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Sustainability and a more actively engaged membership are the key tenets that Robert Blain is using to elevate one of Sydney’s busiest golf courses.
Nestled amongst a collection of courses that includes Bonnie Doon Golf Club and sharing a lake with The Lakes Golf Club, Eastlake Golf Club not only offers affordable membership options in Australia’s most populous city but also access to public play.
Blain joined Eastlake as General Manager in July 2023 after a stint as Director of Golf at New South Wales Golf Club.
Sensing the opportunity to maximise the potential Eastlake Golf Club presented, Blain went straight to work on key projects, including the installation of a 100kW solar panel system, consultation with Greater Sydney Landcare on a commitment to plant 4,000 native trees and a streamlining of membership categories that included new models aimed at encouraging cadet, junior and colt participation.
The nett result was an almost 10 per cent growth in membership and a nett profit of $250,000 despite $400,000 in capital expenditure, Blain paying tribute to the position the club was in when he became General Manager.
“It is one of the busiest courses in Sydney, so it’s a matter of capitalising on that popularity,” said Blain, who was named the PGA National Management Professional of the Year at the PGA Awards in November.
“The club has been going from strength to strength before my time and I’ve seen it myself in the time I’ve been there.
“For myself and the management team, it’s a case of improving it where we can, listening to members’ feedback and taking them along on the journey.”
Part of that journey will be further course and infrastructure upgrades that will include construction changes to five of the club’s 18 holes.
These will be aligned with Eastlake’s course safety development applications which also includes the planting of more than 4,000 native trees in accordance with the club’s Environmental Management Plan.
Eastlake has also engaged an architect to revamp the clubhouse amenities, further enhancing the member and guest experience.
“We’ve made a fair push in the sustainability area,” said Blain.
“We installed a large solar panel system on the roof of the clubhouse and we have engaged in a detailed native tree planting program with Greater Sydney Landcare.
“It’s all part of the course safety plans that we’ve got coming in the next 12 months or so.”
After completing the Membership Pathway Program under Colin Hunt at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club, Blain was the Head Professional at Hamilton Island Golf Club, became Golf Operations Manager at Royal Sydney Golf Club and then Director of Golf at New South Wales Golf Club.
He says that grounding, and the fellow PGA Professionals he has worked under, put him in a strong position to take on the General Manager role at Eastlake.
“I started with Colin Hunt at Twin Creeks and then worked with him again at Royal Sydney when I was there,” said Blain.
“I had David Burton at New South Wales, Rob Elliott at a couple of the courses that I worked at and Paul Hinton at Royal Sydney.
“I’d like to think that I have taken bits from each of them and tried to build them into my own management philosophy.
“Everyone says the door is always open but I do just to chat to the staff and make sure things are going smoothly and address any issues that might arise before they become bigger issues.”
For Jake Newbery, the key to engaging kids in golf is to show them just how fun the sport is, something that comes naturally to him.
Announced at the PGA Awards during BMW Australian PGA Championship week as the 2024 MyGolf Deliverer of the Year, Newbery credits his grandfather for introducing him to the game and fostering his love of the sport from a young age.
“My inspiration comes from being amongst golf,” he said.
“My grandfather was my sole inspiration into me being a part of the golf industry.
“I just fell in love with the sport and I love everything about it. I love showing kids just how much fun golf and our sport can be.”
Working out of KDV Sport on the Gold Coast, Newbery completed his PGA Membership Pathway Program at Keperra Country Golf Club.
KDV is a multisport facility, and the ethos of the MyGolf program fits in perfectly. MyGolf takes a fun above all approach, and incorporates a number of different games and sports.
“To get kids engaged, you’ve got to have energy,” said Newbery.
“You’ve got to have multiple different stations that they can go through and learn. You’ve got to ensure they understand it because if they can understand it, they’ll be able to do it.
“Show them how to have fun, and show the love of the sport.”
