Ross Watson studies the layout of the Caloundra golf course – his first and last design project. IT WAS just chance that Ross Watson, who has designed more Australian golf courses than perhaps any other golf architect, chose to retire to Caloundra, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. By coincidence, it was at Caloundra that Watson began […]
MASSIVE changes are afoot at Port Kembla Golf Club with plans for a considerable upgrade to the course and club. Members of Port Kembla Golf Club and Wests Illawarra have voted on a proposal to transform their golf club into a premier golfing and entertainment hub. They have given golf entertainment company Swing Factory the […]
PERFECTLY placed near the NSW-Victoria border, Rich River Golf Club is set to become even more attractive following plans to add a new 23-room, four-star accommodation facility to the club by the middle of 2026. The new facility, to be known as Reflections, has been hailed as a major investment in the club’s future and […]
RONALD Stewart earned bragging rights as the best golfer in the Brisbane jockey ranks by defeating a field that included Melbourne Cup winner Robbie Dolan in the inaugural BMW Australian PGA Jockey Challenge. Contested at Royal Queensland Golf Club, which will host this year’s BMW Australian PGA Championship from November 27-30, Stewart shot a round […]
IT has already hosted the best golfers in Australia – and come out roses. Yet most golfers in Sydney probably still haven’t heard of Oak Point Golf Club. That’s because it was originally Liverpool Golf Club, hidden away on the banks of the Georges River in the suburb of Lansvale. And it’s a layout that […]
NESTLED in the north-west Hills District of Sydney, at North Rocks, Muirfield Golf Club offers a beautiful natural setting and a peaceful escape in providing an ideal setting to play a round on the challenging par-69 course. Muirfield has a modest 72-year history of challenging players of all levels, the strength of the course lying […]
THE Hunter Valley has long been a favourite escape for city dwellers, prized for its award-winning wineries, sweeping rural landscapes and big country skies. Now, the region is set to welcome a fresh take on luxury living with the arrival of Lovedale Farm, a master planned golf community unlike anything else in the area. Just […]
BACK in 1995 PGA Chaplain Graham Lawrence established the Oberon PGA trainee Pro Am to support Trainee Golf Professionals throughout NSW. A successful and well-supported event, played at Oberon Golf Club just west of theBlue Mountains, the Pro-am celebrated it’s 30th anniversary on the first weekend in March. Lawrence, who recently retired as the PGA […]
IT’S appropriate that Wollongong Golf Club should host the Alex Lowe Trophy, an event for players using hickory-shafted clubs. That’s because this popular layout is among the oldest in the state and dates back as far as 1897. The event is named after Alex Lowe, who was one of the early professionals moving from The […]
THE happenings at Scotchman’s Creek Golf Club would not make the New York Times. The 110-member strong social golf club plays at Malvern Valley public course in Melbourne’s inner east. The club is made up mostly of retirees with an average age of 78 and six golfers in their 90’s. And it is celebrating its […]
The Phillip Island Golf Club recently celebrated its 75th anniversary with a Heritage Golf Day. Seventy-five years ago, the first official golf competition was held at the Cowes Golf Club, now known as Phillip Island Golf Club. To celebrate this milestone, the club recently hosted a Heritage Golf Day which was a great day, great […]
LOCATED just a short 10-minute drive from Noosa on the way to the iconic Eumundi Markets, Noosa Hills Par 3 and Mini Golf is the ultimate destination for a relaxed, welcoming golfing experience. Whether a seasoned golfer, a beginner, or simply seeking a family-friendly activity, Noosa Hills offers something for everyone. Known as the friendliest […]
LET us introduce you to Esprit de Vie a fresh take on the art of ageing that trades bingo halls for wine tastings, and lonely evenings for lively community vibes.. Nestled in the heart of Mermaid Waters, with a convenient walkway to the Q-Centre for shopping and essentials, this isn’t just later living – it’s […]
TEVEN Valley Golf Course nestled in the green rolling hills of the Ballina hinterland of northern NSW might be a small nine-hole facility but that doesn’t stop it dreaming big ideas … and scoring the occasional win. Take the month of August, for example. Golf NSW called upon Teven Valley GC to host the $50,000 […]
EARLIER this year GreenSpace Management became the first “off course” provider globally to become a signatory to the R&A Women in Golf Charter, and as part of this commitment, GreenSpace has been flying along with numerous amazing Women focused initiatives at their golf and mini golf courses nationally. The latest initiative, the ‘Women’s Golf Morning […]
AHEAD of celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, Burleigh Golf Club is continuing with its beautification and course upgrade program. Last year the popular Gold Coast club engaged renowned golf course architect Graham Marsh to redesign the par-three 17th hole and the third green. Last month the new-look lakeside 17th hole opened for play with […]
AS one of the country’s oldest golf clubs, it seemed appropriate that hickory golf clubs should be called into play when Concord Golf Club last month commemorated its 125th anniversary. As part of the club’s celebrations, a hickory event was arranged with 50 members keen to experience playing with clubs that would have been used […]
IT is one of the oldest golf clubs in New South Wales. So, Bowral Golf Club in the Southern Highlands seemed the perfect venue for a hickory golf club challenge, hosted by the Australian Golf Historical Society. This club was established in 1901 and happily accommodated players with clubs that were more than 100 years […]
… and Jamie ‘Hooks’ a fourth pro title THE owner of a Sunshine Coast carpet cleaning business sucked up the energy and atmosphere to win the Handiskins national final at Palm Meadows GC on the Gold Coast last month. Mick Prince, who plays off a 15 handicap at Headland GC, qualified for the four-person final […]
