The pessimistic golfer

A new champ

2012-02-12T07:49:00.000+11:00

Congrats to Phillip Chow for winning the FGA Golf Fellowship Trophy for 2011. Congrats also to Bill Kwong who pipped me for runners up during the final round of the year with a 47 pointer. Bill can certainly turn it on and off.

Phillip Chow - 2011 FGAM Golf Fellowship Champion

Bill Kwong - 2011 FGAM Golf Fellowship Runner Up

I also played with Phil on the weekend. He kept outdriving me by 30 metres -- I couldn't understand why. He then gave me a great tip to keep my right leg more stable during my downswing. I've been releasing it too early, fading, and losing distance. With that tip, I hit 100% fairways and played 4 over on the back nine!

Thanks Phil, you might regret giving me this tip!

What's in the Bag, 2012

2012-01-15T08:40:00.000+11:00

Some new tools for 2012.

New Driver - my never ending quest for more distance. Stuff lessons, I picked up a supersceeded Callaway FT-IZ. It's an I-Mix version. Given the Callaway is no longer continuing with this shaft system, I'll be trying to get my hands on some good shafts at budget prices.

I'm also gaming a 5 hybrid and leaving my 4 iron at home. If it's good enough for YE Yang, it's good enough for me. No jokes about my masculinity please.

Christmas presents

2011-12-11T08:17:00.001+11:00

I've stocked up on a few new toys for Christmas.

1st - new shoes - Footjoy FJ Icon! All the way from the USA (see photo below). My old ones were starting to leak.

2nd - a Lensbaby lens kit-- attach it to your SLR and it produces dreamy photos (I used it to take the photo below)

By the way, who would still buy from Australian bricks and mortar retailers? Both items purchased from USA eBay retailers they were at least 30% to 50% cheaper including postage. Plus I don't have to deal with salespeople!

My pilgrimage to St Andrews

2011-09-22T06:07:00.000+10:00

Just finished my little pilgrimage to St Andrews, the cradleof the golfing civilisation! Our journey began by taking the train from LondonKings Cross to Leuchars (about a 5 and a half hours) and then it was a quickbus ride (10 minutes) into the small town of St Andrews. We left London at10.00am and made it to our guesthouse (Bell Craig) by around 4pm.

First thing you notice is that the Old Course is situated withinthe town and the place we were staying was only a short stroll to the OldCourse. After unloading our luggage, wespent the remaining daylight walking around the course. It’s a public course,so people are free to wander around.

We walked along the edge of the course from the 18^thgreen to the 16^th hole. First impressions were wow! The course is sogreen and well kept. Amazing given the amount of traffic it gets. We found out later that the Alfred DunhillChampionship was being played the following week so the course was nearing itspeak.

Anyways, hard to explain in words so I’ll let the picturesdo the talking. Still jet lagged, I gotup at 6.00am and walked the course at dawn and took some more pictures of thecourse.

Didn’t play any golf during our short stay, but this part ofthe world will make the ultimate boy’s trip. There are plenty of places to stayand eat and plenty of golf courses.

17th Hole Tee Box: The Road Hole. One of the world's hardest holes that requires a shot over the Old Course Hotel on the right.

I wonder how many tee shots hit this wall?

Public warning!

One of the Old Course's nasty bunkers.

The Road Hole Bunker behind the narrow 17th green.

18th hole. Massive fairway - can't miss!

The famous Swilcan bridge.

Another shot of the bridge.

Another bunker

View from the Links clubhouse

Me versus Tiger Woods: My Swing App review

2011-09-11T22:12:00.001+10:00

I caved in and purchased another golf app. This time its the Tiger Woods My Swing App. It's actually better than I thought and you to compare your swing side by side with Tiger's.

Easy to use and I liked the interface and super slow mo.

Currently on sale for $5.50 AUD.

Check out my swing! (Tiger, if you are reading this, what do you think of my swing?)

The video here.

Retreat golf

2011-09-10T20:46:00.001+10:00

I thought I would have missed out on my golf this week as I was attending a church retreat at Cammeray Waters.

Good news was that there was 4 hole golf course. It's literally a cow paddock but any golf is better than no golf!

Thanks Kay from oddsundays for the pic!

I wonder...

2011-08-28T18:21:00.000+10:00

I wonder if Rory will come down under for the Australian Open? The Australian Tennis Open that is.

New training tool ... wife not happy

2011-08-27T19:23:00.000+10:00

Got this impact bag off ebay last week. It's a great tool to train you get into position at impact.

Here's a vid on how it works.

Wife's not happy with me smashing things around the house though.

Short memories

2011-08-08T19:08:00.000+10:00

Wow, caddies do have short memories. A massive win for Adam Scott / Stevie Williams at the WGC Invitational but you got to wonder if Stevie is taking the piss with his comment that was the greatest win in his 33 year career.

What about the W below?? (Still gives me the tingles)

Odds were against me

2011-07-23T22:30:00.001+10:00

A few months ago I signed up for the ballot for US Masters ticket. I received the following response from Augusta today.

I wonder what my chances were!

What's there to do in St Andrews?

2011-07-18T21:46:00.000+10:00

Weather has been pretty cold of late and my golf's been terrible so nothing much to report on.... except that I'll be heading to the Europe for a month in September.

Have been bugging my missus to visit a place called St Andrews -- apparently they have some nice castles.

Golf addiction

2011-06-04T19:37:00.000+10:00

Received this text message from Francis early this morning. He's in Vancouver on holidays at the moment and is thinking of me.

Clicgear 3.0

2011-05-15T13:00:00.001+10:00

As mentioned a few posts ago, I've sold my R9 driver for get a new Clicgear 3.0 buggy.

I took it out for a spin today in the wet. First impressions -- it's pretty eye catching with white wheels. Got heaps of comments from my buddies.

It's well balanced and easy to roll around. Your golf bag sits up relatively high off the ground, making it easy to get to the bottom pockets. The umbrella holder attachment also came in real handy in the rain today.

I'm still getting used to the brake (always forgetting to take it off) and folding and unfolding will take a few tries, but I'm getting the hang of it.

Maybe a white driver to match the white cart?

Looks a bit like R2D2

Back to the future

2011-05-14T07:53:00.002+10:00

Going through my old golf mags and found this one with Tiger Woods on the cover dated December 2003. Golf Digest could re-use this cover for May 2011!

Bye bye R9

2011-05-10T20:09:00.008+10:00

My wife won't let me buy any more equipment until I get rid of some of my "retired" gear in the store room. So I placed my R9 on ebay on the weekend and sold it for $177.50. A 50% devaluation effectively but that's better than having it just sitting there.

Will use these funds to get a Clicgear 3.0 buggy. Saw ZanMan pushing one of these in Perth a few months ago and it looked cool!

Lindt Golf Balls

2011-05-08T14:18:00.003+10:00

Found these chocolate golf balls today. Comes in sleeves of three!

Follow me

2011-04-30T19:51:00.001+10:00

You can now follow my progress at GolfShot!

You'll need to sign in though.

Easter Golf at Kingston Links

2011-04-28T20:11:00.002+10:00

I had a sore shoulder on Easter Tuesday but Kingston Links was offering a 50% discount on green fees if you came back for a second round during Easter (came out to $75 for two rounds) so I played anyway.

The injury screwed up my swing and I only scored 24 points for the day. We kept it interesting nonetheless by playing a game of skins ($1 per hole with a maximum carry over jackpot of $3). End up only losing $1, which was surprising given how bad I was playing.

Kingston Links was in OK shape -- except for the bunkers. They were rock hard. You would've thought that they had some money to fill those pots with some sand at $50 a round.

You got to love those power lines!

Bushnell Tour V2 Rangefinder

2011-04-17T16:09:00.000+10:00

With the Australian dollar at record highs, I've decided to make use of this situation and got on to Rockbottomgolf. I'm pretty happy with my equipment at the moment so I've decided to get a Bushnell Rangefinder.

Yes, I already have a GPS application on my iPhone. But they can be awfully slow and inaccurate. Plus, they are not of use if the co-ordinates are mapped incorrectly.

Rangefinders use lasers to get a their readings. Actually, I'm not sure how it works but it does!

Pros
- Accurate and quick readings (both in yards and meters). Keeps the guess work out of the game.
- Apparently it has a range of 700 metres (I've only needed to use it from 160m out). Hopefully one day I'll be able to hit a 700m shot.
- Small and light.
- Apparently it's legal.

Cons
- Playing partners keep asking you "How far do you think we are?"

Not sure if it'll translate to reduced scores, but here's hoping!

Dinner conversation with the wife

2011-04-04T21:19:00.000+10:00

Me: The Masters are on this week!

Wife: What's that?

Me: You know what the AFL Grand Final is?

Wife: Yes

Me: It's golf's version of that

Wife: Oh...

What the?

2011-03-31T19:51:00.000+11:00

Attack of the possums

2011-03-27T07:54:00.000+11:00

Looks like a possum (?) found a new home at Yarra Bend.

Tough break if your ball goes in there! But I've been told that you can get a free drop if it did.

The footprints gives us clues to the culprit

Checking in with Qantas

2011-03-16T20:31:00.004+11:00

On my trip to Perth this week, I had a chance to use the Qantas new generation check ins. Basically, if you're not a Gold/Platinum Frequent Flyer or travelling by Business Class, say goodbye to customer service -- you'll need to weigh, tag and check-in your bags all by yourself.

