U.

S OPEN
PREVIEW
DUSTIN’S
DEFENCE
CAN THE
WORLD NO.1 GO
BACK-TO-BACK?

BRUTAL BEAUTY
ERIN HILLS
MAKES ITS
MAJOR DEBUT

ANDREW
DADDO
GOLF REALLY
IS GOOD

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 FOR

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Jordan Spieth Adam Scott Henrik Stenson Rickie Fowler Jimmy Walker Justin Thomas

TITLEIST. THE #1 BALL PLAYED AT THE U.S. OPEN®

FOR 69 YEARS AND STILL COUNTING.

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 YEARS

LONGEST RECORD. #1 CHOICE.

Charl Schwartzel Louis Oosthuizen Rafa Cabrera Bello Webb Simpson Zach Johnson Kevin Kisner
 EDITOR
Brendan James bjames@golfaustralia.com.au
DEPUTY EDITOR & GOLF AUSTRALIA EXPRESS EDITOR
Damian Shutie dshutie@golfaustralia.com.au
WRITERS Jimmy Emanuel, Michael Jones
ART DIRECTOR Allan Bender
GRAPHIC DESIGN Oliver Barles
COLUMNIST-AT-LARGE John Huggan
COLUMNISTS Mike Clayton, Andrew Daddo, Brendan Moloney,
34 Geoff Ogilvy, Greg Norman
TOUR PROFESSIONAL Adam Scott
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Matt Cleary,

CONTENTS
Mike Cocking, Dale Concannon,
Andrew Marshall, Rod Morri, Rick Weber
CONTRIBUTING PGA PROFESSIONALS Steve Aisbett,
Daniel Blackwell, Leon Faulkner, Brad Hughes,
Lorien Scott, Christian Small, Anthony Summers
PHOTOGRAPHY Getty Images,
JUNE #340 Matthew Harris/TGPL, Gary Lisbon
EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES
34 IN DUSTIN’S DEFENCE PH: (02) 9901 6142 golf@golfaustralia.com.au
A decade of trials and tribulations culminated in Dustin Johnson
winning the 2016 United States Open, but can he go back-to-back?
Michael Jones reports.
A D V E R T I S I N G
42 ERIN HILLS: A BEAUTIFUL BRUTE HEAD OF SPORT – SALES
Paul Prendergast previews the monstrous host course of the US Adam Jackson ajackson@nextmedia.com.au
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www.golfaustralia.com.au
 I PUT THE NEW
CALLAWAY EPIC DRIVER
IN AT THE START OF THE YEAR
AND IT’S REALLY BEEN A
GAME CHANGER.
I’VE BEEN DRIVING IT BETTER
THAN I EVER HAVE.
- MARC LEISHMAN

CALLAWAYGOLF.COM.AU
 106

CONTENTS JUNE #340

F E AT U R E S T R AV E L & C O U R S E S
48 MY LIFE IN GOLF: DEBORAH HUTTON 10 COURSE REVIEW: INDOOROOPILLY GOLF CLUB
Matt Cleary talks exclusively to media personality Deborah Hutton To look at this thriving Brisbane course today, it’s hard to imagine it
about how she found golf, her love of the 19th hole and how she got to suffered so much from destructive floodwaters just six years ago, writes
play Augusta National. Brendan James.

WINTER GOLF SPECIAL 106 CLUB OF THE MONTH:

THE FEDERAL GOLF CLUB
62 PLAY YOUR BEST IN ANY WEATHER It might give the impression of being in the middle of the Australian
Arm yourself with the best techniques to beat the worst of our wet, bush, but this Top-100 ranked gem is surprisingly just a few minutes’
windy and cold conditions this winter. drive from the heart of the nation’s capital.

84 CHILL OUT 110 MAGICAL MORNINGTON

Mauritius offers a drove of world-class golf courses, making it a serious Brendan James discovers why Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula is a
contender for a great golf holiday to escape the winter chills, writes world-class golfing destination.
David Whyte.
INSTRUCTION
92 OH! BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE
Here is an assortment of the latest cold and wet weather clothing to 54 PRIVATE LESSON
protect you from whatever Mother Nature throws at you. PGA Teaching Professional Charles Kares reveals the high and lows
of chipping.
96 GET A GRIP!
We take a look at a collection of some of the best gloves you can buy 60 PRIVATE LESS
and how to keep them in good shape this winter. PGA Teaching Professional Clinton Russ ht
putt. Don’t believe hi

8 TEEING OFF: BRENDAN JAMES EQUIPMENT

14 HUGGAN’S ALLEY: JOHH HUGGAN
16 AROUND THE TRAPS
28 THE WANDERING GOLFER: BRENDAN MOLONEY
30 IN MY OPINION: GEOFF OGILVY
100 PLAYING WITH …
COBRA ONE LENGTH IRONS
Golf Australia writer Jimmy Emanuel gets his hands on
Cobra’s new one length irons. How did they perform?

32 SUBSCRIPTION OFFER:
WIN ONE OF FIVE EAGLES & BIRDIES CYPRESS POINT
GOLF BAGS VALUED AT $329.
102 PRO SHOP: LATEST EQUIPMENT
122 GETAWAYS: GOLF TRAVEL
130 GOLF IS GOOD: ANDREW DADDO
104 PLAYING WITH … PRECISION
NX7 LASER RANGEFINDER
The NX7 might not have all the bells and whistl
of some of its top-of-the-line competitors, but it
keeps up in the most important areas of performance,
writes Jimmy Emanuel.

6 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

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 TEEING
OFF BY B R E N DA N JA M E S | G O L F AU S T R A L I A E D I TO R
LET’S MAKE A DEAL
WITH two of this country’s most
prestigious golf events – the Emirates
Australian Open and the Australian
PGA – still six months away, it’s likely the
drawcards for both championships have
been signed.
With contracts signed and appearance fees
negotiated, organisers for both tournaments
should (hopefully) start announcing their
marquee players within the next month or so.
It is also around this time of year that you
hear the odd whisper around the traps about
who will be coming and who won’t. Much of it
you take with a grain of salt.
At the time of writing, I was hearing Jordan
Spieth was a good chance to come back
to Sydney to defend his Open title at The
Australian GC, where he of course won his
first Stonehaven Cup in 2014.
Spieth has made no secret of the fact he
loves coming to the Harbour City for the Open
and he would be warmly welcomed back by
the Sydney galleries.
It is also likely Adam Scott will be leading
the Australian charge at both tournaments,
while PGA Tour players Cameron Smith, Marc
Leishman and Aaron Baddeley should be
among the starters for at least one of the
two events.
Unfortunately it is unlikely we’ll see Jason
Day again this summer as he will probably
remain in the United States while his mum
continues her treatment for lung cancer.
Hopefully we will see more name players
8 JUNE 2017 | golf auSTRALIA
from the European Tour teeing it up in Sydney So, who should Golf Australia and the
and/or the Gold Coast. Although, any big PGA of Australia have on their respective
name player cannot play in both tournaments shopping lists?
because the contractual arrangements set With the exception of Spieth, and perhaps
out by state government tourism bodies, who Harold Varner III who will be defending his
pay the appearance money, usually have an PGA title, most American Tour players won’t
‘exclusive clause’. want to travel too far from home leading into
Thanksgiving. This means the shopping lists
should be dominated by European Tour or
“...WHO SHOULD American-based European golfers.
GOLF AUSTRALIA I think Masters Champion Sergio Garcia
would love to come back to Australia with his
AND THE PGA OF new bride and get paid for it. With a game
AUSTRALIA HAVE ON well-suited to The Australian, the Spaniard
THEIR RESPECTIVE would be a great addition to the depth of
talent challenging for the title and is a genuine
SHOPPING LISTS?” crowd-puller. The same could be said for his
compatriot Jon Rahm, who attracted plenty
For the first time in many years, the Open of attention when he played the World Cup in
does not clash with the European Tour’s Melbourne last November.
lucrative season-ending DP World Tour I’d also like to see Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston
Championship in Dubai. play out here. I followed him at the Open
That event will finish on Championship at Royal Troon last year and I’ve
November 19, with never seen a Tour player so genuinely thrilled
the Australian to play in front of a crowd. And the galleries
Open starting in sensed that, which is no doubt why he
Sydney a few attracted so many fans over the four days
days later. of the tournament.
Then it will be What do you think? Who would
straight on to you like to see play in Australia this
the PGA, which summer? Let me know via email
is a European Tour bjames@golfaustralia.com.au and we’ll
co-sanctioned publish your thoughts in an upcoming
tournament. issue of Golf Australia.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
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 COURSE REVIEW

Indooroopilly GOLF CLUB

I N D O O R O O P I L LY • Q U E E N S L A N D

The golf courses of South East Queensland are no stranger to rain and plenty of
it all at once. Some, like Indooroopilly Golf Club, bounce back better than most.
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY BRENDAN JAMES

I
t’s early in the afternoon and the
Queensland sun is warming the back
as I size up my approach into the 1st
green of Indooroopilly’s West course. I hit a
crisp mid iron and the sound of club on ball
echoed between the trees.
This same idyllic scenario repeated itself (far
too much for my liking) throughout the round,
which forced me to remind myself several times
that I was playing golf just 20 minutes from the
Brisbane CBD. The serenity to be found at
Indooroopilly Golf Club is amazing given its
location on a surfboard fin-shaped peninsula
beside the Brisbane River.
While this position covering rolling terrain
beside the river offers great tranquillity, it also
makes all 36 holes at Indooroopilly vulnerable
to flooding.
Back in January 2011, the Brisbane River
burst its banks creating floodwater levels not
seen since the record 1974 floods that inundated
the Queensland capital.
One of the unforgettable images of that time
was an aerial photograph showing the
floodwaters covering most of the peninsula
(known as Long Pocket) occupied by both
courses, which is bound on three sides by the
river as it flows east toward the city. Of the 36
holes on the 130-hectare property, 22 holes
were completely inundated by the floodwater

golf australia | JUNE 2017 11

 Ponds wind through the middle
of the Red nine and add to the
beauty of the short par-4 6th.
and the tonnes of sand, silt and mud that came
with it.
In the days after, as the waters receded the full
extent of the devastation became apparent.
Almost every tee and green was damaged to some
degree. One fairway, which runs alongside the
river, was buried under more than a metre of sand
and sludge.
Course superintendent Charlie Giffard led an
army of staff and volunteers in a massive clean-up
that involved removing layers of mud and silt off
the affected greens, which were then washed
and squeegeed clean. This helped save the greens
from completely dying. It also went a long way
to having all 36 holes opened for play within
two months.
Today, there is not a shred of evidence of
those devastating floods and the West Course has
gone on to achieve its highest-ever rankings in
You need plenty of nerve
standing over your approach
into the Gold nine 9th hole.
12 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
Golf Australia’s Top-100 Courses ranking in 2014
and 2016.
While the West Course receives most of the
plaudits, Indooroopilly has the advantage of being
split into four coloured nines – Gold, Red, Blue
and Green – allowing the club to operate six
18-hole combinations. Of these, the West Course
(Gold and Red) and the East Course (Blue and
Green) are the most commonly used, while the
President’s Course (Red and Blue) has become a
favourite of this writer.
Having been established at nearby St Lucia in
1926, the club added a course at Long Pocket in
1964 and within two decades it had developed a
36-hole complex on the peninsula with Ross
Watson redesigning the older holes, which were
renamed the West Course.
Watson continues to work with the club on any
design changes, while Giffard’s maintenance team
have begun work on a masterplan of continued
improvement to all holes that includes converting
all greens surrounds to zoysia grass. Zoysia
thrives in warmer climates and will form a barrier
between the couch fairways and Bermuda greens.
Sand plays a dominant role on the West course
outward half, or Gold nine, with expansive
bunkering complexes on the par-5 3rd, par-4
6th and par-5 7th holes being the most visually
intimidating across the entire rolling
Indooroopilly landscape.
Of this trio, I really liked the 3rd hole. You step
onto the tee here and you are standing right on the
banks of the Brisbane River (during the flood, this
tee was under nearly five metres of water). While
the hole follows the edge of the river, the fairway
veers slightly to the right, around a crop of
bunkers left, before doglegging slightly left to
bring trees and more sand into play for the second
THE WEST COURSE
IS A GEM AND
WILL CONTINUE
TO IMPROVE IN
RANKING LISTS AS
GIFFARD WORKS
THROUGH THE
MASTERPLAN.

The par-3 5th hole on the Blue
nine is wedged between a creek
and a tree-covered hill.
shot. Thankfully, there is plenty of fairway to be
found right of the bunkers, which are within
pitching distance of the front of the table-top
shaped green.
The 311-metre par-4 9th is one of the holes that
changed dramatically as part of Watson’s redesign
in 2006 and offers a grandstand finish to the nine
with a narrow fairway being flanked by a lake to
the left, while four bunkers protect the deep,
contoured green that lies within an amphitheatre
beneath the gazing eyes of those in the clubhouse.
Heading out on the inward nine, the Red nine,
the test of your nerve and skill begins from the
opening tee shot. The 513-metre par-5 can be
reached in two shots by only the longest hitters
but they must be willing to thread their drive
between a lake to the right and trees to the left of a
narrow landing zone. The lake is still in play for all
players (it’s only 180 metres from the white tee)
but the fairway is much wider. Stay dry from the
tee, maintain a good line with your second down
the left of the fairway and you will have a
straight-forward approach to an elevated green.
Water plays a significant role on the Red nine as
does the changing elevation. The quartet of holes
starting at the short par-4 6th is, for mine, the
most interesting sequence of holes at
Indooroopilly. The 6th hole demands a well-
struck drive across the edge of a gully to find the
fairway, which lies diagonally off to the right. The
drive at the 7th, which is Index 1 on the West
course, must also be straight to avoid the lake on
the right. A water carry with your long second
shot is also required to find the green beyond
another lake, this one bordering the front and left
edge of the green.
The par-3 8th offers some respite from the
water but it is back again at the 478-metre 9th
Expansive fairway bunkering is a
real highlight of the Gold nine.
where you must bomb a drive over a lake to the
fairway, again diagonally placed to the flight of the
your tee shot, before taking on more water with
your final approach to a semi-island green where
there is water short, left and long of the putting
surface. It is a treacherous journey from tee to
green here but what a closer it is to the front nine.
The West Course is a gem and will continue to
improve in ranking lists as Giffard works through
the masterplan. That said, there is much to like
about the variety and quality of the holes to be
found on the East Course (Blue and Green nines),
which features much less bunkering and water
hazards than the West Course.
For mine, the Blue is the slightly better of the
two halves and is probably my second favourite
nine at Indooroopilly behind the Red nine. While
the holes are generally shorter on the Blue nine,
the changing elevation and natural twists in the
terrain, combined with the narrower, tree-lined
fairways, gives rise to some strong par-4s, like the
394-metre 6th hole.
The rolling terrain has been used well to create
some terrific, under-rated, holes on the Green
nine as well. The 324-metre par-4 3rd is just one
of the gems. Accuracy from the tee is a
prerequisite on this dogleg left fairway, which
rolls over the crest of one hill before climbing
again to reach the green. The uphill second shot
here is quite deceptive in terms of judging the
distance and it is best to be under the hole for your
first putt as this green slopes quite a bit to the
front right.
If you find yourself in Brisbane and in search of
a game, try and get on to Indooroopilly. Enjoy the
serenity, the golf and be amazed at how well this
club has bounced back from the despair of the
floods just six years ago.
FACT FILE
THE COURSE
LOCATION: Meiers Rd, Indooroopilly, 4068.
CONTACT: (07) 3721 2121 or (07) 3721 2122.
WEBSITE: www.indooroopillygolf.com.au
DESIGNERS: Al Howard & members (1964);
Bob Green (1976); Ross Watson (1985, 2006 and
ongoing).
PLAYING SURFACES: Greenlees Park couch
(fairways); Bermuda 328 (greens).
COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Charlie Giffard.
PGA PROFESSIONALS: Richard Harris, Craig
Parker, Rod Hume. David Scott (Director of Golf).
GREEN FEES: Indooroopilly welcomes visitors to
play the 36-hole course from Sunday to Friday.
The club offers six 18-hole combinations. $65
(18 holes Monday to Thursday), $75 (Friday and
Sunday). Bookings can also be made online via
the club’s website.
THE CLUB
MEMBERSHIPS: Applications for membership
are welcomed. Categories of membership are
based on playing rights and course access with
generous discounts for younger members and
the family of existing members.
Full membership has a range of benefits
including direct access to 36 holes. The club
also boasts Brisbane’s most extensive practice
facilities, including a driving range, three putting
greens, practice holes and chipping bunkers.
For more details contact the membership
co-ordinator Rebecca Burchill on email
r.burchill@igcgolf.com.au
RECIPROCAL CLUBS: NSW (Castle Hill, Killara,
The Lakes, Manly, Newcastle, Pennant Hills,
Pymble, Rich River); SA (Glenelg, Grange,
Kooyonga; Victoria (Commonwealth, Thirteenth
Beach, Yarra Yarra, Woodlands, Peninsula);
WA (Lake Karrinyup, Joondalup, Mt Lawley,
Nedlands, The Western Australia, Royal Perth);
Tasmania (Royal Hobart, Launceston); ACT
(Federal); Queensland (Southport).
CORPORATE GOLF: The club has experienced
staff on hand to take the pressure off you
and manage the logistics of your golf day.
For packages and corporate memberships call
Nelson Eaton on (07) 3721 2130.
golf australia | JUNE 2017 13
 HUGGAN’S
ALLEY BY J O H N H U G G A N | G O L F AU S T R A L I A C O LUMNI S T AT L A R G E

GOLF IS ART, NOT SCIENCE

LOOK, I get it. At the elite level, golf is a going to accelerate things out on the links. All of which is nothing more than yet
lucrative business. Players are out there It’s not. In fact, it’s going to have the another indication that golf is losing its
competing for millions of whatever opposite effect, as any sane person can way in these increasingly high-tech times.
currency you care to mention. So they surely deduce without too much in the way At its best, the game Scotland gave to
should be careful; they should take a little of rational thought. As my friend and fellow the world is an art – not a science. Ask
time to consider; they should have their Golf Australia contributor Mike Clayton yourself this: would you rather watch the
little routines before every shot. We asks: “How can these likes of Seve Ballesteros
all understand that aspect of the things speed up play if and Lee Trevino
professional game. you have to wait for the displaying their creative
But news that, as part of recently
announced proposals regarding possible
flag to be in before
you start?”
THERE IS, OF geniuses, or an endless
stream of robotic
changes to the Rules of Golf, the An excellent point. COURSE, ONLY “scientists” working
PGA Tour is going to begin testing And Michael is not alone ONE SOLUTION, their way through
distance-measuring devices (DMDs) on
the Web.com Tour, Mackenzie Tour and
in his contempt for this
nonsensical premise.
ESPECIALLY AT the aforementioned
yardage-checks and
PGA Tour Latinoamérica later this year is Scotsman Craig Connelly CLUB LEVEL. pre-shot routines?
nothing more than surrender in the war – aka “wee man” – LET’S GET RIGHT The answer is
against slow play.
Unbelievably, the new commissioner,
caddies for former
US Open and USPGA
BACK TO BASICS. obvious. And equally
obvious to anyone and
Jay Monahan, seems to think that giving champion Martin Kaymer. BAN YARDAGES everyone, the proposed
players and caddies one more job to do “Just about every ALTOGETHER. DMD tests (players and
before they even begin to ponder what club
might be most suitable for this next shot is
caddie and player (me
included) would double-
TAKE AWAY caddies will be allowed
to use rangefinders
check with the yardage THOSE SILLY during four consecutive
book after ‘shooting’ the 150-YARD pre-determined
pin,” he admits. “It would
be one more thing to do.”
MARKERS. tournaments) should
simply be abandoned.
Rickie Fowler is They won’t be of course.
another shaking his In what is sure to be
head at this ludicrous suggestion. “We’ll little more than a formality (or farce), the
all go through our normal routines then PGA Tour and player advisory council
‘shoot’ the pin to make sure it is in the will discuss any findings and reassess
spot we think it is on the green,” says the situation.
the former Players champion. Andy Pazder, the chief tournaments and
And this is going to make competitions officer for the PGA Tour, said
golf faster? As my dear old the evaluation “will consider the impact on
grandfather used to say, pace of play, optics and any other effects
“aye right.” they might have on the competition.”
Quite apart from Give me strength.
the implications There is, of course, only one solution,
for pace of play, especially at club level. Let’s get right
these DMD things back to basics. Ban yardages altogether.
are – at least Take away those silly 150-yard markers.
for the leading Make scorecards smaller by eliminating
professionals – the lengths of each hole – what good is
almost devoid of that information? Does it really make any
point. As Justin difference? And get rid of those fancy
Rose was quick to yardage books with the nice graphics and
acknowledge, he and his peers do lots of numbers we rarely use anyway.
not play “one number” golf. In other Spend the money on something more
words, knowing how far it is from practical like sunscreen.
their ball to the hole is only one small My reasoning is simple. Very few of us
part of the increasingly complicated have any idea how far we are going to
process they simply must go through hit our next shot. So do we really need to
before beginning their increasingly know that it is 201 yards to the pin? No,
complicated pre-shot routines. we don’t. Ben Hogan never used yardages
They must – simply must – and he seemed to manage pretty well. We
ascertain how far the pin is from the would too and – it says here – we would
back edge, left edge, right edge and also have more fun. Gauging distance and,
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

front edge of the distant green. Oh, in turn, pulling the correct club should
almost forgot. The distance to that again be an integral part of this supposedly
pesky bunker is a must-know too. artistic sport. I rest my case.

