Innehållsförteckning för February 2016 från Golf Australia

VIEWS are certainly divided regarding the deal announced last November that will see the Emirates Australian Open played in Sydney for at least seven of the next eight years. While Golf Australia has an option to take the Open away from Sydney for at least one year during that period, it is happy for the Championship to stay and continue to grow in the Harbour City. Golf Australia Chief Executive Officer Stephen Pitt could not put a monetary figure on the event’s worth to the New South Wales economy, but it is obviously generating substantial enough revenue for the NSW Government that it’s major events and tourism arm – Destination NSW – want to continue its association long term. In terms of the ongoing success of the Open and its…

“I first broke par when I was ten years old.” 1. How old were you and where did you break par for 18 holes the first time? I first broke par when I was ten years old at Kettering Golf Club in England. I was four-under through nine holes, but managed to finish one-under. 2. Best shot of your career? The 4-iron from around 185 yards that I hit in the play-off which helped me win my first European Tour victory (Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco). 3. One mulligan you’d like to have? I would love to replay the drive that I hit in the play-off at the German Open. I blocked it right and had to chip out, which cost me the title. 4. Favourite course in the world?…

Q Was there a particular shot you either hated hitting or struggled with during your career? Perhaps the long bunker shot or the ball below your feet – or similar? Believe it or not – none! Q Did you notice the pace of play on Tour change during your years playing the various world circuits? Was one Tour better/faster than another? What slow play remedies can you suggest? Nothing has changed in the speed of play. The slowest player will always hold up the fastest. Golf, at any level, should never take more than four hours to play. Slow play is one of the biggest factors limiting the growth of golf, so I’m a big proponent of increasing the speed of the game. Q Have you ever kept track of…

“… this was one of the most thought-provoking experiences of my golfing life. Hogan clearly figured out that he could use his clubs to direct his swing in the direction he wanted.” LIKE just about every golfer I know, I’m a bit of a Ben Hogan fan. How can you not be? The man was one of the greatest players ever. He survived a life-threatening car crash and came back to win major championships. And through it all he managed to maintain an air of mystery about his incredible swing. He was one of the best ball-strikers the game has ever seen. Like so many over the years, I have wondered just what his famous ‘secret’ actually was. A week before the Australian Open in November, I gained some insight…

Minjee Lee will be barely recognisable to golf fans when she arrives at Adelaide’s Grange Golf Club for the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. She might look the same physically as she did a year ago at Royal Melbourne. And the swing that has been carefully cultivated by Perth-based Ritchie Smith is pretty much the same. But deep inside her soul, there’s a confidence and maturity that wasn’t there last year in her first Australian Open as a pro, when she basically shot herself out of the tournament with a first-round 76 and then rallied for a tied seventh finish. Or the year before at Victoria Golf Club, where she was co-leader after three rounds but blew a gasket and finished with a 78 for a tie for 11th, five…

The 19 players who could call themselves the best in the world. (As of Dec. 31, 2015) Adam Scott (11 weeks, 2014) The Australian looked set to challenge McIlroy at the top; putting woes have seen his countryman Day go past him. Martin Kaymer (eight weeks, 2011) Coming off the back of his 2010 US PGA win, the German did well in WGC events in 2011 to take over. Jason Day (four weeks, 2015) Produced an incredibly consistent run of form to leave McIlroy and Spieth in his wake and will surely be back. Jordan Spieth (14 weeks, 2015) Spieth started with two weeks, one week and one week at the top; but it didn’t end there. Bernhard Langer (three weeks, 1986) The first No.1 was soon usurped by Seve…

“Iron Byron owed its existence to the fact equipment makers had to deal in fact, not opinion.” Some say it’s Tiger Woods; most say it’s Tommy Bolt. But no, the angriest golfer ever was the Iron Byron swing machine. In its three-year development and testing period, Iron Byron broke countless clubs – even after striking some pretty acceptable shots. If its technique mimicked its namesake, the genteel Byron Nelson, its temper most certainly did not. “One of our biggest problems was stopping the swing without snapping the clubshaft,” recalls George Manning, the engineer who headed up the project to build golf’s first mechanical golfer – 50 years old next month. “Timing the club’s deceleration was both vital and tricky. If we triggered it too early, it affected impact; if we…