The idea is to make things quicker by reducing queues but it was confusing more than anything else (it appears that I'm not the only one with these views)

This new system also doesn't work that well with oversized baggage (i.e., golf clubs). Here's what happened at Tullamarine:

1) Showed up at the airport and tried to check-in my bags at the customer service counter -- was politely told by a "gate keeper" to use the automatic kiosks on the other side as the counters are for business class passengers only

2) Found a kiosk. Inserted my Qantas Club card and it prompted me to print my boarding pass and bag tags. That was done relatively smoothly.

3) Spent the next 5 minutes working out how to affix the bag tags to my luggage!

4) Dragged my bags to the conveyor belt where my baggage was to be loaded and was confronted by yet another computer. Figured that I had to insert my Qantas Club card here again. It asked if I had oversized baggage. I clicked "yes" and it did nothing! No advice was apparent on what to do next.

5) Gathered that I had to load my golf bags somewhere else so I trekked over to the usual oversized baggage area and they told me to turn around and get my bags activated by Qantas staff. I thought I had already done that on the computer, but was told that I had to get it specially activated.

6) Trekked back to the Qantas check in area and after about 5 minutes I finally found a Qantas employee who wasn't attending someone with problems (Qantas seemed to have replaced most of their staff with computer kiosks).

7) Finally got the clubs activated for oversized baggage.

8) Trekked back to the oversized baggage area to get my golf clubs loaded.

So much for efficiency!

Perth Airport on the way back to Melbourne. Things were a bit smoother the second time around.

Oversized baggage area. My Ogio bag worked a treat!

Wembley Golf Complex (Old Course)

2011-03-15T21:34:00.000+11:00

Went back to Perth this weekend and caught up with a few good mates for a round at Wembley (Old Course).

Wembley was one of our old stomping grounds so it's always great to come back here to reminisce the good old days (not that my game was much better back then).

While Wembley has had a bit of a face lift since (it's gone up market with a new pro shop, a hi-tech double storey driving range and $4.80 Powerades!), the Old Course has remained pretty much the same (although the 5th hole is now a long Par 4 rather than a short Par 5). I did find the fairways pretty spongy and greens were soft -- which took a bit of getting used.

One of the novelty holes on the Old Course is the easy and short "party hole" (9th hole). It's an uphill hole that goes all the way to the edge of the club house. On a good day, you may get applause from the gallery at the top!

Party hole at Wembley

Crushing it

2011-03-01T22:31:00.000+11:00

Been doing some research on low compression golf balls as my swing is getting slower by the day. I'm looking for a ball to suit my swing as the ones that the Pros are using are designed for freaks.

Anyways, I was sent me this link of a golf ball being shot against the wall at 150 miles per hour in slow motion and the following advice that I thought was interesting:

Here's a video shot at 70,000 frames per second (that's 70,000) showing a golf ball hit a steel wall at 150 mph. No one has a swing speed of 150 mph, including Tiger Woods who is just under 130 mph. Just observe how much the ball compresses. A little history: 1- The Pro V-1 golf ball by Titleist is actually a three part ball, but you have to have a club head speed of at least 100 mph or more to be able to compress all three stages...If you don't the ball never fully compresses and you don't get the distance out of it that the pro's do. 2- We, will get more distance out of a ball that only has two stages of compression... Like the Titleist NG Tour. It is more suited to our swing speed and we can compress it upon impact and can hit it further than the Pro V-1 ball. 3- So the secret is not to buy the most expensive balls out there because we are actually decreasing the distance we can hit the ball, unless your club head speed is over 100 mph. For the young guns on the tours they are an entirely different breed and generations of golfers with exceptional club head speed abilities. Watch this video, it shows what a golf ball goes through when hit at 150 mph...it's amazing how long these balls last. Maybe that's why the Pro's use new balls every time they play!

Use the force

2011-02-13T08:21:00.000+11:00

Found these beautys on ebay.

May the force be with you.

Yarra Bend at high tide

2011-02-06T22:49:00.000+11:00

Thunderstorms and flash flooding on Friday night meant that golf this weekend was highly unlikely. Looks like Melbourne is copping some of the after effects of Cyclone Yasi.

I called Yarra Bend at 6am on Saturday to check on the status of my 7.52am tee off and was informed that the course was indeed closed -- so it was back to bed. By 12pm, I started getting withdrawal symptoms so I messaged a few mates for a round on Sunday afternoon, praying that the course would dry up.

Thank God the course was open the next day (unlike others in Melbourne). While it was damp, it was very playable. So I got my fix for another week (yay!).

The Yarra River was at the highest level I've seen -- here's a picture of the 13th tee box.

Handicap bandit -- my bad

2011-02-03T21:06:00.000+11:00

Last week, I played golf with Andy for the first time.

Now, Andy hasn't played golf in over 10 years (he screwed up his back) but he is now looking to ease his way back.

He advised me that his previous handicap was 2, but he was not sure where he was at now. I suggested a handicap of 18 - as surely he would have lost all his touch by now. Andy was quick to point out that he used to be a pretty good player and first started playing when he was nine. He also hinted that an 18 handicap wasn't appropriate -- but I didn't believe it. Plus Andy didn't take his driver with him because he reckons it hurts his back.

After 18 holes, Andy scored 48 stableford points and 6 over gross!

So there's a lesson in this ....

Also collected my FGAM Championship Trophy for the 2010 season at our annual BBQ last week. Thanks Uncle Tony for putting on another great event. Looking forward to defending it this year -- but will be hard if Andy shows up again :)

Me vs Tiger

2011-01-28T21:46:00.002+11:00

Nike Golf has a site called "The Grind" which allows you to upload videos of your swing and compare it against those of their tour staff.

Here's a side by side comparison of my swing versus Tiger's swing at the top.

If you are having trouble spotting the difference, that's Tiger's swing on the right.

Waterford Valley

2011-01-06T21:07:00.000+11:00

Today's destination was Waterford Valley, a relatively new public course located in Knoxville (about 35mins from the Melbourne CBD on the EastLink). It's an enjoyable course that is suited to players of all skill levels. The fairways are wide, greens are large and the rough is short. The water and bunkers here will however keep the better players interested.

Our group had scores of 37, 39, 39 and 40 -- so it's definitely a "feel good" course. I drove the ball magnificently and only missed one fairway (must be due to the wide fairways:)). I could have played much better given that I had 5 three-putts and a ball in the drink on the approach to the 18th green (which, similar to Sanctuary Lakes, has an island green). Nonetheless, I'm pretty happy with my game at the moment.

2nd hole Par 3 -- tee shot over the water

Views of the Dandenong Ranges

Behind the 13th Hole - A challenging par 3, measuring 200 meters from the blue tees and water all along the right. I pulled out a driver.

16th Hole Par 4. A gum tree in the middle of the fairway!

Bill approaching the 18th island green -- he's not going to lay up.

Bill finding himself in the drink (along with me)

St Andrews Beach

2011-01-04T21:14:00.001+11:00

We took a 1.5 hour drive out to the Mornington Peninsula today to visit St Andrews Beach. Originally a private club, St Andrews Beach was reopened to the public when the owners faced financial difficulties. This is good news for Melbournians wanting an opportunity to play a Tom Doak course (think Barnbougle and Cape Kinappers).

The first thing you do notice when you enter the driveway is that the clubhouse (or lack thereof ) -- it's more like a construction shed. Obviously, this isn't a top priority for this cash strapped course but that was fine with me as I was here to play golf .

Most holes here have wide fairways making it forgiving, but very wild drives will be punished by the thick rough. The course also plays relatively short but there are bunkers in the middle of the fairway to keep you thinking. Greens are true and they weren't ridiculously fast.

Maybe it was the way I was hitting the ball today, but I totally loved the course. However, my mates weren't as keen as me and I could understand why-- there were a number of blind approach shots to the green (making scoring a bit random) and there's a bit of walking in between holes and up elevated greens.

Notwithstanding, I would say that this course belongs in my top three. Some pictures below.

1st hole (Par 5). The green is tucked away on the left behind the bunkers. The elevated tee box is the last chance you will get to see the green as the approach shot is blind! My approach shot was long and lost :(

A great amphitheatre style green on the 3rd.

The course is pretty exposed, but the wind didn't blow today :)

The 13th starts off with a blind uphill drive. Very daunting with the thick rough in front.

Big bunkers are carved out of the undulating fairways.

The course is very "rustic". There are no paved/gravel cart paths, just dirt tracks which keeps the course looking very natural.

Sanctuary Lakes

2010-12-31T09:53:00.001+11:00

Melbourne's western suburbs has pretty limited golfing options (in fact it has very limited recreation options other than say the Werribee Zoo). Maybe it's due to its demographics -- its traditionally a blue collar area and people don't have as much disposable income as those living in the leafy eastern suburbs. But the west is changing fast, the population is booming and bogans are cashing up.

One of the few good courses out west is Sanctuary Lakes. It's actually a (relatively) new housing estate in Point Cook that is built around a Greg Norman designed course. By putting Greg's name on it, this instantly adds credibility and spots up the top 100 golf course list.