It was a big day at Flinders for Byron Woods. General Manager, Jon Gahan, tells us there has been “a bit of a buzz” around the Flinders clubhouse recently as a result of some fairly unusual events on the charming, picturesque little Mornington Peninsula course. First and foremost, Gahan said, there have been three holes-in-one […]
DARRYL Edwards, the course superintendent at Burleigh Golf Club on the Gold Coast, is a man who enjoys the lighter (funny) side of life. And those who know him well know that when he’s in the mood he will whip out his harmonica and play a little blues. “I generally have it (harmonica) tucked away […]
By Michael Davies We could fill these pages with quirky tales and amazing club competitions held around the country every day. But this is one of the better ones to come out of Royal Melbourne recently. Two time RM club champion, Harry Goakes (handicap +2), probably thought that he was a good chance to win […]
ASK any greenkeeper at any golf course and he’ll confirm it. It’s a calling for ‘life’. And seldom do you get the opportunity to share the spotlight with your comrades. Besides, it’s hard to squeeze that many ‘legends’ together in one room. Yet the NSW Golf Industry Awards were all about bringing golf’s many and […]
By Peter Owen IT was back in 1893 – when club founder James McIntosh was leading a push for North Queensland to become a separate state – that golfers first took to the fairways at Townsville Golf Club. Back then it was known as the North Queensland Golf Club and its first home was at […]
WHEN you’re 19 years old there aren’t too many things more appealing in life than golf, travelling and playing more golf. Well, maybe there’s one or two other things. Yet Dean Richards could barely contain his excitement after being accepted into a US college to continue a quickly-growing golf education. The Northern Beaches [Sydney] sportsman […]
By Peter Owen BEERWAH Golf Club, nestled at the foot of the Glasshouse Mountains, north of Brisbane, has always been renowned for the quality of its greens, many claiming they are the best on the Sunshine Coast. And officials of the popular hinterland club are determined to make them even better. Work has been taking […]
IT’S not hard to work out Queensland’s winter months are perfect for golf and is the reason why more than 100 golfers from all over the country turned up to play in the 72-hole Sunshine Winter Golf Classic at four of the region’s premier golf courses – Maroochy River, Peregian, Noosa Springs and Twin Waters. […]
By Peter Owen WHEN Chloe Veeran’s tee shot on the par-3 17th hole at Bunbury Golf Club dropped into the cup in early June her first thought was one of frustration. She knew the prize for an ace at the South West Open’s ‘party’ hole was a $60,000 vehicle, courtesy of event sponsor South West […]
IT’S too early to say ‘remember the name David Kang’, but perhaps it is a name to pencil in for the future. The 11-year-old, who plays off a 13 handicap at Cowra Golf Club in the central west region of NSW, recently won the club’s B grade championship. He returned rounds of 85-94-85-87 – 351 […]
THE revamped third hole at Links Hope Island Resort is now open for play and the reaction of the members and visitors to the newly-created par-4 has golfers enthusiastic about the change. The previous par-3 measuring 190 metres has been replaced with a short par-4 measuring 330 metres and with the previous hidden lake now […]
OCTOGENARIAN Bob Howe didn’t break his age until he was in his mid-70s, but since then he has been doing it as regular as clockwork. “My earliest round shooting below my age was a 74 at Mt Lawley Golf Club (Western Australia) at the age of 75,” Bob told Inside Golf after reading about Clive […]
By Peter Owen BRAD Robb, the energetic general manager of Tin Can Bay Country Club, 220km north of Brisbane, reckons his lack of interest in playing golf has been an enormous benefit to his club. “It means I have a broader outlook about what’s important for our club,” he said. “I can see what needs […]
THE renovations seem to have been going on forever, but Pelican Waters was scheduled to reopen for regular play on Saturday, July 1– although, it seems, without a cohort of members. The driving range and the main clubhouse building will, however, remain out of action until later in the year. Renovations began in 2020 and […]
ONE of the highlights of the Handiskins national final is a chipping contest that results in a club golfer driving away in a brand-new 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 […]
KEPERRA Country Golf Club’s junior golf program received a shot in the arm last month when teenagers filled the club championship’s top three podium spots. Wesley Hinton, 16, won the A grade championship after posting a four-round total of 285 to edge out fellow teenagers Jack Jones (287) and Ben Dowling (295) – both aged […]
FORGET the Ryder Cup for a moment – here is a match made in Heaven. At least that’s the response you’d get from a few rugby league stars from the Manly Sea Eagles. The gun footballers thought they were dreaming when they turned up to Bayview Golf Club last month for a photo opportunity with […]
By Michael Davis ROYAL Park president, Bruce Sutherland, is a member of St Andrews in Scotland. “Luckily, I am a ‘country’ member which makes it affordable. It’s very dear otherwise.” But Bruce cherishes his membership at Royal Park just as dearly as he does that at the venerable home of the game of golf. Like […]
By Michael Davis OAKLEIGH Golf Club secretary Tim Anderson clearly has a sense of humour. He describes the recent successful merger of the men’s and women’s clubs “as always destined to be a marriage made in heaven”. Although he hastens to add it has probably been “four decades” in the making. Anderson’s matrimonial metaphors continue […]
FORMER basketball boss Neil Goffet has moved from the court to the course in his new role as general manager at Hawks Nest Golf Club. A former journalist at the Newcastle Herald, Goffet spent the past nine years as general manager at Newcastle Basketball where the association recorded incredible success during his reign. He replaces […]
VICTORIA’S Anglesea Golf Club located on the Great Ocean Road in the Surf Coast Shire has elected Jules Rolfe as its new president. In a high turn-out election, Jules Rolfe got the nod to become the first woman president of the club in its more than 70-year history. Rolfe is a keen golfer and lives […]
