Table of contents for Dec 2024 - Issue 427 in Golf Australia

Let’s begin by going back six decades. It was 1964 and the Australian Open was played at The Lakes in Sydney. Jack Nicklaus won, beating Bruce Devlin in a playoff. A year later at Kooyonga, Gary Player finished first. In 1966, Royal Queensland played host to Arnold Palmer’s victory. Peter Thomson won in 1967 at Commonwealth in Melbourne. Then it was Nicklaus again in 1968. And Player again in 1969 and 1970, before another Nicklaus triumph in ’71 and Thomson again in ’72. Even in the face of superstar power, it is possible to argue that the late 1970s and what might be termed the “Kerry Packer era” of sponsorship witnessed the Australian Open at its very best and/or deepest in terms of strength of field. You get the picture. Back…

For a city which punches well above its weight on the elite sporting stage, the quality of golf on offer in Ōtautahi Christchurch also catches many by surprise; the region remaining largely untapped and underrated as a golfing destination. This writer spent the vast majority of his childhood in the Garden City and is privy to just how spoilt for choice golfers are when it comes to playing and accessing high quality – and very affordable – golf across the district. The region is like a secret surfing spot for golfers. Keep it to yourself; it is precious, untold and on the down low. However, it is time to share the plethora of riches Christchurch has to offer, which can hang with even the best golfing hotspots across New Zealand…

You’ve hit the back of the green and are now faced with a long, big-breaking, downhill putt which is well within three-putt territory. Indeed, statistically, for the average club golfer, anything longer than 10 metres is outside two-putt range. This putt is 14 metres. The percentage chance of three-putting is high. There is a lot going on. To better your chances of getting the ball into the hole with two putts – or better still rolling in a big-breaking bomb from downtown – you need to focus on process. First step is to “see” the apex of the putt in your mind, that being the highest point before the ball breaks. You’re not focusing on the hole, rather the point at which the putt will break and turn, and roll…

Join CGE Golf for an unforgettable 12-day adventure from July 26 to August 6, 2026 as they explore the legendary links of Scotland. This is your chance to play at the home of golf, St Andrews, and journey through the breathtaking Scottish Highlands, where some of the world’s finest courses await. The exclusive tour begins in Edinburgh, then takes you to St Andrews, with a guaranteed tee time on the iconic Old Course for 12 players in the group. For those eager to join them via a special ballot, there is a chance to do so for an additional eight players. But act fast for the guarantee – group spots are limited to just 20 players. While on tour, stay in absolute luxury five-star accommodation, including at the renowned Old…

For the best part of a century, Glenelg Golf Club has existed in the shadows of its critically acclaimed golfing neighbours Royal Adelaide, Kooyonga and, to a lesser extent, Grange. Royal Adelaide is the South Australian capital’s undisputed premier course, boasting a world-class design which has been influenced by some of the game’s finest architects, from Dr Alister MacKenzie to Tom Doak. Likewise, impeccably manicured turf and challenging holes are the hallmark of a round at Kooyonga. The West and East Courses at Grange are also highly ranked, while the club has gained global exposure in the past two years as the successful host of the LIV Golf Adelaide tournament. Interestingly, all of these courses have undergone significant renovations in recent times and their members are now enjoying the benefits…

Australian cricket superstar Glenn Maxwell will be heading to the Blitz Golf League event at Victoria’s Phillip Island this summer. Maxwell has confirmed he will play at the second event in the series at the Red Rocks Golf Club on 21 December. Joining him from the cricket stables will be Melbourne Renegades captain Will Sutherland and teammate Fergus O’Neill. Victorian golf pros Zach Murray and James Marchesani are also locked in to take on their cricketing counterparts. Murray, who hails from Wodonga in Victoria, is currently on the Asian and Australian PGA Tour, while Marchesani, born in Melbourne, is on the Australian PGA Tour and in his 10th year as a professional player. This being Red Rocks Golf Club’s first-ever Blitz Golf League event, the club is going all out…

TPC Summerlin once again proved golf can be visually captivating without the lush backdrop of an Augusta National. Playing host in October to the only PGA Tour event in Las Vegas, this stunning course offers a unique blend of rugged desert beauty and thoughtfully designed features. During the 2024 Shriners Children’s Open, Rickie Fowler and Canadian stars Nick Taylor and Taylor Pendrith navigated the impressive 13th hole, exemplifying the course’s allure. Designed by renowned architect Bobby Weed with insights from the larger-than-life Fuzzy Zoeller, TPC Summerlin winds through dramatic arroyos and canyons; its lush bentgrass greens and vibrant flora creating a striking contrast with the desert landscape. Since its debut in 1983, the Shriners Children’s Open has attracted a prestigious roster of champions, including Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk. This…