In his pursuit to unearth the next stars of the sport, and help pass on his love of golf to the next generation, Newbery says the MyGolf program has been transformative.
“The MyGolf platform is absolutely incredible,” he said. “Not only does it create links between parents and coaches, it gives parents the ability to see what’s going on in their local area and then get their child involved in the game.
“It’s so easy to use on the Golf Australia website. Honestly, I can’t recommend it enough. If you haven’t got it, get it.”
Newbery receives countless messages (see below) from parents praising him for helping their kids, but it is the instant feedback from his students that he cherishes the most.
“Their smiles are the most special. Seeing them hit a shot that they can’t hit. Seeing them make their first putt, making their first birdie, then they just go, ‘Wow! Did I just do that?’.”
Messages from parents included in Newbery’s nomination below:
After almost a decade in the police force, the PGA’s Membership Pathway Program offered the career change Luke Porritt needed.
“It was my sister who encouraged me at the time,” says Porritt.
“She said there was no reason I couldn’t take a risk. Her advice stuck with me, it helped me to take the leap and I am so glad I did.”
Porritt was in a dark place when he and his sister shared that raw conversation.
After nearly a decade in the police force, Porritt was struggling with a range of mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, directly related to his work.
“I had a pretty bad time of it and, ultimately, I just needed to get out,” he reflects.
Thankfully for Porritt, golf – the game he grew up loving with his dad and grandpa as they played together on sand greens – provided hope and possibility in the form of a drastic career change.
For Porritt, that meant enrolling in the PGA’s Membership Pathway Program; the PGA’s accredited education program to help translate a passion for the game into a career as a PGA Professional.
“The timing all worked out really well,” Porritt explains.
“A job popped up in Thurgoona where I was at the time, and it was a chance to do something I had always had a passion for.
“Up until that point, I just didn’t think a career in golf was something I could do.”
Now in his third and final year as a PGA Associate, 34-year-old Porritt is thriving.
His is a busy schedule as he balances completing his education with his hours at Thurgoona Country Club, as well as finding time to practice and improve his own game.
“There is no doubt I’ve got a lot on, I am also a father of two now,” he laughs.
“But from where I was, I think being busy – and enjoying what is making me busy – is a really wonderful thing.”
At Thurgoona, Porritt is splitting his time between the shop, where he spends three days a week, and coaching. A nice split, he loves engaging with club members and already understands the role that a PGA Professional can play in enhancing golfer experience.
“I love building that connection and rapport with people around the club. I think it is a unique and special role in that way,” he adds.
To that end, he is eternally grateful to the club for being supportive of his journey. From the work opportunities to creating the time and space to continue improving his own game, Porritt has found a home at Thurgoona.
The practice is paying off, too.
Porritt has recorded two third-places finishes at the NSW/ACT Associate Championship and cites a start at the Victorian PGA as a highlight of his time as an Associate.
“I really do love playing and competing,” he says. “I am hoping to get some starts in Tour events next year and really keep that side of things going.”
Recognised for his hard work, improvement and outstanding results through his time in the MPP, Porritt was also named Victorian Associate of the Year in 2023.
“I am very proud of that to be honest. It is really nice to be recognised for your hard work.”
Although the hard work is far from over, Porritt could not be more content with the decision he made to look after his health and follow his passion. With a career as a PGA Professional waiting for him, the possibilities are many.
“I love coaching but would never rule out the idea of becoming a Director of Golf or General Manager in the golf industry,” he says.
“The chance to follow my passion is wonderful, and I am so grateful for the support of my wife, family and all the wonderful people at Thurgoona for helping to make it a reality.”
To explore the myriad of career opportunities available through the PGA of Australia, visit pga.org.au/education
The two leading teams could not be split at the NSW/ACT PGA Foursomes Championship held at Pymble Golf Club on Monday.
Faced with temperatures in excess of 35 degrees, the team of Jordan Mullaney and Jason Perkin and the pairing of Steve Vail and Neil Rolfe sharing top spot with rounds of 4-under 68.
