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Sometimes when trying to introduce new people to the game, it’s not about the golf.
In a year in which existing golfers have increased their frequency and former golfers have returned to the fairways in droves, 2020 also encouraged many people otherwise unable to partake in their regular exercise to give golf a try.
PGA Professionals such as Mark Tibbles were front and centre to make sure that the first impression was a good one and one that lasted.
The Head Teaching and Golf Professional at the MTI Golf Academy at The Vies Resort and Country Club in Perth, Tibbles has been at the forefront of inclusion in golf for the more than a decade.
The recipient of the Western Australia Game Development Professional of the Year the past two years, Tibbles can now add the honour of being recognised as the PGA’s National Game Development Professional of the Year to his 43-year career resume.
The junior program overseen by Tibbles at The Vines has been a success for a number of years but his more recent efforts to promote the game among ladies and people with a disability grew in popularity through 2020.
His ‘Ready Steady Golf’ program run with the support of the WA Golf Foundation conducted 169 clinics for people with a disability last year alone and his ‘Gotta Get Golfing’ program with additional mentoring made possible by the Foundation saw record numbers of ladies engage with the game.
Even if, for some, the golf lesson was somewhat secondary.
“Our ladies program has an hour playing golf and 40 minutes afterwards for coffee. For some, the coffee afterwards might be the best part,” says Tibbles, who has seen 70 ladies progress from his program into club membership at The Vines in the past three years.
“It gives them a chance to get to know each other and bond as new golfers with a common interest where they have support from other ladies who are in the same boat.
“It’s very important that people are made to feel very, very welcome right from the first point of contact and there’s a lot that we do after golf to help the ladies feel welcome.
“Being able to spend time with them, rather than just how to grip the club and a few swing basics, makes the ladies feel really welcome.
“The mentoring sessions which are free to those who are in the program are also extremely valuable in showing ladies that they can get on the course and they can play a round of golf.”
Tibbles has been providing opportunities for people with a disability to get into golf for more than a decade and admits that he thought the COVID-19 pandemic would have an adverse impact on the number of participants, particularly those with susceptible immune systems.
After a two-week delay at the beginning of Term 2 while Perth remained in lockdown, he found the opposite to be the case.
“The biggest increase for us was certainly our disability program. We conducted 169 clinics through the course of the year for people with disabilities,” Tibbles explains.
“I personally thought that it might be a little slow and people would be nervous to come back out but because we’re out in the fresh air and a lot of people felt that golf was safe, people did flock back.
“One thing that was very pleasing was that we’ve got a program for people with disability, some of whom are quite vulnerable when it comes to their immune system. We thought that might slow down but we had record numbers for that program too.
“There’s been a huge move to encourage professionals to make their programs inclusive with the All Abilities qualification and Vision 2025 promoting female participation and it’s great that other facilities are offering more than they perhaps used to.
“There’s a huge market in terms of both women and disabled golfers and I think more PGA Professionals are aware now that this is the future.”
As for his own contribution and the recognition at a national level, Tibbles says that this award is the high point of a long and distinguished career.
“To be recognised nationally is a tremendous thrill. For me it’s the highlight of my career,” says Tibbles.
“I’ve been a golf professional for 43 years now and this is my 30th year as a member of the PGA of Australia so to be recognised nationally is the icing on the cake.”
The challenge of change was one that was thrust upon every golf facility in Australia in 2020 in ways none of us could ever have expected.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it course closures, new operating protocols and an explosion in memberships and rounds that all required nimble management, constant communication and buy-in from every staff member across each aspect of the business.
The way Wembley Golf Course in Perth dealt with all of these unique challenges and how they embraced change to improve their operations has earned General Manager Josh Madden the 2020 PGA National Management Professional of the Year award.
Conceding that golf facilities in Western Australia were less impacted by COVID than other states such as Victoria, Madden explained that once he and the staff at Wembley identified the opportunities that they had been presented they took full advantage.
“We’re always trying to improve and strangely COVID-19 provided the re-boot button we needed to make a few hard decisions that we’ve changed permanently in 2021,” Madden says.
