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 EDITOR
Brendan James bjames@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,
36 Brendan Moloney, Geoff Ogilvy
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Matt Cleary,
Mike Cocking, Dale Concannon,

CONTENTS
Andrew Marshall, Rod Morri, Rick Weber
CONTRIBUTING PGA PROFESSIONALS
Steve Aisbett, Daniel Blackwell, Leon Faulkner,
Brad Hughes, Lorien Scott, Christian Small,
Anthony Summers
FEBRUARY #348
PHOTOGRAPHY Getty Images,
Matthew Harris/TGPL, Gary Lisbon
36 PELLEY’S REVOLUTION
European Tour Chief Keith Pelley has become a mover and shaker in EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES
world golf. Jack Martin sat down with him for this exclusive interview. PH: (02) 9901 6142 golf@golfaustralia.com.au

54 KIRK’S COMING OF AGE A D V E R T I S I N G

From an early age, Katherine Kirk has dreamt of winning the HEAD OF SPORT – SALES
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 30 10

CONTENTS FEBRUARY #348

F E AT U R E S
114 JEWELS IN THE SAND
30 GETTING STRONGER Dubai is widely regarded as one of the world’s great stopover cities.
One of the most unique tournaments in world golf returns to Victoria But for golfers, it is much more than that … it’s a destination,
this month, where more than 280 male and females will tee up side-by- writes John Huggan.
side at the 2018 Oates Vic Open, writes Jimmy Emanuel.
INSTRUCTION
42 THE HATTON HEIST
After collecting back-to-back wins in 2017, Tyrrell Hatton will arrive at
48 SWING SEQUENCE – TYRRELL HATTON
Here is everything you can learn from the rhythmic swing of European
Lake Karrinyup as the hot favourite to clinch the second staging of the
Tour star Tyrrell Hatton.
World Super 6 Perth.

60 COFFS’ CLASSIC CATCH 77 LEE WESTWOOD: HOW TO DRIVE

Coffs Harbour will play host to two new major ALPG events across
LONG & STRAIGHT
Before arriving in Perth for the World Super 6 event, Lee Westwood
consecutive weeks rounding out a lucrative five-week swing, writes
stopped to explain how you can hit longer and straighter tee shots in
Brendan James.
six easy steps.
T R AV E L & C O U R S E S
83 THE NEED FOR SPEED
10 COURSE REVIEW: THE SANDHURST CLUB A faster clubhead speed means longer shots and all you need is better
Golf in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs is unrivaled in Australia. technique, not bulging muscles.
Adding to the spoils is this 36-hole complex, writes Jimmy Emanuel.
90 THE SCIENCE OF SMASH
104 TIME TO SCOOT Smash Factor is one of golf’s buzz-phrases. So what is it, and how do
Looking for a golfing getaway with a real difference? How about loading you go about increasing yours?
up an electric scooter with clubs and luggage and setting off on a train
adventure. Brendan Moloney did just that. 94 TOUR TIP: THE BEST CHIPPING
TIP YOU’LL EVER GET
110 CLUB OF THE MONTH: THE COAST GOLF CLUB A quick, but effective, fix for ‘duffing’ or blading your chip shots.
The Coast occupies some of the most picturesque land in
Sydney that gives rise to spectacular and memorable golf,
as Michael Jones discovered.

8 TEEING OFF: BRENDAN JAMES
14 HUGGAN’S ALLEY: JOHH HUGGAN
17 AROUND THE TRAPS
28 IN MY OPINION: GEOFF OGILVY
92 SUBSCRIPTION OFFER:
WIN A PREMIUM EUROPEAN CRUISE
WORTH UP TO $21,980.
Tiger Woods has made the switch to Bridgestone golf balls … Should y
98 PRO SHOP: LATEST EQUIPMENT
122 GETAWAYS: GOLF TRAVEL
130 GOLF IS GOOD: ANDREW DADDO
EQUIPMENT
96 PLAYING WITH … RYOMA MAXIMA
TYPE V DRIVER
Jimmy Emanuel gets his hands on one of the most expensive
drivers on the market.
100 PLAYING WITH … BRIDGESTONE
TOUR B GOLF BALLS
102 PLAYING WITH … CALLAWAY MD4 WEDGES
The latest wedges from Callaway are the complete package,
writes Jimmy Emanuel.

6 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

OPEN TO EVERYONE
LOVED BY ALLb
 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

WHY THE WOMEN’S AUSTRALIAN

OPEN IS SUCH A SUCCESS
SUCCESS rarely happens overnight.
In the case of the Women’s Australian Open,
it has been a long and often rocky road for the
Championship to reach the point this year where
it will be the second richest golfing event, for
men or women, contested in this country.
Only the Australasian, European and Asian
Tours tri-sanctioned World Super 6 Perth
with AU$1.75 million outbids our women’s
national Open ($1.58million) in terms of total
prizemoney. While the quality of the field – with
players primarily drawn from the LPGA Tour,
Ladies European Tour and our own ALPG – is
likely to be the strongest (based on world
rankings) of any golf tournament played on
Australian soil this summer.
The now named ISPS Handa Women’s
Australian Open is a remarkable success Women’s Australian Open was here to stay. stroke of genius as the golfing public there
story that had its ‘second’ start, just a few There have been hiccups along the way have warmly embraced the Championship and
minutes’ drive down the road from Kooyonga though. The championship wasn’t played in the players.
Golf Club where this year’s Championship will 1999, but returned in a new February date in But a lot of the success of the women’s
be played. 2000 when Webb won for the first time. It was Open can be attributed to the players.
Back in 1994, the Open was resurrected after dropped from the schedule again in 2005 and The players – across the board – are more
a 15-year absence and Adelaide welcomed 2006 but under the current Golf Australia and giving of their time than their male counterparts
the event with open arms. Royal Adelaide Golf ALPG administrations it has gone from the when it comes to engaging fans, before and
Club was the venue and it was the first time outhouse to the clubhouse in less than a decade. during the tournament, as well as dealing with
two future World No.1s – Annika Sorenstam The event has grown and flourished, in no media requests. Pro-am partners, most of them
and Karrie Webb – competed in the same small part due to its co-sanctioning agreements tournament sponsors, also come away having
tournament as professionals. with the LPGA and Ladies European Tours. had a positive experience.
Despite burning her feet on the hot sands Taking the Open back to Adelaide was also a As ALPG chief executive Karen Lunn
of Glenelg Beach early in tournament week, suggests: “It is a lot tougher for women to get
a then 24-year-old Sorenstam gave an insight the sponsorship dollars and our Tours to get the
into what was to come in her career as she sponsorship money so I think the players are a
claimed the title – her first as a professional – little bit more appreciative of the hard work that
by five shots. Webb, in her first event as a pro, goes into getting a tournament up-and-running.
finished 18 strokes adrift in a tie for 28th place. “Certainly, the feedback we have from the Pro-
The championship moved to Melbourne ams with our girls is that they give a lot more in
the following year and Sorenstam and Webb terms of engaging with their playing partners.”
finished tied 2nd and fourth respectively in what This begs the question – could our male
was a terrific women’s Open. It seemed certain professionals do themselves (and the
as the crowds drifted away from Yarra Yarra tournaments they play in) a service by following
Golf Club after that final round in 1995 that the the lead of their female counterparts?
PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES X 2

8 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

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 COURSE REVIEW

The

S A NDHURS T CLUB

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10 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

 Ever the strategist in winning five Open championships, Peter Thomson
and design partner Ross Perrett bring the same emphasis to thinking golf
in their course designs, including this 36-hole complex on the doorstep
of Melbourne’s famous Sandbelt.
WORDS JIMMY EMANUEL PHOTOGRAPHY BRENDAN JAMES

G
olf in the south-eastern suburbs of
Melbourne is unrivalled in Australia
for both quality and quantity.
Sitting just over 30 minutes from the CBD,
on the edge of the famous Sandbelt, The
Sandhurst Club offers two of the most
recent championship additions to the city’s
golfing spoils.
Built on former cow pastures, both the older
North (2004) course and more recent
Champions (2008) are the work of five-time
Open Champion Peter Thomson and long-time
design partner Ross Perrett. In addition to the
two par-72 courses, featuring expansive
bunkering, rolling fairways and views of the
Dandenong Ranges, Sandhurst is an
all-inclusive residential community boasting
world-class facilities. It’s no wonder the PGA of
Australia has called Sandhurst home for more
than 10 years.
The North course bares all the hallmarks of a
Thomson design, with the layout transporting
players to the linksland of Scotland through its
looks and required style of play. While the
seaside location is lacking, the peaceful mostly
undeveloped surrounds and lack of houses
lining the majority of fairways give the North its
own unique and enjoyable feel.
The fairways are generous and wide on the
North, with many of the par-4s and 5s sharing
mown portions with other holes, making them
look almost unmissable from the tee. As always
with a Thomson design, however, placement is
crucial for the best scoring chances.
Being a long hitter, as always, has its
advantages on the older of Sandhurst’s

Named after the diminutive Norman von

Nida, the par-3 11th is the shortest hole
on the Champions Course.

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 11


courses, with many of the fairway bunkers open
to being carried, particularly from the forward
tees, by the stronger player and the rolling
fairways propelling the ball forward.
In keeping with the Scottish feel, almost all
the greens on the North are receptive to an
approach played along the ground and when
faced with a chip or pitch the style of approach
is left to a player’s imagination. The one
exception coming at the par-5 9th hole named
“Bluidy Burn”, which requires golfers to
negotiate a Scottish-style burn cutting through
the fairway just short of the green.
Names are a constant feature at Sandhurst
with each hole bearing a unique moniker, with
the names on the Champions course paying
homage to former winners of the Australian
PGA Championship, while the North’s describe
12 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
the hole or its surrounds.
The North’s par-3 3rd hole, “Wall”, features
one of the most apt names bestowed upon a golf
hole. Once again evoking thoughts of golf’s
homeland and some of its most recognised
layouts with a 1.6-metre wall bordering the
entire left and back of the otherwise hazardless
par-3’s green. Unlike at North Berwick where
the famous wall surrounding the 13th green
must be hit over, the L-shaped stone wall simply
frames the 181-metre hole’s putting surface.
Despite lacking bunkers the 3rd is a tough
challenge when the regularly strong winds are
up, something I discovered for myself, having
been intimidated by the thought of finding the
wrong side of the title feature and taking the
coward’s way out, hitting my approach well right
of the pin and being forced to scramble for a par.
Champions’ par-4 15th hole is one
demands precise hitting to avoid
sand off the tee and near the green.
The final approach to the North
Course’s par-5 11th with its double
green shared with the 17th hole.
Unlike the front side, where long wild grass
presents the biggest penalty for a missed
fairway, the North’s back nine sees the
property’s ancient Red River gums come
noticeably into play for the first time. With
Thomson and Perrett’s stretch of holes from the
par-4 10th to the 12th the most enjoyable
collection of holes on the course for mine.
The 375-metre 10th uses two large trees to
the right, bunkers left and folds in the fairway to
deceive players from the tee, making a relatively
straightforward tee shot look far more difficult.
As with most of the North’s par-4s the fairway
narrows the further away from the tee and a
dense stand of trees to the right make for a
difficult approach shot.
“Purgatory”, the par-5 next, is so named for
the two large bunkers found in the middle of the
fairway. The right wind conditions allow
stronger players to challenge the traps and
attack the 497-metre hole, but beware a less
than ideal strike will often find the sand and
make securing par a difficult prospect with five
more bunkers dotted throughout the hole.
Similar in distance to the 10th at 391-metres,
the par-4 12th rounds out the trio and offers a
very different challenge from the preceding
two holes. Finding the fairway is crucial at 12
and challenging the right fairway trap will yield
the best chance at attacking the green, which is
set horizontally to the fairway and drops off to
the right and beyond, meaning a pin point
mid-iron is required to set-up a birdie chance.
Having played the North course first during
my recent visit, standing on the 1st tee of the
Champions course the differences in design and
required strategy were instantly obvious.
Tighter fairways, which pinch in around the
 Good club
selection and
accuracy are
needed om the
Champions’
par-3 16th hole.
typical driving distances, mean more planning
and strategy is required from the tee, with
fairway woods and hybrids from the tee for the
conservative player a more common occurrence
than on the North course.
Thomson and Perrett don’t take the driver
from the aggressive player’s hands by any
means, but if you opt for the big stick be sure to
hit it well and on target with large, well placed
fairway bunkers as well as long rough waiting on
most holes for errant drives.
The property’s Red River gums are also more
prevalent on the Champions course and present
more of a hazard lining many of the fairways. As
do houses, which are easily seen beyond the
green barrier on many holes.
Similarly to the North, the Champions’ early
holes are consistent with the overall style of the
course before an outlier is presented by the
architects, in the form of the par-5 5th and
par-3 6th holes.
Named after Jim Ferrier, the par-5 requires
distance and accuracy from the tee. Once you
have found the fairway the second shot is
all-important. A layup short of the second
cluster of fairway bunkers is the prudent play,
with the 487-metre hole played uphill and the
green hidden from view for much of the journey.
The 6th hole, like the 3rd on the North, is
without any bunkers. The main challenge of the
195-metre hole coming courtesy of its lack of
defining features making judging distance
difficult, with a few Red River gums front right
and back left the only landmarks.
Miss the green here and the surrounding
humps and hollows send the ball off in a variety
of directions, meaning par is once again a good
score, as it is on all the par-3s at Sandhurst, with
the short 11th, named somewhat appropriately
after Norman Von Nida, the pick of the par-3s
on the Champions course.
Only 137-metres from the plates, with deep
bunkers right and left, the 11th plays slightly
uphill and over an expansive sandy wasteland,
with the almost ever present wind making club
selection difficult, thanks in part to the stand of
trees behind the green that can leave the flag
limp despite a stiff wind.
The Champions course features a slightly
stronger finish than the North, with Thomson
and Perrett rewarding the aggressive player
with short irons and wedges into many of the
closing holes while also giving the shorter, more
conservative player a chance to run the ball up
onto the green. Most noticeably at the brutally
long 423-metre final hole, which offers a final
view of the distant Dandenong ranges and a
typically friendly large green that like all the
Champions’ surfaces features subtle rather than
dramatic breaks.
Sandhurst’s contrasting layouts present fairly
different challenges and reward varied aspects
of the game, with the North’s required shot
making and premium placed on creativity
around the greens giving it a slight edge in my
opinion. Although, the strategy required and
history lesson about the greats of Australian golf
mean the trip around the Champions course is
an enjoyable one.
As Sandhurst enters its 14th year the club
isn’t resting on its laurels. Ongoing
improvements, such as the Matrix bunker work
completed on the North in 2017 and slated for
the Champions in the future, signal that one of
Melbourne’s newest additions will only
continue to improve.
FACT FILE
THE COURSE
LOCATION: 75 Sandhurst Boulevard,
Sandhurst, VIC, 3977.
CONTACT: (03) 8787 7011.
WEBSITE: www.sandhurst.com
DESIGNERS: Peter Thomson and Ross Perrett
(2004, North), (2008, Champions).
SLOPE RATINGS: North: 139 (black), 138 (blue),
137 (white) and 129 (red). Champions: 144 (black),
131 (blue), 128 (white) and 132 (red).
PLAYING SURFACES: Legend couch fairways,
G2 Creeping bentgrass greens.
GREEN FEES: Sandhurst is a private club but
access is available to visitors Sunday to Friday
and bookings can be made through the club’s
online booking system.
PGA PROFESSIONALS: Nick Bielawski, Christian
Hamilton, Yoyo Han and David Thomas (PGA
Centre for Learning and Performance).
THE CLUB
MEMBERSHIP: Sandhurst offers three
membership three levels: Platinum (requires a
purchase or lease of shares), Gold and Silver.
With sub-categories of seven-, six- and five-day
course access available. Family, Intermediate
and Junior memberships are also available, with
the membership year running March through
February and prorated rates available.
RECIPROCAL CLUBS: In addition to
arrangements with Bayview GC (NSW),
Blackwood GC (SA), Mission Hills Resort (China),
Glenmarie Resort (Malaysia) and Tropicana
Resort (Malaysia), the club is also part of the
Bay Golf Arrangement and is an Affiliate Club
of Pacific Links, giving members access to the
group’s facilities around the world.
FACILITIES: Combining 36-holes of championship
golf, the PGA Centre for Learning and
Performance and outstanding practice facilities,
Sandhurst’s golf offering is complimented by its
sports centre with a basketball court, heated
pool, tennis courts and state-of-the-art gym.
EVENTS: With an experienced team, two golf
courses, world-class facilities and various room
hire options Sandhurst is the perfect place
to host a corporate golf event, charity day,
wedding, kid’s party or conference.
golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 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
SWINGS & CADDIE ROUNDABOUTS
IT’S A simple question. But not one that
has, at least for this long-time observer of
all things golf, never really provided an
easy answer.
How important is a caddie to a player?
I ask (yet) again because of a trend that has
gradually developed at the sharp end of the
game over the last couple of years. Eschewing
the opportunity to employ a gnarled old veteran
of the links, a flurry of high-profile professionals
are currently walking inside the ropes alongside
a relatively inexperienced band of friends
and relatives.
Rory McIlroy has announced that 2018 will
see him continue with best pal Harry Diamond
(pictured below) on the bag. Phil Mickelson’s
brother, Tim, has resigned as Jon Rahm’s
manager to be his older sibling’s on-course
confidante. Dustin Johnson shows no sign of
sacking his brother Austin. And Michael Grellar
was offered the job as Jordan Spieth’s caddie
not because the former high school teacher
knew much about golf but because he and the
current Open champion get along so well.
There are others, too. The man standing
beside European No.1 Tommy Fleetwood
is his best friend, Ian Finnis.
Likewise, Tyrrell Hatton turned
round his hitherto disappointing
2017 season by asking Jonathan
Bell – a close pal and fellow pro
– to carry his clubs. In their first
four tournaments together,
Hatton won twice and picked
up more than £1.6million.
Then there is Jason Day, who
jettisoned Colin Swatton in
14 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
favour of his college room-mate, Luke Reardon.
Of the three pre-requisites any good caddie
must bring to the role – a strong back, an ability
to count and a personality compatible with his
or her employer – the third has, for whatever
reason, clearly taken precedence.
“Over the years we’ve seen plenty of
girlfriends, wives and mates caddying for players
who have won,” says Englishman Billy Foster,
who has more than 40 worldwide wins on
his caddying CV and currently works for
Lee Westwood.
“If a player is playing well, the caddie is
maybe not as important as people might think.
But over the course of a season, saying the right
things at the right time, being reliable and trying
your best to make a difference. It’s a bit like
being the navigator sitting beside a rally driver.
“Good caddying isn’t really about pulling
the glory club. It’s about the elimination of
mistakes. The fewer mistakes you make, the
better you will do for your man. But the biggest
thing is getting on with the player. If you don’t,
you get a divorce. If you’re out there together
30-weeks in a year it’s like being married.
Players and caddies see more of each other
than they do their spouses. So you have
to get on.”
That sentiment is echoed by
Bell, who was struggling to
make a living on the third-
tier EuroPro Tour before his
boyhood chum invited him to
pick up the clubs rather than
hit the shots.
“If you take care of yourself
emotionally and have a good time
then the golf takes care of itself,” he says.
“There is nothing worse than not getting on well
with someone and spending all day with them.
If Tyrrell caddied for me he would be the same
as I am with him. At the end of the day we just
want the best for each other.”
Still, you have to wonder if any or all of these
players could be doing even better with a more
experienced voice telling them why it’s a 6-iron
and not a 7-iron. Or does it really make that
much difference? Despite what the despicable
Steve Williams used to say about how many
tournaments he had “won” with the likes of Ray
Floyd, Greg Norman, Tiger Woods and Adam
Scott, no caddie has ever hit a shot en route to
someone else’s victory.
Maybe it really is all down to the elimination
of trouble and strife. Maybe all a good caddie
really has to do is tell the odd joke. Maybe all
that talk of “great” caddies is utter tosh after all.
Maybe it is really the easiest job in the world, as
long as the player is not unhappy. That happens.
But generally not for long.
“I was fired by Sergio, when he was No.2
in the world,” says Foster. “That was a blow
to my ego. But it was also a relief. I love
Sergio to bits, but at the time I wasn’t
comfortable with him, nor him
with me. If the player is not
getting results, the first person
in line is the caddie. Next is
the coach. Then the manager.
Then the wife. Someone has
to go because it is never the
player’s fault.”
Indeed, at least the answer to
that perennial poser is clear.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
Sandhurst,
Melbourne’s corporate
golf destination
Two 18-hole championship courses.
60 carts. 6 day access.
Stunning clubhouse. Unparalleled facilities. OFFICIAL HOME
OF THE PGA

Sandhurst, Victoria
www.sandhurst.com | (03) 8787 7011

Full event 30 minutes from

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HE’S BACK
HAVING finished a rollercoaster 2017 with a
successful return to competitive golf, Tiger
Woods recently confirmed in a statement he
“would love to play a full schedule in 2018”.
Exactly what a full schedule looks like for
the 42-year-old, who has played mole than 20
events only once in the last 12 years, isn’t clear
but will largely be determined by his fitness
and, as always, be focused around the four
major championships.
“I just have to continue to work on my body
and game and see where I pan out,” Woods
said. “I wish I knew where I was going to play
AROUND
OPENING SHOT
THE
TRAPS
and when I was going to play – it’s a lot easier
to prep for that – but we really don’t know. This
is all unchartered territory.”
Woods admitted to being “excited” about
his health and game in the statement and
appears likely to kick off his 2018 campaign at
either his traditional year opening event, the
Farmers Insurance Open beginning January 25
or the Genesis Open, which is run by Woods’
Foundation and begins February 15.
“One way or another, I will be at Riviera
Country Club in February for the Genesis
Open,” Woods said.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 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

WHAT’S IN
A NAME?
THE MEN’S Australian Open is, for the
time being, without a title sponsor after
Dubai-based airline Emirates announced
in the final days of 2017 that it would not
continue as the tournament’s naming
partner, a role it held since 2011.
The decision came after the company also
withdrew its name from the Melbourne Cup,
with the 2018 race to be bear the name of car
manufacturer, Lexus.
Whereas the Victorian Racing Club was
quick to secure another major sponsor, the
Australian Open’s owner, Golf Australia, is yet
to announce a replacement. It has to be said
the worldwide attention on the first Tuesday
in November does make the horse race a far
easier sell than a golf tournament that has
struggled to draw significant foreign attention

THE WITHDRAWAL
OF EMIRATES MIGHT
TURN OUT TO BE JUST
THE CHANGE THE
TOURNAMENT NEEDS
AS IT ATTEMPTS
TO RECREATE THE
DIZZYING HEIGHTS OF
THE KERRY PACKER-
BACKED DAYS...
in the past decade and is the victim of never
ending chatter about its place on the calendar.
The country’s oldest and most prestigious
tournament has been constantly linked with
the European Tour in recent years and the lack
of an agreement, or concrete signs of one,
might have been the final nail in the coffin for
Emirates when making its decision where to
spend its marketing dollars.
Although the company’s International Vice-
President for Communications, Marketing
and Brand, Boutros Boutros indicated to The
Australian newspaper Emirates’ goals for the
sponsorship had achieved its desired effect,
making it surplus to requirements.
“When we first came, nobody had heard
of Emirates,” Boutros said. “Definitely, our
research says our brand recognition in Australia
is now very high. (The sponsorships) are no

