. That’s all you have to do. It’s the same in traffic. If everyone drives 65 there would be no brake lights. It would all be fine. If you have someone doing 80 and someone doing 50 that causes issues. For a fast player to demand or expect that (others) should play quicker is partly the thing but they also need to go ‘well I need to slow down a little bit.’ If you both do that it’s equal ground. You’ve got to get a bi-partisan sort of deal done. But it’s certainly not a one-way street. Mathew Goggin: I wonder what our generation has done wrong to make a 19-yearold coming out here be ridiculously slow. Where have we failed? Slow play is an absolute blot to the game. It’s horrendous. It’s no fun for anyone. Slow play can upset the rhythm

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

of your playing partners. It’s rude, it’s selfindulgent. They should start suspending guys who are consistently slow. Give them a warning, they get ten: once they get that they get a fine and play on the web.com tour for the next two months. Without slow play (they) can come back. Jason Dufner: My take on slow play is just let guys play. It’s not that big a deal. You might be saving ten, fifteen, twenty minutes but in the grand scheme of things that’s not really helping us too much. The harder the golf course the more situations you find yourself in that are abnormal. That’s a challenge in and of itself. I think that’s what leads to slow play on difficult courses especially in the majors. It gets to be a little bit of a grind. Steven Bowditch: It’s not where I would like it. It is what it is. It’s something that needs to change because it’s five and a half hours for guys in groups of three. John Senden: I feel as long as I’m ready to hit the ball when it’s my turn that’s the only thing I can do. I can’t control how slow my playing partner is whether he’s slow or he’s fast. I’ve just got to be ready when I play. Geoff Ogilvy: We take too long to play as a general unit. Five hours is too much. And five hours is a good result really. The PGA Tour needs to come up with a sensible slow play policy and police it. We can play faster than we do.

Geoff Ogilvy

What do you think of the technology advances in golf over the past few years? Jason Dufner: I think the technology has done a lot for the game. It makes it a lot more fun to play. You’re hitting the ball further and straighter. John Senden: The technology has helped the amateur more than the pros. The amateurs with the bigger clubheads, more lofts, the hybrids, the cavity-weighted irons has helped the amateur player more so than the pro. On Tour, I think everyone’s caught up, everyone’s got bunched closer together with driving accuracy and length. Mathew Goggin: The amateurs aren’t getting any better. They don’t hit it any further. They’re not hitting it any better or straighter. They don’t

know what’s good for them obviously because it doesn’t help. That’s a reality. All the technological advances haven’t helped people enjoy golf more. Stuart Appleby: I would have to say a sixtyyear-old is probably hitting as far as he did when he was thirty. Is he still as frustrated? Probably. But the balls have become a lot more stable, a lot more consistent in their ball flight. I think the driver-to-ball ratio, the match there, has gotten so much better in the last ten to fifteen years. Nick O’Hern: The ball is going a long way for sure. I’m still using a 2009 ball myself. I’m not that fussed about distance. I’m more about control and keeping the ball in check. Steven Bowditch: There’s good and bad to it. The ball goes a long way but I don’t think there’s quite as much control as what there was when the ball didn’t quite go as far.

on tour the Olympic experience beats the competing almost, just being there.

What are your thoughts on the state of Australian golf?

Steven Bowditch

Are classic golf courses standing the test of time with the technology changes to the game? Mathew Goggin: A lot of the great golf courses have been ruined. They are not played how they’re supposed to be played. Royal Melbourne plays way too short, especially to when I grew up (1980s). Nick O’Hern: I think all the sandbelt courses are standing the test of time. It’s all about the greens and the bunkering which is phenomenal down there. You don’t need to make these courses 8,000 yards. 7000 is a good number and just have firm greens and there you go. Jason Dufner: The golf courses need to adjust, obviously the distance isn’t a real issue

Jason Dufner for us (Tour players). I think if you have a lot of rough, firm the fairways and the course up, it can make it a lot more difficult. Steven Bowditch: They just keep adding length to (courses) so it just evens itself out. You can talk about that but then you’ve got green speeds that change so much. You look in the early 1990s and the green speeds were nowhere near as fast (as today).

How do you feel about golf in the Olympics? John Senden: It’s exciting. Having Australian Golf at the Olympics would be fantastic. Nothing would be better and more achievable than winning a medal in the Olympics. Stuart Appleby: The highest echelon is still

John Senden winning majors, it’s ahead of winning a gold medal. The Olympics is more of an expansion of the game for us. Bringing golf to the world on a different scale. Representing your country, which I’ve done many times— Dunhill Cups and so on—it’s an absolute honor. For at least one Aussie I imagine whatever format we have it’s going to be great. Nick O’Hern: That’ll be something special. When I first started playing, I never thought I’d be playing in the Olympics, or golf would be in the Olympics for that matter. Geoff Ogilvy: It’s pretty cool, hopefully the schedule fits nicely. But hopefully the golfers that go to the Olympics will be able to experience the week, go to some of the other events. Because that’s what I’d be there for— to soak up the Olympics. From what I hear

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Nick O’Hern: It’s in good hands. Jason Day and lots of guys are coming through. Golf ’s in good hands in Australia, don’t worry. We just need to knock a few of those majors off. John Senden: I think we’re in pretty good shape. We haven’t won the majors like we were winning in the ‘90s but I think that we’re not far away. Steven Bowditch: I think it’s going great, Adam Scott had a really good shot at winning The Open, so we all just sort of lead by their example, keep following what they’re doing. I think Australian golf is in really good shape for the next few years. Geoff Ogilvy: It’s pretty good. I think 2013 could be a really strong year.

What are some of your favorite golf courses in Australia? Nick O’Hern: Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, New South Wales Golf Club, Royal Sydney is fantastic. Mathew Goggin: Royal Melbourne east and west, Kingston Heath, Metropolitan. The best weekend of golf that you can have, though, is Barnbougle Dunes. Steven Bowditch: My favorite is Kingston Heath. Probably my favorite one back home. Stuart Appleby: The Sandbelt is absolutely the primo spot for golf courses. I have a soft spot for Kingston Heath because I won a tournament there as a junior. Great greens, great fairways, some of the best bunkering design that you’re ever likely to see. •

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Hooked on New Zealand New Zealand’s Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers golf courses are hugely popular with golfers the world over, but there are a number of other must-play gems in the land of the Long White Cloud, writes DAVID NEWBERY

ON my second trip to New Zealand, I did not take the well-worn paths to Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers. Instead, I chose to go to Taupo, which is smackbang in the middle of the North Island, just an hour’s drive from combustible Rotorua where exploding thermal geysers and boiling fumaroles dramatically punctuate the landscape. There, under the warm spring sun, I find a number of world-class golf courses. My first port of call is Wairakei Golf Course and Sanctuary, rated one of New Zealand’s top-3 golf courses. The club’s operations manager and club pro David Park hands me a set of Callaway hire clubs and points me in the direction of the first tee where I meet Dave Kilmister, owner and operator of the Haka Falls River Cruises. He tells me his company is hosting my partner on a river cruise where she will experience the awesome power of the Haka Falls. Later she informs me the Waikato River is one of the longest in New Zealand with water so clean and clear you can almost see the bottom. A jet boat packed with fun-lovers approaches at speed, does a donut and speeds off zigzagging its way toward Haka Falls. “We must do that,” she says. But back to Wairakei Golf Course, which doubles as a wildlife sanctuary.

A 5.5km boundary fence (2m high) prevents both climbing and burrowing animals from entering the property where a plethora of birdlife, including Kiwi, a rotund creature with a long beak, and deer roam free. We complete the front nine in about 90 minutes thanks to some accurate tee shots and decent approach shots. The 5853m (white tees) parkland course, redesigned by Peter Thomson and Mike Wolveridge, is a gem. Holes like the 323m, par-4 eighth (white tees) and the 471m par-5 14th, aptly named “the Rogue”, will remain etched in the memory. The eighth, which dog-legs right, requires an accurate tee shot as the second shot is across water to the African continent-shaped green protected by bunkers left and right. “The Rogue” is undoubtedly one of the most famous holes in New Zealand. The double dogleg hole is protected by a large pine tree, which stands guard in the middle of the fairway about 150m from the kidney-shaped green that is protected by three front bunkers. Dave and I completed the journey around the tranquil hills of Wairakei in just over three hours and I walked off with the same golf ball I started with – always a bonus when playing a course for

Taupo Golf Club the first time. The evening after a near flawless round allows us to experience a Hangi and concert at Wairakei Terraces, the bastion of Maori culture within the Taupo region. We learn about Maori traditions including carving, weaponry, oratory, tattooing and weaving and see the Wairakei Terraces and geothermal features before enjoying a traditional Hangi feast (slow cooked under the ground) and performance. It’s a 20-minute drive to The Kinloch Club – a Jack Nicklaus signature links-style golf course overlooking Lake Taupo. Apparently, Sir Bob Charles has rated it the best course in New Zealand. I have plenty of time as my partner is visiting Orakei Korako, a natural geothermal wonderland, and having a massage at Wairakei Terraces Thermal Health Spa. Proud Scotsman Alistair Tod, who owns one of the finest holiday homes in New Zealand overlooking the third green, joined me. I was pleased he did because his local knowledge around this stunning golf course that flows over rolling countryside with fescue and heather grasses was a Godsend. Of course, director of golf Tom Long’s advice was extremely helpful.

“The only flat lie you will get is on the tee box so it tests the ability to play sloping lies to the max,” he said. “Many of the greens are shallow front to back so if you manage to hit 14 greens or more in regulation you have had a very good knock. “The greens have heaps of movement in them so thought needs to be given to the approach shot,” he added. “If you get the wrong side of some of the flags, getting up and down in two is virtually impossible.” Yes, Kinloch quickly shows up a one-dimensional short game. You have to have an array of shots in your bag around the greens. You cannot simply reach for the sand iron when you miss a green. “It will always give you a different game of golf and the more you play it the more tactically savvy you will become,” Tom said. “Smashing it long off of the tee will only assist if you are extremely straight with the driver.” The front nine is a mixture of long and short holes while the back nine is more picturesque with breathtaking views over Lake Taupo. The layout is fantastic. There are no weak holes, just 18 genuine, well-thought-out holes. “Even though it beats most people up first time around we see many faces come back for more punishment,” Tom said.

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travel GENERAL INFORMATION

“The Rogue”, Wairakei

Great Lake Taupo Tel: +64 7 376-0404 Web: www.greatlaketaupo.com. At press time, $A1 equalled $NZ1.26

WHEN TO GO

Visit October to April for optimal weather. If you are planning a summer trip, book in advance.

GETTING THERE

Air New Zealand has regular flights from major Australian cities. Sydney residents can fly direct to Rotorua, which is an hour’s drive to Taupo. Tel: 132-476 Web: www.airnewzealand.com.au

GETTING AROUND

Navigate your way around New Zealand is part of the appeal. International car rental companies are available at all airports.

WHERE TO PLAY

The 16th at Kinloch The 521m (481m white tees) par-5 16th is an interesting hole as there are four different routes to the green, which is undulating and has just three logical pin positions. For the record, I only lost one ball so I had a great day and I can’t wait to play it again … and again. After the round, Alistair issued me with a challenge. He took me to his holiday home, Dunalistrair House, and invited me to tell him if I had come across a better “19th hole”. Looking over the course, lake and mountains, I soon ran out of superlatives. “This is magic,” I thought. If there were a championship course that lends itself nicely to hosting a New Zealand Open or PGA Championship, The Kinloch Club would be it. We stayed the night and Alistair and his wife Kirsty cooked up a most delicious supper washed down by some of New Zealand’s best wines, of course. If you want to spoil your partner, make sure you spend a night or two at Dunalistair House. It’s a treasure. Lake Taupo arguably has the purest and most thrilling trout water on earth. It has a surface area of 616sqm, almost as big as Singapore, is 186m deep and more than 30 different rivers feed into the lake. Forty-five centimetres is the keeper rule for a trout and the average size is over two kilograms.

Several hours before dusk, we went out on the vast blue lake with Chris Jolly Outdoors, fishing and cruising for trout more than 35m down. En route skipper Simon Jolly slowed the boat to allow us to view some amazing Maori rock art. Within 10 minutes, I snared my first trout, which was a tad undersize so it was released to fight another day. My partner then pulled in a beauty, which was destined for the frying pan. In New Zealand trout cannot be bought so the only way to taste this delicious fish is to catch it. We hooked and released a few more back into the lake before cruising back as the sun began to set. Early next morning, I was met by Dave who was eager to show me around Taupo Golf Club where he is a member. Taupo Golf Club is the only golf club in New Zealand with two 18-hole courses – Centennial and Tauhara. The Centennial course is the more challenging and plays as an inland links layout with fescue rough while Tauhara is a more relaxed, parkland-style course that is shorter and easier to play. The par-5 fifth on Centennial is not overly long, but it offers a wonderful backdrop of the mountains. Things heat up on the back nine as the course has its own “Amen Corner” – a series of four holes, 13 to 16.

