Innehållsförteckning för March 2015 från Golf Australia

CONTRARY to what many people may think, the Rules of Golf are the same for amateurs and professionals and, just like any tournament at your own club, Local Rules and Conditions of Competition are introduced to cover the specifics of an event at a particular course. For example,Tour events have many non-permanent objects erected on course, e.g.TV towers, catering units and leaderboards. These objects can often interfere with play and as they would not normally be there, it is appropriate that relief without penalty is available from them. With a normal immovable obstruction, e.g. a cart path, there is no relief when you have interference on your line of play (although you do get relief if your ball is on the putting green and you have interference on your line…

IF you listen carefully as you wander among the crowd and volunteers at this month’s Bing Lee Fujitsu New South Wales Women’s Open you’re likely to hear more than one person recount how they were ‘here’ when ‘it’ happened. The ‘here’ is the Oatlands Golf Club in suburban north-western Sydney, home to the tournament since its inception nine years ago. The ‘it’ was the historic moment in January 2012 when a then-14-year-old amateur from New Zealand stunned the golf world by beating home a strong field to become the youngest-ever winner of a professional tournament, male or female, in the history of the game. The player was, of course, Lydia Ko and her feats since that first precocious announcement of extraordinary talent are becoming the stuff of legend. The moment…

I COULDN’T agree more with Geoff Ogilvy’s detailed column (GA, February 2015) regarding green speeds. Not only do I agree with all of the issues raised by Geoff, I have long contended that overly fast greens are adding significantly to the time it takes to complete 18 holes. Slow down the greens and it will speed up play. I know from talking to young learner players that it is a source of frustration to many when they can get to most par-5s in two hits only to then take three or sometimes more putts. No doubt they will, in time, perfect the art of putting on lightning-fast greens. Meanwhile, they will continue to spend more time getting the job done on the greens than it takes them to get there…

Jamie Donaldson made his European Tour debut in 2001. Ten years later, plagued by back issues, he seemed destined for nothing more than journeyman status. Then, in 2012, he won the Irish Open. It heralded a dramatic upturn that would see him win again in 2013 and 2014, amass some £5 million in tournament winnings, make the Ryder Cup team and deliver the winning point. Here, he shares all that journey has taught him. 1. GAIN STRENGTH FROM ADVERSITY Jamie Donaldson used to get terrible back pain, because he would practise for hours and hours on the range. In 2004, he was diagnosed with a unilateral Pars defect in his lower back, which was irritating a lumbar disc. One doctor took a look at the scan, and said: “If I…

Ernie Els won his first major 21 years ago. Finishing tied with Colin Montgomerie and Loren Roberts in the US Open at Oakmont Country Club, the South African bounced back from a triple-bogey on the 1st hole of an 18-hole play-off to finish level with Roberts. A birdie on the second hole of sudden death was enough to give the 24-year-old his first taste of major glory. It was the launchpad for a career that’s seen him bag 70 professional victories, including three more majors – two Opens and a further US Open. We caught up with him in Malaysia at the launch of The Els Club Teluk Datai, his first course in South-East Asia, to discuss his Olympic ambition, trying to dethrone Tiger and beating his daughter at tennis…

So what causes golfers to yip? It’s an affliction that has ended careers, destroyed hobbies and driven normally sane people to moments of madness and exasperation. Welcome to the world of the dreaded yips. For years people have searched for solutions and cures to an anxiety breakdown that sees chips and pitches thinned or duffed and one-foot putts failing to even hit the hole. The record books are littered with victims (Langer, Hogan,Vardon, Alliss) and you won’t find a golf club in the country that doesn’t have its quota of members who have seen their handicaps soar as their nerves get raw. So, what are the yips and what are the best ways to deal with them? We asked Gordon Morrison, who lectures in sport psychology and motor behaviour at…

For nearly 15 years, the exceptional distance, superior scoring performance and unmatched consistency of Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls have been making a difference in the games of golfers around the world – from Tour professionals to amateurs of all skill levels and swing speeds. It was in October 2000 that the original Pro V1 prototype first appeared on the PGA Tour at the Invensys Classic in Las Vegas. Forty-seven players put the ball in play that week, marking one of the largest pluralistic shifts of equipment at one event in golf history. In March 2001, just four months after launching to golf shops, Titleist Pro V1 became the best-selling golf ball in the marketplace. “The launch of Pro V1 was especially significant in that for the…