We went there today as one of my buddies had reciprocal rights to the course. While it's a private club, I don't think it's too hard to get on as they are keen on signing up new members. We paid $45 mid-week.

The course itself is laid out links style -- the rough is thick and there aren't many trees to protect you from the wind. The wind is probably the most challenging aspect of the course. I've been told that when it blows its almost unplayable. My friend said that he once needed a Driver, 3w, 3w, 3w to reach the edge of one of the Par 5s. Today the wind didn't pick up until we reached the back nine - and my score "blew" out.

Aesthetically, I found most of the holes a bit monotonous, but the closing 3 holes were superb with great views of the lake, the McMansions and the clubhouse. The last three holes were also brutal!

Pics below (mainly of Chris!)

i) Many McMansions. It's almost like we were in Queensland.

ii) A well bunkered course. I did have two sand saves today (that must be my personal best!)

iii) An interesting 8th hole. It's a par 5 with a double dog leg. The green is hidden behind a hill and fairway bunker on the left.

iv) There was some thick rough. I lost my first drive -- so I was on the back foot straight away. Final score: 3 lost balls, 1 found ball. So that makes me two down for the day.

v) Some great finishing holes - firstly the Par 5 16th with views of the lake

vi) 17th hole - par 3 - a view of the clubhouse

vii) The 18th hole (Index 1) is a gem. A long par 4 with water on the left and an island green to contend with for your approach. When the wind blows, you'll need to think twice about whether to approach the green in regulation or to lay up. I went for it and it went in the water.

Overall, a good course but it's not the type of course I'd prefer to play every weekend. But I would think about joining up if I was living out in the west. There's currently no waiting list and no joining fee (if you take up the lease option).

Ringing in the New Year

2010-12-27T18:00:00.001+11:00

Subsequent to my the last post, I took out the FGAM Golf Trophy for 2010!! I was a bit worse for wear during the morning, but so were others... no one played well. So that enabled me to limped in for the win!!

It's the holiday season, which means that it's also the time of the year when I venture out and try out some different courses around Melbourne.

Today was my first trip to Ringwood Golf Course. It's a public course but they usually have members playing on weekends so it's hard to get a good tee off time on the weekends. The only early spot they had for non-members today was 7am. A brutal time -- but it only took me 25mins to get there from the city on the Eastern Freeway/EastLink.

When we got there, the weather was cold, wet and miserable (good if your supporting the Aussies in the cricket). Notwithstanding, the course held up quite well. Actually, I was quite impressed with the condition of the fairways and greens. My only complaint with the course is the rock hard sand in the bunkers.

Generally the course plays very easy. Most holes are shortish with wide fairways and limited rough to speak of (although I did lose 2 balls!). The back nine is slightly more challenging with a couple of interesting dog legs and some undulating fairways.

I quite liked the 13th hole (pictured below). Its a vey short uphill par 5 that has a large fence on the left running all the way up to and around the back of the green to stop balls landing on the EastLink. It's like playing golf in the Thunderdome!

Great value at $25 and the guy at the pro shop was nice and friendly (he helped me choose a hot pie to warm me up!).

A dilemma

2010-12-12T22:46:00.000+11:00

Happy to report that I'm leading our FGAM Golf Fellowship competition. With next Saturday being the final round for the 2010 comp, I'll probably need to play my best to defend a two shot lead and claim the title.

However, my work Christmas Party is on this Friday -- and the plan is for a long drinking session.

Does anyone know how to play golf well whilst hungover? I might need some tips from Anthony Kim.

What I might look like on the 1st this coming Saturday

Ogilvy's swing

2010-11-22T19:36:00.000+11:00

I love this guy's swing.

Here's a video I took at the Masters. This drive went left though.

Golfers and white belts

2010-11-21T22:20:00.002+11:00

What's the deal with golfers and white belts?

I don't know either.

Anyhow, I'll be wearing this Puma number this summer!

2010 Australian Masters

2010-11-18T22:14:00.000+11:00

I made my way to the Australia Masters on Sunday and I'm pleased to report that it didn't rain at all ... I even got a bit sun burnt.

It was definitely much less hectic compared to this time last year but the crowd was still pretty good. We got there just before Tiger teed off and spent the day following him and the Ogilvy and Villegas groups. Great to see Tiger return to form on the final day.

Didn't see much of Appleby until the end, but there were a lot of "oohs and ahhs" as we saw his name move up the leader board and Adam Bland heading south. Appleby was definitely the crowd favourite (after Tiger of course). Congrats!

Here are some snaps from my iPhone.

1) Tiger munching on some nuts

2) Less hectic this year. We even found a seat in the stands.

3) Geoff Ogilvy signing a few autographs for the kiddies.

4) Appleby almost missed the awards presentation.

Head protection for the Masters

2010-11-12T18:52:00.000+11:00

I'll be heading off to the Australian Masters on Sunday. I purchased some tickets awhile ago.

Unfortunately some heavy rain is predicted so it might not be as much fun as last year. Would be interested to see if the poor weather will affect the crowd.

As a precaution, I will be bringing an umbrella to shield the rain as well from errant tee shots from Robert Allenby.

Check out the video of this guy who got smacked on the head. This dude has got a pretty hard head!

Last man standing golf

2010-10-17T20:16:00.000+11:00

Today's round was almost like the following bible passage: "Wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage: wait for the Lord!"

Here's the context. There was some unseasonal wet weather during the week. This was a picture of the rain radar on Friday.

Saturday morning wasn't much better for the nine players who turned up to play. It was freezing, wet, and windy. The looks on the faces of some blokes indicated that completing 18 holes was going to be optimistic.

Constant rain between the 2nd and 5th holes meant that by the 6th hole, six of our nine pulled up stumps and headed towards the car park.

I was super keen and committed (I was prepared with my beanie and rain gear) and continued on with two others. Surprisingly, we were blessed with fine weather. The sun came out and it didn't rain again for the rest of the round!

Keep your faith and you'll get rewarded in the long term (or in this case 18 holes!)

Yarra Bend butchered (temporarily)

2010-10-09T18:44:00.003+11:00

Arrived at Yarra Bend this morning to find the course re-organised to make way for a new driving range. The course has been substantially shortened (by at least 500 metres). The total length is now 5,086 metres (I didn't receive a 10% discount either)!

Key changes

- The 1st hole has been removed, making way for a new driving range (and more $$ I guess)

- The back nine is now the front nine -- it makes for a difficult start to the round (I reckon the first two holes are brutal)

- The back nine now commences at the old 5th hole (it's actually a bit of a hike from the 9th green to the 10th hole)

- The old 2nd hole is now the 12th hole - this hole (the old bell hole) has been shortened from 384 metres to 270 metres. While the intention of this change was to remove the dangerous blind tee off and to speed up play, the effect of this change could be (i) a slow down in play as people need to wait for the group in front to clear the green, and or (ii) someone might get hurt as the hole is now driveable!

- The old 6th (par 5) has been split into two holes, a short par 3 (currently using a temporary green), and a downhill par 4 (300 metres). These two holes are pretty weak and lack imagination in my view.

- There is just one par 5 (9th hole) and five par 3s. This makes the course a bit unsatisfying. I'm also not keen on having back-to-back par 3s on the 13th and 14th either.

Overall, I'm not a huge fan of these changes. I actually scored 40 points today so my review isn't biased by my play. I suppose one positive is that it makes for a quick round. We finished in just over 4 hours this morning and there was a bit of waiting too.

EDIT: As noted by Brendan in the comments below, these changes are only temporary. It appears that there will be some significant changes over the coming months. I'll be keen to see how Yarra Bend evolves over time.

Cool photo from the Ryder Cup

2010-10-04T21:36:00.000+11:00

This photo has gone viral but I just love it. Taken by Mark Pain for the Daily Mail just before he copped a shank from Tiger.

And what's with the Cigar dude?

Swing analysis

2010-09-26T22:51:00.000+10:00

There are a few Swing Analysis apps for the iPhone 4 on the market. Most have free demo (restricted) versions. The one I played with on the weekend was the SwingPlane app. So here's my first attempt at doing some video analysis.

Test subject: Gabe, (28 handicap). Is very long when he connects, but has been fighting constant "power draws" for a long time. By way of example, his ball can start right of the fairway and end up on the other fairway to the left.

1) Set up - Pretty good posture.

2) Take away - not too bad here. Club seems as bit closed rather than pointing up,which may promote a fade... but that hasn't been Gabe's problem.

3) 3/4 turn - Hands have moved above the initial plane. I understand that the idea is to get the hands back on plane on the down swing.

4) At the top - Here are the two planes of Gabe's swing. There is a bit of overswing at the top which contributes to his power, but this may cause control issues.

5) Coming down - His hands have started to move down to the original plane. Looking ok here.

6) Contact - Hands have moved back up to the 2nd plane at contact. Gabe's swing effectively flattens between Step 5 and Step 6, which promotes a draw, or hook. Keeping the hands down will correct this.

7) Follow though

8) Finish - Nice finish. Lots of rotation and power.

Let me know what you think of this assessment and whether you've got any good tips for Gabe!

A true golfer

2010-09-16T19:05:00.002+10:00

Got this email today.

