DOES GOLF’S ESTABLISHMENT NEED TO RECONCILE WITH LIV PLAYERS? Issue 212 // JUNE 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au JULIAN WILSON, AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIAN AND FIVE-TIME WINNER ON THE WORLD PROFESSIONAL SURFING LEAGUE, LOVES HIS GOLF AS MUCH AS RIDING THE WAVES IT’S TEE TIME FOR SURFING CHAMP BUSINESS OF THE MONTH CENTAUR ASIA PACIFIC CLUBS OF THE MONTH BROOKWATER GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB & FREEWAY GOLF COURSE CHANGING GEAR KEEPING PACE WITH ALL THE LATEST PRODUCTS CHASE THE SUNSHINE THE ULTIMATE WINTER BLUES BUSTER COLUMNS > THE FIRST TEE > BUNKER-TO-BUNKER > LETTERS > 19TH HOLE Australia’s M o s t - R e a d Golf Magazine PrecisionGolf Bringing you the world’s largest indoor Trackman facility Coming to Cromer in Sydney’s Northern Beaches in early 2023
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June 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au THE FIRST TEE 5 Sportsmen and women are fallible ALMOST everyone in golf can tell you the joke about God asking his caddie for a seven-iron when faced with a 220m approach shot. A bystander asks the caddie: “Who does he think he is, God?” The caddie replied: “That’s who he is, but when he’s on the golf course he thinks he’s Tiger Woods.” It’s old but it might just help us to understand the fallibility of people who specialise in modern-day sport. Be they golfers, rugby league, soccer, cricket, basketball, Australian rules players, netballers or softball enthusiasts – they all have an Achilles heel. It’s in their DNA. Try as they might they can’t escape it. It is when many think they have risen above their earthly status that the falls are generally the hardest. The sexual abuse and domestic violence allegations being levelled against sporting stars may well have come from that feeling of self-perceived God-like status. The history of sport is, as is life, literally littered with the carcasses of the mighty that have fallen. Cyclists whose feet pull out of pedals, runners who break twice, pole-vaulters who suddenly can’t and countless others have had their dreams shattered and are given a taste of their fallibility. Ron Clarke set more middle- and long-distance world athletics records than most, 17 in fact, but stumbled over his fallibility when he went to the starting line in the Olympics. He couldn’t win there even though he held world records. He handled it with style as did swimmer Ian Thorpe who fell into the pool during qualification in the 2004 Olympic trials. In our own sport the rug can be quickly pulled. The women’s game has had to fight its way clear of many hurdles and appears to have succeeded. At The Open, won by Cameron Smith, Rory McIlroy, who looked the likely winner, took the loss on the chin and simply said: “I let that one slip through my fingers.” And Smith didn’t blame his caddie or anyone else when he hit his ball in the water on the short par-3 12th hole at Augusta last year while in pursuit of eventual Masters winner Scottie Scheffler. “Over the years I’ve figured out that if you’re going to win big tournaments you have to be really aggressive and sometimes you have to take your chances,” said Smith, who shrugged his shoulders and went fishing. At this year’s Masters Brooks Koepka looked a winner until the weather intervened. Asked by Sky Sports how he felt after being unable to maintain his lead, Koepka said: “Kind of ho-hum. I didn’t play that great. I hit some good shots and just ended up in some terrible spots – it’s tough.” David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au Publisher: Sam Arthur | sam@insidegolf.com.au Outdoor Sports Publishing Pty Ltd ACN 113 836 301 ABN 30 043 104 919 PO BOX 437, Miami, QLD 4220 EDITORIAL: Editor: David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au NSW/ACT Journalist: Michael Court michael@insidegolf.com.au VIC/TAS Journalist: Michael Davis michael.davis@insidegolf.com.au QLD Journalist: Peter Owen peter.owen@outlook.com.au Design & Layout: Stacey Fortescue, Rob Kirk Contributors: Larry Canning, Paul Vardy, Rob Willis,Tony Webeck, John Riley, Karen Lunn, Michael Cooney, Paul Reeves, Andrew Crockett, Shawne McKenna SALES: National Sales: Sam Arthur P: 1300 4653 00 M: 0410 575 303 | E: sam@insidegolf.com.au Northen NSW/QLD/NT Sales: David Ross M: 0439 612 458 | E: david.ross@insidegolf.com.au NSW/ACT Corp Sales: David Andrews M: 0404 871 479 | E: david.andrews@insidegolf.com.au Sydney/NSW Sales: Michael Hamilton M: 0423 455 572 | E: michael.hamilton@insidegolf.com.au NSW Central Coast, Newcastle, Hunter Valley Sales: Wendy Wilkinson M: 0414 905 232 | E: wendy@insidegolf.com.au VIC/TAS Sales: Marc Wilson M: 0419 107 143 | E: marc@insidegolf.com.au WA Sales: Gary Powell M: 0439 350 363 | E: gary@insidegolf.com.au SA Sales: Brett Crosby M: 0403 323 198 | E: brett@insidegolf.com.au Accounts: Sheridan Murphy M: 1300 465 300 | E: accounts@insidegolf.com.au Distributed to over 400 golf clubs, social golf clubs, driving ranges and retailers Australia wide every month It’s official: 38,230 Inside Golf Magazines distributed each month for the period: October 2022 to March 2023 AUSTRALIA’S MOST-READ GOLF MAGAZINE www.insidegolf.com.au Cover photos: Rivvia Projects Didn’t blame the weather. In 2021, American Matthew Wolff made the mistake of signing an incorrect scorecard at the Masters and was disqualified. He didn’t complain or blame someone else – just showed he too is imperfect. Adam Scott lost the chance to win the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes when he led by four strokes with four holes to play before bogeying all of them to lose the title by a stroke to Ernie Els. He handled it with good grace. “I’m very disappointed but I played so beautifully. I know I’ve let a really great chance slip through my fingers, but I’ll look back and take the positives from it.” Greg Norman, who could and should have won more majors, never complained when edged out by freak shots in playoffs or by a better player on the day. The Shark handled the losses with dignity. At the 2014 Ladies Masters Karrie Webb didn’t moan after being disqualified when she made a scorecard error. In fact, it was Webb who brought the discrepancy to the attention of officials. Tennis great Roger Federer said after losing a final: “I played well but he played better on the