Incredibly, both teams completed their rounds bogey-free, Mullaney and Perkin adding to their foursomes win of two years ago.
The condition of the greens received widespread compliments from the players in the field and the two winning teams both made special mention of Pymble Golf Club, in particular General Manager and PGA Member Jason Atkins, Head Professional Christian McGill and his team and the course staff for the presentation of the golf course.
PGA Professional Adrian Wickstein talks through the change Jack Buchanan made that has helped him to make more putts that matter.
At the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur at Royal Melbourne, I asked Jack’s parents to film every putt.
And there were plenty.
What we noticed was that there was no consistency in his routine before each putt. Sometimes he’d have four practise strokes. Sometimes it’d be next to the ball, sometimes it’d be behind the ball.
Making putts when it matters is a combination of process and skill competency and a lack of a pre-putt routine was holding Jack back.
When establishing any pre-shot routine it is important to tailor it to the individual’s personality. Jack is quite fast-paced and relaxed so we built a routine that was a little bit quicker than most others but enough time to soak in the information that’s required.
Green reading is an element of the routine but the actual process of hitting the shot consists of a practise stroke behind the ball, stepping in, right hand on the putter, left hand on his left thigh and then he takes the grip and goes for it.
He did that for every putt when he won both the WA PGA Championship and the Webex Players Series South Australia in October but there was one putt, in particular, that stood out to me.
It wasn’t the putt to win in Kalgoorlie (pictured), but the 12-footer Jack had to make at the first playoff hole.
Jordan Doull made a 40-footer for birdie and Jack had to step in and match it to force a second playoff hole.
If you want consistency, you have to do things consistently. A pre-shot routine is a great step towards that.
Adrian Wickstein is the Golf Performance Manager at Kooyonga Golf Club in Adelaide and the State High Performance Manager – SA at Golf Australia.
Seventy years a member of the PGA of Australia. Forty-five years as the Head Professional at Royal Queensland Golf Club. No person better encapsulates the union of Australia’s PGA Championship and Royal Queensland than Charlie Earp.
One of only four people to be elevated to PGA Immortal status, Earp is best known for guiding the game of a young Greg Norman, turning a raw talent from North Queensland into someone whose record as world No.1 has been bettered by only one golfer.
Yet Earp’s influence on Australian golf stretches far beyond the waters surrounding the Great White Shark.
Major champions Wayne Grady, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Karrie Webb and Cameron Smith have all spent time in Earp’s orbit, a man who applied the rhythm of horse-riding to how the body needed to move in the golf swing.
Days out from the start of the 2024 BMW Australian PGA Championship, Earp shares his unlikely rise from a dairy farm in northern New South Wales to one of the most revered members in the history of the PGA of Australia.
The second day that I set foot on a golf course was my first day of work to become an Assistant Professional under Reg Want, who was the Professional at Coolangatta and Tweed Heads Golf Club.
It was explained to me by my boss that you’re a professional, and you carry yourself like a professional because you are the backbone of the club. When the people first come in, you’re the guy they’re going to see. And you’re the guy that they’re going to see after they finish their game.
I used to ride horses a fair bit on our dairy farm and the coordination I learnt to work with the horse, not the horse work with me, helped in understanding what Reg was talking about with regards to the golf swing. It’s about finding the swing that suits them − for their body. There’s not two people in the world who swing the club the same. They’re all built differently, so you have to design a swing based on what they’ve got to work with.
The most important thing to me was to work on a pace. To get people to slow their swing down, you’ve got to find something for them to do. I would tell people that it’s like starting an outboard motor on a dinghy. You can pull it with your right hand and do it as quick as anything, because you’re trying to crank it over. Now do the same thing with your left hand and you can’t do it as fast. I used to get right-handed players to push the club back with their left arm. That would slow them down to a pace that suits them.