ONLY A TRUE GOLFER WILL UNDERSTAND THIS ...

Don't buy a putter until you've had a chance to throw it.

Never try to keep more than 300 separate thoughts in your mind during your swing.

When your shot has to carry over a water hazard, you can either hit one more club or two more balls.

If you're afraid a full shot might reach the green while the foursome ahead of you is still putting out, you have two options: you can immediately shank a lay-up or you can wait until the green is clear and top a ball halfway there.

The less skilled the player, the more likely he is to share his ideas about the golf swing.

No matter how bad you are playing, it is always possible to play worse.

Everyone replaces his divot after a perfect approach shot.

A golf match is a test of your skill against your opponents' luck.

It is surprisingly easy to hole a fifty foot putt .. for a 10.

Nonchalant putts count the same as chalant putts.

It's not a gimme if you're still away.

The shortest distance between any two points on a golf course is a straight line that passes directly through the center of a very large tree.

There are two kinds of bounces; unfair bounces and bounces just the way you meant to play it.

You can hit a two acre fairway 10% of the time and a two inch branch 90% of the time.

If you really want to get better at golf, go back and take it up at a much earlier age.

Since bad shots come in groups of three, a fourth bad shot is actually the beginning of the next group of three.

Every time a golfer makes a birdie, he must subsequently make two triple bogeys to restore the fundamental equilibrium of the universe.

To calculate the speed of a player's downswing, multiply the speed of his back-swing by his handicap; i.e., back-swing 20 mph, handicap 15, downswing = 300 mph

There are two things you can learn by stopping your back-swing at the top and checking the position of your hands: how many hands you have, and which one is wearing the glove.

Hazards attract; fairways repel.

You can put a draw on the ball, you can put a fade on the ball, but no golfer can put a straight on the ball.

A ball you can see in the rough from 50 yards away is not yours.

If there is a ball on the fringe and a ball in the bunker, your ball is in the bunker. If both balls are in the bunker, yours is in the footprint

It's easier to get up at 6:00 AM to play golf than at 10:00 to mow the yard

A good drive on the 18th hole has stopped many a golfer from giving up the game.

Golf is the perfect thing to do on Sunday because you always end up having to pray a lot.

A good golf partner is one who's always slightly worse than you are...that's why I get so many calls to play with friends.

That rake by the sand trap is there for golfers who feel guilty about skipping out on lawn work.

If there's a storm rolling in, you'll be having the game of your life.

Golf balls are like eggs. They're white. They're sold by the dozen. And you need to buy fresh ones each week.

A pro-shop gets its name from the fact that you have to have the income of a professional golfer to buy anything in there.

It's amazing how a golfer who never helps out around the house will replace his divots, repair his ball marks, and rake his sand traps.

If your opponent has trouble remembering whether he shot a six or a seven, he probably shot an eight (or worse).

You probably wouldn't look good in a green jacket anyway! A sweatshirt will do just fine.

It takes longer to learn to be a good golfer than it does to become a brain surgeon. On the other hand, you don't get to ride around on a cart, drink beer, eat hot dogs and fart if you are performing brain surgery.

All packed but nowhere to go.

2010-09-11T23:30:00.000+10:00

The weather forecast was a cracking 18 degrees. My clubs, shoes, a bottle of water and a little chocolate muesli bar (which I planned to have on the 10th hole) were all packed in the boot. I was all fired up and ready to go... but I couldn't get my car started! The battery was dead.

So I had to call in to cancel. I'd already paid in advance so my greens fees were forfeited :(

But it's amazing how much time you have in the morning when you don't play golf.

-I went back to bed for another 30 mins
-Called the RACV to get a new battery
-Went to bunnings to fix the toilet seat that I've been holding off for 2 months
-Went to JB HiFi to see if they had any iPhone 4s in stock
-Bought a new iPhone!
-Had lunch with my wife at Chef Lagenda (not bad!)
-Went to the Library to borrow some books.

All this before 2pm. The time I would've arrived home from golf.

Admitting defeat

2010-08-31T21:04:00.002+10:00

Will give my new driver one more round. If it doesn't straighten up, I'll sack it.

Golf addict

2010-08-24T22:27:00.000+10:00

Golf addiction. It can happen to anyone.

Know your stuff

2010-08-17T19:00:00.000+10:00

After watching Dustin Johnson's performance at the US PGA yesterday, it struck me that my knowledge of golf rules is pretty limited. And it's not just me. Usually in social games, we play "mates rules" like not worrying to go back to the tee box the ball is lost ("I'll just take a penalty or two"), or taking a drop back on the short stuff when it's in the water.

Sometimes I'm a bit hesitant to correct people's interpretation of the rules as I'm not confident on the exact ruling myself. However, this will probably end in tears one day (either for me or my mates) during competition rounds when rules are strictly adhered to.

So thank God for this new R&A Rules of Golf iPhone application. It comes with all the rules plus some cool images to help you apply the rules.

Here are some screenshots from my phone:

1) Straight from the R&A's mouth (there's no arguing)

2) Sorry, only 2 club lengths left of the river, not 10.

3) Lying on a dead rat? Sorry, play as it lies.

Best of all, this app is currently free so download it!

My first date with the R9 SuperTri

2010-08-16T20:45:00.000+10:00

I didn't have a great first hit with the R9.

1st drive: Right
2nd drive: Right

Maybe the beers I had the night before had a role to play, but it's hard not to blame the club for my wayward driving. By the 9th hole I was offering it at a 50% discount (there were no takers).

The club is definitely heavier than my 2007 Burner, which probably means it will take a bit of "getting use to". I started hitting it straight by the 15th hole by setting up the ball more forward. So I hope to see some more magic over the next few rounds.

One thing I did notice was that the R9 ST was very forgiving on mishits (the only thing more forgiving of your sins would be Jesus). And the sound is very LOUD! I wonder why it didn't come with ear muffs?

Armed and dangerous

2010-08-10T20:54:00.000+10:00

My shipment from timtheputter arrived at work this morning. Yes, I've purchased the Taylormade R9 SuperTri. I haven't used it yet, but here are some photos before the shine wears off.

1) FCT stands for Flight Control Technology, which is Taylormade's gimmick for the R9 series

2) The club has a bad ass black finish

3) I'm going to start with the face angle set to "NU" or neutral upright. Aim is to convert my fades to baby draws. If that doesn't work, I'll change the face angle to "Left"

4) Comes with moveable weights (or MVT for those familiar with the lingo)

5) The tool (the wrench, not me..)

6) You can rip the shaft right off.

I won't have time to go to the range so I'll put it straight into play this weekend. Maybe a bit of tinkering with the FCT after 9 holes :)

No signs of timtheputter (yet)

2010-08-09T19:23:00.001+10:00

I'm a bit disappointed... not signs of the package yet. Was hoping to hit the range tonight.

Thanks to Uncle Tony for these photos at Freeway on Saturday. It was a pretty cold morning (5 degrees) so I had the beanie out for about 9 holes.

The fairways at Freeway have turned brown lately (see below). No preferred lies were in play but I managed 39 points. I'm quite happy and it should put me back in contention for the FGAM trophy. Still a long season though.

So far so good from the timtheputterman

2010-08-05T21:18:00.001+10:00

I made a bid for a club with timtheputterman on Monday night and lost it.... but got a second chance offer on Tuesday morning and I took it (maybe it's wise not to bid too high next time!)

A UPS tracking number was received on Wednesday morning (Tuesday US time) so it was posted super quick.

Here are the tracking details as of Thursday night. I'm probably unlikely to receive it before my round on Saturday but my fingers are crossed.

Who is Tim the Putterman?

2010-08-04T21:02:00.010+10:00

Buying clubs on-line has never been harder. While there are great bargains around, it’s a bit of a lottery when you hand over your credit card details. For instance, check out this dodgy site... and this site looks a bit suss too.

However, there's an eBayer by the name of timtheputterman that's getting a reputation of selling clubs at great prices.. and better still these clubs a legit. The feedback around the forums is that he is a bit of a Nazi:

For those of you who shop on eBay for golf clubs, you're no doubt familiar with timtheputterman. For those of you who don't, he's known for selling clubs at affordable prices but can be difficult to deal with. I knew he could be cantakerous from reading posts by others and also by the fact he never returned any e-mails I sent him concerning items he had for sale. Knowing this, I decided to take my chances and purchased a couple wedges from him. The clubs were perfect, however, he was supposed to combine them into one shipment and save me some shipping charges. After some back and forth e-mails and a condescending tone on his part, he finally refunded my extra shipping charges and left me positive feedback. I thought this was the end of story.

So, I decided to buy a couple more of his wedges only to find I was blocked and he wouldn't return any of my e-mails as to why.

This got me imagining him as the Soup Nazi character from Seinfeld. As long as you order your clubs without question, give him your money and get the hell out, you'll be fine. If you break any of his rules...NO CLUBS FOR YOU!

Seems like someone you don't want to mess with if you are in the market for clubs!

Ok ... so you must be wondering why I am doing some research on buying clubs online... have a guess :) Has anyone else dealt with Tim the putterman?

Muddy golf

2010-08-01T17:40:00.000+10:00

It must be one of the coldest and wettest winters in Melbourne (Ok... I've only been here for 5 years so I don't have much history to go by).

