Innehållsförteckning för February 2015 från Golf Australia

THE widely held notion by non-golfers that our sport is an“old person’s game”, as we know, is so far from the truth it’s not funny. Sure,a vast majority of players at club level (and the readers of golf magazines) come from the 40 to 65 years demographic but that hardly means we’re all packing walking sticks in the golf bag. In my experience, golfers are as tough as nails. I’m not suggesting for one minute we’re all finely tuned athletes, but when it comes to playing with an injury or ailment golfers tend to grit their teeth and battle on regardless. When I was a teenager I recall playing a weekend competition round with one of the club’s senior members – a knockabout bloke who played as many as five…

“HOW do I distribute my weight at address?”is a common question I hear from mid and high-handicap players.The answer is simple: it’s 50/50 and when you get this right it will be much easier to produce good balance and posture during the swing. Your weight should be centred 50/50 between your front and back foot as well as 50/50 on each foot, that is between the balls of your feet and your heels. If your weight is not properly distributed like this you will inevitably have poor balance from which you will hit thin and fat shots, particularly with your irons. Starting your swing with your weight too much on your heels will cause you to hit thin shots, where the leading edge of the club hits close to the…

DECEMBER PHOTO CAPTION COMPETITION We had some funny and offbeat entries to our photo of Justin Rose hitting off the wing of a British Airways jet.The best entry according to our judges came from Jeff Cutler of Tallwoods Village, NSW, with:“The wingman you’d like to have at your next 4BBB stableford event.” Congratulations Jeff, you win a pair of adidas adizero one shoes worth $209. SEIKO PREMIER WATCH WINNERS All subscribers to Golf Australia magazine were entered into a draw to win one of two Seiko Premier watches worth $1,150 each.The winners were Paul Burns of Wagga Wagga, NSW, and James Barnden of Kotara South, NSW.…

YOU sidle up to the bar at St Andrews’ famous Jigger Inn and order a pint and a Scotch on ice.It’s not until you hand over the cash that you realise one of the world’s best golfers is resting his elbow on the same stretch of bar. It could even be a past Open Champion… it might be Ernie Els, Darren Clarke or even World No.1 Rory McIlroy. Welcome to St Andrews, Scotland, during Open Championship week, where celebrity and player spotting really add to the tournament itself. The Open returns to the Home of Golf this year and the Sydney-based Golf Touring Company can take you there and have you staying in the heart of the action, just 200 metres from the 18th green of the Old Course, during…

I JUST thought I should write to thank you for providing another great list of courses with your Top-100 Public Access Courses ranking (January 2015 issue). Each December I can’t wait to get my hands on the January issue when it arrives in the post so I can see where I should be trying to play in the follow 12 months. I have used Golf Australia’s ranking lists for years simply because I think you guys get it right more often than you get it wrong. I can imagine it isn’t an easy exercise to put together so the occasional anomaly is going to occur. But the only way you can find out if you guys get it right or not is to go out and play the courses. So…

IF you’re like almost every golfer, you don’t know the rules of the game.Not all of them, or even most of them. Not even close. And if you’re like the vast majority of golfers,you don’t play by the rules either – not exactly. Not really. Which makes sense. How can you when, in all likelihood, you don’t understand how to apply them? And yet despite appreciating the harsh veracity of all of the above, those charged with the making and administration of golf’s dizzying array of regulations and decisions continue to insist that every one of us play by the same set of rules.Amateur or professional; club handicapper or competitive amateur; club professional or tournament player. It makes no difference.We are all asked to walk around with the same wee…

EUROPEAN TOUR ORDER OF MERIT WINS: 5 points each PGA TOUR MONEYLIST / FEDEX CUP WINS: 5 points each PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP WINS: 5 points each WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP WINS: 5 points each BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WINS: 5 points each PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP TOP-FIVES: 1 point each WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP TOP-FIVES: 1 point each BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP TOP-FIVES: 1 point each EUROPEAN TOUR WINS: 2.5 points each PGA TOUR WINS: 3 points each ASIAN TOUR WINS: 0.5 points each PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA WINS: 0.5 points each JAPAN TOUR WINS: 0.5 points each SUNSHINE TOUR WINS*: 0.5 points each MAJOR RUNNER-UPS: 5 points each MAJOR TOP-FIVES: 2 points each MAJOR TOP-TENS: 1 point each…

