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Sandy Golf Links is a hot ticket for all of Melbourne’s golf loving community.
The totally redesigned former Sandringham Golf Club, a public course in the heart of the famous Sandbelt, is enjoying surging patronage only weeks after its full 18-hole layout was opened.
But while its famous neighbours have some of the world’s most sought private memberships, Sandy Golf Links is going out of its way to ensure its gates are open to all.
Among innovative SGL techniques being used are the offer of free golf for kids aged under 16 accompanied by a playing adult (after 1.30pm), advocating maximum scores and even encouraging players to throw the ball from bunkers if they prove too tricky.
The course, largely funded by the Victorian Government, has been booming with up to 250 rounds played daily, equating to a 15 per cent rise on previous patronage.
When bookings opened post Covid-19 release in metropolitan Melbourne, there was one nine-minute stretch of more than 700 rounds booked online.
It’s another boost to golf’s strength within the Australian community, with the sport contributing $3.5 billion annually to the national economy and contributing health benefits worth an estimated $132 million each year.
The course itself has several other features that ensure it will remain an important public asset for years to come.
In the style of its Sandbelt neighbours, the fairways are wide off the tee and perfect for children and beginners.
But OCM co-designer Mike Cocking said that shouldn’t deter more advanced players, with the strategic elements of neighbouring Royal Melbourne still front and centre.
“We did a lot of things so that the course doesn’t daunt anyone, but it’s also a great layout for lower handicappers because to score well, you probably need to attack it from the right spots,” said Cocking of a par-65 course that has two sets of tees, both comparatively short at less than 5000m.
“It’s short enough that it’s playable for all, but a test for those who want to take it on using the width on offer.
”Really, it’s the perfect length for kids and beginners – both men and women – and those who are wanting to prolong their golf and now find the big courses too tough.”
The precinct is already a base for Victorian Institute of Sport high performance athletes; it will eventually be home to a public driving range as well as becoming the administrative hub of Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia.
It has a large water storage capacity and a completely new irrigation system. It has also had the help of Royal Melbourne groundstaff throughout its redesign, including the same combination of “Sutton’s mix” bentgrass greens and fescue surrounds that the three-time Presidents Cup host adopted 15 years ago.
So, as Cocking says, it “represents a Sandbelt experience for the public”.
“The greens and bunkers definitely have that Sandbelt-like appearance and importantly they play similarly, too, with golfers having to decide from the tee the preferred side of the fairway to hit to in order to gain the best angle into the green,” he said.
“Typically a fairway bunker guards this approach, so even those new to the game start to understand the concept of risk and reward.”
Cocking said SGL’s initial success would provide a great case study for other public courses that are successful, yet occasionally neglected in terms of upgrades because of the logistics involved.
“It is one of the few facilities in Melbourne that I can think of that has undergone a major capital improvement program.
“So often public facilities are very slowly on a downward spiral when it comes to design and course conditioning.
“Changes aren’t usually made because they’re ways to improve the design … usually it’s a reaction to an issue such as a safety problem or a green or tee can no longer sustain a quality surface.
“Without the funds or structure of many private courses, design improvements and upgrades are rarely considered. This might be because of the potential disruption to play, but perhaps more likely because the value of upgrades is more difficult to measure … especially if the course is already busy.
“Of course, improving the design can help the bottom line by raising the profile and potentially the green fee charged.
“Hopefully Sandy helps illustrate the business case to other councils in terms of facility upgrades and what is possible.”
The Australian golf industry has collaborated to create a new Vision 2025 Global Action Plan to tackle the ongoing decline of female engagement in the sport.
A restructure of the Vision 2025 steering group now includes chief executives from all governing bodies of Australian golf, all of whom are unified in creating a more inclusive future for women and girls at all levels of the sport.
During the next year, the Australian golf industry will collaboratively address 16 priorities spread across the four key pillars of Vision 2025 – culture and leadership, grass roots, high performance and coaching along with marketing and positioning.
Priority has been given to addressing low numbers of women on club boards; building the capacity of clubs and facilities to deliver needs-driven participation opportunities for girls and women; increasing women’s involvement in participation delivery and in high performance coaching ranks; and showcasing examples of club excellence in leading gender equality change in golf.
Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland said all bodies had shown great enthusiasm for a project he described as “absolutely paramount” for the future of Australian golf.
“Our ability to collaborate on such a crucial body of work is critical. Everybody has shown a great resolve to redress the historic gender imbalance in Australian golf and we look forward to driving the changes the industry needs,” Sutherland said.
PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman said it was incumbent on all involved in the industry to be active agents for change.
“Aside from the fact that it’s just the right thing to do for all women and girls who have ever shown interest in golf, adopting the Global Action Plan makes sense for the sport’s future. Driving up engagement at all levels stands to benefit everyone from grass-roots juniors to elite professional level and throughout all Australian clubs,” Kirkman said.
WPGA Tour chief executive Karen Lunn said being part of the group that framed the Global Action Plan had given her a “greater understanding of the challenges all those in the industry face with regards to gender equality and equity”.
“The success of Vision 2025 is dependent on the entire industry embracing the challenge and driving change in attitudes and behaviours. Any one of our organisations cannot change culture alone, so the Global Action Plan is the framework which will enable us to do this collaboratively,” Lunn said.
Golf Management Australia chief executive Paul Vardy said the Global Action Plan was “the most comprehensive way the golf industry can achieve positive outcomes for women and girls in golf”.
“By sharing initiatives under the plan, golf bodies have identified new ways to collaborate and new ideas to pursue within the Vision 2025 framework,” Vardy said.
Stuart Fraser and Gary Thomas, chief executives of Golf NSW and Golf WA respectively, said it had been positive for all golfers to see genuine collaboration among the governing bodies and asked all at grass-roots level to embrace the change.
“Golf NSW encourages all golf clubs to develop strategies to attract more women to the sport and break down any barriers that inhibit greater female engagement with golf,” Fraser said.
Thomas said there were “exciting times ahead”.
“While the Global Action Plan will have a significant amount of objectives, actions and ideas for clubs and facilities, it is important that you take on actions that you can realistically achieve,” Thomas said.
There will be two million reasons for fans to attend the Australian PGA Championship next year with leading Australian technology retailer SONIQ offering a $2million prize at the event.
The SONIQ Two Million Dollar Hole will feature a ‘beat the pro’ challenge where 20 amateurs and 10 celebrities will tee it up against the Professionals mid-round to win some great prizes for themselves or a celebrity’s chosen charity.
These will include SONIQ’s new Android TV’s with built in Google voice activation and 4K technology for ultra-high resolution and amazing picture quality. However, should they achieve the ultimate and be the first to score a hole in one, a two-million-dollar cash prize will also be theirs.
SONIQ Australia has increased the prize as part of an expanded agreement with the PGA of Australia which sees their current partnership continue for a further two years. This also includes its leading Cybercast brand.
“SONIQ continues to provide amazing experiences and activations for our fans and we are thrilled to have them continue their partnership with the PGA,” said Michael McDonald, Commercial Director of the PGA of Australia.
SONIQ will also contribute its leading digital signage and content management solution to the event, Cybercast. This will enable fans to stay up to date with all the action, scores, support attractions and the hole-in-one competition through its dynamic indoor and outdoor digital signage platform and screen technology.
“We have traditionally engaged with SONIQ’s consumer electronics brand; however, we are excited that this new agreement will also enable us to engage our fans and the PGA business community with the Cybercast brand, which offers extensive business solutions for digital signage and content interface,” added McDonald.
SONIQ’s partnership with the PGA of Australia will also see SONIQ utilise the PGA’s digital assets to engage golf fans year-round.
About SONIQ
Founded in 2000, SONIQ Australia is a leading retailer of quality consumer technology products.
Through extensive research and development, SONIQ delivers quality products at affordable prices, ensuring the latest technologies and devices are available to everyone. Each year, thousands of SONIQ innovations make their way into the lives of consumers in Australia and around the world.
Clubs around Australia can now hold a #DoingItForJarrod day until 31 January 2021 to raise funds for Challenge – supporting kids and their families living with cancer.
The 2020 #DoingItForJarrod campaign has been extended following golf’s return in Victoria to give clubs more time to get involved in this important initiative, as they have been closed throughout the Covid-19 lockdown.
