Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2022 - Issue #392 i Golf Australia

As you would have noted by the cover, this is the issue in which we biennially announce and celebrate the leading hundred courses in the land … the courses that might just find their way onto you bucket list. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Golf Australia’s biennial ranking, having started out as the nation’s top-50 courses before moving to theTop-100 a decade ago. And at no stage during the past quarter century has the ranking been so tightly packed with quality layouts (only 30 points separated No.100 from No.55), neither has the movement up and down in the list been so volatile. This volatility extended beyond the Top-100 to the courses laying just outside the century makers, with some courses – like the two courses at The Heritage…

Our panel of 56 judges started looking at courses for this ranking in December 2019, when our 2020 list was published. They submitted their votes for as many courses as possible by November 2021. At the start of the voting period, each judge received a basic set of guidelines to help them determine the order of their list. Judges are instructed to place primary importance on design, followed by conditioning and visual appeal. Climate and seasonal effects – including drought and timing of visit – which are out of the hands of course maintenance staff are taken into account when assessing a course’s presentation. Once the judges have presented their personal ranking, every list is added to a master spreadsheet with points/votes allocated to each course. Each No.1 course is…

It’s easy to forget that David Feherty played in perhaps the most famous Ryder Cup of all time. The 63-year-old has spent nearly 25 years entertaining fans as the PGA Tour’s resident raconteur behind the mic, but there was a time when he was just like the many people he now interviews. Prior to becoming one of the biggest personalities in golf, the Northern Irishman spent the best part of two decades competing inside the ropes and played in the same European team as Seve Ballesteros during the 1991 Ryder Cup, beating Payne Stewart in the singles. By the time he retired at the age of just 38, Feherty had won 10 times, including five titles on the European Tour, and twice finished in the top of the European Tour’s…

WHY HE CHANGED IRONS I changed to the P7MCs strictly because I couldn’t find the centre of the face (at the Scottish Open). I was hitting iron shots that I just normally don’t, so it was a huge learning opportunity. I wanted to win there, but I came out of it learning a lot more, and it helped at Royal St George’s. WHY HE LOVES HIS TP5 BALL It took me a week or two to really get used to the feel of the TP5. I had really never used that soft a ball, but I’ve got used to it now. It feels completely normal. My wedges spin great. It feels great off the putter. I like a soft feel off the putter anyway … it’s just been awesome around…

Bunkers – greenside and fairway – can reduce amateur golfers into complete despair during a round. Of the two scenarios, it is the fairway bunker that can cause the most angst because of the fear of not getting your ball out. Beside the green, you have a high-lofted sand or lob wedge which increases your odds of getting your ball out. But it’s a different story back down the fairway. The best way to overcome your fear is to play the shot like you would from the middle of the fairway … with a couple of modifications. Firstly, ensure you have a stable stance so your feet are not going to move on top of the sand during your swing. Do this by setting your feet a little wider than…

This section of the bag covers everything from 9-iron to lob wedge. Given their loft and the general ease of strike, these are among the least hated clubs in the bag. But when golfers do hate their pitching clubs, it’s generally down to a poor concept. These clubs are built for short, accurate swings, yet club golfers commonly set up as for big, powerful shots. Almost always the body stalls and the hands take over, causing poor contact, distance and direction. These tips will help you reverse that. #1 REIN IN YOUR ADDRESS Here is what we’d call a full-swing set-up – feet shoulder-width apart, grip right at the top of the handle. It’s a stance to support aggression, weight shift and power. But it’s all inappropriate for the part-swings…

Looking after a golf cart is of the highest importance for performance, extended life and safety. And the Flow-Rite Pro-Fill Battery Watering System is specifically designed for the deep cycle batteries used in carts to benefit all three areas. Available at all R&J Batteries branches, the system is also a money saver and works by replacing existing vent caps of a battery with valves that are interconnected with tubing, allowing the user to fill all cells of the battery from a single remote location. Taking under a minute to complete, the process sees each valve shut off independently once the required level is reached without needing constant watch to avoid overflow. For more information, visit www.rjbatt.com.au or call 1300 769 282…