Cheyenne Woods added a youthful injection to the RACV Ladies Masters by winning 12 months ago through a potent union of genealogy, swagger and an impressive game, but this year the feel-good story for the staple ALPG Tour event is the return of one of its favourite daughters. Rachel Hetherington has spent the past few years juggling motherhood and running her own driving range but will step back into tournament mode for the first time since 2010 when the Ladies Masters resumes at Royal Pines from February 12 to 15.The 42-year-old has a score to settle with the tournament after several brushes with victory but never did the trophy find its way into Hetherington’s hands. Most of the time it was Karrie Webb who stood in her path, as the…

I am a great fan of statistics and they show that most amateurs devote no more than three per cent of their practice time to chipping and pitching. Why is that? Are you all mad? On average, two-thirds of golf is played after the first two shots. Statistics also show the highest percentage error of any shot in golf is the 40-yard pitch. Most people get that more wrong than any drive or any putt. I’ve seen people make birdies after poor drives, but you hardly ever see anyone make a par after a bad chip, let alone a birdie. This article will give you the keys that can transform your short game, but before we start, let me just underline something about keys. A key by itself isn’t much…

Spin: With his 51-degree wedge, Keir generated 7,521rpm of spin. The niblick produced a mere 4,010, making it a challenge to get the ball to stop on the green. Distance: A well-struck spoon saw Keir achieve 212 yards of carry and 254 yards in total. His Ping i15 driver carried 262 on its way to a 293-yard total. Explosiveness: With his modern clubs, Keir achieved a smash factor of about 1.4 to 1.5, meaning the clubs helped him generate maximum ball speed from his swing. With the hickory clubs, this was down to about 1.1 to 1.2, which would mean you need much greater clubhead speed to achieve the same results.…

WHAT OUR TESTER SAID: Impact when you catch one flush is excellent.The sound and feel of impact is a level above what I’m used to and the ball flight was strong. MODEL AND SHAFT PLAYED: TaylorMade RSi 1 3-iron to pitching wedge, fitted with stiff-flex steel shafts. Editor’s note: For comparison’s sake, we asked the same tester to trial both versions of the RSi irons. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: These irons feel light – lighter than I’m used to – but I wouldn’t say that’s off-putting in any way.The overall balance of each iron feels good. I also like the look and the thinking behind the face grooves, plus the more forgiving clubface design. VERDICT: Contact with the TaylorMade RSi 1 irons feels fantastic.The ball flies straight and they are very forgiving…

IT GOES by many names; casting, swinging over the top, hitting from the top … they all refer to the worst move in golf and result in the same poor shot – a slice. But there is a drill you can use that will help eliminate that move from the top of the downswing that sees the club swung out across the target line (pic 1) and down into the ball, creating sidespin and a slice. This drill simply involves moving your right foot (for right-handers) back, which effectively shuts off the hips but leaves everything else, like your shoulder alignment to the target, the same (pic 2) and improves your body angles at address (pic 3). Most of your weight will be on your front leg during this drill…

FOR right-handed players – professional and amateur alike – the hardest putt to make is one that breaks from left-to-right. For lefties,it is the right-to-left breaker. However, touring pros deal with these putts far more successfully by turning these knee knockers into straight putts. How does that work? It’s simple. Picking a point between the ball and the hole that you believe is the apex of the breaking putt. In this putt to make the play-off at the Australian PGA,Wade Ormsby was aiming a cup to the left of the actual hole. He started the ball directly at this target and allowed the slope to work the ball into the hole. When you try this ‘spot putting’ technique, you have to bear in mind that the spot you choose is…

WHAT OUR TESTER SAID: I like that you’ve got the TomTom Golfer GPS watch right there on your wrist – there’s no unclipping a rangefinder, measuring, then returning it to its pouch. MODEL USED: TomTom Golfer GPS watch. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I was the first person to use this watch and it did take some time and effort to set it up as you need to connect it to a computer beforehand – you can’t just pull it out of the box on the 1st tee. VERDICT: I’ve always been a rangefinder guy, but the TomTom Golfer GPS watch could easily change that. It’s so simple to use on-course with easy to use (and, perhaps just as important, easy to understand) features. I didn’t bother with the scorecard and calories features…

NOTICE how Rickie Fowler keeps check of his alignment throughout the swing while practising. By placing a practice rod on the ground to assist the alignment of his feet, and his umbrella just inside the target line, Fowler has two checkpoints: one for his alignment and another for his swing path. By doing this he won’t slip into any bad habits that he might take onto the course. Follow Fowler’s lead and set up swing checkpoints and have specific goals during your practice sessions; don’t just hit balls mindlessly down the range.…