14 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

INDOOROOPILLY
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Indooroopilly Golf Club delivers a premium, yet traditional

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Set in a tranquil parkland location bordering the Brisbane River,

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 AROUND
THE OPENING SHOT
TRAPS
IT’S OFFICIAL: ROYAL MELBOURNE TO
HOST 2019 PRESIDENTS CUP
THE PGA Tour has confirmed Royal
Melbourne Golf Club will host the
Presidents Cup for the third time in 25 years
when the tournament returns in 2019.
No other international venue has had the
honour of hosting the biennial event more
than once, but Royal Melbourne has already
provided its tremendous layout for the
event in 1998 and 2011.
“We’re thrilled to once again be returning
to the prestigious and storied Royal
16 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
Melbourne Golf Club,” said PGA Tour
Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Our history
there speaks volumes about not only the
course and its ability to host world-class
competitions, but also the surrounding area
in Melbourne as a destination for our fans
and players.
The Sandbelt course, designed by the
legendary Alister Mackenzie, will see
the best international players – minus
Europe – take on the might of America, who
has lifted the cup in nine of the 11 events.
“Royal Melbourne is delighted to
be chosen to host the 2019 Presidents
Cup,” Royal Melbourne Captain David
Thomas said.
“It is a prestigious international
tournament featuring many of the very
best golfers in the world. Our club looks
forwards to some excellent golf being
played by both teams on our renowned
Composite Course.”
 PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; BRENDAN JAMES

golf australia | JUNE 2017 17

 AROUND
THE 19TH HOLE A ND YOUR SAY
We’re on Facebook. Like us and get news updates and the
chance to win prizes at www.facebook.com/golfaustralia
TRAPS

BABY STEPS
GOLF was once again left red faced after the Lexi
Thompson rules debacle. Not many other sports allow
their results to be impacted like that, let alone the
following day. Thankfully, the USGA and R&A acted
swiftly and issued Decision 34-3/10, which aims to
protect players from being penalised for infractions
that ‘could not reasonably be seen with the naked eye’.
Unfortunately, however, the Decision doesn’t go far
enough to prevent similar instances in the future.
For a start, its subjective nature means that cases like
Thompson’s will boil down to whether officials believe
a player deserves the benefit of the doubt. And, perhaps
even more concerning, they are still yet to determine
how tournament committees should handle information
from outside sources, such as phone calls, social media
or emails.
Imagine watching your favourite soccer team being
stripped of a trophy because the referee was later advised
the match-winning goal should’ve been called offside?
Thompson’s incident wasn’t too dissimilar.
The 22-year-old held a two-shot lead in the final round
at the ANA Inspiration – the opening major of the season
on the LPGA Tour – when she was approached by rules
officials on the 13th tee.
The LPGA had received an email from a TV viewer
advising them that Thompson had misplaced a marked
ball on the 17th green during her third round. So, in
accordance with the Rules of Golf, the American was
thereby penalised four shots – two for the incident itself
under Rule 16-1b and two for returning an incorrect
scorecard (Rule 6-6d).
While most observers didn’t have major issues with
the initial penalty, nearly everyone was left baffled as
to how she was supposed to know she was signing an
incorrect card.
“She signed the correct card at the time,” Steve Stricker
said. “Why would you penalise her again when she had
no idea she was even being penalised? Once the round is
in the books, and signed, we’re over it. What other sport
do you go back and change the outcome the day after?”
Thompson teed off in tears, but rallied to fight her way
into what became an unsuccessful playoff against South
Korea’s So Yeon Ryu. “I have seen the video, and I can
see where they’re coming from with it,” Thompson later
commented. “It might have been, I guess, me rotating the
ball, but like I’ve said, I always played by the Rules of Golf.”
Therein lies the issue. The rules are becoming more
and more difficult to adjudicate as technology advances.
And while the USGA and R&A’s Decision 34-3/10 is a
step in the right direction, it’s time to sort it out once
and for all.
When 2019 finally rolls around, let’s hope the Rules
of Golf are sufficiently modernised and don’t allow
couch officials to determine the outcome of
anymore tournaments.
– Michael Jones

18 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 Want to get something off your chest? Let us know your
opinion via e-mail to: golf@golfaustralia.com.au or send your
Follow Golf Australia on letter to: Letters to the Editor, Golf Australia magazine, Level 6,
Building A, 207 Pacific Hwy, St Leonards NSW 2065.
Twitter @GolfAustMag
YOUR SAY
KUCHAR’S SLIP-UP
I read with interest about the class Matt
Kuchar displayed by signing his hole-in-one
golf ball on the 16th hole during the final
round of the Masters, before handing it to a
young lad in the gallery.
It was a great display of kindness.
However, I was in the grandstand on 15
when Kuchar attempted to get on the green
in two, and he pushed it right. His ball hit a
lady flush on the shoulder, and then rolled
into the water. Kuchar did not acknowledge
her, didn’t go and see if she was alright and
continued play as if nothing had happened.
I understand people run the risk when
seated so close to the playing area, however
common courtesy is still alive in society.
Being there, I saw this unfold over 15 &
16, however those readers that weren’t there
only get the feel good story on 16.
I’ve been a big fan of Kuchar over the
years, but I was disappointed with his actions
on 15.
Todd Clark
via e-mail
“WHEN 2019
FINALLY ROLLS LETTER OF THE MONTH
AROUND, LET’S
HOPE THE RULES IT’S ABOUT TIME
OF GOLF ARE Recent announcements about rules
SUFFICIENTLY changes can only be applauded as it
will make the game friendlier and easier
MODERNISED AND to understand.
DON’T ALLOW However, the decision to allow the repair
COUCH OFFICIALS of spike marks on your putting line is
TO DETERMINE probably the most impactful on the game
to be undertaken and embraced by the
THE OUTCOME...” Rules decision makers. This overdue rule
will eliminate something which has had
detrimental effects on just about every golfer’s
results, comes as a sign of an enlightened
attitude to the future of the game.
I recently played with a gentleman whom
had no idea of the damage he created on the
green around the hole and, yes, he cost me a
shot or more in the process. After his second
foray into twisting his feet on the surface
on my line I showed him the damage. He
OUR ‘LETTER OF THE MONTH’ WINNER RECEIVES A DOZEN
CALLAWAY CHROME SOFT PREMIUM GOLF BALLS
WHAT A FARCE!
Sadly golf took another step backwards
with Lexi Thompson being penalised four
shots for an indiscretion that gave her
no advantage.
Golf seems always willing to field calls
from a viewer with little else to do but nitpick
and find even the smallest honest mistake.
How often do we see professional golfers
throw down their marker to mark the ball?
Many times they do not take care to line
up the marker and the ball to replicate the
exact positioning.
Are we going to film every putt and every
marking to make the game fair and equitable
for all players?
There is another issue that is vital to the
argument. At the time of her signing her
card the score was correct. It was only at a
later date that the score was deemed to be
incorrect. How can she possibly be penalised
two extra shots for signing an incorrect
scorecard when at the time it was correct?
Michael McGonegal
Darley, Victoria
belligerently fixed half of the damage but
beyond that he didn’t care, his ball had
already found the bottom of the cup. My ball
heading centre cup, hit another of his spike
marks and missed once more. I spent time
on every green fixing his damage for those
that followed.
Tournaments lost and scores damaged
over time has finally brought the impending
rule change … in almost TWO YEARS
from now.
This time frame is even more ridiculous
than the archaic rule we’ve all longed to have
changed. Honestly, do we need two years
to get used to this new rule. It should be
applied immediately, it serves no purpose
whatsoever to maintain this ridiculous rule
any longer.
Jay Stuurop
Maroochy River GC
PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES
golf australia | JUNE 2017 19
 AROUND
THE NE WS
TRAPS

stands up extremely well in a neighbourhood

DOAK’S AUSSIE PORTFOLIO GROWS noted worldwide for fine and unique golf
courses,” Doak said. “Mr. Russell surely made
ACCLAIMED course architect Tom Doak is set attract and retain members,” Club President the most of an elegant piece of property.
to spend a lot more time in Australia after David Blake said. It is with great pleasure that we have been
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redesign clients. work on another Alex Russell layout, having Doak’s Yarra Yarra appointment follows on
The head of Renaissance Golf Design is redesigned his East course design at Royal from his selection to redesign the Ocean
best known here for designing Barnbougle Melbourne in 2010. Course at The National Golf Club and a
Dunes and St Andrews Beach on Victoria’s “Yarra Yarra is one of the finest courses commission to upgrade Sydney’s Concord Golf
Mornington Peninsula, both in collaboration designed by the esteemed Alex Russell and Club (pictured below) .
with Mike Clayton. Worldwide, he has
overseen the creation of nearly 40 courses
during the past 18 years, with several
entrenched among the Top-100 Courses on
the planet including New Zealand’s Cape
Kidnappers and US courses Pacific Dunes,
Ballyneal and Sebonack.
Renaissance Golf Design was recently
appointed as the consulting architects for Yarra
Yarra Golf Club in the Melbourne Sandbelt
(pictured above). The course was originally
designed and constructed by Alex Russell, the
PHOTO: DAVID SCALETTI (TOP); BRENDAN JAMES

Australian partner of the legendary Dr. Alister

MacKenzie, in 1928.
“The Club’s Committee is very keen to see
the course returned to its former glory, so that
we can ensure the relevance of Yarra Yarra
into the future. It is imperative that we have a
challenging golf course of a standard that will

20 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

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 AROUND
THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
TRAPS

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22 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

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 AROUND
THE COMPE TITIONS & WINNERS
TRAPS

SPOT THE BALL Mizuno’s three piece ball – producing a

WHERE could Lexi Thompson’s ball be in
this photo?
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where her ball is hidden on the grid, using
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TO ENTER: Select your grid reference
and then go to, www.golfaustralia.com.
au, to submit your answer. The winner and
the correct answer will be published in the
August issue of Golf Australia magazine.

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

APRIL SPOT THE BALL WINNER & ANSWER

WE had some very keen observers for
this competition with a huge number
of correct responses.
The grid reference was D10 and
the first correct entry drawn was from
Stephen Wallace, of Valley View, South
Australia. Congratulations!
engineers discovered that a softening of
the core not only improved the feel of the
JPX-S at impact, but also increased initial
ball speed for the majority of players.
An enhanced version of Mizuno’s
Dimple-Cluster design improves the
JPX-S’ aerodynamics, converting mph
PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES X 2

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24 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

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 AROUND
THE NE WS
TRAPS
GOLF’S $300 MILLION MAN
THERE is a very good reason why Rory
McIlroy is all smiles in this photo.
Having just married long-time girlfriend Erica
Stoll, the Northern Irishman then inked a deal
with TaylorMade to use its clubs, bag and ball
for the next decade for a reported $100 million.
He began using the gear at last month’s
Players Championship.
When Nike pulled the pin on making golf
equipment last year, McIlroy began testing
a range of other brands before settling on
TaylorMade in late April. He is, however, still a
Nike apparel player for the next 10 years, which
will add another $200 million to the coffers.
When you also add long-term sponsorship
deals with Santander, Omega and Bose,
McIlroy will bank AU$81.5 million in 2017
without cashing a tournament prize cheque.
“I tested extensively after Augusta, worked
26 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
with the TaylorMade guys and the ball, and
thought, ‘Wow, this is what I need, this is
exactly the thing that I’ve been struggling with’.
“I came to the conclusion that was the best
way for me to try to get back to World No.1, to
try to win more majors. You know, I’ve been on
tour for 10 years.
“It’s very rare that you get excited about
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and I really feel with the new equipment as
well, it’s hopefully going to take me to that
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Meanwhile, and just days after revealing
the McIlroy signing, Adidas announced it had
sold its golf equipment brands – TaylorMade,
PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES X 3
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 THE
WANDERING
BY B R E N DA N M O L O N E Y | G O L F AU S T R A L I A C O LUMNI S T
GOLFER
MALDON SALUTES OUR FIRST MAJOR CHAMPION
THE pretty little country town of Maldon
in central Victoria is famous as the home
of writer Henry Handel Richardson and Bill
Woodfull, captain of the Australian cricket
team in the infamous “Bodyline” series
of 1932-33.
On July 23 it will celebrate another noted
inhabitant, Walter Travis, with a golf tournament
where a small group of his admirers will dress
up in period costume and play with hickory
shafted clubs.
The fourth of 11 children, Travis was born in
Maldon in 1862 and died in America 90 years
ago on July 31, 1927. In his adopted home he
was for a time regarded as one of the best
golfers in the world, and he followed his playing
career by establishing and editing the American
Golfer magazine and designing more than a
dozen golf courses.
Although a handy cricketer and tennis player in
his youth, Travis never played golf in Australia and
first picked up a club at the age of 34 in 1896. He
also picked up a couple of instruction books and
taught himself to play. He became so good that
he won the US Amateur Championship in 1900,
‘01 and ‘03, and in 1904 at Royal St George’s in
Kent became the first foreigner to win the British
Amateur title.
The win did not go down well with the Poms
and perhaps they were still smarting from it
when they toured Australia and bowled at the
heads of Woodfull and Don Bradman all those
years later. Travis recalled that they had gone
out of their way to make him feel unwelcome in
1904 by giving him a caddie who was “a natural
born idiot, and cross-eyed at that”. Officials
refused to let him change the caddie so
he won in spite of him.
At the presentation Lord
Northbourne reluctantly handed
over the cup and said he
hoped that “such a
Maldon GC secretary Bob Briggs and captain
Jeremy Tripcony with the Walter Travis Trophy
28 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
disaster as Mr Travis’ victory would never hit
British sport again, and that not since the days
of the Roman occupation had the British been
subject to such an indignity.”
Despite this, he had his admirers. Harold
Hilton, the 1892 British Open champion and
first editor of Golf Monthly magazine wrote: “In
style, the American (he was naturalised around
1888 after arriving in 1886 to manage a hardware
business) champion is essentially what may be
termed a made golfer, for his is a style which by
the wildest stretch of imagination could not be
called ornate.
“Still, it boasts useful attributes; it is
business-like and determined, and is one in
which no energy is wasted. Like all golfers who
really scored a success at the game, he keeps
the right elbow well into the right side, holding
the hands very low, like Messrs. Hutchings, Fry
and G. F. Smith – three of the best examples
of golfers who have risen to eminence while 500 and 1,000. He is also said to have played
lacking the advantage of playing the game in 4,000 courses in his lifetime, smoking Ricoro
their youth. The swing of the club is not Corona cigars and afterwards enjoying Old Crow
long – in fact, it might be termed a three-quarter whiskey and a game of poker.
swing – but it is sufficient to get a free action At Maldon next month they will play for the
with the wrist, and although Mr. Travis does not Walter Travis Trophy, a Schenectady putter like
obtain an abnormal carry, he nevertheless gets the one he used to win the British title in 1904,
a long roll on the ball, and against the wind in which was donated by noted hickory clubmaker
particular he is beyond the average as a driver, Ross Baker.
especially as he appears to have mastered the Maldon Golf Club dates from 1908 and
art of the scientific hooking.” although Travis, who was admitted to the World
Travis also rubbed shoulders with Bobby Golf Hall of Fame in 1979, never set foot on the
Jones, founder of the US Masters in 1934, place, he’d no doubt approve of what has been
who had a similar record as an amateur, and achieved there entirely by volunteers.
acknowledged him for a putting lesson that The 18-hole sandscrape course is overlooked
changed his game. He also played the Old by Mount Tarrengower and winds its way
Course at St Andrews with Old Tom Morris through stands of beautiful native trees. While it
while another fan was Ben Crenshaw cannot claim to have produced Travis, members
who said simply: “He designed the best point to Matt Jager, the grandson of life member
greens in the world.” Harvey Loftus whose home is 50 metres from
Efforts have been made to tally the course. Although he hailed from Melbourne,
the number of titles Travis won Jager played a lot with Loftus when he was
with most agreeing that it young and went on to win the 2010 Australian
was somewhere between Amateur Championship.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES (TRAVIS); BRENDAN MOLONEY.
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OPINION E XC LU S I V E BY G E O F F O G I LV Y | G O L F AU S T R A L I A C O LUMNI S T

COMMONSENSE REQUIRED ON RULES ISSUES

AS the first major of every new season, the to get out of the way, players often rush to
ANA Inspiration is always a big event on mark their balls. Maybe they are trying not to
the LPGA Tour. It is the female equivalent of stand on someone’s line. Maybe they are a
the Masters, in that it is always played on little bit “hot” after missing a putt. Whatever,
the same course. All of which is why I have they sometimes approach their balls from
always enjoyed watching on television, as I odd angles. So when they come back to
did again earlier this year. replace the ball, the spot they end up on isn’t
Like everyone else, I was really impressed exactly correct.
by the play of Lexi Thompson, who held the This is caused by the speed of the greens.
lead midway through the final round. The surfaces are so fast, it is sometimes
Or at least we all thought she did. difficult to get the ball to sit still right in
But when rules officials appeared on front of the coin. It moves slightly. So it has
the course, everything changed. A to be placed where it won’t move, which is
television viewer –not me, I hasten to probably where it was before it was marked
add – had called in to report that Lexi anyway. I know this doesn’t come up much
had apparently mis-marked her ball on in non-tour golf where greens
the 17th green a day earlier. When she are generally slower. But on tour
was docked two-shots for the original greens the ball can move a little,
rules breach and another two-shots for especially when it is not replaced in
signing for a wrong score, her two-shot exactly the right spot.
lead was suddenly a two-shot deficit. Anyway, that sort of thing occurs more
No wonder she was so upset after being when guys employ a ‘lazy’ marking process.
told. I know I would have felt the same. I’m betting it happens six times a day on
Regardless of what has transpired Tour, which is not to say there is always a
since – the story was all anyone was talking dark intent to gain advantage. I do know of
about in the lead-up to the Masters a week players who have been warned about their
later – no player should be subjected to that marking over the years. One in particular is
sort of shock on the course, even if there is completely ‘out to lunch’ when he marks his
really no good time to deliver such news. It ball. And I have also seen a couple of other
was so tough on her. guys do it incorrectly. But it is pretty rare. I
Having said that, the footage of the certainly don’t think it is quite as common as
incident was pretty damning. There is no Phil was suggesting. Not in my experience.
doubt Lexi broke a rule when she failed to I tend not to look for rules infractions. I’m
replace her ball correctly. So there should not out there trying to be a referee, especially
have been a penalty. But why it had to be if I’m playing with anyone I know is a little
four-shots and not just two is unclear to me. suspect on the greens. I go out of my way
I know that, not so long ago, Lexi would to not watch them. I know it will only make
have been disqualified, but two-shots is me mad. I’m the same with all rules really. If
surely enough of a punishment. Adding someone is trying to ‘steal’ a few yards when
two more seems excessive just because dropping his ball after visiting a hazard, I
someone belatedly discovered what she had stay well out of it. I tell him to drop where he
done. It shouldn’t matter when a problem thinks the ball crossed and to use his own
like this comes to light, the penalty should conscience. I’m not interested in nit-picking.
be the same. If the call had come the If a guy wants to do that, he has to deal with
day before, the penalty would have been it his own way. If he can sleep at night, good
two-shots. That it came as much as 24-hours luck to him.
later – which obviously has nothing to do Again though, I’m talking about rare
with the player – made it four-shots. That occasions here. Very few Tour players
doesn’t make sense. I thought it was absurd are out there intentionally trying to gain
at the time and I still do. illegal advantage. In my mind, laziness or
A few days later, Phil Mickelson added to carelessness or sloppiness or inattention is
the on-going controversy when he told the not cheating. All of that happens all of the
world there are a few players on the PGA time. And – while only she knows what was
Tour who consistently mis-mark their balls going through her mind – I think that is what
on the greens. He is not wrong, but his Lexi did. Yes, at best, she was very blasé
comment deserves some clarification. about how she marked her ball. But under
I see this all the time on every Tour. In order pressure in a major championship, it is hard
PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES X 2

