Kia Ora all! We're back on home soil in Aotearoa and have begun our last month of puregolf2010. It's great to be home despite a distinct lack of sleep.
We've just got in from a special day at Maungakiekie Golf Club in Mt Roskill, Auckland. A local course for the community that had a very cool kiwi buzz in the clubhouse which was a perfect way to start the homecoming tour around NZ. Today we've picked up our Jucy Rental (still waiting for an official 'name') and so we're set to embark on our final drive around NZ. And some drive it will be as we traverse the length of the country and back over the next 4 weeks before we finish at the spectacular Cape Kidnappers. For those kiwis reading in on the blog - check out the 'our journey' tab on the website for our upcoming dates - it'd be fantastic if you were out to join us on one of the upcoming games!
At Maungakiekie we were joined by Rob Bowe, a member of the committee and all around champion. Rob's company Reynolds Co agreed to sponsor us per birdie today - $25 per birdie and $50 per eagle. On the 16th he doubled the bets and Bart (included in his challnge but not our 'Homecoming Birdie Challenge') made an eagle 2, along with my solo birdie raising $150. All up Rob's kindly donating 275 which is stellar.
Today as 1 December also marked the beginning of our Homecoming Birdie Challenge. To date we've got pledges amounting to $79 per birdie and over $300 per eagle and so the four birdies that JP and I made today amount to some $320. Progress is being made but it's a long long way to our goal of 75k so we'd love more of you to sign up for our homecoming birdie challenge!!! If you're keen to support The First Tee of NZ please email bart@puregolf2010.com with your pledge!
Maungakiekie was great fun and marked day 335 straight of non-stop-we-can't-get-enough golf which means only 30 days to go. Tomorrow morning we're on Breakfast TV and then out to Howick GC before we're having a wee EVENt at The Grange - the more the merrier.
But for now, it's time to catch up with the lads - it's great to be home.
Good morning from a scorching hot Perth where the mercury is tipping 39 today while we are heading out to The Cut Golf Course south of Perth. First a morning of blogging and other duties beckons..
And so a quick update on the response to our Homecoming Birdie Challenge.
So far we have 10 people pledging a combined $53 per birdie and $215 per eagle to The First Tee during our last 31 days of golf in Aotearoa. Not a bad start, but we're hoping many more of you jump on board! There is no amount too big or small, we'd just love to have as many people involved as possible.
Now it's back to my 'imovie' application.
M
You may have seen this email in your inbox recently! If not - have a look and we'd love for you to get involved to help The First Tee. We've already had a few people sign up for The Greatest Birdie Challenge In The History Of Birdie Challenges and our aim is to have 200 people up for this December challenge
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Friends of puregolf2010,
Jamie & Michael here, the two Kiwi adventurers playing a game of golf every day in 2010 - around the world - to raise money for and awareness of The First Tee of New Zealand. (See www.puregolf2010.com if you need to jog your memory).
You've all been part of our odyssey in one way or another. So first up, we want to thank you for your support - 2010's been an incredible year for us. Busy, but incredible.
Today we played our 315th consecutive round of golf! Seems like a lot right enough. Since 1 January 2010 we've travelled through Nu Zillin, Aussie, the US of A, Iceland, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, France, Belgium, The Netherlands and, now Dubai - each day hauling the sticks out of the car boot and opening a new chapter in this whirlwind journey. We're here in the UAE for 6 more days and in just a few weeks - after another spell in that big desert known as 'Straya - we'll be back on home soil. (Gasp).
That's right, the last 31 days of puregolf2010 will be spent travelling around New Zealand, where the courses are short (except Kidnappers) and the trees very much in play. Throughout December we're hoping to cause something of a stir in our little country, and to raise a huge pile of cash for our friends at The First Tee. $75,000 is the target; right now we're nudging 20.
Here's how you can help us get there:
It was with some relief that we escaped The Emerald Isle after a dangerously experience rich 27 days. Our existence in England promises to be a more measured one; no bad thing. Maybe we??ll get a bit more done...
As fate would have it Michael has an uncle in Manchester who has an impressive great big Georgian home. And he graciously said we could squat for as long as necessary. Our stay there was so comfortable that we considered revamping our itinerary to accommodate months?? of golf around Manchester; we didn??t want to leave. Wayne and his lovely wife Gayle (both barristers, or, in Gayle??s case, nearly) are an affable couple of kind hearted disposition. Good natured doesn??t quite cover it. A few nights in Chateau Mottram provided much needed nourishment for tired bodies and minds. 5 star luxury and Gayle??s pure cooking combined in heavenly fashion.
Despite not managing to connect with the good people at The First Tee of Ireland, a visit to their Mancunian counterparts has been on the cards for some time. Manchester is the only UK chapter of the program, although there are plans to open up shop down in Wrexham (north Wales) soon. The Golf Foundation holds a strong grip on junior golf here and, as I understand it, they don??t seem too keen on working with The First Tee given their different emphases. Seems strange to me given both have the overarching objective of getting kids into golf.
Molly Whelan ?? who??s involved in the set up at The First Tee ?? arranged for us to come down to Heaton Park to meet a bunch of the kids. Their enthusiasm as ever would prove to be a real boost. Before sitting in on one of their sessions though we had to carry out the daily ritual that is golf ?? no chore, to be honest. Dangerous though. Thunder and lightning greeted us on our first day on English soil: perhaps a warning not to expect the sort of pristine weather we??ve grown accustomed to this year.
