Innehållsförteckning för August 2020 från Golf Australia

To paraphrase the great American author, Mark Twain … the reports of our death were greatly exaggerated. After three months hiatus, Golf Australia is back. When it was decided to suspend publication of the May, June and July editions due to the COVID-19 pandemic it didn’t take long for some to spread rumours through the golf industry about our demise. Knowing these rumours to be false, and with a comeback plan in place, our resolve to bring you the best possible golf publication every month has only been strengthened. We are Australia’s No.1 golf magazine – according to two readership survey agencies –and we aim to keep it that way by continuing to deliver to you the most interesting feature stories from award-winning writers, instruction from the world’s best players…

Just in case you haven’t heard, the major championship we all think of as the US Open won’t be happening this year. Not really. Which, I hasten to add, is understandable in these unprecedented times. Faced with the harsh reality that their usual multi-tiered qualifying system would be both impractical and unworkable, the blue-blazered, blue-blooded brain-trust that is the United States Golf Association has decided to put on something a bit different. So it is that the field at Winged Foot in September (by way of June) will accumulate via the invention of yet-to-be-decided exemption categories. In other words, one privileged few have (typically) charged themselves with the task of identifying another privileged few. What could be more USGA-ish? Despite much prolonged and high-profile evidence to the contrary (who of…

ADAM SCOTT APPEARANCES: 19. BEST RESULT: Third (2018 & 2006). At the time of going to press, Scott was due to return to the PGA Tour at the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational, the week before the US PGA Championship. So, given his absence, there will be question marks surrounding his form. But Scott has bagged more top-10s in this event (six) than any other major championship – and he was tied-eighth and third in his most recent efforts at Bethpage and Bellerive, respectively. The 14-time Tour winner has also played competitively at TPC Harding Park on numerous occasions, sharing 29th place at the WGC-American Express Championship in 2005, competing in the Presidents Cup in 2009 and finishing T52nd at the WGC-Match Play in 2015. Currently ranked inside the top-10 players…

AS you have read, holes-in-one are hard to achieve but you can almost guarantee if you put a big prize up for grabs someone will hole out. That’s exactly what happened at the 2001 Australian Masters at Huntingdale when Nathan Green holed out on the par-3 12th hole and collected a cool $500,000, which he used to bankroll a tilt at the US PGA Tour. So, if you are involved in organising a charity golf day or even a pro-am at your local club, offering a big hole-in-one prize will attract plenty of attention for the event. But first you will need hole-in-one insurance. OzPrize Hole-In-One insurance makes it possible for organisations to hold promotional events without having to take any financial risks. Essentially, if somebody wins an expensive award,…

Check the stroke indexes on the scorecard of your home course and you’ll likely find the par-3 holes are ranked among the easiest. It seems logical; after all, the shorter the hole, the fewer opportunities it gives us to mess it up. Cold hard stats, however, suggest otherwise. According to golf data collection experts Arccos, the average par-3 score for golfers between a 13-20 handicap is 4.01. That’s right, the typical club player drops a shot every time they play a short hole. Even elite amateurs between 0-5 handicaps drop half a shot per hole on average, so with four per course, that’s two shots a round. Perhaps one of the reasons for these ignoble truths are the range of skills needed to make your par. Generally boasting the best-protected…

NEEDLESSLY COMPLEX When I watch club golfers chip, I often see something like this – ball back, hands forward, plenty of shaft lean and a sharp, digging strike. Hitting down feels like it ensures ball-first contact, but it doesn’t quite work that way. The steep attack angle actually shortens the time the club is in an effective striking position, giving you a narrower window for success; it also sends the sharp leading edge towards the turf, promoting snagging. A shallower attack sets up a simpler action with more margin for error. How to shallow your attack To train this simpler, shallower chipping motion, take the longest iron in your bag – perhaps a 4 or 5-iron. Start simply by sitting the club behind the ball in its designed position, the…