30 JUNE 2017 | golf australia


to think normally. As I know from experience,
your head is in a different place.
That’s really why most people make
mistakes. Again, I see this all the time – I’ve
done it myself – when players tee-up inches
in front of the markers. It’s
easy to do if you’re not paying
attention. But there is no
advantage to be gained. It’s
THE RULES
just careless stuff that makes SHOULD BE
no difference on any hole. CONSTANTLY
Besides, whenever I see
someone doing anything a
EVOLVING
little dodgy, I think to myself, FOR THE
“there is a guy who is easy to BETTERMENT
beat because he is trying to
steal an advantage that isn’t
OF THE GAME.
really there.” WHY WAIT
Perhaps the bigger FOUR YEARS
issue – and it was good to
see it being addressed so
TO ADMIT
promptly by the R&A and SOMETHING
USGA – is where you draw the NEEDS FIXING?
line when it comes to first the
discovery of rules infractions
then the application of any penalty. You can
take the view that once cards are signed each
day that is the end of the round. But you can
also argue that only once all 72-holes are
completed should scores be official. I can
R&A, David Bonsall, addresses delegates during
the recent R&A International Conference.
see the merits of both. But the real key is
deciding whether video evidence should play
a part in determining whether a player does
enough to satisfy the ‘degree of precision’
required when – as was the case with
Lexi – replacing the ball.
What I will say for sure
is that no one should ever
be penalised for signing
for a wrong score. That’s
accounting and has no part
in modern professional
golf. Think about it. With
the technology they have
available, officials know
exactly what score I shot.
They can tell me to the inch
where my ball was for every
swing I made. They know
what my stance was like on
every shot. They know how
every one of my putts broke.
They know everything.
So writing numbers on a
card should be no part of the
test, which is why Lexi’s penalty should have
been two-shots, not four. This whole thing
would surely have been less of an issue if the
eventual penalty had been seen to be more
just and equitable. Everyone agrees she
Chairman – Rules of Golf Committee for the
broke the rules, so a two-shot penalty was an
appropriate punishment.
Going forward, I would like to see the
R&A and the USGA continue to react
quickly to “rules stuff.” Instead of sitting
around and making changes only every four
years, let’s make decisions as we go along.
Let’s fix things right away, as they did with
the Lexi situation.
If something silly happens – as it did with
Dustin Johnson in the US Open last year –
let’s assess it and make a decision instantly.
The rules should be constantly evolving for
the betterment of the game. Why wait four
years to admit something needs fixing?
Besides, when 99.9 percent of the world’s
golfers tee-off, they play every hole by their
own rules. They play the game they want to
play, which is exactly how it should be. If you
want to prefer your lie before every shot, go
ahead. If you want to ground your club in
every bunker, go ahead.
Okay, if you want to play in a proper
tournament, you need to adhere to the strict
rules. But any other time, play golf any way
you want. It’s still golf folks. And the R&A
and USGA need to start saying that out
loud. The game needs to be sold to anyone
and everyone as fun. “Just play” should be
our message.
golf australia | JUNE 2017 31
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MA/GA340
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34 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 THE DEFENDER

golf australia | JUNE 2017 35

 Johnson makes his putt at the
last to claim the 2016 US Open.
A
lot can change in three years.
Dustin Johnson looked destined
to a life full of sex, drugs and rocky
rolls for a while there. Anyone following
his career throughout the 2014 season
could see how talented the athletic
American was. It was clear as day. But he
had severe problems between his ears and
on the greens.
The then 30-year-old ended the 2014 season
ranked 82nd on Tour for strokes gained putting,
and was predicted to become ‘the next Tiger
Woods’ for all the wrong reasons. A report
was released in August of that year claiming
Johnson had failed three drug tests in five
years, including two for cocaine, and had slept
with the wife of at least one fellow Tour player.
A six-month hiatus from golf ensued. And,
although he denies the PGA Tour suspended
him – he cited “personal challenges” – a six-
month ban happens to be the penalty a player
receives for recreational drug use. “I did have
a problem … I have issues, but that’s not
the issue,” Johnson stated. This followed an
11-week absence from the Tour in 2012 after he
claimed he’d injured his back lifting a jet ski, as
well as a DUI in South Carolina in 2009.
So how, in such little time, has Johnson
36 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
transformed himself from someone tormented
by temptation, to a major champion who
demands respect from players and golf
enthusiasts alike? And how, injuries aside, has
he rebounded from scandals in a way not even
Tiger Woods could manage?
It won’t come as news to many, but Johnson’s
fiancée – Paulina – is the daughter of Canadian
ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky. And it is his
relationship with the Gretzky family that has
seemingly catapulted him to where he is today.
During Johnson’s 2014 layoff, it’s understood
that ‘The Great One’ threatened to call off his
daughter’s wedding if the troubled golfer didn’t
make significant changes to his lifestyle. Since
then, Johnson has become a father, improved
his mental and short games significantly, and
shaken the tag of being a perennial nearly
man at golf ’s major tournaments. All of which
was on display on Father’s Day last year when
he won the US Open and overcame haunting
memories of years past.
In 2010, he entered the final round at Pebble
Beach with a three-stroke lead but shot a
disastrous 81 to slip to 8th. And, in 2015, he
three-putted from 12 feet on the 72nd hole
at Chambers Bay to hand Jordan Spieth his
second major.
Johnson’s fiancee Paulina
Gretzky, and becoming a father,
have been positive influences.
“You know, I was there for the final round in
2015,” Gretzky recalls. “I don’t know any other
athlete that could overcome what he did … I‘ve
been lucky enough to see some of the world’s
great sportsmen like Muhammad Ali and
Michael Jordan, and I am not even sure they
could muster that amount of mental strength.”
So it was somewhat fitting that Johnson’s
breakthrough into the major winner’s circle
came with its own controversy. Rules officials
advised him on the 12th hole he could be
penalised for causing his ball to move during a
practice stroke on the 5th green. And, although
he was understandably fazed, Johnson did what
had previously seemed impossible and held on
to win, despite the eventual one-shot penalty.
“He was very happy and proud,” Johnson said
of Gretzky. “Coming from him (that) was pretty
cool. He was telling me how it was one of the
greatest things he’s ever seen watching that …
How it all unfolded and everything, and to see
me get it done. So coming from him, I thought
that was really cool. It means a lot because he’s
seen a lot of good things.”
Large portions of Johnson’s newfound
mental resilience must surely then originate
from the family ties established during that
troublesome period in 2014. Having the
THE MONSTROUS
ERIN HILLS
WILL PROVIDE
JOHNSON WITH
A SPECTACULAR
STAGE AS HE
ENTERS HIS FIRST
MAJOR AS THE
GAME’S PREMIER
PLAYER.

golf australia | JUNE 2017 37


Johnson fronts the media after
withdrawing from the Masters
having sustained a back injury.
I’VE HAD A LOT
MORE TIME OFF
THAN I WOULD
HAVE LIKED TO
HAVE HAD, BUT I
STILL FEEL LIKE
I’M SWINGING
REALLY WELL.
Gretzkys in his corner, and only a few minutes
from his house, appears to have provided
Johnson with the extra support he needs to
steer clear of those old vices.
“My way of getting rid of (stress) was
drinking or partying. Yeah, that might work for
that day or the next week, but eventually things
keep piling up,” he said in 2015 after his return
to golf.
Now 32, Johnson has reached the pinnacle
of the game. He is the World’s No.1 ranked
player with 15 PGA Tour victories – seven of
which have come since that tumultuous 2014.
He leads the FedExCup and, perhaps most
importantly, he’s travelling to Wisconsin
as the defending champion of the US
Open Championship.
The monstrous Erin Hills will provide
Johnson with a spectacular stage as he enters
his first major as the game’s premier player,
having missed The Masters with that freak back
injury sustained slipping down some stairs.
“I was on a good roll, playing the best golf
of my career leading into Augusta,” he said
recently. “I’ve had a lot more time off than I
would have liked to have had, but I still feel like
I’m swinging really well.”
So well, in fact, he claimed to be playing even
38 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
T HE CON T ENDERS
Only one World No.1 – Tiger Woods – has
won the US Open in the past 13 years, and
nobody has won back-to-back titles since
Jordan Spieth
Curtis Strange. So, who has the form and will have to
the game required to deny Dustin Johnson improve tee-
from winning his second major? to-green to be
a factor at Erin
Hills.
RORY MCILROY won the US Open in 2011
at Congressional and set the tournament’s
72-hole scoring record – 16-under, 268. The
Northern Irishman is a statistician’s dream,
and is hard to look past. He’s the longest
off the tee, has the lowest scoring average
of 68.87, and is second on Tour for strokes
gained approaching the green. He also
sits inside the top-10 for scrambling.
McIlroy’s biggest downfall, however, is
well-documented and sees him outside the
top-100 for strokes gained putting.
JORDAN SPIETH won in 2015 and is one
of the only notable players who’s played
competitively at Erin Hills before. He made
the quarter finals at the course during the tee. He’s also inside the top-10 for greens
2011 US Amateur. The 23-year-old American
has an exquisite short game, is inside the
in regulation and for distance off the tee.
However the 37-year-old might struggle with
top-5 for his scoring average of 69.43 and his natural fade around a course that requires
leads the Tour for strokes gained approaching so many draws.
the green. But Spieth is ranked outside the
top-100 for strokes gained off the tee, which
could be magnified at the lengthy Erin Hills.
RICKIE FOWLER has long been a consistent
performer at the majors without breaking
through. The 28-year-old is currently second
SERGIO GARCIA has shaken the tag of being on Tour for his scoring average of 68.99. He’s
the best player without a major championship inside the top-10 for strokes gained putting,
after winning The Masters. The Spaniard’s top-5 for scrambling, second for sand saves
scoring average of 69.38 is third on Tour and and third for strokes gained approaching the
he is ranked first for strokes gained off the green. The Californian is also around the top
Sergio Garcia’s breakthrough at
the Masters reflects his good
form, despite limited preparation.
 Fighting spirit and a clinical
mistake-free strategy are the
hallmarks of Justin Rose’s game.

I’VE TOLD DUSTIN

HE NEEDS TO BE
MORE LIKE TIGER
... PART OF WHAT
MADE TIGER WAS
THAT HE WAS
RELENTLESS.
– WAYNE GRETZKY

better than before his six-week stint on the

sidelines. “I was hitting the ball better today
than I was when I injured myself, so that was a
lot of fun,” he told reporters during his recovery.
That’s a scary thought, considering he looked
unbeatable prior to his injury and had won
three consecutive tournaments.
Johnson has improved considerably with the
flat stick over the past few seasons, and is now
ranked 27th on Tour for strokes gained putting.
He’s also hitting the most greens in regulation
for the season – averaging 75 percent per
round – and is leading the Tour for strokes
gained tee-to-green. All of which points to
him emulating Curtis Strange (1989) and Ben
Hogan (1951) as the third back-to-back US 10 percent for distance off the tee and is Tour for putts made within three feet (he’s yet
Open champion since World War II. hitting more fairways than ever. Hard to to miss from 281 attempts).
Finally, it seems, Johnson has harnessed fault statistically.
his incredible talent and combined it with a
winning attitude … and you don’t need to look
far to find its source. ADAM SCOTT and JASON DAY should both
“I’ve told Dustin he has to be more like Tiger,” HIDEKI MATSUYAMA looked unstoppable fare well for Australia with their length off the
Gretzky said. “I don’t mean he has to be Tiger, early in the season. The 25-year-old has three tee and ball striking. But Day’s putting and
you only get a few athletes like that a century. wins and two runners-up from his 11 starts. bunker play should see him more likely of the
But part of what made Tiger was that he was He averages the fourth most birdies per two to challenge for the championship, which
relentlessness … I want him to see that only he round on Tour with 4.53, hits a lot of greens in hasn’t been won by an Aussie since Geoff
can put limits on himself.” regulation and is inside the top-20 for distance Ogilvy’s 2006 victory at Winged Foot.
off the tee. But, like McIlroy, he ranks 180th
Johnson’s for strokes gained putting and will need to
putting has roll the ball better if he’s to become the first
improved
significantly Japanese male to win a major.
during the past
18 months.

JUSTIN ROSE won the championship in 2013

and will be hurting after that unsuccessful
playoff at The Masters. His scoring average of
69.48 is fourth on Tour, and he’s inside the top
10 percent for both distance off the tee and Jason Day’s
greens in regulation. A consistent player with length and deft
no considerable weaknesses. short game
will have him
among the
contenders at
Erin Hills.
JON RAHM has started his professional career
with a bang, winning the Farmers Insurance
Open and recording a further four top-10s in his
first 11 events. The Spaniard is third on Tour for
strokes gained off the tee and can drive the ball
as far as anyone. He’s inside the top-10 for both
birdies and eagles per round, and second for
strokes gained tee-to-green. The 22-year-old’s
all-round putting is solid, and he leads the

40 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

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 THE COURSE

42 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 A BEAUTIFUL BRUTE
Don’t be fooled by the sweet-sounding name, Erin Hills is a
ravenous monster whose spectacular layout will devour plenty
of wayward shots during the 117th US Open Championship.
WORDS PAUL PRENDERGAST PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES & USGA

golf australia | JUNE 2017 43

 T
his year’s United States Open
Championship will again provide
another contrast to the time
honoured, traditional venues of US
Opens past when the United States Golf
Association (USGA) hosts its blue riband
event at the largely unknown (to the
outside world) Erin Hills course in rural
Wisconsin.
America’s 30th state is no stranger to major
championship golf in the modern era with
three PGA Championships staged at Whistling
Straits on the shores of Lake Michigan, in
2004, 2010 and most recently in 2015, when
Australian Jason Day held off the mighty
challenge of Jordan Spieth to capture his
first major.
Wisconsin was also host to a PGA
Championship way back in 1933 when as a
matchplay event, Gene Sarazen captured
his third title with a 5 and 4 triumph over
Willie Goggin.
So far as US Opens are concerned however,
this will be a highly-anticipated first staging
of the national championship in the state and
excitement has been building since the venue
was announced as host back in 2010.
44 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
“Erin Hills is in the Kettle Moraine region
of southern Wisconsin which is a nice rolling,
topsy-turvy piece of topography carved out
by glaciers 10,000 years ago,” Erin Hills
Competition Director John Morrisset said.
“We’re about 35 miles northwest of
downtown Milwaukee so we have the best of
both worlds in that when you’re out here, you
feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere in
rural Wisconsin but in reality you’re not far
from a very big city.”
The comparisons with the USGA’s
most recent foray into unchartered Open
territory – the championship at Chambers Bay
in 2015 – are eerily similar.
The Open’s staging in Washington and
Wisconsin were each state’s first, with
both courses having hosted a US
Amateur Championship as a ‘test’ event in
advance – Erin Hills in 2011 when Kelly Kraft
defeated Patrick Cantlay in the final.
Both venues are open to the public and
are fairly recent creations with Erin Hills
opening for play in just 2006, a year before
Chambers Bay. Each of the courses are located
on immense properties, feature rolling
elevation changes (considerably more severe
in Chambers Bay’s case) and have expansive
‘open plan’ designs that can be at the mercy of
the elements and stretched to 8,000 yards in
length at a sadist’s whim.
Both courses are virtually tree-less, have
fescue grass (more on this later) as their core
playing surface with only the general outlook
of each layout – Chambers’ Puget Sound vistas
will contrast with a rural, farmland ‘Irish’
Wisconsin landscape – providing the primary
visual point of difference.
The criticisms of the fescue playing surfaces
and in particular, the burnt out, bumpy greens
that drew the ire of many at Chambers Bay,
have been well anticipated in the meticulous
preparations that have been observed to ready
Erin Hills for the scrutiny of the golfing world
from June 15 to 18.
In an almost unprecedented move for all but
the most exclusive private clubs, Erin Hills has
been closed to all public play thus far in 2017.
Even confirmed US Open players were not
permitted to visit the course to conduct any
preliminary scouting preparations until well
into May.
“We closed in early October 2016 and
will not open for general play until after the
 The 616-yard 14th is a risk-and-
reward par-5 where fortune will
favour the brave.

The downhill
165-yard par-3,
9th hole with
the green of the
663-yard par-5
18th hole lying
beyond.
The view from behind the green
of the difficult to hit 215-yard
par-3 13th hole.

championship.” Morrissett said. Unlike Chambers Bay however, the greens

“That accomplishes a lot for us. It greatly are bentgrass so they are more traditional and
reduces wear and tear on the golf course; it more like players will be used to in terms of
allows our maintenance staff to do everything how balls will react.
UNLIKE CHAMBERS they would like to do without having to worry “Another of the things the USGA like is the

BAY HOWEVER, about getting in the way of play; and also,

people building all the infrastructure – the
THE GREENS ARE grandstands, media centre, TV compound and
towers – can go about their business without
BENTGRASS SO having to worry about golfers.”
great flexibility that the golf course provides.
We have multiple tee locations which can
mean the course can play anything from 5,000
to 8,000 yards. That allows great flexibility
on a daily basis to adjust to what the weather

THEY ARE MORE Erin Hills was designed by the esteemed

trio of Dr Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry and Ron
conditions are.
“In mid-June, the winds have not yet settled
TRADITIONAL AND Whitten, who employed a minimalist approach into the regular pattern we get in the summer

MORE LIKE PLAYERS

to earth movement in the construction of the
golf course.
WILL BE USED TO Apart from a few design tweaks, the course
laid out over this glacially-carved land has
IN TERMS OF HOW seen the layout consistently ranked inside
when it blows generally from the west. In
mid-June, you could get the wind blowing from
any direction so the week of the championship
could see play from two or three different
wind directions.

BALLS WILL REACT. America’s Top 100 courses and the top-10
in America’s Best Public Courses since
– COMPETITION its inception.
“From the USGA’s perspective there are
DIRECTOR JOHN several things about Erin Hills that they are
MORRISSET excited about,” Morrissett continued.
“One of which is the fact we have fine fescue
fairways, which Mother Nature permitting,
will provide firm and fast playing surfaces.
“In general, I would say our greens are
average in size but there are a few larger ones
out there and two or three very small ones. The
2nd green for example is under 4,000 square
feet and our largest green is 9,000, so we have
some variety.
“Most of our greens will be surrounded
by closely mown turf which will present the
players with a good number of recovery options

golf australia | JUNE 2017 45

 when they miss a green.
“There is good variety in the routing and,
especially it being an open piece of property
where we have just five interior trees on the
course, there are a number of changes in
direction. In the stretch from holes 6 through
to 14 in the middle of the course, no two holes
play in the same direction so you’re always
having to make adjustments for the wind.”
Despite the criticisms of certain elements
of the championship in 2015, what could not
be faulted was the overwhelming support for
the event from the broader Seattle community
at large. The championship was blessed with
perfect weather and the public responded with
massive and excitable galleries in attendance
each day.
Co-designers
Ron Whitten,
Dr Michael
Hurdzan and
Dana Fry with
the US Open
trophy.
WHERE THE U.S OPEN WILL BE WON … AND LOST
Every good golf course has a selection of holes the tee is crucial at this 439-yard par-4, where thick
that will ultimately determine the outcome of a rough and bunkers await any mis-hit.
tournament. And while Erin Hills is spectacular 7th Hole: This is the hardest hole on the
in its length, it cannot be overcome with brute scorecard and a genuine three-shot par-5 at 607
force alone. Tactical nuance and shot-shaping yards. The green (pictured above) slopes from
is vital. Most holes feature doglegs, and there is side-to-side (like the 3rd, 10th and 14th holes) and
an abundance of blind shots – both from the tee birdies should prove rare.
and into the greens. These are some of the holes 9th Hole: A 165-yard par-3 that is recognised
where this year’s US Open could be won or lost. as the signature hole at Erin Hills. While short, it is
1st Hole: The opening hole at Erin Hills is a par-5 deceptively dangerous and features a treacherous
that stretches out over 600 yards and doglegs from back-left bunker. A clustering of other sand traps
right to left. The fairway slopes towards wetlands, surround the green, and the elevated tee shot is
I spoke with many at Chambers Bay, who and the green is best approached along the well exposed to the wind, which will make club
had travelled hundreds of miles from all ground. The first hole at any major championship choice difficult.
directions for the opportunity to witness golf is always telling. 14th Hole: Where fortune favours the brave.
of this calibre in their backyard. There was 2nd Hole: The shortest par-4 on the course This 613-yard par-5 is a beast, and doglegs both
prevailing sense of ‘I can’t believe the U.S. measures 358 yards. It’s a tactical hole, and left and right. Thick rough guards the sloping green
Open is here’ and Morrissett agreed that the positioning off the tee is crucial to ensure you don’t from those attempting to hit it in two, while those
sense of anticipation from Wisconsin natives leave yourself with a blind approach shot. The left laying up face a blind approach shot. Expect a
has mirrored that. side of the fairway is where you want to be. It range of scores here.
“Golf in Wisconsin has just exploded in the will be interesting to see if any of the long 18th Hole: A fitting finish to Erin Hills at an
past 25 years and residents here have really hitters attempt to drive the elevated green. Early incredible 663 yards (pictured below). Even Dustin
embraced it. The USGA are limiting ticket birdie chance. Johnson will struggle to hit the green in two at the
sales to 35,000 for each day and it’s safe to 4th Hole: The approach into this shallow green course’s longest hole. It has the potential to cause
say they will get that each day,” he said. “The
is likely to be the toughest iron shot a player is drama come Sunday.
reality is we’re also only about two hours from
asked to play at Erin Hills. Hitting the fairway off – Michael Jones
the Chicago area, which is a huge market and
close enough for people to make a day trip of it.
“The community are very excited about this
championship and to give you an example,
when the USGA opened the volunteer
registration process in 2015, after four weeks
they had to set up a wait list because 4,300
people had already volunteered to assist.
“Without exaggerating, the course does not
remind you of any other golf course. I know
it’s an overused word but the golf course is
certainly ‘unique’, starting with the natural
beauty of the property itself but even
the surroundings.
“The beauty of the golf course, the challenge
of the course and the hospitality and warmth
of the people of Wisconsin – I think these will
be the main things people will take away from
this championship.”