WHAT OUR TESTER SAID: MODEL AND SHAFT PLAYED: TaylorMade R15 10.5° driver, fitted with a regular-flex graphite shaft. The adjustable loft was lowered one degree and the slide weights retained in a neutral position. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: It’s a nice, comfortable driver. It sits squarely at address and is easy to swing. I like the different configuration options, especially the two moveable slide weights, which to me makes more sense than just one. VERDICT: The sweet spot on the R15 seems really large. There were drives that I knew didn’t come out of the centre of the clubface that still rolled out to my usual range and I was happy with that. There feels like more weight in the clubhead compared to my driver and that definitely helped me get through…

At the end of the cracking film “Trading Places” (Eddie Murphy, Dan Ackroyd and Denholm Elliott as “Coleman”), our heroes are luxuriating on a Caribbean beach, sipping champagne and enjoying the sweet fruits of bankrupting Randolph and Mortimer Duke in a stock-market scam. “Looking good, Billy Ray!” exclaims Ackroyd aboard the pleasure craft he’s sharing with Jamie-Lee Curtis. “Feeling good, Louis!” replies Murphy, and the pair toast each other across the aqua-blue sea. Eddie wipes champagne from his lips in a funny camp fashion and turns to Elliott.“What shall we have for lunch, Coleman? The lobster or the cracked crab?” The former butler, now wealthy beyond measure, turns to his nubile companion and asks,“What do you think?” The hottie tilts her head and says,“Can’t we have both?” Denholm smiles, nods…

Historic Duntryleague mansion and championship golf course are located in Australia’s leading cool-climate wine region of Orange in the Central West of New South Wales. Duntryleague is one of regional Australia’s premier golf courses with its glorious setting of trees and shrubs, which were established in 1936. Members and guests alike now enjoy this vision with a manicured course unsurpassed for beauty and history, rivalling any other golf course in Australia. The par-70 course stretches 6,006 metres with lush South African couch, undulating tree-lined fairways, bentgrass greens and a thoughtful, strategic layout requiring accuracy off the tee. Overlooking the prestigious course and situated in the botanical gardens is the historic mansion, built in 1876 and offering 14 guestrooms all with en suites and free WiFi. In conjunction with the 14…

Located just five minutes from the river town of Swan Hill, Murray Downs Golf & Country Club is sure to please you both on and off the course. Providing you with great clubhouse facilities, including a bistro and café, you won’t beat the country hospitality and pleasure of playing this impressive golf course. Ideal for your next group or individual golf holiday, the course is a previous winner of Victorian PGA Course of the Year and is consistently voted in the top resort courses across Australia.The Murray Downs course is a striking contrast to the surrounding Mallee plains.With river gums in the background this course has some great signature holes, including the 5th with a long water carry to the green, making it a challenging task for those that choose…

Nestled in the heart of the Goldfields, Macedon Ranges and Spa Country – regions rich in history, arts and culture – Novotel Forest Resort Creswick is the newest four-and-a-half star regional eco-friendly resort. The resort sits on 150 acres of state forest and offers a comprehensive range of facilities and activities, including a boutique day spa, a 600-person conference centre, Harvest 383 a la carte restaurant, Springs bar and the championship golf course. Its Canadian Lodge theme invokes the elegance and comfortable luxury of a wilderness retreat with all the modern furnishings and technical facilities of a world-class hotel. All 143 large accommodation rooms – each one boasting a king-size bed, spa bath and balcony – offer stunning views of the pool, fairways and surrounding tree canopy of Creswick State…

A noise louder than a chuckle could be heard across Wakehurst Golf Club in the mid-1990s when the club decided to embed sandstone markers on the edges of its fairways to show the 150-metre point from each green.The markers were beautiful but for a club with fairways that once held a reputation for being rockier than The Twelve Apostles, the irony of rocks being deliberately placed in the fairways was lost on few who knew the back story. Indeed,Wakehurst’s is a tale reminiscent of the ugly duckling that flourished into a magnificent swan, and is a place where this writer honed his game through 18 years of membership from the late ’80s.The club occupies a stunning stretch of ocean-facing bushland in Sydney’s north with panoramic views across the northern beaches…

