Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2019 i Golf Australia

IT’S date night.Your wife whisks you off to the movies and you’re subjected to some chick-flick that is so tedious you drift off to sleep through sheer boredom. I did that about 20 minutes into The Notebook. I only thought of this mind-numbing cinematic experience recently when I nodded off at my desk here at Golf Australia magazine watching Justin Thomas reduce Medinah, a once brutally challenging major championship venue, to little more than a pitch-and-putt course. The stream of 320-yard plus drives – to any part of the golf course – followed by a wedge onto a soft, receptive green bored me stiff. Yes, I fell asleep sitting up. I never imagined pro golf, which I have loved watching for four decades and written about for more than 23…

I HAVE to be honest here: I’m more than a little bit fed up with Jason Day. It’s been a while since the former World No.1 – emphasis on former – has played anything like a man capable of attaining that elevated status. A glance at his record on the 2018-19 PGA Tour season reveals a few of the ‘top-10s’ that people like me habitually and lazily use to illustrate how ‘consistent’ or otherwise a golfer has been. There are also five missed cuts and one withdrawal. All in 21 starts that have seen the former – there’s that word again – Queenslander now resident in Columbus, Ohio slip and slide his way outside the planet’s top-20 golfers. That isn’t what irritates me though. Day is hardly the first elite…

YES Tiger will definitely be part of the playing contingent at Royal Melbourne. Woods managed to finish 13th on the automatic qualifying list despite playing a very limited schedule in 2019 and his record on Alistair MacKenzie-designed courses and Melbourne’s Sandbelt is outstanding. Sure, there are other quality players deserving of a captain’s picks, but Tiger will seek out opinions from the team before making his selection next month. And it is impossible to imagine any of those eight players suggesting one of the best golfers of all time sit out. Woods did battle his body as 2019 wore on, however, the weather in Melbourne in December will alleviate the issues he faced when missing the cut at The Open. And I am certain if you asked Tiger who he…

MEN MASTERS April 9-12 Augusta National GC Augusta, Georgia. US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP May 14-17 TPC Harding Park San Francisco, California. US OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP June 18-21 Winged Foot GC Mamaroneck, New York. THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP July 16-19 Royal St George’s Sandwich, Kent. 2020 OLYMPICS July 30-August 2 Kasumigaseki CC Tokyo, Japan WOMEN ANA INSPIRATION April 2-5 Mission Hills Rancho Mirage, California. US WOMEN’S OPEN June 4-7 Champions GC Houston, Texas. KPMG WOMEN’S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP June 25-28 Aronimink GC Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN Dates TBC Royal Troon GC Troon, Scotland. EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP Dates TBC Evian Resort GC Evian-les-Bains, France. 2020 OLYMPICS August 5-8 Kasumigaseki CC Tokyo, Japan…

BRING BACK THE FUN I enjoy watching golf on TV but have noticed that it seems now-a-days most of the pro golfers show little or no emotion during their rounds. I was thrilled to see Hinako Shibuno show enjoyment, personality and genuine fun with her win in the Women’s British Open. She has been a rarity over the last few years. During the ‘Tiger-era’ we were all carried along with his fist pumping and high fiving excitement as he made his way around the course. No wonder the interest in golf skyrocketed during this time. Fast forward to now and we see ‘robotic’, boring golfers that rarely smile or show emotion regardless of how amazing a shot they play. Along with this we now see a downturn in the amount…

MEMBERS and friends of Royal Park Golf Club in Melbourne have been collecting signatures on a petition to have the street leading into the course renamed after five-time Open champion Peter Thomson. It is a worthy endeavour to honour the man who learnt to play on the course in the 1930s and won the club championship in 1946 but the result is not a foregone conclusion. The name change has to be approved by the Melbourne City Council and this should be a lay-down misere. The move has the blessing of the Thomson family and you’d think that anyone who opposed it would have to be, in the words of PM Bob Hawke when we won the America’s Cup in 1983, a bum. However, you can’t trust councils. Lately this…

An introduction to the young man who is already Scotland’s greatest-ever left-handed golfer – admittedly not the highest bar anyone has ever cleared – is invariably straightforward, down-to-earth even. “Hi, I’m Bob from Oban.” Which is only the beginning of Robert Macintyre’s story. A native of the picturesque ferry port on the western edge of the Scottish Highlands, Macintyre is the product of an environment that is hardly typical of those populating the upper reaches of professional golf. As his mum, Carol, says, “it takes a town to make a champion.” Let’s go back to the BMW International in Germany earlier this year. Standing in the 18th fairway on day two, Macintyre, European Tour rookie, knows he needs a birdie to make it through to the weekend. Even more importantly,…