18 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia


Follow Golf Australia on
Twitter @GolfAustMag
longer necessary.”
While Boutros’ sentiments are certainly
true, the airline remains in partnership
with the Australian Open tennis and with
the European Tour and the company’s
financial support of the Australian PGA
Championship, a European Tour event,
was not identified as being cut. Perhaps
indicating the Australian Open’s lack
of international reach and significance,
aspects that would be undoubtedly
assisted by the co-sanctioning of a major
Tour, dropped its place in the financial
pecking order.
The tournament and Golf Australia must
now seek to find another partner willing to
throw in the estimated $2million kicked in
by Emirates each year and fast, with early
preparations towards securing marquee
players likely already underway even with
continued strong government backing,
from Destination NSW.
Government support is unquestionably
necessary and helpful but the longer the
tournament is without a private sector
sponsor the more influence that can be
exerted by a group, who seemingly view
the Australian Open as a revenue raising
tourism event, rather than a historic
tournament won by some of the game’s
biggest names.
The next company in line is anyone’s
guess with all of Emirates’ predecessors
as title sponsor – MFS, Hillross, Holden,
Heineken and Panasonic – all now having
minimal to no involvement in the game.
And the once almost endless line of
companies looking to sponsor sporting
events, players and stadiums continue
to dwindle, particularly in golf. Even Tiger
Woods’ event on the PGA Tour is currently
without a title sponsor with, The National,
scheduled to take place in June.
The withdrawal of Emirates might turn
out to be just the change the tournament
needs as it attempts to recreate the
dizzying heights of the Kerry Packer-
backed days and hopefully find its way
onto the European Tour schedule. But as
always money talks and as it stands the
Australian Open could use an injection
from somewhere.
– Jimmy Emanuel
Want to get something off your chest? Let us know your
opinion via e-mail to: golf@golfaustralia.com.au or send your
letter to: Letters to the Editor, Golf Australia magazine, Level 6,
Building A, 207 Pacific Hwy, St Leonards NSW 2065.
YOUR SAY
PROS WITH A HEART... BEAT
When watching golf tournaments on TV I’ve
often thought I’d love to see the heart rate of
the pros, especially when they’re trying to sink
a crucial putt, or having played a bad shot.
This could easily be done, for example,
with players wearing a Fitbit-type device
where the information is relayed back to
the studio.
Most pros try and maintain an unemotional
demeanour – but what is going on inside? A
player may look in control, but their heart rate
while putting for example may indicate who is
experiencing the most stress.
Of course, heart rates vary between
people, but the tech boffins could tell us
by what percentage a players pulse has
increased. I just think this could add a new
level of interest.
Murray Fraser
Via email
LETTER OF THE MONTH
FOR THE SAKE OF THE GAME and I tried the ball on the course and found
Most golf enthusiasts and amateur players a 20-25 percent decrease in the overall
are agreed that we must limit the distance distance I could hit the ball off the tee with a
the golf ball is propelled with 300-yard drives commensurate decrease across the range of
becoming the norm. Most traditional famous my clubs. The concept, however, was nipped
courses are being made redundant and in the bud by the USGA, which did not add
new developments require excessive space them to their list of conforming golf balls.
thereby driving such facilities out of the easy I still have that golf ball (and the putter)
reach of time-poor amateurs. somewhat yellowed now but I sincerely
The obvious solution is developing a ball believe that if the game of golf is to be
that travels a shorter distance. saved from extinction we must urgently take
In 1984, I played a pro-am at steps to make the playing of the game more
Congressional CC in the United States with sustainable by curbing the distance the ball
Peter Jacobsen, who not only gave me his travels by altering the specifications through
prototype putter but a 1.80 inch golf ball size or composition. The future of the game of
called a Jumbo, developed by Jack Nicklaus golf is at stake.
to replace the 1.68 inch ball then in use. I Con van Pelt
was playing off a one handicap at that time Mermaid Waters, Queensland
OUR ‘LETTER OF THE MONTH’ WINNER RECEIVES A PAIR OF
CALLAWAY XFER FUSION GOLF SHOES, WORTH $180.
PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES X 2
golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 19
 AROUND
THE COMPE TITIONS & WINNERS
TRAPS

SPOT THE BALL three piece ball – producing a balanced

ANGEL YIN might be among the international
golfers playing in Australia this month. But
where could her ball be here?
All you have to do is correctly identify
where her ball is hidden on the grid, using the
letters and numbers (eg. A4, B2 etc).
Answer correctly and you could win two
dozen Mizuno JPX-S golf balls. The new JPX-S
is a soft compression edition of Mizuno’s
performance for a wider range of swing
speeds, which also boasts Mizuno’s Dimple-
Cluster design for improved aerodynamics.
TO ENTER: Select your grid reference and
then visit www.golfaustralia.com.au,
to submit your answer.
Entries close 11.59pm on February 21.
The winner and the correct answer will be
published in the April 2018 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

WINNERS & ANSWERS

Our DECEMBER ‘SPOT THE BALL’ competition saw a flood of entries
flow in with a wide range of answers to the location of J.J Spaun’s
back-handed recovery shot.
The grid reference was L 19 and the first correct entry drawn
was from Andrew Windleborn, of Maudsland, Queensland.
Congratulations!
PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES X 2

AUSTRALIA’S 50 FAVOURITE COURSES, brought to you by Callaway,

saw one lucky reader win a Callaway equipment package worth
$5,000. The winner was John Freeburn, of Hope Island, Queensland.

20 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

 Z e al a n d ’ s b es t
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 AROUND
THE NE WS
TRAPS
YARRA YARRA RESORATION BEGINS
MELBOURNE’S highly-rated Yarra Yarra Golf
Club has announced it will undergo a major
renovation of its course in 2018, to return
the layout to the vision of the original Alex
Russell design.
The club has appointed the Tom Doak-led firm,
Renaissance Golf Design (RGD), to oversee the
extensive changes to the East Bentleigh course,
which was originally created in 1928 by Russell –
the Australian design partner of the legendary Dr
feature greens, bunkers and the character of
the land;
= $$1 5(++ !$ (-2$&0 2$# (-2. 2'$(0 1300.3-#1
as part of greater decluttering of the site;
= 3/$0;3.31 !3-*$01 5(++ !$ 0$,.4$# 5'(+$
other bunkers, which are out of character
with the Russell-style evidenced elsewhere,
will be reshaped;
=  (05 7 ,.5(-& +(-$1 5(++ !$ 0$ #)312$#
to fully engage with hazards and present
greens elsewhere on the course.
“The fundamental reason for appointing
RGD is to ensure the club’s viability into the
future. To stay where we are risks consigning
31 2. ++.5(-& $62$0- + %.0"$1 2. (-;3$-"$
our longevity,” Yarra Yarra club president David
Blake said. “To ensure a viable future we need
2. ' 4$ ".301$ 2' 2 0$;$"21 2'$ &0$ 2-$11 .%
its original design; that is fun and challenging
so that people want to play the course; and a
Alister MacKenzie – during the golden era of golf
course architecture.
7$ 01>
Many changes were made to the layout over
the years by various designers and the club
felt many of the subtleties and the intent of
Russell’s design had been hidden from view.
Key themes of the RGD restoration include:
= /$-(-& 3/ 4($51 "0.11 2'$ ".301$ 1'.3+#
22 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
strategic risk/reward angles into tucked
'.+$ +." 2(.-1  (05 7 !3-*$01 5'$0$4$0
possible should feel like they intrude on
% (05 71 (-12$ # .% ,$0$+7 ; -*(-& 2'$,
= +2$0$# &0$$-1 5(++ !$ 0$12.0$# 5'$0$
possible. Where greens can’t be restored to
their original location, they will be rebuilt to
look and play like original Russell
"+3! 2' 2 /$./+$ 5 -2 2. ).(- < %.0 2'$ -$62 
2.
Club Captain Bruce Davison added: “With
0( - + 5-(* +$ #(-& 2'$  2$ , '$0$ 2
 00  00 2'$0$ (1 )312(: !+$ ./2(,(1, 2' 2 (-
the not-too-distant future, our course will return
to its rightful position as a top level course in
this country.”
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Smart
Eating
Week
12 - 18 February 2018

Brought to you by
Accredited Practising Dietitians

Whatever your sport, trust the advice of Accredited Practising Dietitians To get involved visit

Want to know how to eat smarter to reach your exercise goals? Talk to an Accredited daa.asn.au/
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 AROUND
THE NE WS
TRAPS

‘CAMBO’ SET
FOR COMEBACK
FORMER US Open champion Michael Campbell will make a
comeback to competitive golf this year on the European Tour.
The Kiwi, who turns 49 this month, is set to play a “handful” of
events this season as a primer for a more concerted tilt at the US
Champions Tour in 2019.
In a recent interview with Scotland’s Bunkered magazine,
Campbell said the time was right to get back out on Tour and see
if he could still be competitive after nearly two and a half years of
“normal” life.
“It’ll be good to get the juices flowing and see if I like it or not,”
Campbell told the magazine. “My friends and family have been
getting excited about it but who knows, I might hate it and all the
traveling again. I really don’t know. It’s a mystery right now but it’s
nice to have that unknown expectation. I’m just going to find my
feet and see what happens.”
The former Australian Amateur Champion and winner of 15
professional titles worldwide says he has been happy living a normal
life and reconnecting with his two sons Thomas, 20, and Jordan, 18,
after years of being on the road. He also set up two golf academies
in Marbella, Spain, where he now lives with his fiancée, Gunnel.
His retirement in 2015, nearly 22 years after turning pro, came
after injuries and off course issues over several years saw his form
go into decline.
“As everyone knows, it has been well-documented, my career
since (the 2005 US Open) hasn’t been that great,” Campbell said on
retiring in September 2015. “But if I walk away from the game right
now I could be very proud of my achievements.”
He admits he’s probably played no more than 10 rounds since
that day in 2015.
“I’m just going to enjoy being out there and not expect too much.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

I need to lose a spare tyre but besides that, I’m sure I’ll be fine,”
Campbell told Bunkered.

24 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

 AROUND
THE NE WS
TRAPS

BLACK BULL GETS LUXURY ADDITION

VICTORIAN developer, Lotus Living, is
capitalising on the regional tourism boom,
launching sales of its new multi-million
dollar The Point Resort Apartments at its
premier development, Silverwoods Golf and
Lifestyle Resort.
Adjoining the acclaimed Black Bull golf
course in Yarrawonga, the 117-room boutique
hotel and serviced apartment facility has
been designed by the renowned firm, Cox
Architecture, and is set to become the Murray
River’s most indemand entertainment,
restaurant, and waterfront living precinct.
In addition to the luxury hotel and
serviced apartment rooms, The Point Resort
Apartments will also encompass first
class amenities including bar and bistro,
fine-dining restaurant. 300-person conference
facility, a pool, gymnasium and other health
club facilities, all built on the doorstep of
Lake Mulwala.
The complex will be managed by Lotus
Living – under a franchise with AccorHotels’
Tourism Research Australia recently
announced tourism in Sun Country area of the
Murray River Region was up 26.2 per cent on
the year ending June 2016.
Lotus Living Project Director, Daniel Smith,
says the launch marks an important step
not only for the community but also in the
continued transformation of Yarrawonga.
“We are proud to be contributing to the
evolution of Yarrawonga. The Point Resort
Apartments will deliver substantial benefits to
the township as it continues to flourish as a
premier holiday, conference and mini-getaway
destination in northern Victoria,” Smith said.
Surrounded by uniquely local flora and
fauna, The Point Resort Apartments will
feature a neutral colour palette that is
influenced by the Murray River environment.
Natural materials of a robust nature, such as
linen, leather, and cowhide, will offer a soft
luxury which will age gracefully.
Construction is expected to commence
early in 2018 and is expected to be completed
in time for Christmas 2019.
To find out more about available
opportunities at Silverwoods, head to the
Sales Office located at Black Bull Pro Shop or
visit www.silverwoodsyarrawonga.com.au
PHOTOS: BRENDAN JAMES; SU-PPLIED (BOTTOM).

The Sebel brand.

The launch of The Point Resort Apartments
is another significant milestone for
Silverwoods, following the developer’s
completion of 200 homes and the Black Bull
Golf Course, which is ranked in Australia’s Top-
100 Courses by Golf Australia magazine.

26 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

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 IN MY
OPINION E XC LU S I V E BY G E O F F O G I LV Y | G O L F AU S T R A L I A C O LUMNI S T
THE THINGS TAKING THE FUN OUT OF GOLF
THE question before me is simple: what
am I most disappointed to see on any
golf course?
The first is obvious and one that will no doubt
resonate with all of you: Slow play. It is the one
thing that affects me most during an event.
Everyone has a natural pace, so some people
are just naturally slow in everything they do. My
father is one of those. But even if that is the
case, there is – at least to me – little excuse for
playing golf slowly. If you do all the little things
between shots quickly, you can almost take as
long as you want over a shot and not fall behind.
On Tour, the most frustrating aspect of slow
play is being ready to hit, then looking over to
see the guy with the honour just about to start
his pre-shot routine. In other words, he has been
doing something else entirely at a time when he
should have been working out his yardage and
figuring what club he needs to use. It is just so
thoughtless and selfish. And it drives me nuts.
I get that some players can have trouble
taking the club away from the ball – Kevin Na,
Sergio Garcia and Ben Crane spring to mind.
And I have sympathy with such a problem.
But still. It is relatively easy to get to that point
“IF YOU DO ALL
THE LITTLE
THINGS BETWEEN
SHOTS QUICKLY,
YOU CAN ALMOST
TAKE AS LONG AS
YOU WANT OVER
A SHOT AND NOT
FALL BEHIND.”
28 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
quickly – even if you then struggle to start
the backswing.
Architecturally, my biggest pet peeve is what
I call “double hazards.” For example, a fairway
bunker directly behind a tree. That sounds
ridiculous. But I see it so often, even on “great”
courses where a tree planted 40-years ago has
grown to be simply inappropriate. Valderrama in
Spain has a few of those.
The idea of any hazard is to test the recovery
skills of players. But put a tree in front of that
hazard and you bring everyone down to the
same level. Everyone is reduced to chipping
out sideways. When I see that happening I
always wonder why the bunker and tree are not
replaced by a small water hazard, where you
take a one-shot penalty and move on. That is, in
effect, what has been created by “doubling” the
bunker and the tree. So yes, have a tree. Or a
bunker. But not both.
Another thing I don’t like are courses that
are overly soft, which, by the way, means
95 percent of courses in the United States.
Australia is, thankfully, the opposite. We are a
drought country and so are sensible with water.
Anyway, mud on the ball and shots plugging
as they land takes 90 percent of the fun out
of golf. For me at least. All because of vanity
and the misguided notion that golf courses are
supposed to be the sort of verdant green you
only see in magazine ads for paint. Which is not
to say I have anything against green grass, as
long as the course plays firm and fast.
I don’t like to see too many tees on any hole.
There should be just a couple of tees, three
at most. Front, middle and back. That covers
every level of player. Besides, if in doubt tee-off
wherever you want, from the place you think
you will have the most fun.
Speaking of fun – or lack of it – a bad short
par-4 is something else I never like to see. A
good short par-4 is one of the most pleasurable
things on any course. That or a short par-3. I
have never heard anyone complain about a hole
being too short. But everyone complains when a
hole is too long. Golf is inherently hard. On a flat
piece of land with no hazards, the game can still
be difficult. The 18th hole on the Old Course at
St. Andrews is proof of that.
So why do you need to build crazy-long holes
on steroids? I don’t get those.
The sad thing is that the great short par-4
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES X 3
 “ARCHITECTURALLY, MY
BIGGEST PET PEEVE IS WHAT
I CALL ‘DOUBLE HAZARDS’.”

is almost extinct. But bad short par-4s are Golf today is more and more about putting to really excel when the greens are super-fast
everywhere. A great short par-4 gives the and less about ball-striking. Especially at the and that’s to putt really well. Relatively slow, firm
scratch player an almost automatic par. So if I elite level, who wins and loses is almost all greens make ball-striking and putting equally
want to make a par every time, I can. With ease. down to putting, which is wrong. That’s why important. It’s really that simple.
But if I want to make a three or even a two, the challenge of links golf is so great. Golf at One last thing. I like long grass on golf
things get tricky. Danger lurks if you go looking the seaside balances the importance of the two courses. But I don’t like cultivated, harvested,
for it. That’s when I can make five or six. And main aspects of the game. verdant rough. That is the game’s most
that is what makes a great short par-4. Think about it. Slower (but still firm) greens unimaginative hazard. It’s boring, like bad lies
To sum up: The more conservative you are off give you a little more margin for error when in bunkers. If you force everyone into a bad lie,
the tee, the easier it should be to make par and putting – and less margin for error with your full you remove skill. And that’s what long rough
the harder it should be to make birdie. But if you shots. You can still stand out in different ways. does. From that sort of lie, we’re all hacking out.
are aggressive off the tee, the birdie potentially Good strategy. Good decision-making. Good There’s no advantage to being good.
gets easier – albeit riskier. shot-making. In contrast, there’s only one way Now that I really don’t like.
Sadly, most of the short par-4s I see are not
short enough. Too often, the architect falls into
the trap of trying to make a hard par-4 that is
also short. Yes, they are drivable. But the lay-up
is harder than the drive. So everyone ends up
going for the green in one. Then it’s all about
luck. If you get fortunate, you make par or birdie; “...MUD ON
if you don’t, you make par or bogey. There is no THE BALL
real fun involved in any of that.
Let’s talk about green speeds. Too fast is
AND SHOTS
no good. I loved the greens I grew up on in PLUGGING AS
Melbourne as a kid. But, looking back, they THEY LAND
were crazy fast. It was an obsession back then.
Don’t get me wrong. Slope on greens is always
TAKES 90
interesting. But the more slope you have, the PERCENT OF
slower the surfaces must be. So there is a THE FUN OUT
“sweet spot” for every course, the point where
the speed of the greens is appropriate to their
OF GOLF.”
design. Firm and slow seems to me to be best.
Combine those two and you can have pins on
slopes. Make the firmness of the green the
most difficult aspect, not the speed.

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 29

 England’s
Mel Reid will
be back to
defend her
Vic Open title
at Thirteenth
Beach.

30 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

 PREVIEW

GETTING
STRONGER
One of the most unique tournaments in world golf returns to
Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula this month, where more than
280 male and female professionals as well as elite amateurs
will tee up side-by-side at the 2018 Oates Vic Open.
WORDS JIMMY EMANUEL

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 31


I
n this era of recognising the need
for equality across the sexes, golf is
learning all the time and the game is in a
much better place than it was a decade ago.
At the elite level of the game, there is only one
tournament that leads the way globally in terms
of equality – whether it is in terms of prizemoney
or exposure – and is often held up as the prime
example of what tournament golf might, or
should, look like in the future.
That tournament is the Oates Vic Open, which
continues to grow in popularity and prizemoney
year-on-year.
For the sixth consecutive year, the 36-hole
Thirteenth Beach Links at Barwon Heads
will host two fields of 144 players in the only
tournament in the world where men and
women play alongside one another with equal
prizemoney on offer.
In 2018, the total purse has been raised
further to $650,000 for both the men’s and
women’s Opens, while the ladies event will also
be co-sanctioned between the ALPG and Ladies
European Tour (LET).
The tournament starts on February 1 and will
see alternate tee times for men and women, while
there is a 36-hole and 54-hole cut in both events.
With three other co-sanctioned tournaments
to be played in the weeks following the Vic Open,
there should be a strong contingent of Ladies
European Tour players at Thirteenth Beach.
That was the case in 2017 when England’s Mel
Reid led the foreign charge. She claimed the title
in strong winds after a tense three-hole sudden
death playoff with fellow Solheim Cup player
Sandra Gal.
“It was honestly brutal out there, it was one of
the toughest winds I’ve ever had,” Reid said of the
trying conditions on the final day. “Just a true
test of golf, it brought a lot of character out
32 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
there today.”
Reid is set to defend her 2017 title at
Thirteenth Beach after failing to take her
winning form to the LPGA Tour where she
focused the majority of her efforts last year.
She will be keen to get her new season off to a
similarly positive start after a disappointing
conclusion to 2017, which saw the six-time LET
winner forced to withdraw from multiple events
due to injury and illness.
The 30-year-old’s main challenge in 2018
is likely to come from her countrywoman and
Solheim Cup teammate Georgia Hall. Hall is
fresh off securing an LPGA Tour card for the
upcoming season and was victorious at the 2016
Vic Open.
The 21-year-old took home the LET Order
Su Oh is set to make
a dash from the
Bahamas to be in
the Vic Open field.
Dimi Papadatos and Mel Reid
collected the silverware in 2017
and will defend this year.
of Merit in 2017, despite not defending her
2016 Victorian Open title, and was one of few
positives taken from a European standpoint after
the Solheim Cup drubbing inflicted on Annika
Sorenstam’s team. With Hall displaying her
credentials in the team format fresh off a top-5
finish at the Women’s British Open. Two results
that have the World No.40 aiming high for 2018.
“I’d like to become Rookie of the Year on the
LPGA. I still want to play a few events on the LET
in between and do better in the majors, and have
a more consistent year this year,” Hall said.
Hall and Reid won’t have it all their own way
of course, with plenty of locals looking to return
the Women’s Victorian Open Salver to Australian
ownership for the first time since Minjee Lee
emerged victorious as an amateur in 2014. At the
time of going to press, it was yet to be confirmed
if Australia’s highest ranked player would be
starting her season at the Vic Open in 2018, as
she did in 2017.
Lee’s fellow Olympian, Su Oh, was also yet to
confirm as a starter in her home state open.
Oh handled the tough conditions better
than most of the field on the final day in 2017,
eventually finishing in a tie for third.
“Coming from Melbourne, I guess I’m kind of
used to it a little bit with the crappy weather,” Oh
recently said of her performances in less than
ideal conditions.
The Victorian also finds the Thirteenth Beach
layouts to her liking, recording a runner-up finish
in 2015, and is sure to be one of the favourites
for the 2018 title if she tees it up as she looks to
add a second LET victory to her resume, having
claimed the 2015 RACV Ladies Masters.
Like the women’s event, the 2017 men’s
winner, Dimi Papadatos, will return to Thirteenth
Beach to defend his title, which kicked off a
successful year for the New South Welshman.
Papadatos had previously failed to take
advantage of the benefits afforded him by his
2014 New Zealand Open win as a newly minted
professional. This time last year he faced a
2017 without many certain starts and was not
expecting instant positive results after making a
coaching change.
“I’m very happy with how the week panned
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 … LAWSON IS
ONE OF THE FEW
PLAYERS TO RIVAL
HERBERT’S COURSE
KNOWLEDGE
AROUND THE
BEACH AND
CREEK COURSES
OF THIRTEENTH
BEACH …
out. I was coming into a little bit of form I
thought. It came a bit earlier than expected but
I’m very happy with it,” Papadatos said after his
win last year.
Buoyed by the victory and full of confidence,
the 26-year-old claimed his second win of the
PGA Tour of Australasia season at the WA PGA
a few months later, which helped him to a 10th
place finish on the Tour’s Order of Merit and the
Tour’s Player of the Year award.
Papadatos failed to secure playing rights on the
European Tour late in 2017 and didn’t feature in
the Australian Open and PGA. Nevertheless, the
Central Coast product will return to Thirteenth
Beach as one of the favourites as he looks to do
something he has struggled with in the past.
Following a good year with another.
Unlike the defending champion’s struggles late
in 2017, Lucas Herbert, who was not a confirmed
starter at the time of going to press, announced
himself to the wider golfing public in the year’s
concluding three tournaments.
The Victorian set Twin Creeks alight with
birdies to finish runner-up at the NSW Open
34 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
before regularly finding himself atop the
leaderboard during the Australian Open playing
alongside Jason Day. At the Australian PGA,
Herbert confirmed himself as a player to be
watched closely with his third top-10 finish in as
many weeks.
While some would look at Herbert’s end to
2017 as a number of missed chances to secure a
career changing victory, the precocious 22-year-
old, who rose over 400 world ranking places in
Papadatos’ win
at Thirteenth
Beach kept him
in the running
for the Tour
OOM all year.
Lucas Herbert will be hoping
to recapture the form he
showed at the end of 2017.
12 months, took nothing but positives. He will
have these fresh in his mind as he attempts to
challenge Papadatos and the rest of the field at a
course he knows better than most, having teed it
up in every Vic Open held at Thirteenth Beach.
“Some guys would look at that as a real loss,
but it’s so many positives I can take out of that so
I wouldn’t think of it that way at all,” Herbert said
reflecting on the Australian Open.
Deyen Lawson is another Australian up-and-
comer and while he hasn’t had his name up in
lights like Papadatos and Herbert, the Victorian
is certainly among the players to watch.
Completing his PGA traineeship at nearby
Curlewis Golf Club, Lawson is one of the few
players to rival Herbert’s course knowledge
around the Beach and Creek courses of
Thirteenth Beach. He recorded three top-10
finishes around Australia in 2017 as well as
numerous good results on the far reaching
Pro-am circuit.
Alongside the young stars like Herbert
and Papadatos will be a strong contingent of
steely veterans hoping to remind their younger
compatriots, and perhaps even themselves, that
they still have the game to compete.
Among them will be local resident and 2015
champion Richard Green, who will be desperate
to find the form that made him a three-time
European Tour winner. He, perhaps, best
represents what is so unique about the Oates
Vic Open given he claimed the men’s trophy
in 2015, while his Norwegian fiancé Marianne
Skarpnord, playing in the group in front, won the
ladies event.
 