day.” Brilliant, no excuses. Someone once said the game is the thing. Sports people need to be more aware of the shallowness of back-slappers and the ever-present smell of corruption of self, which can all too readily be identified in the company of payments of large amounts of money. Sports women and men are often correctly revered for their skill and the entertainment they provide. It is only when they lose touch with the grassroots, which got them where they want to be that they fall foul of their own inflated egos. No-one, including club boards and minders, can protect us all from that. The great Ben Hogan, surveying a bad lie in among trees, was approached by a spectator who said: “Gosh, Mr Hogan, I bet you’re mad on the world over this?” To which the legend replied: “Why would I be mad at the world, son. It was me who put the golf ball in here.” Before sportsmen and women look to take out their grievances on the world at large they should ask who caused them the original anguish. We should all be aware of adage that often crops up: “Do not take life too seriously because you’ll never get out of it alive.” Get in touch If you have an opinion on this or any other topic in the magazine, send your letter to the editor to david@insidegolf.com.au and you’ll be in the running to win a gripping prize. www.linkshopeisland.com.au
June 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au CLUB NEWS 6 Yamaha boss Wayne Trefoni (centre) presents sharpshooter Peter Kirwan with a $15,000 Yamaha golf cart. Peter’s wife Sonia was so excited she joined in the celebrations. West Perth golf Club committee members Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin and Safe and Sound Scaffolding crew including director Ray Chircop Jnr, check out the Blue Tree. CLUB NEWS Peter’s perfect pitch into Yamaha cart By David Newbery ONE of the highlights of the Handiskins national final is a chipping contest that results in a club golfer driving away in a brandnew Yamaha golf cart valued at $15,000. This year 20 club golfers qualified for the chip-off at Royal Pines Resort where each player was allowed two 50-metre chip shots with the player closest to the pin winning the Yamaha golf cart. On the tee were The Cut’s Adrian Oliver, Butch House (Toowoomba, Middle Ridge), Jason Cawthray (Thurgoona), Kenton Day (Links Lady Bay), Peter Kirwan (Cowra), Angela Masters, Kathleen Saint and Herbie Smith (Blackwood), Ranny Julian (Northern), Nadine Hall (Wolston Park), Gary Anderson (Young), Brett Beaumont (Headland), Jeff Fairbairn (Hurstville), Gavin Armstrong, Sandra Lynch and Wayne Turner (Longyard), Trevor Gould (Glenelg), Peter Davis (Gosford), Brendon Spann and Lewis Tuck (Proserpine). To get the ball rolling, the contestants were encouraged by entertaining emcee Jimmy White, who also revved-up the large gallery much to everyone’s delight. The pressure was on as players hit their first attempt long, wide and some even left it short. As they say – never up, never in. A deft chip would win the golf cart and it was Peter Kirwan from Cowra Golf Club who produced the goods. Using his trusty lob wedge, Peter, who plays off +1, watched as his final chip finished just 50cm from the cup. For those who followed, it proved hard to beat and moments later he took possession of the Yamaha golf cart. He also breathed a sigh of relief after one player tried his luck with a putter, which would almost have been an THERE is a ‘Blue Tree’ on Hamersley Public Golf Course that carries a very important message – R-U-OK. It’s all about raising awareness of men’s mental health – an issue of concern across the community. Many people have had personal experience of this insidious condition. West Perth Golf Club got the Blue Tree ball rolling after a popular member died suddenly two years ago. The City of Stirling, which owns Hamersley Public Golf Course, West Perth’s home course, was a willing partner to make it happen. The preparatory work on the selected tree was donated by local contractor Safe and Sound Scaffolding Pty Ltd. It was a significant contribution. Blue Tree project started in the central Wheatbelt of WA about five years ago to spread the men’s mental health message, “it’s OK not to be OK” and reassure people that help is available. From several Blue Trees there now are almost 1000 across Western Australia injustice had he won using a flat-stick in a chipping challenge. All within the rules, of course. Still, Peter was rather nervous about his chances despite the experience of winning 19 club championships at Cowra Golf Club. “I was really nervous,” he admitted. “I put the stick down behind my ball and it kept moving because I was struggling to hold it in position. “Before I had my first chip, I checked my heart rate and it was 120 beats per minute. “But I’m just rapt. Yamaha is such a great sponsor. They put up cart because Handiskins is such a good event and that’s a credit to Paul Edwards (Handiskins boss) and the organisers. “I just can’t thank Yamaha and Wayne Trefoni enough for their magnificent sponsorship.” After taking possession of the cart, Peter gleefully took it, and a few mates, for a joy-ride around the complex. FOOTNOTE: Players who had a NTP in a Handiskins event at their club were invited to the shootout. and interstate and a small number overseas. Interestingly, many Blue Trees are located on golf courses. West Perth golf Club committee members, Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin and Safe and Sound Scaffolding crew, including director Ray Chircop Jnr, gathered at the Blue Tree recently to ‘check it out’. Golf course staff have received many positive comments about the Blue Tree at the 18th tee, commending all parties on their initiative. West Perth Golf Club captain Kevin Somers, who coordinated the project with golf course staff and Safe and Sound Scaffolding staff, was delighted with the outcome. “It’s been a cooperative effort for a very worthwhile purpose and in which West Perth Golf Club has been pleased to be involved,” he said. For more information: www.bluetreeproject.com.au, www.beyondblue.org.au, www.lifeline.org.au IN THIS ISSUE PRO NEWS 16 DEMO DAYS 74 GOLF DIRECTORY 75 70 72 EVENTS 19TH HOLE BUNKER-TOBUNKER 33 IG BUSINESS 36 INDUSTRY NEWS 38 NEW GEAR SUNSHINE COAST GOLF 50 61 CELEBRITY SWINGER 32 LETTERS 34 TRAVEL 56 Blue Tree’s valuable message 2024 US Masters Tour Stay within walking distance of Augusta National and soak up the excitement all week! Fully escorted tour with hospitality nearby Hotel and private housing options available Options to add on golf in Augusta, Pinehurst, Pebble Beach, Las Vegas & more! 