Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2021- Issue #384 i Golf Australia

Golf is meant to be fun. The definition of ‘golf fun’ is different for all of us. It could be the joy derived from trying to better your handicap or holing a putt to beat your mate in a close match. For some, there is the simple pleasure of just trying to hit different shots without keeping score. Each to their own I say. Golf courses, obviously, play an integral part of in how much ‘golf fun’ you have. Playing a course where you are constantly looking for wayward balls in high rough, for example, is no fun. A course can be a stern test but remain fun to play. Then there is a layout like Barnbougle’s new course, Bougle Run, which, for mine, is golf’s version of spending a…

Let’s be honest here. It has long been clear that professional golfers play a ‘different game’ to the rest of us. Those who golf their balls for a living do everything bigger and better. And today those differences have never been more conspicuous. More so than at any other time in the history of the sport – given how far those who compete for cash now tend to launch their drives – it simply isn’t possible to compare average amateurs of either gender with the pros. Like it or not, in the modern world there is only a passing resemblance between the two extremes. That undeniable fact is equally true when analysing the relative merits of the leading men against their female counterparts. For reasons that are mostly to do…

Robert ‘Bobby’ Tyre Jones Jr. claimed his maiden British Amateur title on May 31, 1930. The victory, the first leg of the lone Grand Slam, consisting of the then four ‘majors’, completed in a calendar year. The greatest amateur golfer to play the game already had nine major wins to his credit before embarking on his journey across the Atlantic in the wake of the American stock market crash and early days of the Great Depression. The British Amateur title had eluded him on his two previous attempts. Played upon the Old Course at St. Andrews, a course and city he once detested before coming to love, and only the second American Freeman of the City after Benjamin Franklin, Jones faced off with Englishman Roger Wethered in the 36-hole final…

I watched in agony as Bryden Macpherson played the final round of the NSW Open. I timed one putting sequence to nearly four minutes for Macpherson, the irony, however, is he had time to work out his putt as he was the last in the trio to putt. Slow play, among many other factors, is killing this game as a viewing spectacle. Why are the commentators not questioning this aspect of the game, which is unfortunately worldwide? Another blight on the game is the excessive use of the yardage and greens book in addition to the participation of the caddies. This is a game designed for individuals not pairings. If the caddie is so good at reading greens, then why is he not playing the game instead of lumping a…

He is a man who needs no further introduction. So without further ado, we proudly present the world according to Colin Stuart Montgomerie... At the end of the day, golf is not about how well you play, it’s about how well you score. When I was paired with Tiger in the third round of the Open at St Andrews in 2005, I said to myself, “How are you going to beat Tiger Woods today, Monty?” Christ, I’m not going to outdrive him. I’m not going to hit better iron shots. I’m not going to chip as well. I’m not going to putt as well. I’m probably not as strong mentally, so how the hell am I going to beat him? I told myself: “I’m going to beat him by scoring…

It’s a wee while ago now, but I once asked Colin Montgomerie how long I would last carrying his golf bag around the course during a tournament. Monty and I knew each other well. He and I had played a fair bit of golf together before he turned professional and went on to much fame and fortune, culminating in us being two parts of the 11-man Scotland team in the 1984 Home Internationals at Troon. Anyway, he considered the question of me on his bag for a few seconds before responding. “Second shot to the first green,” he said. “And that’s only because even you and I couldn’t disagree about it being a driver off the tee.” Bloody cheek. Before and after that gratuitous and obviously wholly unwarranted insult, I…

JUSTIN ROSE “Rhythm is the most important thing. If you’re too quick to the ball, you’ll typically leave the putter face open, but if you decelerate, the right hand takes over and you miss left. Everything has to move together. Keep your eyes quiet so you’re looking at the back of the ball through the stroke and they remain there after contact, rather than following the ball as you hit it. This helps everything move as one block and square the putter through impact.” HENRIK STENSON “Even Tour pros sometimes struggle to read greens consistently. There are always subtle changes to grass and grain that mean you can have a week where you just don’t see the lines as well. How you approach it mentally is a big part of…