THE 2015 Holden Scramble season is set for another jam-packed scheduled of events right across the country. Entering its 24th year, the Holden Scramble continues to cement itself as Australia’s largest and most successful pro-amateur team event, making it one of the most recognised brands in Australian sport and Holden’s longest-running sponsorship outside motorsport. This year will be a milestone for the Holden Scramble with the 10,000th event set to take place, and the PGA and Holden are currently planning for this special occasion. A new exciting feature for the Holden Scramble will be the introduction of an online entry and tournament management system. The new system will streamline the entry process and increase interaction with all Holden Scramblers. Developed for the PGA of Australia by GolfBox, in conjunction with…

Few pursuits boast as many self-professed experts as the game of golf. Anywhere and everywhere you play and practise, you’ll find an ‘expert’ ready to dispense their insight into what you are doing wrong and how you could be doing it better. Hit down, grip it looser, swing it smoother and don’t forget to count to three. The problem, of course, is that very few golfers are qualified to offer this advice. Such well-meaning wisdom can often do more harm than good. To compile the comprehensive selection of tips showcased over the next 11 pages we trawled through the archives and our extensive library of instruction books written by the greats of the game past and present. Our selection criteria was that the tip had to come from a successful…

• Get up early. Organise to play golf at the very first crack of dawn. Try and get the first tee-time. And use a cart. As a lone player you could get around in two hours; with one partner, two-and-a-half, tops. You could be home for breakfast. • Travel somewhere where you know people with kids. Or travel with another family. Kids can amuse each other. Older ones will often take on free child-minding duties; they’ll meet other kids. Taking pressure off your partner is a big factor. • Find a resort with a swimming pool, near a beach. A resort with a Kids Club is a bonus. • The Gold Coast, with its easy accessibility to golf courses and various kid-friendly “Worlds”, is perfect for the family golf-tourist. •…

Gibraltar Hotel Bowral is fast becoming the most popular play-and-stay destination in New South Wales. With its own stunningly beautiful golf course and another four challenging courses within a ten-minute drive, it is no wonder Gibraltar is gaining a great reputation among golf groups. Located an easy drive from Sydney and Canberra, Gibraltar has everything for the golfer and non-golfer to enjoy a short break. With many of the more recognised courses choosing to toughen up the playing experience, Gibraltar Country Club and the other Southern Highlands courses are all challenging but pleasantly playable for all standards of golfer, which is especially important when travelling among a group of golfers of differing abilities. Mt Broughton is our championship course and is a sterner test for those who really want that,…

A visit to Narooma is not complete without a game on Narooma’s famous golf course. Described as “incredible” and “unique”, the course is a challenge for serious golfers and a pleasure to play for the not-so serious. Consistently rated in Australia’s Top-100 and a home to “Hogan’s Hole”, Narooma Golf Club is one of our premier public-access courses. Narooma’s famous first six holes are perched high on cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, while the back nine heads slightly inland to holes framed by tall timber and meandering around a large lake that comes into play on six of the inward-nine holes.The par-3 3rd, “Hogan’s Hole”, has been rated as one of Australia’s most spectacular par-3s. Perched atop cliffs jutting over the Pacific Ocean, Narooma Golf Club’s clubhouse has one of…

Paradise Palms Resort & Country Club is one of Australia’s most picturesque 18-hole championship golf courses. Situated in Tropical North Queensland, Paradise Palms offers far more than meets the eye. Featuring four-and-a-half-star resort accommodation, a modern clubhouse with restaurant and bar, extensive conference facilities and two acres of adventure playground including an 18-hole mini golf course, Paradise Palms offers much more than just an excellent golf course. Designed by Graham Marsh and Ross Watson, the layout is by far the standout course in the area with the highest ranking in Australia’s Top-100 Courses. The par-72 course measures 6,592 metres from the championship tees and its course rating of 76 is an indication of the scale and challenge that awaits. Among the most scenic and daunting holes is the par-3 7th,…

Riverside Oaks Golf Resort is set among 238 hectares of pristine Australian bushland overlooking the magnificent Hawkesbury River and only an 80 minute drive north-west of the Sydney CBD.The resort offers a unique wilderness experience within its stunning surroundings with luxury accommodation and a reputation for quality that attracts golfers from Sydney, New South Wales, across Australia and around the world. Riverside Oaks is home to Sydney’s only 36-hole golf resort, offering two championship courses ranked in the Top-100 Public Access courses by Golf Australia. The new Bungool course opened last October and is designed by internationally renowned course architect Bob Harrison. It is a true ‘risk and reward’ course as it ebbs and flows along the Hawkesbury River, promising an exceptional challenge for even the most seasoned and skilful…