SUITABILITY: As always, the company’s MP range is designed to suit better players and consistent ball strikers, with the added forgiveness of the MMC and HMB models extending the range of player capable of enjoying the renowned feel of Mizuno’s irons. SHAFTS: A wide variety of steel and graphite shafts are available at no upcharge, with Mizuno’s ‘Swing DNA’ software providing recommendations to suit each player. LEFT-HANDED: A left-handed set combining MP-20 HMB 3-4 irons with MP-20 muscle back irons from 5-iron to pitching wedge is available. MIZUNO SAYS: The MP-20 irons evolved from the DNA of irons that shaped the modern game, launched major-winning careers and inspired generations of ‘Tour edition’ muscle backs. Exclusively Grain Flow Forged in Hiroshima Japan, where Mizuno has refined the art of feel for…

SUITABILITY: The Supersoft Magna will suit players with slower swing speeds, beginners and golfers looking for extra forgiveness. CALLAWAY SAYS: Supersoft has been one of the most popular balls for years, with golfers who like it so much that they won’t play any other golf ball. And with the new Supersoft Magna, we’ve introduced a completely new kind of golf ball design to make the game easier and more fun. It’s an oversized ball that creates all the super long, super straight, and super soft characteristics of Supersoft with a super easy-to-hit construction. Yes, it’s a larger, more forgiving golf ball that still conforms to the Rules of Golf, and it’s designed for players who struggle with consistent solid contact, and those looking for more distance and easy launch. The…

The absolute best way of getting your gapping spot on is working with an experienced fitter and using a launch monitor like Foresight Sports’ GC Quad. Establish which is the longest iron you hit with any confidence and how far you hit it. Then hit your driver, make a note of how far it goes, then work on filling the gaps between your longest iron and driver with the clubs that not only fill you with confidence, but also cover off consistent yardage gaps between the pair. Be prepared to hit a decent amount of shots – many fitters will look at your long game like this when you buy a set of irons, just to make sure you get the right set-up for your game.…

There has been some controversy about Tour players not calling fore when their ball is heading towards galleries. It made me think, why do golfers shout “fore” and not something else like “heads” or “watch out”? J. Thompson Newcastle, NSW In the early days of the game in Scotland, players employed forecaddies to spot where the ball went as they were expensive to replace. A player would shout “fore”, as an abbreviation of forecaddie, to alert the ball spotter that a ball was on its way for him to spot. Forecaddies have all but vanished from the modern game, with the exception of those on select holes at Tour events. Sadly, some Tour players have got into the habit of staying silent after hitting an errant shot. Have you got…

I’m sure I am not alone when I say my favourite golf is the variety played on courses positioned by the sea. It is where the game has its origins and the sound of the ocean and the sea breeze requiring creativity when playing shots off tight, sandy-based grass makes for a truly enjoyable experience each and every time. Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club certainly has the benefits of such an idyllic location in spades. However in the immediate period after the Ross Watson-designed course opened in 2006, the extremity of the challenge made it a less enjoyable experience than the course presents today. Since those early days of high handicappers losing handfuls of golf balls and recording Stableford scores in the low 20s, the club has made numerous…

For the past handful of years the inevitable second or third question of the first press conference in Emirates Australian Open week is, “Are you happy with the field? It’s pretty weak isn’t it?” The man fielding that question, Tournament Director Trevor Herden, plays a Steve Smith-like straight bat and lays the cards on the table. It’s scheduling. It’s money. It’s the tyranny of distance. He won’t have to worry about that this year. The 2019 Australian Open is shaping up to have the best field assembled to contest our national championship since the 2011 event, which was also held the week before the Presidents Cup being played at Royal Melbourne. That year, Greg Chalmers claimed his second Stonehaven Cup by a single stroke from John Senden. Also in his…