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June 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au CLUB NEWS 7 Humble Lex wins 20th title By Michael Davis Lex Johnstone (right) accepts the Garry Harrop Trophy from the man who won eight titles and is a life member of the club. Major plans ahead for Wembley Golf Course KRUSE Golf, in collaboration with Mike Clayton and Lukas Michel, have been appointed as the consulting golf course architects to prepare a masterplan of improvements for Australia’s busiest facility - Wembley Golf Course. Situated only 15 minutes from downtown Perth and a short distance from City Beach, Wembley boasts two 18-hole courses, an 80bay range, 18-hole mini golf, short game practice facilities, pro shop, restaurant and café. In 2022, some 180,000+ rounds were played over the two courses, and more than 20 million range balls were hit. Wembley is a community golf facility owned and managed by the Town of Cambridge. Despite its incredible patronage and success, like all well managed golfing facilities Wembley is not resting on its laurels. It is continually looking at ways to improve its facilities and make the golf offerings even better. “Like Perth courses Wembley sits on fabulous sand (good enough to build greens from) but issues such as a lack of width in places, safety, relatively small greens, size and placement of tees, pace of play, bunkering, and shading of turf are all areas of potential improvement,” said Harley Kruse. “When the courses were conceived no one in their right mind would have ever thought that this number of rounds would be played on them per year.” A masterplan of improvements is to be prepared. The design team is looking to make golf on the courses even better along with creative options of introducing some different offerings including shorter golf. Offering intermediatory steps between the mini golf, range and playing full sized 18-hole golf. Consideration is being given to improvements to the short game practice facilities. Important, but non-golfing improvements, involve ways of freeing up room for extra car parking as Wembley’s success sees parking reach full capacity often. Tied into the overall management of the facility are also the longerterm ecological goals of vegetation replenishment with local flora species and increasing the biodiversity within the boundaries. All important as the Wembley Golf Course is broadly connected to nearby Bold Park which is an impressive park of more than 1000 species of local flora and fauna managed by the Botanic Gardens. FOR a golfer who has won 20 club championships at Axedale, near Bendigo, school principal Lex Johnstone is extremely humble. He only mentions the three club championships he won in the Goulburn Valley – one at Shepparton and two at Hill Top – when pressed. Not forgetting of course, two at Bendigo before he joined Axedale. And he also won the Under-25 Championship at Victoria Golf Club, where for a time he played in the club’s pennant side alongside amateur legends Chris Tatt, Ray Jenner and the late John Lindsay. For the past 40 year’s Lex’s handicap has hovered between scratch and three or four. “I’m very steady. There’s not much between my best and worst and I have a pretty good short game,” he said. When Lex played in the Victorian Colts (Under-21) team with, among others, Craig Parry and Bradley Hughes, he quickly realised he was nowhere near good enough to consider the game as a profession and went down the education path. He is currently principal of Inglewood Primary School about 30 kms from Bendigo. His mum and dad got the young Lex hooked on golf from childhood. “I used to tag along with them,” he said. Now he is the proud father of four daughters, none of whom play golf. Nor does his wife. Lex’s 20th title at Axedale was completed when he tapped in for a closing 72 to go with his 68-71 opening rounds. Lex has racked up his 20 wins over 36 years, taking his first title in 1997. For good measure, he has also accumulated a clutch of foursomes championships and also features on the honourboard as champion of Korrumburra GC during a teaching stint in South Gippsland. It’s not as though Lex has had it all his own way at Axedale. Other names on the championship board include this year’s Australian Order of Merit qualifier Andrew Martin, one-time pro, Kris Mueck, who holds the Axedale course record with a 10-under 59, and low marker, Marcus Gill, who is on Lucas Herbert’s travelling staff. “Lex is a great champion of our club in more ways than one,” said president, Peter Hoskin. “He is happy to play with and help out anyone, and puts in countless hours as chairman of our course committee. It’s nothing to see our club champion out pushing a mower around tees or loading his ‘ute’ with fallen branches. “Everyone was rapt to see him notch up number 20. It’s a remarkable achievement.” As for the champ himself, he is the first to acknowledge his young adversaries drive the ball “into a different postcode”, but his superior course management and short game ensures they will need more than just length to challenge his longevity. DistributeD by golf imports | 03 5277 3977