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 ’ S
EXCLUSIVE

P E L L E Y
V O L U T I O N
RE European Tour Chief Executive Keith Pelley has
become a mover and a shaker in world golf by unveiling
new formats as alternatives to traditional tournament
play, all in the name of exposing more people to the
game. But, he says, the search is still on for the magic
formula that will change the game forever.
WORDS JACK MARTIN PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES

A
cross the world of golf at the
moment, there is a quiet revolution
bubbling under the surface. It
comprises of trying to make the sport
exciting and more compressed in order to
attract new and younger audiences.
Intriguingly those directing the dialogue for
such change are the game’s new administrators
– the likes of Michael Whan of the LPGA, Martin
Slumbers of the R&A and Pete Bevacqua from the
PGA of America, who are all pushing for a speed
up in play and altering of the rules.
However, the leader of the movement is,
unquestionably, the European Tour and its chief
executive, Keith Pelley, who, since coming into
office in 2015, has made it his primary objective
to innovate the game whilst retaining its values
and heritage.
“I think the core of the game is history and
tradition,” says Pelley, in an exclusive interview
with Golf Australia. “It’s absolutely key. The 72
holes is at the core of what we do, and we want to
protect that.
“However, there’s a narrative happening
worldwide that there is a need to evolve. That
there is a need to look at different formats. There
is a need to be innovative.
“We believe at the European Tour that we
are leading that transformation. What we’re all
trying to do is bring new people to our wonderful
game. We want to attract a different audience. It’s
imperative. To do that, though, you need to make
changes and evolve.”
The European Tour’s first sample of innovation
came in Perth last year with the launch of World
Super 6 – a tournament where the field plays
three rounds of stroke play to qualify for the
match play portion of the event. Matches are
then played over six holes, with squared matches
decided in a shootout from a purpose-built tee
beside the 18th fairway. The inaugural event, won
by Brett Rumford, was a resounding success and

36 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

 Keith Pelley has
rattled the cage
of traditionalists
with his plans
to change
tournament golf.

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 37

 The winds of change began at
the World Super 6 Perth, won
by Brett Rumford last February.
was followed a few months later by a team version
in the UK.
GolfSixes saw 16 teams of two fighting it out in
a match play contest over six holes, all against a
backdrop of music and celebrity commentators.
The event was aimed to change the perceptions of
golf as being ‘boring’. It was a risk and, certainly,
was received with scepticism from the sport’s
traditionalists. But, amid all the fuss, did it end up
being a success?
“GolfSixes was a monumental success,” says
Pelley, with conviction in his voice. “There’s no
doubt about it. I think 19 percent of the people
who watched on Sky Sports in the UK had never
watched a golf event before while 17 percent
who attended it had never been to a golf event
live before.
“So, you can see there, it’s definitely something
to build on. We have plans to improve the
tournament this year, too, and definitely plan for it
to be on our schedule for many years to come.”
Whilst GolfSixes was last year’s brainchild
of Pelley, this year will see another one of his
concepts put into play with the short-formatted
Shot Clock Masters, which will be played in
Austria in June. Just like with GolfSixes, the Tour
boss is hoping that quicker golf will appeal to the
shorter attention spans of modern day sports fans.
“We are living in a society right now where the
Millennials attention span is 12 seconds,” says
38 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
WE WANT TO ATTRACT A DIFFERENT
AUDIENCE. IT’S IMPERATIVE. TO DO
THAT, THOUGH, YOU NEED TO MAKE
CHANGES AND EVOLVE.
– KEITH PELLEY
Pelley. “And the Gen Zed, which is the younger
generations, is at only eight seconds.
“Also, we are living in a society with a choice
overload for consumers. We constantly hear the
fact that golf takes too long to play and watch.
“The Shot Clock Masters is something that
will take 45 minutes off the game and make it
more exciting to watch which is important in
modern society.”
With the likes of Justin Rose and Andy Sullivan
openly being interviewed on the course during
play and others, like Lee Westwood, frequently
offering tips and advice to add to the package,
what’s most impressive about the modernisation
of European golf is the full backing it evidently
receives from its players.
Indeed, Thomas Pieters choosing to host the
new exciting strokeplay tournament, the Belgium
Knockout competition, next year, epitomises this
unyielding support for innovation.
“I am very excited to have Thomas Pieters
hosting the Belgium Knockout competition,”
Pelley says. “We’re going to sit back and see how
that event works out just like with the Shot Clock
Masters and see where we will go forward with it
in 2019.
“But as you can see, our players have been
engaged with our efforts to move forward.
You see on TV they are embracing answering
questions while they walk from tee to green. ‘Is
there room to do more Q&As on the course and
through social media?’ definitely. But we are
making good progress.
“What’s most interesting about the Shot Clock
Masters is that our tournament committee,
which is made up of Henrik Stenson, Francesco
Molinari, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Thomas Bjorn
and David Howell, all supported the event. That is
 Pelley talks with the media
about his vision for the
GolfSixes team concept.

a telling tale.” Pelley says the inaugural

Whilst Pelley wants to move the game forward GolfSixes event in 2017 was a
“monumental success”.
as a whole, he is also striving to strengthen the
European Tour’s prize funds against that of the
PGA Tour to stem the flow of European stars
moving to the US.
One way he has attempted to do this is by
overhauling some of the continent’s main events
and merging them together to establish the Rolex
Series. The Series appeared for the first time in
2017 and, on the surface, it seems to have been a
huge revelation.
“The Rolex Series has been far greater received
than I could ever have imagined,” says Pelley. “It
is only year one, but I am very excited at how it
has come together so far. You can see everybody is
enjoying it.”
With the PGA Tour revealing early last year
that a shake up to their calendar in 2019 will
see the PGA Championship moved to May and
the FedEx Cup concluding in August instead of
September, there is a feeling that the European
Tour’s autumn schedule and Race to Dubai may
be able to benefit from the revamp in attracting
more high-profile players from America.
Pelley, obviously, recognises there is chance
for his Tour to take advantage of a lighter
autumn on the American scene but points out
that nothing has been set in stone in terms of an
effective plan yet.

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 39

 The European Tour chief says
there is no magic formula for
attracting bigger audiences to golf.

“At this time, we are looking at 2019 as both exciting golf.

a challenge and opportunity,” says the 53-year- “However, ‘do I think we are having
old. “Obviously the BMW PGA Championship conversations about it with the USGA and R&A?’

THE SHOT CLOCK

at Wentworth, which is our core tournament,
will have to be moved from May with the PGA
Championship major being staged in the
same month.
“But right now, we’re in full strategic mode,
looking what we are going to do in 2019. There’s
no definite schedule at the moment. We’re looking
at a bunch of different of options.”
yes. ‘Do I believe they will address it?’ I believe
they will. Both bodies are very proactive and
MASTERS IS listen well. We’re in good hands.”
There’s no doubt Pelley deserves credit for his
SOMETHING THAT endeavour to bring change to golf. He is clearly a
WILL TAKE 45 deep thinker of the game and, unlike many before
him, is not afraid to try and fail. Instead of the
MINUTES OFF THE sport being a TV schedule filler, Pelley strongly

GAME AND MAKE

Whilst innovation around golf ’s appeal
is happening at a measured pace, golfing
equipment has seen technological development
at a much faster rate in recent years. So much so,
that many within the golfing fraternity, believe
that it now needs to be reigned back for the good
of the game’s history.
The issue was particularly highlighted at the
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October,
when the Old Course at St Andrews was
criticised for being ‘too easy’ and a push over to
the advancements in modern day golf balls and
clubs, after Ross Fisher carded a remarkable 61.
Pelley, however, says he is not hugely
concerned with the huge distances being made
by players and the low scores being recorded
as he believes it may have a big part to play in
IT MORE EXCITING
TO WATCH WHICH
IS IMPORTANT IN
MODERN SOCIETY.
helping the sport moving forward.
“That’s a question for the gatekeepers and the
R&A and the likes,” says Pelley. “But, personally,
I think people love to see birdies. People like to
see the ball travelling a long way. It makes for
believes golf can become exciting to watch again
if it wakes up and realises its need to evolve.
World Super 6, GolfSixes, the Shot Clock
Masters and the Rolex Series are all formats
which aim to achieve this but are at a stage
where it’s still too early to assess their impact.
With so many different ideas on the go, however,
you do wonder which one Pelley thinks is most
likely to be a long-term success.
“I think we’re still trying to understand which
is the best way to go,” concludes the Canadian.
“We tried a number of different formats in 2017
and there will be more in 2018 as mentioned.
“All I can say is that we are in an exploration
stage. ‘What is the magical formula to bring in a
new audience to the game we love?’ is something
we are still searching for.”

40 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

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 PREVIEW

42 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

The
atton
eist
Since the age of six, England’s Tyrrell Hatton has only
wanted to be a Tour golfer. He’d achieved that goal by
the time he was 20, and now he’s raking it in after
back-to-back wins in 2017
WORDS KEVIN BROWN PHOTOGRAPHY HOWARD BOYLAN, GETTY IMAGES

T
yrrell Hatton knew he wanted to
be a golfer from a ridiculously early
age. He was born to play, and that’s
all he ever wanted to do from the moment
dad Jeff first placed a cut-down club in his
hands in the back garden when he was still
in nappies, a mere 13 months old.
He showed promise, and natural talent –
plenty of both in fact – and over the ensuing
years they were developed by Hatton senior.
It was golf, golf and more golf as far as Tyrrell
was concerned – he freely admits he didn’t enjoy
school and got funny looks when he told teachers
he was going to be a pro golfer.
He knew deep down they didn’t believe like
he believed.
Hatton has turned his dream into reality,
stunning back-to-back wins in the Dunhill
Links and Italian Open not only thrusting him
to 22nd in the world rankings, but making him a
multi-millionaire, a potential Major champion
and virtually a dead cert to make Europe’s Ryder
Cup team in Paris later this year. Oh, and he’s the
proud owner of a $350,000 Lamborghini!
Hatton admits he is largely indebted to father
Jeff, who is still his coach after he sacrificed his
own career when his son was 11 to pass his
PGA exams, enabling him to focus on
Tyrrell’s talent.
Clearly it was a gamble that could have
backfired, prompting Jeff to tell us: “I discovered
a love of teaching through Tyrrell and I owe a lot
to him. His talent and drive have taken us a long
way.” And there’s undoubtedly more to come…

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 43

 CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP LEFT
Teeing off in the Dubai Desert
Classic. Hatton admits he’s not
a technical player, and lets dad
Jeff worry about his swing.

Hatton celebrates after

canning a 20-footer on the last
at the Italian Open to seal his
second European Tour win in
two weeks.

He’s won at the Home of Golf

twice, going back-to-back in
the Dunhill Links Championship
in 2016 and 2017.

Tyrrell’s dad Jeff encouraged

his son into the game at a
young age, making him his
first clubs at the age of three,
and coaching him since the
age of 11.

How did you first get into golf?
My parents got me into golf straight away, and I
was in the back garden playing at 13 months old.
My first time on a golf course was aged 3 on the
par-3 course at Wycombe Heights so I played
that and dad made up three little clubs for me to
go out and play with. And then I played my first
tournament when I was five, so I’ve been playing
tournament golf since then and all the way
through till I turned pro at 19.
How fast did you improve?
I think I was about 11 when I played county golf
in the under-14s set-up and then – I’m struggling
to remember – I got called up to the England
really good first full year in men’s golf, finishing
sixth in the Lytham Trophy and stuff like that.
That got me into the England Elite set-up the
following year and I played in the men’s Home
Internationals, but just missed out on the Walker
Cup, so I decided to turn pro in August 2011 and
went to Q-School later in the year.
How did that pan out?
I got all the way through to the finals, but then
missed the cut there. I hadn’t a great ranking on
Challenge Tour, but it got me into a few events and
my management company got me seven invites,
which is what I needed.
Then 2012 was my first full year as a pro and
play pretty much every event I wanted to and was
fortunate to have a good run at the end to get my
European Tour card. I’ve wanted to play on the
European Tour since I was six years old walking
around Wycombe Heights…
Is it everything you expected?
Golf is all I’ve done really. I played a little bit of
football, but wasn’t any good and to be honest I
didn’t really enjoy school. After leaving at 16 I was
happy to focus on golf and hope it would work out.
Luckily it has so far.
How confident were you it would work out?
You know what you want to do, and it’s important

TEXT & IMAGES: © BAUER CONSUMER MEDIA LIMITED

under-18s squad which was a bit of a surprise! But
I enjoyed that in my last year as a junior and went
to Canada for my last junior event and managed
to win which was a nice way to close out my
junior career.
Then you were mixing it with the big boys.
I then went into men’s golf, though I wasn’t in the
England squad, not even in the A-squad. I had a
I was playing EuroPro and Challenge Tours and
I was fortunate enough to win the qualifying
school for EuroPro and then won the third event
at Bovey Castle in Devon and that helped me get
more invites on the Challenge Tour: I did alright
with the invites and just managed to keep my
card, playing 11 events and finishing 77th in the
rankings. So for 2013 I had a full category on the
Challenge Tour. That was great because I could
to believe in your own ability to be able to make
that happen, but nothing is guaranteed, is it? I
guess I was fortunate I played well at the right
times in the big events on Challenge Tour –
finishing 2nd in Kazakhstan, the biggest event of
that year. That was the big thing for me, playing
well at the right times.
The likes of Tiger, Rory and Jordan would

The rise & rise of Tyrrell Hatton

1997... AGE 5 1998... AGE 6 1999... AGE 7 2000... AGE 8 2001... AGE 9 2002... AGE 10 2003... AGE 11
9th in Daily Four junior Medal Won with a Won fi ve events Won PGA Wee Individual winner Two men’s Medal
Telegraph Qualifier wins at Wycombe course record including the Wonders at BHF team wins at
at Wexham Park Heights GC gross 55 in the Redbourn Junior Qualifier at qualifier at Harleyford, gross
with gross 111. before his sixth U12s National Open (U12s) with Foxhills. Mentmore with 79 and 81;
birthday and 18- Short Course a new course 44 points. Wycombe
hole par-3 course Championships at record. Heights Junior
at Wycombe with Gunn Masters winner
gross 65. Park with gross 56 and
Little Aston
Junior Masters
(U-14s) nett
winner.

44 FEB ustralia
 Hatton’s
I WAS exclusive
ABOUT SIX OR
SEVEN. I WAS IN clubs
A PLAY-OFF AND Victory at the 2017 Italian
Open made Tyrrell Hatton
HIT A PUNCHED just the 34th player to win

8-IRON TO A back-to-back European Tour

events, joining the likes of
FOOT Seve, Faldo, Langer, Ian
Woosnam, Tiger, Garcia,
Mickelson and Rory McIlroy.
The youngest was: Jeunghun
Wang (2016) aged 20 years
and 263 days; the oldest Phil
Mickelson (2013) 43 years
and 35 days. And since
1972, just 40 players have
managed to retain a trophy
they won the previous year
with Hatton’s Dunhill Links
success the most recent.
He might struggle to beat
Tiger, though, who made 10
successful title defences.

say the same…
It probably stems from the Junior Masters when
I was about six or seven. I was in a play-off and
hit a punched 8-iron to a foot – I can still vividly
remember that shot – and there was a crowd of
about 80 watching. I guess some people, especially
at that age, would have been intimidated by
playing in front of so many people. But I enjoyed
it. Maybe that was a kind of platform for me.
Tell us about dad Jeff ’s role in your career.
He’s been coaching me since I was 10 or 11 and,
like anything, that has its positives and negatives.
We’ve done really well together which is obviously
reflected in the results we’ve had.
Has he instilled this self-belief or is
that natural?
You’ve got to have belief in your own ability, but
obviously everyone is human and you can have
negative thoughts about whether you’re going to
do well or not. Everyone is going to battle that, but
that’s how it is. You try and deal with it the best
way you can, but everyone out here is confident.
Everyone knows if they have a good week and play
well, they’ve got a chance of winning. That’s how
good it is.
You seem to have done OK!
It’s not easy to win. I’d like to win more… but
it’s easier said than done (this interview was
conducted before Hatton went back-to-back in
the Dunhill Links and Italian Open).
How special was your first Tour win,
especially as it was at the Home of Golf?
It was a big one! And a cool place to get my first
win. To tie the course record of 62 (broken by
Ross Fisher’s 61 in 2017) was a bit of a surprise
as well. It was amazing, especially considering
I’d struggled at St Andrews before and hadn’t
had great results there, so it wasn’t a course I
necessarily enjoyed going back to. But I guess now
I have good reason to enjoy it!
What do you remember most about that
first victory?
I just felt like I was going to have a good week.
I had some ground to make up after 36 holes,
but shot a really low one on Saturday and it was
a whole new experience for me, going out on
Sunday with a three-shot lead.
Did you feel comfortable about that?
I had experiences earlier that year where I
didn’t maybe deal with being in the final group
or being around the lead that well, because I just
wanted to win. I probably put a bit too much
pressure on myself. I like getting off to a pretty
fast start, not to calm everything down, but get
confidence as opposed to getting off to a slow start
and feeling like I’ve got to chase it. But I got off to
the fast start I’m always looking to make and
was -3 through five or six which made me hard
to catch.
How was that walk down 18?
They say it’s one of the easiest tee shots, but
at that moment you’ve still got it to hit it fairly
straight. You’ve got to be disciplined, pick your
target and just make a swing because it’s easy
to stand on a hole like that and not really focus
and the next thing you know you’ve hit it out of

2004... AGE 12 2005... AGE 13 2006... AGE 14 2007... AGE 15 2008... AGE 16 2009 2010
Retained Junior Junior club Equalled course Won Luke Donald Called into the Member of Won a bu
Masters title at champion at record at Salver at England U18s squad, England U18s titles incl
Wycombe with a Harleyford and Harleyford with a Beaconsfield by retained the Luke squad and the Open
new course Men’s Scratch gross 68 and four shots; Donald Salver, won individual winner qualifier
record (gross 51) knockout winner. came 2nd gross won Harleyford Harleyford men’s in World Team Ladybank
and won in the Men’s Club Men’s Club and junior club Junior Challenge BB&O Am
Captain’s Championship. Championship championships and in Canada. C’Ships,
Harleyfor Scored third ace and became the won the Faldo Series the Czech
gross 78. at the British club’s first-ever South of England Amateur.
Boys at scratch player. regional final at youngest
Worthing. Walton Heath with amateur
scores of 66 (equalled in the 20
course record) and 68. at St And
 bounds… I’ve done that before and have stuck it
into the Rusack’s Hotel!
You’ve been accused of spitting out the
dummy a bit this year – is that fair?
I’m a passionate person. I just try my best to
win a tournament. Occasionally that spills over.
I’m human. I’m going to make mistakes from time
to time… nobody’s perfect and everyone goes
about their ways differently. It’s not to say one way
is right and another way is wrong. I’m just trying
to win, and in the heat of battle, sometimes you
can do the wrong thing. That’s just how it is.
Did 2017 surpass your expectations?
I started off really good which was nice because
2016 was such a great year for me and one which
exceeded my expectations. So to start off last year
as I left the previous season was really important.
strength at the start of last year was putting and
I had a really good run where I was putting really
well, especially in the States – I think I was No.1
in the strokes gained putting stats – and that is the
main reason why I went on the run I did. I don’t
think my long game was any better, I was just
holing a lot more putts.
Obviously I had a spell in the summer where
I was missing a few cuts and wasn’t too happy
with my swing, but I didn’t hole a single putt
and when you can’t hole a putt you’re not going
to score.
Have you got an eye on the Ryder Cup team
in Paris?
Who knows? It would be nice to play in the Ryder
Cup, but I wouldn’t say it’s a goal. Every European
would love to play in the Ryder Cup and I’m no
different. But if I play like I know I can and have

I’M A PASSIONATE PERSON. I JUST

TRY MY BEST TO WIN A TOURNAMENT.
OCCASIONALLY THAT SPILLS OVER.

I went into Sunday at Abu Dhabi leading by one
and then had a bad day, then a couple of weeks
later I finished third in Dubai. I then went out
to the States and finished fourth in the Honda
Classic, 10th in Mexico and fourth at Bay Hill, so
I played five events and my worst finish was 13th
and I was really happy with that. After finishing
3rd in Switzerland, it was nice to be back up there
again after a run of six missed cuts in a row which
was frustrating, especially at such a big time of the
year to not feel great with your swing and not holing
any putts. With the Rolex Series and three Majors, it
wasn’t a good time for me…
What are the strengths and weaknesses of
your game?
I’m not very technical with my swing or things
like that. I like to keep things really simple. My
done over the past year, then I should have a good
chance of making the team. I’m now striving for
consistency more than anything.
Any plans to join the PGA Tour?
I enjoyed it out in the States earlier last year and
I think I have got a card for 2018, so I’ll be doing a
similar schedule to 2017. I’ll do the desert swing
on the European Tour and will then be in the US
until Wentworth, so I’m looking forward to that
again and hopefully I can play well.
What motivates you – the money or the
titles?
Titles. Money is great, but at end of the day you’re
not remembered for that. You don’t just turn up at
a tournament to take part do you? You turn up to
try and win every week.

The rise & rise of Tyrrell Hatton

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Turned pro; 3rd in Won EuroPro First full season Finished 36th in 34th in the Race 4th in the Race to Jumps into the
European Tour Q final stage on Challenge ET OOM Race to to Dubai after a Dubai and 24th in world’s top-20
School stage one Q School and Tour, making 15 Dubai after handful of top world rankings. after finishing the
at Frilford Heath; won EuroPro cuts from 17 finishing runner- 10s. Winner of the campaign in a
full England cap Tour title at events. Qualified up in Joburg Dunhill Links and blaze of glory
in Home Bovey Castle; f M i fi ld O and tied 3rd runner-up in the following wins in
Internationals in Won on the ega Scottish Open the Dunhill Links
Co. Sligo; Tied Jamega again at ean and DP World and Italian Open
2nd in English Am Caversham Heat rs. 132nd finals in Dubai, which followed
Strokeplay and with a new ld rankings 5th in The Open several
had first pro win course record; mpressive
on the Jamega EuroPro Rookie outings on the
Tour. of the Year and PGA Tour.
th in the
allenge Tour
M securing a
ying card for
13.
FIVE SUPER PLAYERS TO WATCH
The exciting and innovative format implemented
in Perth has once again attracted a deep pool of
talent. Tyrrell Hatton, the highest ranked player
in the field, will start favourite but these five
players are likely to contend at Lake Karrinyup.
He has a strong all-round game with no
notable weaknesses.
JASON SCRIVENER
BEST RESULT: 4th (2017).
Jason Scrivener, like Rumford, enjoys the
layout at Lake Karrinyup and finished fourth here
last year.
The South African-born 28-year-old moved to
Perth as a child and enjoyed a strong amateur
career before turning professional in 2010. But
it took seven years before he captured his first
professional victory at the 2017 NSW Open at
Twin Creeks (he won by a convincing six-shot
margin after more than 150 starts as a pro).
Scrivener (pictured right) played on the
European Tour throughout 2017 and collected
three top-five finishes along the way.
There is no reason to suggest he won’t
improve upon last year’s performance, where he
made the semi-finals. singles record of 35-33-1.