The fairways at Yarra Bend are now mud and the bunkers have become lakes. At least the ducks are having a good time. Bring on Spring!

Samurai Golf

2010-07-30T20:24:00.000+10:00

Wow... is this an ancient Japanese statue that proves that golf was once played by the Samurai? Probably explains why Mizunu and Miura are such great clubmakers (forging irons is similar to forging swords).

Well not quite... this is just a photo of a cool golf trophy in a display cabinet taken by one of my friends.

A blast from the past

2010-07-22T19:47:00.001+10:00

T-shirts here

Bulk golf gear

2010-07-12T21:58:00.001+10:00

I snuck into Costco on the weekend to have a snoop around. It's a members only wholesale shopping outlet (they do check membership cards on entry). I didn't have a membership so I followed a few random Asian guys into the store by pretending that I was part of their family (not hard to do).

The store is massive and they sell all kinds of stuff by the pallet. There are a lot of bargains -- but I'm not sure what I would do with 6 loaves of bread, or a tray of 20 muffins, or 2 kilos of scotch fillet. Within the sports section, I found packs of Callaway golf gloves for around $30 for three pairs. Not a bad bargain.

Membership is $60 per annum, so I'll probably need to buy like 12 gloves to breakeven. Alternatively, I can flog them off on eBay for $15 each -- does anyone want any gloves?

Damaging winds predicted

2010-07-09T20:01:00.000+10:00

Oh no, the forecast isn't looking good tomorrow.

Looks like there is going to be some damage to my scorecard.

Winter golf

2010-06-29T20:24:00.000+10:00

The days are pretty short around this time of the year. We teed off at 1pm and only just managed to fit in a full round (well I did anyway, my mate Eugene couldn't see where his golf ball landed on the 18th).

The good thing is that we're over the winter solstice hump. But there are a few cold days left yet!

World Cup Golf

2010-06-26T09:17:00.000+10:00

Sergio Garcia gave a nice tribute to the Spanish Football Team during the BMW Open at Munich. But he should have stayed home to watch the soccer (like Nathan Green) -- he missed the cut.

My weekend in Perth

2010-06-15T22:54:00.001+10:00

I notched up 3 rounds of golf in Perth over 4 days. That's not a bad way to spend the Queens Birthday weekend!

Friday (Wembley - Tuart Course) - I haven't played here in a long time so I got up early and made it to the course by 7am. But I wasn't the only one desperate for a round at the crack of dawn, it was actually quite busy! I joined up with a few retirees to make up a 3 ball. While the course is short, the layout interesting - it was a nice surprise to see some new water features that weren't there about 5 years ago. They are also putting up a new double storey driving range here (it's about 75% complete) and has an imposing presence on the course. Probably one of the the best public courses in Perth. I scored a solid 86.

Saturday (Hillview) - My round with the boys. We couldn't get an early booking at either Collier or Wembley so ZanMan decided to ring Hillview. Surprisingly they had a 7.40am slot available. We played the Lakeside/Classic nines. My first time on this course and it wasn't bad -- it's probably not that well known in Perth. I had a great day with the boys and the weather was awesome. Nothing sensational on the scorecard though - 92.

Monday (Maylands Peninsula) - Had a flight at 3.30pm but decided to try and fit in 18 holes at Maylands. It might be due to the fact that (a) it was a work day (b) there was a bit of drizzle or (c) the Socceroos had just played a few hours earlier -- but when I got to the course at 7am it was empty. So I finished 18 holes in 3 hours (must be a personal best) but by that time I was truly golfed out and getting a sore back -- I finished with a dismal 97!

Don't think I could ever make it as a pro golfer. Talent aside, four rounds of golf in a row would be way too much:)

Early morning at Maylands... the course to myself

Packing for Perth

2010-06-08T19:55:00.000+10:00

Heading back to Perth for the long weekend to visit family and friends and I'm bringing my sticks with me. I bought this cool travel bag recently and I'm giving it a run for the first time -- it's a Straight Jacket Travel Bag by Ogio.

1) Large enough to wrap around my cart bag.

2) Pockets on the side to store my treads

3) That's how I roll mofo!

I'm really looking forward to catching up with a few old friends over the weekend, including ZanMan who recently became a new father. Hopefully ZanMan Jr behaves himself so ZanMan Snr can hit the fairways!

3 putting: all mental

2010-06-01T19:11:00.000+10:00

I made 5 three-puts last week. My confidence was totally wrecked despite having a good day with the driver. I found the following tip to cure three putting:

"The key to this technique is in being able to visualize a larger circle or hole around the cup and try and put your ball inside that hole"

Mental note to myself: the hole is this big:

Golf art

2010-05-29T14:50:00.000+10:00

I wonder what this means?

Thieves

2010-05-23T07:37:00.001+10:00

Don't you hate it when people hit your ball? Yesterday I drove my ball to right of the fairway. Immediately, I saw a guy from the adjacent fairway approaching it. He had a quick inspection and decided to played it back on to his fairway. I gave him the benefit of the doubt (there might have been two balls around the same spot)? But when I got there, my ball was nowhere to be found. There was a dirty Top Flite though.

So I had to find this guy on the adjacent fairway. When I got to him (150 metres later), the conversation was something like:

Thief: "Nah mate I'm playing a Top Flite"
Me: "Can I check the ball"
Thief: "Sure"
Me (picking up the ball): "It says Wilson"
Thief: "Are you sure, I was pretty sure I hit a Top Flite"
Me: "Your Top Flite is still on our fairway"

Maybe I should've marked my ball clearer like this:

So I had to go back 150 metres to play my shot (with the other guy following me back as he had to hit his ball).

Being all flustered, I bogeyed the hole. But it was better than a scratch though.

Types of Slow Players

2010-05-05T22:05:00.004+10:00

Slow players come in all forms. Here are a few of them.

1) The Statue - the ones that stand over the ball for 5 to 10 seconds before firing a shot. Probably just making sure that the ball won't take off by itself.

2) The Surveyor - these guys look at the green from every angle, some even bring out the plumb bomb, the spirit level, and the measuring tape. Invariably, they'll miss the putt and start this routine all over again.

3) The Swinger - Before each shot, these guys take more practice swings than a happy kid in a playground.

4) The Thinker - They are deep in thought. Which club should I use? Which way is the wind blowing? What day is it?

5) The Search Party - "I'm gonna find this lost ball no matter what, and I'm bringing you 3 guys with me"

Which type are you?

Found form at Freeway

2010-04-25T07:17:00.005+10:00

Had a great front 9 at Freeway with just 2 over the card at the turn. Then I thought about it too much and made a few bad choices on the way back to the club house to finish off with 42 points (it could've been 45 points).

Check out the scorecard below using the Golfshot GPS application ($A36.95) I downloaded for my iPhone. You can use it to record stats on fairways hit (and missed), GIRs and putts. Stats can then be uploaded on to their server which they collate and keep for you to track your performance over time like they do on the pro tour. It's pretty cool.

Yarra Bend makeover

2010-04-21T22:09:00.019+10:00

Looks like Yarra Bend is finally getting a make over. They've been talking about this for yonks (say 2+ years ago), but finally the works are underway.

Peter Thomson and Ross Perrett, the principals of South Melbourne-based Thomson Perrett, plan to transform Yarra Bend Golf Course into what they call “one of Australia’s great multi-purpose public golf facilities.” The partners are part of a group that’s taken over management of the 75-year-old track — their aim being to make it a place where beginners of all ages, children in particular, can receive expert instruction and learn to enjoy golf.

“There is no doubt the course has great potential,” said Perrett in a prepared statement. “With a bit of tweaking to the layout to improve safety, some remodeling to existing greens and the introduction of couch grass, we expect the course to become Melbourne’s leading public course."

I wonder what they mean by "improving safety"? Possibly shifting the tee box on the 9th hole (which is right next to the 8th green) or removing some blind tee shots (2nd & 11th holes). Or maybe getting rid of the climb up the hill to the 17th hole? I hope they don't tweak it too much - - there are some great holes on this course with some great views.

The downside is that I'm expecting some disruption to one of my regular hunting grounds. I'll keep you posted.

What lengths would you go to play Bethpage Black?

2010-04-19T21:16:00.005+10:00

Got an email from a workmate telling me that he has missed an opportunity to play at Bethpage Black (home of the 2009 US Open). He's on a six week vacation and unfortunately his flight from London to New York was cancelled due to the volcano.

Maybe it was fortunate for him. Check out this warning sign:

Bethpage Black is a public course, which means there's a chance for anyone to get on despite it being ranked in the top 30 or so courses in the USA. However, getting on isn't as easy as you think. I found this tip from Golf Vacationer Insider on how to get on this course

Your second option for getting on Bethpage Black, as mentioned above, is to try and walk on, as all of the first hour’s tee times (which begin at 6:30 am), and one slot per hour thereafter, are made available on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the Bethpage brass.

Walk-on hopefuls typically arrive at Bethpage in the afternoon or early evening the daybefore they wish to play, backing their cars into the designated and numbered “overnight” parking spaces. At about 6:45 pm, a Bethpage official hands out wrist bands, one per car, which confirms the order for the next morning’s ticket dispersement.