“We moved our coring and scarifying rotation up from August/September to the first week we were closed in March. We mobilised in three days and did all 36 holes and the result was an outstanding product all winter that was better equipped to handle the golf traffic that we experienced in 2020.
“It also gave us a chance to revisit our tee sheet management and make some changes that would have been very difficult to manage without the break that COVID-19 provided.
“The results have been terrific. We’re communicating better with our social groups and managing the traffic better which ultimately resulted in a better pace of play for more people.
“It all worked out but was a lot of work by my fantastic team behind the scenes both on the golf course and within the pro shop.”
Already one of the busiest golf facilities in the country, golf’s boon in popularity broke records at Wembley.
The pro shop and golf course experienced increases of some 25 per cent month after month but it was on the automated driving range – the perfect athletic outlet in a pandemic – where the impact was most significant.
“Patrons hit 111,000 balls in one day in July. Those kinds of numbers were unheard before COVID-19,” Madden reveals, estimating that more than 16 million balls were hit on the range over the course of the year.
“That’s a big number for one day in the middle of winter.
“Clearly the driving range provided a socially-distanced golf experience that the public embraced at the right price.
“We normally allow the team to re-charge their batteries across our Perth winter and take some leave to prepare for a busy summer. July 2020 turned out to be busier than December 2019.
“All of a sudden we were off and running delivering service to record numbers of new and seasoned golfers alike.”
Like a coach with a team stacked with talent, Madden credits the staff he leads for bringing Wembley through a year of change in a better place than when it started.
“I think we’d all like to say that it was all planned out and we knew what was happening, but truthfully 2020 challenged my team and I to remain resilient, flexible and adaptive,” adds Madden, who presented a 45-minute online webinar to PGA members with PGA staff member Brent Davis on COVID-19 preparation prior to reopening.
“There were positives that have come from this and resilience was the lesson that was reinforced. We just had to work through it each day and do the best we could as a team.
“I’ve been really proud of the changes that our team made to get the most out of this venue and how everyone dug in and supported each other when we were really busy.
“We had to make some hard decisions that involved change and that’s always uncomfortable, but the team delivered.”
Marcus Hakkinen and David Ennels have won the Victorian PGA 4BBB Handicap Matchplay final over Levi Burns and Nick Sapet at Royal Melbourne in dramatic fashion.
The evenly matched teams each stayed within reach of the lead across the front-nine, never sitting more than square or one down throughout.
After making the turn through nine all square, the trend continued with both teams up and down all the way to the 18th.
“I missed a short birdie putt on 17 to get the match back to square,” said Marcus Hakkinen.
“Going up 18 we were one down and I said to David on his second shot in, ‘take one more club’ which he did and hit it inside a foot. Down 19 we go!”
With the match moved to the playoff hole, every shot counted for both teams with victory on the line.
“David and I were both in the left rough in a reasonable position with Levi in the front greenside bunker and Nick pin high left about 60 metres out,” said Hakkinen.
“David hit a great shot to about 30 feet behind the pin. I had a shot of about 75 metres in an okay lie where I thought the middle of the green would be a decent chance of making a three.
“I hit my shot on my line just right of the flag. It bounced once and ripped sideways straight into the hole for an unbelievable eagle and to win the match!”
The Victorian PGA 4BBB Handicap Matchplay Knockout had been postponed from July 2020 due to COVID-19. The final match was completed on Monday 15 March.
View the final VIC PGA 4BBB Handicap Matchplay Final results at pga.org.au.
PGA professional Mark Tibbles and Community Instructor Anna-Maria England of The Vines Resort in Perth are Golf Australia’s February Visionary of the Year winner.
The pair are golf’s twist on the Odd Couple.
A PGA Professional, Mark Tibbles, and a Community Instructor, Anna-Maria England, effectively working hand in golf glove to inspire Perth women and girls into the sport.
And at Tibbles’ club, The Vines Resort, this has already translated into more than 350 new golfers.
While nobody would question the expertise and critical importance of any PGA pro’s role in player development, England’s role as Tibbles’ support act is almost a new-wave case study of how Community Instructors can help – and how they may well be one of Australian golf’s most inspiring and cohesive duos.
In fact, Tibbles gives himself a pat on the back every time he reflects upon approaching England to help him deliver his club-based programs.
