BREAKING NEWS...

I am flying to Glasgow on my way to Askernish in the outer islands of Scotland. This is the chance of a lifetime to work on the renovation of an original Old Tom Morris golf course, the father of golf architecture. Once "lost" and buried under wild flowers and heather, Askernish golf course is being rediscovered and massaged to meet the modern golf markets around the world. I could not be more excited to be travelling to the home of golf and participate in the history of the game. 10 days and counting...

The Sandbelt of Melbourne

The Victoria Golf Club
19/4/10

Victoria was a last minute selection for our trip to the Sandbelt. Had I really known about this gem my group and I would have planned our arrival a bit better. The first lesson we learned on this golf trip was never to count on your budget airline carrier to ensure a speedy arrival of your marginally overweight golf bags. Over an hour after landing in Melbourne we hopped into a cab and headed straight to the golf course. The one smart thing we did was dress in our golf clothes prior to boarding our 8am flight from Sydney. This gave us just enough time to tie our shoe laces and take our ceremonial first tee photograph.

The first hole at Victoria is a precursor for what lays ahead of you. The fairway and green are both heavily bunkered begging for a smart decision from the tee. There are a few tricks to learn at Victoria, but clear strategies are presented from tee to green demanding the golfer to make smart choices. The penalties are great for missing the green on the wrong side. The bunkering at Victoria is the epitome of the Sandbelt courses. Deep and dug straight from the sandy earth beneath, the bunkers are seamlessly tied in to the edges of the playing surfaces. They also present a real hazard as it is up to the player to figure out just how deep the sand is under the ball.

In concert with the seemingly random surface of the bunkers Victoria exhibited the sandy nature of its site the best of any of the Sandbelt courses we played. There was a wild and untamed look to margins of the well maintained playing surfaces that stood out against a more country club feel at Commonwealth and Metropolitan. Most of the par 3 holes (arguably the best holes) required a carry over these sandy waste areas, combined with formal bunkers the targets were somewhat obscured by a sea of sand. Very cool!

As soon as you step on to the first tee at Victoria you get the sense that you are in for a special day. The golf course never lets you down, leading you from green to tee while gently meandering through 18 solid holes. On this day the Victoria Golf Club played fast and firm providing us with the quintisential golf experience of Melbourne.

Golfing Australia

Three months ago after a round of golf at Kinloch in NZ I said to two friends that we should all go to Tasmania. It was only a suggestion, but that is all it took to convince these two mad golfers (three including myself). I can hardly believe that now I am writing about my latest golf trip to Australia, accompanied by two golf buddies Kyle Butler from Dallas/Fort Worth Texas and Joe Campo of Leland, Michigan.

We set out together from Auckland to see for ourselves what Australian golf was all about. We explored the striking harbor views of La Peruse from New South Wales in Sydney, then to then vast and sandy expanse that is the sandbelt of Melbourne, and on to the rugged and remote Barnbougle dunes in Bridport, Tasmania, and lastly, back to Sydney for another picture perfect day of golf. It was the golf trip to end all golf trips, squeezed in to ten days. We played 7 of the best golf courses in Australia, all globally recognized. I know I missed a few but I certainly got the picture of just how good the golf courses can be. This trip fulfilled a promise to myself and the best part is that I got to share it with so many people along the way.
Pictured from left to right: Kyle, Joe, Jeff, and Olympic gold medalist James Tomkins, after a round of golf at Barnbougle Dunes.

Golfing Down Under

I am arriving in Sydney, Australia on April 17th for another golfing adventure! On this trip I will be accompanied by two friends from Cape Kidnappers. We will be making our way from Sydney to Melbourne and then to Tasmania, hitting every architecturally significant course possible.

Updates soon...