MY ‘POP’ STROKE DRILL Place your left hand on your right bicep and hit putts with only your right hand and arm. You’ll need to flex your right wrist and swing the clubhead more than the handle to generate enough power. Use your left hand to make sure your right elbow doesn’t fly out as you make your stroke. This helps you to move the putter straight down the line and hit the ball in a neutral face position. PRACTISE INSIDE 10 FEET It’s nice to make long putts but these are the ones you have a realistic shot at holing, so the more you make from this distance, the more strokes you can shave off your score. Plus, if you build up confidence on the shorter ones, you’ll feel…

This is a great image of Jack Nicklaus living on a slightly upright plane. Many people have claimed that Jack’s ‘flying’ right elbow is a flaw but it’s actually only a symptom of his upright swing. What’s interesting is that Nicklaus’ steep arm swing hasn’t affected his ability to turn his upper body. Many golfers with upright swings struggle to coil correctly, but Jack’s hips are fully turned, the right knee has held flex and there’s a hint of his left heel rising to accommodate that move. In a more rotational swing, it is easier to keep the left heel grounded. This swing bears all the hallmarks of Jack Grout’s coaching. Grout asked Nicklaus to maintain his knee flex all the way through the swing. You can see here that…

1 PRIDE – Identify three things you are proud you achieved over the season. Try to focus on times you were resilient, difficult moments you overcame, or nemesis holes you mastered. 2 LIFE LESSONS – Golf is not just a hobby. It encompasses exercise, fitness, social life and support. Identifying three ways it helped you learn about yourself will remind you of its wider benefits. 3 GOLF LESSONS – Not every day on the course is about improvement, but a good number should be. Identify three things you learnt about your game or approach over the season. 4 SEASON SUMMARY – Create three sentences to sum up your season. Include one area where you let yourself down and two where you did really well. 5 CONTINUE – If you try…

Cobra is paying homage to company history with its new KING Cobra wedge and its throwback logo, while ‘Snakebite Groove Technology’ adds spin around the greens. Available in three sole grinds to suit different golfers and turf conditions – Versatile, Classic and WideLow – the new grooves are created with a re-engineered cutting method that replaces tools more often. The method ensures tighter tolerances on each and every CNC milled groove, while also maximising volume and edge sharpness by 11 and 40 percent respectively for more ‘bite’ where it is needed most. Offered in lofts from 48° to 60°, the KING Cobra wedges incorporate loft-specifi c groove shapes and designs, with narrower and deeper grooves for consistency in the lower lofts and wider and shallower grooves in the higher lofts,…

Cost: $449.95. Tested by: Jimmy Emanuel, Golf Australia Deputy Editor (GA Handicap 9.4). FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The new HydroTour jacket from FootJoy is certainly a good-looking piece of wet weather gear, part of an industry wide move to make the functional items of clothing a far more appealing purchase. Even being wearable away from the course. Giving the jacket a detailed once over, the quality of the jacket and craftsmanship stood out, with the sealed seams durable and well made, while the double collar interested me as someone who has had water get inside their jacket far too often in a heavy rain. “THE JACKET PERFORMED ITS MOST BASIC FUNCTION BRILLIANTLY. NO WATER GOT IN, AND TAKING IT OFF EACH TIME I WAS DRY ...” HOW IT PERFORMED: Like probably most…