IT is labelled as “the definitive way to experience” the Open at St Andrews and a scan of the itinerary makes it difficult to argue otherwise. Hosted by popular Australian professional Richard Mercer, who played in the 1984 Open at the Old Course,The Golf Touring Company’s 2015 Open trip includes 13 nights’ twin-share accommodation (including being walking distance from the 18th green of the Old Course for seven nights), nine rounds of golf (including four Open venues and two Ryder Cup courses), most meals, plus a weeklong pass to attend the 144th Open Championship. The tour spans July 7 to 20 and begins in England’s north-west with three nights staying in five-star luxury in Southport with golf at Royal Lytham & St Annes and Royal Birkdale before moving north to…

Golf is a tough sport.To master the game you need to have the physical attributes of touch and strength, while mentally you need to be focused and have strong nerves. Now, bearing all this in mind, imagine how difficult it might be if you had just one arm. Tony Coates knows no other way and he still manages to play the game better than most of us. The 56-year-old from Shearwater in Tasmania has been playing golf for 33 years but had never seriously played the game until a car accident saw him sustain major injuries, resulting in his left arm being amputated. The then-23-year-old electrician, whose love of sport was wide-ranging but primarily focused on playing Australian Rules football, had to start a new career and a new sport…

HAVE you caught up with Golf Australia’s new weekly online magazine, On The Green Express? If you haven’t, here’s what you’re missing. On The Green Express is e-mailed to more than 37,000 subscribers every Tuesday morning, with all the latest news and views from the world of golf.There’s tournament and player news, while we also track the performances of Australian players competing abroad. We are also the first to showcase any new equipment that has been launched, while we take a different, quirky look at the game with our ‘Numbers’ and ‘Quotes Of The Week’ columns. This month, if you sign up and subscribe to On The Green Express, you will go into the draw to win a SKLZ Quickster Range Net,…

It’s one of the enduring images from Adam Scott’s breakthrough win at the Masters in 2013. As Scott was going ballistic after sinking what he thought was the winning putt on the 72nd hole, in the background his Aussie playing partner Marc Leishman was quietly fist pumping in delight for his colleague, Presidents Cup teammate and compatriot – knowing full well the significance of the moment for Scott and Australia. Angel Cabrera almost crashed the party with his own birdie on the last to set up a play-off, which Scott would go on to prevail in, but for all intents and purposes for both Scott and Leishman, that putt was the historic moment all Australian players had dreamt of. An hour earlier, Leishman’s chances of pulling on Australia’s first Green…

As a master of the dark art of sledging, Ricky Pointing dutifully assumed responsibility of verbally abusing his English counterpart Michael Vaughan during his first Ashes series as the new Australian captain. The retort? “Get back in the slips Ponting. Who do you think you are, Steve Waugh?” Ten years since the famous Ashes series of 2005, when the art of bothersome creativity reached its entertaining best, the retired skippers now favour the ‘gentleman’s game’, leaving their castigating ways behind on the cricket field. “But we’re not golfers, remember. We’re still cricketers at heart,” jokes Vaughan, continuing to push the boundaries of golf etiquette before heading Down Under as a media pundit for the ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.“If someone has just missed a five footer,…

BOOST YOUR GAME Utilising heat-map force plate studies helped create the revolutionary adipower Boost shoe, which boasts energy-returning midsole foams and strategically placed traction elements for an unsurpassed level of comfort, grip, stability, and power. The ‘Boost’ foam cushioning is comprised of thousands of TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) energy capsules fused together by way of a proprietary high-pressure steam moulding process. At their core, these capsules are the essence of the innovation; storing and releasing energy efficiently throughout the swing and delivering maximum energy return as golfers perform. Boost foam retains consistent cushioning and is responsive in both hot and cold conditions. Combined with a lace-in saddle, fit-sleeve tongue wrapping, external heel counter and a fit-foam sock liner, adipower Boost delivers a more precise, comfortable fit for all golfers. RRP: $239.…

JORDAN SPIETH “The 2015 Pro V1x is very much an improvement for me just as each version has really improved.This one’s better for me because that softer cover around the greens allows me to have more spin control and softer feel, without jeopardising any distance or spin with the long clubs. It’s still long off the tee with more control around the greens. “[New Pro V1x] feels really nice, like it’s sticking to the clubface more, which I like. It allows my short irons and wedges to spin a little more which is always nice around the greens, to be able to fly it closer to the hole and have it drop and stop.” BUBBA WATSON “I first tried the new ball about two weeks prior to going to China.…