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June 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au CLUB NEWS 9 Blind shots safer at Maleny GC By Richard Owen A golfer tees off on a “blind hole” after given the all clear by a smart camera (inset). Man with the silky golf swing dies KEITH Drage, the golfer with a swing of such perfect style and balance that Denis Brosnan immortalised it in the logo of his nationwide string of Golf World outlets, died last month in his Currimundi nursing home. He was 93. The image of that magnificent swing, which appears above the slogan ‘All we slice is the price’, has become an enduring image throughout the country. Yet, few people knew that the swing belonged to a man who was once called the ‘Bradman of golf’ and who, at his peak, was the equal of any golfer in Australia. He won four Queensland amateur titles (1954, 1957, 1969, 1970), numerous state foursomes and mixed foursomes titles, multiple club championships at Gailes, Pacific and Oxley, a Philippines Amateur Championship (1969) and a Portuguese Amateur Championship (1969). Keith Drage relocated to the Sunshine Coast in 1999 to live with his son Gary, and became a member at Caloundra, where he played golf ‘just for fun’. His funeral was held at Our Lady of the Rosary Church at Moffat Beach, and attended by family, friends and some of his old golfing mates. MALENY Golf Club in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast Hinterland has collaborated with a local specialist in Outback cattle-station security to develop a new high-tech warning system to improve player safety on two holes with blind tee shots. Smart cameras strategically placed on the third and fourth holes transmit a signal back to a warning light which flashes red on a post adjacent to the teeing grounds if golfers are standing within the designated tee-shot landing zones. The innovative “Blind Shot” system created by Land Watch Australia (LWA) has also delivered valuable productivity and course security bonuses at Maleny and since been installed on a hole at Headland Golf Club on the Sunshine Coast. The system combines solar power, smart motion cameras, LED lighting and dual-band wireless technology which also enables course activity to be monitored remotely from the maintenance shed or on a mobile phone. Blind Shot’s additional security, communication and productivity features significantly improve on an earlier camera and safety light system developed and installed by Maleny GC member Mike Hallam several years ago. Maleny superintendent Mick McCombe said the club had been seeking a minimalist and bullet-proof safety-solution which did not rely on players climbing up viewing platforms or signalling the all-clear by ringing bells or pushing alarm buzzer buttons. “The location of the cameras also enables us to remotely check on the progress of play and Keith Drage. make workflow decisions on when to water greens and undertake other tasks without having to physically go out and check,” Mick explained. The cameras are programmed to pivot at night and will be linked with others to be installed by LWA as part of an upgraded CCTV security system covering the golf course and surrounding Maleny community precinct. Palwoods-based LWA is an Ag-tech company specialising in the provision of wireless security systems to monitor and prevent theft of livestock, machinery and equipment far from homesteads on large remote cattle stations. LWA director and sales manager John Hill said development of “Blind Shot” over the past 12 months had evolved by chance after a Maleny Golf Club member had asked if the firm’s security systems could be adapted to resolve a course safety issue. “They told us about their safety problem and we said we could certainly solve it using the same technology we use to monitor cattle movement in the outback, to monitor player movements on the course instead,” John said. “These smart cameras can distinguish between a human and a kangaroo or a bird and we’re now developing more advanced analytics which can distinguish between a golf cart and a person holding a club.” Maleny Golf Club provided LWA with an unexpected opportunity to develop, test and refine “Blind Shot” until the product was ready to be offered for sale into a national market involving more than 1500 golf clubs around Australia. 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June 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au CLUB NEWS 10 Now practice makes perfect at Cromer By Michael Court NOW OPEN: Cromer GC’s new practice facility. INSET: Graham Kent cuts the ribbon to declare the practice facility open. THERE was no shortage of starters when Cromer Golf Club officially opened its new practice facility in April. And there was one man, Graham Kent, receiving more pats on the back than perhaps any other. Their exciting new practice facility now makes Cromer the envy of other clubs in Sydney. And for Kent, the satisfaction has taken a long time, a lot of discussion and an injection of funds to bring it to fruition. Not surprisingly, Cromer GC general manager Melissa Ellis says adding a new practice facility to Cromer is due to Kent and his foresight and drive. The modest Kent put the ball back in Ellis’s court, suggesting it has all come about since she joined the northern beaches club. “When I came to Sydney 39 years ago, I’ve loved being a member here because of the membership,” Kent told Inside Golf. “Eventually I got to play a few other courses, like The Australian, and I realised suitable practice facilities were something that Cromer really lacked. “So, it was six or seven years ago that I first floated the idea that we needed to do something here. “It wasn’t easy though. The club just couldn’t get it off the ground. I’ve approached every general manager who has come and gone. “Then Melissa came along and she agreed that one thing this club really lacked was decent practice facilities. “So, we got together with Craig Parry and our course superintendent Leon Hennessy, developed a concept and a proposal and got some excitement going in the club. “The board gave it the nod and that’s how it is.” Kent admits he may only have “a few years” of decent golf left in him and there was definitely a thought that he wanted to leave a bit of a legacy behind him when he eventually did give the game away. “This is a great club and I’ve had some great moments here,” he said. “Cromer has always been regarded as a true members’ club. “Leon [Hennessy] and our club captain, Tony Morse, have really weighed in with plenty of enthusiasm and I have to admit this project did turn out to be bigger than we ever imagined.” Ellis agreed: “The selected location was a substantial area and we couldn’t believe how much dirt was going backwards and forwards there for quite some time,” she said. “It really was quite an incredible process. It took about six months of hard work to get it up. We told Craig [Parry] we wanted a decent practice area where we could give lessons and have members practising at the same time. “That also involves hitting nets, practice mats, a large bunker and plenty of turf area for chipping. It’s really quite multi-purpose. “Admittedly, it’s been an enormous impost on the staff, but they’ve all got right behind it and are as excited