46 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

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 MY LIFE IN GOLF

Deborah
Hutton
Deborah Hutton first gained fame, while still in
her teens, as a top international model. In the years
since she has worn many hats – television and radio
presenter, magazine editor and businesswoman – and
has made golf a big part of her life.
WORDS MATT CLEARY PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES

I first started playing around 2000.
I was at the Golden Door Health Farm,
and golf was a way of getting out of there!
I went down for a clinic at Sanctuary Cove,
learned how to swing a club. And I just started
connecting, a couple came off the middle and it
was such a great feeling. Great fun. And I came
away from that thinking, ‘This is something I
can take up with my mates, instead of lunch or
drinks’. I didn’t know then that the 19th hole is
as important as any of them!
Golf seemed so foreign; it looked so
difficult. But I decided that I was going to
bring it into my life. I joined St Michael’s in
Sydney which was a lovely experience because
the female members were just very sweet,
very down to earth. They showed me the ropes
and allowed me to make a few mistakes in a
welcoming environment. Sometimes people
can get too serious about the game.
My progression was slow at first. But
after I’d played a few rounds – and playing in
the wind at St Michael’s improves your
game – I went out with a 45-handicap and the
lady president. After 18 holes I thought I’d
played okay. But the president was so excited.
She couldn’t stop saying, “51 points! 51 points!”
It was very funny. I came down pretty quickly
from there.
I hover around 18 or 19 today. That was
always my goal – shot a hole! I was never that
driven to single figures. If you can sit on that,
it’s a nice comfort buffer. There’s enough
bloody pressure in the world, you don’t need
more on the golf course. Off 18 you can play
with anybody, hold your game together. Golf for
me is about the fun, the people you meet, the
social thing. It’s not about winning. Well … I am
competitive. I hate to give anything away. I’ll
play you in match-play any day.
I started to see coach Gary Barter at
The Australian. And he really worked on
my swing. He suggested I join the club. I had a
bunch of mates there so I put my name down.

golf australia | JUNE 2017 49

 NO GOLFER
WILL GIVE
THEMSELVES
A RAP. BUT IF I
MUST … WHEN
MY GAME COMES
TOGETHER, I
CAN GET A BIT OF
DISTANCE WITH
DRIVER.
By joining the Oz, I got serious. I played a lot
and it became a larger and larger part of my life.
Golf plays an incredibly large part in my
work life. You play with heads of businesses
and meet these guys on a level playing field,
literally, and go straight to the point of being
a mate. You’re not standing about in a suit or
with a drink at some function. It’s an open,
welcoming state. And I’ve met some amazing
people and opportunities have come out
of that.
For a businesswoman, if you can hit a
golf ball there’s an immediate connection.
There’s an acceptance, it can be a passport
in. It can be a challenging thing in the normal
avenues of business “networking”, but golf
gives you that. Think about it: golfers are often
higher-wealth, time on their hands, running
businesses. It’s not why I play with people. But
the more I become involved in my business
you can see the opportunities. Sometimes it’s
not even about the four hours. It just enlarges
your network.
Another thing I do is auction 18 holes
at The Australian for charity. It’s been very
successful for a number of charities. A round
of golf followed by lunch. One year we did it for
Starlight Foundation, raised $20,000. It doesn’t
cost much and I get to spend time playing golf
and meeting good people with good hearts, and
50 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
raise money for charities. It enhances your life.
What’s stopping more women taking
up golf? Time! If you’re a mum, if you’re
a working-mum, if you’re running a small
business, time is the greatest barrier. Jack
Nicklaus has always been on about a 12-hole
game. I think that’s becoming a reality. I’ll go
out and play nine holes in the morning and
then begin the working day.
There’s also an intimidation factor.
People can see impressive clubhouses, locked
gates. Golf can look too precious. But when
you get behind all that, it can be a wonderful
community. I always try to encourage women
to hit balls like I did, without any expectation,
and to meet like-minded women. And be
encouraged, hands out – come along with me
and I promise you’ll enjoy it. Golf needs more
initiatives to break down barriers.
No golfer will give themselves a rap. But
if I must … when my game comes together, I destroying. Long par-5s I’d hit a great drive,
can get a bit of distance with driver. I can either great 3-wood, shank a little chip, skull it. I’ve
turn the switch on or off. And when it’s “off ” addressed it now and my game is coming back,
I can’t find “on”. I’m quite strong in the arms but it’s not an easy place to be. You think you
though it can be a negative, I can rely on them, need a psych coach! You just have to change
and forget about the rest of the body, shoulders, focus, and work out that sometimes it’s there
hips, core. and sometimes it very much is not.
I had the yips with my irons for two I’ve played a lot in Queenstown –
years. It almost turned me off; it was soul- Jack’s Point, the Hills. It’s such an amazing

destination, the wine and restaurants. I’ve
had some great trips. Hawaii, the weather’s so
perfect. And they have drinks carts - thumbs
up all over that. I had a surprising and fabulous
few days in Abu Dhabi on highly manicured,
amazing layouts, pure surfaces. Great hotels.
Loved it.
Probably my most amazing moment in
golf was when I got invited to play Augusta
National. [At which point interviewer can be
heard on tape exclaiming, What!?] I was with
my mother on holidays and met these lovely
gentlemen, got chatting. One gentleman owned
golf courses, the other was a businessman,
both from Atlanta, and we became friends.
I found out what they did much later. And
then I received an invitation to play
Augusta National.
We stayed there, did the whole tour …
PROBABLY
MY MOST
AMAZING
MOMENT IN
GOLF WAS
WHEN I GOT
INVITED TO
PLAY AUGUSTA
NATIONAL.
52 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
Hutton is
a regular
in pro-am
events and
promotions
at Australian
Tour events.
destroyed the wine cellar. And played golf.
And it was unbelievable. The greens were so
fast; it was ridiculous. You lean heavily on
your caddy but your hands are shaking. People
come out to watch you putt! You can hit the
sweetest shot and if you’re a foot long you’re
through the back, foot short and you’re in Rae’s
Creek. It’s so precise. But also so much fun.
Really forgiving fairways. For a hack, I got off
the tees okay and fumbled my way around and
finished with a bogey-golf round. Gee it was a
big moment. It was massive.
I’ve played with a lot of Aussie pros in
pro-ams, and they’re all charming, there’s
no attitude. Not to say they don’t like a dig!
You have to hold your game together! But no,
they’re fun. A pro-am I really enjoyed was
with Pete Senior, one of the nicest men. He’d
just arrived from Melbourne after winning
the [2015] Australian Masters. He’s such a
sweetheart and we had the nicest, nicest day.
I love watching women’s golf; they’re
so amazing, so precise. But I mainly watch
the men’s game for the power of it. Physically,
I love the way they look and play. There seem
to be more characters in men’s golf, or at least
it comes out. I love Jordan Spieth, love Jason
Day. I was so excited for Sergio Garcia to
win the Masters. I was lucky enough to be in
Augusta when Adam Scott won. I was on the
18th tee. I was so happy for him. The emotion
of it, wearing his heart on his sleeve…
One thing I carry religiously and every
golfer needs in their bag is a vodka hip
flask. For those nervous moments, those
moments when it’s too cold, it’s a secret
weapon. I’ve never had a hole-in-one, though
I’ve been close. I tell you what – the vodka will
come out when I do!
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 PRIVATE
LESSON BY C H A R L E S K A R E S | P G A O F AU S T R A L I A T E A C HIN G P R O F ES S I O N A L

HITTING HIGH
& LOW CHIPS
SAVING shots around the green is the key to improving your
handicap and scoring.
The difference between a touring professional and a club golfer
around the green, is the touring pro makes the correct club
selection and understands how to use the clubface angle to
create the correct flight and spin for the shot required.
Many golfers try to ‘scoop’ (pic 1) and ‘control’ the flight of the
ball with their hands rather than use the bounce of the wedge.
By setting up the club with the correct face angle, you will be
in a better position to start the ball low or launch high. A square
clubface (pic 2), with your hands in front of the ball position, will
send the ball on a lower trajectory. An open clubface (pics 3 & 4),
with your hands more in line with the ball, will send the ball
higher and the speed of the clubhead through the shot will impart
more backspin.
Remember, a high launching shot will normally stop faster with
more spin than playing a low launching shot (pic 5) which rolls
out more once it lands on the green.
The type of grass you are playing on will also dictate the kind
of shot you will need to play. It is easier to run the ball through
couch grass, while it is easier to loft the ball off kikuyu. When
hitting a shot into a kikuyu fringe, be aware the ball will more than
likely get stuck and not release onto the putting surface.
Understanding this will help you make the correct decision for the
shot style and club selection.
One pro secret you can also use is to set up to any chip with a
soft grip pressure and swing with a smooth tempo. Tension in
your hands will create inconsistent flight and spin when chipping,
which is not ideal.

Advanced coaching certified PGA Professional CHARLES KARES is a teaching pro

at The Lakes Golf Club. You can book a lesson with Charles via the website
www.thelakesgolfclub.com.au or call (02) 9669 3544.
2

54 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

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 J A S O N D AY

MY GUIDETOWORLD-CLASS

It’s always my driving and long game that seem to grab the headlines, but it’s the
quality of my putting that gets me into contention week in, week out on Tour. Over
the next few pages, I’ll show you how to make it a strength of your game, too.
PHOTOGRAPHY SAM GREENWOOD

56 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 HOW TO READ GREENS
LIKE A TOUR PRO
Identify your speed before you pick your line
You won’t see me three-putt very often.
Last year, I ranked 15th on Tour in three-putt
avoidance with just 25 in 1,242 holes. I was
also sixth in one-putt percentage at 43.64%.
But the stat I’m most proud of is that I ranked
No.1 in the PGA Tour’s ‘Strokes Gained Putting’
category. On average, I picked up more than a
stroke on the field in every round I played. Four
shots over four rounds is massive.
The key to all of these impressive putting
stats is distance control. I never want to leave
a putt short because you can’t make the putt
if it doesn’t get there, right? But that doesn’t
mean I just blast away at the hole. You have
to hit it at the right pace to take the break you
want and leave yourself simple, stress-free
tap-ins if you miss. I don’t want to see my
putts finish any further than a foot past the
hole. That is my entire philosophy on putting.
Here’s how I make it happen.
Hone your feel “There’s an art to putting.
Much of my success is built around feel. For
example, if I’m teaching someone how to
putt, the first thing I’ll do is ask them to tell
me what they think is the most important
thing in putting. Hopefully, they’ll respond by
saying, ‘Speed’. Without knowing the speed of
your roll, you can’t pick the line to match it. If
you pick the line before assessing the speed,
you’re going to hit the ball harder or softer
from putt to putt if you subconsciously feel
you don’t have the right line. That leads
to inconsistency.”
Be aggressive “So many amateurs leave
putts short because they’re afraid of hitting
the ball too hard. But all of the good putters
you see on Tour are, generally speaking,
aggressive on the greens. But you have to
practise a lot to develop this confidence. On
a regular week off away from the Tour, I’ll
spend two hours a day working on my putting,
compared to maybe only an hour or so on my
longer clubs.”
Trust your read “The biggest piece of
advice I give to amateurs about green-reading
is to trust your instincts and completely
commit to the speed and line you’ve chosen
when you’re about to putt. Second-guessing
yourself will lead to manipulations during
the stroke and you’re never going to putt
consistently well by doing that.”
My favourite drill “To calibrate my speed
and distance control, I putt balls from 15 and
30 feet on a flat section of the practice green.
It’s all about feel from this range. You’re trying
to make every putt, of course, but you’re
also making sure the ball gets to the hole.
My goal is to ensure that the ball doesn’t roll
more than, say, six revolutions past the hole
if I miss.”
WHY I CHANGED
MY ROUTINE
How tweaking
my green-reading
process paid
big dividends
“On at least half-a-dozen occasions
during a round, I used to have my caddie
and coach Colin Swatton read a putt and
I’d then ask him what he saw. At the start
of 2015, he suggested I should read all
the putts. At the time I was like, ‘What?!’
But he told me he thought it would
challenge me to gather more information
and help me become more committed to
my stroke.
The point Col made was that if we’re
both reading putts, it’ll either confirm
what I’m already thinking, or it will
create confusion. Obviously, you don’t
want the second one.
“We’re both good at reading greens,
but the difference is Col has no idea how
I’m feeling standing over the ball and
how hard I’m going to hit the putt. If I hit
it too softly because of something I feel
at address and leave it short, it creates
doubt. Was it my read or his that was off ?
It’s not a knock on Swatto; it’s him
figuring out something that allowed me to
take ownership and be more committed.
It’s given me more confidence because
I don’t have any doubts when I’m stood
over a putt.”
golf australia | JUNE 2017 57
 REFINE YOUR
EYE ALIGNMENT
Because you stand
side-on to a putt with your head
tilted forwards, your eyes can
play tricks when you’re trying
to look up and down the line.
Find the position that works
best for you.

KEEP YOUR
WRISTS QUIET
To prevent unwanted wrist
movement, I’ll often practise
with a ball placed between my
right wrist and the putter grip.
That instantly allows me to feel
if there’s any movement in my
hands during the stroke. If I get
it wrong, my hands will either
press harder against the ball,
or it will fall to the floor.

ONE STROKE
SUITS ALL
Tiger talks about having two
different strokes depending on
the type of green. I prefer to
have one stroke and just adjust
the speed when I’m putting on
fast and smooth or slower and
bumpier greens. It’s simpler to
only adjust one element.

JASON DAY’S 2016

PUTTING STATS
CATEGORY RESULT RANK
Strokes Gained Putting 1.130 1
Total Putting 27.9 1
Putting average 1.711 3
One-putt percentage 43.64 6
Putting inside 10ft 88.68% 27
Putting 10-15ft 41.18% 1
Putting 15-20ft 23.81% 14
Putting 20-25ft 20.27% 4
Putting >25ft 9.39% 2
Ave distance putts made 89ft 3in 1

58 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 PERFECT YOUR PUTTING
POSTURE & SET-UP
Your head and hand position are vital for consistency
The quality of your putting is to a large degree
determined by the quality of your basics.
You’ll notice I haven’t talked too much about
the stroke. That’s because if your posture,
alignment and eyeline are good, the stroke
itself is pretty simple – it’s just about good
rhythm and keeping your head steady so you
can strike putts consistently. Here’s what I
focus on at address to achieve that.
Keep it simple over the ball “One of the
things that makes me such a consistently
good putter is that my set-up is very simple.
I stand to the ball in a standard position with
my feet, knees, hips and shoulders parallel to
my target line.”
Keep the shaft vertical “I like to have
my hands in a neutral position so they aren’t
pushed too far forward ahead of the ball or
positioned way behind it. This puts the shaft
in a vertical position at address. Because of
this, I use less loft than most players. Where
most players will have 3° or 3.5° loft on their
putter, I have only 2° to 2.5°. It’s important
that the set-up and loft of your putter match
your address position and stroke.”
Get a pure roll “The last thing you want is
the ball to skid too much off the putter face.
This is crucial on quick greens. It’s difficult to
accurately judge distance if your ball starts
off with a hop. For a truer roll, I play the ball
slightly forward of centre in my stance. This
helps me hit up on the ball a little.”
Focus on your grip pressure “I hold
the putter with enough strength to prevent it
moving once I’ve taken my grip. Even minimal
movement can cause the putter to twist in
your hands at address or during the stroke. If
this happens, it’ll affect your aim and either
add to or decrease the loft on the putter face.
At the same time, I don’t want to hold
it so tightly that it creates tension in the rest
of my arms and body.”
HOW I FIND THE
OPTIMUM SET-UP
Using a mirror sets
my eyes in the perfect
position.
“The first thing myself and Colin do
every week on the practice putting green
at a tour event is calibrate my putting
set-up. I use a mirror on the ground and
a device we call ‘the guru’. This makes
sure my left eye is over the top of the ball
and slightly inside the target line.
“This is the optimum position for me
to see the putt without any parallax – the
effect where the position or direction of
an object appears to differ when viewed
from different positions. In simple
terms, if your head and eyes aren’t in the
correct position over the ball, you won’t
be able to accurately see a straight line
to the hole.
“You must address the ball in a way
that enables you to make a consistent,
controlled and repeatable stroke with
only minimal compensations.”

CADDIE’S VIEW
“The best I’ve seen Jason putt was at the 2015
BMW Championship and the 2016 Players.
They were two completely different
putting surfaces, but he needed just
107 putts both times as he won
both events.”

golf australia | JUNE 2017 59

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

EVERY PUTT IS A
STRAIGHT PUTT
EVERY putt is a straight putt! On face value,
this seems like a silly statement to make.
But it isn’t when you consider this.
Every breaking putt has an apex point
where the slope and gravity take over and the
ball will move left or right … hopefully
towards the hole.
The key to holing breaking putts is to hit a
straight putt at the apex point.
Using two clubs or alignment sticks, lay one
club pointing at the hole and another aimed at
the apex point (pic 1) – the point where you
believe you will need to aim your straight putt
and, if struck at the right speed, will then break
into the hole. Here, I have placed a tee on the
ideal line that will see a ‘straight’ putt hit
towards the apex point.
Hit a putt making sure the ball travels along
the club/stick as it travels towards the apex
point (pics 2, 3, 4 & 5).
If you miss the hole on the low side, you are
probably under-reading the break. It’s better to
miss on the high side and read too much
break, giving yourself a greater chance to
make the putt.

Certified PGA Professional CLINTON RUSSELL is a

Sydney-based teaching pro. You can book a lesson,
including a playing lesson, with Clinton via his website
www.clintgolf.com.au

60 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

2 3

PHOTOS: BRENDAN JAMES X 5

4 5

golf australia | JUNE 2017 61

 30-PAGE
WINTER GOLF
SPECIAL

PLAY YOUR
BEST IN
ANY WEATHER Arm yourself with the best equipment and techniques
to beat the worst of our wet, windy and cold conditions.

O
ne of the best things about
playing golf is that you get to
experience the great outdoors
firsthand for hours at a time. While this
is wonderful, it also means you’re at the
whim of Mother Nature.
And in Australia, that can mean playing in
every conceivable weather condition from
rain and wind to freezing cold and baking
heat. If you want to enjoy your experience
and play your best golf, you have to stay
comfortable and dry and equip yourself with
the shots to tackle these tough conditions.
Over the next 30 pages, rising Tour star
Guido Migliozzi will show you how to play all
the shots needed to overcome wet, windy and
cold conditions.
Plus, we’ll showcase the latest wet and
cold weather clothing guaranteed to deliver
market-leading performance to help you
play your best whatever this winter throws
at you.

62 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

golf australia | JUNE 2017 63
 1. Hit high drives with maximum carry
The ball isn’t going to bounce much when it’s
wet – if at all – so the total length of your tee
shots will be mostly carry. This means the
ideal flight is a bit different to when you’re
looking for the ultimate combination of carry it as far as you can. Tweak your set-up to
and run on drier fairways. You need to launch encourage the upward attack angle that gets
the ball high (13°-17°) and with relatively the ball flying high and carrying further.
little backspin (2,500-3000rpm) to carry

The spine tilts slightly Position the ball a little

away from the target further forward and tee it
and the front shoulder higher than normal, so you
is higher than the trail hit it slightly later as the
for an upward attack clubhead is travelling
angle that launches upwards from your swing
the ball higher than arc’s low point.
the loft of the driver.

Drill

Hit over the box

Place a sleeve of balls just in
front of the ball when you
practise so you have to swing up
through the ball – rather than
down into it – to avoid hitting the
box after impact. This is a great
visual cue that gives immediate
feedback in practice.

64 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 MASTER WET
CONDITIONS

2. Use a hybrid from soft turf

You’ll likely face longer approach shots than
normal because your tee shots aren’t going as
far, so your hybrids will be called upon more
often. Hybrids are more forgiving and easier
to hit than long irons anyway, but they become
even more useful when the fairways are wet
because the wide sole glides across the turf
much better and gives you a greater margin for
error with your contact at impact.

Use it like an iron

Set up and swing as you would
for a long iron – not a fairway
wood – with the ball ahead of
centre in your stance and a slight
forward shaft lean.

3. How to
pure it off
a wet lie
You might get away with hitting the turf slightly
before the ball in normal conditions, but there’s
no margin for error when the ground is wet. If
your contact is even a millimetre heavy then
the club will dig, the soft ground will absorb all
the energy and your ball will go nowhere. This
places a premium on quality ball-striking with
your irons – so hone it using this practice drill.
Place a towel just behind the ball so it’s just
inside your back heel. Simply hit shots without
making contact with the towel. The visual and
physical threat of hitting the towel encourages
the descending blow you want and ensures
you hit the ball before the turf. Focusing on the
leading edge of the ball – rather than the back
edge – can also help.

golf australia | JUNE 2017 65

 4. Control your pitching from wet rough
This shot is a tricky one for handicap golfers a poor lie and wet, sticky rough means you The best analogy I can think of is to treat this as
because the outcome requires a certain amount have to attack the ball more aggressively than a a cross between a pitch and an explosion shot
of finesse from the shot and the ball flight – but standard pitch shot. from a greenside bunker.

Set the face open and weight forwards
Place the ball in the centre of your heels and open the face of a reasonably
lofted wedge – the exact club will depend on the yardage and flight you
require. Set your weight a little into the left side and your shaft a little
forwards to encourage a steep downswing.
Steepen your downswing into the ball
Make a steep downswing to minimise the amount of grass that gets caught
between the clubface and the ball at impact. This reduces the possibility
of a flier or that one that comes out a little dead, and stops the grass
wrapping round the hosel and closing the face.

TEXT & IMAGES: © BAUER CONSUMER MEDIA LIMITED

Let the sole of the club hit the ground
The open face increases the bounce on the sole of the club, which reduces
the chance of a steeper attack, causing the clubhead to dig into the soft
turf. Thinking about the bottom of the club hitting the ground rather than
the leading edge is a great swing thought for pitching and chipping.
Keep your lower half quiet
Keeping the weight mostly in the lead side and the lower body quiet
throughout the swing means there shouldn’t be a lot of weight transfer
through impact and that your feet will stay pretty flat. The hands exiting
low and left is a product of that steep downswing.

66 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 MASTER WET
CONDITIONS

5. Punch the ball out of damp sand

Amateurs often struggle to get the height and this even harder. This is often down to a lack place and with acceleration that transfers
backspin needed for consistent and accurate of understanding of how they need to impact enough energy to lift the ball out on a cushion
greenside bunker shots – but wet sand makes the sand; you have to hit the sand in the right of sand.

Club meets sand

You should contact dry sand two or
three inches before the ball but
must hit closer to transfer the same
energy into the ball in wet sand,
which is heavier. An inch before is
close enough to pop the ball out.

Hitting closer to the

ball usually creates
more spin, but very
wet sand will negate
this so the ball is
likely to launch
lower, spin less and
release more than
from dry sand.

In wet sand I like to

feel as if I’m more
‘punchy’ through
impact. It keeps the
clubhead low and
encourages me to hit
the sand with the
necessary force.

golf australia | JUNE 2017 67

 6. PLAY less break
on slow greens
When there’s moisture on the greens, the ball
will roll slower. This reduces how much the ball
will break on slopes in two ways. Firstly, the
greater friction this creates between the ball and
the ground prevents it from moving sideways as
much. Secondly, you have to hit the ball harder,
and the ball breaks less the faster it’s travelling.
Remember to calibrate your green reading and
distance control to wet conditions, especially if
it’s the first round with moisture on the greens
after a dry spell or there’s still some dew on the
putting surfaces on a summer morning.

How much the break

reduces in the wet of
course depends on
the length of putt and
severity of the slope,
but roughly two-
thirds the break you’d
normally allow is a
good rough guide.

68 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

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 Bairnsdale Golf Club Inc.
ON THE GIPPSLAND LAKES
The quality of the Golf Course and Bowling
Greens are well known in Gippsland,
however it is a hidden gem and many
golfers and bowlers from Bairnsdale to
Melbourne would enjoy the facilities.

SOME OF THE FEATURES

OF THIS HIDDEN GEM
✓ Two Lawn Bowling Greens rated as ✓ Putting Green
one of the best in the region
✓ Motorised Carts are available for hire
✓ 18 Hole Golf Course with lush fairways
and fast greens ✓ Senior Golf lessons available from our
Golf Professional (Wayne Thomas)
✓ On Course Golf Professional
✓ Annual Pro-Am Tournament
✓ Golf Pro-Shop
✓ Large Driving Range ✓ Play and Stay options available with
Paynesville Motels
✓ Special member rates for Veterans,
Country and Under 40 Members ✓ Great views of the lakes from the
course and clubhouse
✓ Saturday morning coaching for
Juniors by the Club Professional ✓ Visitor Groups are welcome

Bairnsdale Golf Club is situated on Paynesville Road Eagle Point

and overlooks the Gippsland Lakes. Golf and Bowls are played at
this location, which has approximately 650 members.