Norman Von Nida paved the way, a bit like Joe Kirkwood. I think he had 67 or 68 tournaments that he won over the years and he went over there without a pound to his name. He paved the way. I admired him so much for what he was capable of doing. He wasn’t a very big man but pretty strong in the arms and the legs. He set a great example. Always dressed very nicely, and he thanks Walter Hagen for that.
I really think the person who deserves more credit for what he’s done in the world of golf is Joe Kirkwood. He went overseas to America and he teed up with Walter Hagen and Joe Kirkwood was a big part of where the golf tour is today. The PGA of Australia is very lucky to have a person of that calibre to name our PGA championship after. He deserves more media, more respect.
When I first started at Royal Queensland, I wasn’t allowed in the clubhouse to have a drink or anything. You’d go out the back to be able to get a drink. I think we were the first golf club in the Commonwealth to allow the Professional into the bar.
I never seriously thought of leaving RQ in the 45 years that followed. Some of the guys asked me to go to Royal Sydney after Alex (Mercer) had finished there but they’ve been good to me. They’ve looked after me and been wonderful all the way through. It’s a wonderful club.
Greg (Norman) was so easy to teach. He was already a good golfer. I’d see him and might only say a few words while he was hitting balls. The good players are all easy to teach; it’s just finding out the solution that’s going to help them to get the result they want.
The story of Greg hitting a ball over the Gateway Bridge is absolutely true. Excuse me for dropping names but (Federal politician) Sir James Killen was with us. I said to Greg, ‘Do you reckon you could hit a ball over that bridge?’ He said, ‘Yeah, no problem.’ We went back to where the original tee was for the 12th and he hit six balls, three over and three under. And they were still rising as they went over the bridge. The gantry was still working, building the bridge, and so there’s the bridge and then the gantry on top of that, and he hit them over the gantry.
Corinne Dibnah had a silky swing. She won a British Open and a European Open. I never got to see Ben Hogan. One of my wishes in life was to see Ben Hogan and meet Ben Hogan but I never met him.
Karrie (Webb) used to come down here and come away on a couple of state trips with us. She had mongrel. She was determined. I don’t know where she picked it up from – it might have been born in her – but her attitude was that ‘this is my tournament and you’re not going to take it away from me’.
It never felt like a job; it felt like a pleasure to me. To be doing something that you like and something that you love, what more do you want in life? Helping people to enjoy themselves. Couldn’t get anything better than that.
From his years playing on tours around the world, Brad Lamb had an innate understanding of how a fully-functioning body was crucial in executing an effective golf swing.
Coming through the Victorian Institute of Sport system alongside the likes of Geoff Ogilvy and Aaron Baddeley, Lamb was exposed to the benefits of physical fitness in playing better golf.
He worked with trainer Martine Dennis to get the best out of his body and now he and Dennis have joined forces to offer a revolutionary indoor golf centre in Geelong.
The Golf Institute is not simply an indoor golf facility boasting five simulator bays but a space where everyday golfers can be exposed to the same type of physical training that players on tour receive on a weekly basis.
“We’re exposing the average person to what an elite player gets in terms of training and practising properly,” said Lamb.
“The good eye of a coach and someone who can help them with their body in combination.”
After 14 years of coaching at Barwon Valley Golf Club, Lamb understood the tendencies of club golfers seeking to save shots from their game.
They would express good intentions of incorporating stretching and training into their golf development, yet carrying it forward proved more challenging.
When an opportunity to be part of an indoor facility presented itself, Lamb explored the concept of providing instruction and golf-specific training in the one space.
“I saw from my mentor Gary Edwin’s indoor facility on the Gold Coast that you can influence a person’s technique better in a controlled environment,” said Lamb.
“But the other component from my perspective is helping people understand how their body is so important for not just swinging the golf club, but their function of everyday life.
“That’s why we’ve got a crossover of half exercise, half golf.”
Key to that was engaging Dennis, who is now an accredited Exercise Physiologist and founder of the Springys exercise system.
Upstairs in The Golf Conditioning Centre are eight Springys systems along a 35-metre wall where classes are held and individuals can warm up prior to their lessons.