LOCATION: Anzac Ave, Collaroy, NSW. CONTACT: (02) 9971 8113. WEBSITE: www.longreefgolfclub.com.au DESIGNERS: Dan Soutar and Frank Eyre (1931); Eric Apperly (1946); Al Howard (1965); Peter Thomson, Mike Wolveridge and Ross Perrett (1996). PLAYING SURFACES: Kikuyu (fairways), Poa Annua (greens). COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Peter Donkers. PGA PROFESSIONAL: Danny Vera (head professional). GREEN FEES: $65 (18 holes, weekdays); $75 (weekends). MEMBERSHIPS: Membership applications are currently open with membership packages carefully created to cater for your golfing, dining, family, social and business requirements. Members enjoy access to the stunning links course, while the warm and friendly clubhouse offers excellent facilities and breath-taking coastal views. ACCOLADES: No.31 Golf Australia magazine’s Top-100 Public Access Courses, 2021.…

I have to be honest. I was more than a little surprised when I heard the Australian Amateur Championships were going to be 72-hole stroke-play tournaments. I’m not going to say match-play is a better form of the game – that would be going a little too far – but it is certainly the best method of identifying the best competitors. Or, to put it another way, locating the best and most versatile golfers in the field. The oldest amateur championships, those in Britain and the United States, today tend to be a mixture of stroke-play and match-play. After two days of adding your score up and proving you can get yourself around the course in a decent number, the titles are then decided by head-to-head matches. That’s a tough…

Born in Glasgow but raised in Yorkshire and spent several years at Ilkley GC. Turned pro in 1988 (+3) and won the Rookie of the Year award that season. Became the most prolific British winner in European Tour history with 31 titles over 600 appearances and eight Order of Merit titles. Spent almost 400 weeks in the top 10 of the world rankings. The only Ryder Cup player in history to hole the winning putt twice (1997 & 2004). A three-time Senior Major champion. A 2013 World Golf Hall of Fame inductee.…

It’s very easy to get the sack on Tour. You don’t have to do anything wrong to get sacked these days. Sometimes players just need a change of face on the bag. But if you work hard and turn up on time, you’re pretty safe, though with some players you never know what’s going to happen. The job is incredibly intense. From Thursday onwards, 100 percent concentration is key. Five hours out there is pretty intense and you can’t let your guard down once. If you make even a single mistake it could be the difference between a first or second place or even making the cut. I need to be a psychologist. If your man isn’t playing the best you’ve got to kick him up the backside a bit.…

Whichever shot I’m looking to play from within 100 yards or so of the green, I’m usually looking for a vertical attack angle with the shaft through impact. When I’ve got the club in that position I know I’m making full use of the loft and that I won’t have to manipulate the clubface through impact to get the trajectory I want. The only exception is when I want to hit a bump-and-run. When I want that lower, more rolling trajectory, I make sure I have the shaft leaning more towards the target.…

We quizzed the European Tour professional and Ryder Cup star about how to pitch the ball close to the hole from inside 100 yards. How do you vary the distance of your pitch shots? MF: “I like to use my body turn to hit set distances. I have five different lengths of backswing: hands to hips, hands to abs, hands to chest, hands to shoulder and full. I know exactly how far the ball will carry with all my wedges with each swing. The more you practise by swinging to those positions the better feel you’ll get for distance control.” Do you make any particular amendments to your set-up? MF: “I have a slightly narrower stance than my full swing because you’re looking for more feel and a less robotic…

WAYNE GRADY NOVEMBER, 1990 “When playing from a fairway bunker it is important to grip down the shaft about an inch. This in effect shortens the club and helps you catch the ball first for solid contact. Take one extra club and swing easy.” ROBERT ALLENBY MARCH, 2009 “To get out of a greenside bunker, hit the sand under the ball onto the green, and the ball will follow. The sand should actually hit the green before the ball does.” ADAM SCOTT JULY, 2014 “Create a stable base for power is the basis of my whole swing. You want to get into a comfortable position where you feel confident about hitting the ball.”…

A left-to-right breaking putt is the hardest of all putts for right-handed players (conversely the right-to-left is difficult for left-handers). Only very good putters are confident of making these putts. The major cause of these misses comes from not aiming far enough to the left of the hole on these breaking putts. On left-to-right putts, most golfers will aim to the right of the correct putting line, not realising their body lines are also to the right of the line you need to hit the putt on. Then, because of your body aiming right and, you trying to putt the ball left, you have a tendency to push the ball to the right. Jordan Spieth is one of the game’s great clutch putters and no putt seems to rattle him,…