This campaign honours Jarrod Lyle’s legacy and Challenge, the PGA of Australia and Golf Australia are asking clubs and facilities around Australia to dedicate a members’ comp day to #DoingItForJarrod, and in turn support a cause close to the hearts of the golfing community.
“It has been a difficult year for all golf clubs around Australia, either being closed for a period of time, or in Victoria, being locked down for most of the year,” said Challenge CEO David Rogers.
“Jarrod Lyle was an amazing friend and supporter of Challenge and by extending this campaign, we hope it gives more clubs the opportunity to hold a day in honour of Jarrod and support children and families living with cancer.”
Hosting a #DoingItForJarrod day is easy for clubs and PGA Professionals. It can be as simple as dedicating an existing member’s comp day to #DoingItForJarrod and collecting a gold coin donation from participants.
Every golf club that registers will receive a special pack that includes:
Although the Australian PGA Championship will not go ahead in 2020, #DoingItForJarrod participants will still have the opportunity to be entered into the Major Prize Draw to win one of three all-expenses-paid experiences to Brisbane to play in the 2021 Australian PGA Championship Pro-Am to be held at Royal Queensland Golf Club in late November/early December.
For more information and to register, click here.
Terry Gale’s sporting prowess was many and varied but he admits to feeling a great sense of pride at becoming just the third golfer to be named to the Western Australia Hall of Champions.
Gale’s place among the greatest sporting names in WA history was confirmed on Monday night, the winner of 42 professional golf tournaments now alongside Graham Marsh and Maxine Bishop as golf’s sole representatives in WA’s highest sporting esteem.
A prolific winner of professional events in his home state whilst still an amateur, Gale didn’t join the ranks of professionals until after the requirement to serve a traineeship was waived at the age of 29.
Ten of Gale’s 15 PGA Tour of Australasia tournaments came between 1981 and 1983 and he won the national opens of Malaysia (three times), Singapore and Indonesia along with two Japan Golf Tour titles.
Yet as a young boy growing up on a wheat farm in the tiny town of Yelbeni three hours north-east of Perth, golf wasn’t Gale’s only sporting interest.
He hit tennis balls out the back of the house pretending to be Lew Hoad. He wanted to bat like Norm O’Neill, going to be selected in the WA state squad and captaining a Perth Cricket Club first grade team that featured a fast bowler by the name of Dennis Lillee.
“That was interesting, controlling Dennis,” Gale quipped.
He also represented the WA Schoolboys cricket team alongside Rod Marsh in 1960 in Sydney, travelling three days by train across the country for the privilege.
By the age of 14 he was also playing first grade Australian Rules football with the local team, although not with the blessing of all members of the family.
“My mother wasn’t very happy with that at the time. Now with grandkids of my own I can understand why. Kids aren’t that big when they’re 14,” he added.
But as his golf tournament wins began to accrue and with the associated financial reward being enjoyed by others, Gale made the decision to make golf his sport of choice.
A motion put forward by WA representatives Jock Borthwick and John Hadley at the PGA of Australia’s 1975 Annual General Meeting opened the door for leading amateurs to join the professional ranks without undertaking a three-year apprenticeship.
As the 1974 Australian Amateur champion (where wife Julie was his caddie), three-time Eisenhower Trophy representative, three-time winner of the Nedlands Masters as an amateur and two-time WA Open winner as an amateur, Gale fit the bill beautifully.
“I never actually thought I was going to be a professional golfer. Like most kids I just wanted to play cricket and football,” Gale reveals.
“In 1966 I got selected in the State Junior golf team and later that year in the State Senior side.
“These things gradually happened and each was a step towards getting away from cricket.
“Back then if you even dreamt of being a pro and told someone you were likely to be kicked out of the club or be banned from playing pennants.
“Jock Borthwick and John Hadley came to me and said that because I was winning a lot of events they’d prefer to have me as a professional than an amateur.
“I thought I may as well do it because I got sick of winning silver trays or another set of glasses.”
Gale made his professional debut in a tournament in Perth on Australia Day 1976 before making his Tour debut at the Tasmanian Open followed by the Victorian Open. The first of his 34 wins as a professional came at the 1977 Forbes Classic where he defeated prolific Australian winner Billy Dunk in a playoff.