It is these tickets, handed out between 4-4:30 am, which allow you to purchase your round of golf. It used to be that only one player in the group needed a ticket, but now every person has to have their own ticket. [Note: If you want a caddie ($60 plus tip) or locker room use for the day ($10), pay for them at the same time as your green fee as you probably won't have time to get through the long cashier line again.]

Overnighters should consider bringing a tent or sleeping bag, too. Cars aren’t conducive to sleeping, and, if you choose to bed down on the root-laden grassy area near the parking lot, you’ll need more than your golf towel to stay warm and comfortable.

Better yet, get a hotel room nearby. Remember, only your car has to stay put to maintain your place in line. As long as you’re back before the tickets are handed out in the morning, you’re golden.

From our experience and stories from people we know, if you’re one of the first few cars in line, you’ll likely get out in the morning. Later arrivals will likely get out, too, but it probably won’t be until the afternoon. Either way, if you go this route to get on Bethpage Black, you’ll be spending a good deal of time just waiting around, so bring a good book and/or some good beer.

I think I'd rather play elsewhere.

Big Dog Tracker (Beta Version)

2010-04-18T15:42:00.004+10:00

My mate ZanMan has been developing an iPhone application (the Big Dog Tracker) which measures the distances of your drives using the phone's GPS. I tried it yesterday during my round.

As you can see, it's either very inaccurate, or I just suck. I think the latter.

Available soon on iTunes ( I think)

Vandalism at Yarra Bend

2010-04-17T16:14:00.000+10:00

I rocked up to Yarra Bend this morning to find seven of their greens (and a number of tee boxes) vandalised! A bunch of dickheads had a night out doing some wheelies on the putting surface.

What is this world coming to?

I wonder if these will take off?

2010-04-11T07:33:00.004+10:00

I love the tradition of Masters. The perfect fairways, the azaleas, caddies in jump suits, and the green jackets.

However, Freddie Couples definitely made a statement during the 1st round with his skateboard shoes. What do you think of these Ecco Golf Streets?

I think they are pretty cool. I wonder if it'll start a trend. If so, the greenkeepers will love him for it.

The Haney Project

2010-04-03T18:42:00.002+11:00

I just found out about this show and watched all of season one in one sitting. It's a reality TV show about Hank Haney (the world's best coach) fixing up Charles Barkley's swing (the world's worst swing).

Charles Barkley's one funny dude. I love the part where he watches his swing that was posted on youtube... classic. But one thing is for certain, he loves the game of golf. I think he summed it up perfectly by saying:

"I tell you something, getting three guys together, talking trash and just walking -- I love the walk -- and go out there on some of these great courses and these big oak trees ... it doesn't get any better than that for me"

Well said Sir Charles.

New shoes but same old style

2010-03-30T21:34:00.000+11:00

I've been wearing my Adidas Z-Traxions for about 5 years now and I love it. They are a classy yet comfortable pair of shoes. I really dig those stripes.

Unfortunately, a few weeks ago I found a slight little tear in one of them. While it will be provide a bit of ventilation for my toes during summer, these shoes will be no good for winter.

So I did a bit of shopping and came to the realisation that the Z-Traxion is the best shoe for me. While production of this shoe has been discontinued for some time now, I found a new pair on eBay for $87 bucks -- and better still, it was my size -- Buy it Now!

I would have liked to continue with the brown stripes, but I'll be wearing these tanned ones from now on for hopefully the next 5+ years. Here are my shoes side-by-side: the new and the old.

Playing at Bay Hill Club & Lodge

2010-03-24T21:32:00.003+11:00

The PGA tour moves to Bay Hill this week for the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

I probably won't ever get to play this course in real life, but thanks to EA Sports, you can play it on-line (thanks Aussie Golfer for the tip). Some other renowned courses you can play are St Andrews and Pebble Beach. Best thing is, it's currently free.

Here's me playing my second shot over the water on the 6th hole.

I also tried playing a few tournaments on the site, but there's some stiff competition. I shot a gross score of 60, but it's no match for those shooting a 41! And yes, that's for 18 holes.

Click on the leaderboard below!

Water restrictions ease in Melbourne - impact on golf?

2010-03-18T21:32:00.002+11:00

This week, the Victorian Government announced an easing of water restrictions from stage 3a to stage 3. It will mean that 75% of sports grounds can be watered, compared to only 25%.

I hope that will apply to our golf courses. Currently, watering on many public golf courses is only allowed on tee boxes and greens, leaving the fairways yellow and dusty during the summer months.

I really noticed the difference when I went to Perth last summer and the fairways were in awesome nick in 30+ degree temperatures. Plently of water over there!

Looking forward to playing in greener courses in Victoria.

Melbourne golf courses during summer.

3 birdies!

2010-03-14T17:22:00.003+11:00

I made 3 birdies yesterday, including birdie, birdie, par on the last 3 holes. Possibly the most birdies I've made in one round.

Ended up finishing up with 43 stableford points and a few queries about the appropriateness of my handicap.

Freeway Golf Course

Date 13/03/10 9:15 AM

Front 9
HOLE	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	OUT	TOT	HCP
Metres	511	260	115	293	359	304	289	170	279	2580	2580
Strokes Points	6 2	4 3	3 3	6 1	6 2	3 4	4 3	5 1	4 3	41 22	41 22	19

PAR	5	4	3	4	4	4	4	3	4	35
INDEX	3	17	18	7	1	8	9	12	11
Back 9
HOLE	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	IN	TOT	HCP
Metres	270	377	153	254	294	377	275	292	147	2439	5019
Stokes Points	5 2	7 0	4 2	5 2	4 3	6 1	3 4	3 4	3 3	40 21	81 43	19

PAR	4	4	3	4	4	4	4	4	3	34	69
INDEX	5	2	13	4	14	16	6	10	15

2010 Swing Sequence

2010-03-11T23:11:00.002+11:00

Here's a sequence of my swing taken a few weeks ago. People keep saying that my swing is pretty sound but I can't seem to get much distance out of it. I'm hitting my 5 iron about 150m, while others with less "textbook" swings are hitting them at 180m.

Any thoughts will be much appreciated!

Hail stones as big as golf balls

2010-03-06T23:33:00.000+11:00

A massive storm lashed Melbourne today. Probably the baddest I've seen during my time here. Luckily, we managed to finish our round just moments before it hit. We watched the storm come in from the club house and had a laugh at all the people running for cover.

I took some photos from my iPhone.

1) Black clouds coming in. It was 27C and blue skies 10 minutes ago!

2) These golfers called it quits and went back to the car park without teeing off.

3) Storm hits. Golfers scrambling for cover. Seriously, it was a quite dangerous with those big hail stones coming down.

4) What would you rather be hit with? One golf ball or a hundred hail stones?

Playing without a putter

2010-03-03T22:46:00.000+11:00

I rushed home after work today to sneak in 9 holes before the sun went down. Unfortunately, with all the rushing, I forgot to pack my putter in the bag ( I left it in the lounge room ).

Ended up putting with my 3 hybrid. Wasn't too bad, I played one under my handicap. But I did have some massive gimmes.

Riverside Golf

2010-02-28T19:07:00.003+11:00

I had another round of golf with the missus this week... this time at Riverside Golf in Ascot Vale.

Riverside is a 9 hole course situated along the Maribyrnong River. It's a short course (I drove a par 4 for the first time in a long while), which tends to attract the hackers and first timers.

I don't mind playing with hackers so long as they play fast and DON'T STEAL. I had a bad experience today where I sliced one onto the next fairway. When I went over to find my ball, I saw this dude picking something up from the ground and putting it in his pocket. I wasn't 100% sure that it was my ball so I asked if he saw my Bridgestone come by. He told me to look further down the fairway. I couldn't find my ball so I reckon the dude took it.

Green fees were $17, and for a short course like this, it doesn't represent good value. But my missus had a good time on the course.

Photos by Dee

Falling apart at Freeway

2010-02-21T22:36:00.001+11:00

I've been away on holidays in Hong Kong so I haven't touched a club for about 3 weeks.

This probably caused me to play my worst round ever yesterday. 17 points (and that's for 18 holes). I've developed this wicked hook and my short game is in ruins. Must be all the suckling pig I've had over Chinese New Year.

Good things about my holiday: purchased a whole heap of clothes for winter golf! Unfortunately it was 34C yesterday so I couldn't wear them.

6th Hole at Freeway Golf yesterday. A day to forget

Hot day & slow play

2010-01-31T09:20:00.008+11:00

Possibly the worst combination. Cooking in the sun while waiting for your next shot. I had plenty of time to take some snaps of Yarra Bend though.

(One of the more interesting holes at the Bend. The 16th requires a well placed drive right of the trees and then a towering approach shot to get on a smallish green green protected by a massive bunker. Oh, and after you've finished this hole, there's a long climb up the hill to play the 17th)

Yarra Bend changed their management recently. The cool little kiosk that operated before has closed indefinitely so you'll need to buy drinks and food at a pro shop. Unfortunately the pro shop staff are used to selling golf gear but not food. When we finished our round just after lunch, they didn't have any hot food prepared (they had forgot to take the pies out of the freezer).

We used to play for hot chips and coffee here but it looks like this little competition of ours won't happen soon due to the lack of a proper kiosk. Funny how these little things affect your enjoyment of the game.