Callaway’s Chrome Soft range of golf balls has grown, the Chrome Soft X LS adding a lower spin profile option alongside the Chrome Soft and Chrome Soft X. Most closely aligned to the Chrome Soft X, the company’s most popular golf ball model on Tour, the new addition is designed for maximum distance combined with the lower long game spin. Utilising a four-piece construction, with a single ‘SoftFast’ core design and dual mantle system, the Chrome Soft X LS is yet another piece of Tour driven equipment aimed at producing long, straight bombs off the tee. A refined urethane cover provides excellent feel and short game spin and control in a golf ball designed for a lower scoring club flight. Already in play on various Tours around the world, including…

Luxury Golf and Scenic Tours Tasmania has a wide range of tour options and packages to suit the wishes of all golfers. Their four-day Barnbougle and King Island Golf Adventure package is popular. Having landed in Launceston, you will be transferred in luxury comfort to Barnbougle for two days of golf across the Dunes and Lost Farm courses. The third day brings a short flight from Launceston to King Island before playing Ocean Dunes and Cape Wickham. World class golf, stunning scenery, amazing produce, and exemplary customer service makes this tour the perfect golfing getaway. The Pinnacle Package of this tour includes all green fees, shared cart hire at the King Island courses, flights from Launceston to King Island and then on to Melbourne, three hot breakfasts, three three-course dinners…

Carnoustie born and bred, Dan Soutar, sailed into Sydney in late 1902 on the promise of work as a cabinet maker in a department store. He would, however, end up becoming one of Australian golf’s most important figures through the first three decades of the 20th century. He was a fine player, winning the Australian Open, Amateur and multiple PGA championships, after turning professional in 1905. He was also instrumental in the formation of the PGA of Australia. As a club professional at Sydney’s Manly Golf Club he taught the likes of future champions Jim Ferrier and Ossie Pickworth. But it was his work as a course architect, especially during the 1920s, that led to much acclaim. His most celebrated work was at Melbourne’s Kingston Heath, which he laid out…

LOCATION: Routley Drive, Kooralbyn, Queensland. CONTACT: (07) 5544 5919. WEBSITE: www.thekooralbynvalley.com.au DESIGNER: Desmond Muirhead (1979). COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Jeremy Parry. GREEN FEES: $60 (18 holes, weekdays); $80 (18 holes, weekends and public holidays). Prices include twin share motorised cart. MEMBERSHIPS: Kooralbyn has six membership categories with full seven-day membership costing $79 per month or $948 per annum. COPPERHEAD CHALLENGE: Is played every Thursday and public holidays (except Christmas Day). Any player who breaks their handicap wins a dozen balls. ACCOMMODATION: The Kooralbyn has a wide range of accommodation options including suites and penthouses. The resort is not just a hub for golf with other activities including mountain biking, kayaking, bushwalking, archery and laser clay pigeon shooting.…

At the time of going to press, an official schedule had yet to be released by the PGA Tour of Australasia, with the March COVID outbreak in Queensland throwing plans for Tour school in April potentially into disarray. Given neither the Australian Open nor Australian PGA has been played since 2019, it is hard to imagine a desire for either to make the much talked about move to a February or March timeslot this season, meaning neither will have been staged for two full years. With this in mind – and a typical November spot on the schedule a likely outcome, as well as the enormous success of the NSW Open being held in March and new Players Series events – the schedule will likely once again be of a…

When are all the powers that be in golf going to make a concerted effort to penalise for slow play, especially the pros who set the example? I am an avid golfer and WILL NOT watch these pros who take forever to play shots. I thought pros and amateurs in tournaments have only 40 seconds to play their shots once they are ready. Remember SLOW PLAY is killing golf world wide. 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 8, 205 Pacific Hwy, St Leonards NSW 2065.…