Just 20 minutes into the escapade we found ourselves huddled under trees doing our best to dodge the very wet Manchester rain. And lightning. Brian the manager (who??d given us a warm welcome upon arrival) must??ve grown concerned for our safety and so took it upon himself to buggy out to collect us. We had other ideas, and continued on as soon as the forks were no longer overhead. By the time we??d reached the turn the torrential downpour abated and the sun almost made an appearance. At this point Heaton Park began to look a little more splendid. The 11th hole for example was a picture: 200 odd yards over a bush clad ravine with some old observatory looking structure in the background. Pure.
[Rather soggy post-storm greens]
[Index 1, 15th hole - quality]
After 14 we shot down to the driving range to hang out with the wee ones. Because of a rescheduled class time it was only Charlie, Marley and Olivia that could make it. They had enough spark between the three of them to light up the night sky, so it seemed like a full class anyway. Supportive parents watched on as their little rascals were led by Rob, TFT Coach, through their paces. At only 6 or 7 years old these tots were more or less just getting their eye in, rather than focusing on the finer points of the game, but they were in their element. Marley in particular (yes, named after Bob) was having a blast.
[Charlie blasting off]
[The crew]
[L to R: Marley, Charlie and Olivia]
I had a good chat with Marley??s dad, who told me how much the wee man looked forward to every class. Seeing his son get so animated had also ignited in him an interest in picking up the game again. Obviously enthusiasm is infectious. As we all marched out to the chipping green the three musketeers hurtled themselves at full throttle ?? and Marley (of course it would be him) slipped straight onto his posterior. Covered in mud. Literally. Y??er man didn??t seem too bothered either, just chirping and chipping away as if nothing had happened. Class.
[Goldy with Marley and dad]
Eventually the time came for us to shoot back out onto ??the big course? to finish our final four holes. This time James ?? one of the proteges at The First Tee ?? came out to show us a thing or two. He??s 16 years old, has been playing for a couple of years, and already plays off a 5 handicap. He??d dead keen too, and has really immersed himself in the program. ??It keeps me off the streets? he said to me, as we walked down the 16th. You could tell he meant it too; this kid had his head screwed on. James credited his supportive parents with helping him make it to the classes ?? others aren??t quite so lucky. It was a delight getting to spend an hour with James and see him hit the ball like not many other 16 years olds can. A credit to himself and The First Tee.
[James and Goldy]
Huge thanks to Molly and Brian for teeing up our visit and being so hospitable on the day. It was a pleasure meeting you both, and the kids. Their enthusiasm was inspiring.
JP
Every now and then something happens that makes us step back from what we're doing to reflect. This week we were touched to receive a wee message from our pals - The Birdie Students - at The First Tee NZ. It gave us a real boost.
Thanks guys - it looks windier in Auckland than it is here in Ireland! Keep up the good work, we'll see you in December.
Jamie & Michael
Guys, team, readers.
We've now completed our Scottish leg - and what a 45 days it was! Thanks to everyone involved from the MacKenzies up in the far north to Pooky in Gleneagles and the various aunties and uncles of Jamie in and around Edinburgh and Fife!
Over the course of our Scottish leg we had 3 kind folk donating 1 pound for every birdie we made and 10 pounds for every eagle. The outcome through 45 days? After numerous missed putts and 'what-could-have-been' opportunities was 152 Birdies and 4 Eagles!
Irish Fundraising - Get involved!!
We're now one day through our Irish leg. Over the next 24 days we will play through Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland driving a fair few miles in the process!
So far we have 2 people who have kindly agreed to take part in the Ireland Birdie / Eagle challenge - including Jamie's father Mike who hails from these parts. Trust me when I say it's hugely motivating when we're standing over a birdie putt to know that when it rolls in the side door some benefit will come from it to the great folk at The First Tee.
For those who are new to our charity - The First Tee - it's a cause worth supporting. They give kids the opportunity to get into golf and learn some of the amazing life lessons we've been fortunate to pick up over the years (and this year in particular!). All of the donations are going straight to the program and we hope that over the course of the year we'll raise enough for them to expand into the town where Jamie and I went to school and university back in NZ, Christchurch. Have a read here for more information about TFT.
We'd be stoked for readers from across the world to get involved!!! - please email me if you're in to be part of the challenge. And to Mike and Carol - on behalf of Jamie, myself and the folk at The First Tee - Thank you!
M
Western Gailes is a course that I knew nothing about before today. I had not read about it, nor had I heard any rave reviews about it. So there were no expectations as we drove into the gate across the railway lines onto the property that sits adjacent to Royal Troon, Prestwick and Glasgow Gailes. Being in such close proximity to the supreme rolling seaside land of the aforementioned courses I should have realised we were in for a real treat.
On the first tee we were welcomed by the starter, a lovely old chap called Henry. Henry shared with us a few wise words about the course and told us about its pedigree as final open qualifier course and from hosting other big tournaments such as the Curtis cup and the national amateur championships.
The first hole is a pleasant and straight forward par four (the first of 13 par fours on the course ranging in length from 309 yards to well over 470) and a chance to get into the groove, before the next holes which really press the right buttons.