LEE WESTWOOD DANNY WILLETT

BRETT RUMFORD
BEST RESULT: Won (2017).
Brett Rumford, the defending – and inaugural
– champion, was a force to reckon with last year,
leading the stroke play qualifiers and claiming the
match play for his sixth European Tour victory.
Rumford (pictured above) hadn’t won on Tour
since clinching the China Open in 2013 – but the
West Australian looked unstoppable, and he
birdied 31 of the 76 holes he played.
His record at Lake Karrinyup should frighten
anybody hoping to steal the title from him. The
40-year-old, who won the Australasian Tour
Order of Merit in 2017, very rarely misses
the top-10 whenever he plays the Alex
Russell-designed course.
His local knowledge and hometown support
should, once again, serve him well.
BEST RESULT: Tournament debut.
Lee Westwood has fond memories of his time
in Australia, having won the 1997 Australian Open
following a four-hole playoff against Greg Norman.
The 44-year-old Englishman, statistically,
enjoyed one of his strongest seasons on the
European Tour throughout 2017. His driving stats
were the best they had been since 2012, as
were his greens in regulation. And although the
former World No.1 went another year without
a win – he hasn’t won there since 2014 – he did
claim five top-10 finishes and only missed two
cuts from 23 events.
Westwood will prove a tough opponent should
he qualify for the match play portion of the event.
He is an experienced campaigner with a career
BEST RESULT: Tournament debut.
Danny Willett suffered through a miserable
season last year. The 2016 Masters Champion
only managed one top-10 finish from 19 starts in
both Europe and the US – and he missed the cut
or withdrew from 10 of those events.
Statistically – across all the major categories
– the 30-year-old Englishman endured his worst
year since 2010. But it will be his first time back
to Australia as a major winner, and he should
enjoy feeling like a big fish at Lake Karrinyup.
Willett finished with a forgettable T144 the
last time he played Down Under. Nevertheless,
he was T3 at the 2013 Perth International, which
shows he is capable of playing well here.
– Michael Jones

MICHAEL HENDRY
BEST RESULT: T55 (2017).
Michael Hendry was the dominant
Australasian on the 2017 Japan Tour and finished
the year ranked 17th on the money list.
The New Zealander signed off with the sixth-
best scoring average on Tour and he collected
seven top-10 finishes – including a runner-up
finish at the Gateway to the Open Mizuno Open,
which earnt him a start at Royal Birkdale.
Hendry, 38, won his national Open last year
following a three-way playoff, and ended 2017
ranked No.5 on the Australasian Order of Merit.

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 47

 SWING SEQUENCE

This rising English star will

start favourite to win the World
Super 6 Perth this month on the back
of great end of 2017 form that resulted
in two wins and another four top-20
finishes in six starts. The World No.16 has
a simple, no nonsense golf swing that is
easily repeated. Here’s what you can learn
from Tyrrell Hatton’s swing.
WORDS GOLF AUSTRALIA SWING DOCTOR
SEQUENCE PHOTOGRAPHY MARK NEWCOMBE/VISIONS IN GOLF

48 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 49
 Hatton’s address position is athletic and, like his
1 swing, simple. In fact, it is a textbook set-up with his
feet shoulder width apart, good knee flex and a slight
bend forward from the waist. His body angles – with
his straight back and the top of his spine tilted away
from the target – are ideal.
KEEPING IT SIMPLE
The legendary Bobby Jones once said:
“You swing your best when you have the
fewest things to think about.”
Tyrrell Hatton and his coach and father,
Jeff, may not have read that quote but they
certainly have adopted the theory espoused
by the great Mr Jones in developing a simple,
repeatable golf swing.
Hatton does all the basic fundamentals –
50 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
He initiates the backswing with his shoulders, not
2 his hands, which is the perfect lesson for any golfer.
Also, take note of what his head does ... it’s not still,
which explodes the myth many amateur golfers believe
is gospel. This slight head turn will give his left shoulder
more room as he reaches the top of his backswing
grip, posture and alignment – well and from
there he has two checkpoints during his
backswing that he refers to whenever he
feels his swing is going off course.
The Hatton team place a strong emphasis
on getting the club in the correct positions
on the backswing. With that in mind, the two
checkpoints ensure the club reaches the top
of the backswing in the same position every
Checkpoint one reached and the shaft of the driver
3 is directly over his toe line, which is the position
Hatton tries to reach with every swing. It’s also
worth noting that the shaft is simply an extension of
his left arm here, while the back of his left hand has
not rotated in any way and remains neutral.
time, leaving Tyrrell free to swing hard down
into the ball.
The first checkpoint is halfway back, with
his hands at hip height (pic 3). At this point
in the swing, Hatton has started rotating his
shoulders and his left arm is straight as his
right arm begins to fold. But the key thing to
see here is the shaft of the club; it’s parallel
and directly over his toe line which, of
 As Hatton starts working his hands up to the top of
4 the backswing, his right arm is starting to fold nicely
while his left arm remains straight. Remember, his left
arm is straight but relaxed, not tense and rigid. With his
shoulder turn almost complete, his weight has almost
completely loaded into his right leg.
course, is parallel to his target line. This is a
great position to mimic and will help you get
rid of big slices and hooks that are caused by
a poor takeaway.
From this halfway point, Hatton only
needs to keep turning his shoulders and raise
his arms to the top of the backswing.
His second checkpoint is to see the butt of
the club directly over the ankle bone of his
right foot at the top of the backswing (pic 5).
By getting the butt of the club over his ankle,
Hatton reaches checkpoint two successfully. He
5 likes to have the butt of the club directly over his
right ankle and that has been achieved with this
swing. He has an upright swing, where his arm
plane is a little steeper than his shoulder plane but
he’s still right on plane relative to the target line.
all the elements of a very good backswing can
be seen.
His right arm is bent at about 90 degrees
and the angle of his left wrist is a mirror
image of the clubface angle, which is
indicative of the clubface being neutral
or square. There won’t be any compensatory
moves required in the downswing to get this
clubface flush on the back of the ball.
Lastly, if you were to draw a line from
elbow-to-elbow you would find that they are
Hatton’s transition into the downswing sees him
6 drop his hands straight down so his right elbow is
now getting in close to his torso. This move was initiated
by the clearing of his left hip and nudge forward of
his left knee. Lastly, his head has followed his turning
shoulders and rotated back towards its set-up position.
ideally level, which is a sure sign the swing is
on plane.
And if you need any further proof Hatton
is spot on plane, checkout his left arm at the
top of the backswing. As you can see (pic 5),
his left arm is right on plane with the line
down his left arm pointing directly at the
target line running through his ball.
From this perfect position he just needs to
turn his body through and drop his arms
down into impact. Simple!
golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 51
 Notice how Hatton’s right arm remains bent at the
7 elbow while his right wrist is bent back approaching
impact. This combination sustains the acceleration
8 possible on the downswing for maximum power at
of the club while allowing the correct rotation of the
lower body, creating power with ease.
52 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
Tyrrell is maintaining his wrist cock for as long as
impact. Think of impact as the finish line to a race.
Your left hand should come in first place, the right
hand second, and the clubhead should always be
third. If the clubhead wins, you lose with a poor shot.
AT’S IN THE BAG
equipment Tyrrell Hatton’ used when
e Dunhill Links and Italian Open
ber.
Ping G400 LST, 8.5˚ loft, fitted with
i Rayon Fubuki K 60X shaft.
Taylormade M2 2016 3HL, 16.5˚ loft,
hite Design Tour AD-TP 7X shaft.
You should try and copy Hatton’s technique here,
9 which sees his right shoulder sliding underneath his
chin. As his left side leads the right through impact,
he maintains a firm left arm, while his right arm has
now also straightened with the continual turn of the
right shoulder.
IRONS: Ping G400 Crossover (3-iron, pictured),
Ping i200 (4-iron to pitching wedge) all fitted
with Project X 6.0 shafts.
WEDGES: Ping Glide 2.0 (50˚-12SS, 54˚-12SS),
Titleist Vokey SM6 (58˚) all fitted with True
Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts.
PUTTER: Ping Vault Oslo Slate.
BALL: Titleist Pro V1x.
 Remember checkpoint one, with the shaft of
10 the driver directly over Hatton’s toe line. He has
acheived the same position in the follow through,
11
which means his swing is still on plane.
Great balance here from the Englishman despite
both heels still being off the ground. The club
remains on plane as he gets his first glimpse of
12
the ball in flight.
One of the best indicators of a good golf swing
is the finish. If there’s balance when the swing
is over, it means there was balance during the
swing. All his weight is over his left foot and he’s
balanced on his right toe. Perfect!

tyrrell hatton’s 2017 NUMBERS

TOURNAMENT STARTS: 21 (European Tour).
TOP-10S: 7. TOP-25S: 12.
BEST FINISHES: Two wins – Alfred Dunhill
Links Championship, Italian Open.
DRIVING DISTANCE: 298.9 yards (40th).
DRIVING ACCURACY: 57.3% (116th).
GREENS IN REGULATION: 69.5% (55th).
SCORING AVERAGE: 69.91 (5th).
PUTTS PER ROUND: 29 (29th).
PRIZEMONEY EARNED: €2,884,823.
54 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

KIRK’S
COMING
of AGE
From an early age growing up in Queensland,
Katherine Kirk has dreamed of winning the
Australian Open. She heads to Adelaide’s Kooyonga
Golf Club brimming with confidence that 2018 will be
her year to claim the Patricia Bridges Bowl.
WORDS RICK WEBER PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES.
Y
ou mention to Katherine Kirk that
you have read a few stories in which
she states that she’s the 15th-oldest
golfer on the LPGA Tour. You ask her how she
knows this.
“I went through the player handbook two years
ago and just figured it out,” she says with a laugh.
“I think some people had asked me, ‘Who was out
here when you first started?’ I’m like, ‘Well, a lot of
them aren’t out here anymore. I’m one of the old
ones.’ So I started wondering, just how old am I?”
She pulls out her cell phone and starts rattling
off names.
PREVIEW
“Juli Inkster is the oldest player,” she says of the
57-year-old World Golf Hall of Famer, who is tied
with Karrie Webb for seventh all-time in major
victories (seven). “Then you have Laura Davies,
Catriona Matthew, Karrie, Becky Morgan, Cristie
Kerr, Angela Stanford, Karine Icher, Kris Tamulis,
Candie Kung, Lee-Anne Pace, Suzann Pettersen,
Alena Sharp and Beth Allen.”
You have the list in your phone?
“Yeah, and the years they were born,” she says.
“That was in order, by the way.”
Kirk is 35 years old. It’s not like she’s ready to
ride off into the sunset. She’s coming off one of
golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 55
 Kirk is looking forward to her
Aussie return to play in front of
family and friends at the Open.
the best years of her career. Boosted by her first
LPGA victory since 2010 – at the Thornberry
Creek LPGA Classic, where she shot a career-
best 22-under-par – she finished 33rd in the
Race to CME Globe Final, 23rd in the Rolex
Player of the Year and 29th on the money list
(US$678,831). Along the way, she recorded three
top 10s, including a tie for third at the Evian
Championship, her highest finish in a major since
taking second at the 2010 British Open.
It’s just that she looks around and notices that
the Tour has been taken over by an intimidating
gauntlet of hungry, energetic young guns. It’s
getting tougher to hoist a trophy. How tough?
Well, the first 15 tournaments of 2017 were won
by a different player, and 18 of the first 19.
“It’s really hard to win,” Kirk says. “I think part
of what makes the younger generation so good is
they have access to better information. So many of
them are using TrackMan. We understand more
about the golf swing now and why the ball flies
the way it does. We just have more technically
sound golfers, and along with the fearless attitude
you have when you’re a kid, and it’s a good
combination to have.
“I don’t think the style of golf is any different, but
there are just more girls that can shoot the lower
scores. If you look at scoring averages this year and
compare them to 10 years ago, it’s not necessarily
56 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
that the No.1 player has a better average. It’s just
that there are more girls capable of playing better
golf. And that’s also what makes it harder to win.
Back in the day, you might have had 30 girls who
could win. Now, there may be 60.”
Long-time friend Betsy King, a six-time major
champion and World Golf Hall of Famer, is
amused by Kirk’s easy-access list of the LPGA’s
ancient warriors.
“I don’t know why she feels like she’s so old,”
King says. “I guess it’s just that a lot of people are
coming out at age 17 or 18 – more so than when
I started. They tended to go to college and then
come out.
“But physically, there’s no reason why she can’t
be competitive still. In my mind, as a women, once
you get to be 45, then it’s a little harder. You tend
to lose some of your strength. But up until then, if
you keep yourself in good shape, there’s no reason
why you can’t be competitive.”
King won her final major – the 1997 Nabisco
Dinah Shore – at age 41. She believes Kirk still has
one in her.
A victory in the ISPS Handa Australian Open
would go a long way toward setting up Kirk to
achieve that goal. Kirk rolls into Kooyonga as the
second-highest ranked Australian and a desire to
balance the Patricia Bridges Bowl on her head like
Ha Na Jang did last year at Royal Adelaide.
“It was a long time ago that I was a kid thinking
about winning it, but certainly national Opens are
always the ultimate test,” she says. “We play some
of Australia’s best golf courses, so to be able to
pull off a win at home would definitely be a dream
come true.
“I love playing in Australia. My family always
comes out. I think the crowds cheer for the
Aussies more than they do for anyone else, which
is always nice. Not that they necessarily help you
win, but they give you good vibes, so that’s always
a positive. Everywhere you go, people are wishing
you, ‘Good luck’ and ‘Play well.’ Anytime you get
that positive environment, I think it’s good.”
You ask her if she’d retire on the spot at
Kooyonga if she won, and she laughs.
“No, I wouldn’t retire,” she says, “but I’d be
doing some serious celebrating. I know that
much. It’d be another feather in the cap. It’d be
particularly sweet for whenever I would go to
Australia after that and play. It’d be nice to be
announced as Open champ.”
It’s not going to be easy.
Although she is experienced in playing the
undulating fairways that Kooyonga presents and
loves that style of golf, she has never actually
played Kooyonga, and she plans to prep by
playing Royal Canberra in the ALPG’s ActewAGL
Canberra Classic.
 The winning smile and a big
dose of confidence returns
with a trophy in hand.
She also doesn’t have a superlative track record
in the Australian Open. Since her first one in
2004, her best finish was a tied eighth in 2013.
Last year, she came out smokin’ with a 65 to
take the first round lead, but shot 74-80-76 to
finish T52.
“When I got off to a hot start, I might have tried
to force it a bit on the weekend, and that’s never a
good recipe for golf,” she says. “I think I learned a
lot from it.”
Here’s what she learned: Be a kid again.
Although she says her ball-striking is the
best it’s ever been because of productive swing
changes with coaches Dana Dahlquist in
California and Josh Cook in Wichita, Kansas –
sequencing to reduce the number of misses that
produce a push or hook – her biggest revelation
has come with her putting approach.
In 2016, she immersed herself in Quintic’s
putting analysis software and also experimented
with toe-weight putter heads, trying to slow
down the rotation of the face, even though she
has always liked face-balanced putters. She got
bogged down in over-analysis and had one of her
worst putting years ever.
“It was just way too much thinking in there,”
she says. “So I said, ‘I’m going to forget all the
mechanical stuff, because I’ve always been pretty
good at starting the ball online, so I’ll go back to
Kirk broke her seven-year LPGA
win drought with victory at the
Thornberry Creek Classic.
…TO BE ABLE TO
PULL OFF A WIN
AT HOME WOULD
DEFINITELY BE
A DREAM COME
TRUE.
– KATHERINE
KIRK
being more natural over it, fine tune my speed
control and go from there.’
“I’m not getting bogged down doing mechanical
drills when I’m practicing. Just more attention to
speed. I’m practicing how I would play – dropping
one ball down instead of dropping three balls,
and trying to read it like I would be back on the
golf course.
“As kids, we used to play a game called Poison.
You could play five people. You could play two
people. But the object was to be the first kid
around whatever routing you chose. When
you completed that last hole, you could go and
eliminate everyone else to win. It’s almost that
kind of fun – like, get it in the hole as fast as you
can and not over-analyse it. That’s kind of what I
went back to.”
She is in the best form ever heading into an
Australian Open since 2009. Her mind is clear
and her confidence is high.
“Right now, I feel really happy with where my
game is,” she says. “I actually think my best golf
is still ahead of me, so there’s no reason I can’t
play well in February. Technically, I’m better now
than I ever have been in my career. Mentally, too.
I think I don’t get as frustrated on the golf course
as I used to. And obviously, with experience, I’m
one of the older ones out here now. I think that
can actually help you, especially when you’re in
golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 57
 I ACTUALLY THINK MY
BEST GOLF IS STILL AHEAD OF
ME, SO THERE’S NO REASON
I CAN’T PLAY WELL
IN FEBRUARY.

Kirk received the William

and Mousie Powell Award
for 2018 for upholding the
spirit and ideals of the LPGA.

contention coming down the stretch. You know the kids we met on that tr mportant thing,”
you’ve done it and done it well.” positive way. The smile o s the reason we’re
As a golfer, Kirk has the credentials: 11 I think, illustrates the kin f I don’t keep that
worldwide victories, including three on the person she is and the kind pective, then things
LPGA Tour. But King believes she is an even heart she has. Katherine getting off course.
better person. is a great gal, has a strong We’ve got a
Kirk received the 2017 William and Mousie faith and is probably one owship group out
Powell Award, which goes to the LPGA golfer of the nicest people out e, and I think it is
whose behaviour and deeds best exemplify on the Tour, that’s rt of keeping me
the spirit, ideals and values of the LPGA. She for sure. I can’t say ounded. Golf is
won it based on a vote of her fellow LPGA Tour enough nice things mportant, but it’s not
members. And what better way to be honoured? about Katherine.” verything. I think
The depth of Kirk’s Christian faith first became Kirk designed a I’ve been given a gift
evident to King when Kirk joined King’s Golf Fore leather cover for to play golf, and it’s
Africa group on a mission trip to Rwanda in 2007. her yardage book platform to share
They grew closer as they shared their lives that has JOHN 3:16 e gospel with people
with each other in the LPGA’s Christian embroidered upside encourage other
Fellowship Group. down, so that when the as well.”
When King thinks of Kirk, she sees this image book is tucked into her when Katherine Kirk
of her on the cover of Golf World magazine. pocket, people can read th hed with golf—and
Kirk is standing in the barren dirt of a Rwanda lettering. The first time s d is a long way off
schoolyard, surrounded by a group of excited kids. ever used the cover was spite the days
She’s wearing the irresistible smile of someone at the Thornberry Creek those irrepressible
who knows this trip has already profoundly Classic. She doesn’t think guns make her feel
changed her life. was a coincidence that sh disposable relic –
“That’s kind of Katherine,” King says. “She snapped a 152-tourname a legacy that will
has a really giving heart. She interacted with all winless streak that week. n.

58 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

OPEN SEASON AT KOOYONGA
A strong field will assemble at Kooyonga Golf
Club for the Women’s Australian Open. Here are
some of the players you should keep an eye on.

HA NA JANG
BEST RESULT: Won (2017).
Anyone who recalls the way Ha Na Jang lit
up Royal Adelaide last year would be quick to
suggest, she could very easily become just the
third player in Women’s Australian Open history to
go back-to-back.
But a lot has changed in 12 months, and the
South Korean – and her game – has become
something of a mystery.
The 25-year-old (pictured right) shocked the
golfing world last May, announcing she was
rescinding her membership on the LPGA Tour to
play solely in Korea. Her results there have been
mixed, but she did post two runner-up finishes.

HANNAH GREEN
BEST RESULT: T7 (2017).
Hannah Green is embarking on her debut
season with the LPGA Tour and the anticipation
is enormous.
The rising star of Australian women’s golf
finished in a tie for seventh last year – despite a
sloppy third round – and was a dominant force
on the second-tier Symetra Tour in America. The
21-year-old (pictured below) finished second on
the money list and recorded three victories to
earn herself a card on the big stage for 2018.
Green never seems to be fazed by the moment,
and was runner-up to Lydia Ko at the 2015 New
Zealand Women’s Open as an amateur, so don’t be
surprised if she is in contention come Sunday.
MINJEE LEE
BEST RESULT: T3 (2017).
Australia’s highest-ranked female player didn’t
add to her three victories on the LPGA Tour in 2017
– but she is undoubtedly one of the hot favourites
to win the title at Kooyonga.
The 21-year-old made a late charge last
year to finish with a share of third in her sixth
tournament appearance.
Lee made the sixth-most birdies on Tour last
year and boasts one of the most consistent games
across all categories. Her driving accuracy – of
72.14% – continues to be her biggest concern in
the States, but she should prove a class above in
Adelaide and will expect another solid result.
year’s championship.
The five-time winner of the Patricia Bridges
Bowl is set to make her 22nd consecutive
appearance at her national Open. So how will she
respond after last year’s disappointment?
The World Golf Hall-of-Famer is fiercely proud
and will be eager to make amends.
Webb (pictured below) played 19 events on
the LPGA Tour last year and missed 10 cuts for
the driest season of her esteemed career. But the
Australian icon should never be overlooked, and
is a genuine chance of adding a sixth Bowl to that
jam-packed trophy cabinet.
– Michael Jones

SO YEON RYU
BEST RESULT: T2 (2012).
There was hardly a better player on the LPGA
Tour in 2017 than So Yeon Ryu. The South Korean
collected her second career major at the ANA
Inspiration and rose to World No.1 at the end of
June – a position she held for 15 weeks before
ending the year ranked No.3.
Ryu, 27, was named the LPGA Player of the
Year – together with Sung Hyun Park – and posted
the equal-most top-10 finishes (12).
Her last appearance in Australia was in
2015 when she tied for 21st – but her most vivid
memory will surely date back to 2012. Ryu was
part of the six-woman playoff at Royal Melbourne
where she missed a championship-winning putt
from four feet.

KARRIE WEBB
BEST RESULT: Won (2000, 2002, 2007, 2008 & 2014).
For the first time in her career, Karrie Webb
didn’t have a weekend tee time at last

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 59

 PREVIEW

60 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

 COFFS’

CL ASSIC
CATCH
The northern NSW city
of Coffs Harbour will play
host to two new major
ALPG events across
consecutive weeks later
this month in a massive
boost for Australian
professional women’s golf.
WORDS BRENDAN JAMES

T
he smile on Karen Lunn’s face said
it all. The former Women’s British
Open champion, who now boasts
the title of Australian Ladies Professional
Golf Chief Executive, had every right to feel
pleased as two new tournaments for the
ALPG Tour were announced.
Added to the ALPG schedule is the $350,000
Australian Ladies Classic at the beautiful
Bonville Golf Resort near Coffs Harbour from
February 22 to 25 – a week after the $1.7 million
Women’s Australian Open at Royal Adelaide. The
ALPG Tour will then move up the road to Coffs
Harbour Golf Club for the $150,000 Women’s
NSW Open, which was last played in 2015, to be
played from March 1 to 4.
Both tournaments have secured government
and sponsorship support for the next five years
and will be co-sanctioned with the Ladies
European Tour, which guarantees international
television exposure for the events.
“It’s a great day,” she told Golf Australia
magazine after the announcement was made
at the Bonville Golf Resort. “To add two quality
events at two quality venues is just absolutely
fantastic for us and for our playing members.
“And to have the Ladies European Tour come

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 61

 Rebecca Artis will compete in her
home state for the first time since
securing her LPGA Tour card

on board as well is a real boost for us.”