MODELS PLAYED: Srixon ZX Utility 3-iron (20°), fitted with KBS C-Taper shaft. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The look of this club at address and in the bag is top notch. A simple all chrome finish and design gives it the appearance ance of a swollen muscle back blade, while the thick topline inspires confidence behind the ball. The first shot I hit was on a tight driving opening hole straight out of the car, and although it wasn’t flushed down the middle, the slightly toe strike produced a nice draw that still got out there. The result of a pretty stiff swing suggesting forgiveness that the compact shape wouldn’t allude to. And exactly the sort of performance I look for in a utility iron. HOW IT PERFORMED: As my time went on with…

Having successfully hosted the 1998 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, there was an air of excitement in Australian golf that more of the world’s best players would come here in the years that followed. That excitement was justified when the PGATour announced the 2001 World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play Championships were bound for Melbourne’s Metropolitan Golf Club. Then they revealed the date … January 3 to 7. What were they thinking? In the months leading up to the event, it became almost a daily procession of big-name withdrawals as players chose not to travel to Australia over the Christmas-New Year period for a tournament where they could, potentially, be going home after one round. Thirteen of the world’s top-20 players – including World No.1Tiger Woods, David Duval (3), Phil…

Back in mid-October I spent some time watching two events on television. It was quite a contrast. The Andalucian Masters at Valderrama was won by Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick with a six-under-par score. And across the Atlantic, Rory McIlroy won the CJ Cup at the Summit Club in Las Vegas, shooting 25-under-par to do so. As many people know already, Valderrama is a difficult golf course, very fiddly and narrow. Missing fairways invariably leads to problems. The greens are small and, in places, a bit crazy, if my memory of the place is correct. It tends to get a bit windy there too. Just about everything is awkward, the feeling on many tees is one of being uncomfortable and restricted. The Summit in Vegas is nothing like that. It’s ‘have at…

The ranking of courses for 2022 saw 163 layouts receive votes from our judges. The following courses finished just outside the Top-100 based on our average points system. The first six courses outside the centurion list all finished less than three points from claiming a Top-100 spot. 101. Yarrawonga Mulwala GC – Murray Course 102. The Eastern GC – North Course 103. Keysborough GC 104. Western Australian GC 105. Cottesloe GC 106. Lakelands GC 107. Frankston GC 108. Albany GC 109. Royal Fremantle GC 110. The Heritage – St John Course 111. Eynesbury GC 112. Mornington GC 113. Twin Waters GC 114. Horsham 115. Manly GC 116. The Sandhurst Club – Champions Course 117. Pymble GC 118. Flinders GC 119. The Coast GC 120. Alice Springs GC 121. Rich River…

◆ “The world’s No.1 tennis player spends 90 percent of his time winning, while the world’s No.1 golfer spends 90 percent of his time losing. Golfers are great losers.” ◆ “Colin Montgomerie is a few French fries short of a Happy Meal.” ◆ “Playing Augusta is like playing a Salvador Dali landscape. I expected a clock to fall out of the trees and hit me in the face.” ◆ “Watching Phil Mickelson play golf is like watching a drunk chasing a balloon near the edge of a cliff.” ◆ “I lost 150lbs. If you include my wife.” ◆ “I am sorry Nick Faldo couldn’t be here this week. He is attending the birth of his next wife.” ◆ “Gary (Player) thinks he invented fitness because he used to do push-ups…

Cleveland’s Launcher line has undergone a supersizing, the new XL models designed to offer increased moment of inertia (MOI) through XL head shapes delivering greater forgiveness and more distance for higher handicap players. Headlining the new range are four driver options offering more distance and straighter tee shots in a package the company calls “the most forgiving driver line we’ve ever made”. The Launcher XL Adjustable is bigger, more stable and achieves a 27 percent tighter dispersion than its predecessor, while the Lite model utilises ‘Lite-Weight Design’ to save 12 grams of weight in comparison. The Draw and Women’s models engineered with specific player needs in mind. A ‘Rebound Frame’ incorporates varied zones of thickness and flexibility to create ball speed on a greater area of the face in all…