How do you acquire the right ‘feel’ for your putts – especially the longer ones – before you take your address position and more importantly trust that feel and not double guess yourself? If distance control with your putting is a regular issue, use the following pre-shot routine and reduce those three-putt greens. Firstly, you must make a read of the green and take into account all the factors that may influence the putt – slope, length of grass, moisture and even wind (on quicker putting surfaces). Once the read is complete, stand directly behind the ball, look at the hole and take a couple of continuous strokes to get a feel for the distance, like Rory McIlroy is doing here. There is no thought of technique as you are…

Whenever your swing deviates from the ideal swing plane you have to make compensations to get the clubhead square to the target when it gets back to the ball. A swing with few, if any, compensations, is always going to provide better results. A lot of amateur golfers I see tend to get the shoulders too flat at some point in their golf swing. If you are someone who has flat shoulders at the top of your backswing that means your shoulders are essentially parallel to the ground. This can produce any number of poor strikes as it can cause the club to get very steep on the downswing, leading to slices and topped shots. Flat shoulders can also cause the club to swing too much around your body causing…

MODEL PLAYED: ST200 with 9.5º loft, fitted with Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana Blue S+ 60 shaft and ST200 G with 9º loft, with Mitsubishi Chemical White D+ 60 shaft. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Like its immediate predecessor (ST190), Mizuno’s ST200 series of drivers contain as classical a look as can be achieved in a modern driver head. The ST200 and ST200 G both produce slight improvements in performance and feel when compared to the previous models, creating a quality alternative to some of the more dominant names in driver manufacturing. At address both look simple and confidence inspiring, with the adjustable-weight G appearing slightly smaller with a deeper face, while both models impressed with strong ball flights and improved sound and feel off the clubface. HOW THEY PERFORMED: Mizuno drivers have always been an…

SUITABILITY: The JK-1 wedges will suit any golfer looking for a combination of feel and function in their short game combined with a classic look and durability. AVAILABILITY: Kronus Golf JK-1 wedges are offered in two-degree loft increments starting at 50º up to 60º and come fitted with Dynamic Gold S200 shafts as standard and PURE grips. KRONUS SAYS: Designed by renowned American club builder and refinisher Jim Kronus, the creator of The Iron Factory, Kronus wedges are forged in the United States from 1025 mild carbon steel. They are finished in a Bright Tour Chrome or a Satin Tour Chrome finish as used by many professionals. The faces are CNC machined to exacting specifications, and the grooves are individually engraved. They do not have distracting plastic inserts or advertising…

There was a time when professional golfers earned more money playing exhibition matches than they did competing in tournaments. The exhibition matches of today – the likes of The Match I and II, or the Tiger v Rory match in China a few years back – are a lucrative sideshow to life on Tour. That wasn’t always the case though. The great Walter Hagen (pictured right) was one of the first professionals to cash in on his fame and talent. Hagen won 57 tournaments as a professional, including 11 majors, but it was the huge fees he was able to charge to play exhibition matches that lined his pockets and made him a rich man. “Winning (US) Opens may have put champagne in my glass but it was beating some…

A new residential subdivision is planned for Launceston’s Country Club Resort, including an extensive golf course redesign by American course architect Beau Welling. When he’s not overseeing his own creations, Welling is the lead designer for Tiger Woods’ golf course design company, TGR Design. The family-owned Federal Group, which operates tourism, hospitality, retail, casino and gaming assets in Tasmania, recently announced the major new redevelopment of The Country Club, located 10 minutes’ drive south of the Launceston CBD. Federal Group Executive General Manager Daniel Hanna said the development had been planned for some time and that he still believed in the long-term future for Tasmania post-COVID. “We are sure that Launceston and the north of Tasmania will get through this crisis,” he said. “The success of the Country Club Casino…

THE COURSE LOCATION: Vintage Drive, Pokolbin, NSW 2320 CONTACT: (02) 4998 2500. WEBSITE: www.thevintage.com.au DESIGNERS: Greg Norman & Bob Harrison (2004). PLAYING SURFACES: Santa Ana couch (fairways, tees), bentgrass (greens). GREEN FEES: $109 (18 holes including cart, weekdays); $134 (18 holes including cart, weekends and public holidays). COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Martin Crowe. PGA PROFESSIONALS: Richard Mercer (Director of Instruction). THE CLUB MEMBERSHIP: A range of membership options are on offer at The Vintage to accomodate golfers of all ages and with a wide variety of benefits. Categories include Junior (5-23), Midweek, Individual, Couples, Corporate and more, allowing for varied playing rights, while Golf & Spa memberships are also available. PLAY & STAY: The award-winning Chateau Elan located within the property offers the perfect mix of luxury, relaxtion and golf. With a…