These two events, plus the addition of the
ActewAGL Canberra Classic in early February,
go a long way to filling the void left by the demise
in 2016 of the Australian Ladies Masters on the
Gold Coast.
The increasing awareness of all women’s sport
– commercially, in the halls of government and
by the public – has been a contributing factor
to the turnaround in fortunes for Australian
professional women’s golf. So much so, that the
ALPG Tour will be a genuine five-week swing
of major events starting at the Oates Vic Open
on February 1 and finishing in Coffs Harbour on
March 4. The combined prizemoney for the five
events is $2.6 million.
Lunn says the success in recent times of
the WBBL (Women’s Big Bash cricket),
Women’s AFL and netball has certainly made
women’s sport, including golf, more marketable
and an “easier sell” to sponsors and
government agencies.
“Our sport is becoming easier to sell,” Lunn
said. “I think the women from cricket, AFL,
netball and, of course, golf are such great
ambassadors for their sports.
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A SWING OF
FIVE WEEKS IN A ROW WHERE OUR
MEMBERS WILL PLAY GREAT COURSES,
WITH GOOD QUALITY FIELDS AND
TERRIFIC PRIZEMONEY.
– KAREN LUNN
“I think when you look at women’s sport we
don’t tend to have the scandals that happen
with some of the male athletes and, certainly,
the feedback we have from the pro-ams with
our girls is that they give a lot more in terms of
engaging with their playing partners.
“It is a lot tougher for women to get the
sponsorship dollars and our Tours to get the
sponsorship money so I think the players are a
little bit more appreciative of the hard work that
goes into getting a tournament up-and-running.
“It’s a great time to be involved in women’s
sport. There has been a real emphasis on
women’s team sport, whether it’s the Southern
Stars winning the Ashes or the expansion of the
women’s AFL or the start of the women’s rugby
league competition, and it is a good time to be
involved. But it’s also good to see an individual
sport being supported as well.
“We’re going to have a swing of five weeks in a
row where our members will play great courses,
with good quality fields and terrific prizemoney.”
Lunn said the two weeks of Coffs Harbour
tournaments will clash with LPGA events in
Asia, preventing some of the leading US-based
players from competing in northern NSW, but
she remains confident the tournaments will
host good quality fields made up of local and

62 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

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 international players not qualified for the limited
field events in Thailand and Singapore.
England’s Dame Laura Davies, LPGA Tour
players Sarah Kemp and Rebecca Artis as well
as former Australian World Cup representative
Nikki Garrett are all confirmed starters.
Three Solheim Cup players – Englishwomen
Georgia Hall and Mel Reid, as well as Sweden’s
Caroline Hedwell – have committed to play
events in Australia throughout February and it
is understood they may add the Coffs Harbour
events to their stay.
For Garrett, the Australian Ladies Classic will
mark her return to tournament golf following the
birth of her son, Nixon, two years ago.
“The announcement of two more tournaments
on the ALPG schedule is great news,”
Garrett said.
“As the mother of a toddler, it is exciting to
know that I will once again be able to compete on
the professional stage in my home state and also
be able to show other mums that you can still
take part in sport at the highest level.

IT’S NOT DIFFICULT

TO SELL THIS TO
THE PLAYERS.
IT’S THE
AUSTRALIAN
AUGUSTA, BUT
WOMEN WILL GET
TO PLAY HERE.
– NIKKI GARRETT

“With the addition of these events it’s a really Dame Laura

good swing for us and to have a venue like this (in Davies will
be one of
the lush surrounds of Bonville), it’s magnificent. the crowd
It’s not difficult to sell this to the players. It’s favourites for
the Australian Augusta, but women will get to both Coffs
Harbour events.
play here.’’
Bonville is ranked in Australia’s Top-100
Courses and was voted the nation’s favourite
course by Golf Australia Magazine readers in
The acclaimed Coffs Harbour
2017. Coffs Harbour Golf Club is widely regarded course will host the resurrected
as one of the best layouts in regional NSW Women’s NSW Open.
and was also voted in Australia’s 50 Favourite
Courses last year.
Lunn said the players to contest both events,
whether from interstate or overseas, will be
thrilled by the quality of the courses and the
beauty of the region.
“Coffs Harbour is one of the most beautiful
places you could wish to visit and both Bonville
and Coffs Harbour Golf Clubs are fantastic
venues,” Lunn said.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to Golf
NSW and the NSW Government for making this
possible. We are very much looking forward to
these tournaments in 2018 and to welcoming
our interstate and international players to Coffs
Harbour for two fantastic weeks of golf.”

64 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

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66 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
 T H E H U G GA N
IN T E RV IE W

PETER
ALLISS
Hagen, Locke, Palmer and Nicklaus. The yips.
Augusta National. Cheating. Just a few of the
topics covered in the most fascinating interview
you will read this year.
PHOTOGRAPHY ANGUS MURRAY

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 67

 H
e is the voice of golf for anyone older
than a teenager and before that
he was a golfer skilled enough to
have played – and prospered – in numerous
Ryder Cups. But what Peter Alliss will be
remembered for more than anything is his
wit, his alternative wisdom and his quips.
These are his reflections on a unique lifetime
in the game...
JH: Without dwelling too much on your age,
you’ve been around a while and have met so
many of the great names. What have been
the highlights?
PA: About a year ago, I was looking through an
old Golfer’s Handbook. I worked out that I have
either played with or met all but seven Open
champions since 1900. I have seen Walter Hagen.
I have seen Bobby Jones. I have met JH Taylor. I
didn’t meet Arnaud Massy, the 1907 champion.
And I didn’t meet Densmore Shute, who won in
1933. But I have seen or played with everyone
since the Second World War. I find all of that quite
frightening in a way.
The Open has changed beyond recognition in
recent times, hasn’t it?
Back then, winning the Open Championship
was just a lovely thing to do. I recall coming home
from school in 1940 or ’41 and sitting around our
kitchen table was Alf Perry (1935), Alf Padgham
(1936), Dick Burton (1939), Reggie Whitcombe
(1938), Ernest Whitcombe (2nd, 1924) and my
father. My mother was in the corner wearing her
apron. They were all drinking tea. I remember
Ernest looking at his watch and saying he had a
lesson at 5.30 and had to go.  volunteered and was in the Dorsetshire regiment,
They were all club pros back then. Giving
lessons, fixing shoes and selling umbrellas. If
you went into their shops, there they were. The
last Open champion who did all that was, I think,
Henry Cotton. You could go to Penina and find
him in the shop. He would sell you a couple of
golf balls.   none of that back then. Th
I’m going to drag you back to the old guys you
met. What were they like?
The only person who was grand was Henry
Cotton. I remember hearing the stories of him
and the lady who became Mrs Cotton. She fancied
Henry, left her previous husband and chased him
until she caught him. She was, shall we say, a very
plain-looking woman. But she had enormous
charm and presence.
It was a bit like, if you were marooned on a
desert island, would you rather have Marilyn
Monroe or Margaret Rutherford? Everyone would
say Marilyn. But at the end of the day, you’d get
fed up with Marilyn. And maybe Margaret could
tickle a trout, skin a rabbit, build a shelter or mend
your shirt. Once all thoughts of carnal behaviour
have gone, Margaret might be the best choice. She
virtually ‘bought’ Henry – which I know is a hard
thing to say. She paid for him to play and practise
whenever he wanted. He had no real financial
worries. All the other players of that era were very
ordinary people, in the best sense of that word.
It’s hard to put into words the financial
disparity between the eras now, isn’t it?
The contrast with today is huge. I always
68 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
remember Alf Perry quoted as saying he found a
‘good ball’ the week he won the Open at Muirfield.
Evidently, he played the whole championship
with this one ball. Now they all have three or four
dozen in their lockers every week. Four gloves too.
More recently, I can remember playing a practice
round with dear old Bernard Hunt. He had a glove
with a massive hole in it. And that had lasted
him about six bloody tournaments. Now they go
through three or four a round.
What do you think about the standard of
commentary in sport?
I watch a lot of television now because I can’t
walk very well. I listen to all the pundits in other
sports, but I never see any of them trying to make
themselves better at what they do. I hear things
like, ‘They done good’, or ‘They come down’. No.
It’s ‘They did well’ and ‘They came down’. They
have no concept of the English language, nor any
desire to improve. You don’t have to be Laurence
Olivier, but at least try. However, all I hear is that I
am a dinosaur. I’m not. I just like reasonably good
manners. I like men to be polite to women. I’m
not mad about women boxing. I don’t like it. But if
you dare say so, you’re in trouble. At the Masters,
Sergio Garcia’s fiancée – now wife – was wearing
the shortest skirt this side of the Mississippi. It
was more suited to an ice-skating arena. But I was
accused of sexism for saying so.  great one for saying, ‘I was bloody good, actually.
Tell me more about your father, who was
such a good player.
I loved my father dearly. He had a wonderful,
gentle sense of humour. He was a very kind man.
When the war kicked off in 1939, I was eight. He
but he had a spinal problem and was invalided out
after a year. That laid him up for a couple of years.
I never played golf with him after that.
I never heard my father swea aybe “bloody”
once or twice. I never saw
him sitting on the loo. The
things were done in privat
see films where a man is h
and his wife walks in and
That’s not for me. I don’t li
How good a player was
father?
A lovely golfer. But he w
on a bit when I started to p
He would come out and w
the 18th hole with a few b
say I only had to have 12 b
to play. I didn’t need 50. “T
say to me. And he was righ
I played maybe 20 time
told. He was busy trying to
He worked hard and we n
although I remember goin
for a week when he was th
in Leeds.
I remember looking at t
father’s shop. Some weeks
RIGHT: At home with his three dogs.
ABOVE: Alliss was one of Britain’s
finest players for two decades.
£6. And he got a £5 retainer from the club. He had
left a lot of money in Germany when we had to
leave because of Hitler. He never did get it out. But
when we left in 1932, my mother managed to stuff
about £2,000 down her knickers.
Well, he must have done something right.
Not many players hit it as well as you.
I was a good hitter but I didn’t practise much. I
started with a left-hand low grip until I was about
16. He told me to change that. I was in tears for
six weeks. But I kept going and got it eventually.
I loved to listen to the old boys talking about the
war. My father bought three newspapers – The
Chronicle, which was liberal, The Daily Mail and
the Daily Mirror. He would laugh at how each
made the same story seem so different. In other
words, don’t believe everything you read in the
newspapers. That has stayed with me.
Does it annoy you that most of the people
listening to you have no idea how good a
player you were?
They have no idea. I finished playing in 1974
after the Open at Lytham. I was getting divorced
and I was getting the jim-jams on the greens.
Less than a decade ago, I was doing a dozen or so
events on both sides of the Atlantic. I was always
being asked if I had been a player. I was never a
I played in eight Ryder Cups, 10 World Cups
and retired when I was 38’. Most people who are
famous now won’t be remembered in 25 years. I
see names in the papers of guys who have played
for Manchester United for 12 years. I’ve never
heard of them. 
I feel the same when I look at the money list.
How did that guy win $2.9m, I ask? 
Exactly. I’ve done that many times with
en rown We look u names and are always
ey have won. But fame
about Muhammad
Palmer and Jack
ary Player I find a
e, though. What he has
arkable. He has a very
emory, of course. And
ks a lot of nonsense.
emarkable man who
ally received the
deserves.
ost in your memory
reer? 
st tournament, the
ton. I got £400. I
g away from the
little Morris Minor
p of my voice. The
’s wages!
ou don’t mention
. Your record isn’t
p career got off to a
e should have won in
saster. I was 1-up with
d blew it. Nerves got
ked in 1955, but I was
layed well and didn’t
TEXT & IMAGES: © BAUER CONSUMER MEDIA LIMITED

TODAY YOU SEE FILMS WHERE A MAN IS

SHAVING AND HIS WIFE WALKS IN AND HAS
A P*SS. THAT’S NOT FOR ME. I DON’T LIKE IT

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 69

 win a point. It was 36-hole matches back then.
I laugh when I read about how many points
Nick Faldo has won. He played 10 times as
many games!
After 1957 I did well. My father had a great
record in the Ryder Cup, too. I vaguely remember
him talking about it.
You played a fair bit of golf over the years
with Christy O’Connor...
I had a wonderful association with Christy in
the Ryder Cup. We used to get teased that no-one
else would play with us. They thought I was an
arrogant bastard and that he would have a few
drinks and want to punch somebody. But I loved
him dearly, even if he never came to my house
and I never went to his. We just got on like egg
and chips.
GARY PLAYER
OFTEN TALKS A
LOT OF NONSENSE,
BUT HE HAS NEVER
REALLY RECEIVED
THE ADULATION HE
DESERVES
You played Arnold Palmer twice at the top of
his game and didn’t lose.
I was up against Arnold at Lytham in 1961. It
was a halved match. He holed three times from off
the green, including a bunker shot at the 15th. Yet
in the locker room afterwards he was telling the
press how he didn’t play very well. I stuck my head
around the corner and asked him about holing all
those shots. He laughed.
Two years later, I played him again in Atlanta.
My driving was awful, so I was down to a 3-wood
to stay in play. I was 50 to 60 yards behind him.
The crowd was huge and they were a bit partisan.
I heard ‘Go get him Arnold, kill the son of a bitch.’
That wasn’t very nice, I thought.  I’ve watched it a few times. I’m a purist in
I was 1-up playing 17. I had a 6-iron to the green
and hit it to 15-feet. Arnold hit a 9-iron almost
stiff and the crowd went bananas. When I holed
out he had to make his to keep the game going. The
last hole was a par 3. I hit my tee-shot to 15 yards
and putted stiff. He had a long putt to win the hole
and halve the match. He knocked it 25-feet past!
I had won.  cheated, in my opinion.
Here’s a theory. In the early 1950s was Bobby
Locke – not Ben Hogan or Sam Snead – the
best player in the world?
I would say he was the best. He hardly ever
missed a fairway and I’ve never seen a better
putter. He was extraordinary.
I played over 100 times with him and learned
a lot from him about life as well as golf. We
stayed in the same hotel once. We were playing
an exhibition the next day and had arranged to
have breakfast at 8.15. I knocked on his door just
70 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
before then. I can see him now sitting there in his
underpants and vest. He had one sock on.
MEMORIES
TO SAVOUR
He was never in a rush. I was looking at my
watch. But he was quite happy and we chatted
away for a while. He mentioned how the Yanks
had chased him out of town. I forget who he
said were the ringleaders. They weren’t the best
players. It was guys like Bob Goalby. Recollections of some
Speaking of playing in America, tell us about
key moments in Peter
your experience of the Masters... Alliss’ unprecedented
I was invited to the Masters five times and went
twice. It was hard to get there in the 1950s. And
career in the game.
expensive. Tell people that today and they think
you’re mad. Plus, they didn’t really want you there
anyway. I know Peter Thomson felt that way.
He told me once that the Masters is the JACKLIN’S TALENT
biggest con-job in sports. “Tony Jacklin was mentally ambitious and
(laughs) But they do it very well. I thought it cocky. He had talent. He curses Bill Shankland,
was horrible in the mid-’60s. Doug Sanders was a his first boss at Potters Bar. But I bet he
learned more there than he ever would have
good pal of mine. He used to say the local caddies
done at Sunningdale. It would be like joining
didn’t want the foreign players and he was right. the army and having a tough sergeant major. At
They were all burly black fellows who never first you would hate him, but at the end of the
day he’ll have taught you how to survive.”
seemed to smile. They didn’t want an overseas
player because they didn’t think we were good
enough. Some of the players didn’t want us
there either.
Does the distance the ball flies in today’s
game bother you?
It’s gone too far. But I don’t worry about
them playing the old courses and shooting 63
every time. I would abolish par. You all come.
You all play. You’ve shot the lowest score.
Congratulations. This par fetish is silly. Look at
Merion. Something around par won the US Open
a few years ago.
But look what they had to do to the course. It
was covered in long grass. 
It was a bit silly. But basically all right. And yes,
I know the original design was lost. I like ‘proper’
bunkers. I was with Peter Thomson once, playing
a practice round somewhere. Doug Sanders went
in a bunker and moaned. All Peter said was, ‘They
do call them hazards, you know’.
What did you make of the Lexi Thompson
ball-marking controversy?
many ways, but as far as I can see she came up
to her ball, saw it was in an indentation, marked
her ball and moved it to the side. She cheated,
for goodness sake. Or had a mental aberration.
Whatever. But she didn’t put the ball back in the
right place. Then, of course, we hear how the
poor woman has been hounded. She bloody well
My theory is that the Tours don’t really want
to hear about it. Bad for business.
You may be being a bit hard. But I think they
want everyone to think golf is the purest and most
honest game. No drugs. Bobby Locke used to take
two Veganins before he went out. A strong aspirin.
Every time. But there is no magic formula that
will make you putt any better.
Moving on, I need you to talk about the yips.
Where did it all start for you?
 MY FIRST IMPRESSION OF GARY PLAYER WHY JACK’S THE
“I was with John Jacobs when we were watching Gary BEST EVER
chipping at Crans-sur-Sierre. He was only a kid. I asked John “If you take away
what the hell this lad thought he was doing. He had no Jack’s major wins, he
chance. John told me he had beaten Gary in the South African was second and third
Match Play Championship. Gary came over and asked us for umpteen times as well.
some tips. We told him to enjoy his season in Europe, but that He was remarkable. If
he should go home, get a nice club job and play in the local he had been two shots
events. ‘You’re no good,’ we told him. Four years later, he won better, he would have
the Open. And no, he’s never forgotten what we told him!” won something like 33
majors. I used to have
doubts about what he
would say about how
he played, but over the
last 10 years I’ve gone
full circle. He is one of
the best people to listen
to about golf. He talks
about how he played in a
fascinating way.”

A TRAGIC ENDING
“Jean Van de Velde’s
collapse on the final
hole of the Open at
Carnoustie in 1999
is the saddest thing
I’ve ever seen as a
commentator.
People have the
audacity to write to
me and say that I was
making fun of him.
I wasn’t. These
things happen.”
REMEMBERING MY FATHER, PERCY
“My father died in 1973, but he saw my playing career.
I had my best period in the 1960s. But between 1954
and 1969, I won 20-odd times. The most I won was
four in one year. He saw all that. But he was always
very low-key. It was, ‘Well done, see what you can do
if you practise’, sort of stuff. He never went bananas.”

LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, I LOVED ARNIE

“Arnold and I got on very well. He was generous and we liked each
other. We had a whisky or two together. He enjoyed life and he
loved the girls. He was the first swashbuckler in golf and he made
an impression on everybody. But he did some stupid bloody things
on the course. He threw away so many titles through bravado or
stupidity. He did what Adam Scott did in the Open multiple times.” 

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 71

72 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
a LIFE IN a
picture
His study is a trove
of memorabilia.
Here are three of his
favourites.
”I have a picture somewhere in this
room of me caddying for Bobby Jones
in 1945 at Parkstone Golf Club. He was
in his army uniform. He was playing
with Reggie Whitcombe, my father
and a fellow called Frank McGuinness.
I was 14 years of age and didn’t think
anything of it. I met Jones later, in
about 1954, with President Eisenhower
in the White House. I was playing for
England in my first Canada Cup. I have
pictures of us all shaking hands. Jones
remembered my father. Not sure he
remembered me (laughs).”

”You can see the posters behind

me here that promoted the Evenings
with Alliss. I did 110 shows and they
were very successful – certainly more
successful than I thought they would
ever be. I didn’t expect anyone to
come, but I ended up playing in front of
2,000 people once in Aberdeen. It was
amazing. The first half of the show, I
always told them about the Alliss family
and how we got involved in golf, then
we had an interval for drinks and then
went into audience questions. I’d throw
in a few anecdotes, talk about how I
played, give them a few tips and just
talk about what I fancied.”

”There’s an interesting story behind

the two paintings on the wall. Years ago,
I was in Rusacks Hotel in St Andrews.
The hotel had a basement with a shop
that sold clothes and all kinds of golf
memorabilia. I lent the owner £5,000
for a business venture. In return, she
gave me these two paintings of the Old
Course by Donald Shearer. He’d never
painted golf before. They’re worth a lot
more now!”

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 73

74 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
 It began for me in the Masters in 1965. I was
playing with Gene Littler. I never liked Augusta.
I didn’t like the crowd. I was overwhelmed by the
place. It was oppressive. I had shot 72 in the first
round and was out in 36 on day two. I got a four at
the 10th and was on the edge of the 11th green in
two. I was about 25ft away.  do. I don’t understand that. I’m very observant
I felt okay, but I sent the ball flying yards past
the hole. That surprised me. I left the next one
miles short. Then I jabbed it a few feet past. It was
at that point, Gene looked at me and asked, ‘What
the f**k are you doing?’
I NEVER LIKED I said, ‘I don’t know’. It was ridiculous.
Eventually I putted out and Gene asked how
AUGUSTA. I many I’d had. I’d no idea. He put eight or nine. I’ve
DIDN’T LIKE THE looked up the records and I’m not there for the
highest score. So maybe I cheated (laughs).
CROWD. I WAS How did you putt next time out?
OVERWHELMED I can’t recall. But that was the start of it. There
BY THE PLACE. IT was a period in my 70s when I putted beautifully
around my home course. I did it looking at the
WAS OPPRESSIVE hole. I never tried a long putter. I was too proud,
like Tom Watson. Sam Snead didn’t care – he
would try anything. When I was at my worst, I
thought I was going to drive the ball straight over
the top of the hole. Then I would leave them short!
I have such admiration for Bernhard Langer.
He has had the yips worse than me three or four
times. I saw him when he was in his early 20s,
taking five putts from nowhere. But he fixed
it. Amazing.
Did it finish you early?
It did. My long game would have kept me going
even with average putting.  Yes. Ping revolutionised things in many ways. I
Is that a source of some regret?
In a way. But everything worked out all right. I
went up to Moor Allerton in 1970. I played in my
last Open in 1974.
I had a car accident about then too, near West
Hill. A lorry hit my Rolls-Royce and wrote it off.
I had a neck problem after that. My lawyer said I
had a case and the worst thing I could do was go
back to work. So I didn’t. I think I got £25,000. I
miss playing, but golf has never been everything
for me. I love observing.  That sums up all the bullshit. I also love the line
Isn’t that what made you so good at
commentary?
Maybe. I’m an observer, not a critic. These days
they swamp me with statistics. I’ve never been a
numbers man. I marvel at those who are. I walk in
and ask for a programme and starting sheet. And
maybe something from the press centre. If I’m
working, I never take my eyes off the set. So many
and that’s what I talk about. Take Dubai. I’ve never
heard anyone comment on the amazing buildings
in the background. I would. And over there is
a desert. I’d be rabbiting on about Lawrence of
Arabia. I don’t want to tell people what they have
just seen.
What’s the best line you’ve ever heard from a
TV commentator?
One of the best was from Bruce Critchley. Jack
Nicklaus was on the 16th at the Masters one year.
He holed a big putt and the crowd went with him
to the next tee. “The human herbaceous border
moves away,” said Bruce. Marvellous. 
Is the distance between players and media
down to the money they make?
Yes. It’s like they are doing you a favour if they
stop and talk. Back in my day, we didn’t really
meet the press. They didn’t have facilities. They
had a tent with a grass floor and one phone for 25
newspapers.  They would be out there for six holes
each and share the information. We only had a
few words for them. Interviewing before and after
rounds started in America.
Golf today is in many ways a science rather
than an art.
thought they were joke clubs when I first saw them.
I used to wander into a pro’s shop and waggle a
few clubs, looking for one that felt good. That was
how we did it. My bag was full of odds and sods. It
was all feel. Those days are gone now. Today, they
are all club-fitted, whatever that means. There’s a
story about Eamonn Darcy, a Ping player. He was
touring the factory in America, where there are lots
of machines. Eamonn was asked what he thought
at the end. ‘Ah yes,’ he said. ‘They are wonderful
clubs. But they’re no fecking good if you can’t play.’
from Sammy Davis in a movie. ‘I wouldn’t do it if I
was no good at it’, he said. That just about sums it
up for me. 
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 EXCLUSIVE

HOW TO
DRIVE
LONG &
STRAIGHT
LEE WESTWOOD
reveals what you
must do to add
power and accuracy
to your tee shots
golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 77
 1
SET UP FOR A SOLID AND
NEUTRAL SWING
You see a lot of people driving the ball badly because they don’t
have the solid base that gives a good and balanced connection
with the ground. You should feel like your thighs are engaged and
athletic and there shouldn’t be any tension anywhere in your body.
The ball is just inside my left heel and my spine is tilted slightly
away from the ball so my lead shoulder is higher than the trail
one to encourage me to naturally hit up on the ball. The club shaft
should be vertical or even leaning back just a little.
2
START THE TAKEAWAY
WITH THE CLUBHEAD
A lot of people start the swing by moving the butt of the club or
the body first – but it needs to be the clubhead, because that’s what
travels the furthest in the swing. The clubhead should be the only
thing that moves until it reaches your trail foot – and you should
keep the face looking at the ball during this first move.
Starting the swing with the correct sequencing makes it so much
easier to maintain that good order of movement all the way back
and into the downswing – vital for powerful, accurate driving.