Practice for most amateurs is hitting a basket of balls at the range once a week, going through your irons and woods before heading home after an hour of mixed results. Putting practice is either neglected completely or amounts to rolling a handful of balls 15 minutes before your tee-time. This is completely the wrong approach. Working on and maintaining a sound putting stroke is the fastest route to lowering your scores. I am not telling you to adopt a Tour pro’s attitude and spend hours on the putting green every week. But investing just a little time at home or the course in your set-up and stroke will shave three or four shots off your round. I’ll show you how to do it. 1 Get the basics right Everyone’s…

MAKING A MARKi “How do you MARKi your ball?” It’s a question Sydney-based entrepreneur and scratch golfer Paul Bardetta asked when he became tired of using inferior office stationery to mark valued golf balls.And MARKi permanent golf ball markers have quickly become a must-have item for golfers across the globe. Bardetta’s lightbulb moment has rapidly blossomed into an international brand sold in more than 20 countries. Developed using premium quality Ink, MARKi permanent markers allow golfers at any level to identify their ball with a unique, colourful and durable mark. MARKi markers are designed for golfers, by golfers. And now joining the MARKi golf portfolio are a stylish belt, a premium 68-inch double canopy UV umbrella and a golf ball alignment tool pack. RRP: $69.95 (umbrella), $49.95 (belts), $14.95 (alignment…

BARNBOUGLE UNLIMITED GOLF PACKAGE~ • Three nights’ cottage accommodation • One day unlimited golf at Barnbougle Dunes • One day unlimited golf at Lost Farm • Return airport transfers from Launceston Airport From: $595 per golfer* HOBART AND BOTHWELL GOLF PACKAGE~ • Three nights’ accommodation at Hadley’s Orient Hotel in Hobart • Two nights’ accommodation in Bothwell at historic Ratho Farm • One round at Tasmania Golf Club • One round at Royal Hobart Golf Club (handicap required) • One round at Australia’s oldest course – Ratho Farm From: $729 per golfer^ For more details, call Qantas Golf Travel on 1300 742 973. To view other great packages, visit qantasgolfclub.com/  golf-holidays ~Golf holiday packages are offered by Golfer Escapes Pty Ltd (ABN 36 093 86 756) and are…

Ireland is justifiably famous for a number of things – the people, the scenery and the sights. It’s also one of the world’s leading destinations for golf. A golf trip to the Emerald Isle will not only convince you of Ireland’s golf pedigree, it will also challenge any perceptions you had about the quality of the great game in Ireland. With more than 400 golf clubs, including a third of the world’s natural links courses, and a slew of exceptional championships courses in spectacular locations, it’s no wonder that Ireland attracts more than 240,000 golfers from all over the globe every year. This year, why not join them? The Golf Touring Company has put together a fantastic golf tour, fully escorted by PGA professional Richard Mercer. Departing in August, the…

DECEMBER PHOTO CAPTION COMPETITION We had some funny entries to our photo of Shane Warne trying to escape some trees.The best entry according to our judges came from Paul Scrutton of Hallet Cove,SA,with:“For the Sheik of Tweak things look bleak.” Congratulations Paul, you win a pair of adidas Tour 360X shoes worth $149. PALMER COOLUM RESORT In Golf Australia’s Top-100 Courses ranking published in the January issue, Palmer Coolum Resort was not listed, despite making the Top-100 as voted by our panel of judges. The course had been withdrawn from the ranking by the editors at the time of going to press, which coincided with Palmer Coolum being closed for a short period of time, before it re-opened. Golf Australia apologises for any confusion this may have caused. Palmer Coolum…

THE BAKER-FINCH RÉSUMÉ Won 18 times on five different circuits. Captured the 1991 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Finished in the top-ten six times at the majors. A three-time captain’s assistant for the International side at the Presidents Cup. Will be the Australian Olympic golf squad’s official Team Leader in Rio this August. Kingston Heath GC Melbourne, Victoria I’ve been made to feel like an honorary member ever since the 1980s when I said it was my favourite course in Australia. I know many pro golfers from around the world share my opinion and make sure to play Kingston Heath (pictured below right) whenever they’re in town. Regarded highly around the world, it’s my ideal course – it epitomises all that is Sandbelt golf. Twin Waters GC Sunshine Coast, Queensland…

“I spotted a bank of pay phones and sent my caddie over to order a pizza from Domino’s,since it was clear we were going to be on the course well past dinner time.”- US pro Lori Garbacz  AFTER being sidelined with a crook back for the past seven months I am sweating on getting the all clear from the surgeon to resume playing. It has been a terrible time – 30 Sunday mornings in a row to contemplate how much I missed everything about the game. Well, everything except slow play. No doubt it will still be there. You’d think that driving in Melbourne traffic would increase your tolerance for this blight on the sport, but it doesn’t. I’m dreading the serial offender who uses his rangefinder five paces from…