MODEL PLAYED: Mizuno ST-G 220 with 9° loft, fitted with Fujikura Atmos Black shaft. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: There was plenty to like about this driver from the moment I laid eyes on it, as well as from the first swing. The look at address is a very classic shape, with a slightly deeper face and more compact head than some other modern drivers, while the carbon crown reminded me of some of my favourite drivers of the past. Impact delivered a nice sound and feel, that was slightly louder than my current driver but not in the tinny, high-pitched category at all. A straight, consistent ball flight with all the settings at standard was perhaps the best feature of all on first use. HOW IT PERFORMED: Mizuno have made no secret of…

ADDRESS: North Bonville Rd, Bonville, NSW. CONTACT: 1300 722 444; (02) 6653 4544 (pro shop) WESBITE: www.bonvillegolf.com.au DESIGNER: Ted Stirling and Terry Watson (1992). GREEN FEES: Tee times for social play available Monday and Tuesday only – $160 pp (September to May); $150 (June to August). Members and in house guest tee times are seven days. PLAYING SURFACES: Couch (fairways), Bermuda 328 (greens). PGA PROFESSIONAL: Daniel Dosen. COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Aaron Banks. MEMBERSHIPS: Single, couple, intermediate, colt, junior and sub-junior membershipsare available. Applications are available via the website or you can email info@bonvillegolf.com.au STAY, PLAY & DINE: Bonville features 30 well-appointed rooms including 17 Resort Rooms, eight Executive Spa Rooms and five Executive View Rooms, all overlooking the picturesque 1st fairway. Then there is the award-winning dining experience of the Flooded…

Having reached the age of 50, the European Tour is no more, replaced by something called the DP World Tour. It is a new title that will, one imagines, never resonate quite so much. Nor is it likely to ever attain the iconic status of its predecessor. But in these troubled times such a change is perhaps understandable, if regrettable. While the now-deceased Old-World circuit did incredibly well to survive as well as it did throughout the worldwide pandemic, things could not go on as they were. €1m tournaments were fine when options remained severely limited. But that state of affairs could not continue if the world’s second-biggest Tour was to move boldly on in the 21st century. Over the five decades of its existence, the European Tour had always…

The process to determine the courses that make our Top-100 Courses ranking in 2024 has already begun. With greater travelling freedoms for our judges and some big course projects on the horizon, it is going to be an exciting ride over the next two years. The most anticipated new projects are in Tasmania, with construction well underway on Seven Mile Beach, east of Hobart, and Arm End, south of the state capital. With much of the site cleared of radiata pine and exposed dunes ready for shaping, Mike Clayton and Mike DeVries (Clayton, DeVries & Pont) were due to arrive on site and meet with the course’s brainchild and former Tour pro, Mat Goggin, at the time of writing. “In Hobart the site is enormous, something both a blessing and…

Golf courses are lots of things to lots of people and ranking them in some sort of rational order is fraught given the emotions golf courses engender are not always rational. What one golfer thinks important is passed off as irrelevant by another. Who isn’t exhilarated by the experience of playing the awesome par-5 5th at New South Wales Golf Club? But take the ocean away and would anyone think of it the same way? Most golfers would agree condition is important and it is. The problem is opinions on what constitutes ‘condition’ can be wildly different depending on who you ask. It’s important if poor conditions – most often soft conditions not allowing the ball to bounce – detract from the play. Ben Hogan’s rule was you always ran…

Hours after Collin Morikawa rolled in the winning putt at Royal St George’s, a story began to unfold around how a wholesale equipment change played a significant role in his victory. After playing links golf at the Scottish Open, Morikawa sought the help of TaylorMade’s Senior Tour Manager Adrian Rietveld on the Sunday evening before teeing it up at The Open – where he became the first man in history to win two majors on his debut, beating Jordan Spieth into second with his total of 15-under. “When I got back to California I was woken by a text in the middle of the night,” explains Adrian. “It was Collin. ‘Really appreciate everything over these past couple of weeks, everything worked for me, it’s awesome being in a team with…