“That was the kiss of death for that tournament; they’ve never had it since,” Gale said.
Encouraged by Graham Marsh to take his talents to the burgeoning Asian circuit, Gale won just the second event he played in, the 1978 Singapore Open title opening the door to play regularly on the more lucrative Japan Golf Tour.
In 1979 he was encouraged by a local Perth car dealer to travel to the UK to contest the Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s, opening with a 71 and going on to finish tied for 13th, his best result in eight Open appearances.
Once he qualified for the seniors circuit Gale returned to Europe and enjoyed great success on the European Seniors Tour, winning seven times including The Belfry PGA Seniors Championship just two months after his 50th birthday.
“My best win I would consider to be the Dunlop Open in Japan,” offered Gale, a Life Member of Royal Perth Golf Club where he has been a member for the past 58 years.
“I had my second son Bradley on the bag and I was on the bottom of this electronic leaderboard they were using.
“I was hovering around there and made a bogey five holes from home and my name disappeared from the leaderboard.
“I holed four big putts on the last four holes and made four birdies. Suddenly my name went up and up and up, hit the top of the board and as luck would have it no one got in front of me.
“It was the biggest tournament win I ever had money-wise and having Bradley on the bag made it that extra special.
“I never really thought of doing what I have done but if you’re a competitor I suppose you just try to make the most of whatever ability you may have.
“It’s indeed an honour to be inducted into the Hall of Champions and I feel very fortunate to be included alongside a lot of people that I’ve followed all my life.
“There are a lot of AFL footballers and cricketers, the more popular sports, but there have only been two for golf prior to me being Graham Marsh and Maxine Bishop.
“I feel very honoured to be able to join them as the third.”
Image: Golf WA
It’s official: Australia is the best place on the planet to play golf.
The host nation of the 2019 Presidents Cup and 2018 World Cup of Golf was announced as the world’s most desirable golf location Thursday at the World Golf Awards, a global travel body that celebrates and rewards excellence in golf tourism, world-class courses and golf destinations.
Australia held off the likes of Vietnam, USA, UK, Ireland, Canada, Dubai and Mexico for the top gong, after what has been a tumultuous time for international travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This news, however, is sure to light a fire within for local tour operators, who collectively have lost millions of dollars in revenue while international travel has remained in limbo.
“I’m ecstatic Australia has been recognised as the world’s best golf destination,” said Richard Tessel, whose company Easygolf Worldwide Australia also took out the award for Oceania’s Best Golf Tour Operator for 2020.
“We all know just how tough the tourism industry has been hit during the pandemic. It’s been a disaster unlike anything we have ever experienced. This accolade provides some level of comfort and a lot of hope that, when everything does return to normal, Australia will be No.1 on the list for travelling golfers far and wide.”
Tessel, who himself has lobbied for Australia to be recognised as the world’s best golf destination for more than five years, paid credit to PGA of Australia boss Gavin Kirkman, who helped present a formidable case to the judges this year.
“All the kudos goes to Gavin, along with the state of Victoria and the US PGA Tour for allowing Australia to once again host the Presidents Cup and The World Cup of Golf in recent times. I have no doubt the exposure those two events gave our country certainly helped with this award.”
World Golf Awards is part of the World Travel Awards, currently celebrating its 27th anniversary. World Golf Awards voting runs from February to September each year. Votes come from professionals working within the golf travel and tourism industry, including senior executives, tour operators, agents and media professionals, and may also be cast by the public (golf tourism consumers).
“Despite the many challenges that the golf tourism and hospitality industry has faced in this most unprecedented of years, votes were cast by hundreds of thousands of golf consumers from a record 129 countries,” said World Golf Awards managing director Chris Frost.
“Strong support has also come from the leading golf industry professionals and media from every single participating nation in the programme. I can happily report that the appetite for golf tourism has never been as keen, as golf fans pushed for World Golf Awards to continue, and for the leaders in our industry to be acknowledged and rewarded. This bodes well for golf tourism’s future as the global recovery begins.
“With all of this taken into account, this year’s World Golf Awards winners are more deserving than ever before. Rewarding your commitment to excellence, whatever the challenges, and the determination to become the undisputed market leader.”
This article was originally published by Australian Golf Digest and republished here with permission.