Step #1 Practise your strike Before you step down into the sand, find some long grass beside the bunker. Rehearse a full, slow swing that gets down to the roots. Try to make the ruffled grass area as long as possible; it encourages a shallow base to the arc which helps you get the club through to a full finish. Step #2 Go square Like chipping, simpler is better when it comes to bunkers. On anything but the shortest bunker shots, there is no need to mess with alignment and swing shape. Simply stand square and play the ball just inside your lead heel. Step #3 Splash it out! As you prepare to play the shot, channel that ‘duff ’ stroke you practised in the long grass.…

SUITABILITY: With the additional ST200 X model utilising lighter weight componentry, a draw bias and higher flight, there is an ST200 driver model for every golfer. As always, a fitting with the opportunity to test the models and a range of shafts will ensure finding the right model for each individual, while the adjustable loft sleeve offering five degrees of variation allows for further refinement. SHAFTS: A range of aftermarket shafts are available from a variety of manufacturers. LEFT-HANDED MODELS: The standard ST200 is available in left and right-handed in the 9.5º head. MIZUNO SAYS: The ST200 series is a new breed of Mizuno metalwoods. With the choice of three drivers – each with a ‘Beta rich Titanium’ face, optimising performance from three different ball flights. Created through a landmark…

SUITABILITY: The Tour B’s four models are split into two groups, the Tour B X and XS for players with swing speeds above 105mph and the RX models for golfers with driver speeds below the same number. With the S models offering softer feel and more spin compared to the X variants providing greater distance, there is a Tour B for golfers with every preference. BRIDGESTONE SAYS: We have reinvented the TOUR B range to feature our new REACTIV cover technology. Until now you had to choose more distance or more spin. With REACTIV you can now get more distance and more spin out of the same golf ball. Designed to fit golfers with Tour fast swing speeds of over 105mph, the new TOUR B X has higher ball speed…

THE COURSE LOCATION: Country Club Blvd, Connolly, Western Australia, 6027 CONTACT: (08) 9400 8888; (08) 9400 8811 (pro shop). WEBSITE: www.joondalupresort.com.au DESIGNER: Robert Trent Jones Jr (1985). GREEN FEES: $99 (18 holes, Sunday to Friday including twin share cart); $119 (18 holes, Saturday including twin share cart). $70 (resort guests, Sunday to Friday including twin share cart); $95 (resort guests, Saturday including twin share cart). COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Ashley Watson. PGA PROFESSIONALS: Kerrod Gray (Director of Instruction), Ackzel Donaldson (teaching professional), Jessica Speechley (teaching professional). THE CLUB MEMBERSHIPS: Joondalup Country Club offers a range of membership types and categories including Non-Transferable (Term Membership), Membership Shares, Junior and Corporate Memberships. As a member, you will enjoy golfing rights to the course, access to the clubhouse, use of the resort facilities and services…

We’ve all been experiencing strange times over the last three months. But not being able to play golf for a while and living almost exclusively at home has been especially odd for a seasoned traveller like me. I actually just beat the lockdown regulations when I flew home from New Zealand, where I had been playing in the Tara Iti member-guest. It’s an incredible course, by the way. I’d heard so many wonderful things about it before I went, but Tom Doak’s design exceeded even my most elevated expectations. It’s a legitimately great links course built on pure sand. Anyway, I arrived back in Melbourne 12-hours before Australia’s 14-day quarantine rules came into effect. So I was lucky. It wasn’t long before golf tournaments started to get cancelled and courses…