After finding one of the well positioned pots on the third, it was the approach to the 4rd hole (below) where the first touches of real class glimmered as I looked up at the green with wedge in hand and all I could see were the two bunkers front and left with broad shoulders making the seemingly innocuous pin placement all of a sudden that much more difficult.
Standing on the 5th green both JP and I were thinking, out load to ourselves, wow this is a great track. Serious well positioned pot bunkers laid out on a stunning piece of rolling land sitting adjacent to the water. A wee breeze blowing off the sea was also asking for just that little bit of creativity.
And then we made it to the 6th tee. After a few moments of deliberation on where to hit our tee shots we consulted the course guide Henry had kindly given us and finally took aim and fired blind over a mound. The balls swung right to left off the sea breeze and ended up there or thereabouts. Before we knew it we were knocking our 2 irons over a mound towards the blind green. A few bounces later and we were not too far short and standing amidst the dunes over pitch shots to an ingeniously located green set amidst the dunes....
The rest is history as they say ?? I knocked it up from 50 yards and left it right in the jaws rolling in from the left and the JP beat me to it rolling it right in the cup from the right - BOOM. A combined 7 shots is not bad going. And crucially 11 pounds for the first tee from each of our benefactors taking part in the Scotland Birdie / Eagle challenge. Check out the video below!
On a high and loving the golf course nothing changed on the 7th despite the two of us ruining our pleasant looking scorecards with matching 5??s. But nevermind the score ?? the 7th is a superb hole played along the water and to another green nestled into a creative home and flanked by bunkers.
8 and 10 are a couple of par fours played over a burn both running the same direction and both merely a 2 iron and sand wedge. Since finishing our round and talking about Western Gailes I think it is these two holes that create the bront of the criticism because of their sameness. It is almost like the course allows the golfer to take their foot off the throttle just as they are warming up.
9 (below) is the rose between the thorns, albeit a hole of the same length (or a touch shorter) and played in exactly the same direction. A strongly hit drive could find a down slope and sneak between two bunkers leaving an eagle putt. But the smart play is to lay up leaving a short wedge where you can??t see the base of the pin and to a two tiered green that you simply must not miss. One of those wedge shots that really gets the blood pumping.
After a couple of strong par fours, 11 and 12, and the short par three 13th (where I played merrily in the sand whilst JP continued his fine golf) played out to the southwestern corner of the golf course from where it is time to turn and follow the train tracks back towards the clubhouse. 14 is a par five, reachable in two if you can navigate around the pots (lesson learnt the hard way). Another great green complex framed by the railway line, a couple of pots and a subtly sloping green.
15 pictured below is a gorgeous par three and upon JP making another par a good round was beckoning.
But then on the 16th tee things when awry. With JP eyeing the possibility of beating his old foe named par, he was unstuck by the burn which rolls around 40 yards short of the green. I must admit with the strength of the finish here, and the OOB looming down the right hand side of the last few holes I was kind of glad that it was not me trying to grind out a 'round-of-the-year'.
17 is another tee shot flanked by the train tracks but then this hole, with a ledge through the middle of the fairway, kinks back towards the ocean where you must play a blind shot with only a bright red cross to aim at.
The 18th leaves you at peace with yourself and with Western Gailes - a more gentle finish that leaves you wanting to come back for more. And that we did, but not before JP raised another hundred dollars or so from the gentlemen inside for The First Tee. Thanks gents and the crew at Western Gailes (I believe the secretary is from down under?) for a cracker of a day at one of the most under rated courses of the year.
Postscript: Birdie tally through today??s round is 27 birdies, 1 eagle totallng 37 pounds to the first tee for each of our now three contributors. We encourage you to get involved in our Scottish birdie challenge ?? we??d love to have even more riding on each hole!!
PPS - A MUST PLAY if you're coming to Scotland
OK so a fundraising initiative that Jamie and I hope a few more people will want to become part of!
In Scotland, for 45 days, we're on somewhat of a birdie challenge all for the benefit of The First Tee. Check out the video below for the details, and we hope that a few more people will be keen to take part. It definitely gives an extra meaning to the 6 footer for birdie, or dare I say rare Eagle putt..
Day 162 was such a long day that I need a contents page for this blog. Seriously. Part one will feature our golf for the day at Champions Retreat. The second part, our fundraising tournament with The First Tee of Aiken, and the grand finale, a must read, about our dinner at the Sage Valley Club.
Waking at 530am in Aiken at the Brewer residence, we were due to meet our hosts Nick Carter and Gary McMahan at Champions Retreat by 745am. Champions Retreat is a new golf development North West of Augusta, Georgia. What we hadn??t accounted for in our planning was the 75 minute drive to get there from Aiken (after our now customary wrong turn or two) so even with the red eye start we were still a couple of minutes late.
Champions Retreat? Good track where the developer managed to convince Palmer, Player and Nicklaus to all build 9 holes each of Great Golf. He must have had some diplomacy skills - it??s not often big names will share in their design of a golf course. But with a plot of land nestled next to the Savannah River, some nearby low lying lakes and huge Augusta National esque pine trees the three past champions must have been licking their lips to get out on their diggers and create another masterpiece. And developments here are nothing like down under. This place looks like it's been here an eternity and the Augusta pines and classical architecture make it feel very mature.