Seve Ballesteros was perhaps the greatest golfing escapologist ever. If there was a way to get his ball back into play, the amazing Spaniard would find it. Even water was no barrier to Seve, who would like his chances of saving a penalty stroke if he could see part of his ball in the hazard. And that’s the key, if you want to try this shot yourself. Never attempt to hit a shot out of water unless at least a quarter of the ball is above the water’s surface. The second most important aspect of playing this shot is club selection. Use your pitching wedge instead of your sand wedge because it doesn’t have the same bounce and the leading edge is better for getting into the water and out…

Think for a moment about the 14 weapons you take into battle every time you play. No doubt the ones you love will be massively outnumbered by the ones you don’t; in fact most of us are lucky if we truly love any of them. This is something we need to address. After all, how much we love a club is a pretty accurate reflection of how well we hit it; if you can improve your relationship with more of those 14 sticks, your game and scores can’t help but improve. Changing how you feel about your clubs – especially the ones you pull with most reluctance – may seem a daunting task. But with just a few key changes to your approach and technique, you can quickly leave the…

Jordan Spieth takes his to bed; Tommy Bolt would tie his to the back of his car and drive home. Yes, because of its capacity to rescue a poorly-played hole – or conversely, to ruin a lot of good work – the putter generates a more intense relationship than any other. Golfers who hate their putter get on the wrong side of this through loss of confidence on line and length. Let’s examine two ways to move you away from Tommy and towards Jordan. #1 HIT YOUR START LINE When holing out, golfers lose confidence because of a failure to send the ball out on their intended line. In fact, this is often more down to a common perception problem than anything technical. Follow this plan. 1. GOING STRAIGHT Find…

SUITABILITY: With four degrees of loft adjustability and the movable weights, the ST-G 220 will suit a wide variety of players, who can fine tune their ball flight. MIZUNO SAYS: Building on the success of the ST-Z and ST-X drivers and featuring Mizuno’s new ‘SAT2041 Beta Ti’ face and complex carbon construction to deliver both potent ball speeds and a dense, satisfying sensation at impact, the ST-G 220 driver adds unparalleled adjustability to the mix for super-precise fitting. Mizuno’s ST-G 220 driver has shorter lateral weight tracks allowing a new centre/back weight port. The combination of three tracks and two moveable weights mean the ST-G can be transformed from ultra-low spinning bomber to a highly playable mid-spinning option, with fade or draw bias in both. “Having that little bit of…

SUITABILITY: A forgiving option offered in 2-, 3- and 4-iron the ZX Utility will suit better players looking for a versatile long iron option, and golfers seeking higher launch and ball speed off the tee and fairway alike. COMPANY SAYS: ZX Utility Irons are smaller and more compact than previous generations, delivering a more blade-like address profile that blends seamlessly with any set. ZX Utility Irons deliver Srixon’s ‘MainFrame’ technology, along with a hollow design and multi-piece construction. All of these powerful technologies come together in a smaller profile, with all the same forgiveness expected from a utility iron. Created with human intelligence yet perfected by the artificial kind, MainFrame is a one-of-a-kind face design that increases ball speed on every shot. Milled into the backside of every iron face,…

Big tournament golf finally returns to our shores with this month’s Australian PGA and WPGA Championships at Royal Queensland, while the smaller PGA/WPGA Tour of Australasia events have increased in number. Locally based players are understandably enthused by the chance to once again ply their trade and everyone involved in the golf industry is brimming with excitement thanks to a return of some sort of normality. The opportunity for players to earn a living is of course one of the major upsides. And although we may not have the big names jumping on an A380 for the cancelled Australian Open and smaller scale PGA Championship this summer, the locals have the ability to show the world just how good they are. Every year non-household names bob up on the leaderboards…