“I had taught Anna-Maria golf for many years and thought that with her passion and interest in the sport that some day she might like to be involved in the industry,” said Tibbles, who’s renowned for his proactivity around group programs.
“My workload was building up and it was time for me to find some assistance.
“Now she’s an invaluable recruit to the team.
England couldn’t be happier with her role in the unit, particularly at a transitional time of her life.
“It worked out perfectly,” she explained.
“I was wanting to wind down from my career and at the same time Mark was wanting to dial up his suite of beginner programs.”
So, England completed her Community Instructor accreditation, sat down with Tibbles and planned their year ahead, including brainstorming how they can improve program offerings.
“I certainly value Anna-Maria’s ideas and opinions,” Tibbles said.
“Her insight as a female golfer has been invaluable. Her vision has resulted in the restructuring of our women’s, mentoring and girls’ programs, which has led to the growth we have seen in program registrations, playing numbers and membership.
“She has also established a Facebook group that connects beginners with each other.” England agreed that her perspective has helped grow Tibbles’ business into what it is today.
“I feel women can relate to me well because I play with them,” she said.
“They get to know me well and see I make mistakes and mis-hit shots just like they do.
“I’ve also had quite a few women feel comfortable enough to confide in me that their chests get in the way and I can make suggestions for them.”
Since 2016, the Perth pair’s collaboration has enabled more than 350 women and girls to have participated in their programs.
England said the women’s Get into Golf program had been particularly popular.
“We are not having to advertise; it is all word of mouth as participants recommend their friends.
“We are now at the point of running four classes a week and a mixed gender class on Saturdays.
“Our MyGolf junior program has a clear pathway from beginner to membership, but I particularly see the need to nurture the girls.
“In 2018, I started running girls’ programs and have done 50+ clinics with six girls now joining the club. Our focus for 2021 is on girls, so watch this space!”
England’s passion and insight soon identified a gap in the pathway and she approached Tibbles about establishing an on-course mentoring program along with a “Next Step” program that takes women thorough a series of skills tests to determine their readiness for on-course play.
“After seeing lots of women repeating our classes, I saw the need to give more opportunity to the more experienced golfers,” said England, whose plans to “wind down” are essentially now on the backburner.
She and Tibbles somehow find time in their week to run programs at schools, exposing many girls to golf for the first time and since 2017, they have also conducted 600 clinics for people with a disability.
“It’s a true joy to see people with disabilities embrace golf and get so much pleasure out of it,” England said.
“I am very fortunate to be able to combine my passion for golf and a love for what I do.
“For me, when you see the way a person’s face lights up upon hitting the ball in the air for the first time, this is just priceless!
“I see new friendships blossom and beginner golfers with big smiles on their faces. When a new golfer joins the club and starts playing competition, I see they have “got the bug” and I just love that!”
Tibbles couldn’t be happier with his recruit.
“Having a Community Instructor has been fantastic,” he said.
“It has given what I do a fresh lease and has enabled me to expand my offerings to a great extent.
“Anna-Maria is extremely deserving of this award While she does generate some income through coaching, she puts a lot of voluntary time into beginners’ golf, adds a lot of value to their experience and has given so much back to the game.
“I am so pleased she enjoys what she does and is a part of our team. It is great to have a platform such as Visionary of the Year to recognise our Community Instructors and their role in growing the game.”
Becoming a Community Instructor is a great way to bring a female face to your beginner programs. The Community Instructor program provides online training and accreditation, equipping people with the skills and knowledge to deliver national participation programs.
Learn more and access Community Instructor training.
The scale of the Vines Golf Resort Women’s Mentoring and Ready Steady Golf programs would not be possible without the support of the WA Golf Foundation. The WA Golf Foundation is a GolfWA initiative and information can be found at www.golfwa.org.au.
Learn more about Visionary of the Year or go ahead and nominate here.
As the golfing world mourns the loss of ‘Lynds’, Mike Clayton remembers his pal who was “everyone’s friend”.
There has been a long-time joke on the Australian tour about getting caught on the wrong side of the draw. You know, when half the field gets a perfect, windless morning only for the afternoon lot to have to play through a heavy seaside wind on greens drying out and getting slicker by the minute.