Grip check
It’s easy to slip into
bad habits with your
grip, especially if you
are trying to fix a bad
shot. Regularly check
you have a neutral
grip, with the V in your
right hand pointing at
your right shoulder.

Think fluid
Good rhythm is vital,
but many amateurs
do not think about it.
The speed at which
you move the
clubhead in the
takeaway sets the
tempo for the entire
swing – so keep it
slow and smooth.

78 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

 Stay behind
Letting the arms drop in the
transition helps your body stay
behind the ball even as you
transfer weight to the front side in
the downswing, so you can hit up
while transferring maximum
energy into the ball.

FAULT
Upper body goes first
Amateurs often try to
hit the ball too hard in LET THE ARMS
DROP TO BEGIN
the wrong place –
from the top. That

THE TRANSITION
usually gets the upper
body moving first and
the club coming over
the top. This throws it
outside the line,
making an out-to-in
swing path inevitable.

Not letting the arms drop at the start of the

downswing is the most common fault I see from
amateurs, especially slicers. It’s easy for the legs
and body to go first, but the arms never get a
chance to catch up when you do this, so you either
hit it straight right or flip the hands and it goes
left. When I’m driving the ball well, I wait with my
body at the top of the backswing and let my arms
drop into position. It requires patience in the
transition and plenty of practice but this is how
all the best players drop the club into ‘the slot’ so
they can fire their bodies into the downswing and
attack from the inside.

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 79

 SYNCHRONISE YOUR
DOWNSWING

Starting the transition with the arms is the

first move in a specific downswing sequence
that enables you to deliver the club on the
correct swing path and attack angle and
deliver the maximum power you can generate
into the ball. When you get the arms and body
moving at the maximum speed at the same
time coming through impact is when you hit it
a really long way. The hands should drop about
six inches before the hips start rotating (not
sliding towards the target) and the upper body
and shoulders follow naturally to deliver the
club into impact. It’s very difficult to do this
consciously so I use a drill to ingrain it...

DRILL
Feet together swings
Address the ball with your feet together,
then hit shots. It’s virtually impossible to
stay balanced and hit the ball with any
power without the correct downswing
sequencing. Start off with a mid-iron.
TEXT & IMAGES: © BAUER CONSUMER MEDIA LIMITED

80 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

 5
If your clubhead is square at impact then you’ll generate
faster ball speeds compared to the more glancing and less
efficient contact if it isn’t. With a square clubhead, you’ll
still be pretty accurate even if your swing path isn’t quite
perfect and as a result you generate a bit of side spin.
I like to feel as if the clubface is on line with the target
for as long as possible – for at least a clubhead length before
and after the ball. The longer time the clubhead is square
around the bottom of the swing, the easier it is to make sure
it hits the ball while square.

GET YOUR DRIVER

USTOM FITTED

vital that you have the right club for your

ng. I use a low spin set-up because I spin it
e a lot. The shaft length, flex and weight and
loft and weight positions in the clubhead all
ct how you deliver the clubhead to the ball and
launch characteristics that produces. Don’t be
id to play around with things with a fitter or
Grip size is an often underappreciated factor.
your only point of contact with the club so it
have a big impact on your shots. If your grip
o small, which a lot of people’s are, you will
eeze the club too tightly and your hands will get
too active, so it’s harder for the club to flow.

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 81

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 FOR
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W
e don’t need a launch monitor
to tell us that if we move the
club faster, we increase our
potential for hitting the ball further.
Boosting your speed, though, is not quite
as simple as it sounds. Increased speed
cannot come at the expense of strike. Move
faster at the expense of control and you’re
robbing Dustin to pay Sergio. The first thing
to establish is that increasing speed doesn’t
mean a faster swing; it only means a faster
clubhead at impact. The drills here cover
elements like timing and sequencing to help
you gain clubhead mph at the right time.
The second thing is that many golfers think
you need strength to move the club at speed.
OK, it can help. But increasing club and ball
speed is much more to do with technique
than muscle.
I will show you how to hone that
technique... and as ever in golf, it starts with
your set-up.

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 83

 SET-UP FOR SPEED
#1

Your set up influences how energy is transferred to the ball. A good address
creates the right attack angle and dynamic (impact) loft, optimising ball speed

Shoulders angled up
That spine angle tilt promotes a
fluent upward sweep through the
Your set up influences how energy is
ball. This is how you find the
middle of the face – but it also transferred to the ball. A good address
Chest behind the ball
keeps the club’s attack angle and creates the right attack angle and dynamic
Nudge the hips forward and your
impact face loft as close together (impact) loft, optimising ball speed
spine begins to lean away from the
as possible – a key to efficient
target. This gives you the feeling of
energy transfer.
setting your chest behind the ball –
and that creates space and time to
build speed coming into impact.

Hip position focus

Stand to the ball, taking your driver posture
More support and ball position, but without the driver itself.
That sharper angle in your trail
Widen your stance slightly to improve your
leg creates a more robust
support for the backswing, balance with faster movement. Focus on
allowing you to coil deep into your hips. In this natural position they sit
your trail hip with less risk of inside the insteps of your feet.
swaying. This delivers a much
more torquey and powerful
rotation, and one that
translates into extra speed on
the way down.

TEXT & IMAGES: © BAUER CONSUMER MEDIA LIMITED

Make a ‘backward K’
To optimise impact efficiency, bunt your
hips towards the target. Exaggerate the feel
so your lead hip will feel like it sits slightly
higher. Do not allow your head to move with
the hips; it should retain its position, helping
you keep your weight 50-50.

84 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

 Hang time
Find your bag towel and tie a
knot in the end of it to give it
some weight. Now take your
regular posture, but without a
club. Hold the towel against
your trail shoulder and check
where it falls.

Gap check
Work on that upper-body tilt, making sure
you bend from the hips and your spine
remains extended. Then maintain it with the
club itself as you take your address. Feel
your hands are under your chin, and check
there is a fist-shaped gap between your
hands and thighs.

Free hit
The towel should hang just
forward of your toes. This
shows you’ve created enough
forward lean in your upper
body to give your arms enough
room to hang and swing freely.

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 85

 Fire your big muscles
#2

To throw a ball you’d plant your front foot, before driving your hips forward. The
last thing to fire is your hand and ball. The swing’s speed sequence is no different...

Driving test
Your goal on this drill is to get the ball
skipping down the fairway, bouncing-
bomb style, as fast as possible. Spend a
little time working out how to achieve
this. If you can move from the ground up,
you’ll create more speed and power.

Ready to hurl
This drill asks you to throw a ball as hard as
possible down your target line, but from a
golfing motion. Start by holding a ball in your
trail hand, and fold your lead arm behind
your back. Take your golfing posture.
Later release
You’ll feel that when you
create your maximum speed,
your hand and arm feel like
they release the ball after your
body has moved through. This
relates to the golf swing’s “late
hit”, the body pulling through
the arms and then the club.

Weak release
Many club players lose speed because
they fail to engage those powerful lower
body muscles at the start of the process.
You’ll remain side-on to your target as
you release the ball. Driven by arm power
alone, the ball will end up being thrown
weakly left of “target”.

86 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

 Leading role
When you’re used to the
feeling of that lower body-
driven release, go ahead and
hit the ball. That throw and the
aggressive practice swing
should be enough to remind
your lower body of the leading
role it plays in pulling the
club through.

Repeat the ball throw

with a driver
After you’ve got used to developing speed
through your throwing action, move on to a
club. Grip your driver and make a practice
swing, inside the ball. Just aim to replicate
a ball-throwing motion, even looking down
the fairway.

Clear progress
Your twin feelings should be of
your lead side clearing during
the downswing, and the club
arriving later at the ball. If you
start to feel more side-on, with
a weaker hand-arm release,
return to that throwing drill
to get your lower half
more dominant.

Club thrower
As with the throw, focus simply on
developing speed – almost as if you are
going to throw the club as far as possible
down the fairway. Commit to this and you’ll
recruit those hip and glute muscles at the
start of your downswing, adding speed to
your motion.

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 87

 IMPROVE YOUR TIMING
#3

It’s vital your movements remain smooth and coordinated; it’s too easy to snatch
the club back and through. That knotted towel you used at address can help

NEW ORDER
Snatch the club down with
your hands and arms and the
knotted end of the towel
comes away from your
shoulder. By retaining that
connection for a beat into the
downswing, you ensure the
lower body will lead and the
hands and arms will follow.

Tap on the shoulder
Grip your towel like a golf club and address
an imaginary ball, allowing the knotted end
to hang. Swing back to the top. Wait to feel
the knot hit your trail shoulder.
Later release
Now start down, using the
ground-up feel you developed in
the ball-throwing drill. Feel your
weight plant over your front foot
and your lead knee and hip start
to unwind. But also, feel the towel
stays on your shoulder as you
start down.

Create some lag

The weight of the knot in the towel will also
help you feel so-called “lag” approaching
impact, the club lagging behind you. While
this is key to club speed, it is a by-product
of good sequencing and not something you
should try to create.

88 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

 HOW TO TRAIN SPEED
#4

In many sports that need speed athletes train using lighter gear to promote faster
movement. You can take this approach, too – by turning a club upside down

Shaft horizontal Find your speed limit

Grip your driver up by the head, and hold the shaft horizontally out in front Swing the club around you, keeping the shaft horizontal. Simply try to create the
of you. It’s much easier to create and experience speed when making a flat, loudest swish you can achieve. Feel how, the faster you try to swing the shaft,
baseball-style swing. the more your entire body wants to engage.

Baseball hit Speed of sound

Now flip the club the right way round. Your goal is the same – to find your Finally, with that feeling of speed fresh in your muscle memory, take your posture
loudest swish. This will come when you allow your lower body rotation to pull and swing the club normally. Take that freedom from the baseball swing into this
the club forward, your hands and arms arriving later at the ball. action and you‘ll hear that later swish... and more speed at the right time.

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 89

 The science of smash
Smash Factor is one of golf’s buzz-phrases. So what is it, and
how do you go about increasing yours?
I
s there a better feeling in golf than
ripping a drive right down the middle?
When everything comes together – aim,
swing plane, impact zone, finish – it yields
long, soaring shots that we admire as they fly.
And one number in particular is crucial to
achieving this more often; Smash Factor. You
may have heard commentators talk about it
on TV. If you’ve ever been fitted for a set of
clubs you’ve certainly heard of it. But what is
it? Why is it so important? And how can you
increase yours?
Put simply, Smash Factor is the ratio of ball
TWO WAYS TO BOOST YOUR SMASH FACTOR
SHAFT LENGTH
Based on 10 years of custom-fitting
feedback, US club-fitting legendTom
Wishon believes that for golfers with
a handicap between 10 and 26, over
75% will hit the ball longer and
straighter and more on-centre with
a shorter length driver than what
the golf companies are selling off
the shelf.
Heel to toe misses
Missing the sweetspot towards
the heel is worse for distance than
missing it towards the toe.The
rotating toe is moving faster than
the more passive heel; depending
on swing technique, the toe can
be moving 14% faster than the
heel as the ball is struck.
90 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
speed to clubhead speed on a given shot – in other
words, a measure of the efficiency of impact.
Limitations placed by physics and the rules on
club and ball design have given smash factor a
nominal upper limit of 1.5 (15 players on the PGA
Tour currently hit this, or slightly above) – in
other words, in a perfect world a 100mph impact
clubhead speed would produce a 150mph ball
speed. But why does that matter to you and me?
Well, as a measurable figure it is the proof that
quality-of-strike can override clubhead speed
when it comes to distance. With better Smash,
your driving distance can go up, even when your
TOTAL WEIGHT AND SWINGWEIGHT
All clubs sold off the rack are made
to one standard total weight and
one standard swingweight. It is very
possible that many, many golfers are
using clubs in which the total weight
and/or swingweight do not match
their inherent swing tempo. From that,
they don’t “time” shots for maximum
efficiency and/or lose valuable speed.
swing slows down. Smash Factor shows the
benefit of hitting better over hitting harder. And
that, in theory, should stop us lashing at the ball.
“Smash Factor is important as it helps you
ensure that every drop of effort you put into hitting
the ball is being converted into distance,” says
club-fitting specialist Jason MacNiven of fitting
specialist Golf Principles. “As far as distance goes,
it’s not the only god – in fact there is a perfect
triangle of smash factor, spin rate and launch angle
– but working on it certainly plays a valuable part
in helping you become a better driver.“
According to MacNiven, the average club golfer
has a Smash Factor somewhere in the region
of 1.35-1.4. And as you might expect, getting
that figure up has much to do with finding the
driver’s sweetspot.
“In the most technical definition, the sweetspot
is the actual point of balance inside the clubhead
that we refer to as the centre of gravity,” says
American club-fitting expert Tom Wishon. “If you
hit the ball so the centre of the ball is directly in
line with the clubhead’s centre of gravity (CG),
there will be no loss of energy in the shot.”
So far so good. But here comes the bad news.
“The centre of gravity is a single point about
the same size as the full stop at the end of this
sentence,” Wishon adds. “When impact occurs
such that the centre of the ball is not in line with the
clubhead’s CG, energy is lost, as is distance.”
Crown to sole misses
Impact high up on the face – above
the driver’s CoG – tends to create
both a higher launch angle, plus
lower spin rates thanks to the
driver’s vertical gear effect. This
effect can produce power hot-spots
in the upper regions of the driver’s
face, usually a little towards the toe.
 Subscribe
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 TIP FROM
THE H E S W IN G D O C T O R | G O L F AU S T R A L I A’S R ES ID E N T S W IN G T HE R A P I S T
TOUR

THE BEST CHIPPING

TIP YOU’LL EVER GET
Now that I’ve got your attention … if your scores suffer
because of inconsistent chipping, duffs or chunked chips
around the green, the solution is right here.
Firstly, most players who are bad at chipping have their
feet set too far apart at address. Get them closer together,
just like Mirim Lee is as she practices her short game.
What else can you notice about her chipping action?
The key thing here is that her hands are in front of the
clubface into the follow-through. This is a position you
should try and copy to ensure you hit solid chip shots
every time.
To get to this position, simply put the golf ball back in
your stance, ensuring your hands are ahead of the ball at
address. Now play the shot, with very little wrist hinge,
and keep your hands ahead of the clubface as you swing
into the ball and on the follow through.
By keeping your hands ahead of the golf ball on chips
and keeping them ahead of your clubface on the follow
through, you are eliminating both the duffed and chunked
chip shot.
This way of chipping gets you naturally hitting down
on the ball, which is essential for crisp contact and good
distance control. By hitting down on the ball, you will hit
the ball first, before hitting the ground. Also, hands ahead
of the ball promotes an accelerating, positive motion
through impact that will result in more consistent shots.
The greatest benefit of this chipping action is that it is
very forgiving. For example, if you catch the ball too
cleanly and crisply, the ball will travel a bit further, but
with more spin, and so will stop near your target. If you
do happen to hit behind the ball a bit and catch some
grass between the ball and clubface, the ball will not
travel as far but it will have less spin, allowing the ball to
roll out more.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

94 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

Fly Melbourne to King Island
with
Flights available daily
A GOLFING
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rex.com.au 13 17 13
 P L AY I N G W I T H . . .

RYOMA MAXIMA TYPE V DRIVER

Cost: $1,900. Tested by: Jimmy Emanuel, Golf Australia Writer (GA Handicap 9.4)

MODEL PLAYED: 10.5˚ loft, one, unfortunately for me that is not something I In direct comparison with my own driver, I
fitted with Ryoma Graphite can entirely lay blame on the club, which still unquestionably gained a decent number of
Design Beyond Power Plus ∞ offered the expected forgiveness of a modern metres but lost a little accuracy on mis-hits
(infinity) flex shaft. model with bad strikes rarely out of play. with the Ryoma. This could be due in part to
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The The most pleasing aspect of the shaft and the softer, longer shaft but the feel off the
driver’s simple black crown, head combination, which surprised me, was clubface made it clear that I was also getting a
scoring lines that outline the that I never once experienced a ballooning little more ‘pop’ out of the Ryoma – something
middle of the face and a topline that seemed to flight, even when playing in extremely strong Japanese models always seem to do, which in
almost roll into the face deliver a classic look winds. The typical ball flight was a high, my opinion makes them perfect for slower
that is clearly designed to appeal to the penetrating draw that seemed to fight any swing speed players looking to keep up with
premium Japanese golf market.
The combination of the head, which appeared
smaller than most well-known models behind
the ball, and shaft graphics made the driver feel
long to me. This was despite it measuring 46.5
inches, a common length for today’s drivers.
The sound off the clubface was loud and
powerful and instantly grabbed my attention.
HOW IT PERFORMED: As my time with the
Ryoma went on, I became more and more used
to the sound. Although when I would reach for
my own driver to hit a few shots side-by-side,
the Ryoma stood out every time.
The feel is almost a little harder than I am
used to, particularly on mis-hits which felt a
little harsh. But the sound off the centre of the
face was by no means a bad one and
something anyone could easily get used to.
The infinity flex shaft is designed to be used
by any golfer and felt a little soft in the hands,
as have plenty of other Japanese models I have
tried in the past. As with most clubs, however,
a little time and experience allowed me to
better match my tempo to the club, producing
some of my longest drives in recent memory.
As might be expected with a shaft softer than
what I am used to, my miss was a low and left

FACTS & FIGURES

SUITABILITY: As Ryoma says, the Maxima Type
V is a “driver anybody could hit the ball with”
but is most suited to players looking to achieve
longer drives. Particularly those who benefit
from low spin.
SHAFTS: The Maxima Type V is also available
with a Fire Express shaft ($1,790).
RYOMA SAYS: The new Ryoma Maxima Type V
is designed to be best suited to amateurs. Ryoma
focuses on improving both the distance and
direction of every shot rather than the maximum
distance from a single well-struck drive.

THE VERDICT: “I unquestionably gained a

96 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

 Visit www.golfmateebisu.com/theworkshop
for an exclusive offer of 5% off full price items!

Code can be applied to any full price items over $99 including component items
at the workshop. Offer available for a limited time only.

PLAY THE PALMS GOLF COURSE

ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S AT SANCTUARY COVE - RATED ONE OF
AUSTRALIA’S TOP 100 GOLF COURSES.
FINEST COURSES. The Palms golf course at Sanctuary Cove is open to the public for play
7 days a week and is designed to challenge all levels of play. Rated as
one of Australia’s finest public access courses The Palms is considered a
championship course rivaling some of the best golf courses in Australia.

It has a total length of 5904 metres off the championship tees, and
has numerous water features and hazards. Tee placements have been
designed to suit a variety of playing conditions and a diverse range of
players. Nestled within century-old Cabbage Palms, The Palms golf
course is a return to the traditions of the game, with distinctive holes,
deep greenside bunkers and boldly contoured greens requiring
E
TH
creative shot making.

O
T C
EN I
OP PUBL For bookings visit www.sanctuarycovegolf.com.au
Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club
Gleneagles Drive, Sanctuary Cove, Qld Australia
Phone 07 5699 9000
www.sanctuarycovegolf.com.au
 PRO SHOP

SURE UP DISTANCE
Sureshot’s latest range of lasers, the Pinloc 5000 series, continue
the company’s tradition of high-quality, high-performance distance
measuring devices offered in varied models to suit any golfer.
Three lightweight and ergonomically designed models are water
resistant and feature 6X magnification for a clear view of the target
that is further enhanced by Sureshot’s ‘Priority Loc’ technology, which
ignores background objects like trees beyond the green.
The company’s ‘PinLoc’ system helps the laser lock onto targets
and displays distances for 15 seconds, while the ‘Scan’ mode allows
for a quick check of various distances.
BETTER CONNECTION
The 5000I starts the range before the 5000IP, which adds
First introduced in the KING F7 and F7+ drivers, Cobra Connect
Sureshot’s ‘Pulse’ technology to alert players when the laser has hit
Powered by Arccos offers automatic shot tracking and Tour
the target. The 5000IPS rounds out the series, adding ‘Slope’ mode
analytics through a sensor embedded in the butt end of a grip.
to deliver distances factoring in gradient that can be turned on
The company’s new KING F8 range is the first to feature the
and off.
technology throughout an entire set, with purchasers of a
RRP: $219.00 (5000I), $299.00, (5000IP) and $349.00 (5000IPS).
seven-piece iron set even receiving an additional seven Arccos
Contact: To find out more about the Sureshot range of distance measuring
360 sensors for a fully connected set of clubs.
products phone (03) 8872 6700 or visit, www.sureshotgps.com
Cobra Connect doesn’t require tagging or tapping for each shot,
with your smartphone picking up the sensor when placed in a
front pocket of the player’s pants throughout the round.
In addition to tracking every shot struck during a round and
offering strokes gained statistics to help guide improvement Cobra
Connect also produces average distances for each club in the bag
and is a GPS with 40,000 courses mapped around the world.
Contact: To find out more about Cobra Connect Powered by Arccos and
Cobra’s new range visit www.cobragolf.com.au or phone 1800 053 164.