Image: Gary Lisbon
The Outback Queensland Masters has hit a hole-in-one at the 2020 Australian Event Awards, receiving the award for Australia’s Best New Event.
The judges described the Outback Queensland Masters as “innovative, ground-breaking, inclusive, fun and creative”.
“This is an incredibly unique new event. The effort, creativity and resourcefulness of the event organisers is truly impressive,” said co-chair of the judging panel Peter Rix AM.
“Congratulations to all the finalists and winners. The quality of the entries has meant a very high-scoring year, significantly higher than previous years and the judges have definitely had their work cut out.”
The Outback QLD Masters, Australia’s most remote golf series, spans thousands of kilometres through Outback Queensland.
The richest amateur golf tournament in the world, the idea for the event was born of a need to drive longer overnight visitation for Outback Queensland, enabling visitors to genuinely connect with locals through golf.
“Over the course of two months in 2019, the inaugural OQM participants began their journey with us. There was a little trepidation, a big dose of curiosity and there was absolute awe from the locals as we transformed their golf clubs,” said event producer Theresa Famularo, of Cre8ion.
“By the end, the Outback Queensland Masters team had created an opportunity that was beyond tourism and visitation or playing a round of golf. With world-class entertainment under the stars, we had a new community of visitors who had built new and lasting friendships.”
Luke Bates, Golf Australia’s state senior manager – Queensland, was delighted with the interest the event had generated and that the team effort to bring it to life had been rewarded.
“We would especially like to thank our strategic partners Tourism and Events Queensland, the Queensland Government, who supported the event through the Year of Outback Tourism Events Program and the PGA of Australia,” Bates said.
“We are also grateful for the support from each and every local golf club and their members who so eagerly embraced the event and the contribution from Maranoa Regional Council, Murweh Shire Council, Longreach Regional Council, Winton and Boulia Shire Councils and Mount Isa City Council.
“Special thanks must also be given to the team from Cre8ion and Weatherall Golf who played a crucial role in developing and staging the event.”
To give back and provide opportunities for young people in Outback Queensland, free junior golf clinics for local children were also staged in the six locations on the Outback Queensland Masters with PGA professional Darren Weatherall front and centre.
“It was a great way for young people to get first-hand knowledge and skills in the game,” said Weatherall, the director of Double You Golf.
Bates said that despite the cancellation of the 2020 OQM because of Covid-19, many golfing enthusiasts and travelling visitors had already shown great interest in its return in 2021.
“Based on sales to date, we believe next year’s event will sell-out,” Bates said.
“By far the most popular ticket being purchased to date is the `All-inclusive Player Pass and “All-inclusive Spectator Pass’, which provides the player with entry into all six locations for June and July 2021.”
So, who will win the million-dollar hole-in-one in 2021? Only time will tell. But with five warm up opportunities with $10,000 hole-in-challenges in Biloela, Charleville, Quilpie, Blackall, and Hughenden, it’s well worth a try. Not to mention the extraordinary journey through the landscapes, legends, and hospitality of Outback Queensland.
Event industry leaders from across the country gathered via a syndicated video link for the awards ceremony in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
The Outback Queensland Masters was against other national finalists in the new event category, including, SAP e’ffect, INVNT, New South Wales, Greater Springfield Festival of Learning 2019, LOUD events, Queensland, ICC T20 Women’s World Cup Opening Celebration 2020, Michael Cassel Group, New South Wales and North Australian Festival of Arts 2019, Townsville City Council, Queensland.
2021 EVENT SCHEDULE
To book your 2021 tickets and find out more information, visit the Outback Queensland Masters website.
The PGA of Australia is pleased to announce a trio of new media partnerships with oOh!media, Southern Cross Austereo and The Courier-Mail all becoming commercial partners of the PGA.
A three-year partnership with oOh!media, Australia’s leading Out of Home advertising company, will see their extensive national network of more than 37,000 digital and classic locations promote both PGA of Australia Member campaigns along with the Australian PGA Championship, which recently moved to Brisbane’s Royal Queensland Golf Club.
Southern Cross Austereo has also joined the PGA, with their three-year partnership to focus on the Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane. The PGA will utilise Triple M’s stations in Brisbane, Gold Coast and Toowoomba to promote the Australian PGA Championship, from the 2021 edition onwards.