It’s been universally known in Australia as the ‘Lyndsay Stephen draw’ because you could guarantee ‘Lynds’ would be off in the brutal afternoon conditions. Or so it seemed.
Of course, these things are always 50/50 but the long hitting man from Perth perhaps noticed his misfortune more than some others.
“We would all joke about it when playing tournaments. You had no chance if you were on the same side as Lynds. We loved him for that,” said Ian Baker-Finch when his friends heard the, sadly, inevitable news he had died in Perth.
Lynds (no one ever called him Lyndsay) had been sick for a few years but he always seemed so optimistic he would somehow beat the cancer.
He was a beautiful looking player. Blessed with perfect rhythm and a big, handsome swing he was one of the few who could keep up with Greg Norman off the tee when both were at their flying best.
Not that it did either of them much good one day many years ago at Royal Melbourne. They were drawn with an aging Kel Nagle who, at his longest, earned the nickname the ‘Pymble Crusher’ but the older man’s length was all but gone by the time the trio teed up on the Composite Course in the mid-1980s. Playing into the 18th green Kel was going in from a long way back with a four wood and both Lynds and Greg had only nine irons left.
Kel bumped his wood onto 15-feet, well inside the two bombers decidedly average pitch shots. As they got to the green Kel turned to them both and said, “Not really too much you can say boys.” It was one of those stories no matter how many times you heard it, one more time was never one too many.
Lynds played in Europe in what really was a golden era for Australians on the European Tour. Greg was just heading off to America when our lot started but Rodger Davis, Finchy, Wayne Grady, Mike Harwood, Peter Fowler, Wayne Riley, Vaughan Somers, Peter Senior, Frank Nobilo, Greg Turner (we always counted the New Zealanders as ours) had about as much fun as you can imagine. It was competitive but if anyone needed help it was always there.
But there was one torment none of us could ever help Lynds with. He was desperate, as we all were, every year, to play in The Open. Finchy famously won it, Harwood, Grady and Davis played well enough to finish second at different times but Lynds never got to play the game’s oldest championship.
It really was a pity because he was easily a good enough player, but the cards just fell where they did.
1986 was a particularly torturous year. The top five non-exempt players in the previous week’s tournament at Moortown made it straight into Turnberry – the famous Greg Norman Open.
Lynds jumped out to an early, 65,67, lead on the famous Alister MacKenzie course but a 76 on Saturday did him no favours and a 70 on the final day tied him for ninth and a place in a four-man playoff for one spot.
He missed it, drove all the way to Scotland, teed up in the 36-hole qualifier and missed that by a shot. There’s not much you can say to a mate in that situation but you can bet it was a long drive back to London.
Later in the same year Norman was on his triumphant homecoming tour and in his best form. He won the Queensland, New South Wales, South Australian and West Australian Opens but Lynds was second at Concord, a shot ahead of Steve Elkington, tied with Mark O’Meara for fourth at Lake Karrinyup, 10th in Queensland and 14th at Kooyonga. Greg, of course eclipsed us all but it was an awfully nice run of form for the sweet swinger.
Three growing children brought him home from Europe and he parlayed his reputation into a career of corporate golf. He was a terrific imitator of swings, a great storyteller and had the necessary patience of a saint when it came to teaching amateurs, many of whom were there because they’d bought an expensive car and not because they were any great shakes as golfers. He would always make them laugh and sent them away better players than when they arrived.
Lynds truly did get the bad side of the draw when it came to the most important of things, but he handled it was well as anyone could have, and with nary a word of complaint.
Like golf, it wasn’t fair, but the many who met him all over the world will remember someone who, as Finchy said, “(Lynds) was everyone’s friend with not one enemy in the world.”
A last-minute Zoom call with coach Dom Azzopardi has helped Lucas Herbert to make a bright start to his European Tour season at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi overnight.
A 4-under par round of 68 has Herbert as the best-placed Australian with the first round to be completed this afternoon due to the heavy fog that delayed the start of play on Thursday.
South Australian Wade Ormsby is one shot behind Herbert at 3-under as is West Australian Jason Scrivener, who completed only eight holes before play was called for the day.
