Golf Australia November 2018

GEOFF Ogilvy counts winning the Australian Open just behind his US Open victory in his list of career achievements. As you will read in his feature article starting on page 44, winning his national championship means more to him than all the big money events he won on the PGA Tour. Which is why he has chosen to constructively criticise the Australian Open for becoming ‘a second-second rate’ tournament. Like Ogilvy, my love of golf … my life spent playing and writing about the game can be traced back to watching the 1981 Australian Open at The Lakes. I have since been to 29 Australian Opens and I haven’t missed one since 1996. It has always been my favourite tournament. The characters that have lifted the Stonehaven Cup and the…

The Melbourne Sandbelt is world renowned for the quality of its courses with the likes of Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Metropolitan, Commonwealth, Huntingdale, Yarra Yarra, Victoria, Huntingdale and Woodlands all regularly lauded by experts as “great”. For years, Spring Valley was rarely mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned list of courses, but more recently it has emerged from the shadow of its more famous neighbours to grab a share of the limelight. The secret is out … Spring Valley quite rightly deserves its place alongside the stars of the Sandbelt as it offers quality design, terrific playing surfaces and, ultimately, it’s as much fun to play as any other course in Melbourne. All of this should hardly be surprising given its pedigree. “IF THERE IS ONE OBSERVATION TO…

THE COURSE LOCATION: 619 Heatherton Rd, Clayton South, Victoria. CONTACT: (07) 9562 3811 WEBSITE: www.springvalleygolf.com.au DESIGNERS: Vern Morcom (1948), Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Clayton, Michael Cocking & Ashley Mead – OCCM (2011 and ongoing) SLOPE RATINGS: MEN: 128 (blue tees), 124 (white), 116 (green). WOMEN: 131 (red). PLAYING SURFACES: Santa Ana couch (fairways and tees), bentgrass and poa annua (greens). GREEN FEES: $110 (Visitors, 18 holes, weekdays), $130 (weekends). Typically there is limited availability for visitors on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. $75 (member’s guest). COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: David Phillips. PGA PROFESSIONALS: Martin Joyce, Anthony Smith, Daniel Griffin, Elissa Orr. THE CLUB MEMBERSHIP: There are seven membership categories currently being offered at Spring Valley, including the top level full seven-day membership ($4,156), six-day membership ($3,517) as well as an Under-30…

BONJOUR from the Ryder Cup.The action has just ended and the European team has won by 17 1/2 points to 10 1/2. “Quelle surprise” as they say in these parts.That makes nine victories out of the last 12 for the Old World over those pesky and increasingly bemused colonials.What’s next for Uncle Sam’s beleaguered nephews? A Task Force to look into the Task Force? Stay tuned. In the meantime, let’s take a wee look at some of what went on at Le Golf National for a week or so. First, there was the grandstand behind the 1st tee. Massive thing. Held nearly 7,000 people. And yes, they created some noise. And yes, Rory McIlroy’s beautifully timed rendition of the Icelandic Thunderclap was good fun. But still, the whole exercise seemed…

AUSTRALIAN golf has taken a leap forward with Golf Australia’s One Golf structure coming into full effect. Governing bodies in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have now signed service agreements with Golf Australia that form the backbone of the new face of Australian golf. Discussions are ongoing with Golf NSW and Golf WA. Golf Australia chief executive Stephen Pitt said the participating state and territory governing bodies that have come under the GA umbrella would immediately benefit from the economies of scale created and would have greater resources to tackle the sport’s biggest grass-roots issues. “This will deliver great efficiencies for Australian golf, allow us to maximise revenue and ultimately invest more back into growing the game,” Pitt said. “It will create a more attractive system…

QUEENSLAND’S Surfers Paradise Golf Club has unveiled the world’s first “Jackpot Hole” – which rewards players with cash prizes for scoring a hole-in-one. Thunder, lightning, driving rain and the AFL Grand Final didn’t stop the successful launch, with more clubs already booked in to install the system. Players are given the chance to compete for a cash jackpot of $2,000 minimum and a separate jackpot of $200 minimum voucher for getting within a metre of the pin (known as the “One Metre Minor Jackpot”). Members simply pay $5 at the pro shop to enter ($7 for non-members) and CCTV (installed by Jackpot Hole) will verify when either jackpot is won. Twenty cents will go to each jackpot for every $5 or $7 entry. Jackpot Hole was created by Luke Brabin,…