(Below is the strong par four 5th hole at Champions Retreat, on the Arnold Palmer 9)
Unfortunately it took me about 5 holes to see the course because I was plagued by a certain block cut that will not be mentioned again today. Or for the rest of the year. Ugly. Not a great day to pull out a new sleeve of golf balls which by the 5th hole all been gifted to the golfing gods, the last sculled out of the greenside bunker into the steaming Savannah River (the water is coming out of a deepwater hyrdo lake and when exposed to the 100 degree humidity there is a fair bit of steam).
The course is like many we??ve played in the USA, in that it is very long off the tips with no roll and that you simply take driver without thinking on every tee. A bombers course. I was craving some roll and to be able to hit a stinging 2 iron by the end of the round, and it got to the stage where I had to revert to such shot to keep the ball in play. As an example, however, I hit a low one out on the 18th hole pretty flush, but it rolled no more than 2 feet. This is in the middle of summer. Best holes? I loved the par five 5th on the Player nine: a tee shot over a marsh to a fairway that is VERY wide, but then a second shot resembling the 13th at Augusta. It had a creek short that meandered across the fairway short of the green and away and along the right hand side of the green. My three wood followed its path all the way: lesson of the day Lay Up more often. Palmers best was probably a par 5 as well, the third and pictured below. Water right all the way along and bunkers left. Of Course. Risk and reward to take on the lake short of the green with bunkers left for the bail out. I made a DNF, JP a solid par rolling one in from 25 feet.
Nick, in my cart, took on Jamie and Gary in a best ball. Gary and the two of us gave Nick 6 shots so when Nick started knocking his pitch shots within a putter length I knew I was onto a winner. Unfortunately Nick??s shoulders grew tired of carrying me and we were 1 down at the turn. Nick is a champion of a man. I??m getting used to saying that a lot, but believe me when I say that Mr Carter was a real Southern Gentleman. When he wasn??t sinking clutch putts to keep us in the match he was sharing stories about life in these parts (where he owns an electrical business) and how he would love to have us stay when we make it back here another time. Gary Mac is in the timber gig and it looks like he gets a bit of time to play golf as he had it on a string. The two snap hookers (Gary and JP) managed to sneak the win on the 18th ?? a monstrous par four played around a lake, courtesy of JP??s 2 iron to 15 feet for a par, and my three putt. In fact most people would describe my missed 8 footer on the last for the half as a choke. Fortunately we were playing for nothing but pride so Nick didn??t chase me off the course.
Instead we headed to the clubhouse for a spot of lunch where we met one of the Principals and the General Manager, ate a burger (of course) and drank about 7 Arnold Palmers. Buzzing after a great morning, and from the sugar, we set sail to episode two of our day back at Aiken.
The First Tee of Aiken had reached out to us a few weeks back and we had arranged for a joint fundraising 9 hole tournament. Elizabeth Smith, the executive director of this newly formed First Tee chapter was awesome. She is enthusiastic, clearly very switched on and a huge asset for the local chapter. This chapter was set up by Mr Wyatt, a local businessman who also owns the Houndslake Country Club where the First Tee is based.
Elizabeth had arranged a field of around 40 players for this 9 hole scramble (or captains choice as it is known in the USA) as well as seemingly every media agency to come along for the ride.
(Above: Jamie's team, Carol Spencer and Todd - who by the way shot 6 under 30 to come second)
I was joined by Clark and Judy, a local couple who have retired down here from New Jersey and volunteer for the local First Tee chapter, and also a young budding golfer, Brett. We knocked it around with a couple of photographers in tow, including a good lad by the name of Corey who was an interesting character ?? could relate to doing ??long distance?? something that was particularly hard this day for me as it was Gretta??s 25th birthday back in NZ. The four of us ended up with 4 under 32 for the nine, which was never going to take the spoils.
After the round Jamie and I shared a few stories and chatted away with the locals. All up we raised a few hundred dollars for The First Tee chapters of both NZ and Aiken which was great. Huge thanks to Elizabeth, Kenny and Lindsey for welcoming us and bringing the day together.
Lastly, our evening at the Sage Valley Golf Club. Elizabeth Smith had arranged for us to go to the seafood buffet at the club and was kind enough to give us 15 minutes after the First Tee event to get changed and ready to go. Formal dress. Scrambling to iron our suits after they have not had not much (zero) use all year, Jamie realized he had left his dinner jacket in the wardrobe of the Gardners way back in San Francisco. Bugger. He managed to borrow one from the Houndslake Country Club so we were all set to go.
The Sage Valley Club is private club in Aiken owned by the founder of the local First Tee, Mr Wyatt. We were hosted by his son Tom Wyatt and his lovely wife Leslie who were great people and made us feel very welcome. This was some true Southern Hospitality - we were welcomed like old friends and Tom told us about their course which was designed by Fazio and we??re gutted that we didn??t fit it into our schedule as I think it is a must play. The dining hall was all class and something unlike anything we would experience in NZ. Members wore their green club jackets, waiters made sure everything was in order and old friends buzzed around telling lies and sharing stories. We sat with Elizabeth, Tom and Lesley and also another couple called Chad and Kadii. Both Chad and Kadi were good golfers - Chad has been the club champion at Palmetto a number of times (Palmetto is a course in Aiken which MacKenzie ran his eye over when he was designing Augusta National). Kadi has been the national champion of Estonia twice! Great story.