This trio of new additions is rounded out by The Courier-Mail. The PGA will utilise News Corp Australia’s national footprint to promote visitation to the Australian PGA Championship both locally and from interstate. Readers of Brisbane’s The Courier-Mail, The Sunday Mail and other publications around the country will access a range of benefits through the News Corp Subscriber +Rewards program.
“We are delighted to have three of Australia’s leading media organisations join us as commercial partners of the PGA and look forward to the many opportunities it will present for all involved in these new partnerships,” said Michael McDonald, Commercial Director of the PGA of Australia.
“Golf continues to see unprecedented demand through COVID-19 and the addition of mutually beneficial partnerships such as these enables us to promote our sport, our tournaments and showcase our members to a wider audience who are clearly interested in golf.”
Tim Murphy, oOh!’s Chief Sales Officer, said: “Whether they live in towns, cities or regional areas, Australians love golf. It’s ideally suited to our way of life, and we are delighted to partner with the PGA to help promote the game and these world-class events over the coming years, right across our nation.”
“The Courier-Mail, Sunday Mail and News Queensland’s print and digital mastheads look forward to working with the PGA and partners to make this event a great success and one of many highlights on the Queensland events calendar,” said Andre Grimaux, Commercial Partnerships Editor, The Courier-Mail.
TX Civil & Logistics Company Director Zak Raad has claimed his first Road to the Outback win at the 2020 TX Civil & Logistics WA PGA Championship after six years of competing in and sponsoring the amateur event.
An avid golfer, Raad teamed up with Brett Rumford for the three day 4 Ball Best Ball event played in conjunction with the WA PGA Championship, where the team’s best two rounds determined the winner on the final day.
Scores of 46 on Thursday and 50 on Saturday combined to see the Raad, Rumford pair win with a score of 96, two points ahead of the runner up team of Eddie Purrington and 2020 WA PGA champion Jarryd Felton.
On winning the Road to the Outback event Raad donated a $1250 On Course Golf voucher to the Goldfields Golf Club Junior Program.
James Williams, winner of the Road to the Outback (RTO) click and win competition thanks to Subaru and Mizuno, and playing partner Joshua Greer tied for third place alongside Pro Daniel Fox and amateur Ray Heusser each with a combined score of 91.
Williams and daughter Sophie, the only female RTO participant, were loaned a brand new Subaru Outback to drive to Kalgoorlie Golf Course for the event to experience all that the WA, and the Outback, have to offer.
After tying for ninth place paired with Stephen Dartnall, Sophie hopes to graduate to the elite amateur field in 2021 to play off the WA PGA Championship’s famous truck tee markers set for the Championship course.
While the on-course action proved to be as thrilling as ever, the 42-player Road to the Outback field enjoyed all that the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder has to offer off the field across the three days of competition.
To view the final Road to the Outback results click here.
Callaway has continued its partnership with the PGA of Australia by extending its long association with Australia’s largest and most successful pro-amateur team’s event, the Volkswagen Scramble.
The PGA of Australia will provide a range of engagement opportunities in over 400 Volkswagen Scramble events that will take place during the 2020/2021 season. In addition, Callaway will continue to engage with Australian golf fans via the PGA’s wide range of digital assets.
“We are excited that Callaway will be part of the 2020/2021 Volkswagen Scramble season and provide a range of benefits for our Scramble participants and PGA Professionals,” said Michael McDonald, Commercial Director of the PGA of Australia.
“The partnership will enable the PGA to continue to develop this popular team’s event, which is seeing strong demand with the increasing popularity of golf due to COVID-19.”
“The Volkswagen Scramble has been a key ingredient for Callaway in engaging with golfers all over the country,” said Matt Meredith, Managing Director of Callaway Golf South Pacific.
“We are proud to continue our association with the event and the PGA of Australia and look forward to another exciting year.”
The Volkswagen Scramble celebrates its 29th season in 2020/2021. Since the event commenced in 1992 over 1,000,000 players have participated in over 10,000 events.
The 2020/2021 season of the Volkswagen Scramble commenced on August 1 and runs until March 31, 2021.
To enter a team at a local event or host a Scramble event visit www.vwscramble.com.au.