We then book in at the five-star Hilton Lake Taupo, which has 113 rooms, 24 apartments, thermally heated pool and spa pool, fitness centre, sauna steam room, tennis courts, meeting rooms and Bistro Lago restaurant and bar. On our final night, we dine at the Vine Eatery and Scenic Cellars, a popular haunt with locals. There, you get to choose your wine off the shelf to enjoy with your meal. The tapas-style eatery offers an abundant menu of fresh, seasonal, delicious plates to share. Aside from the spectacular scenery, the nice thing about roaming free around Taupo and Kinloch, a delightful village, is you are always made welcome at golf clubs. I liked the Kinloch Club so much I decided to return for a coffee and to thank professional Tom Long for his hospitality. As I approach, he sees me coming and invites me in to the pro shop where he introduces me to Barry Vivian, the inaugural Australian Masters champion. Barry, a local, still plays and is more than capable of shooting low numbers. We spend the next 30 minutes chin-wagging and I depart with memories of a wonderful Kiwi golfing (and fishing) adventure. •

Wairakei Golf and Sanctuary: Tel: +64 7 374-8152 Web: www.wairakeigolfcourse.co.nz The Kinloch Club: Tel: +64 7 374-8152 Web: www.thekinlochclub.com Taupo Golf Club: Tel: +64 7 378-6932 Web: www.taupogolf.co.nz

WHERE TO STAY

Dunalistair House Tel: +64 7 578-9975 Web: www.dunalistair.com Bayview Wairakei Resort (10 minutes’ drive north of Taupo. King rooms, Twin rooms, King spa suites and Villas, a luxury day spa and nine-hole golf course.) Tel: +64 7 374 8021 Web: www.wairakei.co.nz Hilton Lake Taupo Tel: +64 7 378 7080 Web: www.laketaupo.hilton.com

WHERE TO DINE

Bayview Wairakei Resort Tel: +64 7 374 8021 Web: www.wairakei.co.nz Wairakei Terraces Tel: l +64 7 378-0913 Web: www.wairakeiterraces.co.nz Bistro Lago at the Hilton Lake Taupo. Tel: +64 7 378 7080 Web: www.laketaupo.hilton.com Vine Eatery at Scenic Cellars Tel: +64 7 378-5704 Web: www.sceniccellars.co.nz

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Trout fishing: Chris Jolly Tel: +64 7 378-0623 Web: www.chrisjolly.co.nz River cruises: Haka Falls Rivers Cruises. Tel: +64 7 377-3454 Web: www.hakafallscruises.co.nz Jet boating; water rafting; kayaking; hot pools; skydiving; mountain biking; walks and hikes; guided walks; skiing and snowboarding and hunting call Great Lake Taupo on +64 7 376-0404 or visit the website www.greatlaketaupo.com

www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

events

King wins Senior title The Australian Men’s Senior Amateur Ranking System is an annual competition run by Golf Australia for the nation’s leading senior amateur golfers aged 55 years and over. The competition runs over a 12-month period with 15 events counting towards each player’s final average. The player with the highest average at 31 October each year is the winner. The winner for 2012 was Queensland golfer Peter King, who won from a group of four NSW golfers: Stefan Albinski, Graham Blizard, Denis Dale and Roy Vandersluis. King takes the mantle as Australia’s leading senior amateur from Albinski who had held the title for the last three years. King had a great 2012 season with highlights including victory in the Queensland, NSW and Victorian Senior Amateur Championships. This is the first time any senior has won all three of these major titles in the same year. Albinski has dominated Australian senior golf in the past four years and this year won the West Australian Seniors Championship for the fourth consecutive year and the Australian Senior Matchplay Championship for the third time. Denis Dale and Roy Vandersluis were consistent all year with Dale winning the South Australian Senior Amateur Championships. Both Dale and Vandersluis will be over 65 for the 2013 competition and will be favoured to finish high up in the separate 2013 Over 65 Senior Ranking competition that is also run by Golf Australia. The winner of the 2012 Over 65 gold medal was NSW senior Vince Clark who moved past ACT senior Bill Banks in the very last event of the year. Clark was another player to be consistent all year while Banks was the winner of the ACT Senior Amateur Championship. Third place went to the 70-year-old Victorian

Peter King

Alan Fensom and Jack Parker

senior Michael Jackson. After turning 65 midseason, Roy Vandersluis played well to move into fourth place with Ian Read filling fifth place as Queensland’s leading over-65 golfer. 2012 saw the introduction of a season-long Australian Senior Handicap competition. This new event proved very popular and provided an opportunity for all players regardless of their handicap to compete in a season-long national competition. Run by the players, the handicap competition used the best five results from the net events always run in conjunction with the national, state and secondary level stroke play titles. The clear winner of the inaugural gold medal was NSW senior Graham Blizard. Second place went to another consistently good performer in NSW senior Paul Harvey-Walker. Victoria’s Alan Buckley filled third place with some fine play in the end of the year events. •

National Senior Matchplay Results

The final event of the 2011-2012 national golfing calendar year was the Australian Senior Match Play Championship at Twin Creeks Golf Club in western Sydney. Thirty two of Australia’s leading seniors plus eight more in a separate over-65 competition enjoyed warm weather and a very well presented course. The 2012 Australian Senior Matchplay champion was again Stefan Albinski who demonstrated his class and determination in winning his way to the final, where he defeated NSW senior Richard Greville. The final was a high-quality match with birdies the order of the day before Albinski ran out the winner 4&3. Third place went to West Australian Ian McPherson who defeated Denis Dale 2&1. The Over 65 Match Play Championship went to NSW senior Alan Fensom who defeated

good friend Jack Parker 3&2 in an exciting final. Third place went to NSW senior Bob Angus who defeated ACT’s Rob Still in the play off for the bronze medal. Results of all the 2012 national senior amateur events and information on upcoming and previous events are available on the AUSOOM website www.ausoom.com.

VICTORIA Two events remain in 2012 Doug Bachli Trophy It looks to be a close finish in the race for the major title in the 2012 Doug Bachli Senior Order of Merit Trophy for Victoria’s leading senior golfer. Commonwealth golfer Alan Bullas currently holds a narrow lead over Yarra Yarra’s Michael Jackson with the defending champion Cobram Barooga’s Ross Percy not too far away in third place.

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events With two 36-hole events remaining (Melbourne Senior Classic and the Moyne Senior Classic) a win by any of the leaders could easily change the order. Jackson and Percy are previous winners of the competition whilst Bullas is trying for his first title. The handicap trophy run in conjunction with the Doug Bachli looks like another win for Yarram senior Ignatius Duivenvoorden. He currently holds a 260 point lead over Goonawarra’s Pat Giles with Peter Bence from Kingswood just a few points away in third place. The final Doug Bachli results will be available this month on the Golf Victoria website www.golfvic.org.au.

NSW Another tight finish in 2012 NSW Senior Order of Merit With only a few events remaining in the 2012 NSW Senior Order of Merit competition, the race for the winner’s medal may well be decided in the very last event of the year. At the time of writing the current leader was Twin Creeks senior Denis Dale with Mona Vale pair Greg Stanford and Stefan Albinski holding second and third place. Steve Gibson and Ross Bockman are just a handful of points away. Any of these senior golfers can still claim the major prize. At the time of print, the season-ending events had not yet been contested, including the 2012 ACT Seniors Championship at Gold Creek, Gungahlin Lakes and Federal Golf Clubs, the Goulburn Seniors, the Long Reef Seniors and the final event at Cromer. The Over 65’s is another very close battle with Jack Parker (Wyong) currently leading Alan Fensom (Wollongong) by just four points. Close up and still a chance to claim the top prize are Penrith’s Clark Gibbons and Bexley’s Tom Yates.

Interested golfers can follow the progress of the 2012 Senior Order of Merit competition and review the final results on the Golf NSW website www.golfnsw.org.

Kiwis battle for disfigured cup

2012 Australian Snr Final Pos 1 2 3 4 5

Player Peter King Stefan Albinski Graham Blizard Denis Dale Roy Vandersluis

State Events Avg QLD 7 116.89 NSW 8 111.40 NSW 7 109.48 NSW 8 89.93 NSW 9 88.36

2012 Australian Snr Final HANDICAP Pos 1 2 3 4 5

Player Graham Blizard Paul Harvey-Walker Alan Buckley Richard Greville Stefan Albinski

State Events Avg NSW 6 103.3 NSW 8 77.35 VIC 6 72.10 NSW 5 69.40 NSW 6 69.29

2012 Australian Snr Final 65 YEARS Pos 1 2 3 4 5

Player Vince Clark Bill Banks Michael Jackson Roy Vandersluis Ian Read

State Events Avg NSW 7 58.37 ACT 5 57.58 VIC 5 47.38 NSW 3 38.93 QLD 8 37.22

2012 Victorian Senior OOM Pos 1 2 3 4 5

Player Alan Bullas Michael Jackson Ross Percy Pat Giles Barry Tippett

Club Events Best 8 Commonwealth 14 1583 Yarra Yarra 16 1509 Cobram Barooga 11 1476 Goonawarra 15 1329 The Sands 14 1291

2012 NSW Senior OOM Pos 1 2 3 4 5

Player Denis Dale Greg Stanford Stefan Albinski Steve Gibson Ross Bockman

Club Twin Creeks Mona Vale Mona Vale St Michael’s Long Reef

Recaps by Denis Dale

Events Best 12 24 1805 17 1650 12 1647 25 1640 16 1590

Deryck Barclay (left) receives the For Honour Cup from rival and friend Dave Kilmister. By David Newbery AS Australian club golfers battle each other each week for an Instant Scratch-It, Lotto ticket or a round of drinks, across the ditch a group of Kiwis are playing for a battered trophy. New Zealanders Dave Kilmister, Deryck Barclay and Grant Hill meet weekly at Taupo Golf Club in the middle of New Zealand’s North Island to play for a tiny disfigured trophy. For the past five years, the trio have been playing for a cup rescued from the bowels of the locker room. Rivalry is fierce with no quarter given although the contest is always played in good spirits. I joined two of the Kiwis, Dave and Deryck, at their home club to find out why playing for a cup with one ear and more dents and scratches than dimples on an old golf ball was so attractive. “It gives us an interest and allows us to concentrate and work hard on our game,” said Dave, who runs Haka Falls River Cruise in Taupo. He told me he had held the trophy for the past two months – that was until the day I arrived on the scene.

Unfortunately for him, Deryck, an auto electrician who is often called out mid-round to repair broken-down trucks, was on song and gladly took the spoils, well, at least for one week. Still, it was a close match with Dave needing a par on the last to retain the cup, but he fluffed his chip and Deryck, who looked dead in the rough, played a miraculous chip to win the hole. Dave and Deryck play off a 13 handicap while Grant, the club’s former manager, plays off 4.5. “The cup has taken a battering as the holder must hang it off his bag,” Dave said. “Sometimes when the match is tight we allow it to rattle against the clubs to remind our opponents who the holder is. “The holder of the cup gets to choose the competition format and the course (Taupo Golf Club has 36 holes). “We play split 6s and there is never a runaway winner. It’s always close between at least two of us with the third player a sorry third.” When the trio is not trying to beat each other on the golf course they are often spotted playing tennis. •

www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

events

Wynnum continues to set records They’re racing at Mt Coolum

Rod Pampling The Bartons/BMD Pro-Am staged at Wynnum Golf Club has set the bar for one-day pro-ams over recent years with the tournament having held the title of ‘Richest One Day Pro-Am in the Country’ since 2009. With this year’s tournament set to again be staged the Monday following the Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca Cola (17th December) the $70,000 in prizemoney will again raise the bar to unprecedented levels. Recent years has seen professionals such as Ian Baker-Finch, Rod Pampling, Peter Senior and Marc Leishman playing the tournament and as QLD PGA Executive Officer Broc Greenhalgh stated, 2012 doesn’t look to be any different. “Over the coming weeks we will unveil another quality field and are very hopeful that the field will best represent the hard work and dedication of the Wynnum Golf Club and major sponsors Bartons and BMD. Having quality players teeing it up every year shows the PGA professionals commitment and their

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

appreciation to the sponsors who have been part of the 33 year history of the tournament, some of which would not have reached the heights in their career without events such these”. Wynnum Golf Club Head Professional Matthew King, says the tournament has a beneficial impact on the golf club. “The members look forward to it every year as it gives them an opportunity to see how the best in our game approach the layout they play each and every week. This tournament isn’t just about our club members though it is about putting on a golfing spectacle which can be enjoyed by all, and hopefully encouraging many more to play the game we all love”. Entry is free for all spectators with a number of initiatives taking place from free junior clinics to guest appearances, not to mention the opportunity to meet some of Australia’s past, present and future stars of our game. For more information on the Bartons/BMD Pro-Am, visit www.pga.org.au •

MEMBERS at Mt Coolum Golf Club really get into the Melbourne Cup spirit by playing an event where winners can be losers and losers can be winners. On the first Tuesday in November, around 22 teams of four enter a Golf Sweep unique to Mt Coolum Golf Club. “It’s a modified four-ball Ambrose event played under Scramble rules,” said club spokesperson Barry Degenhardt. “The winners of the event (shotgun start) pick two horses in the Melbourne Cup, the runnersup and third placegetters pick one each. “The rest of the players are assigned a horse in the order they finish the Ambrose event. If we have more teams than horses then the worst scores don’t get a horse. “If we have fewer teams than horses then the remaining horses are assigned in order of the results. So, the winners will get a third horse, runners-up two horses and so on until the horses are gone.” The club’s members and guests enjoy a meal and there are prizes for the bestdressed team, best-dressed individual and hat competition. This year the Sunshine Coast golf club went all out with prawns, smorgasbord and sweets.