The grub? Seafood at its finest. Who said food in the US wasn??t any good? Just try the lobster ?? which I ate courtesy of some lessons from Tom on cracking it open - or the Southern famous dish the fried catfish. Of course, no seafood buffet would be complete in this part of the world without the Shrimp and Grits. For those down-under Grits is a cornmeal type substance, similar to porridge in texture but tastes more like corn. Google it for a recipe.
So as the time ticked by on what was a huge day we found ourselves sitting around the table explaining why we are called kiwi??s ?? the shy, flightless, nocturnal and defenseless bird which is the national bird of NZ. A scotch later and the eyes started to glaze over and whilst the conversation kept flowing it was time to get some rest. A day for the memory banks and one part of the world I can??t wait to return to. Thanks to everyone for the day!
Country Club of Charleston. Well well well, this blog was originally written by Mr Patton but being the technologically savvy chap that he is it has disappeared into the black hole within his Apple. Sorry readers you lucked out with my writing but here I go searching into the memory bank to reminisce of day 162 at the Charleston CC.
What comes first to the memory is that it was very and I mean VERY hot. Probably the hottest day of the year to date. And humid. Down the stretch Jamie wilted as the Scots tend to do in 99 degree heat. We all did to some extent. It was so damn hot there were fans on the practice range.
Charleston was the hangover from the monstrous test that was the Ocean Course. And a golfing hangover generally produces a good score as you??re used to facing back to back to back 500 yard into-the-wind par fours, so anything less seems easy. Charleston is not easy mind you. The first hole actually felt a bit like Kiawah as it played staight into the stiff breeze ?? not a cooling sea breeze but one of those hot ones you??d love to just switch off like when the car air conditioning unit goes bung?
Greeted by Bucky in the pro-shop (an enthusiastic golf pro at the club who is also a First Tee of Charleston Board Member), we quickly met the brains behind day 162 ?? a lad named Ben Grandy. Ben??s story is as follows: he went to college on a golf scholarship but after a car accident he changed track and went to a different college that aligned with the PGA programme. So 5 years later Ben graduated from college and was a qualified professional. His internships had been done at a number of awesome golf courses in the US including Peachtree, Medinah and Pebble Beach. After graduating and a few months of sleeping on couches playing the mini tours, he woke up and didn??t want to play anymore and went and got a job in the industry. After a couple of years he became part of the set up of The First Tee in Charleston in 2007. Now, 3 years on, the Charleston First Tee has 5 bases and thousands of kids going through the programme. It??s great stuff, particularly in an area such as Charleston where there are many kids who simply wouldn??t get the opportunity to play golf. Of course Ben couldn??t have been this successful if he wasn??t a top bloke ?? so it was a pleasure to join him for a round and afterwards a spot of sightseeing around Charleston. He even was kind enough to invite us back to his digs to shower up before our drive to Aiken, South Carolina.
The fourth, and the Country Club member of the group was a gent named Frank Norvell. Frank was in the commercial real estate game here in Charleston and has been a member at the Country Club for a Long Time. Frank could play, with a strong draw and getting some good distance with his driver, but we did what all guests are not supposed to do and took the match out today. Frank has become involved on the Board of the First Tee here so has also been a driving force behind the success of this First Tee chapter.
Charleston CC has been designed by Seth Raynor in the 20??s. While I am not familiar with Mr Raynor he clearly subscribed to a design philosophy centering around simplicity. The course has no bells and whistles. Some greens are small, some have huge false fronts and others are protected by the odd precisely placed bunker. I loved a stretch of three short par fours, from the 12th until the 14th holes. All around 370 yards, but each had their own niche. The 12th requires a cut off the tee and then has an elevated green angling away to the left, guarded by a bunker short. This is a short hole but easy to stuff up, particularly today with the green elevated and exposed to the breeze. The 13th is very simple but if you go long, you??re out of bounds. So of course you hit it short and are snaffled up by the false front (and three putt). And the 14th just has a monstrously awful green with many tiers and is devilishly difficult to stop the ball on.
One feature which I particularly enjoyed was the square greens. There were also square ledges around the greens which catch your ball and leave it sitting down a couple of feet from the green.
A couple of holes are worth a quick mention and a photograph. The 11th (below) is a par three which has the biggest false front you have ever seen, a narrow top shelf, and deep set bunkers on each side. A polarizing hole which caused Hogan to call Charleston CC the best 17 hole course he has ever seen. I thought it was a good hole, and fair with the remodeled green giving a backboard on the left of the green. I do think the false front doesn??t need to be part of the green ?? having it as fairway would help maintenance and have exactly the same effect on the hole.
The other hole is the horseshoe green 16th ?? see below. This is on the back of a strong par four at 450 yards. An unusual shaped green and JP did particularly well with his putt from the back right to the front left.
As the dehydration set in we meandered up the 18th with the new clubhouse in the backdrop (the old clubhouse had been ruined by a Hurricane here in the 80??s). Our scoring was a collective 32 shots better than Kiawah, with a 76 (M) & 78 (J). It was a pleasure to putt on some pure greens after quite a few of the sanded variety in recent times.. We rehydrated in the clubhouse courtesy of a number of Arnold Palmer??s and had a bite to eat. Huge thanks goes out to Frank for making our experience at the Country Club all that it was.