(Only the ducks had a feed at the Bend today)

2009 Champion

2010-01-27T21:26:00.006+11:00

Congrats to CP. He ran away with the FGAM Golf Fellowship Trophy this year. Second prize was more closely contested. Francis beat Steven by just one point to claim the runner up.

Good to see CP and Francis win some silverware. They've been playing with FGAM for ages.

I wasn't in the mix this year ... only won 2 balls. However, I'm feeling good for 2010. I've been stuck on an 18 handicap for a while and I'm aiming to cut it down to 14 by the year's end.

Let's see how things pan out. I recall saying this 2 years ago!

Nine and Dine at Spring Valley

2010-01-22T23:18:00.010+11:00

Euge and I have always talked about encouraging our wives to take up golf. It would open up a range of opportunities for guilt free golfing holidays!

To give them a "taste" of golf, Euge invited us along to Spring Valley for a Nine and Dine. The idea is that you play 9 holes starting at around 6pm and then have dinner with the rest of the members. At $30 for visitors, it was great value. Our wives didn't play but joined us after for the dining part.

Spring Valley was host to the Victorian Open a few weeks ago so the course was in good shape (at least for the front nine -- I understand that a few holes on the back are being dug up for some weeding treatment). I'm not sure why this course isn't rated higher on the top 100 list. The course certainly is sandbelt course. The only cons are the rubbish tip (nice smells) and a go -cart track next door (nice noises). But overall, the bunkering and layout is similar to a Huntingdale.

As for the dining part, we met up with our wives at the clubhouse for some gourmet BBQ - steaks, sausages, chicken skewers and salmon . The Nine and Dine was all about encouraging new members so it was very sociable and the folks there were keen for a chat. None of that snobbish feel here that you expect from some private courses.

Hopefully it made a good impression on our wives for the years to come:)

Bye bye 2-iron

2010-01-16T18:11:00.004+11:00

Sold my first ever item on eBay today.

My advert says:

"Genuine Mizuno MP30 2-iron. Dynamic Gold s300 stiff shaft. Barely used and in excellent condition (currently it is just garnishing in my bag). Good looking club will suit low handicapppers unlike me. Comes with the original Golf Pride Tour Velvet Grip."

I got 5 bids and $70 for it :)

Royal Park Golf Course (not to be confused with Royal Melbourne)

2010-01-10T08:19:00.013+11:00

The closest track near home is Royal Park, a nine hole course in Parkville. Given that there was no golf booked this Saturday with my regular group, I decided to give Royal Park a try with my missus (her first time on the course) as I heard that it was a breeding ground for golfers.

It's indeed a very short course. Don't be fooled by the presence of two par 5's, they are really just long par 4's by any other standard (the 387m hole 5 and the 375m hole 8). There's a par 4 that is just over 220m. Given its length, rounds finish pretty quick -- we teed off at 7pm and finished around 8.30pm.

While it was short and fairly straight, it was a nice walk in the park with my missus. Not a challenging course but the environment is interesting. You'll need to share the park with joggers, a tram track and the Royal Park train station!

It's a great course for beginners and a nice little practice ground for the more experienced player. At $13 for 9 holes, it also represents a pretty good bargain. I might come here after work to make use of the daylight savings whilst it lasts.

My missus took some great photos of us enjoying the summer twilight.

How do you mark your Titliest?

2010-01-08T14:49:00.007+11:00

Ok I don't use Pro V1's anymore ... so there's probably no need to differentiate my ball from the other 99% of golfers who use Pro V1's.

Notwithstanding, I picked up one of these cool ball marker gadgets at the Australian Masters from the thatsmyball stand. They have a wide range of designs but this little birdie caught my eye.

So if you see this on the fairway, please don't take my ball!

How do you guys mark your ball?

Peninsula Golf Club (South Course)

2010-01-05T15:16:00.011+11:00

The last time I played at the Peninsula, I lost 6 balls on the North Course. So I wasn't overly confident coming here to play the South Course for the first time. It's supposed to be the longer and tougher of the two (6300 metres, ACR = 74).

There are some interesting holes (and bunkers!) on the South, including a short Par 3 with a two tiered green on the 17th. The last hole is a monster 403 metre par 4, bound to have destroyed some good rounds. The greens today were rather slow (they were cored about a week ago). It would have been nice if they cored them after the peak season.

Despite scratching the first hole (a lost ball on my first drive!), my game held up rather well. I finished with 32 points (not bad given that it was my first outing here).

NB: Still getting used to the hybrid, some bad strokes coupled with a few cracking shots.

1) Fairway bunkers to contend with on most tee boxes.

2) Nasty rough of you stray too far away from the fairways.

3) Fairways were quite spongy.

Belated Christmas present (for myself)

2010-01-04T13:22:00.011+11:00

A new addition to my bag this year. It's the 2008 model of the Taylormade Burner Rescue Club (19 degrees, regular flex). I've been struggling for distance with my 3 iron (particularly on long par 3s), so a hybrid club will be in play for 2010.

I went for the Burner as I've got the Burner driver. I hope it is as good as the driver (i.e, long and straight!).

The order was placed with Rock Bottom Golf on the 29th Dec and it arrived today! Not bad for $139 including postage (with a 15% discount).

1) Rock Bottom Golf package received today- "Direct from the Cave"

2) Brand spankin new

3) Next to my Burner driver. I shall call you mini me.

Hope it plays as good as it looks!

Albert Park Golf Course

2010-01-02T15:07:00.009+11:00

Albert Park is probably best known as the venue for the Australian F1 Grand Prix, but for 11 months of the year it's a large public reserve used for a wide range of recreational activities (probably explains the hatred of the F1 GP by some given that it is shut off from the public for a few weeks of the year).

On the west side of the park is a 18 hole public golf course. The course is very flat and narrow,

and with the limited land, the holes are bunched very close together. Most holes are separated by a line of trees, and as such, wayward shots are probably on a good lie on an adjacent fairway. Despite the small land area, the course isn't overly short. There are five par 5s and a couple of long par 3s, balanced with a couple of very short par 4s.

I've been told that the course has been impacted by the drought and golfers are allowed to take preferred lies on all fairways. However, the fairways were in OK condition today and I didn't take a preferred lie once. The greens were also in great condition given the amount of traffic this course gets.

Overall a good "feel good" course (I scored 40 points) with reasonable green fees ($27.80 on a weekday) given the proximity to the CBD. The only dislike is that you need to pay $2 for parking. I don't think I've ever paid for parking to play golf before!

1) Golfing near skyscrapers on Queens Road.

2) Flat fairways with no rough to speak of. Some good scoring opportunities!

3) Views of the city skyline, including Eureka tower, the tallest building in Melbourne .

4) Lakeside drive (part of the F1 GP track). Drivers beware of golf ball!

Scorcher at Kingston Links

2009-12-30T19:12:00.012+11:00

I had to fit one more round before the end of the decade... So I was foolish enough to organise a round at Kingston Links on a 37C day. Didn't tee off until 10.30 so we copped the full force of the sun.

I had fond memories Kingston Links but today was a different story. The course was in pretty average shape for the $50 I paid - patchy fairways, spotty greens and some bunkers in need of new sand. There was a broken rake in one of the bunkers I was in which was inexcusable. They made us pay weekend rates despite it being a weekday too -- would be good if they use the money to maintain the course a bit better.

Maybe I'm just being harsh because it was a hot day and I was paying good money to get tortured. The problem with playing Kingston Links on a hot day is that it doesn't have many trees so shade was a premium. Near the end of the round, many players were pulling up stumps and walking back to the clubhouse to escape the heat. I managed to finished with 97, some heat exhaustion and a bad tan.

So that's it, my first 10 years since taking up golf seriously. See you in the new year.

1) Links style course -- not good for a hot day.

2) The signature 3rd hole at Kingston Links, as mentioned on its website

3) Crazy power lines that borders the course -- not mentioned on its website!

The National Golf Club (Ocean Course)

2009-12-12T22:22:00.012+11:00

I finally had a chance to play at the "Nash" after weeks of planning. The National is located about 1.5 hours from the Melbourne CBD at Cape Schanck so it's ultimately a day trip.

I've heard heaps about the National. It comprises 3 championship courses -- all 3 within Australia's top 50 list in. As I was told that it can be a tough slog if the wind picked up -- I took a few extra balls as a precaution.

We were booked into the Ocean course. Apparently it's the least impressive of the 3 courses but I found it quite enjoyable to play (maybe I have low standards). While the course wasn't ridiculously long, the undulating fairways and bunkering made you think about every shot. Definitely the best course I've played in a long while.

Would love to try the Moonah and Old Course if I ever get a next visit :) Some pics from the Ocean Course below.

1) Nice day for golf. Blue skies all around. None of that gusty wind either :)

2) Strategically placed bunkers makes it interesting. Eugene got stuck in one.

3) The spectacular clubhouse with an underground carpark. Apparently the design was controversial because it resembled an airport (you can't please those old timers!).

4) Nice undulating fairways and glimpses of the ocean.

5) Wes teeing off on the 18th and back to the clubhouse.

What really happened?

2009-12-06T08:40:00.005+11:00

You couldn't have missed all the Tiger news last week. This is probably the best summary...