“We also run some standard sweeps,” Barry said. “We start our game at 7:45am and we are in the clubhouse around 12 noon so there’s plenty of time for the festivities. In Queensland, the Melbourne Cup is at 2pm. “It is a fun day and the Melbourne Cup decides the winners. “This means that every team in the field has a chance and not just those powerful Ambrose teams that seem to take the prizes often,” Barry said. “We generally draw about 20 to 22 teams, which is not bad considering that it is not a holiday in Queensland.” This year, Judy McLennan, Roy Forbes, Barry and Denise Degenhardt didn’t win the Ambrose but they did cheer home Cup winner Green Moon to grab the main prize. The quartet returned a score of 63¾ to finish 13th – 12¼ shots behind the event’s winners and were given Green Moon in the big race. “We had no idea who Green Moon was and were tempted to see if we could arrange a swap, but thankfully we didn’t,” Barry said. Mt Coolum Golf Club, a friendly Queensland’s Sunshine Coast club, welcomes guests and visitors to play in club competitions and social events. All competitions are mixed. •

events

Iconic Gold Coast event celebrates 17 years Australia’s biggest and richest tournament for club golfers, The Mitsubishi World Masters Golf Championship, has wrapped up its exciting week of golf and social events on the Gold Coast for another year. Over 800 visitors from throughout Australia and overseas visited the Gold Coast for the tournament which was organised by Go Golfing, a local family-owned business. Go Golfing founder and tournament manager Peter McCarthy says he remembers organising the first Mitsubishi Masters tournament 17 years ago. “I was just 23 and working out of a makeshift office in my parent’s home when the first tournament teed off,” Mr McCarthy says. “Having Mitsubishi Motors come on board as naming sponsor breathed life into the concept and this relationship has gone on to become Mitsubishi Motors’ longest-running sponsorship association. “The Broadbeach precinct is the social and entertainment hub for the event and hosts Australia’s biggest 19th hole festivities each night.” Mr McCarthy says that golfers enjoyed golf at four of the Gold Coast’s premier resort courses, Hope Island, Sanctuary Cove, The Glades and Palmer Gold Coast which was previously known as Robina Woods. “Participants from as far afield as Poland, New Caledonia, Saudi Arabia, UK and Asia basked in the subtropical climate of Queensland and a golf experience to rival the best in the world,” Mr McCarthy says. “With event visitors staying on the Gold Coast for an average of eight nights, the event injects an estimated $1.5 million directly into the Gold Coast economy each year.” “The finale of the tournament was a glamorous gala dinner held at the Jupiters

Results - Ladies 35-49 A Gross Winner Grade Stableford Winner 35-49 B Grade 50-59 A Grade

Stableford Winner Gross Winner Stableford Winner

50-59 B Grade 60-69 A Grade

Stableford Winner Gross Winner Stableford Winner

60-69 B Stableford Winner Grade 70+ Grade Gross Winner A Grade Stableford Winner 70+ Grade Stableford Winner B Grade

Michele Philp (Robinvale – VIC) 314 stoke Kristin Griffiths (Virginia – QLD) 118 pts Katrina Rowbottom (Claremont – TAS) 118 pts Alex Belonogoff (Pacific – QLD) 335 stroke Vanetha Lam (Rosnay – NSW) 126 pts Germaine Julien (Ouenghi – New Caledonia) 132 pts Marilyn Wynn (Catalina – NSW) 355 stroke Virginia Drogumullar (Grenfell – NSW) 131 pts Marilyn Cross (Mayfield – NZ) 143 pts Wendy Beattie (Burleigh – QLD) 358 stroke Gabrielle Wallace (Bonville Int – NSW) 119 pts Di Griffiths (Pukekohe – NZ) 127 pts

Results - Men 35-49 A Gross Winner Grade 35-49 B Grade 50-59 A Grade

Buddy Nagi (Kogarah – NSW) 320 stroke Phil Kentwell (Cairns – Stableford Winner QLD) 125 pts Patrick Koch (Arundel Hills Stableford Winner – QLD) 157 pts Gregory Harvison (Grafton Gross Winner – NSW) 321 stroke

Kevin MacDougal (Woolooware – NSW) 129 pts Stephen Hunt (Cootamundra Stableford Winner – NSW) 137 pts

Stableford Winner

Casino on Saturday, 27 October. Among the prizes presented on the night was the all new Mitsubishi Mirage car which was won by Rex Bradley from Horton Park on Queensland’s sunshine coast.” Mitsubishi Motors Queensland sales manager Colin Sharp attended the event and hosted a VIP cocktail party for Mitsubishi car owners and 10 year event veterans at SkyPoint atop Q1.

T he tou r n ame nt r ai s e d a f u r t he r $12,400 for Cancer Council Australia, taking total funds raised for charity to $170,000. The four-round, 72-hole tournament is played in age and handicap divisions for golfers over the age of 35 who have an official golf club handicap. For more information contact Go Golfing on 07 5536 8681 or visit www.gogolfing.net.au •

50-59 B Grade 50-59 C Grade 60-69 A Grade

Stableford Winner Gross Winner Stableford Winner

60-69 B Grade 60-69 C Grade 70+ A Grade

Stableford Winner Stableford Winner Gross Winner Stableford Winner

70+ B Grade

Stableford Winner

Michael Fahey (Ipswich – QLD) 133 pts Leon Lagerewskij (Yarra Valley – VIC) 343 stroke Geoff Kennedy (Port Macquarie – NSW) 138 pts Noel Webber (Coffs Harbour – NSW) 143 pts Rod Rodrigo (Logan – QLD) 141 pts Ross Christie (Yarra Yarra – QLD) 316 stroke Alf Fernandez (Botany – NSW) 152 pts Murray Hatchard (Burnham – NZ) 156 pts

www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

events

Scott trumps Qld Order of Merit

Rookie takes platinum prize

For 12 months Grant Scott and Brad Andrews have been locked in a battle to claim the 2011/12 Queensland Sunshine Tour Order of Merit title, one of the most prestigious titles on the Sunshine Tour calendar. Heading into the final event at the Howeston Pro-Am, Scott was sitting just four points in front of Andrews. With a maximum of 10 points awarded at each event, Scott was in the driver’s seat, but with the pressure of the final event now upon him, nerves were certainly going to play a crucial part in the outcome. Andrews was going to require something special and when he signed for a two-under-par 69, he had put himself in a position to claim an unprecedented third Order of Merit title. But as has been the case for Scott over the past twelve months, a rock solid one-under-par round of 70 closed the door on Andrews’ dream, handing Scott his first Queensland Sunshine Tour Order of Merit title. Scott has taken his game to the next level over the past twelve months, and in a season that included 5 wins and 18 top tens, Scott has never lost sight of where he wants his game to be. “The Order of Merit title was not really on my radar at the start of the year, but when I found myself running at the top of the leaderboard in the middle of the season I knew I needed to focus on winning this title and it is a great feeling to accomplish one of my goals.” For his efforts, Scott takes home a bonus of more than $12,500, a prize that will certainly help to keep his career moving in the right direction. Executive Officer of the Queensland PGA Broc Greenhalgh spoke about the impact the QLD Sunshine Tour has on the golf industry.

First Year PGA professional Sven Puymbroek has taken out the Platinum Partner Program Rookie of the Year Award by more than 50 points from Toowoomba-based professional Sam Eaves. The Platinum Partner Program Rookie of the Year Award provides the PGA professional who is highest placed on the Qld Sunshine Tour Order of Merit in their ‘First Year’ as a Full PGA Member, as well as in their ‘First Year’ playing full time on the Qld Sunshine Tour, with an all expenses paid trip to Australasian PGA Tour School. Puymbroek kicked off his Qld Sunshine Tour career back in February with a 12th place finish in the Lakelands Pro Am though with 12 top-10 finishes since, Puymbroek’s rookie season has been solid. “I have learnt a lot about myself this year and although I feel I had a successful year, not getting a ‘W’ on the board was a little disappointing. With that being said, winning the Rookie of the Year Award will certainly offer me some certainty about my immediate future and I am hoping that the rest of the summer will see me cement my position on the Australasian Tour”. “Programs like the Rookie of the Year certainly help to keep players like myself motivated during the year and although it wasn’t necessarily something I set out to achieve at the start of the year, winning the award definitely became a focus in the back end of the season. CEO of the Platinum Partner Program Robbie Bennetts has a vision to ensure the winner of the Rookie of the year award gains

“Pro Ams play a much bigger part than just helping professionals to path their way to a successful playing career. The professionals continually act as promoters for the game of golf, motivating their playing partners to play more golf, not to mention Pro Ams being a key income stream to fund other projects in and around the club”. “Grant’s win will allow the 200+ amateurs he personally has played with over the past 12 months, the ability to ride the wave of a professional golfer’s career with many looking at results after each and every tournament as they rode home all the way to victory” Once again the 2011/12 Queensland Sunshine Tour was a huge success, with professionals playing in 52 Pro Am events with more than $1.3 million in prizemoney on offer. The tour once again returned to Far North Queensland for the first time in more than five years and as the Queensland Sunshine Tour heads into its 50th Birthday celebrations, the 2012/13 season is shaping up to be one of its greatest. For a full list of the Qld Sunshine Tour Schedule and Results, go to www.pga.org.au •

further exposure to four round professional tournaments and ultimately the world stage “We couldn’t think of anything better than to see some of our up and coming stars like Sven mixing it with the likes of Poulter, Ogilvy, Norman, Scott and Watson this summer and we will certainly be riding the wave with him through the good and the bad times during his career”. Below are the final results of the 2011/12 Platinum Partner Program Rookie of the Year: Sven Puymbroeck 253 points Sam Eaves 198 points Chris Wood 183 points Paul Hayden 129 points •

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December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

event results

NSW Men’s Fourball State Final

The 2012 NSW Men’s fourball winners, Dean and Luke McNamara The brothers pairing of Dean and Luke McNamara (Fox Hills GC) claimed victory by one point in the NSW Men’s Fourball Championship State Final after a climactic finish on the final hole at Bonville Golf Resort. They call it ‘Beautiful Bonville’ and it certainly didn’t disappoint as forty pairs from across the state gathered to take part in the final stage of the competition that started back in January with nearly 19,000 players from 245 clubs. Those out early got the better of the conditions as the afternoon winds picked up across the course with the scores reflective of this. Rod Fitzgerald and Jeff Mitchell from Carnarvon GC were the early clubhouse leaders with their 43 points. Wayne Stephens and Sim Tuitavake from Griffith GC assured they would be in contention on Thursday after their first round of 40 points. The afternoon scoring was dominated by the McNamara brothers as they carded 47 points to lead the field. Close on their heels were the Wilson boys, Sean and Scott, from Glen Innes GC with 41 points. After wild weather overnight battered the Coffs Coast region, the rain continued into the morning making scoring on the already challenging Bonville

layout even tougher. Morris Maroon and Gavin Jansz (Oatlands GC) made the best of the conditions to combine for 45 points whilst Coraki GC pairing of Ian Brown and Troy Robson had 42 points. The weather seemed to carry no fears for the leading groups as they all carried on their good form from the previous day. Rod Fitzgerald and Jeff Mitchell backed up their 43 with a further 42 points to finish in third place overall. The fashion-coordinated Griffith GC pairing of Sim Tuitavake and Wayne Stephens shot the score of the day with 47 points to finish in second place overall with 87 points. The winners for 2012, however, would be the McNamara brothers who managed to hold off a fast-finishing field with 40 points. It took a birdie on the 18th, including a breaking 8-metre putt from Luke to secure the win. Full results, prize winners and images can now be found online at www.golfnsw.org The 2013 NSW Men’s Fourball Championship dates are as follows: 1 January 8 August 25 August 8-11 October

Club qualifying rounds commence Metro finals to be completed District finals to be completed State Final (Bonville Golf Resort)

Perfect days for Women’s Mountain Meeting The 2012 Women’s Mountain Meeting was played at Blackheath, Leura, Katoomba and Wentworth Falls Golf Clubs, and once again this year’s tournament had perfect weather for most of the four-day tournament. Winner of the Yallambee Cup for 2012 with a total score of 160 was Debbie Nunn from Wakehurst with two steady rounds of 80. Kerry Davis (Wentworth Falls) was four strokes behind on 164 to take runnerup. Patricia Shepheard (22) from Bayview won the overall Nett with a total nett score of 136. Wakehurst’s Robyn McClurg (23) returned a score of 138 on a countback, beating Truda Rail (18) from Strathfield on a countback. Blue Mountains Salver winner for Division Two was Concord’s Ann Rodgers with a total of 186. Two strokes behind on 188 was Judith Shade from Kogorah to be overall runner-up. The overall nett winner was Joan Croydon (30) from Bayview with 133 on a countback from Janet Conner (28) Wakehurst. The highlight of the event for Bayview’s Phillipa Waugh (30) was her hole-in-one on the 17th hole, a 124m, Par-3 over water at Blackheath Golf Club. Rosemary Corbett (32) from Pymble was the outright winner of the Megalong Valley Trophy, scoring 79 points over 36-holes of stableford. Two points shy was runner-up Sue Cooper (34) from Wakehurst. The Foursomes were held on day three, and played in two divisions. Scratch winners for Division One were Deborah Nunn from Wakehurst and Kerry Davis from Wentworth Falls with a 7-over-par 76. Kathryn Turnbull and Diana Hearn (24) from Chatswood had a great nett score of 64 to take the win for Division One. In Division Two, scratch winners were Terrie Bouman and Joan Croydon from Bayview with a 97 off the stick. Wakehurst