Lastly, we did some media for the local tv news and then had a tour of Charleston where we saw the slave markets, the tourist district and the old stately homes on the peninsula upon which the city center is based. Then, after a long drive through to Aiken, South Carolina, we were shattered as we greeted our hosts the Brewer Family who had contacted us through our website after hearing our story on the Golf Smater Podcast. We met Steve and Paula and the kids and shared stories of NZ and our golfing journey before we retired for some much needed shut-eye.
We??re on the move again. Day 134 started with us packing all our kit up and into the Dodge van in preparation to leave San Francisco. We bid farewell to our host Fi (and what a host she has been!) and made our way along the freeway to the San Francisco Golf Club.
As we pulled in to this wonderfully traditional club, the Dodge was very much out of place. Our world is one of huge contrasts at the moment. So we parked on the edge of the carpark..
We were hosted at the club by an old friend of Jamie??s family named Peter Gardener. A real gentleman. Peter didn??t manage to play but made the trip around the course in a cart giving us various tips and imparting his deep local knowledge (learnt from 35 years of membership) along the way. He proved superb at reading putts and was even kind (or sympathetic) enough to give me a putting lesson. Definitely a man to be listened to, and I dare say he would have given us a lesson on how to play the course had he been able to. We're staying with Pete and his wife Jill tonight after golf which promises to be a fine evening of Scottish and English hospitality.
We were also joined by Mr Tom Klein, another member of SFGC and also the Chairman of the local First Tee chapter. Tommy has various strings to his bow, being a fine golfer, in the wine industry and was part of the inaugural US Eagles Rugby side in the 70's. They beat Canada, and even the NZ Universities side. Tom played with a caddy and we were told that all senior members take a caddy along for the walk. This is a hugely different experience to what we are used to down-under with a number of caddies hanging around by the first tee waiting for a bag for the day.
It was great to hear from Tom all about The First Tee in San Francisco. They have set up a satellite base at an urban high school to make the program more accessible for those kids who could really benefit from it. It sounds like the local board of 35 does quite an excellent job at fundraising to support the program here. The local chapter was initially set up by a gentleman named Sandy Tatum who was once the USGA chairman and from all accounts is another fine man.
Before I get into the golf let me digress. The photograph above with Peter (left) and Tom (right) is taken from a special part of the property. This is a plaque to recognise the last ever Duel in California (and possibly the US). The duel was between a local judge and the town sheriff. Two concrete blocks, 10 paces apart also sit below in the gully to the right of this short par three 7th to mark the exact places where the two men stood. I am not sure who survived, but the first bloke to fire, well, his gun didn't quite work so he was out of luck (and life). One of the members of SFGC recently salvaged the original gun and it is framed and up in the clubhouse, along with a raft of other amazing memorabilia.
And so we went to the golf on a damp and foggy San Francisco day. With the Olympic Club across Lake Merced we were in the thick of First Rate golfing country. (Below is actually a shot looking down the 10th hole - a strong par four measuring around 400 yards. Jamie and I both just flew over the bunkers on the right leaving a mid iron in.)
Despite being the third layout of the SFGC, the course has a very old feel to it. The grass is settled and lush, the rough is very thick and the bunkers settled. The design is our first experience of the work of Mr Tillinghast, who is a revered golf course designer in these parts. The story goes that when tasked with designing the course back in the 20??s he charged the club a fee of 100 pounds per day on top of as much scotch as he could drink. Sounds like he and Dr MacKenzie shared a few things in common!
The golf course is set in natural terrain that is perfect for golf ?? hence the 4 clubs within close proximity to here. When designed the course would have been sandy and the holes would have weaved through large sand hills, but over time the water supply has changed and it is now a lush course with deep green grass. The fairways here are as pure as we've encountered in the US.
An example of the atmosphere that the natural sand hills give the course is on the 8th hole. This par four plays through a gully and then sharply uphill to a raised green. As with most long holes on the course fairway bunkers make you really think about your tee shot. And of course each green is craftily protected by sand. But the bush-covered undulations on each side, like a gigantic halfpipe, really give this hole some atmosphere.
The course has recently been amended so that it more reflects its original design which had been tinkered with over the years. In particular a stretch on the back nine from 12 - 14 has been remodelled. This includes number 13 (below) which is called little tilly - a mere flip wedge from 130 yards onto the green but boy you need to be precise!
With the conditions as they were, you must need to strike the ball well to play this course as it plays long and hitting to the greens from the wet long rough is nigh on impossible. And Jamie hit it pure today - about as well as I have seen this year. He finished with a very respectable 77, +6. I had an 85 and came third in the split sixes match a wee way behind Tom.
Jamie's golf was even more impressive as there were no yardages and we were reliant on Tom??s caddy (and his friend Jack) to occasionally give us a distance to the pin. He also gave a few reads on the greens which did not always steer Jamie in the right direction! The greens have that traditional feel to them - no huge slopes but just subtle tilts which can make the greens very tricky to play if you are left on the short side, or above the hole. You need to take a second look at some putts or you can be made to look very foolish. The greens were not their speedy self today so the course was in a rather forgiving mood.