AUSTRALIAN PGA CHAMPION WINNING SCORE: Eight under par, 277 DEFEATED: World No.2 Adam Scott and South Australian Wade Ormsby in a play-off. DEFINING MOMENT: Having begun the final round seven shots behind the leaders, the Chalmers kick-started his round by holing a 55-foot birdie putt at the par-3 2nd hole. More birdies followed at the 3rd, 4th, 8th and 10th holes, with two more jumping onto the card at the back nine par-5s at the 12th and 15th holes. But it was the 12-footer on the 18th for a 64 and to set the clubhouse mark at eight under he might remember most. Scott and Ormsby later joined him in a play-off for the title, with Ormsby bowing out after three holes when Chalmers and Scott both birdied.The play-off went…

I ALWAYS say this is my favourite hole for lots of reasons. It’s stunning, for one, but it’s also extremely demanding.There are no bunkers other than perhaps one at the green and for a par-5 with no bunkers the lay-up is incredibly difficult. I think it’s a great hole. I’ve played the course three times and I got burned on my lay-up a couple of times because I forced it up there too far.You have that thing in your head that it’s a par-5 and you want to make birdie and you want to have a wedge to the green,but it gets so narrow and laying it up too close was costly. Missing the fairway in the lay-up to the right is tough enough but missing left, well, you don’t…

YOUR game starts with a strong front-nine, but your scorecard shows a back-nine fade. Distracted, your pre-shot routine no longer resembles what it was on the 1st tee, leading to interrupted thought processes and rushed decision making. Light-headed from pulling your bag, you make a few soft bogeys seemingly from nowhere and are left wondering ‘How did that happen?’ Sound familiar? Your golf performance may be suffering from the effects of low blood-sugar levels, dehydration and fatigue, and now might be the time to review your on-course nutrition and hydration plan. Sports Dietitian at the Australian Institute of Sport, Greg Shaw, says the keys to maintaining your focus over 18 holes are staying hydrated and staving off hunger, which can be distracting. His advice? “It’s about maintaining good blood-sugar levels…

WHENEVER I bring this up in conversation, many people think I’m a bit weird, or at least deluded. But bear with me. We’re talking about green speeds. In my view they are, generally speaking, too high.We have passed the threshold where they are sensible and conducive to enjoyable golf for the vast majority of players.All too often these days, putting surfaces are just way too fast. It’s easy to blame professional golf for this. And, while I’m not sure it is quite that simple, it does seem like – in the US especially – greens have to be perfectly smooth and fast.And green. So they are soft and fast, when, to my mind, the game would be more fun for all concerned if we were putting on surfaces both firmer…

QUEENSLAND man is due to face court charged with punching another player when a dispute over a golf ball escalated at Cooroy Golf Club on the Sunshine Coast in October. Police were called after the alleged aggressor, aged 46, reportedly punched the 76-year-old victim repeatedly in the face on the course west of Noosa. Cadet journalists of my vintage had it drummed into them that anything before the courts was subjudice and any public comments made before the hearing could be in contempt of court. Perish the thought, but if the court pleases, may we refer to some precedents that could be helpful. Your Worship need not refer to the Rules of Golf in this case because the word punch does not appear therein.The index goes straight from Provisional Ball…

8th ROBERT ALLENBY After winning the Victorian Open, and almost the Australian Open, as an amateur, Allenby turned professional in 1992 and won the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit in his rookie season and again the next year. He has been a prolific winner at home, collecting 13 titles during the past 22 years including the Australian ‘Triple Crown’, winning the Australian Open, PGA and Masters titles in a three-week stretch. Allenby has been a solid money-winner in Europe and the United States but in the majors has never finished higher than a tie for seventh in 64 championship starts. His form in the World Golf Championships has been better with a handful of top-tens between 2002 and 2009. PGA Tour wins: 4 (12 points) Players Championship top-fives:…

Walking down the line of players occupying the practice tee before the final round of the 2014 Women’s Australian Open, there was one player who really stood out from the crowd. Several younger players interrupted their own warm-up routines to study, if just for a moment, her enduring action. That woman was Karrie Webb. With coach Ian Triggs, sports psychologist Dr Noel Blundell and caddie Mike ‘Mikey’ Patterson watching on, Webb worked her way through the bag, hitting a handful of shots with each club. As the wind picked up, she practiced hitting speciality shots she knew would be needed once out on the course, which is the sort of experience that comes from winning seven major championships and more than 50 tournaments around the world in a career spanning…