Australians can be a parochial lot, and for good reason. But where in our beautiful country can you enjoy a hot-air balloon ride over a game reserve, see wildlife’s ‘Big Five’ and play a championship course all in one day? It doesn’t take long to appreciate South Africa is a golf destination like no other. No one has contributed more to golf in these parts than the iconic Gary Player. His passion for the game, which he’s dedicated his life to, thrives over every part of the nation. “I have so much love for South Africa that I could go on and on …” says the nine-time major champion. “To start with, the climate could not be more conducive to golf all year round. South Africa is also a wonderful…

Sometimes bad things have to happen before good things can. In the case of the Graham Marsh and Ross Watson-designed layout at Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club, it was a belting at the hands of Mother Nature that ultimately helped the layout. In the decade after opening in 1994, the towering trees flanking most of the fairways on the front nine had grown even more. Thick canopies shaded vast areas of the playing surfaces, while the sheer number of trees created areas completely sheltered from the wind. This proved detrimental to the conditioning of some greens. In the warmer months, greens were heavily watered to keep them cool, while in winter lack of sunlight became an issue. A wild storm that swept across Sydney a few years back hit…

Few golf courses anywhere in the world offer the dramatic contrasts, the scenic beauty and the sheer challenge of Joondalup Country Club’s 27-hole championship golf course in the northern suburbs of Perth. Designed by internationally renowned course architect Robert Trent Jones Jnr, the layout offers a tough, uncompromising challenge, featuring great variation in setting and style. The course features dense bushland, steep limestone quarries and picturesque lakes, and presents surprises and challenges at almost every turn. One minute you’re playing an approach shot beneath a 30-metre limestone cliff, the next you’re adapting to the fresh ocean breeze on an undulating links-style fairway. The Lake nine features watery dangers as well as hollows, pot bunkers, swales and other links-like challenges.The narrow Quarry nine includes an unforgettable par-3 that plays 120 metres…

Stay and play at one of Australia’s best resort golf courses, Noosa Springs. This pristine 18-hole championship course offers a challenging and memorable golf experience right in the heart of Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Undulating fairways are carved into native bushland alongside spring-fed lakes teeming with wildlife.While on course,expect to see a kangaroo or two under a tall stand of eucalypts or a koala lazing in a gum tree. Noosa’s subtropical climate makes playing conditions very agreeable year-round and the course can be played in almost all weather. Designed by Graham Papworth, the 6,180-metre par-72 championship course was built to international standards and has hosted PGA qualifying events. Improve your swing on Noosa’s only practice range (floodlit Wednesday to Saturday evenings) or take a golf lesson with AAA-rated golf…

Enjoy an unforgettable stay at one of the Mornington Peninsula’s best golf destinations: Mercure Portsea Golf Club, which now offers visiting golfers a superb course, boutique-style accommodation and a range of dining options. The club is ranked 32nd among Australia’s Top-100 Courses by Golf Australia magazine. It also ranks 14th nationally among public-access courses.The popular championship layout is located adjacent to Point Nepean National Park and has fast bentgrass greens and well-drained fairways nestled into beautiful natural sand dunes and the surrounding coastal vegetation. While the layout is not long by modern standards, it possesses an old-style guile that makes it difficult to conquer. A series of intriguing short par-4s gives the Portsea course great character as well as being its design hallmark. Holes such as the 10th and 15th…

Enjoy a ‘Golf Escape’ to Rosebud Country Club and Fairways Resort. Centrally located on the Mornington Peninsula, Rosebud Country Club has both courses ranked in Golf Australia’s Top-100 Public Access Courses. It boasts 36 holes of quality golf across the North Course, which is lined with large pines that frame fairways and played host to two Australian PGA Championships, and the South Course, which offers wide landing areas and beautifully sculptured gardens. Visitors with a valid golf handicap are welcome to enter club competitions. Fairways Resort offers four-star accommodation next to the clubhouse, restaurant, bar and bistro. Golfers should never be late to the tee with an easy 100-metre walk to the golf shop, practice putting green and 1st tee. Fairways Resort offers 39 beautifully appointed rooms that range from…