It was a real privilege to enjoy a round of golf here today, and a huge thank you to Peter, Tom and the membership for having us. SFGC has a small membership (around 320) and the club seemed to have a very strong sense of camaraderie amongst the members. We were introduced to numerous other golfers in the Friday Gang, and afterwards met a number of them in the clubhouse. The clubhouse has the most amazing old world charm to it, with dice games left right and centre, shoes that come out waxed and polished and some fine service. But really words will not do it justice and not having the hide (or stupidity) to take the camera in, I will leave you all with a picture of the clubhouse looking up the 18th hole and leave to your imagination as to what it's like on the inside.
Thursday the 29th of April I was invited to the Glades for their bi-monthly ??Girls at Glades?? golfing day. 99 ladies from across South-East Queensland had gathered and I, the sole guy, made the field a round 100.
Today was organised by Hayden, Luke and the team at the Glades and my first impression was they ran a pretty tight ship! 50 carts all lined up, with each competitors name on the windscreen, scorecards loaded and course all prepared. I was paired with Natalie Nichols and we set off for an individual stableford and best-ball competition. The women were off the platinum tees (front), and after my last two days I decided it was time to venture back to the black tees.
The Glades is the only course in Queensland I have played with bent grass greens. So putting on them was more familiar and similar to Melbourne or New Zealand. No grain! And they actually take borrow. Unlike the ??328 couch?? on other greens in the area, the greens at the Glades show blemishes from pitch marks, foot marks and so on. So there are polarising views of these black sheep greens. But in my book they are pure and the course should be congratulated for the persistent effort they put in to them to keep the grass growing and the greens as pure as they were today. (the rumour goes that the greenstaff inject water into them daily to keep them from drying out in the heat)
The Glades is also another Greg Norman design and a Troon managed course.
I am learning that Norman designs often mean big features and the Glades was no exception. The bunkers were in-your-face, the course very long and the hazards visually imposing. One thing I like with Norman courses is the par fives and that they gave you a chance to knock it on in two if you hit a good drive. Today, they were in two couplets: 6&7 and 11&12. Both 6 and 11 were quite straightforward and I would call them both par 4 and a half. And then the second par five of the couplet bites you, for example the 530m 7th which had hazards down the right and huge bunkers dotted amongst the fairway and played back against the wind. Perhaps 12 was not quite as imposing as this, but it still had extensive water and bunkering around the green so bail out left (like I did) is an option. The couplets of par fives reminded me of Victoria and whilst different I quite like the way it makes each nine flow.
Natalie and I were not going so well in the best-ball although our score was helped by a couple of pars by Natalie, which, off her 34 handicap collected us four points a pop. Ideal! Unfortunately neither of us exhibited much consistency and it wasn??t until the stretch of 13-17 that we managed to string together some 3 pointers.
Our playing partners, Naomi and Norma were playing some nice golf. Ever competitive Norma was from Coolangatta Tweed Heads and played some good golf off her 27 handicap. Naomi was the low marker off 22 and had a very good short game ?? she even managed to hit low skiddy pitches with a lob-wedge that checked ?? something I am still trying to master. Naomi had some good tools to play with which wasn??t surprising when I heard she and her husband Andrew owned some Drummond Golf stores. She is also a member of Brookwater and I??m going to head out there for a game with Andrew on Saturday.
The back nine amps it up at The Glades after the duo of par fives. 13 is a 205m par three and 14 and 15 are very long par fours. 15 is 430m and today played into the wind. The rough around these holes is very wiry so at times it looked like the ball would come out well but ended up just looping out 100m or so up the fairway. Then, the final stretch of 16-18 is an entertaining stretch of dramatic holes. 16 is a genuine risk reward par four. There is a huge lake between the tee and the green whilst the green is surrounded by bunkers left, right and short right. If you bail out right of the lake with an iron there??s a wide open fairway but you??ll be hitting into a green angled away from you. If you take driver and nail it you can roll it directly up the green, but if you miss in the bunkers short right you??ve got the toughest shot in golf ?? the long bunker shot.
17 is a short par three played entirely over water. From the black tees it almost plays as an island green with water short, left and long and left. Check out the photo below.
18 is another monster par four at 410m again today into the wind. Water lines the left and you can bite off some of the dog-leg if you??re feeling brave on the last. Again have a look at the picture below.
After golf the Girls of the Glades were in the function room for a lunch and prizegiving. I was given the honour of saying a few words to the women to explain my odyssey and talk about The First Tee and the work they do. I saw a few nods from the audience as I explained there was much to be gained from golf for the 99.9% of us who aren??t going to be pro??s. A few laughs later the questions started flowing and a few of the ladies were asking if they could come along to caddy!
Hayden and the staff put on a raffle and decided that all of the proceeds would go to The First Tee. We managed to sell $570 worth of tickets which was superb, and is hugely appreciated by the First Tee. Thank you to everyone, but in particular Hayden, Luke and the team for putting on an awesome event ?? great fun and The Glades was a cracking course. I dare say as good as any up here to date.