Division One winner Debbie Nunn took out all prize-winning places for the nett: Jennifer Abbot and Robin Pitt (32 ½) had a 64 ½ nett to take out first place. Runners-Up were Patricia Mann and Joy Battaglia (39) with a nett score of 68. Blackheath and Katoomba hosted the final day, The Teams V Par event. Winners at Blackheath were Kathy Devon (33) and Patricia Horton (45) from Wakehurst and Carole Massey (28) and Sandy Menin (22) from Wentworth Falls with a total score of +17. At Katoomba, the winning team was Joy Battaglia (40), Patricia Mann (38) from Wakehurst and Michelle Crowe (28) and Margaret Novaro (34) from Mona Vale, having a plus on each hole to have a final score of +18, a perfect score! •

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event results

Wild weather for Johnny Walker Cup Kogarah claims Monomeeth Salver The landmark 50th Monomeeth Salver presentation was held at Woolooware Golf Club in October. The Salver is a handicap match play event contested by the Lady Members of Beverley Park, Cronulla, Kogarah and Woolooware. This year, Kogarah won the Salver in a very close competition with only one game deciding the placings between all 4 clubs. The inaugural match was played on 5th April, 1963 and was won by Cronulla. The following month, at a meeting at Cronulla, it was decided to call the salver the Monomeeth Salver. It was generally understood that “monomeeth” meant friendship but according to “Aboriginal Words of Australia” published by AH. & A.W. Reed, Sydney 1995, it is an Aboriginal word

Winners of the 50th Monomeeth Salver, Kogarah GC

meaning “involvement, enjoyment”. This is a very appropriate description of the day with all matches played in the spirit of friendship and enjoyment, just as was originally intended. •

Nott rules the sand greens Kerry Moore (right) presenting the Bernie Moore Trophy to Herb Young Over 130 golfers from all over Australia played in the Johnny Walker Cup, hosted by Australian Hotels Association NSW Golf Club. A very bleak cold, wet and windy first day of play at St Michaels would have turned most avid golfers off the course, however all playing in the event played out the 18 holes. Scores averaged around the 30 mark until NSW veteran Herb Young signed for 36 points. Even members of the Tasmanian team said they had never played in such extreme conditions. Tuesday was the complete opposite as the field headed out west to the magnificent Twin Creeks Golf Course where the golfers were bathed in sunshine and plenty of birdies, and for Eric Ozols an Ace on the par-3, 6th. Scores were certainly improved in the better climate with

Terry Baker (C grade) on 40 points, Andrew Tapp (A grade) on 36 and Bob Hendrie (B grade) on 35. Ladies winner was Margaret Lutz on 34 followed by Lyndal Dowe on her home course with 30. The final day was played at Macquarie Links International and this where the winner of the Johnny Walker Cup was to be decided. Consistent scoring saw South Australia take out the Johnny Walker Cup for 2012. Frank Templeton of SA was crowned Champion of Champions with 100 pts. Herb Young NSW 103 pts won the Bernie Moore Trophy and Ladies Champion was Diane Gillard on 93 pts. Tasmania will host the 2014 AHA Golf Cup, so all you NSW players get plenty of games in and lets bring the cup back to NSW. •

Sharon Nott has claimed her fourth Women’s NSW Sand Greens Championship title, following this year’s victory at the Cobar Bowling and Golf Club. Of the four championships Sharon has participated in, she has won three on her own in 2007, 2011 and 2012 as the Division 1 – 36 hole scratch winner. In 2008 she was a joint winner with Sue Brooks from Lithgow. This year was a close match against runner-up Kylie McDougal. It came down to the last hole when Kylie sprayed right into a hazard handing Sharon a one shot lead. Sharon said, “With golf every shot is a surprise. It was a good tussle. ” The NSW Sand Greens Championship is a wonderful opportunity for players from all over NSW to come together, meet up with friends, socialise, and enjoy the opportunity to play in a state event. Over 100 players attended this year’s

Sharon Nott event. Numerous players have already booked their accommodation for next year’s Sand Greens Championship to be held at Hay Golf Club on 19-20 October 2013. For more information visit: www.golfnsw.org •

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December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

event results

Sean Witting, with caddie John Johnstone, proudly displays his trophy.

Nathan Mann

Witting doubles up at Blind Golf Opens

Junior Mann captures NSW Sand Greens

Seventeen blind and vision-impaired golfers stepped out for the Australian Open Championship played over two rounds at the Collier Park Golf Club in Western Australia recently. Victorian blind golfer, Sean Witting (B2 – handicap 23) with his caddie John Johnstone, won the 2012 championship with a gross score of 186 for the two rounds. Runner-up was John Rawlings from Victoria (B2 – handicap 32) with his caddie Ken Wilford. The event was run in conjunction with the West Australian Blind Golf Open which was also won by Witting with 42 stableford points. Sean was a 25-handicapper before

This year’s NSW Sand Greens Championship was held at Walcha GC, which is generally regarded as the best sand greens course in NSW, if not Australia. Recent dry conditions resulted in not only extra run, but also some fine scoring. Two juniors fought it out for the NSW Sand Green Championships, with Tamworth’s Nathan Mann finally triumphant against Cobar’s Jacob Ryan in a sudden-death play-off. Both players finished the 36hole event at even par. Mann had rounds of 72 and 68, while Ryan had rounds of 71 and 69. Given the higher-than-normal attendance by junior players at this year’s event, it was only fitting that these two went down the first hole an extra time to decide the winner. In the end, Mann’s par-3 was enough to take the title.

joining blind golf following a quick onset of vision impairment. Blind golf has categories B1, B2 and B3 depending on the player’s vision capabilities. B1 players are totally blind. Other Blind Golf winners were: Division B1 Gross B1 Net B2 Gross B2 Net B3 Gross B3 Net

Player David Blyth (Vic) Glen Niciejewski (Qld) Brian Gear (Vic) Jenny McCallum (WA) Jeff Ellis (Vic) David Wheatley (Vic)

Handicap 54 53 39 32 24 33

Score 253 154 222 162 203 150

To learn more about blind golf, go to the Blind Golf Australia website www.blindgolf.com.au or see www.internationalblindgolf.org •

Mann hopes to prove his abilities on all surfaces when he takes on the best of NSW Country in the Country Championship, at Muswellbrook Golf Club, which is a grass greens course. In the nett event, Dermott Fearon (Redland Bay, QLD) won on a countback from Dubbo’s Greg Dunn, who had lead after the first round. In the hotly-contested nett teams’ event, the Walcha GC team of Alex Gill, Lee Fletcher and Ross King were successful. One of the event highlights was from local Crighton Barr who broke his age, on his 75th birthday. He also took out the round 2 nett event. The 2013 Sand Greens Championship events will be held at Hollbrook (Fourball Championship) and Barraba (Singles Championship). •

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events

Morgan upsets Cromer to host NSW Foursomes events Entries open for NSW Family Bowl Donohoe to win Australian Women’s Senior Jacqui Morgan from Monash Country Club on Sydney’s northern beaches has won the 2012 Australian Women’s Senior Amateur Championship, defeating Sylvia Donohoe (Narooma Golf Club, NSW) 4&2 in the 18hole Final at Gungahlin Lakes Golf Club in Canberra. “I feel really honoured to win this title, and relieved to have my name on the trophy alongside the likes of great NSW champions Heather Bleeck, Liz Cavill and Sylvia,” said Morgan. It was a magnificent win for Morgan, and her first Australian title. It was also a case of sweet revenge for the Monash member who lost to Donohoe earlier in the year at the NSW Senior Amateur Championship. Donohoe was chasing her eighth Australian Senior title, but the fairytale was not to be in 2012. Queensland players dominated the Age Division Matches: New Age Division: Linda Urquhart (Qld) defeated Annabel Harris (Qld) 4&3 Veterans Division: Wendy O’Connell *(Qld) defeated Kea Schwarz (Qld) 4&3 Super Veterans Division: Brenda Chalmers (NSW0 defeated Sandra Gillies (NSW) 5&4 Super Veterans Plus Division: Anne AlletsonBrown (Qld) defeated Jane Donohue (Tas) 5&3 •

Your say Got an event or a wrap-up for us? Send it to us at ed@insidegolf.com.au

The 2012 NSW Family Bowl Winners–Gary and Cameron Glenday

The 2012 Men’s NSW Senior Foursomes Winners Cromer Golf Club is set to shine in January, as it will take centre stage for two Foursomes events. The 2013 Men’s NSW Senior Foursomes Medal is first off the ranks, being held on Monday 14 January 2013. The format is stroke play over one round of 18-holes Foursomes. The Men’s Senior Foursomes Medal is open to male amateurs whose individual handicap does not exceed 18 at the date of entry, and are 55 years of age or over (65 years of age or over for the over 65’s section) as at the first day of play. Online entries are $55 per pair or $65 per pair for all other forms of entry. Prizes are awarded in both scratch and nett. For the third year running, this event will

be held in conjunction with the Women’s Summer Foursomes, Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 January 2013. The tournament is open to female amateurs whose individual handicap does not exceed 32 at the date of entry. The format is stroke play over one round of 18-holes Foursomes, with the leading four pairs (scratch) in each division to qualify for the match play, scheduled for the following day. Pairs may choose which player is playing from their first tee in all rounds. Online entries are $70 per pair or $80 per pair for all other forms of entry. Entries close: Friday 21 December 2012 at 5.00pm. Entries close: Friday 21 December 2012 at 5.00pm. Full details for both events are available at www.golfnsw.org •

The 2013 NSW Family Bowl is being held at Wentworth Falls Country Club, on Sunday 11 February 2013. It is open to male or female amateur golfers who hold a current Australian, or overseas equivalent handicap. The format is played over 18-holes fourball stableford. Teams can comprise any combination of family members, including Father/Son; Father/Daughter; Mother/Son; Mother/ Daughter; Husband/Wife; Brother/Sister; Uncle/ Nephew; Uncle/Niece; Aunt/Nephew; Aunt/ Niece; Grandparent/Grand-son or daughter; First Cousins; Father/Daughter or Son-in-law; Mother/ Daughter or Son-in-law. As long as there is an immediate family relationship, then they can form a team. The competition is played in pairs, in the categories of men’s, women’s and mixed. Prizes are awarded for nett scores in each of the above categories, as well as for the overall winning pair. Online entries are $100 per pair or $110 per pair for all other forms of entry – this also includes lunch and refreshments at the end of the day. Entries close: Friday 25 January 2013 at 5.00pm. Full event details are available at www.golfnsw.org. •

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December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

events

Ciezki captures Veterans Championship Brian O’Hare

brian@australianseniorgolf.com.au

JOHN CIEZKI is quick to admit he was a lastminute entry to the 2012 Regis Australian Veteran Golfers Union National Championship held on the Mornington Peninsula last month. The 60-year-old Victorian golfer thought the week-long event might be a good opportunity to have a few beers, spend some time with his mates and play on some half-decent golf courses. He took a week off work, packed his clubs and turned up raring to go. What he discovered was that the National Veteran Golfers Championships has become a huge annual event that attracts hundreds of older golfers from right around the country. It turned out to be not only an excellent opportunity to socialise with his friends – and play some very good golf courses – but he ended up winning the whole shebang as well. “It’s just awesome,” Ciezki said after being awarded the AVGU National Championship title. “It’s just been an absolutely fantastic week.” Ciezki, a six handicapper from the Buninyong Golf Club near Ballarat, had the best A Grade gross score over 54 holes of stroke play at three of Australia’s best, and toughest, courses. The three courses used for the championship, The National Golf Club (Ocean Course), Moonah Links Legends Course and The Dunes Golf Links, are all well inside the Australian Top 50.

“Just awesome” says 2012 National Vets Championship winner, John Ciezki “These courses are just deadly,” Ciezki said. “I found today’s course (The National) was absolutely mind-bogglingly hard.” “I didn’t expect to be here [as the winner] by a long shot. I was expecting just to walk around the courses and enjoy what I haven’t played before. My aim was just to walk around and enjoy the courses and the good scores just came along.” With a gross score of 247, Ciezki beat joint runners-up Malcolm Wolfe (six handicap) from the Mt Lawley Golf Club in Western Australia and Tim Dillon (two handicap) from the Redcliffe Golf Club in Queensland by a solitary stroke. In all, 533 people participated in the 2012 event, which began on Monday November 12 with a fourball primer tournament at the Rosebud Country Club.