TIME TO GET COMFORTABLE

SuperStroke putter grips have almost become the norm on Tour
and its club grips are becoming increasingly popular with players
like Jordan Spieth and Sergio Garcia. The latest addition to the
company’s range is the Cross Comfort club grip, which delivers
outstanding comfort and impressive all round performance.
Available in a range of colours and sizes, the Cross Comfort
features an inner layer made of rubber and external ‘X’ pattern for

98 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

 EE TIME
y golfers think a tee is a tee. And while the faithful wooden number does
rable job, the ProTee offers technology in one of the most regularly used
of equipment.
ed in a 80mm driver and 45mm short option, and customisable in orders
000, the ProTee features a long lasting construction that is easier to put in
und and a large top to ensure the ball sits securely every time. The
r cup also protects club faces and contains small nodules to reduce spin for
drives.
dition to making the tee easier to insert into the ground, the barbed point
he ProTee flying far away after impact to prevent loss and doubles as a pitch
pairer. Similarly capable of a double use the polymer top is a perfect eraser.
each or 3 for $5 (80mm) and $1.50 or 4 for $5 (45mm).
Contact: To find out more including custom printing enquiries contact Australian Golf
Supplies on 0400 888 794 or visit www.australiangolfsupplies.com.au

STRAP YOURSELF IN
Developed by PGA professional Hamish
Robertson, the Bunker Belt is designed to improve
golfers’ bunker play through developing the correct
lower body movements and positioning required to
consistently deliver the club.
Able to be used when chipping and pitching as
HOLE LOT
well as in bunkers the belt locks a player’s lower
body in place and maintains knee flex, which helps to
OF POWER
attain the all-important feeling of loading weight onto Wilson Staff’s C300 ran
the lead leg. ‘Power Hole’ technology to
Once the yellow side straps are pulled, a feeling of level, incorporating the inno
limitation produces a consistent bottom to the swing into woods for the first time
to stop the amateur’s worst bunker mistake of Filled with urethane, the h
hanging back on the rear leg and trying to lift the ball positioned around the head t
out of the sand. minimize the contact betwee
With the correct weight positioning and knee flex, club’s face and body, increasin
the bunker belt makes one of the game’s hardest flexing and enlarging the swee
skills a simple task. The C300 irons feature two r
RRP: $49.95 delivered to Australia and New Zealand. of Power Holes along the sole a
Contact: To find out more about the Bunker Belt, including well as more on the toe and hee
video tips to improve your bunker play, visit offer maximum forgiveness
www.bunkerbelt.com regardless of where the ball is str
Forged from soft carbon steel, t
C300 Forged utilises the company
through-holes in the 3-8 irons for a
combination of forgiveness on
off-centre hits, soft feel and control.
With a Tour preferred shape and
unique matte red finish, the C300
driver incorporates four Power Holes
positioned on the crown and sole for
more ball speed, while Wilson’s
‘Reactive Face Technology 2.0’
increases forgiveness across the
driver face further through its variab
thickness design.
RRP: C300 irons: $139.95 (per iron steel),
$159.95 (per iron graphite). C300 Forged
irons: $159.95 (per iron steel). C300 driver:
$499.95.
Contact: To find out more about the C300
range and for your nearest stockist call
Amer Sports on (03) 8586 6666 or visit
www.wilson.com
 P L AY I N G W I T H . . .
BRIDGESTONE TOUR B GOLF BALLS
Cost: $69.99 (dozen). Tested by: Jimmy Emanuel, Golf Australia Writer (GA Handicap 9.4)
MODEL PLAYED: Tour B X,
XS, RX and RXS.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The
new Tour B logo looks great
compared to the old
Bridgestone script and gives
the balls a unique look. The
side stamp is also nice and simple although a
little short for those who use it to line up putts.
From my first strike on the chipping green
each model impressed with its spin and varied,
but soft, feel. The same can be said from the
tee where all four balls produced good distance
and strong flights with slight differences in feel.
HOW IT PERFORMED: Bridgestone is no
longer suggesting models from its premium ball
range based on swing speed as it did with the
B330 range, instead using typical score and
performance preferences.
Using both the old and new method of
selecting a model, I knew the Tour B X was
likely to be the best model for my game. But I
put all four models through their paces on the
putting and chipping greens, during practice
rounds, hitting each ball with the same club,
and during the course of a normal round.
Rotating through each model after a few holes.
As I suspected, the X performed best for me
in almost every facet of the game, with the XS
100 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
slightly behind followed by the RX then RXS.
Putting offered few differences, as one would
hope, with only a slightly noticeable change in
feel from the softest RXS to the firmest X. A
pleasant change from previous models where I
often found the RXS to feel far too soft and the
X too hard and clicky.
Around the greens the X and XS were the
standout performers with XS
the best overall. Both the ‘better THE ‘BETTER
player’ models really bit hard
even on short chips and seemed
PLAYER’
to fizz off the clubface when MODELS
pitching, whereas the RX and REALLY BIT
RXS comfortably stopped HARD EVEN ON
quickly, with a slight release at
times, but without the same
SHORT CHIPS
noticeable grab. AND SEEMED
When hitting short shots, the TO FIZZ OFF THE
other impressive feature of the
firmer compression models was
CLUBFACE...
the flight, which stayed low in contrast to the
two softer models which seemed to launch
high and almost float through the air, and
almost jumped off the face of wedges.
When starting to get into full wedges and
short-irons all four again performed well with no
discernible difference in distance. Again the RX
and RXS flew higher and perhaps even stayed
in the air a little longer, while the X and XS
produced a flight I am more accustomed to.
Spin was definitely increased in both S
models versus their X counterparts when hitting
fuller shots, moving more with the wind and
spinning back on more occasions.
Once into the mid- to long-irons the X and XS
started to travel substantially further for me as
was the case with the longest
clubs in the bag. This could be
put down to the two firmer
models suitability to my swing
speed and could very likely go
the other way for someone
with a little slower speed.
The driver is where the X
and XS really stood out for me.
While I was very impressed
with the RX, which downwind
seemed to really fly, the RXS
seemed to fall out of the sky a
little for me, particularly on slight mis-hits where
I lost a significant amount of distance to playing
partners I would normally be well passed.
The XS was an improvement on the previous
B330-S, with the driver carrying noticeably
further and offering the best feel of the bunch
off the face. While the X is still a little firm, it is
far improved on the old B330 which always felt
too hard for me, but its performance was
outstanding. The lowest spinning model of the
lot with the driver suited my game perfectly and
the results were even better than expected.
A penetrating flight was great in the wind and
seemed almost unaffected both directionally
and distance wise leading to multiple drives in
places I have never seen before on the courses
I played.
The two low handicap models were also
more easily controlled off the clubface,
comfortably being knocked down and moved
both left and right, whereas the two softer
versions took a lot of swing and clubface
manipulation to get a different flight. Something
that while not ideal for a player who likes to
work the ball is perfect for those who want to
see a relatively straight shot every time.
Durability was good with all four models with
the colour of the balls never changing, however,
multiple wedge shots did make scuff marks a
little quicker than with some other balls, but
that is to be expected with a soft cover and the
benefits it offers.
As I expected going into my testing the Tour
B X was the best performing ball for me. It is a
little firmer in feel than some would like but I
would have no problem using it as my regular
choice due to its outstanding distance, ball-
THE VERDICT: “As I expected going into my testing the Tour B X was the best performing ball for me.”
FACTS & FIGURES
BRIDGESTONE SAYS: As with all Bridgestone
models, the company utilized data from more than
3 million in-person and online ball fittings in the
research and development process to determine
how specific characteristics would benefit
different players.
TOUR B X and XS are designed for low
handicap golfers looking for exceptional feel. The
X is for those players looking for more accuracy
flight control and short game performance.
Next was the XS, which was very close to
being the best of the lot thanks to its terrific
greenside spin and control as well as improved
driver performance on previous models. But
losing a few metres to the X proved crucial
for me, and the added spin also meant my
misses right and left from the tee tended to
be exaggerated.
The RX was my pick of the low-mid handicap
options for similar reasons. The driver
performance was extremely good and the
high and straight flight throughout the bag
was impressive.
off the tee while the XS provides extra length.
The RX and RXS are for mid-to-low
handicappers, delivering explosive distance and
optimized trajectory thanks to high repulsion
construction and new 338 modified Dual Dimple
design. The RX will help players hit more fairways
while those looking for unmatched feel will
gravitate toward the RXS.
Contact Bridgestone Golf Australia for more
information about the range and your nearest
stockists at www.bridgestonegolf.com.au
The RXS rounded out the models for me but
still performed exactly as Bridgestone suggests
it would and is definitely worth a try. The
combination of spin and feel, which was the
best of the four and improves on the old
version, was very good and is a perfect mix for
slower swinging players.
Not many golfers will test all four models like
I did, but if given the chance to compare even
the X and XS or RX and RXS it is a very
worthwhile exercise to find out which model is
best suited to you. With all four bettering the
extremely good B330 equivalents, which is no
mean feat.
golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 101
 P L AY I N G W I T H . . .

CALLAWAY MD4 WEDGES

Cost: $229.99. Tested by: Jimmy Emanuel,
Golf Australia Writer (GA Handicap 9.4)

MODEL PLAYED: 56˚-10˚ Although I wa

S-Grind (Platinum Chrome) about the ability
and 60˚-10˚ S-Grind (Matte added ‘Nip-It’ gro
Black), fitted with Dynamic bottom of the we
Gold Tour Issue 115 seemed to help a
S200 shafts. the ball. Most noti
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Like struck just a little th
anyone who has spent a large amount of time still pulled up quick
around a chipping green, I am very particular high on the face.
about how wedges look. Visually the MD4 is my Feel off the clubfac
favourite Callaway wedge released in some a standout feature, ho
time, thanks to a straighter leading edge and rough and hit higher in
more compact head that is closer to the squarer producing good perfor
look I typically opt for. a little clu
The S-Grind was a little low in bounce in the Distanc
56˚ and high in the 60˚ for my preference but factors for
looked comfortable at address and offered an were extre
extremely versatile performance from a variety slight increa
of lies, and across numerous different courses 56˚ and 60˚,
and conditions. low was eas
I preferred the Matte Black finish over the Bunkers ar
chrome, even after it began to wear lightly in ground for we
the hitting area and on the sole after a few well-equipped
weeks’ work. and lies. The al
HOW IT PERFORMED: Spin is king when it S-Grind meant
comes to choosing wedges and the MD4 gave here, opening u
my trusted gamers more than a run for their splashing out ea
money in this regard. It took some getting used All in all the M
to, in a good way, having to throw the ball offering plenty of
almost all the way to the hole even on firm the fairway and ro
greens from close range, with the MD4’s lie or situation.
grooves causing the ball to instantly grab. The look definite
The high level spin wasn’t limited to chipping, previous Callaway o
with my favourite low checking shot from 40-60 the high level spin a
metres really biting on impact with the putting and bounces, these
surface and distance wedges stopping instantly. complete package.

configuration which also

FACTS & FIGURES
SUITABILITY: Any player. Thanks to 21 loft and
bounce combinations and four sole grinds.
LEFT-HANDED: MD4s are available in left-handed
models in every loft from 50˚ up, in numerous
sole grind and finish options.
CALLAWAY SAYS: The Mack Daddy 4 line is
the most rigorously tested and Tour-validated
wedge family Callaway has ever produced,
and represents the finest collaboration to date
between wedge design legend, Roger Cleveland,
Callaway’s in-house R&D experts, and its global
team of Staff Professionals.
Each wedge features a 16-groove
‘Nip-It’ groove near the lea
control, especially on shor
In-between each main gr
of the face is a milled ‘Micro
texture that features three ra
extending the length of the hi
The uniquely satisfying feel
comes courtesy of a soft 8620
and a four-port aluminium meda
system that allows for the preci
the CG in each head.
Contact Callaway Golf to see the
loft and bounce options at www.
com.au or phone 1800 217 777.

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104 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
 TIME
to
SCOOT
Looking for a golfing getaway
with a real difference? How
about loading up an electric
scooter with clubs and luggage
and setting off on a train
adventure. That would be
different … and inexpensive as
our correspondent discovered.
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY BRENDAN MOLONEY

O
n a whim more than 20 years ago I boarded a
Victorian country train with golf clubs and
bicycle, played four courses along the way and
returned home with change from $300.
In the era of PM Paul Keating and “the recession we had
to have”, this was pretty good value. It included everything –
train ticket, accommodation, meals, drinks, green fees, balls
and incidentals – at a time when the average wage was
around $650.
What would it cost today with earnings now above the
$1,500 mark? Surprisingly, not much more.
The ravages of time have put an end to riding a pushbike
IT DID NOT so my single-seat, electric scooter took its place. After a dry

GET OFF TO AN run from our suburban station to the Spencer Street country
terminal in the city to buy a ticket the previous weekend, the
AUSPICIOUS START trip commenced on a Sunday morning.
It did not get off to an auspicious start because the trains
BECAUSE THE weren’t running and the replacement buses didn’t take

TRAINS WEREN’T mobility scooters. This necessitated a five-kilometre dash

in the rain to the nearest line, at Caulfield. Then at Spencer
RUNNING AND THE Street the problems were compounded because the country

REPLACEMENT
train’s single doors were too narrow for the scooter and it left
for Bendigo in central Victoria left without me.
BUSES DIDN’T The staff seemed quite distressed by this and sent for the
station master, who was seeing off buses for the penguin
TAKE MOBILITY parade at Phillip Island in the distant reaches of the vast

SCOOTERS. complex. He’d be about 15 minutes and agreed to meet up at a

hamburger restaurant for breakfast. From there we went back
to the platform and waited for the next train running an hour
and a half later.
It was identical to the first one except that the scooter fitted
through the door. Trouble was, this one terminated at Bendigo,
about 10 kilometres short of Epsom, the station nearest to
my first golfing port of call. On arrival at Bendigo the GPS,

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 105


The V/Line train doing a good
clip en route to Bendigo.
Just after dawn on the beautiful
Bendigo layout that dates back
more than 115 years.
which had been on the charge in the car all week,
stopped working after two minutes.
A lady named Jeanette in a grey Honda took
pity when asked for directions and drove ahead at
the scooter’s top speed of 13.5 km an hour along
back streets away from the traffic for about 20
minutes to put me on the right track. When last
at Bendigo Golf Club in 1995, Robert Cook was
the club president and I chained my bike to
his parking spot. He agreed to a game out of
nostalgia and we were joined by his successor,
Andrew Johnston.
They are proud of the history of the club
formed in 1901 by a generation whose fathers and
grandfathers made their fortunes in the gold rush.
Among the founders was Harold A. Abbott
who did well from selling hardware to the diggers
and patenting some barb wire – the Abbott
single strand, four point, double kink – that the
Australian Army declared the strongest in
the world.
In 1938 Bobby Locke beat Harry Williams in
an exhibition match at Bendigo and he returned
in 1950 as British Open champion to shoot 68 and
break Bill Edgar’s course record of 70. Others to
draw a good crowd were Peter Thomson, Norman
106 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
Getting a
round in with
former Bendigo
president
Robert Cook
in front of a
gallery of roos.
Charlie and Joy
Kelly have been
members at
Neangar Park
for a combined
total of 96
years.
von Nida, Gene Sarazen, Ivo Whitton and
Mick Ryan who, like Locke, had all won the
Australian Open.
Today mobs – some would say a plague – of
well-fed kangaroos graze on the course and Cook
and Johnston idly speculated on following the
lead of Anglesea Golf Club, which makes money
by running a bus on the course for tourists to view
them. My accommodation in 1995 was at a nearby
caravan park where Special Operations Group
police shot dead villain Jed Houghton, sparking
the gangland wars. From memory, a cabin then
cost $35. This time at a rival establishment the
tariff was $130 and the hot water was shot.
Next day, after a cold shower, it was on to
Neangar Park Golf Club for a game with Charlie
and Joy Kelly, who have been members of the
club for a combined total of 96 years, although his
association began in 1952 when he made pocket
money by helping out on weekends.
“When I was 11 years old my mother, Elva,
was a member,” he recalled. “With two other
boys I’d ride my bike to the club and drag a bag
behind it to smooth the (sand scrape) greens for
the afternoon. We each had to do six greens and
we were paid five shillings. If you were lucky, a
player would give you an extra thruppence for
doing a good job. It was decent money. One of my
favourites was a licorice strap that cost a penny so
the afternoon’s work was worth 60 of them. That
would be more than enough to make yourself sick.
“In those days it was a winter course because
there was no water on the property. The season
usually ran from March to October. We had a leaf
rake that used to be pulled by a horse to pick up
the sticks from the fairways. We did not have a
horse so it was adapted to be pulled by the tractor.
Once the sticks were removed we could mow the
fairways at the start of the season,” Charlie said.
Neangar Park dates from 1931 when farmer
Frank Fitzpatrick sold the land to the club for 10
shillings ($1) and the conversion to grass greens
was completed in 1992. This brought an influx of
talented young players to the club including Kris
Mueck and Lucas Herbert, who are now making
their way in the pro ranks.
“We’ve been lucky with the young players,” says
Kelly who is still playing with Joy after 51 years
of marriage and still kissing her at the end of each
round. “We had a competition recently where
there were 40 single figure players in the field.
That’s pretty good for a small country club. As for

the pennant competition, we win every year. We
had two teams in it this year and they played off
against each other.”
IN 1938 BOBBY Club pro Erik Hendrix, who is not related to
LOCKE BEAT HARRY Jimi and “can’t even play the guitar”, describes
the course as a surprise package for a country club
WILLIAMS IN AN with fine couch fairways.
EXHIBITION
“I’ve only been here for five years and I’m still
trying to work out if it is something in the water
MATCH AT that produces the good players,” he said. “We do
have a good junior program. They seem to come
BENDIGO AND HE through it and shine. We’re expecting big things
RETURNED IN from Lucas.”
Club manager Nick Rix borrowed the
1950 AS BRITISH superintendent’s ute to take the scooter back
OPEN CHAMPION
to Bendigo station and timed it so well that the
train with a wide enough door departed for
TO SHOOT 68 AND Woodend within minutes. The scenery of box-
ironbark forests, farmland, old stone bridges
BREAK BILL and abandoned railway stations brought back
EDGAR’S COURSE
memories of returning home to Melbourne from
boarding school in the 1960s.
RECORD OF 70. If there is a hillier course in Australia than
Woodend, I’m yet to play it. On the strength of
the last experience, I’d tried to organise a sherpa
to take me from the clubhouse at base camp up
The pretty Neangar Park has
produced young pros Lucas
Herbert and Kris Mueck.
to the 1st tee. He did not turn up but a dozen or
so members, who arrived for the Tuesday comp
invited me to join them. It was a friendly and
hospitable offer but I could not face the shame
of riding while they walked. This was one tough
group of men, most into their 70s and wearing
shorts on a chilly, spring morning while I was in
my wet weather gear to keep warm.
Before they arrived I’d driven up the narrow,
steep track to the 1st tee and was worried about
falling off and plummeting down the side. I found
a safer route down and decided to play from the
10th which was not without drama. The climb
was even steeper and stopped the scooter, which
is powered by three 12-volt, heavy duty batteries.
Admittedly, it was carrying a passenger who
could afford to shed a few pounds, a big bag and
full set of clubs, battery charger, travel bag and
two bottles of Shiraz in case of emergency, but I
bought it on the manufacturer’s claim that it
had climbed 1,000 metres up a steep road in
China carrying 140kg twice in an hour on one
battery charge.
It was able to handle the rest of the load if I
walked beside it and the effort was worthwhile.
The best of the stunning views is from the par-3
golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 107

11th hole, which measures 164 metres. From here
can be seen hills made famous in Joan Lindsay’s
novel Picnic at Hanging Rock and a grand vista of
the course and surrounding forest and farmland.
In fact, you can see everything except the green.
To see it you walk to the edge of the precipice at
the front of the tee and peer over the edge. There
it is, about 60 metres below. Knocking it on to the
front edge and two-putting for par made my day.
Safely back in the rambling old clubhouse, an
108 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
honour board showed that Miss Ruby McKenzie
won the club championship 14 times between
1932-59 and was denied further opportunity
when it was suspended from 1940-45 by World
War II. The McKenzies were big in the area and
the pub that bore their name in 1933 offered
accommodation “opposite the golf links at a
reduced winter tariff of three guineas ($6.30) a
week.” The pub was recommended by the medical
faculty, as was smoking in those days, and offered
Woodend is a hilly course and from the
11th tee you can see for miles, but you
can’t see the green (pictured below).
bracing mountain air.
Ruby, who also played tennis at state level,
went on to become mayor of Woodend in 1957-58
and they named a park after her.
A room in town cost $86 at an airbnb place
chosen at random. It was my first experience
of this type of accommodation and after
the caravan park the night before, I was not
expecting much. It was wonderful surprise, three
rooms in a rambling, old, country-style home
with the makings of a hearty breakfast and an
extension cord to charge the scooter thrown in at
no extra cost.
Woodend has some highly regarded dining
establishments but a foraging trip to the local
supermarket produced a fine meal in the
comfortable rooms, which was enjoyed with
some of the emergency Shiraz. W.C. Fields said
he always carried a flask in case of snakebite. He
also carried a snake.
The trip home was not straight-forward with
the first two trains, an hour apart, unable to fit in
the scooter. The station staff again were mortified
and said if I missed the next one they’d shout me
a maxi-taxi back to town. To kill time I had a fine
pastie and coffee at the bakery and bought a copy
of ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’. The third train had
the right door and the trip onwards was smooth
because the suburban trains have double doors.
All up the excursion cost $376.40, an increase
of about $100 on 1995. Both times were a lot of
fun and the slower form of transport really does
let you smell the flowers and hear the birds along
the way. Wonder what it will cost in 2037...
 CLUB OF THE MONTH

ThGeO L Coast
F CLUB
     ŗ 
 ŗ Ċ ŗ    ŗ      ŗ 
  

110 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

 Perched above the Pacific Ocean and laid out across the rugged cliff tops of Little
Bay, The Coast occupies some of the most picturesque land in Sydney and provides
its members and guests with a spectacular test of golf.
WORDS MICHAEL JONES

T
he first thing you will notice as you
arrive at The Coast Golf Club is its
proximity to the ocean. It is certainly
aptly named. The second thing you will
likely notice, either by observation or from
word of mouth, is that, for all its beauty, The
Coast can bite – and it can bite hard.
Despite only measuring 5,495 metres
from the members’ tees, the layout itself is
very fair, but its geographical location and its
susceptibility to the elements can – at times
– make it feel incredibly intimidating.
So, as a mid-handicapper, who has a bad
habit of losing balls on the stillest of days and
on the flattest of courses, it was comforting to
know I had plenty of ammo in reserve.
Especially when a long-time member told me
he had never once completed a round using the
same ball.
Whenever you look inland, which won’t be
all too often, you will probably spot an old
brick building standing on the hill in the
distance. The golf club was formed in 1965, but
the Prince Henry Hospital (formerly The
Coast Hospital) was the original custodian of a
course designed in the late 1920s by Jim
Ferrier. This was, of course, long before he
won two Australian Opens and a host of state
Opens, turned pro and headed off to the United
States where he became the first Australian

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 111

 Wind is the dominant factor on
the par-3 4th, which stretches to
180 metres from the tips.
to win a professional major, the US PGA
Championship, in 1947.
The layout was lengthened and enjoyed an
extensive restoration in the late 1960s when
members volunteered to take part in working
bees alongside prisoners from the nearby Long
Bay Gaol. By 1973 all 18 holes had been
completed and were unveiled to the public.
James Wilcher was then given the difficult
task of redesigning parts of the course that
would have otherwise interfered with newly
built houses in 2007. Today, The Coast is
thriving as one of Sydney’s most popular
public access courses.
Perhaps its biggest drawcard is that it offers
seven holes that play directly adjacent to the
ocean – something worth the green fee alone.
The 1st hole is not part of that collection,
but as you stand on the tee and look across the
property, you will instantly realise how
geographically impressive the course is. The
112 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
opening challenge – a 367-metre par-4 – also
marks the beginning of an interesting quartet
of holes, which can boast something that this
writer is very fond of.
Each of the first four tee shots play to
different directions of the compass: West,
East, North then South. This means your game
will be examined early, and to its fullest, by
whichever wind is prevailing on the day
of play.
The par-3 4th ends that enjoyable sequence,
but it also begins one of the most scenic
portions of your round and encapsulates
everything about a day at The Coast. With
Little Bay Beach at your back, this signature
hole measures 146 metres and requires a fine
shot over an unnerving gorge to safely find the
back-to-front sloping green.
Club selection is made extremely difficult
here – as it is across the entire course – by
often strong winds, and over-clubbing will
lead to quick, downhill putts. But this is
certainly one of those memorable tests that
has the potential to produce lifelong stories …
for better or worse.
The following hole plays in the same
direction as its predecessor and offers
panoramic views across the site and clifftops.
Measuring 352 metres, the 5th is undoubtedly
one of the toughest driving holes on the
course. Anything pulled or hooked is destined
for a watery grave, while anything pushed or
sliced is likely to find a well-positioned dam.
A difficult approach shot awaits. And
anybody who speaks to members will quickly
be advised to leave their ball well below the
hole to avoid the steep slope at the back of
the green.
Although some people at The Coast claim
they have the best putting surfaces in the area,
the club introduced a bent grass nursery in
2014 and plans to replace at least one green