Osteopath Sandy Stewart from Renew Wellness Collective will be joining the team in the first week of December for the launch of Golf Wellness, where he will offer Pilates and Springys classes.
Combined with the Springys app that offers more than 700 individual exercises, Lamb and his team can prescribe holistic and individual programs for every person who walks through The Golf Institute front door.
“For a person who’s functionally poor and got issues with their hips or their knees or their shoulder, then lifting weights is the last thing they need to be doing,” Lamb said of identifying the type of exercises he wanted to incorporate in the facility.
“I wanted to create a space where it felt very modern but I wanted the feeling of movement and space. “We just want people to feel happy about their golf and happy about their bodies. And if we can combine the two, then we’re doing all right.”
Two weeks ago, nearly 500 attendees converged on the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre for the 2024 Golf Summit.
Over two days, the Golf Summit brought together a diverse range of attendees from all corners of the golf industry to lead, grow and innovate within Australian Golf.
Featuring world class keynote speakers, attendees were able to learn from an expert in their field, as well as use the Golf Summit as a chance to network and share ideas with others in the industry.
Keynote speakers included NRL legend Billy Slater, Vice President of Engineering at PING Paul Wood, Paralympian Elle Steele, and NBL CEO David Stevenson, among many others.
For PGA members, the Golf Summit was a chance to learn about the latest global coaching trends and connect with fellow members from around the country, while keynote speaker and world-renowned golf coach Will Robins was a particular hit.
One PGA member remarked after the Golf Summit: “Seeing Will Robins in person was by far the best thing the PGA has done coaching wise since I’ve been a PGA member.”
PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said he was pleased to see so many PGA members from across the country together at the Golf Summit.
“To have PGA members make up close to 40 percent of the Golf Summit attendees was incredible to see, and demonstrated the hunger our dedicated members have to always continue learning,” he said.
“Working collaboratively with Golf Australia on this event was a living example of how connected the golf industry is in Australia, and the positive impact this has was evident in the room.”
For attendees from Australia’s clubs and facilities and broader industry, the Golf Summit provided an opportunity to take learnings away and ensure facilities thrive into the future, with Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland praising the quality and variety of speakers.
“There truly was something for everyone at the Golf Summit,” he said. “From the impacts of Artificial Intelligence on the golf industry, to environmental trends and the importance of golf courses to urban biodiversity, every attendee could take learnings away.
“The power and importance of bringing the entire Australian golf industry together cannot be understated, and I look forward to working with the PGA of Australia on future Golf Summits for the betterment of Australian Golf.”
For information about future Golf Summits, REGISTER HERE to be the first to know.
Photos from the 2024 Golf Summit can be accessed HERE.
In an incredibly close final day at Heritage Golf and Country Club, Samuel Eaves has broken through to capture his first PGA Professionals Championship National Final title.
With a 3-under 69 final round, and 9-under total, Eaves was the champion by three shots, this win a long time coming for the Queenslander, who has finished second and third at this championship in the past.
Courtesy of his win, Eaves takes home the winner’s share of the $65,000 prize purse, as well as a spot in next month’s BMW Australian PGA Championship, and a place on the Australian team heading to the Four Nations Cup next year.
Sharing second at 6-under was four time champion Matt Docking, and overnight leader Mitch Smith. With a closing birdie, Docking forced a playoff for the second place on offer in the BMW Australian PGA Championship and place on Australia’s Four Nations Cup team, which he subsequently won.
Finishing just outside the playoff at 5-under in fourth was West Australian Scott Barr, with Queenslander Brenton Fowler fifth at 4-under, and Sydneysider Alexander Simpson sixth at 3-under.
In the inaugural WPGA Professionals Championships , Katelyn Must was the winner with a 3-over total over the three days at Heritage.
With scores of 71-76-72, Must’s consistency proved the key to her win over runner-up Grace Lennon who finished at 10-over.