The participants included 332 male golfers, 119 female golfers and 82 registered non-players. They came from all states and territories of Australia with the largest contingents from Queensland, NSW and Western Australia. To be eligible, players need to be aged over 55 and have an official handicap. The men traditionally play three championship rounds of stroke play in three grades while ladies play in daily and 54-hole stableford competitions in two divisions. The tournament itself rotates annually through the states and territories and there were a number of 2012 attendees who have done all nine venues and are on their second lap around the nation. Each year they meet up with a growing group of friends, often making an extended holiday out

of the event, and play some great golf courses at a very reasonable rate. Next year the championship is being held in Canberra in November in association with the National Capital’s Centenary celebrations and in 2014 it will be heading to the south west of Western Australia. The 2012 event was hosted by the Mornington Peninsula Veteran Golfers Association. You’d think letting 150 or so older C-Grade golfers loose playing stroke rounds on some of Australia’s toughest links courses would be a recipe for disaster but thanks to the hard work of tournament director Ken McNamara and his committee there was barely a hiccup. Most of the competitors, like John Ciezki, finished the week with smiles wider than some of the fairways. “I have just had a fantastic and awesome week with my mates. That’s the whole idea of this particular week I reckon. Just be with your mates and have a good time.” Next year, his attendance won’t be a last-minute rush. (The tournament was booked out for months but there were late cancellations) “I’ve already booked myself into Canberra. My sister lives there. I’ve already rung her up and said I’m going to be there next year … with some guests,” he laughs. “It’s going to be another great week.” You can see photo galleries of the event, full results and other information on the Australian Senior Golfer website. • Brian O’Hare is the founder and editor of Australian Senior Golfer, an online magazine providing news, information, entertainment and resources for golfers aged 45 plus. www.australianseniorgolfer.com.au

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events

DECEMBER

Emirates Australian Open

When: 6-9 December Where: The Lakes Golf Club Info: www.emiratesaustralianopen.com.au Eight-time Major champion Tom Watson join World number 5 Justin Rose and Aussies Geoff Ogilvy, Marc Leishman, John Senden, Robert Allenby, Greg Chalmers and Adam Scott to contest our national championship. Tickets: www.ticketek.com or phone 132 849. Twitter: @ausopengolf Facebook: www.facebook.com/AustralianOpenGolf

format, range and practice balls, breakfast, tea and coffee on arrival, motorised cart, two course lunch including wine and great prizes. This year RDP is again offering the opportunity for businesses to sponsor a tee. For $1900 you can bring along a team of 4 and sponsor a tee of your choice. As every player has to play every hole, your advertising and promotional materials will be seen (and heard). We are also asking for offers of prizes or auction items. More info: golfday@rdp.com.au or 1300 859 771.

2013

Australian PGA Championship When: 13-16 December Where: Palmer Coolum Resort Website: championship.pga.org.au

2011 (British) Open Champion Darren Clarke will return to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for this event--fresh from vicecaptain duties after Europe’s memorable Ryder Cup victory. He will join four-time Australian PGA Champion Robert Allenby, and one of Australia’s most consistent performers on the PGA TOUR this year, John Senden. The trio will complement former tournament Champions Greg Chalmers, Greg Norman and Geoff Ogilvy, for what is again shaping up to be an impressive field. Tickets: www.ticketek.com.au Twitter: @PGAofAustralia Facebook: www.facebook.com/pgachampionshipAU

Lions Club of Moorabbin Charity Golf Day When: Monday 17th December Where: Royal Melbourne Golf Club - West Course Info: www.moorabbin.lions.org.au

When: 14 - 17 February 2013 Where: Royal Canberra Golf Club Info: www.womensaustralianopen.com.au

Social Media: Twitter: @womensausopen; Facebook.com/ WomensAusOpen Tickets: Now available via Ticketek at www.ticketek.com or by calling 132 849 Royal Canberra Golf Club will play host to the 2013 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. A U.S global Tour event, the 2013 tournament will be headlined by World #21 Australian Karrie Webb and will be part of Canberra’s Centenary celebrations, with the month of February focusing on women.

When: February 21-24 Where: The Thirteenth Beach Golf Links Website: www.pga.org.au Building on the success of the unique 2012 format, the 2013 running will again see both the men’s and women’s Championships run simultaneously. This ‘concurrent running’ format be a 72-hole tournament for both men and women with a men’s starting field of 144 and a women’s field of 120 players. The women will play on the North course in rounds one and two whilst the men will play on the Beach course. Cuts will be made at the conclusion of round two on Friday 22nd February with the leading 50 players plus ties in each respective field continuing on to the final 36-holes over the Beach course.

Portsea Golf Club

Swisse Portsea Pro-Am

When: Wednesday 2 January 2013 Where: Portsea Golf Club Info: www.portseagolf.com.au

ACT Centenary Masters Golf Tournament

The Swisse Portsea Pro-Am is the first event of the year on the Australian PGA calendar and has long attracted a star-studded group of professional and amateur golfers. In past years, the Portsea Pro Am has seen the likes of professionals; Robert Allenby, Geoff Ogilvy, Craig Parry, Peter Thomson and Ian Baker-Finch, along with amateurs, Jeff Kennett, Kris Smith, Nathan Buckley, Sharelle McMahon and Andy Lee take to the green. The day is jam-packed with live music and entertainment, prizes, giveaways plus interactive golfing and kid’s activities. Food and beverages will be available throughout the day and the Pro Shop will be open selling a wide range of merchandise.

RDP Charity Challenge 2012

When: 24-27th January Where: Heritage Golf and Country Club Info: www.pga.org.au

The RDP Charity Challenge raises funds for ChildFund and The Spastic Centre and is now in its 10th year. Donation of $225 per player includes: Golf – fourball Ambrose

ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open

Victorian Open

The Lions Club of Moorabbin welcomes Men and Women to participate in their 36th Charity Golf Day in support of the Sandringham Hospital and other community projects. The majority of the funds raised will be used to purchase a Phillips HeartStart Defibrillator/Monitors for resuscitation and rapid response teams. This unique opportunity offers golfers the chance to play on the recently renovated west course that has been reinstated as the number 1 course in Australia. With valuable prizes for team and individual events, longest drives, nearest the pins plus a silent auction and other activities will make this an unforgettable day. For more information contact Geoff Thomas – email: gelythomas@optusnet.com.au, or phone 03 9583 8523

When: 20th December Where: Bonnie Doon Golf Club Info: golfday@rdp.com.au

Open, Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola and the BMW New Zealand Open.

Heritage Classic

Boasting prizemoney of $130,000, professionals will get the opportunity to play the first “signature” Jack Nicklaus design in Australia, The St John Course. The winner will also earn a place in the fields for the 2013 Australian Masters, Emirates Australian

When: 8th-12th April, 2013 Where: Various courses Info: www.actgolf.com.au, www.canberra100.com.au

The ACT Centenary Masters Golf Tournament is open to all male and female golfers over the age of 35 who have an official golf handicap. The 72-hole event will be single stableford format with handicap divisions determined by entries with a minimum of two Mens and one Womens division. Daily prizes in each division to 4th place, nearest the pins for men and women each day and a ball competition each day. Overall prizes for each division to 3rd place. The event will be played at four of Canberra’s better courses, and as the weather in Canberra in April is usually very good, the event will surely be a hit. There will be plenty of things for non golf playing partners to do as well. Cost is $380 per player if booking on-line through MiTournament, and includes four rounds of golf, meals, gift pack and presentation lunch. Early bird special of $350 if booked on MiTournament before January 1st. Paper or emailed entry $390 ($360 early bird before January 1st.) Presentation Lunch only for non golfers: $55. Accommodation: 23 rooms available at Yowani Country Club for approx $130 per night – first in basis.

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The long and the shorts of it Michael Green ed@insidegolf.com.au

A bunch of golfers took to the fairways at a golf course in Turkey recently and it created quite a stir. There was talk about the winner of the Turkish World Golf Final, some mention of the duel between Woods and McIlroy, and debate about the money each golfer was receiving for their Ottoman appearance. However the most remarkable discussion concerned the choice of clothing of some of the golfers chose to wear. Specifically, some of the golfers wore shorts and many people didn’t like it. Not since John Daly’s appearance in Loudmouth pants have I heard so much talk about an item of golf clothing. The interest seemed inappropriate given that I, like most Australians, have played most of my summer golf in shorts since I was a kid. So what was the big deal? Firstly, it should come as no surprise that the reason that Matt Kuchar, Charl Schwartzel, Hunter Mahan and Lee Westwood were wearing shorts was because it was hot. Temperatures hovered around 30C for most of the week, so it wasn’t stinking, “middle of the Australian summer” type hot, but hot nonetheless. Definitely shorts weather though. But it is unusual to see professional golfers wearing shorts. The reason being that, as members of some of the world’s most lucrative golf tours, they simply aren’t allowed to. As ridiculous as that may sound, many golf fans and administrators deem it unprofessional for a professional to be wearing shorts, and they made it loudly known

following the Turkish event. Some of the response from golf fans in the US left me gob-smacked. Several speculated what Sam Snead or Byron Nelson might think of the look while carefully forgetting these guys were playing golf in an era when persimmon woods were common and Augusta National refused membership to African-American golfers. It’s hard to imagine golfers wearing shorts would be one of their first points of discussion. It is obvious that some golfers in the cooler parts of the globe would have never worn shorts on the fairways, and would consequently be less accepted there. Some Kiwi golfing buddies of mine have mentioned that they’d never worn shorts on the golf course before moving to Australia and had trouble concentrating over each shot with two pasty knees distractingly glaring them in the face. (Goodness knows how the nude golfers manage to play any golf shot). Charl Schwartzel seemed surprised by the fuss after his opening round, “I love wearing shorts when I play. But then, I’m from South Africa”. But Lee Westwood donned a pair too and he doesn’t exactly hail from a tropical island. So what to make of all this? The fact that such a debate ensued over something as minor as the length of one’s pants says a lot about the state of the game. While desperate to attract newcomers to the sport, maintain members, attract sponsorship and TV audiences, many of golf ’s administrators and spokespersons are stuck in a mindset far more ancient than royal. In contrast, and perhaps hypocritically, there is not the same debate over the fashion seen on the women’s golf tour. And rightly so. Female professional golfers are free to choose to wear shorts or short skirts if they wish and no one

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says a word. One wonders if Natalie Gulbis has ever worn long pants or skirts. I dare say there would be a helluva debate among golf fans and sponsors if she suddenly did though. I’m the first to laud the integrity of the game, which has been built upon rich history and tradition, but occasionally the fuss over some trivial changes to golf ’s periphery amazes me. This isn’t Wall Street or the offices of some law firm with three names. This is a sport that is struggling to remain relevant in today’s fast-paced, timepoor society, and it needs all the help it can get. •

Wearing shorts on the course is commonplace for amateurs. So why aren’t professionals allowed the same liberties? Michael Green is an avid golf fanatic, and the author/ blogger of the Aussie Golfer blog (www.aussiegolfer. net) one of Australia’s most popular golf blogging sites. Follow him on Twitter (twitter.com/AussieGolfer) or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AussieGolfer

Investment Trusts and the GFC Many investors lost their money during the GFC through mortgage investment funds. What went wrong? Most fund managers used ‘pooled’ funds where investors’ funds were pooled together into one large fund. The fund manager had total authority to invest these funds without reporting back to the investors. This led to many problems. Funds were lent to companies that had some link to the fund manager. Additionally, these funds managers had the ability to raise funds from the banks using the fund itself as security. This placed the funds at risk from banks’ proceeding against the fund often for reasons unrelated to the success of the mortgage investments in which investors’ funds were applied. One investment vehicle that survived the GFC is the Contributory Mortgage Fund. This type of fund overcomes the problems of the ‘pooled’ funds and allows investors more control over their investments. In such funds, each mortgage loan in which investors’ funds are placed is disclosed and approved by each investor. There can be no related party transactions nor can the mortgage loans be borrowed against. This ensures that the funds are secured through a first registered mortgage. Each investor knows where their funds will be placed and can make informed decisions about the loan. Guardian Securities has put together a free package that includes real estate returns in different regions in Australia, a comparison of investment products and the benefits and pitfalls of self-managed superannuation funds. To get this free “SMSF Information Pack”, email greg.w@guardiansecurities.com.au, or phone 0419 471160. •

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mailbox

Letter of the Month

Now that’s using your head The advent of Spring makes for enjoyable rounds on the course--except for one thing: bird attack! Like many other golfers, I been swooped and hit many times by territorial magpies. But now, the pied butcherbirds have got in on the act. At my home course, Burleigh Golf Club on the Gold Coast, these local birds have copied the behaviour of their bigger cousins and attack relentlessly, often acting in pairs, and always from behind. Worse still, when you settle over

a shot – whack!! – right behind the ear. I got hit the other week and had blood dripping from my right earlobe. Put me right off my game. So, I made the hat (picture attached) and this has proved a real deterrent – they might swoop and squawk, but they stay a safe distance away and leave me to get on with my game! Alan Turpie Editor’s note: Love it! A creative and bold solution like that deserves a prize (and will doubtless make up for the odd stares you get by your playing partners!)

Have you got something to say? Then tell us! Write to us via email at ed@insidegolf.com.au or mail a letter to: The Editor, Inside Golf, PO Box 360 Nunawading, Vic 3131. Tell an interesting story or something funny about golf and you could WIN the monthly prize from the Inside Golf prize vault!