as we are with what we’ve developed here. “There was so much soil moved around and it was all used and it disappeared into the project. We actually joked about it with Leon, who we call our ‘mad scientist’. “That’s because he doesn’t do anything by half – it’s all in – and this is the result of his efforts. He’s very scientific in everything he does; he’s great.” Ellis explained that she was happy to drive the outcomes and leave the rest to the experts. “This is now a great short-game practice area and with an improved driving range – we’ll be pretty hard to beat as a club,” she smiles. While this will help to attract new members it was primarily done to take care of the members that we do have.” “I constantly tell our staff; we are here to serve the members. Don’t lose focus of that. “And every member is excited now they can see the finished product. I think we might have one of the best practice facilities in Sydney. Our members get behind whatever we do. “I think Cromer has been a bit of a wellkept secret for many years. And that’s how our members like it.” Ellis said other members had also made smaller donations to the project – and they deserve to be acknowledged as well. “But this would not have happened without Graham Kent’s desire to see it happen,’ she said. He didn’t want any recognition, but I really felt he deserved some for his contribution.” Kent did take a great deal of satisfaction out of watching the project take shape. “We watched the process, and it was quite extraordinary to see it all unfold,” he said. The irrigation, the drainage – it’s just amazing. “This is a business, at the end of the day, and you have to be progressive. But even I couldn’t imagine it could be this good. “The difference Melissa Ellis has made to this club is absolutely amazing. She is getting things done here. “She began twisting my arm and, as she twisted it further up my back, I agreed to help foot the bill to get this thing done.” *T&Cs apply. Offer available for 2-night minimum, mid-week stays only Sunday to Thursday. 48-hour cancellation policy applies. Subject to blackout periods and limited availability. 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June 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au CLUB NEWS 12 Final round 63 in Alice Springs puts Goffman’s name in the record book By Peter Owen SOME great golfers, including legends Greg Norman and Johnny Miller, have played at Alice Springs since the course opened in 1985. Stuart Appleby once had 65 around the tight circuit, a score later bettered by amateurs Kerryn Heaver and Leigh Shacklady, who scored 64s. But nobody had ever shot 63 on what has been described as the best desert course in the southern hemisphere – not, that is, until 19-year-old Gold Coast student James Goffman came to town to play in this year’s 54-hole Alice Springs Open. Goffman, a part of the elite sport program at Bond University and a member of Royal Queensland Golf Club, shared the 36-hole lead with Heaver after rounds of 71 and 72. But, while Heaver tumbled down the leader board with a final round of 80, Goffman played the round of his life to shoot nine-under-par 63 – hitting every green in regulation figures and making nine birdies. “With two holes to play my caddie told me the course record was 64,” Goffman said. “On the 18th green I had a tricky two-metre downhill putt. When it went in everybody went crazy. Fellow competitors, members and spectators came running over to congratulate me.” When the dust settled, Goffman had recorded 10-under 206 for a phenomenal 13-stroke victory and the biggest win of his short career. He was in Alice Springs chasing national Order of Merit ranking points. “We sat down at the beginning of the year and planned a schedule where I’d play as many world ranking events as I could,” he said. “The more points you get the better off you are.” A week after the Alice Springs Open, Goffman took his red-hot form to Royal Queensland where he shot four-under 68 to win the Sir Manual Hornibrook Memorial Jug against a high-class field of amateurs. He’s now leading Queensland’s Order of Merit standings. Goffman took up golf as a five-year-old, hitting balls with his golfer dad David. He started taking the game seriously when he was 14 and played his first junior ranking event. Like most elite amateurs, Goffman prepares as diligently as any professional, practicing and playing most days, going to the gym three times a week and regularly attending Pilates classes. He’s coached by Cameron Smith’s mentor Grant Field, and credits the master coach with his improved form. “He’s just simplified the game for me,” Goffman said. “He makes me feel relaxed and has given me a different perspective.” Goffman travelled to Adelaide with Field for the LIV Golf tournament, and spent time there with Smith. “Listening to and watching elite players like him has helped me mature as a golfer, on and off the course,” he said. Goffman completes his degree in International Relations at Bond University next year. He’ll then decide whether to turn professional, become part of the US college system, or consolidate his place as one of Australia’s outstanding amateur golfers. James Goffman proudly displays the trophy after a brilliant final round 63 to take this year’s Alice Springs Open. INSET: Hornibrook Memorial Jug winner Goffman pictured with Margaret and Charlie Earp, patrons of the event, at Royal Queensland. Elvis on song with a 58 ELVIS Smylie, a two-time winner of the prestigious Keperra Bowl, fired up at his home club, Southport Golf Club on the Gold Coast, recently carding a 58 off the stick – 13-under par. For the record, Elvis, who plays in the professional ranks, had three eagles (first, 13th and 15th holes), seven birdies (third, fourth, seventh, eighth, ninth, 10th and 16th) and just eight pars. Those who follow elite amateur golf in Australia will remember Elvis winning the 2019 and 2020 Keperra Bowl at Keperra Country Golf Club in Brisbane. In 2019, the tall left-hander carded 16-under par (69-66-71-66) to win by two shots. In 2020, he really turned on the afterburners returning 25-under par (64-71-6662) to finish 13 shots clear of Jed Morgan who later went on to win the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland and now plays on the LIV Golf Tour. Clearly, Elvis is familiar with shooting low numbers.