1090 Paynesville Road, Eagle Point 3878 | t: (03) 5156 6252 | f: (03) 5156 0235 | e: club@bairnsdalegolf.com.au

w ww. bai r ns d a l e g o l f c l u b . c o m . a u
 CUT THROUGH
THE WIND

1. Hit a penetrating drive off the tee

When you’re playing in a head or side wind a more penetrative trajectory through the spin to the ball, both of which contribute to a
the quality of your strike is even more wind than a lower flight that you don’t catch weak, errant flight. Make a smooth swing for
important than launching the ball lower as well. Swinging harder simply increases a sweet strike and less spin.
and with less spin. A well-struck shot has your chances of an off-centre hit and adds

Master the stinger

Play the ball just forward of middle in
your stance so the clubhead is
travelling parallel to the ground at
impact and slightly to the left of target.
This should produce that low stinger
flight Tiger Woods was famous for.

Sweet strikes reduce the

impact of the wind, but it
will still affect the flight.
Don’t fight it. Use it to your
advantage by allowing for
it when you take aim,
using it to push the ball in
a helpful shape for the
hole if possible.

golf australia | JUNE 2017 71

 2. Use a punch shot to beat the wind
The ability to flight the ball low with your your approach play when it’s not windy. Good direction. Playing the punch shot can help
irons is a great skill to have in any wind, but approach play is all about hitting the ball you do this, as well as control your flight in
it can also add control and consistency to to a specific target in terms of distance and blustery conditions.

Play the ball back in your stance
Address the ball as you would for a normal iron shot but move the ball
position an inch or two further back than it would be for a normal shot
with the club you’re using. This encourages you to hit the ball earlier in the
swing arc, so the club is descending more steeply and the face is de-lofted.
Choke down on the grip
Even though you need the lower launch and flight to control the trajectory
through the wind you still need the ball to stop pretty quickly when it hits the
green. Choking down the grip means you won’t be able to generate as much
clubhead speed so the ball won’t hit the green too hard and bounce through.

Take one more club than normal
This has two advantages. First, it automatically launches the ball lower.
Second, it allows you to swing more easily and still achieve the distance
you require. This increases your chance of hitting the sweetspot and
reduces the spin, which all adds up to a stronger ball flight.
Swing just left of target
I like the swing path to be 4° or 5° left of target, with the clubface pointing
about 1° left of target at impact. This negates the ball being a bit further
back in the stance and the slight fade this creates will help the ball land
softly on the green – even with the lower and more penetrating flight.

72 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 CUT THROUGH
THE WIND

3. Learn to hit high and low pitch shots

It’s vital to be able to control and alter your headwind and keep it true in side winds, while impact will affect how high the ball goes. I
flight when pitching in the wind. A lower a higher trajectory helps stop the ball quickly use my hand position at impact to change the
trajectory helps drive the ball through a downwind. The dynamic loft of the club at flight – and this is how.

H a n d s bac k f o r
high flight
To hit the ball higher so it
lands more softly, I have
my hands only just ahead
of the ball at impact so
there is less forward
shaft lean and the club
has more loft. But still hit
purposefully and transfer
weight forward.

G o low w i t h
hands ahead
My hands are near my
left pocket at impact with
a lot of forward shaft
lean. This compresses
the ball more so it’ll
probably have more
backspin than the
soft-landing higher flight
with its steep trajectory.

golf australia | JUNE 2017 73

 4. Take the Texas wedge from off the green
Strong winds will even affect short pitch shots
and chips so the most simple shot from just
off the green is to use a putter when you can.
This is a much safer shot than getting the ball
74 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
airborne with a wedge; taking the wind largely
out of play reduces the number of factors you
have to calculate. If you feel you’re too far from
the flag to hit a controlled shot with the putter,
try using a hybrid or fairway wood because that
has the same effect but launches the ball faster
so you don’t have to swing as hard.
Natural wrist hinge
Play it like a normal putt but with a little wrist
hinge so you can hit the ball harder without
losing control. The wrists will naturally hinge
as you make the longer backswing you need.
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5 MEMBERSHIPS,
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With two championship golf courses and two exceptional clubhouses,
Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club offers a unique selection of
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 5. Stabilise your putting set-up
Putting is one of the toughest parts of golf
when it’s windy because it’s a shot for which
you usually adopt your least-stable stance. You
have to be so precise with the speed and angle
that you deliver the clubhead at impact that
76 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
even the slightest buffet from the wind
can be the difference between holing and
missing – and you can’t get those missed putts
back. If it’s really windy, remember to take that
into account when you’re reading your putts.
Move your feet further apart so
your stance is rock solid. Feel
strong and connected to the
ground with good balance – so
that another person couldn’t push
you over, let alone a gust of wind.
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PALA DI N S P OR TS
2017 NEW ZEALAND
SOUTH ISLAND
GOLF TOUR
WITH YOUR HOST, JAMIE LYON
Accompanied by PGA
Golf Professional,
Ben Owen
 1. Always warm up before your round
Never go straight to the tee and swing full out
with a driver on a cold day. That’s the recipe
for at best a poor performance and at worst
an injury that could stop you playing golf for
78 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
a period of time. Get your muscles warm by this will at least get the blood flowing and
stretching lightly and then swinging gently the muscles fired up before you think about
with a wedge, working up to full swings. Even if stepping foot on the 1st tee.
you don’t have time for a proper range session
 CONQUER
THE COLD

2. know your iron yardages

It’s amazing how many amateurs don’t when it’s cold and the ground is hard, because you don’t know how far the ball will carry, it
accurately know how far they carry their the ball will react very differently if you land becomes virtually impossible to hit it close to
irons on average. This can cause trouble it on the green or just short on the fairway. If the flag.

Take the time to work out your

average carry and total yardages
for every club with your competitive
ball. See if your club or pro has a
launch monitor or swing studio you
can use for this. Don’t select a club
based on your best shot with it – as
you’ll usually come up short.

Club up and swing

within yourself
You never need to swing hard with
an iron because you can always go
to the next club. Swinging within
yourself will improve your strike and
help you hit more consistent shots,
while also not over-exerting
yourself in cold weather.

golf australia | JUNE 2017 79

 3. Get the ball running around the greens
Conditions around the greens can be
inconsistent and difficult to predict in cold
weather. You can get tricky lies from uneven
coverage and bare patches, given the grass
grows less in winter. The bump and run is the Position the ball in the back of your stance,
safest way to make solid contact with the ball choke down on a wedge – the loft depends
from a questionable lie and release it to the on the shot you require – and make a simple
hole with a good measure of predictability. rocking motion with the club.

You want to land the ball

about a yard onto the
green and allow it to
release from there.
Read the green as you
would for a putt to
ensure you take the
breaks into account
when choosing your
landing spot.
Rock the shoulders as
you would a putt
Your swing should be like a putting
stroke, where you rock your shoulders
to move the club with limited wrist
hinge – although they will naturally
break a little if you need a slightly
longer backswing. The lead shoulder
moves towards the ball in the
backswing and the trail shoulder
moves towards the ball in the
downswing and under the chin in the
follow-through. This promotes a
slightly downward impact that sweeps
the ball away while bruising the turf
with the back of the sole.

80 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 Merewether Golf Club was established in 1933 and is located
in the heart of Newcastle. Five minutes from the CBD. A
picturesque 18-hole course, nestled amongst eucalypt tree-
lined fairways and formidable water hazards, ensures an
enjoyable experience for players of all abilities.

MEREWETHER GOLF CLUB OFFERS MEMBERSHIPS IN MANY CATEGORIES

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carnarvongolf.com.au | (02) 9649 6255 | 65-95 Nottinghill Rd, Lidcombe NSW 2141
 4. Maintain focus on the greens
It can be easy to lose focus and rush on the shots – and it’ll probably actually take you more spot putting technique to improve your focus
greens when it’s cold and you want to get round time if you’re having to take an extra putt or and hole more putts.
quickly. But this definitely won’t help you save two rather than holing the first one. Try this

Pick a spot on the

start line you want
and focus on rolling
the ball over it. If you
have read it
correctly and your
pace is good, you’ll
hole it. If you miss,
work on your green
reading.

82 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

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84 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
Chill
Out
Mauritius has it all; endless, shimmering
sandy beaches, elegant resorts and a
wonderfully kind and courteous people. It
also offers a drove of world-class golf courses
making it a serious contender for a great golf
holiday to escape the winter chills.
WORDS DAVID J WHYTE

golf australia | JUNE 2017 85

 The Heritage Resort Le Telfair
will host the AfrAsia Mauritius
Open again later this year.
T
he small island nation of
Mauritius – set deep in the
Southern Indian Ocean, a
thousand miles east of Madagascar and
the same again from South Africa – has
long been attracting honeymoon couples,
families and holidaymakers looking for a
touch of the exotic.
How does this tropical Garden of Eden stack
up for mainstream golfers more interested
in finding the fairway than fancy poolside
cocktails? In the past, a game of golf could be
uncovered on courses established by British
army personnel as far back as 1834.
But when the island’s ubiquitous sugar cane
industry faltered (though you would never
think it looking at the place today) golf gained
a foothold and resorts saw the wisdom of
offering a round or two to their clients. During
the past 20 years, championship courses
were built near resorts in the southwest and
northeast of the island, in addition to the old
British track, Gymkhana Golf Club, which is
the oldest in the southern hemisphere and
fourth oldest in the world.
Today, Mauritius has emerged as a
significant golf holiday option. With eight
86 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
superb 18-hole championship courses and
the brand new Mont Choisy Le Golf course
YOU NEED TO
opening this November, there is a growing case
to pack the clubs along with the swimmers.
I set up base at Heritage Resorts Le
Telfair, one of the island’s finest five-stars, a
PLAY THE
property I was introduced to a dozen years ago HERITAGE MORE
when invited to the grand opening. It seems
they got it right back then as I could detect THAN ONCE
no perceptible difference; a mature,
full-service resort with a great range of
TO BEGIN TO
activities snuggling up to a magnificent stretch APPRECIATE
of beach, the ideal place to chill out and get
oriented for your first few days.
THE ELEVATION
Heritage also has one of the finest courses CHANGES,
DEFIANT PAR-3S
on the island. This year, it will host the third
outing of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open
and it was here in 2015 that this co-sanctioned
European Tour, Sunshine Tour, and Asian
AND WIDE WATER
Tour event kicked off. The Tour players will HAZARDS THAT
be delighted to return to this immaculate golf
complex. With prizemoney topping €1 million COME AT YOU
and an open invitation for players to bring WITH INCREASING
REGULARITY.
their families to enjoy Le Telfair’s sumptuous
beachside facilities, it is becoming a top-draw
for the best golfers from all three Tours.
And to be honest, there are few

The glassy pool at Le Telfair is
superb, while Tamarina Golf Club
offers mountain views (below).
finer-conditioned courses I’ve ever
encountered. I’ve played it several times now
and they really have nurtured this course
into amazing shape. Ground conditions are
impeccable. And yet it’s testing!
From the tips, the tour elite will be both
challenged and entertained. For us mere
humans, there’s room off the tee but strategy
is key to every hole. Of course, you need to
play the Heritage more than once to begin to
appreciate the elevation changes, defiant
par-3s and wide water hazards that come at
you with increasing regularity. Beyond that
there are amazing panoramas, especially
looking back towards the resort and the Indian
Ocean with the barrier reef better appreciated
from this lofty height.
I was keen to see what else the island had
to offer and rented a car. On the east side of
Heritage Le Telfair is the recently opened
Avalon Golf Estate. There are a lot of great
holes on this new Peter Matkovich-designed
track which are not all about the drive and
more about accuracy.
The course is cut though an old tea
plantation with rivers and ravines, backed
by mountains and always sweeping views
A typical beach scene in
Mauritius. Can you picture
yourself here?
of the southern coastline. It’s a great inland
championship course interspersed with
indigenous flora and fauna that will no doubt
come on in the next few years much like
its neighbours.
Just a few minutes in the opposite direction
from Le Telfair is Paradis Hotel & Golf Club.
Paradis is not quite in the same league as
Heritage or Avalon but it is worth sampling for
its breathtaking location. Next to the sea, the
fairways are uniformly flat, some tree-lined,
others hugging palm-fringed shores with Le
Morne Mountain towering over the entire
scene. The dark mountain is a great contrast
to the lush, palm-fringed beachside holes. All
in all, it’s an easy round, gentle and well-paced;
perfect for a relaxed Sunday outing.
A few minutes further north is a course of
an entirely different nature, Tamarina Golf,
Spa & Beach Club – a track with neither palm
tree nor beach view in sight.
This is something straight ‘Out of Africa’
with giraffes or the roar of a lion expected
at every turn. All we saw was a wee monkey
skirting the forest. It also has mountain views,
again sombre and foreboding and yet another
dramatic backdrop to line your drives with.
The Paradis GC is worth playing
simply because of its stunning
seaside location.
The course winds through rugged savannah
framed with mature trees along with hidden
dips and fall-offs. The holes seem to have been
designed to give evermore exhilarating views
of Mount Rempart and its jagged peaks.
I decided to do a diagonal drive from
Tamarina right across the island to Le
Touessrok, my last visit ‘favourite’ on the
opposite side of the island. But the drive and
subsequent weariness didn’t have a good effect
on my game. GPS is completely unreliable on
the island by the way and signs not easy to
find let alone read. Yet, somehow, I made it to
Le Touessrok and boarded a water shuttle to
cross over to the heavenly Ile aux Cerfs Golf
Club. This is the way to arrive in style and
leave your troubles behind.
Ile aux Cerfs Golf Club is a unique
experience. Bernhard Langer put his name
to this project and the result is a course even
he would find difficult to subdue. After some
recent, fairly major modifications to make
it more ‘golfer friendly’, Ile aux Cerfs is still
a test and a half. You need your ‘A-game’
here and unfortunately I left mine in the car
park. It’s the kind of course that intrigues
and beguiles with some magnificent holes
golf australia | JUNE 2017 87
 Ile aux Cerfs GC can only be
reached by boat and the golf is
absolutely stunning.
especially near the end where you are forced
to cross dense gullies with nothing but trouble
between you and a safe landing.
Anahita, just a couple of miles south of Ile
aux Cerfs – or the Four Seasons Golf Club
Mauritius at Anahita to give it its full title
– offers a massive 7,500-yards with fairways
wide enough to accommodate a jumbo jet.
You’re hard pressed to find the rough here
but don’t be lulled into complacency; it’s still
packed with challenge and character.
The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open came
here last year and there are some stunning
oceanfront holes interwoven with rocks and
tropical shrubbery. To one side are mountains
and the other a vast crystal-clear lagoon so
it’s a great amphitheatre of golf with plenty of
movement in the holes to keep you thinking.
88 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
The resort associated with Anahita is a new
lifestyle concept in holiday accommodation.
Guests reside in rambling, spacious suites and
villas scattered throughout a wide tropical
garden. We took a grand tour of some of the
commodious villas and were delighted to
learn you could have a butler arrive to cook
breakfast – or indeed have dinner delivered
from the restaurant. Each villa has its own
infinity pool and offers fully-equipped
kitchens, spacious lounges and well-appointed
bedrooms. This would be ideal for families or
friends travelling together.
Also nearby in the northeast corner
are Constance Belle Mare Plage’s twin
wonders, The Legends and The Links.
At the time of my visit, they were hosting
the MCB Tour Championship, the European
Senior Tour’s season-ending event. Offering
two entirely different challenges, the Legends,
where the championship is played, is built
deep into the forest reserve, blending natural
beauty, wildlife and tight, challenging play
that has water hazards guarding fairways and
greens every step of the way. The Links course,
as its name suggests, is open but it’s certainly
no easier than its neighbour. With blind holes
and sharp doglegs interspersed with harsh
rocky outcrops to trap the wayward shot, it is
as engaging as it is enlightening to walk across.
Mont Choisy Le Golf is the last and latest
golf facility to be added to the golfing stock
of this island. It’s situated on the northwest
side of Mauritius about a half hour from Port
Louis, the island’s capital and close to some
very fine beaches. Again, designed by Peter
MAURITIUS - SEYCHELLES - FRENCH RIVIERA

w w w. b e a c h c o m b e r. c o m . a u

Matkovich it’s due to open in November, this
year, hopefully in time for the AfriAsian event
when I’ll take a closer look.
It’s perhaps better to consider Mauritius a
two-centre destination where you spend a few
days enjoying the amenities and golf facilities
of both regions. I’d recommend a few nights in
Le Telfair relaxing on the beach and sampling
the courses in the south and southwest before
decamping to the north and northeast to enjoy
those courses and amenities.
Should you take the urge, there’s a lot to do
in Mauritius besides eating, sleeping on the
beach and playing golf. It’s worth sneaking
out of the resorts at least for a day or two to
explore some more of this magical island. Taxi
fares are not too high especially if you share.
Markets are plentiful and colourful and the
90 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
Water is a constant of the
Constance Belle Mare Plage’s
Legends course (and top right).
less touristy the better especially when it
comes to prices.
Driving in Mauritius is at best an adventure.
We paid AU$65 per day for a well-used, very
small Hyundai that came complete with
its own set of rather unusual noises. Roads
along the west coast and through the middle
are good but driving through the villages
of the south and east was nerve-jangling
with pedestrians, motorbikes, dogs and cats
all using the road as an appendage to their
everyday activities. Signage is also difficult
to find let alone see. It was still fun driving
though and it does give you flexibility to
explore and see more of island life. If there are
four of you, it might prove better hiring a car
and driver for the day, a great way of shopping
and sightseeing.
SHOULD YOU
TAKE THE URGE,
THERE’S A LOT TO
DO IN MAURITIUS
BESIDES EATING,
SLEEPING ON
THE BEACH AND
PLAYING GOLF.
Constance
Belle Mare
Plage’s Links
course is a fun
layout.
One of the most delightful aspects of
Mauritius I found was the people themselves.
Mauritians really are an elegant, gracious
people – from the taxi driver, the ladies
working in the sugar cane plantations to the
waiting staff and petrol attendant, they all
have a natural charm and friendliness. It’s
interesting that they are also one of the most
culturally diverse populations on the planet.
The majority are of Indian descent (68%).
Creoles (of African descent) another quarter
and the rest an interesting mix of Chinese,
South African and French with a few Brits
thrown in from the old colonial days. Muslims
mix with Christians and Hindus and in this
day and age, it really does seem to be an
exemplary society.
Perhaps living in paradise helps!
 OH! BABY W
hile Australians are fortunate to
have a suitable climate for
year- round golf, the varied
extremes of playing in the hot summer and
the wet and cold winter requires golfers to

iT’S so
be prepared for any weather.
While some are fair weather players, the
majority of golfers, especially the true diehards
and travelling golfers, will brave whatever
Mother Nature has to offer to spend a few hours
on the course, hoping despite the conditions,

COLD that it might prove to be the day of their greatest

golfing success.
Here is a collection of the latest cold and wet
weather clothing, including innovative layer
pieces, to help keep the winter wind and rain

OUTS from affecting your game.