Pitch & Putt part II

Women and Children

The interesting discussion on the future of golf membership in your November editorial was complemented by two letters in the Mailbox: “a wee bit of bother” referring to toilet facilities on course, and “Pitch and Putt” which looked at another way to attract players. I am both a Pitch & Putter and a “big” golfer. My golf club is in process of installing a second toilet on the back nine in response to frequent requests from the membership. It was hard to make a financial case over the demands of the general course care and we members are trying to raise half the cost. It will be a boon to many players for whom this is a subject they are reluctant to broach. Pitch and Putt has not been properly recognised or valued by the main body of golfers. It is a marvellous way of improving the short game, and is more fun than hours of practice. It is a skilful game in and of itself, and very challenging. Few people know that this year the Australian Pitch and Putt Association (APPA) sent a team of three players to compete in the world championships in Ireland where they came a close second out of 14 European teams. This minor sport offers an entry into—and an exit from—regular golf and would sit well on small pieces of land on existing golf courses. It attracts all sorts, brings in funds, greenkeepers are already employed which reduces costs and professionals are there to run introduction courses to the game. It provides a simple pleasurable outdoor pursuit for all types and ages and gives players a closer look at the big game. For more information look at the A P PA we b s i te fo r a c l u b n e a r yo u www.australianpitchandputt.com June Cullen

Regarding the letter by Catherine Bird (issue 88) I have always advocated the closer playing regimes between the ladies and the men of Golf clubs. In the UK where I played since 1959 my last club, Fynn Valley G.C., encouraged this by having a twice yearly event of the ladies versus the seniors. In this context the seniors also had a once yearly match against the juniors. Such matches were played in a funfilled environment with a dinner at the finish to award the prizes. The format for each match was decided by the winners of the previous match. There were always as many players as could be accommodated on the course. It was highly competitive but with loads of good fun thrown in and was looked forward to by both sexes. As you can surmise I am not against such promotions and am amazed at the intolerance of most male golfers in Australia to the idea of playing golf with the ladies and in some cases the juniors. Richard Pearce Catherine’s statement that children emerge from school these days with little or no “gender segregation” is very true. Golf clubs are dwindling in numbers, and although there is the potential of 50 per cent being women, this is sadly not the case and women seem to become more of a nuisance aspect to many clubs. As an ex-Ladies Captain and ladies committee member for many years I know that the biggest problems these committees face is the total unfairness and inequality. It is often the case that the women are the ones who raise the money in order to receive something that is automatically handed out to the men. I think the entire club golf attitude has to change. I must say I am totally sick of golfing women being treated as second class citizens. It’s time we realised we are in the 21st century and discrimination is a thing of the past. If we made people from a

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mailbox particular country play together only at a certain time we would be discriminating, so why make the women do it? I have had the experience of belonging to a club where on a Saturday—which had always been men’s competition— we now can book and play at any time with the men or with ladies, with the two comps running simultaneously. I have also seen this work well in some small nine-hole courses where there is a very friendly social attitude from all members. These changes won’t come about quickly but I think change is due and we must work together. Pauline Peppard Another great article in the front of Inside Golf! I personally believe that rather than women just having their Ladies Committees they should really stand up and get on the Boards of the golf clubs. This is where they will be able to make some changes and make the decisions needed to change the way the golf clubs operate such as a ‘boys club’. Bayview are a bit better as they have the Lady President attend Board meetings and another lady was elected to the Board— but that’s two out of 10 people. If women really want to be heard they have to get on the Boards and make things happen. Tiffany Mika Surely there needs to be both men and women’s committees, to address any concerns with their respective competitions. Our club has Associates, and from a financial point of view, I would think most women are happy with the reduced fees that they are afforded. Our fees are around half that of the men, and for pensioners, half again for both sexes, with juniors having special rates till the age of 25 years. I don’t think you could get any better value. The Associates have a very hard-working Committee that do a huge amount for the club, and in fact contribute sums of money for works

on the course, (paths, toilets, etc). Yes the men’s competition is on a Saturday, which generally works ok, as the ladies may take the children to their various sports. In the clubs in our area that have ladies as full members, there is a competition on Saturday, in time blocks, which is a great idea for the ladies who are unable to play during the week. Our club has the ladies competition on a Tuesday. Then on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday we have mixed competitions, and every second Thursday is a Vets day, again a medley Competition. While I realise many younger women work, our Tuesday Comp has around 60 to 80 ladies playing, and when it is an open day around 120 girls come along from the various clubs. Our Associates Committee has access to the men’s committee whenever it is required, however,

we mostly run our own race, and happily so. Our lady President has run a very successful drive to recruit new lady golfers to our club. That included free lunch for the first month, lessons from our Pro and some of the better golfers on etiquette, rules etc, and half-price membership fees for the first year. In doing so, we have recruited more than 20 new girls to our Club in the last two seasons. I guess it is not easy to please everybody, as we all have different expectations of our individual clubs. However, our girls for the most part are very satisfied with the way our club is run. Barbara Barnett

Where there’s smoke... These days there are many heads being banged together to try and come up with novel methods

Crossword 1

8 9

17 18

21 22

Across

to encourage youth (and adults) onto the golf course. Unfortunately a retrograde step is to not invoke a No Smoking policy on several driving ranges my son and I have visited recently. One in particular in the southern suburbs has had this matter brought to their attention on several occasions, yet has chosen to continue to allow patrons to smoke at the driving range. The very nature of this driving range set up lends itself to the cigarette smoke remaining and circulating under the roof line. This is not a healthy environment for children or adults to spend an hour or two practising. In particular, the driving ranges may find themselves losing children from their junior clinics because of this. Robert Maluga

1 Australian who dramatically lost The Open Championship in 2012 (4,5) 6 Work-out centre (3) 9 Not affected by alcohol (5) 10 A top performer on the Champions Tour in 2012 (3,6) 11 Moves the shoulders round during a swing (7) 12 Those who wait ready to pounce (7) 13 Immediately (2,4) 15 Beats easily (8) 18 Items of information published online (8) 19 Get out of trouble in golf (6) 22 No score (7) 24 Sent a message through the internet (7) 26 Get better; hurry up (4,5) 27 Golfer’s initial target on a par 3 (5) 28 Winner of The Open Championship in 2012 (3) 29 Disadvantages imposed for breaking golf rules (9)

Down

1 Country that Bernd Wiesberger, a European pro, comes from (7) 2 A score of three below par on a hole (9) 3 To walk in an ostentatious, swaggering manner (5) 4 Slow on the uptake; not sharp (6) 5 South African winner of The Players Championship in 2010 (3,5) 6 Easy putt (5) 7 Negative points (7) 8 Powerful embraces by Jack Nicklaus perhaps? (4,4) 14 Very important (8) 16 Sth Korean professional golfer who tied for 3rd at the 2102 Greenbrier Classic (7,2) 17 A generation (of people) (3,5) 18 Dashing manner; style (7) 20 Conclusions (7) 21 2012 winner of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, ______ Bradley (6) 23 Allocated tee-off slots (5) 25 Argentinian golfer who has won two majors , _____ Cabrera (5) Answers: pg 104

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101

last word

The Larrys for 2012

The quick nine quiz With David Newbery

ed@insidegolf.com.au

There are awards, and there are “awards”. There are those who deserve to be awarded and those who should be in a ward. And then there’s.... “The Larrys”. These bad girls are the result of how I feel about any given golfer, with a general bias towards those who continually beat me. Basically, I hate them and because I can’t beat them, I poke fun at them. If that’s discrimination...well...then.... stiff. My first “Larry” goes to those blokes who think they are just way too cool for school. This year’s nominations include – American Dustin Hoffman... sorry ... “Johnson”. This young power house can apparently throw a baseball at 150ks, slam dunk a basketball while holding it in his sphincter and swim clean out of an Olympic pool and straight into the change room. He also walks like he has been filleted. So why can’t he win a major? Because when he was relieved of all of his bones, one of them was probably a spine. I continually have a sledge at another Yank named Charley Hoffman mainly because of the funky sunnies and his silly mane. I find it totally unjust that Chuck’s surfy-blond locks are wasted on HIS head and not on someone more deserving like Kelly Slater’s. Whilst these nominations would have all been worthy winners, the “Larry” for 2012 goes to Golf ’s version of Billy Idol... Ian Poulter. The pom with the haircut that looks like it was fashioned by the greenskeeper, continues to think he looks cool donning pink pants and lacing up red golf shoes.

Too cool for school: Adam Scott and Ian Poulter Sure it works well if you’re wearing a matching red nose and standing outside McDonalds, but walking up the last hole at St Andrews?... No Mate!! Next we have the “Larry” for being just plain perfect. The nominations: Phil Mickelson for his good looks, swashbuckling play and his ability to convince golf fans to adore him while his contemporaries are apparently lining up in the car park looking to smack him in the perfect teeth. American Brandt Snedeker is a lovely bloke. He has a lovely swing, lovely family and a lovely bank balance after winning the world’s richest golf prize, the lovely FedEx Cup. Whilst “lovely” gets him over the line at the annual home-made doily championships, it comes up a tad short in this category. But when you think of the term “perfect”, it’s hard to go past Adam Scott. The tall handsome Queenslander has the perfect golf swing, ball flight, clothes, body and even the perfect head! My favourite category in the “Larrys” is the funkiest name award. Last year’s winner, Willie Wood would have been back to defend his title but I believe he has given up the tour to pursue his first love , the Adult Film industry. This leaves the door wide open for this year’s nominations

starting with Japanese tour player, Ashen Wu. I don’t know what a Wu is but if I had one, I’m bloody sure I wouldn’t want it to be “ashen”. Next is Indian journeyman pro, Johl Amindeep. I’ve been there, Johl, stay strong and you’ll dig your way out mate. Malaysia’s Anis Hussan’s parents obviously never figured that Anis could one day grow up and play golf in English-speaking countries. But the winner for 2012 goes to young Brazillian player who was battling away on the PGA Tour’s Latinoamérica circuit. After a freak accident where he stood on a bunker rake and badly hurt his maracas, Daniel Stapff was taken to a Mexican hospital where things sadly, became even worse. Stapff—or “Goldie” as his mates call him—wound up with a nasty infection to the injured region and is now suing the hospital for losing the ability to have children. The good news is he’s been offered the lead role in the remake of “My Fair Lady”. So there it is readers, The Larry’s for 2012. I would like to wish everyone a great Christmas and a double-bogey-free New Year (especially to my editor, Richard Fellner. I promise I’ll have my column in on time next year mate. I’m just not sure which one.) •

(1). Rod Pampling sponsors the Pampling Plate for trainee pros; (2). Brian Thorburn; (3). Jason Day at No. 31; (4). Two club lengths; (5). Web.com Tour; (6). Robert Allenby and Marcus Fraser; (7). Joe Kirkwood Cup; (8). Peter Senior finished 12th on the money list; (9). Three – Scott Gardiner, Cameron Percy and Alistair Presnell.

Larry Canning

1. Which Queensland professional golfer has a “Plate” named after him? 2. Who is the CEO of the Professional Golfers’ Association of Australia? 3. Adam Scott is Australia’s top ranked golfer at No.5 in the world. Who is Australia’s next best-ranked player? 4. On the tee, how far behind the imaginary line between the tee markers can a player tee up his ball? 5. What is the name of the secondary professional golf tour in the United States of America? 6. Who did Greg Chalmers defeat in a sudden-death playoff to win the 2011 Australian PGA Championship? 7. What is the name of the Australian PGA Championship trophy? 8. Who was the leading Australian on the Champions Tour in 2012? 9. How many Australians graduated to the US PGA Tour courtesy of finishing inside the top-25 on the US secondary tour?