A week out from his Omega Dubai Desert Classic title defence, Herbert was concerned that a new driver shaft in excess of 46 inches may hinder his control off the tee until a call with his coach over breakfast eased his fears.
“His preparation wasn’t ideal and I actually had a Zoom chat with him prior to his tee-off,” Azzopardi revealed.
“He was struggling with his driver but when he got out there he said he absolutely flushed everything.
“He was just having his breakfast, we had a Zoom chat for 10-15 minutes and just talked about some of the things about this new driver. He was losing a few right with this driver and I talked to him about what’s going to cause that in his technique, particularly now that he’s got the ball further forward.
“To get to that ball he’s got to get a little more lateral and to make sure that’s not happening too much. From the testing we were doing any shots that he was losing right was because of that.
“It’s just reassurance. We’re using a new driver and we’re going to find out over the next three weeks whether that’s the right option and what we want to do moving forward.
“It’s just a lot of reassurance for him in that situation. Calm him down and give him a lot of positives about the decisions we’ve made and why we’ve made them.
“Just get him to be less anxious and calmer about what’s about to happen.”
After a year in which he recorded his maiden European Tour win and posted his best result in a Major championship (T31 at the US Open), Herbert and Azzopardi discussed joining the distance explosion taking place on tour.
To this point they have put a significantly longer shaft in the TaylorMade SIM driver he was using last year and made adjustments in the 25-year-old’s set-up with impressive results.
Gains in swing speed and ball speed have added some 20 yards to his tee shots, evidenced by an opening round in Abu Dhabi where he averaged 321 yards off the tee, a massive increase on his 2020 season average of 301.25 yards.
“When he left last Sunday it wasn’t ideal. He was struggling a little bit to get the ball starting on the lines he wanted to and having the shape that we prefer and want but it wasn’t far away. I was fairly confident he’d find it when he got over there,” said Azzopardi.
“He said he was struggling a bit on the Wednesday with the driver. We had a really good chat about that and some of his tendencies and what we’ve done technically to change things with the new driver he’s using which is a fair bit longer.
“He seemed really happy with a lot of the stuff we were talking about and obviously took it out on the golf course and didn’t have any troubles.”
Victorians Ryan Lynch and Brady Watt have started 2021 on the right foot after winning the first PGA Pro-Am Series event of the season, the SBI Settlers Run Golf & Country Club Pro-Am.
Lynch set the benchmark in the morning field carding a 4-under 68 to take the early lead with a round featuring five birdies and an eagle on the par-5 16th.
Watt, host of the popular Wattsup Podcast, returned to professional golf in fine form after Victoria’s lengthy layoff. The West Australian who now calls Melbourne home looked to have Lynch’s measure in the afternoon, making the turn at 3-under.
Eight straight holes of par kept Watt in the mix before a birdie on his last hole of the day, the par-5 9th, saw him tie with good friend Lynch for the win.
“What a great way to get back into some competitive golf,” said Lynch.
“To come out to the SBI Settlers Run Pro-Am today after a long break between competitive rounds and have a win makes it even better.
“What Scott (McDermott) has been able to do in such a short time is amazing. I know all the players really appreciate the chance to play here.”
As restrictions eased in Victoria at the end of 2020, PGA Professional Scott McDermott made the SBI Settlers Run Golf & Country Club Pro-Am a priority, pulling the event together on short notice to provide his fellow PGA Professionals with the biggest one-day playing opportunities in the state offering a $20,000 prize purse for the 61-player field.
The Settlers Run Golf & Country Club tournament kicks off a busy five weeks of golf in Victoria with PGA Pro-Am Series events and the return of the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia providing plenty of playing opportunities following a quiet 2020.
“Thanks to the team here at Settlers Run, the course just keeps getting better and better each year,” Watt added.
Following a slow start in the morning field, Cardinia Beaconhills Golf Links Head Professional Dylan Higgins recovered to finish in a tie for third place at 3-under 69 alongside Simon Hawkes and Andrew Martin.
For the final SBI Settlers Run Golf & Country Club Pro-Am results visit pga.org.au.