PERHAPS ITS BIGGEST DRAWCARD
IS THAT IT OFFERS SEVEN HOLES THAT
PLAY DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO
THE OCEAN – SOMETHING WORTH THE
GREEN FEE ALONE.
every two years. This process should enhance
a player’s overall enjoyment on greens that
currently run very true – but at times lack
some character and slope.
Work is also being carried out on the back
nine to improve grass coverage on the
fairways, with a new irrigation system being
installed late last year to wash away any salty
sea spray that blows in from the ocean.
One of the highlights of the inward nine is
the well-hyped 14th hole. The par-4 plays from
one of the layout’s highest points and offers
stunning views. Your tee shot will need to
carry a huge gorge to safely find the fairway.
This is a daunting task for any level of player,
but spare a thought for those playing from the
tips, who will require the better part of 200
metres worth of carry to avoid reloading.
Once on the fairway, the hole veers slightly
from left to right, following the edge of the
cliffs, towards a raised green that can be very
Rated No.1 on the index, the
long par-4 13th has out-of-
bounds left and the ocean right.
tough to hit, especially with a strong northerly
tailwind. Par is a very good score here – and so
is the view across Little Bay Beach.
First-time visitors are likely to struggle with
their tee shots at the par-4 16th. The correct
playing line and landing area is somewhat
difficult to spot, and club choice can therefore
feel baffling. Ideally, you will need to play your
180-metre club to the left half of the fairway,
which will leave you with a short iron
approach. Should you go any longer, you’ll face
a steep downhill lie, and if you rip driver you
could even find the lateral water hazard
protecting the front of the green.
The 18th hole does what every closing hole
should do and produces a range of scores.
Anybody who fancies themselves a ‘bomber’
will be able to attack the green off the tee,
while the more tactical player is able to lay-up
and rely on their wedge game. It is exciting.
Just like any round at The Coast.
FACT FILE
THE COURSE
LOCATION: 1 Coast Hospital Road, Little Bay,
New South Wales, 2036
CONTACT: (02) 9661 5367
WEBSITE: www.coastgolf.com.au
DESIGNERS: Members and Jim Ferrier (late
1920s/early 1930s); Members (1973); James
Wilcher (2007).
COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Jordan Roach.
PGA PROFESSIONALS: Greg Green.
SLOPE RATINGS: 135 (Men’s blue tees), 132
(Men’s white tees); 129 (Women’s red tees), 126
(Women’s yellow tees).
PLAYING SURFACES: Kikuyu/couch (fairways);
poa annua/bent (greens).
GREEN FEES: $22 – $55 (depending on seasonal
dates and times). $110 midweek for two players
and a cart (Monday to Thursday).
THE CLUB
MEMBERSHIPS: Full seven-day membership
at The Coast costs $229 per month – for 14
months – and includes joining fees and yearly
subs. Under-30s membership includes the same
benefits and costs $92 per month.
RECIPROCAL CLUBS: NSW (Coraki GC,
Cowra GC, Forbes GC, Hay GC, Hawks Nest
GC, Lismore GC, Maitland GC, Muree GC,
Parkes GC, Port Kembla GC, Queanbeyan GC);
QLD (Headland GC, Rockhampton GC); VIC
(Heidelberg GC, Northern GC, Rossdale GC).
WEDDINGS & CORPORATE GOLF: The Coast is
perched atop the picturesque cliffs at Little Bay
in Sydney and offers a stunning ocean-front
setting to tie the knot. It can accommodate
all of your requests using its state-of-the-art
facilities. Contact Nora for more details:
(02) 9311 7422.
From competitions and signage to
administration and food, The Coast is one of
Sydney’s best kept secrets when it comes
to corporate golf. Its spectacular setting will
provide a memorable day for your guests.
Contact the club for packages: (02) 9311 7422.
golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 113
EMIRATES GOLF CLUB
13TH HOLE – MAJLIS COURSE

114 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

JEWELS
Dubai is widely
regarded as one
of the world’s
great stopover

THE SAND
cities. But for

IN
golfers, it is much
more than that …
it’s a destination,
so stop and play
a while.
WORDS JOHN HUGGAN

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 115

 EMIRATES GOLF CLUB
8TH HOLE – MAJLIS COURSE
EMIRATES GOLF CLUB
FALDO COURSE
I
t is an old joke, one used almost every
day by frequent fliers in the United
States and climaxing with the cheesy
punchline: “When you die and go to heaven,
you have to connect through Atlanta.”
The not-so subliminal message is well-earned.
The bustling and sprawling Georgia airport is
one of the most-used and busiest hubs on the
planet. But not the only one. Such a description
applies equally to the Dubai International
Airport. And no wonder. Quite apart from the
millions of business and vacationing passengers
making their way to all corners of the globe, this
most commercially-minded of the United Arab
Emirates has established itself as one of golf ’s
premier destinations over the last three decades
or so. Golf bag coveralls tagged “DXB” have
long been a common sight on baggage
carousels everywhere.
“There are a bunch of different places in the
world where golf is very strong,” says former
Open champion Henrik Stenson, a former
Dubai-resident of 10 years standing. “Australia is
one. Going there and playing those great courses
is a treat. Turkey is becoming a great holiday
destination with some really good layouts. But
the Middle East and Dubai in particular is hard
to beat. There are things to do for the whole
116 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
EMIRATES GOLF CLUB
CLUBHOUSE
EMIRATES GOLF CLUB
18TH HOLE – MAJLIS COURSE
family. The weather is perfect in the (northern
hemisphere) winter time. And now there are so
many good courses to play.”
The first Swedish (male) major champion
speaks the truth. In all, Dubai today boasts as
many as 11 layouts, all of them built in the last
three decades.
It all started with the Majlis course at the
Emirates Club. Opened in 1988 and home
almost ever since to the European Tour’s Dubai
Desert Classic, the iconic clubhouse – modelled
to resemble Bedouin tents – remains one of
the region’s most recognisable sights. Once
seen, never forgotten. Which is also true of the
amazing skyline that has sprung up around
Dubai’s most recognisable golfing venue. Like
Augusta National and Wentworth in England,
through the magic of the cathode ray tube the
Majlis course is known to viewers all over
the globe.
Not surprisingly, this Karl Litten design is a
firm favourite for many European Tour players
well accustomed to the early-season ‘Middle
East Swing’ that traditionally kicks off the new
year on the world’s second-biggest circuit.
“I really like the Emirates course,” says 1999
Open champion Paul Lawrie. “It is one for the
longer-hitter from the back tees, which is why
the so-called ‘bombers’ tend to do well there
in the Desert Classic. But no amateur should
let that fact put them off playing there. Every
hole has a variety of tees. I’ve played there with
friends outside tournament week and we’ve all
managed to have fun. It’s a nice course, a nice
club and the facilities are tremendous.
“My favourite hole is maybe the short 11th. It’s
a lovely little par-3, with a beautiful two-tiered
green. And you have to love the 18th. Hitting over
the water to the green is ‘heart in your mouth’
stuff and great fun.”
That sentiment is echoed elsewhere. In at
least one respect, tour professionals are the
same as we hackers – they love shots that stick
in the memory. Both Lawrie and Stenson picked
out the drive from the 8th tee on the Majlis.
Running uphill to a distant green on the horizon,
the stunning backdrop that is row upon row
of skyscrapers – all built since the course was
opened – is breathtaking enough to make even
the most jaded golfer stop and gape.
“My favourite course in Dubai has always been
the Emirates,” adds Stenson. “A lot of that has
to do with the routing. The course is laid out in
two loops. Wherever the wind is, the challenge
changes on almost every hole. And the character
of the course is different almost every day. What

lines you take off each tee change with the wind.
If you can almost reach the short par-4 2nd on
one day, the next day it might be two really good
shots. And the par-5 18th can be a true three-
shotter or play super-short.
“It is really a clever design. On some courses
you get fed-up playing it every day. But not the
Majlis. I have played it hundreds of times and
have never felt it to be the same as the day before.
It is always slightly different.”
Ah, but hang on a minute. The Majlis’
long-held status as the best course in Dubai
is these days debatable at best. I bring you
the Trump International Golf Club. While its
eponymous title may not belong to the most
popular man on the planet, this Gil Hanse design
has already garnered rave reviews from those
lucky enough to sample its fascinating layout.
Besides, you have to love a course where the head
pro is a South African, who speaks with a broad
Scottish accent (courtesy of 10 years based at
another Trump property that goes by the name of
Turnberry) and is named “Sven.”
Most impressive, however, is the thoughtfully-
designed course, one typical of Hanse, whose
other work includes Castle Stuart in Scotland and
the Olympic course in Rio de Janeiro. Every hole
has a different feel – no mean achievement in the
desert landscape – and a paucity of water hazards,
THERE ARE THINGS TO DO FOR
THE WHOLE FAMILY. THE WEATHER
IS PERFECT IN THE (NORTHERN
HEMISPHERE) WINTER TIME. AND NOW
THERE ARE SO MANY GOOD COURSES
TO PLAY.
– HENRIK STENSON
so often the refuge of the unthinking architect.
“This was certainly a different experience
for us, as we are pretty fortunate to usually be
working on sites with natural contours that work
for golf,” says Hanse. “Our vision for the property
was to study the landforms that exist out in the
desert, we made a few trips out there, and then
to have those landforms connect across golf
holes and even extend out into the surrounding
development. Our hope was that for us to create
a landscape that had some credibility to it, it
needed to extend beyond the individual
golf holes, and it had to incorporate some
indigenous vegetation.
TRUMP INTERNATIONAL
17TH HOLE
“My partner, Jim Wagner, and I were trying
to introduce elements of width and short grass
to Dubai that up until this point were not part of
the Dubai golf landscape. We were also hopeful
to allow for ground game options around the
greens, and we believe that superintendent Ben
Griffiths and his team have done as good a job
as possible given the warm season grasses to
provide that option. Finally, we were hoping
to create some strategic challenges that were
centred around some rustic looking hazards,
another look that is different for Dubai.
“We are very excited about what we were able
to create. On many levels this was as interesting
golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 117
 ARABIAN RANCHES
2ND HOLE
and as difficult a challenge as we have ever faced,
in trying to create something thought provoking
and appealing out of a flat landscape. We are
hopeful that our respect for the great golfing
landscapes, and our study of natural landforms
has translated into a course that is fun to play
and on a different visual level from other courses
in the region.”
Mission accomplished, especially when one
compares the Trump course with what is on offer
elsewhere in Dubai, which is not to say that the
likes of the Els course, the Montgomerie and
Arabian Ranches (“I have always been partial to
Arabian Ranches,” says Stenson. “I played there
a few times when I was living in Dubai. I always
enjoyed myself. It is fun. Which is a much
under-rated aspect of any golf course”) are not
worth investing time, effort and cash in playing.
All represent a fun day out on the links and
all have their memorable aspects. By way of
example, the par-3 13th hole on the Montgomerie
118 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
THE ELS CLUB
9TH HOLE
will linger long in any memory, if only for its
seemingly endless crescent-shaped green.
“You can hit anything from a driver to a short-
iron there,” says Lawrie. “Depending on which
tee you use.”
Still, the Trump course is not the only place
to go in Dubai if a little of what you fancy is
something a little bit out of the ordinary. For
that, venture out to “The Track,” a nine-hole
floodlit layout designed by Peter Harradine
(who also created the Abu Dhabi Golf Club
course). Okay, the course itself is nothing to
get too excited about, but this is a place with a
unique and unstuffy charm. From the pro’s shop
located directly underneath the grandstand that
overlooks the Maydan racetrack, to the charming
driving range that incorporates rugby and soccer
goalposts as well as cricket stumps as targets,
The Track – the only “pay and play” facility
in Dubai – is memorable in all kinds of good
ways. Only here and on the Faldo course at the
tHE ADDRESS MONTGOMERIE
1ST HOLE
Emirates Club – “a cool experience,” according
to Lawrie – can you tee-up after dark.
Speaking of unstuffy, the same can be said
for the course at Jebel Ali. “A lot of my amateur
friends really love it there,” says Stenson. “That
is a good sign. Really good courses should be
playable and challenging for all levels of golfer.”
Indeed, located a little bit out of the city, this
nine-hole layout is another of Lawrie’s – who
has vacationed there numerous times with his
family – favourites.
“We’ve been to Jebel Ali a number of times on
holiday and I’d recommend the course there to
anyone,” says the Scot with a broad smile. “It’s so
much fun. And you make it as hard or as easy as
you like. I like to play the par-5s off the front tees,
so that I can reach in two. Yes, I’m getting old.”
Elsewhere, there is Dubai Creek, the only
other course to host the Desert Classic.
Re-worked by European Ryder Cup skipper
Thomas Bjorn – in conjunction with the
 DUBAI NAMED DESTINATION OF THE YEAR
DUBAI and its extraordinary golf offering
have been recognised by the International
Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO),
which voted it the Golf Destination of the
Year for Africa, Gulf States & Indian Ocean.
The award – presented recently at a
ceremony in Cannes, France – is testament
to the development of Dubai’s golfing
landscape during the past 30 years.
Acknowledging golf as a key tourism
driver has seen Dubai establish one of the
most advanced golf tourism programmes,
servicing operators and customers with its
renowned high standards.
ARABIAN RANCHES One of the most significant recent steps
13TH HOLE in reaffirming Dubai’s commitment to
attracting visitors has been the creation of of golf’s most celebrated professionals
www.golfindubai.com, a new website which choose the emirate as a permanent base.
has been designed to enhance awareness of Among this number are Ryder Cup stars
the premium golf destination that convenes Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson and Rafa
everything visitors and tour operators need Cabrera Bello, while several of its courses
to know about experiencing golf in the city. also allow golfers the opportunity to walk in
Christian Roemer, Golf Tourism Manager the footsteps of Major champions like Tiger
of Falcon Golf, said of the award: “Dubai Woods, Sergio Garcia and Shanshan Feng.
continues to show impressive growth in its The quality of its golf courses, as well
stature as a world-leading golf destination as the hospitality and quality assurance,
and must now be considered amongst the have also allowed Dubai to become one
very best provisioned regions globally when of the golf’s most important destinations
it comes to attracting golfing tourists.” for championship golf. Home to the Ladies
Home to 11 fine courses – designed by European Tour flagship tournament, the
greats of the game, such as Thomas Bjorn, Omega Dubai Ladies Classic; the Omega
Ernie Els, Sir Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie Dubai Desert Classic, a mainstay on the
and Greg Norman, and blessed with year- European Tour since 1989; and the dramatic
round sunshine – Dubai has long been culmination of the European Tour’s famous
heralded as a bucket list golf destination. Race to Dubai, the season-ending DP World
The breadth, proximity and diversity of Tour Championship, it is a well-known
Dubai’s many layouts, surrounded by one destination that is growing in the esteem of
of the most dynamic metropolitan areas, golfers worldwide.
has been the subject of much acclaim in For more information visit the website
recent decades, and has seen a number www.golfindubai.com

EVERY HOLE
HAS A DIFFERENT
FEEL – NO MEAN
ACHIEVEMENT IN
THE DESERT
LANDSCAPE – AND
A PAUCITY OF
WATER HAZARDS,
SO OFTEN THE
REFUGE OF THE
UNTHINKING
ARCHITECT.

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 119

 THE TRACK AT MEYDAN
European Tour design team – ‘the Creek’ offers
perhaps the most spectacular backdrops on offer
in Dubai. And the course is pretty good too.
“It is the setting that sticks out in the mind,”
confirms Bjorn. “The last few holes are very
special. If you can’t enjoy yourself there, you
might as well be dead. The iconic clubhouse is
spectacular and provides an amazing backdrop.
It sums up Dubai really.”
The same can be said for the Earth and Fire
courses – both the work of two-time Open
champion Greg Norman – that make up the
36 holes on offer at the Jumeirah Estates. The
Earth will be instantly familiar as the venue for
the annual climax to the European Tour, the DP
IF YOU CAN’T ENJOY
YOURSELF THERE,
YOU MIGHT AS
WELL BE DEAD. THE
ICONIC CLUBHOUSE
IS SPECTACULAR
AND PROVIDES AN
AMAZING
BACKDROP. IT SUMS
UP DUBAI REALLY.
– THOMAS BJORN
120 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
World Tour Championship. As Stenson points
out, “it is always great to play a course where
great things have happened.”
“The Earth inevitably gets most of the
attention,” says Lawrie. “But the Fire course
is, to my mind, just as good. Off the back tees,
both are ‘bomber’s’ layouts. But play from where
you think you will have most fun. Any time
I have been there, both courses have been in
immaculate condition. Putting on those greens
was a pleasure.
“The 16th hole on the Earth course is my
favourite, although there are so many. It’s a great
par-4 for any standard of player. I like that there
are a few ways to negotiate the trouble. The
JEBEL ALI GOLF RESORT
DUBAI CREEK GOLF
& YACHT CLUB
second shot especially offers a few interesting
options. The 18th is another good hole. But take
my advice and play it from a front tee. From the
back it is over 600-yards. Too long for me and for
most players I suspect.”
Again, Lawrie is not alone in his enthusiasm.
“I really like the Earth course,” agrees
Bjorn, another former Dubai resident. “It is
a great facility. And when we go there it is in
wonderful shape. It is fun to play for everyone.
The wide fairways give you room to play. And
the bunkering is challenging. There are so many
good holes out there.”
And that’s no joke. Take the clubs and connect
through Dubai soon.
JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES
– FIRE COURSE
 Commonwealth Golf Club
The Golfer’s Club. Located in the heart of the Sandbelt.

Located 20 mins from Melbourne’s CBD in the heart of the Sandbelt,

Commonwealth is a championship course and a true test for golfers of all abilities.
Green Fee play available to Interstate, International and Corporate Guests.

Glennie Avenue, South Oakleigh VIC 3167

t: (03) 9575 0444 e: reception@commonwealthgolf.com.au
commonwealthgolf.com.au
 G E T A W AY S

A round at the acclaimed

Cabot Cliffs is part of the
extensive itinerary.

CANADIAN GOLF EXPEDITION

Pack your clubs and join an eight-day cruise that round of 18 holes (nine holes played twice). (including clubs and gear) from ship to shore
combines rounds on some of the world’s finest With a capacity to accommodate no more and a comprehensive program for non-golfers
courses with a seafaring expedition of the than 96 passengers, the One Ocean Navigator led by expert guides.
wilds of Canada. is an ideal vessel to explore Canada’s Atlantic Prices start at US$3,395 (approx. A$4,500)
One Ocean Expeditions, renowned for its coastline in spacious comfort. The ship’s fleet per person, triple share, US$5,695 (approx.
polar voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica, of zodiacs will enable everyone to disembark at A$7,500) per person, twin private share. Air
has added the 2018 Canadian East Coast the same time. fares from Australia are additional.
Golf Expedition – Fiddles and Sticks – to its The eight-day golf cruise includes green fees For more information, visit
ever-growing list of innovative voyages. at all courses, all meals on board (including www.oneoceanexpeditions.com
And to tee off this ultimate expedition in packed lunches on golfing days), transfers or call (02) 9119 2228
Nova Scotia’s historic port town of Louisburg,
passengers will be welcomed with dinner of
fresh, locally caught lobster as the ship, One
Ocean Navigator (pictured right), sails past
the lighthouse along the breathtaking coast of
Cape Breton.
In addition to covering Nova Scotia, the
voyage – from June 27 to July 4, 2018 – will
visit picturesque Prince Edward Island along
with smaller islands of the vast Gulf of St
Lawrence. Passengers will have the chance
to lap up the many elements of a region
spectacular for its colourful culture, traditions,
breathtaking views and abundant wildlife.
Rounds of golf will be played at the
PHOTOS: SUPPLIED X 2; BRENDAN JAMES X 3

impressive Ben Crenshaw-designed Cabot

Cliffs at Inverness, its neighbouring Cabot
Links, Prince Edward Island’s The Links at
Crowbush, and the historic Highland Links in
Ingonish, which dates back to the 1930s.
For something a little off-the-beaten-track,
Quebec’s tiny Magdalen Island and its L’Etang-
du-Nord nine-hole golf course will also host a

122 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia

SAPPHIRE COAST TOURS
The South Coast of New South Wales is
renowned for its natural beauty, adventure
activities, food and wine, and a smorgasbord of
high-quality golf courses.
Dubbed the ‘Sapphire Coast’ for its
tremendous waters, it is little wonder this
picturesque region is one of Australia’s most
popular holiday hot spots. South Coast Golf
Tours is offering all-inclusive packages that
ensure you will get the very best experience,
both on and off the course.
There are three- and five-day Platinum
Experiences that both begin at Pambula-
Merimbula Golf Club (pictured above) –
which is the only 27-hole course on the
Sapphire Coast.
Both tours include visits to the Longstocking
Nano Brewery, luxury transportation and
penthouse accommodation.
The three-day tour ventures to the stunning
Tura Beach Country Club before concluding at
Eden Gardens Country Club, while the five-day
tour also includes a trip to the dramatic Top-100
ranked Narooma course (pictured right).
For more information, including prices,
visit www.southcoastgolftours.com or call
0434 291 173

BRILLIANT BARWON
Barwon Heads is one of the most spectacular
holiday destinations on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula.
From the beaches and cafés to three of
Australia’s best public access golf courses, the
seaside town has it all, and is just over an hour’s
drive from Melbourne.
Seahaven Village is located in the heart of town,
and offers five varying styles of premium self-
contained accommodation. The four-star property
boasts free Wi-Fi, onsite parking, BBQs, air
conditioning and all the essential items you would
expect for your stay.
The Barwon Heads Golf Club (pictured) presents
some of the country’s finest links golf, while the
two courses at 13th Beach Golf Club do likewise. All
three are ranked in Australia’s Top-100 Courses.
For more information, including accommodation
options and rates, call (03) 5254 1066 or visit
www.seahavenvillage.com.au

golf australia | FEBRUARY 2018 123

 TO ADVERTISE IN GOLFER’S MARKETPLACE CALL 0412 327 886

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 ET P L AC E
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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
LADY LUCK JUST KEPT WALKING
I DON’T know how you’d calculate the odds
of such a thing.
You’d reckon there’d be more chance of a
hole in one on a par-5. Even after slewing the
ball right, watching it careen off a sprinkler
head, bounce off a cart path onto the road,
then into the back of a pick-up that hits a
speedbump. The ball might then bounce back
out of the truck, onto the course, off the cart
path onto the green and into the hole.
No chance, right? But maybe more chance
of that than what happened to my new mate
Dale. What luck, or lack of it!
To put it in context, I play most of my
golf at a club called Long Reef on Sydney’s
northern beaches. It’s a links styled course,
though not in the true sense because
instead of the holes running along the coast,
Long Reef literally juts out into the sea. It’s
effectively a course on a bluff with water on
three sides.
What she lacks in trees, Longie makes up
for in wind.
It’s the kind of place you hear ‘fore,’ a lot. A
golfing paradise where you can swing away
with gay abandon and sometimes get away
with it. Looks easier than it is, and maybe
that’s one of the best bits about it.
And it’s social. You’ll often find golfers
from other holes playing on the hole you’re
playing, though often in another direction.
So, the other day, we were on the 12th
green which is leeward of the par-3, 13th.
From the 13th tee you can’t see the 12th
green, so maybe that’s why there was no
‘fore’ attached to the intruder. Dale, a visitor
so good he could have been a former pro,
managed to find the middle of every single
130 FEBRUARY 2018 | golf australia
fairway. He’d just sent his ball in the direction
of the hole with his flatstick … a left handed
variety, though his irons were right handed.
He was riding a longish putt like a cowboy.
Legs bowed, one arm in
the air and on the verge of
a “yee haw!” when a stray …ALMOST IN
from the 13th came onto SLOW MOTION,
our green. Stranger things
have happened, especially
THIS RANDOM
at Longie. Only this ball was GREEN-
rolling across Dale’s line. It was CRASHER HIT
like watching old fashioned
marbles, because, almost in
DALE’S BALL,
slow motion, this random KNOCKING IT
green-crasher hit Dale’s ball, OFF COURSE.
knocking it off course.
We were gobsmacked.
What were the odds of someone else’s
shank rolling gently onto our green and
hitting Dale’s ball on its way to the hole?
Twiggy, Club President and golfer of some
regard hadn’t seen anything like it. Not once.
Dale was, predictably, shocked. He was sure
his ball was heading for the bottom of the
cup and reacted as if his first beer after a
detox had been knocked over before he’d had
a crack at it.
A more gentlemanly class of golfer might
have said something like ‘By God, have you
ever seen anything like it?’ We were far more
working class, and would have been equally
as perplexed.
Did he re-putt? Did he play the next one
where he lay? Was that even fair? Could
we determine if Dale’s ball was headed for
the hole and if so, should we give it to him
anyway? Twiggy wasn’t sure. He was Dale’s
teammate for the day and was keen on a bit
of “umm”ing and “ahh”ing about whether it
would have dropped or not.
Of course Twiggy thought that, they
were three down and
looking sketchy.
Richard the high marker
and I were certain it’d miss.
The putt was obviously low.
If Dale said it once he said
it a dozen times, “I can’t
believe it!”Then he’d shake
his head with his hands out
like he was weighing invisible
watermelons. “Give it to
me, or not? Going in,
or missing?”
Because I have a character deficiency that
makes me desperate for approval, I said
to Dale I thought it was going in. He loved
it. But then I said, “But can we be sure?
For certain? Because it’s golf and therefore
really important and we wouldn’t want this
weighing on us for the rest of our lives.
For the record, I want to give it to you,
buuuuuut …”
He seemed to like that. And we all agreed
in lieu of a ruling which we would get later,
he would replay the shot, and putt from
where he lay. Both resulted in two putts.
When Mr Shanks came down to the
green we told him what had happened. He
couldn’t believe it, either. He wanted us to
rule that he could replay his shot, too. But we
sidestepped that one.
As it turned out, it was a two putt for Dale,
and a three hole loss.
Interesting, though. Who’d have thunk it?
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
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