As the leading two women of the week, 2024 Australian team members Must and Lennon will be heading back to the Women’s PGA Cup in 2026.
Must finished in a tie for 16th overall, while Lennon finished in a tie for 34th.
After eight holes today, all four players in Eaves’ final grouping were tied at the top, the former Warwick Professional turned Real Estate Agent admitting he was battling with his game early in the round.
“I had no idea where we were all sitting, I never looked at the leaderboard once all day,” said Eaves. “I just played golf and there was a stretch there from five through to 11 where I didn’t hit it very well.
Climbing the steep hill to Heritage St. John’s 12th hole must have got the blood pumping that Eaves’ needed, as he proceeded to make three birdies in a row, before a perfect hybrid set up an eagle on the par-5 15th which really separated him from the pack.
“It just came out of the screws,” he said. “It actually turned over a little bit left on me and it was between the flag and the bunker and I’m like, ‘that’s not where I wanted it, I wanted it on the other side’, but yeah, it was just lovely.”
Three pars coming in was all Eaves needed to secure the win, before a few of his fellow PGA Members could run onto the 18th green and drown him in champagne.
Having qualified and played in every BMW Australian PGA Championship since it has been held at Royal Queensland, Eaves is extremely excited to head back to the event next month.
“I’m over the moon, can’t believe it, and I play really well around Royal Queensland,” he said.
“I’m a golf fan who gets to be inside the ropes with no pressure or expectations on me to do anything, and I get to go and have the most fun for a week.
“I’m not here to keep a tour card or go places in golf. I’m here to just enjoy golf as much as I can and that’s why I play so good, because I’ve got so much freedom.”
Having lost his father less than 12-months ago, Eaves says it was hard not to think of the man who had such an influence on his golf while playing today, and knows how proud he would be of him.
Mitchell Smith has held onto to his overnight lead after day two of the PGA Professionals Championship National Final, with the stage set for a thrilling final day at Heritage Golf and Country Club tomorrow.
Smith was able to back up his day one 67 with a 2-under 70 today to lead the championship by one at 7-under. Fellow Queenslander Samuel Eaves shot the round of the day, a 6-under 66, to catapult himself to second on the leaderboard.
A further shot back at 5-under is New South Welshman Alexander Simpson, with Queenslander Brenton Fowler and defending champion Matt Docking looming at 4-under, Docking bouncing back from a sluggish opening round with a 5-under 67 today.
In his first National Final, Smith is showing no signs of nerves, however he has two very well credentialled players in Eaves and Docking on his back as he looks to make it a debut to remember tomorrow.
Eaves is very happy to be in contention, the ex-pro from Warwick Golf Club now real estate agent says that he is enjoying his golf more than ever at the moment.
“It’s a nice change, and when I get out and have a game, I just love it more than I ever have and I’m sort of playing better than I ever have too,” he said.
“When I get out there it’s exciting, it’s like being a kid again really.”
Eaves managed five birdies in a row on the Heritage St. John back nine today, that flurry singlehandedly getting the Queenslander into contention.
“It was nice to hit them close where you just had to tap them in and not really think too much about the putt in front of you,” he said.
Having multiple top-25 finishes at the BMW Australian PGA Championship, and a second and third in this championship already, Eaves is hungry to finish the job and earn himself another start in Brisbane next month.
Also hunting down Smith tomorrow will be Docking, the four-time champion keen to etch his name into the trophy yet again and book another trip to Brisbane.
“I was just really anxious yesterday. It was one of those days where I just couldn’t shake it off,” said the defending champion. “But no, felt back to myself today.”
As the Head Professional at Murray Downs, this year’s host of the NSW Open, Docking has been extended an invitation to play that event, and says the prospect of booking himself another trip to Brisbane is made all the more exciting off the back of that.
“I would love to get back there, because playing here this week, then we’ve got New South Wales Open in three weeks and then into that, so I would actually have a bit of golf under my belt, so that’d be something special,” he said.