THE LANDMARK NELSON BAY $200 per person $150 per person

Nelson Bay

$310 per person $265 per person

res@landmarknelsonbay.com.au groups@landmarknelsonbay.com.au www.landmarknelsonbay.com.au 102

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

demo dates Ping Ph: (02) 9524 8233 or visit www.ping.com Location

Day

New South Wales Monash Country Club Randwick Golf Club* Bayview Golf Club* The Australian Golf Club* The Ridge Driving Range Canterbury Golf Club* Campbelltown Golf Club* Illawarra Golf Complex Royal Canberra Golf Club* Canberra Int Driving Range Avondale Golf Club* Narrabeen Driving Range Morriset Golf Club* Terrey Hills Country Club* Concord Golf Club* Queensland Victoria Park Golf Complex* Parkwood International Byron Bay Golf Club Toowoomba Golf Club* Palm Meadows Victoria Flinders Golf Club* Kingston Heath Golf Club* Melbourne Golf Academy Royal Melbourne Golf Club* Ballarat Golf Club* HOG Mildura Royal Melbourne Golf Club* Mildura Golf Club Kew Golf Club* HOG Ringwood* Yarra Yarra Golf Club* Victoria Golf Club* Sunshine Golf Club* National Golf Club* The Sands Torquay* Commonwealth Golf Club* Sandringham Golf Range Yarra Bend Golf Driving Range Western Australia Carramar Golf Club

Mizuno Date

Time

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

December 01 December 03 December 04 December 05 December 05 December 06 December 07 December 11 December 12 December 12 December 13 December 13 December 14 December 15 December 18

9am - 3pm 1 - 5pm 10am - 3pm 9am - 1pm 4 - 7pm 10am - 4pm 1 - 5pm 10am - 2pm 9am - 1pm 4 - 7pm 8am - 1pm 4 - 7pm 1 - 5pm 10am - 3pm 1 - 5pm

Tuesday Thursday Friday Saturday Friday

December 04 December 06 December 07 December 08 December 14

5:30 - 7:30pm 2 - 5pm 2 - 5pm 9am - 1pm 1 - 5pm

Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Thursday Friday Saturday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

December 04 December 05 December 05 December 06 December 07 December 07 December 08 December 09 December 10 December 11 December 12 December 13 December 13 December 14 December 15 December 18 December 19 December 20

10am -2pm 10am -2pm 4 - 7pm 10am -2pm 12 - 5pm 3 - 7pm 10am -2pm 10am -12:30pm 10am -2pm 10am -2pm 10am -2pm 10am -12pm 4 - 7pm 12 - 4pm 10am -2pm 10am -2pm 5 - 7pm 5 - 8pm

Friday

December 07

12 - 4pm

mizuno.com.au

Location

Day

New South Wales Thornleigh Golf Centre* The Ridge Driving Range The Australian Golf Club* ** Bonnie Doon Golf Club* ** Narrabeen Driving Range Terrey Hills Golf & Country Club* ** Golf Paradise Terrey Hills Queensland Victoria park Golf Complex * Parkwood* Palm Meadows Victoria MGA Royal Melbourne * ** Royal Melbourne * ** Bulleen Driving Range Sunshine Golf Club Australian Capital Territory Canberra International Golf Centre* Canberra International Golf Centre* Royal Canberra Golf Club* **

Date

Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Tuesday

December 04 December 05 December 05 December 12 December 13 December 15 December 18

4-7pm 4-7pm 9am - 1pm 9am - 2pm 4 - 7pm 11am-3pm 5 - 7pm

Tuesday Thursday Friday

December 11 December 13 December 14

5:30 - 7:30pm 2 - 5pm 2 - 5pm

Wednesday Thursday Saturday Wednesday Thursday

December 05 December 06 December 08 December 12 December 13

3 - 6pm 10am - 2pm 10am - 3pm 4 - 7pm 3 - 6pm

Saturday Sunday Wednesday

December 01 December 02 December 12

9am - 4pm 9am - 2pm 10am - 2pm

Callaway RAZr FIT XTREME Location

Day

New South Wales Terrey Hills Driving Range† Thornleigh Golf Centre† Terrey Hills Golf Course Queanbeyan Golf Club‡ Royal Canberra Golf Club ** ‡ Drummond Golf Fyshwick‡ Thornleigh Golf Centre‡ Canterbury Golf Course‡ The Ridge Golf and Driving Range‡ Moore Park Golf Driving Range‡ Queensland Coolangatta Tweed Golf club* Victoria Park Golf Complex† Caloundra Golf Club* Brisbane golf club† Headland Golf Club** Horton Park Golf Club† Parkwood International Golf Course† Nambour Golf Club** Tewantin Noosa Golf Club** Parkwood International Golf Course† Palm Meadows Golf Range† Victoria Melbourne Golf Academy † Sandringham Driving Range ‡ Melbourne Golf Academy ‡ Albert Park Driving Range ‡ Flinders Golf Club* ‡ Growling Frog* ‡ Riverside Driving Range ‡ Yarra Bend Driving Range‡ The National Golf Club‡ Flinders Golf Club‡ Sorrento Golf Club‡

Time

www.callawaygolf.com

Date

Time

Thursday Thursday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Thursday Wednesday Thursday

December 06 December 06 December 10 December 11 December 12 December 12 December 13 December 13 December 19 December 20

12 - 3pm 5:30 - 8:30pm 6 - 9pm 1 - 5pm 9am-2pm 3:30 - 6pm 5 - 8pm 3 - 6pm 5 - 8pm 5 - 8pm

Saturday Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Thursday Thursday Friday Saturday Thursday Friday

December 01 December 04 December 05 December 05 December 06 December 06 December 06 December 07 December 08 December 13 December 14

9am-1pm 6 - 8pm 9:30am-1:30pm 1am - 2pm 9am-12pm 11am - 1pm 2 - 6pm 9am-1pm 9am-1pm 5 - 8pm 2 - 6pm

Wednesday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Thursday Saturday Tuesday Thursday Thursday Friday Friday

December 05 December 11 December 12 December 13 December 13 December 15 December 18 December 20 December 27 December 28 December 28

4 - 7pm 5 – 8pm 5 – 8pm 5 – 8pm 10am - 2pm 10am - 2pm 5 – 8pm 5 – 8pm 1 - 4pm 9am - 11am 1 - 4pm

* Appointment Only. ** Members Only. † Callaway demo date. ‡ Callaway Razr Fit Xtreme pretrial. Demo dates subject to change without notice. It is recommended that you contact venue before attending.

The SGA International PATTAYA, THAILAND • 9–16 MARCH 2013

The package includes: • Airfares and Departures taxes from most capital cities • 7 nights at the Sabai Resort Hotel with breakfasts • A caddie and golf cart at the four golf courses • Two dinner parties with soft drinks and beer included

• Welcome gifts and souvenirs

All golfers are welcome to join this luxury golfing experience on four of Thailand’s most superb golf courses:

• Personally hosted by Matthew Pitt from SGA

• Laem Chabang

Contact Matthew Pitt

• Thai Country Club

Social Golf Australia

• All private transfers from hotel to golf courses

• Siam CC Plantation Course

• Airport transfers in Thailand

• Siam CC Old Course

info@socialgolfcc.com.au Ph: (03) 5433 3213 / 0425 742 501

• All taxes and service charges

PRICE Twin Share $2395 or Single $2695

For more information go to www.socialgolfaustralia.com.au www.thailandgolftours.com.au

www.thailandgolftours.com.au

E OS L S C2013 E I TR ry EN brua ! e W NO y 1 F K O ida BO Fr www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

103

golf directory PROUDLY AUSTRALIAN MADE

specialises in the production of visors and hats ideal for the lady golfer or sporting women alike

Port Stephens Getaways

per d

Golf & Accommodation…from only ✓ Play any day & with any number of people! ✓ Play Horizons, Nelson Bay, Newcastle, Muree, Tanilba, Cypress Lakes, Pacific Dunes, The Vintage, by boat to Hawks Nest & others.

p: 07 5594 3475 f: 07 5594 3477 t: 1300 309 299 1a 658 Nerang Broadbeach Road, Carrara Qld 4211 e: sales@preciouscargo.com.au w: www.preciouscargo.com.au

$7 From ay

16 Golf courses! Port Stephens Golfing Holidays

✓ Golf and accommodation from a choice of motels, hotels, units & resorts.

2b Tuna Crescent, Fingal Bay NSW 2315 Phone/Fax: (02) 4984 9618 Mobile: 0428 820 477 Email: fosterpj@bigpond.net.au www.psgh.com.au

✓ Established in 1996

Clearwater Noosa

“Golfers Getaway” t r o Res $199.50 2 nights from

Stay & Play Golf Packages

7 nights & 5 rounds of Golf Your choice of resort and club courses. • Noosa Springs • Twin Waters • Club Pelican • Coolum Golf & Spa • Mt Coolum • Tewantin Noosa • Horton Park • Headland • Caloundra

from

479

PP 4 share basis Package #1

pp*

Includes: • 2 nights accommodation • Unlimited Golf • Continental breakfast daily • 2 course dinner on one night of your stay *Conditions apply

www.wisemans.com.au (02) 45 66 44 22 Old Northern Road, Wisemans Ferry NSW

Some conditions apply

Just an hour from Sydney, our picturesque 18 hole (9 hole alternate tees) par 69 course borders the Hawkesbury River. It can be enjoyed by golfers of all standards, but its tree-lined fairway command focus for even the experienced golfer. Dinner in the Riverbend Restaurant will be another highlight of your visit.

We offer a one stop shop for your Golf Vacation. No matter what size group, small or large, or your duration of stay we will tailor make your program to suit. We will organize transfers, rental cars or vans and for larger groups buses. Just a short iron to some of Noosa’s favourite restaurants and Cafés.

Phone (07) 5449 9333 • Fax (07) 5449 0603 info@clearwaternoosa.com.au • www.clearwaternoosa.com.au

Crossword answers

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

THREE COURSE SPECIAL

Only $290

Mossman, Mirage & Sea Temple Includes Carts, Fees & Transfers (Price based on 2 person share. +$30 single person supplement)

TWO COURSE SPECIAL

Only $195

Mossman & Sea Temple Includes Carts, Fees & Transfers (Price based on 2 person share. +$20 single person supplement)

MOSSMAN

Only $49

Includes Fees & Transfers (Price based on 2 person share. +$20 single person supplement)

Contact John Carney - “JC” on 0438 581 269 or by email at info@portdouglasgolftours.com.au

A ROU

Clubs and other packages available on request.

G Y M B I I E H M A N A M U R K E R S H E U N C E S G H S C A P E R N A I L E D N I I G R E E N E W G L T I E S

104

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

D A L O B A O T R T O S P O S A N O T A I C O M H E E L S

A U S T R I A

RAD

w w w. p o r t d o u g l a s g o l f t o u r s . c o m . a u

For advertising call 1300 GOLF 00

golf directory BA NK STOWN GOL F CLUB

LADIES MEMBERSHIP OPEN

MEMBERSHIPS NOW OPEN

No Nomination Fee (Save $440)

New Sunday/Public holiday memberships only $1220, great value. Only $23.50 per week, competition fees only $6, pay by the month plans available.

Ladies Competitions every Saturday from 9am till 11am and Tuesday from 8am till 9am. Friday and Sunday Open Medley Competitions.

Phone (02) 9773 0628 Enquiries: info@bankstowngolf.com.au

Subscription year is 1st October till 30th September. 36 Hole Club including 3 practise putting greens, 100m pitching green with bunkers, 250m driving range and fully licensed 1 level air conditioned clubhouse Nudgee Golf Club Incorporated 1207 Nudgee Road NUDGEE QLD 4014 Phone: 07 3267 7744 E-mail: golf@nudgeegolf.com.au www.nudgeegolf.com.au

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. • 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:

• Free use of resort facilities, indoor gas heated pool, sauna & spa, full size tennis court, BBQ area and outdoor pool.

$489*pp / 2 Share $399*pp / 3 Share $379*pp / 4 Share *Conditions apply

• Large Groups Welcome

Phone Toll Free Ring toll free for free brochure

1800 688 881

aquariusresort@netspeed.com.au Crn Dunns Lane & Arthur Kaine Drv, MERIMBULA NSW www.aquarius-resort.com.au

Twin Creeks, Sydney’s best kept golfing secret

Escape

for the day

$85

per person

Includes • 18 holes of Golf • Shared use of Electric Golf Cart • A Graham Marsh Swampy Burger Offer valid between 1st December 2012 to 28th February 2013. Terms & Conditions apply.

Clubhouse & Sales Office: Twin Creeks Drive, Luddenham | Golf Shop: (02) 9670 8888 | Email: golfshop@twincreeks.com.au

www.twincreeksgolf.com.au

Cobram-Barooga Golf View Motel

Play & Stay for $120

Special play & Stay packageS on courSe

fro m

ips

bersh em

$220 va

Package includes: • 2 games of golf • Meal • 1 night accommodation with continental breakfast

ila ble *Conditions apply

• 2 Nights’ Accommodation • 2 Rounds of unlimited Golf (subject to availability) • Continental Breakfast each morning (cooked upgrade $8pp per day) • Meal Vouchers for the Sports Club

$175pp Quad Share

We specialise in Group Bookings Let us organise your next Golfing Getaway With the people who know

Casino Golf Club - West St, Casino NSW 2470 P: (02) 6662 1259 | E: admin@casinogolfclub.com.au

www.casinogolfclub.com.au

For advertising call 1300 GOLF 00

$200pp

tWin 179 Golf Course Road SH are Barooga, NSW Australia, 3644 FreeCall 1800 557 192 or Fax +61 5873 4556 www.baroogagolfview.com.au | julie@baroogagolfview.com.au www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

105

golf directory Let us organise your Gold Coast golf tours Hassle Free TOURS TO SUIT EVERY NE

Outlasts any Other glOve

$24

+P&H each

(CSIRO tested and proven) • 100% Kangaroo Premium Leather • Grips like glue in the wet • It’s like wearing a second skin • Company logos available, ideal for golf days and client gifts • Available in left of right hand, sizes XXXS - XXXL • Black or white

Let us organise your golf packages including airport & course transfers. Individual/ groups & nonplaying partners catered for.

$3495 +P&H pair

Xmas Gift Packs available

1300 26 20 55 | www.golfaccom.com.au info@golfaccom.com.au

P: (07) 4128 8148 | www.kakadugolfglove.com

BEERWAH GOLF CLUB At the base of the beautiful Glasshouse Mountains…

• Timeless Tuesday - Unlimited* Golf for ONLY $25 • Golf Equipment for Hire & Sale • Fully Licensed Clubhouse • Social Clubs & Corporate Days

Visitors pay only $22 to play in our competitions (Wed, Sat & Sun)

Specialising in the best ‘Australia Wide ’ Play & Stay Golf Packages

MEMBER NoMiNatioN fEE oNLY

$100!!