PING ANDERS JACKET

Made from 100 percent Polyester and fully
seam-sealed, the Anders Jacket is a lightweight
waterproof jacket that lives up to the company’s
reputation of quality. Featuring an adjustable
hem and cuffs, the Anders contains stretch
properties to give golfers the best possible fit
and performance backed by a three year
waterproof warranty.
RRP: $219
For stockists and more details call (02) 9524 8233 or
visit, www.ping.com

THERMAL BASE LAYER

The use of layers is increasingly popular
amongst golfers. The Seamless Thermal Base
Layer is a non-restricting shirt that fits closely to
the skin. The Base Layer helps to regulate body
temperature and due to its fit doesn’t interfere
with your golf swing.
SRP: $109.95
To see the full FootJoy range and for stockists visit,
www.footjoy.com.au or call 1800 660 535

92 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 PING HUDSON ½ ZIP
Designed to keep the cold out, the Hudson
is a half-zip performance layer featuring a
brushed back fleece fabric that is wind and
water resistant. The combination of
thermal and stretch properties enhance fit
and warmth, while the inner hem is
adjustable for optimal fit and comfort.
RRP: $149
To see the full Ping apparel range or for more
details visit, www.ping.com or phone
(02) 9524 823

PING LARGO ½ ZIP

PULLOVER
Early morning tee times and mild winter days
often require a light extra layer. The Largo from
Ping is one such piece. Lightweight and quick
drying, the Largo is crease resistant to ensure
you look your best, and a UPF 50+ rating
ensures added protection from the winter sun.
RRP: $99
For more information call (02) 9524 8233 or visit,
www.ping.com

FOOTJOY HYDROLITE
RAIN JACKET
Worn by some of the world’s best players the
HyrdoLite Rain Jacket is perfect for Australian
conditions. Designed for protection from wet
conditions in warmer climates, the HydroLite
allows golfers to perform at their best despite
the rain. FootJoy’s supreme weight reducing
technology means waterproof protection isn’t
sacrificed for lighter weight feel that allows an
uninhibited golf swing.
SRP: $279.95; Available in Men’s and Women’s.
For more information visit,
www.footjoy.com.au or call 1800 660 535

golf australia | JUNE 2017 93

 SUN MOUNTAIN THERMAL FLEX ½ ZIP
The versatile Thermal Flex is made from
polyester for a soft, comfortable fit that
doesn’t impact your golf swing due to its
4-way stretch design. The Thermal Flex
provides freedom of movement, making it
perfect for cool mornings and evenings on
94 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
the course or as a layer piece on extremely
cold and blustery days.
RRP: $139; Available in men’s and ladies.
To see the full range of Sun Mountain Outerwear
visit, www.australiangolfsupplies.com.au or
phone (02) 9417 4653
SPORTE LEISURE
RUSS JACKET
te Leisure has designed the Russ jacket to
ect golfers in the most extreme conditions.
e with 4-way stretch and seam sealed, the
has a four year waterproof warranty. This
performance piece of outerwear features a
mesh lining and DuPont Teflon coating.
$199.95
e the full Sporte Leisure range and for stockists
02) 9693 5777 or visit, www.sl.com.au
SPORTE LEISURE
LIAM PULLOVER
Adding colour to winter days, the Liam Pullover
is designed for both comfort and warmth, and
is perfect in cooler temperatures. Easy care
fabric means the Liam has convenience and
function to match its stylish form.
RRP: $99.95
For more information phone (02) 9693 5777 or visit,
www.sl.com.au
SPORTE LEISURE
SUMMIT UNISEX JACKET
Breathable and waterproof, the Summit jacket
features DuPont Teflon coating, back venting, a
packable hood in the collar and internal
embroidery pocket.
RRP: $119.95
For more information phone (02) 9693 5777 or visit,
www.sl.com.au
ACCESSORISE YOUR WINTER GAME
Cold weather protection isn’t limited to outerwear. These winter accessories will keep you warm
and playing your best on the golf course during the c

PING CLASSIC BEANIE

Severe weather requires all over protection.
Made from 100 percent acrylic fabric, this
beanie will keep the heat in on even the
harshest of winter days.
RRP: $35

PING CART GLOVES

Your hands are the only connection to your golf
club and cold winter days can make them feel
like they have been sitting in ice since your last
shot. Keep your hands warm during your round
with Ping’s cart mittens, which are both durable
and warm.
RRP: $49 (pair)
FOOTJOY DRYJOYS
TOUR BUCKET HAT
Don’t leave any stone unturned in your wet
weather preparation. This bucket hat lets you
perform your best when the weather turns.
SRP: $43.95
SUN MOUNTAIN
RAINFLEX JACKET
The Rainflex jacket is designed for quiet,
breathable comfort in all weather conditions. A
4-way stretch, knit fabric construction delivers
impressive performance in wind and rain with
minimal effect on range of motion. The Rainflex
has a waterproof guarantee for two years.
RRP: $299; Available in men’s and ladies.
For Stockists and more information contact
Australian Golf Supplies on (02) 9417 4653 or visit,
www.australiangolfsupplies.com.au

FOOTJOY DRYJOYS
CART MITTS
Keep your hands warm between shots with
hese Cart Mitts. Elastic cuffs and fleece
material inside provide warmth and protection
rom the elements to allow you to stay focused
on your game, not the wind and rain.
SRP: $49.95

SUN MOUNTAIN
THERMAL FLEX VEST
HOTHANDS HAND The thermal qualities of the fabric and added
WARMERS spandex used in the Thermal Flex vest make
it an ideal layering piece that doesn’t add
HotHands are air-activated and last for hours.
bulk. Lightweight and soft, the Thermal Flex
Once the seal is broken, and the hand warmer
vest aims to give golfers warmth without
is shaken, it starts heating up straight away to
impacting movement.
keep you warm in cold conditions.
RRP: $119
RRP: $2; (www.kobayashihealthcare.com.au)
For more details and stockists call (02) 9417 4653 or
visit, www.australiangolfsupplies.com.au

golf australia | JUNE 2017 95

 I
t is a rare sight these days to see

GET A
a player on the course without
their top hand encased in a glove.
And for good reason.
A glove is more than just a fashion
accessory. It offers improved grip,
protection of the hand and helps to
manage the sweat and oils from a golfer’s
hands that can wreak havoc with your

GRIP!
grip. In bad weather, the right glove (or
two) can really help your game.
If your glove is old, stiff or crusty it
might be time for a new one.
A collection of some of the best gloves
in golf are featured here, as well as some
handy tips on picking the right size glove
and how to prolong its life.

PUMA SPORT
PERFORMANCE PLAYER’S
Strategically placed Lycra combines with
perforated fingers to provide breathability

PUMA PRO
PERFORMANCE TOUR
Made from premium Cabretta leather, the Pro
Performance Tour glove is classically styled and
100 percent leather. The fingers of the glove are
double lined perforated for breathability and the
quiet Velcro tab closure features PUMA’s iconic
metal cat logo.
RRP: $29.95
Contact: For more details and stockists
call 1800 053 164 or visit www.cobragolf.com.au

96 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 FOOTJOY WEATHERSOF
The WeatherSof is a synthetic glove designed
for long-lasting performance, with Cabretta
leather patches on the palm and thumb for
increased durability in the area gloves commonly
wear. The FiberSof microfiber offers leather-like
feel and an extraordinary fit, which is enhanced
by a Lycra insert located on the knuckles.
SRP:  
0#&&
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Non-Wov
exceptional grip in
durable, seemingly improving
the wetter the conditions.
SRP:   0#&& #( '(- ( 1)'(-

Contact: To see the full range of FootJoy gloves

or to find a stockist call 1800 660 535; or visit the
website www.footjoy.com.au

WHICH ONE AND


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FOOTJOY STASOF
The StaSof is popular amongst the
world’s best players, including Adam
Scott, for good reason. The Taction APL
Cabretta leather provides exceptional
feel, grip and moisture management so
the glove stays soft for longer no matter
the conditions. Breathable mesh
enhances comfort and is elasticised for
improved flexibility and fit.
RRP: 
should be: “Tight across the palm and fingers,
WHAT SIZE?
Your glove is your connection to your golf club
and an ill-fitting glove can affect your golf swing
and the glove’s durability. Many companies
like FootJoy offer measurement guidelines for
picking the right size, but trying the glove on is
always recommended. Here are some tips on
what to look out for when trying one on.
7

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with no loose material.”
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end of the fingers. Some manufacturers offer
cadet sized options which have shorter finger
lengths to solve this issue.
7
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are designed for premium feel and comfort,
adapting to player’s hands and breathing.
Synthetic gloves are designed for long-lasting
durability and superior performance in all
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are designed for outstanding performance in
the wet, they are also popular with players
who sweat heavily from the hands, due to their
moisture management qualities.

golf australia | JUNE 2017 97

 MIZUNO TECFLEX
The Tec Flex glove is made only for the
Australian market, and is designed to take on
all-weather conditions. Built to last, the Tec Flex
features a reinforced thumb and the company’s
Fit Bridge, which prevents bagging and ensures
a long-term quality fit. Mesh inserts on the
back of the glove and the knuckle joints allow
movement and provide breathability.
RRP: $29; Available in men’s and ladies.
Contact: For stockists call 1300 796 457 or
visit the website www.mizuno.com.au

SRIXON ALL WEATHER

The Srixon All-Weather glove is designed with
durability and fit in mind. A combination of
synthetic leather and Cabretta leather on
the palm improves durability and feel. The
three-dimensional design delivers a secure grip
by fitting to the contours of the golfer’s hand.
RRP: $16; Available in men’s and ladies.
Contact: For stockists visit www.srixon.com.au
BIONIC STABLEGRIP
Designed by an Orthopaedic hand specialist,
the Bionic Stablegrip combines the feel and
breathability of leather with durability. The
company claims its gloves last two times
longer than traditional leather gloves. Pads on
the palm and fingers promote stability of the
club and eliminate the need to grip the club
harder. And the Stablegrip is lined with “mini-
towels” which absorb sweat and moisture to
keep your hand dry during your round.
RRP: $34.95, Available in men’s and ladies.
Contact: To see the full range of Bionic gloves visit
www.bionicgloves.com.au

SRIXON CABRETTA
LEATHER
Srixon uses the finest Cabretta leather to
provide the optimal fit, feel and performance in
its premium glove. The glove is made with a
thin skin to give golfers both a comfortable and
secure fitting glove.
RRP: $32; Available in men’s and ladies.
Contact: For more details visit www.srixon.com.au

98 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 CALLAWAY APEX TOUR
Made from tour grade leather and utilising the
company’s X-Spann technology, Callaway’s
Apex Tour glove combines performance with
premium feel. The X-Spann technology provides
flexibility and together with the perforations
found on the palm, top and fingers of the
glove helps to reduce moisture and
improve breathability.
RRP: $29.99

Contact: For stockists or more

information call 1800 217 777 or
visit www.callawaygolf.com.au

CALLAWAY WEATHER HAND-LE WITH CARE

SPANN After finishing your round it is easy to scrunch
up your glove and throw it in a bag pocket
The Weather Spann glove features moisture
only to be confronted by a crusty out of
wicking and breathability performance.
shape glove next time you play. The way you
Designed for quality performance and feel
care and look after your glove will influence
in all weather conditions, the Weather
its life span. Caring for your glove properly
Spann uses Callaway’s Opti Flex material
will ensure the maximum durability and
for superior fit, feel and flexibility.
performance. Follow these care instructions
RRP: $20.99; Available in men’s and ladies
to extend your glove’s life.
1
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""%,
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lying flat in its original shape. Laying the glove
on a towel may help to remove the collection
of perspiration and oils that build up during a
round of golf.
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can help extend the life of your gloves. Many
of the top players even rotate gloves during
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the weather turns in addition to your preferred
glove is a good idea.
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of the glove, use your other hand to fit the
glove onto your hand. Pulling on the glove will
stretch the material causing the fit to change.
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store the glove in will help it to keep its shape.
CALLAWAY DAWN After allowing the glove to dry return it to
PATROL its packaging.
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The Dawn Patrol is an all leather glove
your gloves, once they become stiff, crusty,
designed for performance and durability.
shrunk or stretched out of shape, it is time to
The cotton terry cuff on the Dawn Patrol
replace your old favourite.
feels soft and provides moisture absorption,
while the Opti Fit adjustable closure gives
golfers a secure fit.
RRP: $24.99

golf australia | JUNE 2017 99

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

COBRA KING F7 AND KING FORGED

ONE LENGTH IRONS
Cost: KING F7, $149 (steel); $169 (graphite) KING Forged, $199 (steel).
Tested by: Jimmy Emanuel, Golf Australia Writer (GA Handicap 9.4)
MODELS PLAYED: KING
Forged ONE Length (4-GW),
with KBS Tour FLT Stiff shafts
KING F7 ONE Length (4-GW),
with True Temper KING F7
Stiff shafts.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Aside
from the obvious fact that all the shafts were the
same length, the head sizes and shapes stood
out on first look. Both models are appealing
shapes and are also offered by Cobra in variable
length for good reason.
The Forged are a clean, good looking shape,
with a noticeably low amount of offset. The F7
are larger in size and inspire confidence without
looking overly bulky behind the ball.
At address I can generally tell what iron I am
holding without looking at the number stamped
on the bottom, with the Cobra One length irons
this proved almost impossible.
Taking the 9-iron from the bag to be confronte
by a 7-iron length club with lots of loft takes time
to get used. The same is true of the long irons in
reverse, where the lack of loft and shorter shaft
took the most adjustment from a visual and
setup standpoint.
The first shots with the clubs was where my
interest was well and truly peaked. Long iron
strikes that travelled as far if not further on
occasion than my variable length long irons,
combined with easily controlled mid and short
irons with consistent carry distances.
HOW THEY PERFORMED: Cobra has taken awa
one of the many variables in golf, simplifying
setup and ball position, with all the clubs in the
sets at 7-iron length and lie angles.
Distance between each club was my primary
concern, as I was confident I could get used to
putting a 7-iron swing on each club. Once I
worked out the intricacies of the one length
models, I found myself enjoying the simplicity of
making 7-iron swings throughout the bag.
Despite similar lofts on my equivalent irons to
the Cobra models, I feared the gaps between m
long irons and woods would be exaggerated
because of the shorter shaft length of the Cobra
irons, causing set make up issues, but this fear
was misguided.
The Cobra short irons were consistently as
much as a club longer and the mid irons were
slightly longer than my own. Surprisingly, the lon
irons with the ease of producing a quality strike,
due to the shorter length shaft, resulted in very
consistent distances, which on occasion were

100 JUNE 2017 | golf australia


As was the case on the course, the Cobra
short irons had a slightly higher peak height and
consistently carried as much as a club further
than my own. The one length mid-irons were
similar in flight and slightly longer. While longer
with my own long irons than the KING Forged,
the consistency and quality of strike from the
shorter length of the one length models resulted
in impressively consistent distances and
accuracy, and the F7 long irons managed to
outdo my irons for distance
The end result of my extended time with one
length irons is a definite interest in the concept
and the busting of my preconceived concerns
relating to the concept relating to distance
and playability.
THE SPECS
SUITABILITY: Between the more forgiving King F7 and
the better player aimed King Forged models most
golfers will find a one length set to suit their game.
MODELS: King Forged are available standard in
4-PW, (3-iron and GW custom). The King F7 comes
3-SW. Both models are available in one length and
variable length shafts.
SHAFTS: King Forged are offered with KBS Tour FLT
steel shafts. King F7 are available in Fujikura Pro 63i
graphite and True Temper King F7 steel shafts.
LEFT HANDED: King F7 (4-SW)
COBRA SAYS: The KING Forged ONE length utilises
THE VERDICT: The end result of my extended time with Cobra’s one length irons is a definite interest in the concept ...
n the key for any
. Both finding you
lie angle and grip size to base the
set make-up are crucial.
When playing with the sets on cou
personally found my best results with a
combination set of the more forgiving F7
5- irons and 6-iron down in the Forged mod
The concept of one length irons makes a l
sense, particularly for golfers who struggle wi
set-up and ball position or who don’t have much
time to practice and play sporadically and will
enjoy the simplicity one length irons offer when
they get back on the course after a length hiatus.
Tested on course and at Power Golf, Alexandria,
using a Foresight Sports GC2 Launch Monitor
a five-step forging process that ensures precise iron
shaping, a more refined grain structure, along with
unparalleled feel. The set is comprised of constant
length irons that have been re-engineered for
7-iron weighting and are designed with optimized toe relief.
geometries, to provide consistent trajectory and The KING F7 irons
distance gapping from long irons to wedges. technology to deliver a
In addition, the KING Forged ONE features 100% cavity construction to op
CNC Milled Face and Grooves for maximum spin characteristics of each iro
and trajectory control, Tungsten Weighting (in 4i-7i) face introduces a thinner fac
for a lower and centred CG and a Thermoplastic that increases the Sweet Zone
Polyurethane (TPU) Insert (4i–8i) behind the hitting distance, precision and forgiven
zone to damp vibrations for better feel and moves Contact Cobra on 1800 053 164 or
weight toward the perimeter for added heel and visit www.cobragolf.com.au
golf australia | JUNE 2017 101
 PRO SHOP

FEEL GREAT, PLAY GREAT

ECCO aims to improve your enjoyment of golf through comfort
achieved with attention to detail and craftsmanship. Across a ra
of styles, designed to suit every different golfer’s needs, Ecco s
out to balance performance and pleasure knowing that “when
feel great, you play great, every time.”
The hugely popular Biom Hybrid 2 and innovative Cage mode
certainly fit the bill in regards to performance and pleasure in a
spikeless and traditionally spiked shoe respectively.
The Biom Hybrid 2 is at home both on the course and in the
clubhouse for lunch, blending comfort and lightweight perform
A soft Yak leather upper is durable and increases breathability, a
the Hydromax treated leather is weather and perspiration resist
Biom Natural Motion technology mirrors the anatomical shap
the foot and the direct-injected TPU outsole provides outstandi
durability, flexibility and grip despite the lack of traditional spike
Unlike the name suggests, the Cage is designed to release p
on the course. The Slim-Lok spikes improve grip and the direct-
injected PU stability cage wraps from the heel to the midsole a
across the toe of the shoe.
RRP: $279 (Biom Hybrid 2); $289 (Cage)

TAYLORMADE TO THE RESCUE

YLORMADE’S M series drivers have gained plenty of attention from tour
yers and club golfers alike. The company’s matching range of rescues
mplements the popular drivers and fairway woods perfectly, with performance
at more than lives up to the M family name.
The M2 rescue uses similar technology to the driver of the
me name to deliver improved distance d
rsatility. The 2017 M2 is the first rescue
GET GRAVITY FIT feature the crown graphics of the M drive
and fairways and its low profile gives
THE Gravity Fit TPro is the result of Professor Carolyn golfers confidence from any lie.
Richardson’s lifetime of research on spinal stability. A large, open-channel ‘Speed
The TPro gives unparalleled feedback on the posture Pocket’ is more flexible, for impro
and rotation that are so important in building a quality distance and forgiveness. Wh
golf swing. The spikes and paddles at the back let the TaylorMade’s Geocousti
golfer know when they have achieved good spine and delivers playability from a
shoulder posture, while the bands help to stimulate through a two-tiered sole d
shoulder stability and scapula control. Improved sound and feel off t
All this combines into a piece of equipment ideal for clubface is achieved through
improving and training the posture, rotation and arm external sound ribs and a shorte
movement used in the golf swing. fluted hosel, which also lowers
Developing a following amongst some of the world’s the centre of gravity.
best players and high performance programs around the The M1 rescue also refl
world, the TPro isn’t only for elite players as all golfers its driver namesake in
will benefit from improved posture and rotation. technology and performa
PGA Tour winner Cameron Smith is convinced of the with adjustability allowing
benefits of the TPro. customized performance.
“I use the TPro to train my body and arm connection Similarly to the M2, the M1
in my swing. It basically guides me into the right features an open-channel Speed
position and I just repeat the movement I want to make, Pocket for increased distance and
it’s really simple.” forgiveness.
RRP: $89.95 RRP: $369 (M1); $299 (M2).
Contact: To purchase or for more information call 1300 142 146 Contact: For stockists and more infor
or visit, www.gravityfit.com.au/golf call 1800 700 011 or visit, www.taylor

102 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 PERFORMANCE YOU CAN
THE already popular Huntington Beach putter coll
from Cleveland Golf has expanded. The line, name
company’s North American headquarters, feature
putter designs with modern innovation designed t
golfers’ scoring performance.
Made from soft 304 stainless steel, Huntington
incorporate Precision Milled Faces for improved, s
more consistent roll. The improved roll is achieved
friction created at impact by the diamond-shaped
is four times deeper than the previous model.
Cleveland/Srixon Senior Product Manager, Brian
of the Huntington Beach putters, “…these new p
provide performance benefits that can help golfer
putts and have more fun on the greens.”
The new models include a slant-neck blade (3),
shafted mid-mallet (6C) and a plumber’s neck mid
to complement the previously released 1, 4 and 6
With the new additions, the Huntington Beach
combines a wide variety of tour-proven shapes w
incredible feel and performance.
RRP: $125; $149 with Winn Pro X Grip
Contact: For more details visit www.srixon.com.au

TED
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eving the correct voltage, limiting shorts, trou
ped in the US, the Battery Reviver patterned k
es sulphur build-up, restoring the voltage styles and
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cart’s battery, which powers the unit, the outerwear,
be left on permanently and once it restores Ted Baker g
w levels works to prevent the sulphur allows golfe
performance. When used on a new battery, their best in
an triple the life of the battery. foulest of w
and handling) Contact: To s
tion and to purchase phone 1300 852 433 or range or to fi
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 P L AY I N G W I T

PRECISION PRO
NX7 LASER
RANGEFINDER
Cost: $329. Tested by:
Jimmy Emanuel, Golf Australia
Writer (GA Handicap 9.4)
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
Straight out of the box t
NX7 showed it was the
whole package.
The robust hard case
features a clip to easily
onto your bag. An easy
access cord locking system means you do
have to zip the case up each time you use
the laser and makes getting the unit in an
out extremely simple and quick, never
slowing down play.
While the NX7 itself fits perfectly in one
and is lightweight but durable. Precision Pro claims the NX7 is accurate to in fading light.
HOW IT PERFORMED: Once adjusting the plus or minus one yard and the unit did vary on The laser was extremely quick to lock on and
eyepiece to suit my eye I was away and occasion when the same target was measured produce distances. The flag symbol that
extremely impressed by the performance of twice by up to a metre. Not a huge difference indicates hitting the target makes it obvious
the NX7. Unlike other laser rangefinders I have perhaps, but as all golfers know, a metre can when you had hit the flag or tree you were
used, where the button is held down to lock be the difference between carrying a hazard measuring and during my time with the NX7 it
onto the target, a simple press of the power and having a putt for birdie or dropping another was extremely rare to get a distance to
button to turn the unit on, then another press ball from short of the water. anything but the target I was shooting for.
and release with the crosshairs on the target Compared to other older, larger laser Overall, the NX7 doesn’t have all the bells
quickly produces a yardage in either yards or rangefinders that require two steady hands to and whistles of some of its top of the line
metres, depending on preference. The unit of shoot targets the ability to use the NX7 with competitors but it keeps up in the most
measurement is quickly and easily changed one hand was a welcome change. The important areas of performance, easily and
with a simple push of the mode button when ergonomic design felt as if the rangefinder was clearly measuring distances. At the price it is a
the unit is on. designed personally for my hand. great option that doesn’t disappoint and is easy
The distance was precise, measuring to one The display once dialled in is clear and easy enough to use that even the most non-tech
tenth of a metre, which helped to make club to read, the magnification and clarity was great savvy golfers will be able to point and shoot
selections when numbers were on a from any distance. The ability to adjust the their way to accurate distances and hopefully
borderline stock club distance, although brightness depending on vision and time of lower scores.

premium hard carrying case, and an extended

THE SPECS
MODELS: Precision Pro offers the NX7 and the
NX7 Pro ($449), which in addition to the features
of the NX7 includes the company’s Adaptive
Slope and Pulse Vibration technologies.
WHAT PRECISION PRO SAYS: The NX7
Rangefinder follows up on the popularity of the
Nexus Rangefinder with our 1-second Target
Lock function that allows a golfer to scan on
the flag and lock in on the correct distance,
eliminating any background objects. The NX7
features a 30% faster laser, a compact design
that is 25% smaller than the previous model, a
2-year warranty.
The compact design and ergonomic no-slip
grip increases steadiness in your hand, reducing
vibrations for a steady viewing experience.
Precision Pro Golf is a golf technology
company that designs and manufacturer’s
golf laser rangefinders and golf GPS devices.
Precision Pro Golf’s mission is to create high-
quality golf products with the golfer in mind while
providing superior customer support and service.
For more information and to purchase contact
Golf Clearance Outlet on 1300 729 110 or visit,
www.golfclearanceoutlet.com.au/precisionpro

THE VERDICT: The ergonomic design felt as if the rangefinder was designed personally for my hand.

104 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 The Federal Golf Club

All of your preconceived ideas about Canberra

will be left at the front gate.
When planning your social group’s golf trip, a round at Canberra’s
Federal Golf Club is a must.