When I went on my Saturday afternoon charge at Medinah in 2012, it wasn’t my driving or ball-striking that got everybody talking. It was my putting. Of course, it’s important to hit fairways and greens, but if you want to make birdies, you’ve got to hole putts. In the white-hot heat of the Ryder Cup, you don’t have the opportunity to think too much about your technique. You have to live in the moment and just find a way to get the ball into the hole. Easier said than done, you’re probably thinking. You’d be right – instinct is only as good as the amount of hard work you’ve put into your game beforehand. Here are the key things I work on away from tournaments that help me perform at…

USE A SOFT BALL Not only are they less likely to break your club, softer compression balls will travel further and react better as the hickory clubs don’t compress a firmer ball the way modern clubs can. GET PRE-1935 CLUBS If you want to seriously compete, your best bet is to get some brand new hickory clubs made for you. To us, this feels like it’s against the spirit of the thing. Pull together some old clubs and learn to love them, faults and all. You should be able to get a decent set sorted for about $400 to $500. SWING EASY The shaft is more flexible, so a fast, jerky swing will cause all manner of problems. You can still produce decent clubhead speed and hit respectable distances, provided…

SUITABILITY: The RSi line-up includes three models, covering all ability levels. The construction of the RSi 1 irons is designed to boost ball speed and overall performance, RSi 2 blends performance and workability for better players, while RSi TP is aimed at Tour players and elite amateurs. SHAFTS: In RSi 1, the two options are True Temper’s new ReAx Steel 90 and ReAx Graphite 90 shafts. For RSi 2, the KBS Tour 105 and Matrix Program F15 are the standard options.The RSi TP shaft offering is KBS Tour. SET COMPOSITION: 3-iron to pitching wedge in RSi 1; 2-iron to pitching wedge in RSi 2 and RSi TP. Individual gap, sand and lob wedges are available in RSi 1, while only gap and sand wedges are available in RSi 2. LEFT-HANDED…

IF you’re looking for a solid impact position to copy,look no further than that of Masters Champion Adam Scott. Have a look at his body position as he comes through the ball. His right hip is still back and his right knee has maintained the flex it held at address. Only when the ball is gone does Scott allow his right hip to rotate significantly towards the target. Also, check out his perfectly flat left wrist and the straight line created by his left shoulder, arm,hand and the club shaft.These elements help him produce a consistently straight ball flight. And, of course, there is the firm left side, anchored by a solidly planted left foot, allowing Scott to speed the club past his body in a powerful, natural release.…

KEY FEATURES: Using GPS allows the TomTom Golfer to determine precise distances to the front, centre and rear of greens and the distance to individual hazards along the fairway. Unique green and hazard graphics are available before every approach shot, as are lay-up distances calculated to multiple points.The unit comes preloaded with course data from more than 34,000 worldwide courses that can be updated wirelessly through a smartphone. TECHNOLOGY & SPECIFICATIONS: The 53-gram unit has a battery lifetime of up to ten hours (in GPS mode) with a display size of 22 x 25 millimetres and display resolution of 144 x 168.The unit also measures distance, calories, duration of the round and up to 20 digital scorecards HOW MUCH?: $299. TOMTOM SAYS: “The TomTom Golfer utilises GPS, course information and…

SETTLERS RUN GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB BOTANIC RIDGE, VICTORIA RANKING: With public play now more open, Settlers Run became eligible for our public access ranking for the first time in 2015 and made its debut in 45th spot.That places it 14th among Victorian courses. GOOD TO KNOW: Settlers Run opened in 2007 as a private residential course but in more recent times the club has loosened accessibility to allow public play. Attached to the course are a host of additional facilities, including tennis courts, a gym, swimming pool, bistro and restaurant. THE DEAL: Weekday green fees are $69 when booked online and $89 for weekends or public holidays. Seniors can play on weekdays for $40, while cart hire is $50 per cart. ANECDOTALLY: There’s more than a hint of Sandbelt…

THE COURSE LOCATION: Shelly Beach Rd, Shelly Beach.Take the Tuggerah exit from the M1 and follow Wyong Rd to Shelly Beach Rd. The course is about 80 minutes’ drive from the Sydney CBD and 65 minutes from Newcastle. CONTACT: (02) 4332 1103. WEBSITE: www.shellybeachgolfclub.com.au DESIGNERS: Al Howard (1957), Ross Watson (2001). SLOPE RATINGS: Men: 118/116/115; women: 133/129. PLAYING SURFACES: Bentgrass (greens), kikuyu (fairways and rough). COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Andrew Banning. PGA PROFESSIONAL: Jason Hart (director of golf). GREEN FEES: $40 (seven days); $27 after 4pm (or after 3pm outside daylight saving time); $24 for members of Central Coast District Golf Association clubs. THE CLUB MEMBERSHIPS: There are 14 separate membership categories on offer at Shelly Beach Golf Club. Full playing membership for men is $895 per year, plus $55 for…