Biondi Crescent, Beerwah admin@beerwahgolfclub.com.au www.beerwahgolfclub.com.au

Ph: (07) 5494 0630 Golf Shop (07) 5494 6611

Professionally planned and tailored golf escapes for your enjoyment

3 GREAT COURSES AND A GREAT PLACE TO STAY IN ORANGE

PACKAGES AVAILABLE Sunshine Coast & Gold Coast • Hunter Valley • Port Stephens • Mornington Peninsular • Tasmania • Cairns/Port Douglas • The Entrance BRAND NEW! WA Golf, Barnbougle & Lost Farm

QUALITY ACCOMMODATION, CONFIRMED TEE TIMES, YOUR CHOICE OF RESORT OR LOCAL COURSES 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 Apartments which is a chip away from Wentworth Golf Course and owned by a keen golfing family. All apartments are fully appointed have undercover parking at the door.

Golfing Packages are our specialty. 2 night accommodation and 3 rounds golf (different courses) ---$215 pp twin share.

“Once you have stayed you’ll come back again”

MELVIEW GREENS STUDIO & FAMILY APARTMENTS, PLOUGHMANS LANE ORANGE NSW 2800

Phone 02 6362 0955 • www.melviewgreens.com.au

106

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

Every detail professionally arranged, leaving you nothing to do but arrive and have the time of your life! We will tailor your package to suit any holiday plans or budget Ph: (07) 3200 6557 M: 0418 713 620 F: (07) 3200 5731 sharon@uchoosegolf.com.au www.uchoosegolf.com.au

For advertising call 1300 GOLF 00

golf directory

GREAT GOLF SPECIALS Play FROM $97 pppn • Horizons • Kooindah Waters (Wyong)

‘Play a round then play around’ • 18 hole golf course • Fully stocked ProShop • Tuition for all ages available • Motorised cart hire • In club dining at Fairways Bistro • Function room for weddings, special occasions or conferences • Live entertainment and activities throughout the week • Courtesy bus • Open 7 days a week

In Beautiful

• Pacific Dunes • Cypress Lakes • Nelson Bay • Tanilba Bay • Hawks Nest • The Vintage

Offered by

LEMON TREE PASSAGE MOTEL This Excellent Package includes • Twin share accommodation & cooked break-fast at Lemon Tree Passage Motel (3½ Star) • 18 Holes of golf (at the course of your choice) • $20.00pp dinner voucher at a local restaurant • Non golfing partners catered for • Special arrangements /prices for groups

Yamba Golf & Country Club features an 18 hole championship golf course, located right in the heart of Yamba.

We look forward to welcoming you soon!

For reservations or additional information call Christine or Mike on

Phone (02) 4982 3300 Fax (02) 4984 5999

River Street, Yamba NSW | Ph (02) 6646 2104 | Pro Shop (02) 6646 1656 | www.yambagolf.com.au

Website: www.lemontreemotel.bizland.com Email: lemontreepassagemotel@idl.net.au

47 Meredith Ave, Lemon Tree Passage, NSW 2319

Benalla Golf Club

pp $185 From share twin eek w mid

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 Irigated Greens & Fairways Full Bar & Bistro Facilities Abundant Wildlife including Kangaroos Courtesy Bus Available

AAA TOURISM

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

HOTTEST SUMMER DEAL

Play anytime - No waiting

min 4 share 2 room apartment

Walk Don’t ummer this s

$79 per person per day twin share

Established 1972 • Full length 27-hole course • Excellent greens • Professional tuition available • Clubs for hire • Open seven days - BYO • Electric golf carts available

art Free C

genuine all inclusive golf Package

20 Weekends & Public Holidays *

100A Creek Road, Birkdale, Qld | Phone (07) 3207-2452

*prices include GST

Enquiries welcome 16 Weekdays

pp per day

MiniMuM 3 days, 2 nighTs

Howeston Golf Course

ON THE MURRAY

package a

FREE bus Ex MElbouRnE MEtRo aREa, gRoup oRganisER F.o.C. oR $30 pER RooM pEtRol REbatE

onlY rooGa aGe ram-Ba at CoB e to our paCk iv R FE exClus b 2012 CART OF

Fe only THE to 18th dweek c 2011 ays , mi m 1st De blic holid BLE fro 2011, pu AVAILA 03 Jan 2011 to c De 23rd CLuDEs

• 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 Voucher • 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 $7.00 per person per day! • FREE Golf Prizes – min. group of 12 • WEEKENDS & PUBLIC HOLIDAYS $10 extra per person per day • FREE Internet Access

not availaBle With anY other oFFer

›› Hole Out

Mike McGuire & Yumi Yoshida 1-7 Oceanview Ave, Merimbula NSW P: M: E: W:

02 6495 2366 0437 801 270 info@pacificheights.com.au www.pacificheights.com.au

Great Golf Packages

3 Rounds of golf + Carts Breakfast each day

$455

P/P Twin Share Conditions apply

All Murray Courses below available on our package

4 Rounds of golf + Carts Breakfast each day

$525

P/P Twin Share Conditions apply

Pambula Merimbula GC • Eden Gardens GC • Bega Country Club • Tura Beach Country Club

SYDNEY

WAGGA WAGGA BERRIGAN CANBERRA

DENILIQUIN

LET US QUOTE YOUR OWN PACKAGE 4 NIGHTS ACCOM. 5 NIGHTS ACCOM. FROM

Sapphire Coast Merimbula

•All golf courses within 20 minute drive •Heated year round pool •Free BBQ area •500m walk to restaurants •FSC Apartments & Munn Tower House •Sensational views of Village, Lake & Ocean

FROM

Spectacular

ADELAIDE 8hr

Murray Downs L

A R A IVE MW GA H R TOCU OG ON OWA ARO RAW COR G LON GA M -B N YAR RA HOW ODON TO B R PA W CO SHEP URY ALB

RIC

MELBOURNE

THURGOONA

Stay at the newly renovated A family run business for 15 years Best Service & Best Value Guaranteed

CALL US NOW

1800 631 082 Tel: 03 5873 4477 ● Fax: 03 5873 4511

Golf Course Rd, Barooga NSW

Contact michael@murrayrivergolf.com.au or visit our website www.murrayrivergolf.com.au

Barooga’s largest on course accommodation

For advertising call 1300 GOLF 00

www.insidegolf.com.au | December 2012

107

golf directory

MERIMBULA ★★★★

Luxury AccommodAtion opposite pAmbuLA-merimbuLA GoLf cLub

"Only 60 metres from the 1st tee"

from

$135

Twin share

per person per night

www.fairwaymotorinn.com.au 180 Arthur Kaine Drive Merimbula

Need new batteries? Don’t replace them… Restore them with the Battery Reviver.

from

$380 Twin share

per person 3 nights

Now fully refurbished “stay and play in style and comfort.”

South CoaSt touriSm award for the best moteL

GOLF CART SLOWING DOWN?

Play & Stay Packages

30 DAY

SATISFACTION GUARANTEE OR YOUR MONEY BACK.

The Battery Reviver can bring old batteries back to life by sending a high frequency pulse through the batteries dissolving the sulphate build up and turning the sulphur crystals back into sulphuric acid. The Battery Reviver is powered by your golf cart batteries and it can be left connected permanently to increase the life of your batteries by up to three times, or used occasionally to restore them. For more information, pricing and to order visit our website www.batteryreviver.com.au or Phone 1300 852 433

• Green fees at Pambula/Merimbula, Tura, Eden & Bega Courses • Self contained accommodation • Breakfast to room • Free usage of Resort facilities • Dinner charge back facilities available at Pambula/Merimbula Golf Club's Restaurant or Wheeler's Seafood Restaurant next door

ph: debbie/peter on (02) 6495 6000 or fax 02) 6495 1411

Our ‘Rain Check’ Guarantee*. If you can’t play because of rain, www.tocumwalgolf.com.au we give you P. 03 5874 9111 replacement rounds FREE! 36 Hole Championship Course with great greens, *Applies to ‘TGC friendly staff and a easy 3hr drive from Melbourne. Golf Packages’ Only. Take the Drive!

Play Australia’s Finest Sandbelt Courses • 6 nights accommodation From • Green fees on 5 golf courses (Cape Schanck, Devil Bend, Eagle Ridge Golf Course, Flinders Golf Club, Moonah Links, Mornington Golf Club, Portsea Golf Club, Rosebud Country Club, Sorrento Golf Club, The Dunes Golf Links, The National Golf Club, St Andrews, Mornington Peninsula) • Cooked or Continental breakfast included • Foxtel in all units per person per night* • Rosebud House also available to hire

*Extra fees apply for Moonah Links, Sorrento Golf Club and The National Golf Club

ROSEBUD MOTEL

1869 Point Nepean Rd Rosebud West VIC, 3941

For further enquires and bookings P: (03) 5985 2041 E: rosebudmotel@bigpond.com W: www.rosebudmotel.com.au

HUNTER VALLEY GOLF GETAWAYS

Stonebridge Golf Club

The Home of the Cool Brands A FULL CO BREAK OKED F INCLU AST D ALL W ED IN EEK PACKA END GES

GREAT TRADITIONAL COUNTRY STYLE

• Singles to Large Group Accommodation • Fantastic Location for Wineries/Golf Courses • Local Access to Stonebridge GC, The Vintage, Cypress Lakes G&CC, Hunter Valley G&CC and Kurri Kurri GC

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT THURS - SAT NIGHTS • The Award Winning Kurrajong Restaurant • Great Pub-Style Atmosphere • TAB • KENO

GOLF & ACCOMMODATION PACKAGES FROM JUST $53pp Including • 18 Holes of Golf • Accommodation

PH: (02) 4990 1002 234 Wollombi Road, Cessnock, NSW 2325

www.thecessnockhotel.com 108

December 2012 | www.insidegolf.com.au

For advertising call 1300 GOLF 00

View it in action @

ezgo.com.au/video-library

View it in action @

ezgo.com.au/video-library

View it in action @

ezgo.com.au/video-library

GOLF FACTORY PENRITH 269 High St, Penrith (near Officeworks)

(02) 4722 8640 - Mail Order - 7 Days

ACCOUNTS AVAILABLE TO GOLF CLUBS

*Graphite $419

$25

Stiff or regular

Cleveland CG-16 Tour Irons

Cleveland HB3 Iron/Hybrid

$299

TaylorMade Penta TP5 Balls

$559

$49

$33

doz

Bulk deal: 6doz for $200 incl postage anywhere in Australia Callaway Staff Tour Bag Callaway Tour Pro Style Umbrella 10” large diameter

$156

ALL WEATHER GLOVES 5 FOR

$45

$18

per dozen

Wide, easy fitting Heaps to choose from Some white All sizes in black

$79

US sizes: 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 10.5, 11, 11.5, 12, 13

TaylorMade XD balls Great for golf ball competitions Bulk qty 144 balls ($14 a doz) Individually boxed

$168

$179

$119 $149

Legs pop out Rainhood 2.8kg Dual Strap Black or Red

$79

Cleveland CG-16 Wedges

Waterproof Leather Shoe Sale Individually boxed balls

Distance ball with great feel

$89 INC. POSTAGE ANYWHERE IN AUST

Srixon Ball Sale

Srixon Distance Balls

½ PRICE

Mens Left or Right White or Black Mens - S, M, ML, L, XL

$269

Mens or Ladies Soft Feel or AD333 144 Balls for $216

Includes cover

Cleveland Cart Plus 14 Way Bag

Srixon Carry Bag

Tour Special by SRIXON

SAVE $100

Includes cover

FL Men’s & ladies 3, 5, 7 DST Launcher Men’s regular & stiff 3 + 5

$99

$229

Cooler Pocket Putter holder Full length dividers Black/blue, black/red, black

Cleveland Fairway Sale

5 piece urethane cover

144 balls ($13/dozen) Individually boxed

Set of 3: Driver, Fairway & Hybrid Includes cover

Includes 6 covers

SAVE $50

$179

TaylorMade RBZ Driver, Fairway & Rescue Deal

HALF PRICE!

$49

Seat Brake Black only

$469

Medalist 3.75kg

Lofts 15.5º, 18º, 20.5º 23º, 26º Shafts - Reg, Seniors & Stiff Right hand and some left 59g Miyazaki shaft Includes cover

Smoothy 3-Wheel Suspension buggy

8 Irons 3 - PW Dynamic Gold Regular or Stiff Right & Left hand

$155

Ladies graphite 5,6,7,8,9 and PW Right hand only

doz

Bulk deal: 144 for $300 incl postage anywhere in Australia

Eagles & Birdies 14 way bag SAVE $50

Great for ball competitions Bulk Qty

Cleveland Mashie MkII Hybrid ½ PRICE

$369*

$69

(02) 4647 8542 - Mail Order - 7 Days

Urethane cover 3 Piece Tour Quality ball

CLEARANCE

68” Large Fibreglass shaft Dual canopy Automatic pop-up

Narellan Supa Centre, Narellan Rd

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

Srixon Z-Star X Balls

Cleveland CG-16 Irons

7 Irons 4 - PW Satin or Black Pearl

14 Full length dividers Cooler Pocket Putter Holder Black/Blue and straight Black

GOLF FACTORY NARELLAN

Distance ball with great feel

Great value Lob, Sand, Gap & Pitching wedges Right & Left hand Half Price

$99

$50

Eagles & Birdies Cypress Point bag 14 Full length dividers Magnetic pockets Cooler pocket Lots of colours

SAVE$60

$199

Precept Laddie X Balls

$30 for 24 individually boxed balls

$179

144 individually boxed balls