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Before we venture out of the city, we will explore what else the surrounding area offers. Nothing is more critical than a rest day, taking in the sights, relaxing, shopping, eating well and having a drink. Especially if you’re away with a partner or the family. Christchurch has all you need and more. On top of his endorsement of the Christchurch Golf Club, All Black Will Jordan urges visitors to explore the city centre. “Christchurch as a city has really taken off over the last three or four years, with the effects of the rebuild of the city following the 2011 earthquake coming into place,” he said. “A popular spot for anyone visiting should be the Riverside Markets, right in the centre of town, which hosts a wide variety of…

Fifteen countries in Asia – excluding China, Laos, Cambodia, Bangladesh and North Korea – have a longer golf pedigree than Thailand, most by more than 20 years. Yet the Kingdom, which this year celebrates a century since its first course opened in Hua Hin in 1924, easily outdrives every Asian competitor in appeal and foreign visitors. The reasons how – almost accidentally – Thailand became Asia’s golf tourism powerhouse provide a blueprint for other aspiring golf tourism destinations. Malaysia and Indonesia have tried – and failed – to swing on Thailand’s coattails, while Vietnam has made headway and is now Asia’s clear number two golf-playing choice. What is the secret behind Thailand’s golf tourism success? Some say, quite rightly, the quality and variety of courses is unparalleled in South-East Asia.…

MATT CLEARY: Craig Parry, welcome to the first ‘Drinks With’ segment for Golf Australia magazine. Thank you very much. So … several years ago I wrote a story for Inside Sport magazine about the siblings of high-profile sportsmen. I spoke to Allan Border’s brother, Allan Langer’s brother, Grant Hackett’s brother, a few others. One of the subjects was your brother, Glenn, who told me that you could be scary-competitive. In fact, he said you were playing ping-pong against his father-in-law and frightened him to death with how much you wanted to win. That ring true? [Smiles] Yes. Yes, it does. Where’d that come from? Just in you? Probably, yeah. I got the golf bug; I was 13 years old. I wanted to practise hard and play a lot of golf.…

“A LOT OF PLANNING GOES INTO WHO PLAYS WITH WHO AT THE PRESIDENTS CUP.” Okay, the International side didn’t win the Presidents Cup this year. But from where I was watching – up close in my role as an assistant captain to Mike Weir – there is a lot to be optimistic about in regards to the future of the event. There is an enthusiasm in our squad which is growing every year. It used to be that it took a few days of us being together for the players to feel like a real team, but things are different now. Right from the start this time, the guys properly bonded. In the past, it has been a challenge ensuring such a diverse bunch of nationalities and languages are on…

In those vexed times in 2022, when LIV Golf turned up and Greg Norman was grilled about the hit squad which dismembered Jamal Khashoggi, and media thundered about Saudi “blood money” and “sportswashing”, and all the rest, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan declared, “We are at war.” And there followed a mighty stoush among rich swinging dicks, as Monahan took the fight to the U.S Congress, and Norman fronted Senate hearings, and the PGA Tour fought to maintain its global hegemony and the primacy of its never-ending season of professional tournaments, which sucked in the world’s best players by dint of having all the money. And it was all quite the to-do. For no longer did America have all the cash. Genuine God Money had shown up in the form…

The Northern Beaches of Sydney recently played host to the 29th Australian Hickory Shaft Open Championship, where passionate hickory golf enthusiasts converged from Australia, Japan, Canada, China and New Zealand. Armed with clubs more than a century old and dressed in period attire, players embraced the spirit of golf’s rich heritage across three picturesque courses: Warringah, Manly and Cromer Golf Clubs. The Championship has grown from a small band of eager hickory players who in 1995 competed in the first event at Rosnay Golf Club in Sydney’s west. Rosnay would host 12 of the first 14 tournaments, but as interest increased, the event was played at Royal Melbourne and Concord. In 2022, the Championship was increased to 36 holes and hosted by Royal Queensland and Brisbane GC, with Canadian Foursomes…