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June 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au CLUB NEWS 14 Scott Warren, the bush champion who still wonders what might have been By Peter Owen WHEN Scott Warren was a teenager playing junior golf in Central Queensland his toughest opponent was a young Rockhampton lad by the name of Jason Day. “Let’s be clear about it, though,” Warren says. “Jason beat me more often than I beat him – but I did get him a few times.” Skip a few years and Day is winning major events around the world, claiming the US PGA Championship in 2015, remaining the world’s #1 golfer for 51 weeks, and cementing his place as one of Australia’s very best golfers. Warren had his chance at glory, too, securing a scholarship at 15 to study at Kelvin Grove College and develop his golf game in Brisbane. He knocked the opportunity back, preferring to remain at Gin Gin, 50km west of Bundaberg, a town better known for the excellence of the pies sold at its local bakery than for producing outstanding golfers. “I didn’t want to waste mum and dad’s money,” he said. “And, to be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to give it 100 percent. There are so many young fellas like me – not many make it. “But if I had my time over again … I don’t know. I sometimes wonder, what if…” If you think this is just some country golfer with delusions of grandeur – comparing himself with one of the world’s best golfers – think again. Scott Warren is the real deal – a genuine bush champion with a record that is just difficult to comprehend. He won his first club championship at Gin Gin as a 13-year-old in 2000 – and he’s won it every year since. In 2002, Golf Wide Bay introduced the Morrie Fanning Medal to recognise the district’s best male golfer. Warren won it for the first time in 2004 – then won the next 17. The 36-year-old has won three Queensland sand green championships, 11 Golf Wide Bay Open and Closed Championships, the Queensland Country Week title six times, captained the Golf Wide Bay team in interdistrict competitions for years, and in 2021 led that team to victory in the Queensland interassociation championship. But all that pales when compared with what he accomplished a few weeks ago. Playing in the Gin Gin Open, he shot 13-under-par 59 – 11 birdies and an eagle – to smash his own course record of 61, set in 2017, and claim victory by a whopping 13 strokes. Club stalwart Howard Smith played with him that day. “I’ve seen a lot of golf, including many pro tournaments, and I have never seen a round of golf like Scott shot that day,” Smith said. But just as astonishing as his score was the fact Warren took greater pleasure in winning the day’s nett event – the Jim Clarke Memorial Trophy – than he did in winning the Open. Clarke, a highly respected cane farmer and Gin Gin Golf Club member, was Warren’s early mentor, taking him under his wing, teaching him the game and instilling in him a work ethic that has stood the test of time. “He was a great man, a real gentleman and I owed him so much,” Warren said. “He was a man who always had time for you.” When Clarke died in 2009, Warren and his mate John Kirchner got together and pledged to sponsor an award in honour of their old friend – to go to the player who had the best nett score in each year’s Gin Gin Open. “It’s an award I’ve always wanted to win,” Warren said. “But when you’re playing off plus five it’s tough to win a net event. Someone off 20 or 30 always seems to have a good round and you just can’t compete with that. “But I was four-under after five holes and I wondered if this might be the day,” he said. He gave it even more thought when he found himself nine under after 11 holes. He had pars on the next three holes – wasted opportunities, he claimed. Warren had started on the fourth hole, so completed his round at the third. He birdied 18, one, and two, and left his drive on the front edge of the third – a driveable par-4. Two putts was all he needed for a birdie and a magical 59. Best of all he’d won the Jim Clarke trophy. Warren choked up when he tried to describe his feelings for the man in his acceptance speech. “Jimmy meant that much to me,” he said. “I’m going to sponsor his event until the day I die.” Scott Warren began his love affair with golf at the age of nine, when he picked up an old, broken three-iron and began hitting balls. “After a while I figured this was a game I could get good at,” he said. He did – and, after an impressive junior career, he dreamed of becoming a professional golfer and, perhaps, playing tournament golf. “To be honest, though, you had to have some money behind you if you wanted to go down that path, and I didn’t,” he said. “I think I might Gin Gin club captain Jason Shields (left) presents Scott Warren with the Jim Clarke Memorial Trophy. www.CoolDryCovers.com You asked, we answered. Cool Dry Covers are now available for your bike seat. COOL DRY COVERS Premium Seat Covers to keep you Cool & Dry Models sized specifically for your cart or single seater. 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June 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au CLUB NEWS 15 By Michael Davis have made a living out of the game, maybe even a good living, but you never know.” Instead, Warren did an apprenticeship in boiler-making, later launched his own trucking company and says he’s now busier than ever, with little time for practicing golf. “I hit golf balls, of course, but I really need to play myself into form,” he said. When we spoke, he was preparing to play the sand greens championship at St George – an event which, he suggests, should one day provide the winner with an invitation to compete in the Queensland Open. He says golf has been good to him, and he does everything he can to promote and advance the game. He’s served on the committees of Gin Gin Golf Club and with Golf Wide Bay. “I’ve met some wonderful people, travelled a lot and experienced some great times,” he said. “I really enjoy the camaraderie of it all. But sometimes I do still wonder what might have been.” “We’re about that transitional phase. If you look at golfers, a lot of them don’t progress in that period. They don’t handle what they come up against. The competition’s harder, they’re lonely, they travel more. All those things impact. “We know from our experience that the last two years of an amateur career and the first three years of your professional career are the most critical. “This camp will help them prepare for the challenges of competing internationally against tougher competition, having to use a caddie, all that stuff. It will help them prepare for that stage of their career.” High performance managers included Matt Ballard (Qld), Cameron Vincent (Vic), Adrian Wickstein (SA) and Khan Pullen (NSW). Coaches included Ritchie Smith (WA) and Dan Whyley (Vic). The athletes were: Justice Bosio, Louis