“They described the pain as the equivalent of the male pregnancy or giving birth. I don’t know, but it was really painful.” March 13 will be a date Brett Rumford won’t forget that easily, and not for all the right reasons. It was on that day last year when the West Australian’s world was turned upside down, simply by eating an apple at the halfway mark of his second round of the Tshwane Open in South Africa. Having opened the European Tour event with a six-under 64, he continued to impress as he edged clear at the top of the leaderboard, eight-under through 27 holes. Being mindful to keep up his energy stocks, he grabbed an apple from a bowl beside the 10th tee and headed off into the back…

It would be hard to imagine a faster start to a professional career than the one Su Oh made in 2015. The then-18-year-old teed up for the first time as a card-carrying member of the ALPG on January 29 at the Castle Hill Pro-am in Sydney, where she shot a respectable one-under 73 to finish equal fifth. Over her next nine rounds, however, Oh showed a glimpse of the talent many still believe will take her to the top of the game. The day after her debut, at nearby Pennant Hills Golf Club, Oh signed for a round of six-under 67 to get into a play-off in her second pro-am but lost to American Beth Allen. Eight days later she finished runner-up at the Vic Open, her first four-round tournament,…

1. World Ranking points for each player are accumulated over a rolling two-year period. 2. Any player competing in any eligible event is awarded points based on their finishing position. 3. A player’s ranking is calculated by taking his total points earned in two years and divided by the number of events played (min. 40; max. 52). 4. Field strength affects points available. A WGC event with the world’s top-50 players will be allocated more ranking points than a Sunshine Tour event. 5. The majors are rated separately to reflect the higher quality of the event, with any player completing all four rounds getting points. 6. Points awarded remain on a player’s record for 13 weeks to reflect current performance. 7. During the other 91 weeks of the rolling two-year…

FASTER THAN BUBBA! Ping Man can swing at 150mph, maybe a bit higher. Bubba Watson’s swing speed is 125. How far can it hit a ball? Obviously you need to optimise lofts, launch angle, shaft, etc. But I’ll tell you this; we have a range here in Phoenix and it’s 345 yards to the back fence. That fence is 20 yards high. Ping Man can easily hit it over that fence, a 400-yard carry. FEEL V REAL A robot is the essence of scientific method. If we need to test a certain shaft at a certain speed and a certain impact location and launch angle, it will do that. LAUNCH MONITOR Ping Man is hooked up to TrackMan, to collect data from every shot we hit. We have more than…

MAKE no mistake, if you are undecided where to go for your next golfing holiday or extended weekend away with a group of mates, put Tasmania at the top of your list. The Apple Isle was recently named the ‘Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year’ at the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) awards – an award voted on by more than 200 of the world’s leading golf travel journalists from 36 countries. Tasmania snared the award in front of 60 other nominated destinations from around the world, with judges basing their decision on the extent of which the golfing destination is undiscovered, attractiveness of the region and courses, speed of play, climate and accessibility. So the secret is out. Tasmania is a great place to visit and play…

“I’m over the moon.Walking down the last I didn’t really know what the situation was but I saw the leaderboard and it was quite overwhelming.”– Jarryd Felton NSW PGA CHAMPION WINNING SCORE: 13-under-par, 275 DEFEATED: Defeated James Nitties, Anthony Summers, Matthew Millar, Geoff Drakeford and Rhein Gibson by two strokes. DEFINING MOMENTS: Starting the final round four shots from the lead, West Australian Jarryd Felton needed to finish strongly to avoid a trip to final stage of Qualifying School. He started well with a birdie at the opening hole, and added two more birdies before the turn. By the time he reached the 17th tee, he was 12-under and leading the tournament. His tee shot at the par-3 finished 20 feet from the cup, and he rolled the putt in…

THE ranking of Australia’s best courses as determined by the nominated judges of Golf Australia magazine was released last month and there will be another printed in a rival publication next month. Most clubs interested in promoting their ranking will unsurprisingly choose the higher number. When Kingston Heath ascended to the No.1 position a few years ago it was the other magazine’s rank. This magazine, despite the poor condition of Royal Melbourne at the time, still saw it as the finest example of golf architecture in the country. One group of rankers clearly put a greater emphasis on condition whilst the other thought the architecture the ultimate determinate of the worth of a course. Most golfers think the ranking of courses is a purely subjective task.…