Australian Masters 2009

2009-11-17T22:14:00.018+11:00

I had an awesome weekend of golf.

Friday - spent the day with my wife at the JBWere Masters. She's not normally into sports but watching Tiger Woods was something to behold. The crowd was relatively thin during the morning session (which was good for me as I wanted to watch Badds, Appleby and Scott) but they began to multiply as Tiger's tee time drew near .

As we left Badds & co to grab some lunch we noticed a huge crowd surrounding the practice green. There he was -- the great man . Spent the next 15 minutes (with about a hundred others) watching Tiger putt!

After lunch, we soon realized that getting a view of Tiger on the 1st hole would be problematic -- the crowd was bumper to bumper . So we waited for Tiger on the 3rd hole. The strategy was to watch Tiger play one shot and then walking a few holes in front, wait for Tiger, watching him play another shot, and then doing it all again.

It was pretty tough -- Friday was dusty and hot. By the 15th hole, we were getting tired and we had our Tiger fix. We decided to leave Kingston Heath to pick up ZanMan from the airport knowing that I'll be back on Sunday.

Saturday - Got up early to play a round at Yarra Bend and took ZanMan along. After blitzing the course with 42 points, I'm not sure if ZanMan will be allowed back to Melbourne for some time by our FGA Golf Fellowship. I played ok on the front nine with 21 points but fell away badly on the back with only 12 points. Yarra Bend was in good nick, the greens were in great condition.

We got home to watch the end of the golf on TV. Tiger was having a shocker and threw his driver into the crowd! Sunday would be an interesting day.

Sunday - I arrived at Kingston Heath at around 9am, this time with the boys and minus the missus. We started to follow Geoff Ogilvy for a bit in the moring. Crowds were relatively thin so we were able to see Ogilvy up close right behind the box.

We then checked the practice fairway and caught Adam Scott and Stuart Appleby getting ready. As luck would have it, we saw Tiger on the practice green . Seeing him in his "Sunday Red" was worth the price of admission!

The rest of the day was dedicated to following Tiger. Notwithstanding, we probably only saw Tiger play about half a dozen shots. By the time it got to the 14th hole, we decided to head to the 18th hole to cheer him home. I think everyone agreed that his appearance fee of $3m was well spent. I've never seen golf this huge in Australia.

Here are some snaps from Sunday (despite the camera ban!).

1) Appleby in the practice bunker

1) Tiger on the tee.

3) Scott

4) Kingston Heath was in great shape.

5) 18th hole packed to the rafters.

Tiger count down

2009-11-07T20:00:00.006+11:00

I'm really pumped. Tiger in town in a few days, and I'm taking Friday off work to see him.

ZanMan will also be making the trek from Perth to add a little economic impact to the State of Victoria.

It would be good to take a few photos for this blog but it looks like the behavior of some "fans" are spoiling it for the rest of us (see article below). Cameras and mobiles are being banned from Kingston Heath but I'm sure this won't be policed - should I sneak a few snaps?

Woods a bit snappy over camera-happy fans

TIGER Woods hopes the galleries in Melbourne next week will show more etiquette than his Chinese fans.
The sound of clicking cameras caused Woods to flinch on his opening tee shot in the first round at the $US7 million ($A7.68 million) HSBC Champions tournament yesterday.
About 1000 spectators lined the hole on the Sheshan course to catch a glimpse of the world's best golfer and it seemed that every fan had a camera, or mobile phone, or both.
While professional photographers know not to make a noise until after a player has made contact with the ball, many fans displayed no such restraint.
They clicked away merrily on Woods' backswing and downswing and he wasn't too happy after spraying his drive into deep rough.
''Come on guys,'' shouted a frustrated Woods.
Things were a little quieter on the second hole, but Woods said afterwards that it took nearly half the round for the marshals to get the spectators under full control.
''The guy on the grandstand basically did almost a photo sequence [on the first tee],'' Woods said after a five-under-par 67 that trailed leader Nick Watney by three strokes in the World Golf Championships event.
''I flinched on it and hit it to the right. There are certainly a lot of people out there and lot of people moving.
''We had to stay pretty focused, because there's so many people with cameras.
''The marshals did a pretty good job of helping us out and giving us an opportunity to play.''
Woods knew what to expect from previous visits to China and thinks it will take a decade or two for things to change.
''There's no history yet,'' he said. ''The populace hasn't played golf long enough to understand [etiquette] and that takes time. Over time, they get experience with more people playing the game and understanding what it's about.''
Woods expects to avoid such distractions at the Australian Masters at Kingston Heath next week as fans will be better educated in the game.
AAP

ECCI Cup Day Golf

2009-11-04T18:38:00.016+11:00

Another great ECCI Golf Day on Melbourne Cup Day. No prizes for me this year but the competition was fierce.

This year it was held at the Sandringham Golf Links, which is a dream for the mid-to-low handicappers! With the front nine characterised by short holes, wide fairways and pancake flat greens, it was ripe for the picking. The back nine was a bit more tricky -- while still relatively short, the fairways are lined with some thick bushes and there are a few dog leg holes that require some shot placement of the tee.

This year I was grouped up with the Senior Pastor at ECCI so I had to be on my best behaviour! I was also the stand-in event photographer too, so I took a few shots on the day.

Overall, I scored 38 points. A good effort but not enough, to take home the prize. Tony Deng scored 46 points and took the individual honours but the ultimate prize is being on the championship team, which went to Andre, Audie, Steven and Nancy with an average of 38 points. They have their names etched into history forever (or at least on the perpetual trophy)

Here are some shots.

My grouping, including Pastor Woo York

Derrick Chew... very Tiger-esque

I understand that the ECCI Cup Day has been held on every Melbourne Cup Day since 1996. Great to see my name on the trophy as a member of the 2008 Champion Team.

That was so last year. Let's move on. Here are this year's winners. Congratulations!

All the photos located here.

Eagle Ridge

2009-10-27T21:52:00.008+11:00

Last weekend I went on a church retreat at the Nepean Country Club . We were situated within walking distance to the Eagle Ridge Golf Course... so naturally I played 18 holes.

Overall, Eagle Ridge was a good course but nothing too spectacular. I found the greens and fairways a bit patchy for the price I paid ($55). Some of the bunkers needed a bit of topping up.

Maybe I wasn't appreciating it as much as I should've as my game was off throughout the whole day. My drives were erratic and I lost 6 balls!

Here are some pics:

1) The clubhouse. It's pretty quaint.

2) One of the well bunkered Par 3s. I parred this hole. One of the few good moments.

3) Most of the time I was stuck in the bushes. I'm not going to look for my ball when I see a sign like this.

4) The 18th Par 5 provides a nice view of the clubhouse and a good way to round off the day.

I hear our Church might be going to the Nepean Country Club again. I might try another course this time next year, particularly when the Mornington Peninsula Region has plenty of world class courses on offer like Moonah Links, Rosebud, and Cape Schank. Till next year...

What to do when you drive badly?

2009-10-26T19:49:00.007+11:00

Played at Eagle Ridge yesterday. I've been looking forward to it for 3 weeks. However, I had a shocker with 23 points. I can't seem to play at these nice courses.

Wish I had a blender with me.

I'll post some pics of Eagle Ridge soon.

Not in contention

2009-10-17T21:07:00.007+11:00

Got an email from our team captain last week on the standings for the FGAM Golf Trophy. I've been playing pretty inconsistent this year... and it hasn't gone unnoticed!

This year it looks like CP has it under control. I wish CP well because he truly deserves to win … CP is by far the most accomplished golfer with the lowest handicap in our group of players. Second place will be on the knife-edge … so there will at least be some excitement. There is 8 games left between now and 5 Dec. The last game will probably be on 5 Dec because I shall be away on 12 Dec and 19 Dec is too close to Christmas. So, those in the running will have 8 games to do their magic and either consolidate or lose their positions … players still likely to be in contention are the ‘young lions’ like Gabriel and Steven. I think Robin has far too many points to catch up … ah, the responsibilities of married life!

Oh well, maybe next year.

I have some rounds lined up in the coming weeks (it's Spring!). We're having our church retreat down at the Mornington Peninsula (Nepean Country Club). The Eagle Ridge Golf Course is right next door so I'll be trying to duck off for a sneaky 18 holes.

Also, it's Melbourne Cup Day coming up. The Evangelical Chinese Church are again organising their annual golf day and I'll be there to back up last year's effort. This time it's at the Sandringham Golf Course.

Anthony Kim = loose cannon

2009-10-15T19:24:00.005+11:00

Found this story funny from last week's President's Cup:

Australia's Robert Allenby has apologised to Anthony Kim about his comments after losing to the American in the Presidents Cup, and both golfers said the issue was over.
After their singles match on Sunday, Allenby was quoted as saying his friends saw Kim returning to his hotel room at 4am that morning, and the Australian referred to him as the "loosest cannon in that team."
Kim denied he was out late.
Both released statements through the PGA Tour.
"While I feel like the comments published were taken out of context, I did call Anthony to apologise for anything that I said or inferred that could possibly portray Anthony as anything less than a professional of the highest calibre," Allenby said.
Kim said he accepted the apology and "we are both moving on."
They could face each other again. Both are scheduled to play the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain at the end of the month.
AP