Improving the games of others and getting back on the golf course himself provided a welcome distraction after Aussie veteran Terry Price suffered a cancer scare in September.
A five-time winner on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, Price is preparing to turn 60 on Sunday thankful not only for what the game has given him in the past but how it helped him through a medical scare in 2020.
After undergoing successful surgery to treat prostate cancer in September, Price is encouraging other men to be proactive in combating a disease that is predicted to kill 3,152 Australian men this year.
A professional since the age of 17, Price has split his time in recent years between the PGA Legends Tour and teaching on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast and said that activity served an important purpose in his recovery.
“It certainly has helped with everything that I’ve gone through this year, the distraction of the game,” Price said.
“I don’t look backwards so I couldn’t care less about turning 60 although these young fellas I help out these days keep sending me photos of the ‘94 Masters and giving me crap for having hair back in the day.
“I just have to wear it on the chin and smile.
“The one thing that I’ve always got going for me is that ‘Finchy’ (Ian Baker-Finch) and (Peter) Senior and all these guys have all got there before me.”
Joint winner of the Twin Waters Legends Pro-Am on December 11, Price invests the majority of his time helping golfers from age eight to 80 play better at Tewantin-Noosa Golf Club and Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club.
As the obsession with power reaches new heights Price insists that it is important to apply the correct swing mechanics on a case-by-case basis, highlighting Bryson DeChambeau’s physical transformation as a key factor in his distance explosion.
“The biggest problem I’m seeing with speed – and Bryson DeChambeau is onto it – is that if you’re trying to swing faster and you’re not a big man, you’re risking serious injury. Just ask Tiger Woods,” Price suggests.
“DeChambeau has realised that if you want to swing at 125-130mph, you’d better not be a whippet. What that’s going to create is problems with ligaments, tendons, the things that allow your limbs to function properly.
“The more protection you have for your body the faster you can swing it.”
Rather than the search for pure speed, Price focuses more on constructing an efficient swing that physically suits the golfer he is working with.
“There’s still a fundamental that is being overlooked which is if you swing really well that will help you with speed,” says Price.
“The more often that you hit the centre of the club, the more often you hit the centre of the ball, the smash factor on TrackMan will go up.
“Obviously speed is a component of what we’ve got to do – we still want to send them out there with a nice golf swings – but you’ve got to be in the game from inside 50-100 metres. We’re teaching 7-year-olds that.
“If I wanted to really simplify it I would say that I teach two types of swing, a swing for athletes and a swing for non-athletes.
“If you’re over the age of 50 we’re giving you a different style of swing from the big turn.
“If you’re 65 years of age and inflexible, you make a bigger shoulder turn you’re going to move your head off the ball, you’re not going to have a consistent strike. You need to swing another way.”
And although he helps young tour players – including his son Sam – Price says he derives just as enjoyment from helping beginners fall in love with the game.
“I like watching young professionals fulfil their dreams but I also like watching a little old lady who could never get out of a bunker get out of a bunker for the first time after a few little hints,” says Price.
“I had one lady who didn’t tell me for 12 months that she was blind in the right eye.
“She didn’t think anything of it because she’s had it for 40 years, just happened to forget to tell us. These are the types of things that you have to take into consideration.
“I’ve got one guy who is 6’10”. He’s a big, old lumbering English guy and he can now hit his ball.
“He’d never been able to hit a ball. He was told that he was too big and now he can paddle it down the fairway 200 metres and he can go around and play with his friends.
“There are all these different things that make you feel good about getting someone up to a certain standard.
“Every one of them is different in the enjoyment you derive from teaching different people.
“The smile on their face is very rewarding.”
Though limited due to COVID-19, Victorian golf clubs and PGA Professionals were able to host a number of great events early in the year, many in support of Australia’s bushfire crisis.
The PGA of Australia would like to congratulate the winners of the 2020 Victorian PGA Legends Pro-Am of the Year, the 2019/20 Victorian Pro-Am of the Year (Metropolitan) and the 2019/20 Victorian PGA Pro-Am of the Year (Regional).
The Furphy Victorian Senior Open held over 36 holes at Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort has been named the 2020 Victorian PGA Legends Pro-Am of the Year.