*For booking details e-mail operations@fgc.com.au or go to www.fgc.com.au

Follow us on
 CLUB OF THE MONTH

GOLF CLUB
R E D H I L L • ACT

106 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 It might give the impression of being in the middle of the Australian bush, but
this Top-100 ranked gem is surprisingly just a few minutes’ drive from the
heart of the nation’s capital.
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY BRENDAN JAMES

C
anberra can rightly claim to be the
greenest of Australia’s capital cities,
with expansive open spaces and wide
boulevards integral aspects of the Walter
Burley Griffin-designed urban landscape.
With that in mind, it is hardly surprising that
you will find one of Canberra’s most
picturesque golf courses just a few minutes’
drive from the back door of Parliament House.
The Federal Golf Club is secreted away on
the edge of the Red Hill Nature Reserve and
across the foothills of the lookout of the same
name. Mature native gums, banksias and
dozens of other floral varieties line the
fairways and provide the feel of being in the
middle of nowhere.
The par-72 covers topography that varies
from easy walking to hilly at times. The
clubhouse occupies the highest point on the
property and offers great views of the
Brindabella Ranges off in the distance.
Formed in 1933, the club didn’t move to its
current site at Red Hill until 1949. That was
more than a decade after former Australian
Open champion and acclaimed course designer
Alex Russell (Royal Melbourne East and Lake
Karrinyup) had recommended the site to the
Royal Canberra club, which was looking for a
new home following the flooding of the
Molonglo River to create Lake Burley Griffin.
When Red Hill was dismissed by Royal
Canberra in favour of its current location at
Yarralumla, Federal’s committee secured the

The downhill par-3 16th hole

offers picturesque views of
the Brindabella Ranges.

golf australia | JUNE 2017 107

 The long par-3 12th, at 197
metres from the tips, is a testing
hole for golfers of all abilities.
site because its first nine-hole sand scrape
course had suffered the same fate as the
original Royal.
Upon arrival at Red Hill in 1950, the club had
nine holes opened for play designed by James
Herd Scott. More holes were added by the
enthusiastic membership over the years, but all
this work was completely redone in 1967 as
part of a redesign masterplan by Prosper Ellis,
who was widely acclaimed for creating the links
at Belmont near Newcastle. His work at Federal
was well received and remained largely
unchanged for nearly four decades.
The most significant change the club has
made in recent years has been surrounding its
water resources. Several irrigation dams were
constructed, while all its fairways were
converted to the hardier and less thirsty Santa
Ana couch grass. Easier access to water and the
need for less, has seen the level of presentation
reach a consistently high standard throughout
108 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
the year, which is certainly what you would
expect from a layout that is ranked in
Australia’s Top-100 Courses and was listed
earlier this year at No.48 by Golf Australia in
the nation’s Top-100 Public Access Courses.
These accolades have certainly added to the
pride Federal members have for their club,
which has played host to national tournaments
as well as several professional events in years
gone by including the 1982 NSW PGA
Championship, won by Frank Nobilo, and the
1987 U-Bix Classic, when Peter Senior took out
the title. Greg Norman even played an
exhibition round at Federal back in 1979.
The club is renowned among the ranks of
Australia’s elite amateurs as the annual host of
the Federal Amateur Open Championship – a
world amateur golf ranking event that always
attracts a high quality field of players from here
and abroad. In 2005, Jason Day finished runner
up to Victoria’s Andrew Martin, while
Federal’s opening hole – a
downhill par-5 – eases you into
the round with a birdie chance.
Frenchman Victor Dubuisson was a
second-place getter behind West Australian
Matt Jager in 2008.
A club could not host high calibre events like
these without a superior quality course – in
both the challenge it presents and the
experience it offers.
The terrain at Federal lays the foundations
for some visually impressive holes that make a
round here memorable, while the design asks
questions of your ability throughout.
The opening hole – a 501-metre par-5 – does
more than lead you downhill and away from the
clubhouse. It really sets the scene for what is to
come. The slight dogleg left fairway slopes
down gradually from the tee to the top of a hill,
marked by a deep bunker on the left edge of the
fairway. Long hitters can really shorten up the
hole by clearing the crest and getting a
favourable kick down the hill. The fairway runs
through a valley before rising slightly up to the
THE TERRAIN AT
FEDERAL LAYS THE
FOUNDATIONS FOR
SOME VISUALLY
IMPRESSIVE
HOLES THAT MAKE
A ROUND HERE
MEMORABLE.

green that is protected by three bunkers.
Federal’s best par-5, for mine, comes on the
back nine. The 462-metre 13th hole plays
significantly longer than its number might
suggest on the scorecard. From the tee, the
dogleg right fairway dips down into a valley
before hitting another downslope and then
gradually climbing towards the green. Bunkers
left and right of the final uphill approach into
the green, complicate the decision to be made
by longer hitters thinking of getting their
second shot onto the green. A much deeper
bunker lies short and right of the putting
surface, which also features a false front
making it difficult to hit shots close when the
flag is in the front third of the green.
One of the highlights of a round at Federal is
the quality of its four one-shotters. All of the
par-3s are of varying distances, while the
greenscapes each differ in terms of shape and
the demands placed on the type of tee shot you
The dogleg right par-4 15th hole
calls for an exact approach to
avoid a difficult chip shot.
The steady incline of the par-5
13th hole makes it play much
longer than its 470 metres.
need to play to get close to the hole.
The 173-metre 3rd hole is played from an
elevated tee across a valley to a putting surface
that slopes from back left to front right and is
guarded by two large bunkers – one cutting in
from the left and the other short and right. Club
selection here is crucial as it is a hole where you
don’t want to be short and chipping uphill, nor
do you want to be beyond the flag and be faced
with a slippery downhill putt.
The shortest of Federal’s par-3s is also a gem.
The 135-metre 16th hole, again, plays slightly
downhill to a smallish green wedged into a
space flanked by four large bunkers – three to
the right and one left. A good miss here is into
one of these bunkers as an over-clubbed shot
will run down a steep greenside slope into the
rough or trees making it extremely difficult to
save par. Arguably the most memorable aspect
of this little wonder is the view off to the
Brindabella Range in the distance.
FACT FILE
THE COURSE
LOCATION: Gowrie Drive, Red Hill, ACT.
CONTACT: (02) 6281 1888.
WEBSITE: www.federalgolf.com.au
DESIGNERS: James H. Scott (1950); Prosper Ellis
(1967); Course staff (ongoing).
SLOPE RATINGS: 133 (Black men’s tees), 131
(Blue men’s tees), 127 (White men’s tees), 139
(red women’s championship) and 130 (Red
women’s tees).
PLAYING SURFACES: Santa Ana couch
(fairways), bentgrass (greens).
COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Mark Thomson.
PGA PROFESSIONALS: Michael Clough, Jason
Pavese, Damon Welsford.
GREEN FEE: $80. Limited tee times available for
public play seven days. Bookings are essential.
THE CLUB
MEMBERSHIPS: There are eight membership
options available at Federal. The Classic
Membership is the premier category designed
for golfers who are passionate and committed
to playing and practicing multiple times a week.
Classic Members enjoy a range of benefits
designed to enhance the overall experience
at the club and includes full seven day playing
rights, all comp and usage fees for daily events,
visitor vouchers and buckets of range balls. The
annual fee for the Classic is $3,950. There are
also seven-day, intermediate, family, lifestyle,
student, sub-junior and junior memberships. For
more details visit the website.
CORPORATE GOLF: Mondays and Thursdays are
available for organisations to book the course
and make use of the clubhouse facilities. From
the outset an experienced team is on hand to
design an event to meet your requirements.
RECIPROCAL CLUBS: NSW (Bermagui, Bonnie
Doon, Coffs Harbour, Coolangatta Tweed Heads,
Concord, Cromer, Killara, Kooindah Waters,
Mona Vale, Monash, Oatlands, Pennant Hills,
Pymble, Rich River, Tura Beach); Victoria
(Eastern, Portsea, Shepparton, Southern, The
Sands Torquay, Warrnambool, Woodlands);
Tasmania (Kingston Beach, Launceston);
Queensland (Gailes, Headland, Keperra,
Indooroopilly, Toowoomba, Townsville);
WA (Cottesloe, Melville Glades, Mt Lawley,
Royal Perth); NT (Alice Springs, Darwin); SA
(Blackwood, Tee Tree Gully, Victor Harbor); NZ
(Titirangi, Paraparaumu Beach).
golf australia | JUNE 2017 109
 Magical

110 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 Australia is blessed with a host of world-class golfing destinations and Victoria’s
Mornington Peninsula ranks among our finest where great golf, food, wine and
accommodation are par for the course.
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY BRENDAN JAMES

T
he Mornington Peninsula boasts
the greatest concentration of top
ranking courses in Australia. In
fact of the 17 courses featured here, 13
are ranked in Golf Australia’s Top-100
Courses in the country.
Combine the five star golf courses with the
Mornington’s reputation for sophisticated off
course attractions, and you will find yourself
planning a return trip before heading home.
And it’s only a shade over an hour south of
Melbourne’s CBD.
Enjoy the food, the wine and the sights,
but best of all enjoy the golfing delights the
Mornington Peninsula has to offer.
MOONAH LINKS
Back in 1998, the then named Australian Golf
Union (AGU) had a masterplan to create two
championship courses, a state-of-the-art
teaching and practice facility as well as a resort
and residential development in the heart of the
Mornington Peninsula.
It was the birth of Moonah Links and it
became known as the ‘Home of Australian
Golf’. Millionaire businessman and farmer
Paddy Handbury owned the property and
oversaw the completion of the Open course.
Designed specifically to host the Australian
Open on a regular basis, the Peter Thomson,
Mike Wolveridge and Ross Perrett-designed
par-72 opened for play in 2001. The layout has
been routed over, through and around rolling
sand dunes that are a real feature of this Cups
region of the peninsula.
For the average golfer, the Open course
provides a stiff, but fair, challenge. Thomson
likes to refer to the Open layout as a
“leviathan” and, indeed, at 6,783 metres from

golf australia | JUNE 2017 111

 Wild expansive bunkering is a
feature of a round on Moonah
Links’ Legends course.
the championship markers it can be a monster.
The peninsula is prone to being buffeted by
strong winds and the Open course really bares
its teeth on such days. But the strength of the
challenge here is the enjoyable aspect of any
round across the Open course’s fairways. You
know if you can play to your handicap here you
have indeed played well.
The Legends course may have been the
second course opened at Moonah Links but
today it is generally ranked slightly higher
than the neighbouring Open course. Legends
opens with a series of holes that rise and fall
through valleys and in between long and dense
stretches of ancient Moonah trees.
The course then takes on a new complexion
as the Moonah trees thin out and wild, rugged
bunkering, high sand dunes alongside gently
rolling fairways give rise to a links-style course.
Very little earth was moved in the creation
of the Legends course, which gives the
112 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
impression it has been here for decades.
Perrett did a wonderful job in routing the
course to follow the pitch and roll of the land,
sticking to the low ground wherever possible,
while the aforementioned bunkering is not
only intimidating but it adds to the visual
appeal of the layout.
Handbury sold Moonah Links for $18
million to a Chinese-Australian consortium in
2015. Since taking over, the new owners have
invested strongly in both courses, which is
evident in the high standard of conditioning of
the playing surfaces that now greet visitors.
Green fees: $75 (June-Sept); $85 (March-May);
$95 (Nov-Feb).
www.moonahlinks.com.au
EAGLE RIDGE
All of the courses that have been added to the
Mornington Peninsula landscape during the
past 25 years can be found within 10 minutes’
drive of each other in what has become the
famed Cups area. Lying right in the heart of
this area is the under-rated Eagle Ridge course.
Eagle Ridge began as the Carlogie Golf
Course but during the past three decades it has
undergone several major redesigns, the latest
being in 1999 under the eye of Pacific Coast
Design’s Phil Ryan.
In 2007 all 14 fairways were converted to
Santa Ana couch and the greens surrounds
were changed to Penncross bentgrass.
The grass conversion was a resounding
success and, 10 years on, the playing surfaces
are excellent.
Eagle Ridge is definitely a quality alternative
to the neighbouring links layouts. Trouble
lurks on most holes, with well-bunkered greens
and fairways common throughout.
The bunkering of this par-72 is plentiful
and can be visually intimidating, especially if
you find yourself in the sand with more than

The lengthy par-3 11th hole of
the Open course is a touch of
Ireland on the Peninsula.
a wedge required to reach the green. Ryan’s
sandy hazards are a mix of small deep pots and
expansive stretches of irregular shapes. The
downhill par-3 8th hole, for example, features a
pot bunker in front of the tee, while a 60-metre
sprawl of sand lies just beyond. A further six
bunkers can be found around the edge of the
large green.
Eagle Ridge’s penal bunkering is no more
evident than when you head down the final
stretch to the clubhouse. The 522-metre par-5
18th is a great closer that calls for length and
accuracy as well as good strategy. A steep
hill descending to the fairway may assist the
longer drive but that’s all the help any player
gets here. Large bunkers hug the edges of the
fairway for most of the remaining 200-plus
metres to the green. The green is massive and
almost entirely surrounded by a picturesque
lake, with more than two-thirds of the green’s
fringe sloping steeply down to a watery grave.
The bunkering
at Eagle Ridge
is not only
plentiful but
it is visually
intimidating
as well.
Like nearby Moonah Links, Eagle Ridge
was sold to a Melbourne-based family early
last year. The new owners immediately
updated all the machinery in the maintenance
shed and have signalled an intention to
further improve the course, which has
previously been ranked in Australia’s Top-100
Public Access Courses.
Green fees: Book online, prices given in real
time. Winter special through to August 31
includes 18 holes golf in a cart plus a pie and
chips for $48.
www.eagleridge.com.au
DEVILBEND GC
Devilbend Golf Club is one of the lesser known
clubs of the Mornington Peninsula, especially
to those living outside Victoria, but is certainly
worth a visit.
Opened for play in 1975, the layout was
designed and constructed by Eric Horne,
who decades earlier had worked under Sam
Berriman, the acclaimed long-time curator
and builder of Huntingdale and a host of other
Victorian courses.
While the land at Devilbend was not ideal for
golf – combining several steep hills with swampy
lowlands – Horne was still able to create a
good, challenging course that has gradually
been improved bit-by-bit during the past four
decades. Over that time all the greens have been
reconstructed, the fairways converted to Santa
Ana couch and bunkers added.
While the hills at Devilbend provide the
platform for some good looking holes, the
standout hole plays across a slope and adds to
the challenge of hitting an accurate approach.
The 408-metre par-4 12th is rated the hardest
hole on the course for good reason. Played from
an elevated tee, your drive needs to find the
right half (or high side) of the fairway to avoid
a lake to the left. With the ball sitting above
golf australia | JUNE 2017 113
 WHAT A
The Devilbend layout covers
undulating topography that adds
to the challenge of a round.

CLASSIC!
Australia’s No.1 golf destination will play
host to the Mornington Peninsula 8th
Annual Golf Classic from October 2 to 5.
Registrations are open for the 72-hole
individual Stableford tournament, which
is open to men and women and will be 28) or $755 (from June 29) and include four
played in grades at four of the peninsula’s days of golf, shared carts at all courses, four
best courses – Moonah Links’ Open Course daily lunches, welcome and presentation
(pictured below), Rosebud Country Club, dinners, souvenir shirt as well as daily and
Eagle Ridge and The Dunes Links (pictured overall prizes for all grades of men and women.

PORTSEA GOLF right). Players will rotate between all four

courses during the event.
There are optional golf offers available for
before and after the tournament at courses
CLUB USED TO BE The event opens on tournament eve with a
welcome dinner in the beautiful Eagle Ridge
including Bay Views, Portsea, RACV Cape
Schanck and Flinders.
REGARDED AS ONE clubhouse. The final round will be played on For further details as well as information

OF THE BEST-KEPT Thursday October 5, with the presentation

dinner to be held that evening at Rosebud CC.
from tournament accommodation
partners, checkout the website
SECRETS ON THE Entries start from $695 (enter before June www.golfmorningtonpeninsula.com.au

MORNINGTON
PENINSULA.

your feet (for right-handers) you need to hit

a straight second to keep your ball out of the
bunkers that surround the green.
Green fees: $30 (18 holes midweek); $39
(weekends).
www.devilbendgolf.com.au

PORTSEA GOLF CLUB

Portsea Golf Club used to be regarded as
one of the best-kept secrets on the
Mornington Peninsula.
Today, a modern $12 million clubhouse with
24 four and a half star hotel rooms – offering
panoramic views over the course and beyond to
Port Phillip Bay – gives Portsea a resort feel.
While Portsea remains a private club, the
public is welcome most days to experience a
visually striking layout that occupies rolling
terrain near the tip of the peninsula bordering
the Point Nepean National Park.
It is classically designed layout that has
evolved from a nine-hole track created by
Scottish professional Jock Young to a par-71
that was ranked No.36 in Australia by this
magazine in 2016.
Young, born to the game in St Andrews,
was the club professional at Melbourne’s
Commonwealth Golf Club for many years and
often consulted on course design for other
clubs. As did Commonwealth’s long-time
secretary Sloan Morpeth. Morpeth created 18
new holes for the club in 1965, which remained
unchanged for more than three decades.
In the late 90’s, Michael Clayton was
commissioned to remodel the layout. Holes
were lengthened, bunkers reshaped and large

114 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

 C F D
G MP M M
HA O W
RA IO E EN
AN

D NS N
ED H
R O

IP
Eighth Annual Golf Classic
2 – 5 OCTOBER 2017

THE DUNES GOLF LINKS EAGLE RIDGE GOLF COURSE

MOONAH LINKS – OPEN ROSEBUD COUNTRY CLUB

Play 4 magnificent REGISTER NOW!

Mornington Peninsula courses EARLY
BIRD This is going to be a sell
in this prestigious individual
SAVE out tournament.
stableford tournament $60! WEBSITE:
www.golfmorningtonpeninsula.com.au
Early Bird Entry Fee $695* includes: EMAIL:
r Welcome Dinner at Eagle Ridge Golf Course r 4 days of golf info@golfmorningtonpeninsula.com.au

rCarts at all courses r Daily lunches r Presentation Dinner at Rosebud Country Club PHONE:
r Daily and overall prizes r Souvenir polo shirt r Morning or afternoon fields Pamela McDermott,
Marketing Manager on
r Partner’s tickets available (additional costs) r Optional golf (additional costs) 0439 396 617
Discounted Accommodation offers available
*Must register and pay on or before 28 June 2017 A golf extravaganza on
the Mornington Peninsula
 PORTSEA’S
SOMETIMES
DRAMATIC
TOPOGRAPHY
AND THE
OCCASIONALLY-
STRONG BREEZES
OFFSET THE FACT
THE COURSE IS
NOT LONG...
tracts of thick ti-tree removed to enhance the
view from many of the tees. Further changes
were made to the layout a few years ago with
the construction of the new clubhouse and
on-site accommodation.
The design firm of Ogilvy, Clayton, Cocking
and Mead was recently appointed course
architects and consultants to the club to oversee
any further enhancements to the course.
Portsea’s sometimes dramatic topography
and the occasionally-strong breezes offset
the fact the course is not long by modern
standards. That said, it’s no soft touch.
Built among rolling sand dunes and protected
by thick native coastal shrubbery and deep
bunkers, Portsea offers several approaches up
steep ravines as well as a handful of blind tee
shots throughout the journey.
Take the short but genuinely tough par-4
10th hole. At 256 metres from the back pegs,
there is certainly a temptation to have a crack
at the green with the driver. But anything less
than perfect will probably finish in the massive
scheme of bunkers, surrounded by dense scrub,
to be found on the low left side of the fairway.
116 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
Green fee: $75 (18 holes weekdays); $85
(Sundays, public holidays).
www.portseagolf.com.au
THE NATIONAL GOLF CLUB
The National Golf Club is the biggest and
most impressive golf destination on the
Mornington Peninsula.
The club opened in 1987 with the original
Robert Trent Jones Jnr layout, now known
as the Old course, before expanding in 2000
with two more layouts built on the western
side of a beautiful modern clubhouse. The
Moonah course, created by Greg Norman
and Bob Harrison, and the Peter Thomson,
Mike Wolveridge and Ross Perrett-designed
Ocean course sit adjacent to one another on
sandy, undulating land that was just crying
out for golf holes to be laid out across it. The
Old course is vastly different to its neighbours.
Thick bush and scrub line both sides of most
fairways, which rise and fall between the tees
and dramatically-shaped greens.
By far the most famous hole on the Old
course is the par-3 7th, which traverses a
Portsea’s par-4 14th hole begins
with a blind tee shot and leaves
a tough green approach.
ravine to a green with two distinct halves
separated by a large spine. The 7th sits on a
part of the property affording the best views
of Bass Strait and often plays into the wind,
meaning the 139 metres can still require a long
iron to find the target.
The Moonah course is so named for the
gnarled, weathered trees of the same name
dotted across the layout, which was ranked
No.9 in Australia by this magazine.
There are unique holes but no bad ones
as each shot has you thinking and trying to
navigate a path to the green that avoids the
wind, the deep, natural bunkers and the thick
rough flanking most fairways.
The adjoining Ocean course, which is closer
to the sea than the Moonah but sits on less
dramatic terrain, will soon undergo a redesign
under the guidance of American minimalist
course architect Tom Doak.
The National is a private club but golfers
from overseas and interstate can apply for a
tee time.
Green fees: Upon application.
www.nationalgolf.com.au
SHELLS APARTMENTS
Luxury accommodation in Sorrento
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r 57 JO -PVOHF BOE FBDI #FESPPN 8JUIJO PVS PXO 4IFMMT $PNQMFY XF www.gimmegolf.com.au
r 8BTIJOH .BDIJOF  %SZFST IBWF TFWFSBM TQFDJBMJUZ TUPSFT XJUI www.greatgolfgetaways.com.au
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For more information on our Facilities, Pricing and Availability please visit

W W W. S H E L L S A PA R T M E N T S . C O M . A U
85 - 99 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento VIC 3943 Phone: (03) 5984 0454
 The National’s Moonah Course
is the highest ranked of the
club’s trio on the Peninsula.