Who knew Martin Kaymer was into sight gags? Have you got a witty caption to go with our photo? Submit your caption, on the entry form found on our website (not in the comment box), for the accompanying photo and the best entry judged by Golf Australia editors, will win a pair of the recently released adidas adizero one shoes,worth $209.The adizero one shoes are designed with a one-piece upper to save significant weight, while the sock-liner is perforated and a new seven-spike configuration has been incorporated.The adizero one also uses a coolever mesh to create an incredible fit, more comfort and increased breathability. For more information visit the website www.adidasgolf.com or call 1800 700 011 For more information visit the website www.adidasgolf.com  or call 1800 700 011…

IN OCTOBER 1990,Australia’s then richest man Kerry Packer lay on his back on a polo field in western Sydney after suffering a massive heart attack. His heart stopped for eight minutes before he was revived by paramedics. Less than 18 months later he stood beside World No.1 golfer Greg Norman as the winner of the famous Pebble Beach Pro-Am.The pair didn’t just win the title, they set a new 72-hole fourball scoring record for the event and won by a resounding six shots. Having fully recuperated from his heart attack, Packer accepted an invitation from Norman, a long-time friend, to play in the Pro-Am. Packer apparently told Norman he would play but didn’t want to embarrass himself. The media mogul, who was then a ‘good’ 20-marker, began his preparation a…

WHEN I was learning the game in the 1970s there were some pretty strict rules about amateur status. Just telling a journalist you intended to turn pro was enough to put your place as an amateur in doubt. Manufacturers were keen to provide the better players with equipment and we were all more than happy to take their clubs, balls and bags without an exchange of money. It was, of course, against all the rules. You can make your own judgments about our ethics but the same thing was happening all over the world. Jack Nicklaus was once discussing the hypocrisy of the amateur rules when he posed a rhetorical question to a high-up USGA official.“Tell me one player who has never broken the rules of amateur status.” “Bill Campbell…

In the 154 years since the Open Championship was first played, there have been 431 majors held and 210 different major winners crowned. Given this works out at an average of 1.36 different major winners per year, or approximately 34 different winners every 25 years, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to conclude that a lot of fantastic golfers will end their careers without a major title. Men like Bruce Crampton, who finished second to Jack Nicklaus in four different majors; Peter Oosterhuis, who won four consecutive European Tour Order of Merits in the early 1970s; and Steve Stricker, who has won more than $40 million and been ranked as high as No.2 in the world. But even they are not good enough to make our list of golf’s finest…

Watch closely and the first thing you notice about Su-Hyun Oh on a golf course is how nothing ever seems to faze her. Regardless of the situation or the degree of difficulty of the shot facing her, Oh carries herself with an equilibrium that took her to the pinnacle of world amateur golf and now onto a fledgling professional career. The Korean-born Australian-raised rookie’s exceptional levelheadedness will be tested during the Oates Victorian Open from February 5 to 8 when the twin courses at Thirteenth Beach Golf Links host the concurrent women’s and men’s championships for the third year in succession. Oh has played something of a second-fiddle role behind another newly minted pro in Minjee Lee, yet in truth the pair have driven each other. Separated in age by…

I’d never considered playing hickory golf until about four years ago. Scott Macpherson, who I’m working with on course design, had a set in his office. I was looking at them and he suggested I try them at Musselburgh, which was just down the road. I loved it straight away. It is fascinating to experience how our forefathers played the game. I started trying to get some clubs together, but when I found out that Tad Moore was making hickory clubs, I had to get him to make a set for me. He used to work for Dunlop and made some of my earliest sets of clubs, including the ones I used to win the Open. I still mainly play ‘normal’ golf, but I have a practice ground outside my…

WHEN ACCURACY MATTERS TomTom has launched the TomTom Golfer – a GPS sports watch designed to make it easy for you to improve your game with unique course graphics clearly showing accurate distances to hazards and lay-ups, and the best approaches to the green. The TomTom Golfer uses graphics to show key golf course data from more than 34,000 golf courses across the globe on its extra-large screen. Course updates are delivered wirelessly via a smartphone app, so golfers can trust they are playing with the most up-to-date course information. The light and durable TomTom Golfer is the latest addition to TomTom’s GPS sports watch range and uses GPS technology to automatically recognise nearby courses and find the next hole.You can also keep track of your score,distance and time of…