Dobbelaar, Quinn Croker (Queensland), Harrison Crowe, Jeffrey Guan, Belinda Ji, Jye Pickin (NSW), Keeley Marx, Jasper Stubbs (Victoria), Caitlin Peirce, Jack Thompson, Jack Buchanan (South Australia), Connor Fewkes, Connor McKinney, Josh Greer (WA). Previously national camps were held in Houston, Texas, but the Covid-19 pandemic put a stop to that as a venue. “This is a different camp,” said Meyer. “I wouldn’t compare it with a previous camp.” The camp is slotted to be held annually at the AGC. “We’ve looked at all aspects of our game, so it’s good to highlight what you do well and what you don’t do well,” said Justice Bosio, the Queenslander who played in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur this year. “It’s cool having Min Woo here as well. It was a really good insight into how hard it is to get to where he is. “It’s been really beneficial. Most of us are probably looking to turn (professional) in the next six months to two years at the longest. It’s just such a critical time. I think everyone’s going to take a lot out of it. It’s nice to hang out with everyone as well.” AUSTRALIA’S best amateurs and several emerging professionals have recently completed an intense two-day camp run by Golf Australia’s high performance team at the Australian Golf Centre – the first to be held at the AGC in Melbourne since its opening in 2021. The 15 players from across the country took part in a transition camp aimed at helping young athletes through the difficult latter years of their amateur careers and through the first part of their professional careers. It included a Q&A session with touring professional Min Woo Lee, who was invited to the camp by Golf Australia and who took the opportunity to do some work with his coach Ritchie Smith before he heads to the United States to resume playing. Some of the topics covered during the twoday camp included: • Supplements: Those can help with recovery, and those to avoid because in some countries they are not batch-tested; • Jet lag and how to present for golf in the best possible shape after extended travel; • Media training and what to expect from interviews; • Nutrition; and • Sports science. The athletes also performed skill rotations with some of Australia’s top coaches. They also were addressed by player managers Tony Bouffler and Matt Cutler. “We see it (the transition camp) as hugely important,” said Tony Meyer, Golf Australia’s high performance director. Australia’s best amateur golfers recently attended Golf Australia high performance camp. Historic GA camp for elite amateurs A delighted Scott Warren stands in front of the club honour board after winning this year’s Gin Gin Open. https://www.parmaker.com
June 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 16 Australian Interstate Series won by NSW The joyous NSW team celebrates winning the Australian Interstate Series. Photo: Brett Costello. NEW South Wales took out the 2023 Interstate Teams Matches with a superb showing at St Michael’s Golf Club in Sydney. Out in the final matches of the round robin stage against the undefeated South Australians in the morning, the home team had the early advantage and ran with it rather than relying on other results going their way. With Queensland, the other potential finalist, going down to Victoria in the morning session, the NSW side pressed ahead to win 6-2 with Harrison Crowe’s 2-up win over Jack Buchanan ensuring his state would claim both the men’s and women’s titles. South Australia and New South Wales went head-to-head for a second time in the same day to decide the overall champions. It was a case of more of the same when NSW found themselves up in six matches and square in the other two in the early stages, with Declan O’Donovan 4-up through seven holes the standout. The South Australian women launched a fightback led by Reagan Denton. The Royal Adelaide member eventually accounted for Rachel Lee 3&1. Matilda Miels and Caitlin Pierce were also doing their bit, however, Amelia Whinney ran into a freight train in the form of the only undefeated player for the week, Annika Rathbone, who claimed a 5&4 victory. That left it to the NSW men to try and get things done early and Jeffrey Guan and men’s captain Jye Pickin stepped up to the plate. Guan defeated Sam Earl 3&2. That sent the players not still in action scrambling one hole ahead to Pickin’s match with Kyle Hayter, which would provide the winning point. After taking a drop for an unplayable lie and battling his way down the par-5 17th as Pickin played the hole clinically to lie three on the green, Hayter conceded the hole, match and Interstate title to Pickin and New South Wales. With the final decided once NSW had five points, the remaining matches were called as halves between June Song and Miels as well as Pierce and NSWs women’s captain Belinda Ji for a 6-2 score line. WITH the focus on friendship and fun, the annual South Australian girls camp has been hailed an outstanding success with 45 girls from across the state eager participants at West Parks golf facility. This included 40 girls who hold Australian Golf Foundation (AGF) Girls’ Scholarships across 12 funded clubs. The highlight of the camp was the testing of players skills over nine areas based on the concept of The Athena tournament held in Melbourne this year. “We showed the girls footage of this year’s Athena and then let them have a go at the challenges,” said Christian Puccini, Golf Australia’s SA participation manager. “It was a fun vibe with music playing. The longest drive challenge with the trackman was very popular as was the mystery shot,” he said. Emma Hastie, 14, from Flagstaff Hill GC had the highest score of the day. “The skills challenge was a fun, yet a tricky task,” she said. “I personally liked the trouble shot because it’s not normally practised. It can change your game.” Three PGA professionals – AnneMarie Knight, Sarah Douglass and Christine Burton – were on hand to give the girls tips during the skills challenges and coaching sessions. They also spoke about potential career opportunities for girls in golf. Girls were also treated to a demonstration on the range and a question-and-answer session with the state’s top ranked professional SA girls camp a huge success By Michael Davis Champion golfer Kristalle Blum (centre) posed with the students. golfer and 2021 Athena champion, Kristalle Blum. Research indicates that girls commonly seek team environments in sport. To cater for this, Golf Australia (SA) organised an inaugural AGF Girls Scholarship Team Ambrose event. Girls from Copperclub GC took out the title. Sisters Chelsea and Isabelle Crawford were part of the winning team. “I was happy and proud of how we played together,” said Chelsea. “It encouraged me to keep trying and to put in my best effort for the rest of the camp.” Isabelle said she enjoyed her first time at the camp. “We all played well together and hit some good shots. It was exciting to win some prizes,” she said. In keeping with tradition, a camp captain was also announced. Emma Hastie won the award for her support and encouragement throughout the camp, especially of the younger girls. “I was extremely shocked but proud of myself that I was awarded captain,” said Emma. “It was fun meeting new girls who are interested in golf and seeing how much some of them have improved since the last camp.” News travelled 165 kilometres back to the club where the local newspaper picked up the story and SA’s junior coordinator, Kevin Ryan, received excited messages from many people. “The parents were all very excited,” Kevin said. “This is a major achievement for the girls and the region. The club is very proud.” “We all played well together and hit some good shots. It was exciting to win some prizes.” Get fit today Turn to page 74 for a complete list of fitting days this month