SHE was America’s golden girl. She qualified for the US Women’s Open at age 12, turned pro at 15 and became the youngest ever LPGA Tour winner the following year. She won her first major at 19 and looked set to dominate the game. More wins followed, but so did some lows. A TV viewer caught her replacing her ball incorrectly during a major in 2017, resulting in a four-shot penalty. Last year she took a break from golf to deal with mental and emotional issues and a break from social media followed earlier this year. But now Lexi is back in the winner’s circle, in the world’s top-four, wise beyond her 24 years and ready to challenge for the crown of the world’s best female golfer. 1 You’ve been…

OCTOBER 10-13 The fifth leg of the European Tour’s Rolex Series heads for Rome and the Italian Open. The defending champion, Thorbjorn Olesen, is unlikely to defend his title just weeks after appearing in a London court on sexual assault charges dating back to an incident on a Trans-Atlantic flight back in August. OCTOBER 17-20 The LPGA begins its four-week swing through Asia at the Buick LPGA Shanghai where America’s Danielle Kang will defend her title. The Tour will host events in China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan. Perth’s Cottesloe Golf Club will play host to the Australasian PGA Tour and the men’s West Australian Open. OCTOBER 24-27 The PGA Tour makes its first appearance in Japan at The Zozo Championship. Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia…

It is a couple of days before the start of the BMW Championship at Medinah, part two of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup “play-offs” (what he would later call a “big old exhibition”) and Adam Scott is in reflective mood. Now into his 40th year on the planet (he turns 40 next July), the first and so-far only Australian to win the Masters Tournament is looking forward and back on a season that, while hardly the best of Scott’s already stellar career, has brought reassurance. Even more good things, he feels, are in his future, both on and off the course. Which makes perfect sense. Over the course of a PGA Tour season in which he has won more than $4 million, Scott has played much good and sometimes great…

Knowing how far you hit every club in your bag, and how much you can take off each with a three-quarter swing, is absolutely essential, particularly as golfers rely on GPS or laser yardages like never before. But you don’t have to spend time getting custom fitted or working on a range to understand your gapping, and how far you hit each club. Shot tracking can work it all out for you, and do it while you play. Arccos and Shot Scope are our favourite shot trackers; once you’ve played a handful of rounds, the systems average exactly how far you hit each club. Alternatively you could get your hands on Garmin’s new Approach G80 which isn’t just a GPS handheld, it’s a portable launch monitor, too.…

THE COURSE LOCATION: 1 Magenta Drive (off Wilfred Barrett Drive), Magenta, NSW, 2261 CONTACT: (02) 4336 0100 WEBSITE: www.magentagolf.com.au DESIGNER: Ross Watson (2006). SLOPE RATINGS: Black 142, Blue 138, White 137 and Red 136. PLAYING SURFACES: Legends Couch fairways (currently being converted to Santa Ana couch) and G2 bentgrass greens. GREEN FEES: $99 (walking), $124 (including cart). Magenta Shores is a private course, however, limited tee times are available to players with a Golflink number, or guests of the adjoining Pullman Magenta Shores Resort. COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: James Newell. PGA PROFESSIONALS: Rob Hurley (General Manager), Greg Lewis (Head Teaching Professional), Jeremy Farr (PGA of America). THE CLUB MEMBERSHIP: There are nine categories of membership on offer at Magenta Shores, ranging from discounted rates for young golfers up to the age of…

The Golf Australia Trivia Quiz #8 winner from our August issue was Craig Reynolds, of North Isis, Queensland. Congratulations … golf balls are on their way. ANSWERS 1. 8-years-old. 2. A 6-iron. 3. Yes. Sam Snead won the LPGA Tour’s 1962 Royal Poinciana Plaza Invitational by five strokes. 4. Augusta was used for raising cattle and turkeys. 5. 1899. 6. Gene Sarazen. He debuted the club at The Open at Prince’s GC in 1932 and he went on to win. 7. Byron Nelson. 8. Former tennis professional, Ivan Lendl. 9. Three minutes. This was reduced from five minutes on January 1 this year. 10. 3rd hole at Narooma Golf Club.…

SO JUST how did I end up in my underpants in the pond between the 5th and 6th holes in fading light? Fair question – and there’s kind of a simple answer which involves the pursuit of our national championship. It’s a story of sacrifice, of one man and his dog in search of the ultimate prize. A valiant fight against the odds, a nowhere man making history where few men have thundered before. This is both history, and his story – maybe. The chance to win the Australian Hickory Shaft Championships, and the Australian Hickory Shaft Foursomes Championship come around once a year. And for the record, I’m a believer in enjoying the spoils of technology now, whilst remembering and even celebrating the best bits that have led up…