Whether you watch LeBron James during the playoffs, Roger Federer at the grand slams, or even Dustin Martin in the AFL finals, great athletes have always been able to reach another level when the stakes are at their highest. Say what you will about Brooks Koepka during the PGA Tour regular season, where he has won just three times throughout his seven-year career. But when it comes to the major championships, there hasn’t been anyone better for the past three years. In fact, Koepka has bagged four of the past 11 majors and didn’t miss the top-five once last year, posting runner-up finishes at the Masters and US Open to go with his share of fourth at The Open Championship. Now, Koepka will arrive at TPC Harding Park in San…

A par-3 has a start and a finish that can be covered in one shot, which makes them the most playable for golfers of all standards. But what makes a great one-shotter? We asked a selection of Australian course designers to find out what sets great, memorable par-3s apart from the rest. PAUL MOGFORD – Crafter + Mogford Golf Strategies It’s certainly not long par-3s, I think they are probably one of the most frustrating experiences in golf. They have their place, but I think the most interesting are shorter to mid-length. I think that’s because you can get more control on the ball, if you’re talking about say the 16th at Royal Melbourne East where you’ve got that wonderful bunker at the front that bites essentially into the front…

Some of the greatest players of all time have, perhaps, not had the luck of others throughout their professional careers. Jack Nicklaus made three holes-in-one in competition during his lengthy career but has 20 to his name from practice and social rounds. Arnold Palmer is credited with 19 aces, right alongside Gary Player and one ahead of Tiger Woods. The honour of being the PGA Tour’s most prolific hole-in-one exponent belongs to our own Robert Allenby with 10, a mark he shares with American Hal Sutton. On the LPGA Tour, Kathy Whitworth made 11 aces in competition throughout her career, three ahead of the likes of Mickey Wright, Jan Stephenson and Meg Mallon. Across the pond on the European Tour, Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez (pictured far right) is the king…

Drill #1 Pelvic shift I’ve staged this position to illustrate the ideal impact position to create compression. As you can see, my hands are leading the clubhead. This creates the all-important forward shaft lean that allows the club to apply strong, downward pressure onto the ball. Leading role But note too that the part of my body furthest forward at this stage is my left or lead hip. It is this pelvic shift, laterally towards the target, that helps drive weight forward and promote that forward shaft lean. Getting this central zone forward is a key part of creating compression. 1% The difference between left and right green misses for 11-15-handicappers (13% and 14%) – an almost even stat that’s broadly replicated at all handicap levels. CENTRED SET-UP To…

Ready, steady Putting stability comes from a strong base. To feel how to set this, create what we could call a ‘mini-squat’. Allow your backside to move behind you so your flexing knees remain over your shoe laces. Place your hands on the front of your legs; you will feel those thigh muscles engaging, and becoming strong. With some practice you can quickly gain a sensation of being grounded and solid. Go wide You’ve learned how stability comes from engaging the leg muscles with a mini-squat. But for one final, easy balance tip, set your feet at least shoulder-width apart. Look for a feeling of being able to provide maximum resistance to anyone trying to push you off-balance.…

Imagine this for a scenario. The temperature is warm every day. The wind never blows. The only thing visible in the blue sky above is bright, golden sunshine. Every blade of emerald-green grass on every golf course is perfectly manicured. Every lie you find in the fairway is perfectly flat. Every time your ball finishes in a bunker, it sits up perfectly. Every lie you find in the rough is exactly the same, perfect. You always have a perfect yardage from the middle of every fairway to a hole cut in the middle of the green. Every green is the same pace and all your putts are flat and straight. Positively utopian. Sounds pretty awesome but at the same time ridiculous, right? If this were the case, it would make…

18 HOLES AT HOME Practicing your golf at home has never been more popular. And the Putt18 putting mat adds fun to the process, whilst also allowing for a variety of enjoyable game formats. Played to a par-72, Putt18 scores like a traditional game of golf, be it nine or 18 holes, single player or team matches and stroke or match play competitions. Featuring water hazards and bunkers to avoid as well as a selection of wild cards – including mulligan and challenge cards – no two putts are the same on the Putt18 putting mat, which is portable and easy to roll out and only requires a firm flat surface around 3 metres x 1 metre. When playing 18 holes, golfers and non-golfers alike putt from 18 different lines,…