In hot, blustery conditions Peter Senior took victory at the $30,000 event over Grant Kenny and Terry Price in second place in a field that also featured legends Peter Fowler, Peter Lonard, Peter O’Malley and Tim Elliot.
The MGI Centenary Pro-Am at Commonwealth Golf Club has been awarded the 2019/20 Victorian Pro-Am of the Year (Metropolitan).
Played on February 10 the Pro-Am formed part of the club’s centenary celebrations. Opening its doors to players from across the country, Commonwealth’s immaculate course conditions impressed many of Australia’s top Professionals including Lucas Herbert, Matt Griffin, Zach Murray and Matt Millar.
The victory went down to the wire, where Western Australian young-gun Jarryd Felton won the lion’s share of the $35,000 prize purse following a four-hole playoff against Marcus Fraser, Max McCardle, Ash Hall and Alex Edge.
The 2019/20 regional Victorian PGA Pro-Am of the Year was awarded to the MMD Geelong 9-hole Pro-Am.
Played on February 1, Luke Hickman took victory at the $11,000 event where the atmosphere and large field of both Professionals and amateurs enhanced the overall experience.
The Victorian swing of the 2021 PGA Pro-Am Series begins on January 8 at the SBI Settlers Run Golf & Country Club Pro-Am, with the series to then visit the Gippsland region.
PGA Professional John Mellish has been awarded Life Membership of Beerwah Golf Club following a memorable weekend that included celebrating his daughter’s wedding at his work place of nearly 36 years.
The award, as voted by the club’s patrons, recognises outstanding loyalty, service and contribution.
Mellish said being acknowledged with one of the industries most revered gongs took him by surprise.
“I’m very honoured. I’ve been told that there are not a lot of golf pros that have actually been awarded life membership of the club that they’ve served at so I’m very honoured,” Mellish said.
“My daughter actually got married the day before here at the golf club so when I arrived back at the golf club the next day the AGM had just concluded. I was then approached by a few of the members leaving the club house and they said congratulations on being our latest Life Member.
“I was very, very happy, it was a great honour after 36 years.”
Over his years at Beerwah, Mellish simply hopes he has helped others enjoy themselves when playing golf by creating a welcoming, friendly environment that enhances the sense of community in the region.
“I’d like to think that my contribution has made this place more professional,” said Mellish, who began his tenure at Beerwah Golf Club in 1985.
“When visitors come to the club, it’s very important to make sure they enjoy their day and you want them to go away and say what a good day they had at Beerwah.”
While he admits time out on the golf course with the Beerwah members as in the early days is becoming a rare occurrence, Mellish now feels his contribution lies in ensuring that the club’s members and visitors have a fun and enjoyable experience.
“Being a golf pro has changed from the days when I first started,” he said.
“I don’t play golf much anymore. My day to day job now is running competitions like most golf pros do and basically the front door of the place.
“I’m out here to promote the golf club and make sure it succeeds and continues to move forward.”
As part of his work in this space one of Mellish’s key projects has been the Beerwah Legends Pro-Am, a PGA Legends Tour event that has gone from strength to strength.
The jovial atmosphere of the annual Pro-Am offers not only a great experience for his club members but also supports his fellow PGA Professionals that have endured a difficult 2020.
“To me the senior Pro-Am is a very important part of our calendar because it showcases our golf course for one or two days,” he said.
“I run the Pro-Am because I want my members to experience what it’s like to have pro-am at their own golf course and the seniors give my members a great day out.
“We’ve always been a one day event but next year in July, with the support of my members and the major sponsors, we’ll go to a two day event.
“Through COVID they said we’re not going to do it this year but they’d be delighted to be a part of it next year and because our major sponsor didn’t contribute this year he was only too happy to double up on this year’s amount. I thought rather than having a one day event I’d take it to the next level and make it a two day event.”
With a contract in place to stay at Beerwah until at least 2028 and 36 years already under his belt, Mellish may become one of the longest serving PGA Professionals to remain at a single club in the modern era.
“I’ve been a PGA Member since 1978 and I have two brothers that are golf Professionals. It is a great honour to be a Member of the PGA because I basically joined it the day after I left school.”
Image: Beerwah Golf Club