WORLD No.2 Jason Day and wife Elie made a few headlines when they attended an NBA game during the offseason. Earlier on that eventful evening, Day took to the court to hit a few shots? 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 2015 adidas Tour 360X shoes, worth $149. The new Tour 360X shoes continue the evolution of the Tour 360 family. With its tour proven performance and stability unquestioned, the new model features increased cushioning and comfort. For more information visit the website www.adidasgolf.com  or call 1800 700 011 TO ENTER: Visit www.golfaustralia.com.au and click on the ‘WIN’ icon to…

THE New Year is always a mixed bag of reflection and excitement as I wrap my head around another whirlwind year and peer out onto the landscape of the one ahead. 2015 was a remarkable year, a truly transformative time in golf that set us up for what is sure to be a noteworthy 2016. WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2016 To be honest, I do not see any major changes from the top-ten-ranked players heading deep into 2016. The No.1 torch will be handed back and forth between the existing ‘Big Three’, which will be wonderful viewing. As for the other great players in the top-15 of the World Golf Ranking I would like to see: 1. Dustin Johnson break through with a stellar year. He has the firepower and…

“I look at us as a world Tour … I look at our diversity and our cultural opportunities as our biggest asset.” IT WOULD represent something of a cruel disservice to all concerned if the just-ended reign of George O’Grady as European Tour executive director were compared unfavourably to a decade-long bout of sleep-walking. But not by much. Admittedly hampered by the economic meltdown from which the world has yet to fully emerge, O’Grady and his Wentworth-based cohorts didn’t do much more than tread water in the early part of this 21st century. Tournaments came and went, but the leading players mostly went. West that is, attracted by the mountain of dollars available on the PGA Tour. It has ever been thus, of course.The clue is in the title when…

JASON Scrivener recognises the Perth International represents a key opportunity in his 2016 European Tour campaign in more ways than one. The pride of Mandurah, an hour’s drive south of Perth, is armed with as much knowledge of the Lake Karrinyup course as anyone in the field and between that and a loyal following of supporters, he will carry a high degree of comfort into the co-sanctioned tournament. The event also offers Scrivener a chance to fortify his standing on the European Tour. Despite a productive rookie season in Europe, he narrowly missed out on keeping full playing rights with a final Race to Dubai ranking of 117th when cards go to the top-110. Nevertheless, he passed the six-round qualifying school to retain his card for the year. A good…

“It’s important for a wedge to look good,but the sole geometry has to be right and the grooves have to be right.” Take a look at your favourite wedge. Really look closely at it. Sure there’s a broad face, oodles of loft and friendly grooves, but in truth there’s so much more. Within the deep sole is a deep soul. A wedge is a work of art, but one crafted hand-in-hand with science, technology and an overriding desire to help golfers. And there’s a very good chance at least one wedge in your bag and almost certainly at least one wedge you’ve owned was created by Roger Cleveland. He founded Cleveland Classics (later Cleveland Golf) in 1979 and nine years later developed one of the most popular wedges of all…

If you usually bypass golf instruction because it sounds so complicated it verges on bewildering, give this feature a chance. Over the next ten pages I eschew the kind of technically loaded terminology that I’m sure makes your brain switch off and your eyes glaze over in favour of ever-so-simple tips, drills and feels. I didn’t just want the information to be easy to understand, I also wanted it to be easy to remember and apply. There’s no point reading it now, thinking it seemed like advice that could help you ... only to have forgotten it by the time you’ve turned the page. Having too many swing thoughts is never a good idea, so pick out one or two and work on them until they become automatic. All we…

EXPERIENCE some of the most scenic and challenging golf courses in the world as PGA professional Robert Stock takes you on a tour of the grand old courses of The Netherlands, Belgium, France and England. Enjoy 11 of Europe’s most outstanding courses, including Open Championship and top-ten courses, with confirmed tee-times at Kennemer Golf & Country Club, Haagsche Golf & Country Club, Royal Zoute Golf Club, Golf Du Touquet (La Floret & La Mer), Hardelot (Les Pins), Golf de Chantilly (Vineuil), Golf National (Lálbatros), Golf de Saint Germain, Royal Cinque Ports and Princes Golf Club. Exclusive to Travelrite International and priced from $10,295 per person, twin share, this 19-day round trip departs on August 14, 2016, and includes international economy air travel to Amsterdam and return from London, confirmed tee-times…