Feel Trajectory Short game spin Spin on driver Construction 3pcs Cover Urethane Dimple configuration 272 AXIALFLOW dimple V Soft Low Low Low Firm High High High Soft Mid Mid Mid Feel Trajectory Short game spin Spin on driver Construction 3pcs Cover Urethane Dimple configuration 272 AXIALFLOW dimple V Soft Low Low Low Firm High High High Soft Mid Mid Mid
June 2023 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 18 By Larry Canning I KNOW it’s over a month ago now but I figured you’d be interested in the numbers from the Adelaide LIV Golf event. Let’s begin! 10-under 62: Score by winner Talor Gooch in rounds 1 and 2, breaking the record for best round related to par in LIV Golf history. Gooch’s 62 tied a LIV Golf record for lowest score, and he is the only player to shoot 62 twice. 47: Strokes under par by 4Aces GC, a LIV Golf record for lowest team counting score, breaking the 45-under set last year by Fireballs GC in Bangkok. 55,000,000: Number of video views on social media across league channels. 77,076: Fans attended. 16: Hours spent by DJ sensation “Fisher” who travelled to Adelaide in between gigs from the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California to perform to a sold-out audience. 15,000: Fans attending that concert including Inside Golf boss, Sam. 66: Walkout songs selected by players to be played when they arrived on the par-3 12th (Watering Hole) including Avicii – levels and AC/DC Back in Black (Dustin Johnson), Eminem – Lose Yourself (Phil Mickelson), Fisher – Losing it and Daryl Braithwaite – The Horses (Cameron Smith) and Destiny’s Child – Say My Name (eventual winner, Taylor Gooch). 116,978: 12-ounce beers sold on-site, including one for Inside Golf boss, Sam. 23,390: Units of LIV Golf and team merchandise sold including two t-shirts bought CAM THE MAN: Cameron Smith drew some of the biggest crowds at The Grange GC in Adelaide. LIV Golf Adelaide by the numbers by Sandra and me for two of our kids. Though I must admit, we did have two vouchers to spend in the merchandise marquee given to us on arrival in the media centre on Wednesday. 26,331,312: Population of Australia. 334,233,853: Population of another relevant country where the majority of LIV Golf tournaments have been played to date – USA. 1,367,000: Population of Adelaide. 2,701,000: Population of the preceding event in Orlando. ?: Fans attending Orlando. Trust me, I tried to source this but all I could find was this from Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel. “The beer was flowing (at Orange County National). LIV and its events are different and obviously geared toward attracting a younger demographic with its team format, a more relaxed dress code for golfers and shorter events. The crowds at the Crooked Cat course were okay and obviously bolstered by cheap tickets and free parking.” In LIV Golf Orlando’s defence, I think ticket sales were limited to avoid any impending security issues. It’s one thing controlling a crowd within a stadium surrounding a 100m long playing field but attempting the same on 250 acres of golf course is another story. 2,000,000: The amount on Mal Baker’s, (Taylor Gooch’s Aussie caddie), deposit slip when he lined up in the queue at his favourite bank after his boss’s second straight LIV victory in Singapore. Ironically, this is the same amount of $$$ Inside golf boss Sam has promised me if I ever send one of my columns in on time. 70,000,000: South Australian Premier, Peter Malinauskas, in an interview last November: “We anticipate that between the weekend prior with the AFL’s 24th round and the LIV Golf the following weekend, that in excess of $70 million worth of economic activity will be brought right here to the state of South Australia.” 4,000,000,000: Acording to Peter Malinauskas when defending his government’s stance when confronted with the all too familiar question of the ‘Sportswashing’ exercise with the Saudi Regime. (Sorry, a smidgeon of paraphrasing here). “The Commonwealth Government, over a period of decades has actively chosen to engage with a whole range of very substantial trading partners and Saudi Arabia is no exception. There are $4 billion worth of active investments in Australia alone.” 2: Blokes my age I spoke to while in the coffee queue in the village who loved the whole gig. Ray and Wayne from Murray Bridge Golf Club in SA said: “It’s not everything we love about the game, but it brought us here and now we want to attend more golf tournaments in Australia.” 1: Old former tour player, PGA member and good mate, said as we both watched Anirban Lahiri birdie a hole to get within two shots of the lead: “But what are they playing for? It’s not the Australian Open or even South Australian Open. It’s really just money, isn’t it?” 120: Decibels is the acknowledged level of noise the human ear can withstand without permanent damage. The LIV Golf mantra: LIV Golf is owned and operated by LIV Golf Investments whose vision and mission are centred around making holistic and sustainable investments to enhance the global golf ecosystem and unlock the sport’s untapped worldwide potential. Readers, embrace it or put it into the same category as the boyfriend your daughter brings home with tatts all over his face, more holes in his jeans than material and piercings in God knows where. But after I spent a week in Adelaide, I now know this. LIV Golf is here and relevant. So, what the hell do we do with it now? Pile Height: 32mm | Roll Width: 1.5m | Roll Length: 30m - Australia’s most popular synthetic grass solution for practice fairways IN STOCK NOW 1300 790 890 | davidgolf.com.au | @davidgolfaustralia #1SYNTHETIC GRASS SOLUTION FOR GOLF PRACTICE FAIRWAYS EZTee® Line - Provides golfers with a premium hitting surface 12 months of the year - Install onto concrete or compacted road base - Accepts a real golf tee - EZTee Line enables turf areas to recover faster during the cooler months
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