ST ANDREWS BEACH
Designer Tom Doak’s second Australian design
behind Barnbougle Dunes promised to be
something special when it opened in 2005.
Doak created a course with plenty of space,
making it very playable and enjoyable for all
golfers. For the better player the key is in the
playing lines from the tees and the angles
those lines subsequently leave into the greens.
Some holes are wide open and exposed; others
funnel between dunes or between stands
of untouched vegetation. The bunkering is
wild and rugged and the green complexes
will gather or repel a bouncing approach shot
depending on the line of attack.
Green fees: $72 (18 holes midweek);
$90 (weekends).
www.standrewsbeachgolf.com.au
catching the contours of the green and feeding
close to the cup.
Green fees: $69 (18 holes midweek); $95
(weekends, public holidays).
www.thedunes.com.au
SORRENTO GOLF CLUB
Many of Melbourne’s well-to-do keep
membership at Sorrento Golf Club, and it’s
also a popular second club for members of
Sandbelt clubs. Not only is Sorrento a terrific
place to dine, shop and wander around, it’s
The par-3 7th on The National’s
Old Course is one of Australia’s
most photographed holes.
home to a gem of a golf course tucked away
behind town with a beautiful country charm
to it.
Set in rolling land dotted with pine trees
and low scrub, the course is short by modern
standards yet is a tight test characterised by
its quintet of fantastic short holes.
Sorrento is a private club but non-members
can book tee-times at certain times of the week.
Green fees: Upon application. Limited times
available for visitors.
www.sorrentogolf.com.au

THE DUNES LINKS

This Tony Cashmore-designed gem at Rye has
been a favourite stop for golfers visiting the
Mornington Peninsula for more than 20 years.
The course rocks and rolls across exposed,
undulating, sandy terrain and is framed by
craggy, rustic bunkers. It has its quirks but
those quirks make The Dunes so memorable.
The highlight of any round here is playing
the stunning 17th, a ‘Redan’ style par-3
described by Tom Watson as “an exquisite golf
hole”. The pin position dictates whether a high
fade or a curling draw is the preferred play and
any shot shaped correctly has every chance of

118 JUNE 2017 | golf australia

Portsea
Golf Club
Play and stay... and stay! That’s what our guests
want after a golfing break at Portsea. Set amongst
sand dunes and coastal vegetation, the course has
fast draining fairways and is kept in superb playing
condition all year round. It provides a challenge for
the experienced golfer and a memorable experience
for all players.
The staff in the well-stocked golf shop are always
obliging; you may like to book a clinic with our
Professional for some local tips. After the game, relax
on the deck and marvel at the views across the course
to Port Phillip Bay, with a cold drink and snack, or
something more substantial from the Members’ Bar
menu.
The well-appointed guest rooms offer a tranquil
retreat with views over Moonahs and Ti-tree to the We are happy to tailor a package to suit your needs; standard Play &
course and beyond. Stay packages include one night’s twin share accommodation, 18 holes
There are numerous local attractions for non-golfers *!
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outstanding coastal scenery and panoramic views
of Bass Strait, the Rip and Port Phillip Bay. Nearby Portsea Golf Club and Mercure Portsea,
is Sorrento village and beyond that Peninsula Hot
46 London Bridge Road, Portsea VIC 3944
Springs, and the multitude of wineries, restaurants
and local produce for which the Mornington w: www.portseagolf.com.au t: Ǔǖ
ǘǜǛǔ
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Peninsula is renowned.
e: hoteloperations@portseagolf.com.au

THE EAGLE RIDGE

Golf n Pie
offer IS BACK!

GOLF CART PIE &

CHIPS
$
48
USE PROMO CODE: WINTERGOLFAUS AT
EAGLERIDGE.COM.AU WHEN YOU BOOK ONLINE!
Conditions apply, see website for details. Prices include shared carts only.
Offer available all day Monday to Friday and after 12pm on Sundays, 1st May to 31st August 2017.

BAY VIEWS GC
Formerly known as Rosebud Park, Bay Views
is another peninsula layout that lies across
dramatically undulating terrain.
Situated on steep sloping land at Arthur’s
Seat, Bay Views rises above the surrounding
residential areas providing golfers with views
of Port Phillip Bay and the bay beaches all the
way to Sorrento.
The acclaimed Vern Morcom created the
original layout in the 1950s and, despite it not
being on ideal golfing land, there are plenty of
interesting holes.
Bay Views’ conditioning has improved
markedly since Golf Services Management
took over the running of the course in 2014.
Green fees: $45.
www.bayviewsgolf.com.au
ROSEBUD COUNTRY CLUB
Rosebud is one of the original peninsula courses
and remains a favourite for visiting golfers. The
36-hole facility hosted the 1976 Australian PGA
Championship and is still a formidable test
today, even if both layouts play a little easier
than the longer courses further down the road.
With rippling fairways, a handful of blind tee
120 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
Tom Doak’s St Andrews Beach
design is ranked in the top
echelon of courses in the nation.
shots and row after row of towering, established
pine trees, golf at Rosebud is a walk in the park
in the literal sense.
Play as many of the better-known
Mornington Peninsula courses as you can but
don’t neglect to set aside a day to take on the
pair that started the golf boom in the region.
Green fees: $49 (18 holes weekdays); $59
(weekends, public holidays).
www.rosebudcountryclub.com.au
FLINDERS GOLF CLUB
Nestled on the cliffs at the entrance to
Victoria’s Westernport Bay, Flinders Golf
Club would never been considered in the
same category of long and demanding that is a
trait of its neighbours to the west in the heart
of the peninsula.
But the 5,277-metre journey offers plenty of
challenges and picturesque sights as it winds
out to the edge of the cliffs, then uphill and
inland before returning to the relatively flat,
but enjoyable, finishing stretch of holes. It is
an excursion golfers have been enjoying for
109 years.
Green fees: $44.
www.flindersgolfclub.com.au
Bay Views offers just that ...
views from the course towards
Port Phillip Bay.
W HE R E T O S TAY
SHELLS APARTMENTS, SORRENTO
Shells Sorrento offers boutique
accommodation in the main street of Sorrento.
Set amongst the relaxed village
atmosphere along the entertainment and
boutique shopping precinct, Shells provides
everything you may need in their fully
self-contained apartments to make the most
of your stay in Sorrento.
An easy walk to both ocean and bay
beaches, Shells is also within 20 minutes’
drive of 10 championship golf courses.
For couples, families or groups, (golfers,
weddings etc), Shells has one-, two- and
three-bedroom apartments available for
a one night stay, weekends or longer
holiday accommodation.
Each apartment has a full kitchen, lounge
and dining area, as well as reversed cycle air
conditioning, private laundry, secure parking
and a TV in each bedroom.
Play and stay golf packages are available
through Shells’ golf holiday providers, who
can tailor a package to suit your individual
requirements.
For more details or to book, visit
www.shellsapartments.com.au or call
(03) 5984 0454 during business hours.
MERCURE PORTSEA
Mercure Portsea features 24 boutique-style
rooms with each having a private balcony or
terrace, ensuite, and large LCD television. It’s
also only a short distance to Point Nepean,
Portsea and Sorrento villages.
Stay and play packages start from $130
per person twin share (Sun-Thurs) including
one nights’ accommodation, 18 holes at
Portsea for two players and breakfast for
two. The same package for Friday and
Saturday night stays starts from $170 per
person twin share.
For more details and to book, visit
www.portseagolf.com.au
PEPPERS MOONAH LINKS RESORT
Peppers Moonah Links Resort blends
the Open and Legends courses with
luxury accommodation, a Day Spa and
a la carte restaurant.
There are 70 deluxe rooms and suites, all
with balconies or terraces overlooking the
stunning golf courses or central putting green.
For more details or to book, visit
www.moonahlinks.com.au or
www.peppers.com.au/moonah
 Midweek 18 holes $30
Weekend 18 holes $39
Social clubs can book for
$35 p.p. every Sunday

Call to book today (03) 5978 8470

Or book online at www.devilbendgolf.com.au

GOLF
CLUB
The Jewel of the West

18 hole green fees from $35. Membership promotions with intermediate age
memberships from $368.50 and full 7 day membership available from $1529.
Plus full driving range, mini golf, bistro and function room. Club House

SUNSHINE GOLF CLUB | 475 Mount Derrimut Road, Derrimut, VICTORIA

E: golf@sunshinegolfclub.com.au | P: 03 9363 1691 | W: www.sunshinegolfclub.com.au
 G E T A W AY S

Mirimichi, once owned by Justin

Timberlake, is one of the best public
access courses in Tennessee.

CRUISING THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI

All aboard. It’s time to cruise down the Orleans, another three nights in a five-star hotel twin share and include: seven nights aboard
Mississippi River and play some of the American and golf at Money Hill Country Club should do ‘America’ with all meals included, seven
south’s finest golf courses along the way. the trick. nights’ accommodation in five-star hotels,
You’ll first arrive in Memphis, where you’ll The tour with Trendsetter Travel and Cruise seven games of golf in motorised carts, coach
spend four nights in a five-star hotel and play Centre departs Memphis on April 14, 2018 and transfers, shore excursions and more.
the terrific TPC Southwind, which is used would be an ideal way to complement a trip to For more information and a full itinerary go
annually by the PGA Tour. The Masters. to www.trendsettertravel.com.au or call David
Next up is the eco-friendly Mirimichi Packages start at US$8,270 per person Cooper on 0413 010 638.
that was, until recently, owned by Justin
Timberlake, who invested millions of dollars
to turn it into one of the best public-access
courses in Tennessee.
After checking out all that Memphis has to
offer, including Graceland and the National
Civil Rights Museum, it’s time to board
‘America’ – a luxurious and modern riverboat
operated by American Cruise Lines – to begin
your breathtaking cruise south to New Orleans.
History buffs will be in their element during a
visit to Vicksburg the following day, which was
the site of the most significant battle during
the US Civil War, before the golf continues at
the spectacular Beau Pré Golf Club. The next
few days include rounds at The Bluffs, Carter
Plantation Golf Club, and English Turn, which
has hosted several PGA Tour events. The riverboat ‘America’ will be
If, somehow, you haven’t felt pampered your home for seven nights on the
enough by the time ‘America’ berths in New majestic Mississippi River.

122 JUNE 2017 | golf australia


SOARING WITH AN EAGLE
As far as once-in-a-lifetime opportunities go,
this one is hard to beat.
You could be traveling to New Zealand’s
South Island, one of the most naturally
beautiful places on the planet, to play golf
at world-class courses alongside an NRL
premiership-winning captain.
Interested? Well, clear your schedules.
This October, former Sea Eagle Jamie Lyon is
leading a spectacular golf tour to Queenstown.
Tourists will play three rounds of golf at
Millbrook, Jacks Point and The Hills, while
Join Jamie Lyon (centre) in
Queenstown where you’ll play great
courses like Jacks Point (above)
staying at the luxurious Millbrook Resort where
a buffet breakfast is included every morning.
Lyon will also be joined by PGA professional
Ben Owen, who will be conducting
complimentary clinics prior to each round.
The tour departs on October 16 and Paladin
Sports is offering packages starting from
$4,995, which include flights and transfers, four
nights’ luxury accommodation, three rounds
of golf in motorised carts, four polo shirts and
some meals.
For more information visit the website
www.paladinsports.com.au

A RESORT LIKE NO OTHER

Planning a trip to the Murray River? You should
be. Australia’s longest river is home to some of
the finest inland courses in the country, and the
Golfers Resort at Yarrawonga is at the heart of
it all.
The resort, which is about six kilometres west
of Yarrawonga, offers golfers packages ranging
PHOTOS: SUPPLIED X 3; BRENDAN JAMES (JACKS POINT, BLACK BULL)

from two-, five- and seven-night stays in luxury

self-contained units and will organise tee-times
at a selection of the Murray’s best layouts.
Make sure you visit the acclaimed Black Bull
course (pictured), which claimed the No.57 spot
in Australia’s Top-100 Public Access Courses list
published earlier this year. And, if your game
isn’t up to scratch, the resort offers lessons at
its onsite practice facilities.
For more information about Golfers Resort,
its packages and available courses, visit the
website www.golfersresort.com.au

golf australia | JUNE 2017 123

 TO ADVERTISE IN GOLFER’S MARKETPLACE CALL 0412 327 886

G O L F H O L I DAY S

VICTORIA VICTORIA

Golfers Resort GLENN MC CULLY

Yarrawonga Golf Schools
Luxury self contained accommodation 3 and 5 Day Schools
2-7 Day Golf Packages Group, Private & Beginner Formats
Summer and Winter specials from $525 pp. twin share
www.golfersresort.com.au www.golfersresort.com.au
info@golfersresort.com.au info@golfersresort.com.au
03 5744 1994 03 5744 1994
G O L F H O L I DAY S

THE 2018 US MASTERS ■■■■■■■

APRIL
Melbourne Sandbelt
TOURNAMENT CHOOSE FROM SEVERAL PACKAGES
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1 DAY TO 5 DAYS - FROM $A1,050
INTERNATIONAL

9
10
OAKLEIGH 1 Woodlands GC
11
Fully Escorted by an experienced Australian Tour Manager. 2 Royal Melbourne GC
5
All inclusive package (not airfare). Entrance tickets to 3 Victoria GC
Augusta National Golf Club, accommodation, transfers, and more.
4 4 Sandringham GC
Established over 21 years ago we have been running US Masters tours every year since 1997. MOORABBIN 5 Yarra Yarra GC
We have the experience and local knowledge to make your US Masters Tour unforgettable. 2 3 BUCKINGHAM
T

Stay in a quality Hotel less than 1 mile from Augusta National with over 6 restaurants close by.
H
E 6 Kingston Heath GC
HIGHETT I N T E R N A T I O N A L6
ATFS also provides you with official US masters gifts. ATFS plan, run and escort the tour and 7 Keysborough GC
do not just tag along with some US tour agent and we are a sports specialist Australian Travel 8 Kingswood GC
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PACKAGES ARE LIMITED SO IT IS BEST TO BOOK AS SOON

1130 Nepean Highway, HIGHETT, Vic 3190
AS YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO BE PART OF HISTORY.
Ph: (03) 9555 0011 E: contact@thebuckingham.com.au
AUSTRALIAN TOURS FOR SPORT
www.atfs.com.au
Tel: 1800 806 879 www.thebuckingham.com.au

TO ADVERTISE IN GOLFER’S MARKETPLACE CALL DAVID MULLINS ON 0412 327 886

 TO ADVERTISE IN GOLFER’S MARKETPLACE CALL DAVID MULLINS ON 0412 327 886

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

Australia’s Finest
Sandbelt Courses
■ 6 nights accommodation
■ green fees on 5 golf courses. Includes GST
■ cooked or continental breakfast
■ also available The Rosebud House
from
$120.00 a night Victoria’s
Mornington
Peninsula

Personally tailored packages on application.

COURSES SELECTED FROM
Cape Schanck - Devil Bend - Eagle Ridge - Flinders
Mornington - Portsea - Rosebud Country Club

G O L F H O L I DAY S / S E R V I C E S
Rosebud Public - Sorrento - St Andrews - The Dunes

Extra Fee Applies For Moonah Links / The National

All within 25 kilometres. For further enquiries and bookings

ROSEBUD MOTEL
1869 Point Nepean Road Rosebud West VIC 3941
T: 03 5985 2041 F: 03 5985 6626
E: rosebudmotel@bigpond.com W: www.rosebudmotel.net.au
Price based on twin share Seasonal Adjustments Apply

NSW SOUTH COAST

GOLF STAY & PLAY

Package includes: 2 nights stay at well appointed 4 star property including daily breakfast and
EXCLUSIVE complimentary upgrade offer* and an 18 hole round of golf including cart at Gerringong Golf Club.

2 Night Packages $349pp Twin Share

Midweek Specials of $329pp apply
To book call Platinum Travel on 1300 733 323
*subject to availability

THE COURSE BESIDE THE SEA

 ET P L AC E
MARK G O L F H O L I DAY S / S E R V I C E S

CLAREMONT GOLF CLUB HOLE IN ONE Underwritten

STAY & PL AY
by Lloyd’s
PRIZE INSURANCE of London
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You will be playing on this 18 hole golf course, surrounded by the EG: 60 ATTEMPTS, $10,000 PRIZE,
Derwent River, it provides stunning views! For all details regarding the
138 METRES: PREMIUM $389
course & the amenities on offer visit www.claremontgolf.com.au
juliekillen@ozprize.com.au
02 9707 2272
www.ozprize.com.au

OZPRIZE & WEATHER INSURANCE SPECIALISTS PTY LTD

Corporate Authorised Representative of
Warren Saunders Insurance Brokers (Aust) P/L AFS Lic No 240939
Level 2, 550 Princes Hwy, Kirrawee NSW 2232

You will be staying in a beautifully Call PATSI 0439 846 314 or email
renovated 1920’s home, located on
the Cadbury’s Peninsula in Claremont, patsi@golfinghomes.com.au
Tasmania – adjacent to the golf course.
This is a 4 bedroom house (3 queen &
G O L F H O L I DAY S / S E R V I C E S

1 double) & 2 bathrooms. Visit the Stayz

website; “Jonesy’s Golf/Bowls Getaway
Specialising in:
– ID 188122” for all details regarding Golf Course Real
this home. Package Includes:
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IJSF
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*From $190 per person
(Sunday - Thursday) AUSTRALIA WIDE
For all bookings/enquiries please email Gary on
jonesysgolfgetaways.com.au www.golfinghomes.com.au

P L E A SE CONTAC T
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TO ADVERTISE IN GOLFER’S MARKETPLACE CALL DAVID MULLINS ON 0412 327 886

 TO ADVERTISE IN GOLFER’S MARKETPLACE CALL DAVID MULLINS ON 0412 327 886

GOLF ACCESSORIES

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let’s you plug your phone into any electric golf cart. “you give up
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as smart phones, GPS, Range Finders, tablets etc.

Golf Bag...”
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● damaged irons

For more information or to order visit our website www.golfscene.com.au ● stress finding the
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 GOLF
IS GOOD E XC LU S I V E BY A N D R E W DA D D O | G O L F AU S T R A L I A C O LUMNI S T
HOW GOOD IS GOLF?
BY way of introduction, I’ve tried to figure
how our game got its tendrils into me and
weaseled away until I was under her spell.
It all happened a long time ago, I know that,
but it’s hard to peg the actual moment.
Maybe there wasn’t one pivotal scene, a
heroic shot on the last for someone to say,
‘that’ll bring you back.’ I think our affair
was a slow burn, falling gently at first, but
hard nonetheless.
My grandparents are definitely in the
credits. She was the Lady Captain at
Metropolitan, he was the Treasurer. Pop
would take us for games there before we
knew it was anything but a golf course.
There’s a pine on the right side of the 1st
hole that was like a magnet to us as kids. It’s
funny going back there now, because I’ll be
damned if it’s more than 50 metres up the
fairway. Back then, to reach it was the longest
shot in golf.
Dad, a right hander with a left handed grip
was a charger. He’d rush us through rounds
to keep us out of the way of real golfers
and has credit for the contempt I hold for
ruthlessly slow players. Mum, like her mum,
had tins of boiled lollies that would come out
at just the right time.
Gon and Pop, the Lady Pres and the
Treasurer would holiday at Peninsula Golf
Club, around the corner and along a bit from
where we grew up in Mt Eliza. Occasionally
we’d play with them, but couldn’t wait for
night time, when we’d cobble two golf
buggies together and ride them down the hill
130 JUNE 2017 | golf australia
from the pro shop to the 18th green.
I reckon that green’s gone, now. And I don’t
know how we didn’t knobble ourselves on
those buggies. I still remember stealing into
people’s bags and borrowing balls to hit into
the darkness as the olds’ ate. If ever there
was a way to get your kids to ‘suffer’ through
dinner with the grandparents, this was
surely it.
By the time I was 18 or 19, I’d spare a
Sunday or two a month to have lunch with
Pop and two of his mates before heading
out to Metro with clubs he’d procured from
the ‘Dead Man’s Cupboard,’ or whatever that
place was called where clubs lived on after
the owner had passed away. They
were blades, the sand iron – “The
Howitzer” – had the grooves enlarged,
making it even more illegal than the R&A
would later decide it was, because it ‘enabled
extraordinary recoveries to be made from
bunkers and the rough without much skill
or effort.’ When I moved on from the irons
to cavity backed Cobra’s, The Howitzer came
with me.
I suspect it was these lunches (like the
one pictured below, that’s Pop on the right)
where the bug really took hold. Pop, Mac
and a rotating third taught the true value of
ten cents per side, where the jokes never
changed but somehow got funnier.
As the shots improved, the equipment
demon took hold. The flawed theory goes
something like: “If you can hit a great shot
like that with this crappy club, imagine what
you could manage with something new
and shiny.” So I went from dull blades to
shiny nearly blades to Callaway’s Great Big
Bertha’s, and they really were the bomb.
Dad and I played the other day with an
81-year-old who was still using a set he’d
bought in 1996, including the two iron, a
club I still covet but cannot find. He had the
original grips, too. Had never changed them
despite playing twice a week. He didn’t care,
so I didn’t either.
And that might be the thing about golf, in
fact, maybe that is the thing. There’s a million
variations on how to play it. Of course good
grips make a difference, but then, not to old
Jim who’s still competitive. New clubs are
great, but how good is it to be able to hit
impressive shots against a shiny bloke
when you’ve got the old stuff? What joy to
out-bomb a bomber with a 10-year-old driver,
to sink long putts with something resembling
a branding iron from the ‘70s?
Simple pleasures, right?
The best though, is to be part of
something. To know that you can love a
game so thoroughly and so honestly and be
safe in the knowledge there are others all
over the world who’ll share your passion.
They’re at your club, they’re in your street
and they’re next to you at the traffic lights
while you practice your putting grip on your
steering wheel.
Ours is a great game. I look forward
to sharing it with you in these pages and
constantly asking, ‘how good is golf?’
PHOTO: ANDREW DADDO
 OCEAN DUNES

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 <285*2/)*$0(

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