Schooled by the original “putting doctor” Harold Swash, Phil Kenyon is the director of Harold Swash Putting – a “school of excellence” at Formby Hall. He boasts a client list that reads like a who’s who of former World No.1s and multiple major champions. Henrik Stenson’s name has been on the roster for years, as has that of Justin Rose, who teamed up with Kenyon a few weeks before winning Olympic Gold in 2016. More recently, Francesco Molinari recruited Kenyon into his team of specialist performance coaches. An Odyssey ambassador who uses high-speed video, a SAM Putting Lab, Quintic Ball Roll software and a hydraulic putting green to glean every last detail about a stroke, Kenyon takes a high-tech approach to improving the performance of his amateur and professional clients.…

Many experts think my stroke is one of the best on Tour. My secret? I ‘pop’ the ball, rather than putt it. It’s old school. Players needed more ‘oomph’ at impact back in the day when greens were slower, but it works on slick greens, too, because it gets the ball rolling sooner with less wobble and skid. A quicker, shorter stroke helps the ball hug the line. TRANSFER ENERGY AT THE RIGHT TIME Hinge your wrists and transfer all the energy into the ball at impact, not past it. Once the ball leaves the face, there’s no reason to keep moving the putter. A lot of club golfers use a short backstroke and long through-stroke. Big mistake. That causes an inconsistent steering motion. With a pop stroke, you’re always…

Sometimes the best strategy isn’t the one that maximises the chance of making a par or birdie, it’s the one that minimises the chance of making bogey. POINT 1 “The optimum tee shot here is a draw into the left-to-right camber of the fairway threading between the bunkers. But how often will you pull it off? If you want to play aggressively, use your natural shape or hit a more forgiving fairway wood or hybrid.” POINT 2 “Always think about the sensible miss. Steer clear of hazards like these big bunkers and resist chasing the flag so you don’t short-side yourself. Aiming for the middle of the green is nearly always the best option.” POINT 3 “Think about where you want to putt from when pitching and chipping. If you’re…

Many average golfers let their left knee (for right-handers) collapse toward their right on the backswing. This can cause all sorts of problems including forcing your left shoulder to drop, making your hips sway and overturn as well as losing your body angles established at address. To fix this, imagine your left knee pushing out towards the ball on the backswing, like Nelly Korda is doing here. Note how the gap between her left and right knee has not closed. By achieving this position you should feel tension and stability in both knees. You will, ideally, be able to turn your upper body and keep your position behind the ball also. If you can’t quite get this feeling, try hitting some three-quarter shots in practise with a bucket or basketball…

TaylorMade’s original Spider putter made quite the splash when it was first released, the high moment of inertia (MOI) mallet popular with Tour players and average golfers alike. And the evolution of the company’s top putters continues, with the recent announcement of four additional options in the Spider family focused on alignement. Spider EX, Spider X Hydro Blast, Spider S and Spider SR all feature ‘True Path’ alignment to help golfers make more putts and overcome the difficult task of hitting their putts on line, while each model has its own unique qualities to further widen the appeal of the range and assist with different putting issues. “A lot goes into hitting a solid putt. With this new class of Spider putters, we focused on removing two of those variables:…

Air Adventure Golf Tours specialises in remote Tasmanian golf and it’s no surprise their four-day / four-round trip to both Barnbougle and King Island is extremely popular. Designed by golfers, for golfers, the tours make getting there easy. Golfers can carry their full set of clubs (in a travel tube, which are provided) plus 10kg of extra luggage. They also supply full size cart bags at each venue so you can play out of a normal golf bag. The company’s Ultimate Tasmanian golf adventure includes four rounds – one each at Barnbougle Dunes, Lost Farm, Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes – all in the one trip and includes round trip flights, green fees and accommodation. Flights to King Island take only 35 minutes from Melbourne’s Essendon Field Airport, and Barnbougle’s…