The tools of Old Tom’s trade were a spade, barrow and shovel. Earth-moving was out of the question. His mission, then, was to make the best use of the natural gradient, and he did this by focusing on the green sites. Routinely, he would find the most interesting, challenging and dramatic parcels of land and mark them out for a green. At Royal Dornoch he used the native plateaux; at Prestwick he used the dunes. But his approach always ensured plenty of fun and drama at the business end of the hole. CASE STUDY: 5th (Dell), Lahinch Old Tom’s desire to use the best parts of the natural terrain for green sites is nowhere better displayed than at this gorgeous par-3. A natural depression between three dunes is just about…

“IF YOU START AND FINISH WELL, IMPACT TAKES CARE OF ITSELF.” A great swing starts from getting the fundamentals right – grip, alignment and posture. All are easily controllable. Because there’s no movement involved, anyone can get them right. If you’re out of position at address, you’ll struggle to make the swing or hit the shot you want. But if you find your fundamentals and you can control them before you take the club away, you give yourself the best chance to make a good swing. When it comes to the swing itself, I like to focus on two thoughts. The first is to make a good takeaway that sets the club on the neutral plane. After this, all I think about is getting to a good finish position. Do…

MODEL PLAYED: MP-20 muscle back, MP-20 MMC and MP-20 HMB. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: As one would expect of a new Mizuno MP line, all three MP-20 models are pure to look at from every angle. The muscle back is sleek and has a classic blade appearance, the MMC model is marginally bigger at address and the HMB has a noticeably thicker topline, but is not too big when looking down at the ball and hides its wider sole well. Again, off the clubface the new irons delivered exactly what I was preparing myself for. The blade iron was soft and produced a penetrating and workable flight, the MMC launched slightly higher with very little difference in sound compared to MB, while the HMB was certainly slightly higher pitched, however, the feel…

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Around three percent bigger than the standard Supersoft in diameter, the Supersoft Magna is noticeably larger in the hand compared to a normal golf ball and certainly when addressing the ball. The benefits of the larger size is added forgiveness, accuracy and launch, and all three were apparent right away for me. From a feel perspective the Magna is very similar to the standard Supersoft, with an extremely soft feel off the face from putter all the way to driver. HOW IT PERFORMED: Oversized golf balls are not a new idea, with no limit in the Rules of Golf on how big a golf ball can be. But the Supersoft Magna brings the softest feel to an enlarged golf ball that I have ever tried, as well as…

It’s not always possible to get on a launch monitor and work with an experienced fitter to dial in your long game gapping, particularly if you’re not looking at buying anything new. So, how about instead spending a session at one of Australia’s X Golf locations, specifically to look at your gapping? You get access to plenty of ball flight information, including carry distances, and each shot is shown on screen just like on TV nowadays at Tour events. To find your nearest X Golf location, visit, www.xgolf.com.au…

PARADISE GOLF TOURS Established in 1989, Paradise Golf Tours is the longest-established specialist golf tour company on the Gold Coast. Paradise Golf Tours has excellent relationships with the Gold Coast’s premier resort courses and a large selection of hotels and resorts. So they can usually secure your preferred tee-time on all courses, on any day, significant discounts at a huge choice of accommodation venues, while also providing transfers throughout your stay. Paradise Golf Tours can organise your next group trip (from two to 100) and you could play renowned courses such as Hope Island, Sanctuary Cove Pines or Palms (pictured below), Lakelands, The Glades, Arundel Hills or the home of the Australian PGA, RACV Royal Pines. CONTACT: www.paradisegolftours.com.au or call 0402 049 868 for a quote. ABOVE PAR GOLF…

The Bluffs, located three hours southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, has been widely recognised as Vietnam’s premier golf course since it opened in 2014. Designed by Greg Norman, it has welcomed multiple high-profile tournaments, such as the 2015 Ho Tram Open on the Asian Tour, won by Spanish star Sergio Garcia. “The experience of playing true links golf among the dunes of southern Vietnam and having dramatic ocean views throughout your round will make The Bluffs Ho Tram Strip one of the most unique golf experiences in the world,” Norman said. “I’m a firm believer in using what Mother Nature gives us on a particular site … This one has it all.” Play and stay packages are currently available and include accommodation at The Grand Ho Tram Strip. The…