After handing out the prizes to the winners (including 43 points to the winner Tracey off a 10 handicap ?? great going: much better than my 84. Incidentally both Naomi and Norma, and Natalie and I had 37 in the best-ball which was about 11 shy of the winners) and a few conversations with the ladies (including encouraging them to consider starting up the First Tee in Australia) it was time to retreat to base camp for some R&R. But lastly, thanks to Naomi, Norma and Natalia for their company and making me feel very welcome for the day.
The day was capped off with an Italian dinner talking golf and life with Bruce Young ?? a fascinating chap who is shortly off to cover the US Open at Pebble Beach ?? now that will be an amazing week of golf!
Day 89 was a morning of admin tasks before we tripped across the easy going town of Adelaide to Glenelg for our 1pm tee time.
We bowled up to the pro shop, told our story and were introduced to two of the clubs pennant players, Luke and Matt who would be joining us for the round along with the trainee pro, Adrian. Yes, another 5 ball! Matt was a little quiet due to having an issue on the roads getting to the golf course this morning, but nevertheless the lads were a friendly bunch and the day was primed for some good golf.
Glenelg is, from what I understand, the only course that has reciprocal rights with both Miramar and Clearwater (Jamie and my home courses respectively) and in this respect it is very unique. It is a quality track to have reciprocal rights with as well and any members back home who are visiting this area should come out for a hit. It is manicured - probably the best conditioned fairways we have played for many days even weeks, the greens rolled true and with some speed (finally), and the holes make you really think.
The five of us enjoyed some good banter on the way around hearing about Glenelg and it's strong social culture and life in Adelaide. Luke is a local policeman, and a pretty handy 4 handicapper. He laid out the rules on the first - any 4 putts, any putts that roll off the green and any mishits that don't make it to the ladies tees result in a jug. I was a bit apprehensive about putting off the green after my efforts the last few days! A jug was also on the line if 3 guys in the group made birdie on a single hole, by the schmuck(s) who didn't make birdie of course.
After starting on the 10th, our third hole today was a reel birdie opportunity and it was only the sympathetic putting of Adrian missing a 10 footer that spared Jamie and I the first round. This 12th hole is a short dogleg left par five, but has a newly redesigned green with a great swale on the left and bunker short right and a green that funnels to the back right. A very difficult green to hit with a long iron or fairway wood as it slopes away from you.
The back nine at Glenelg requires placement and strategy with a few dogleg par fours and 3 short holes. A unique feature was plenty of trouble behind the green which is something I have to take note of as I am prone to airmailing the green. The 16th is a case in point with water long and right, but just to make life more difficult there is a sharp drop off the left side of the green which leaves a delicate pitch up the bank to the hole. Of course, being Wedge Shy I putted from in this swale and was only good enough to make 4 (Jamie made 4 with one in the water which is a top effort).
The 17th was an immensely strong par 4 that snaked around to the left. Matt crashed his drive right and actually flew a hazard over that way to be on the other fairway. I topped my 2 iron, into my golf bag - for a two shot penalty. Triple bogey. The camera came out on the 18th and the boys had some indifferent reactions to the pressure! The 18th tee shot is one of the toughest driving holes going around (something it shares in common with the 18th at Clearwater) with water right and trees, bunkers and waste to the left. The clubhouse stands tall to the right and, we were told, the lads sit up there watching guys play the last having a few wagers on whether their fellow members will hit the fairway or green, or sink a putt.
I battled a block slice today which is one of the more uglier shots to battle. As Michael Campbell would say it was as if aliens had got into my body and were making me do crazy things. I was so wide I struggled to hit it on even the next fairway! And it was relentless, even a 60m pitch was "cutting" 10m. Somewhere around the 5th hole (our 14th) it came right and I stormed home hitting 5/6 greens to tie up the GIR match. A cheeky birdie also gave me a fairway bonus to tie that match up as well. Crucial. 2/1 for the day and the monthly competition is still alive (just) going into the last day of March.
But the story of the last few holes is one of the lads generosity to the First Tee NZ. Adrian and Luke put some Aussie dollars on the line and Jamie and my golf came right at the perfect time - when set the challenge of both making par on the 6th (a 430m par four into the wind) we both felt the pressure from Pip King and the team at the First Tee to deliver. I have documented our efforts in the video below!
But before I move on, the lads we played with today were superb. They clearly enjoyed their golf, were pretty handy golfers and set the bar at a high level which always helps. Judging by our round today, Glenelg must be a pretty fun place to play your golf. The stander set by these three lads reflected in our scores as well when we chopped it around and still both ended with 81's. Again the generosity of the chaps was awesome and before we could leave they gave us a few golf balls mainly as they were so unimpressed with the manky prov1X I was using.
After the round we went into the clubhouse and met up with Gavin - a local chap who had, on Sunday, taken out the famous SAMC which is a stroke round off the tips played between a group of 30 or so regulars (actually the tiger tees / tips are known as the blocks at Glenelg). The entry fee goes towards fine wine and good food so it is a festive day from all accounts, but Gav was still beaming after his overall victory and taking his fair share of the spoils - this comp is so prestigious it even has a master'esque jacket for the winner which, the story goes, Gav slept in (after a few beers) on Sundsy night.
After golf it was back to the city and our hosts Blair and Kate who have very kindly put us up. Great company, great food (an Aussie BBQ - cooked by kiwi's) and great SA wine - doesn't get any better than this!
At long last Mike and I got a look at the segment Sports Inc TV filmed of us for the HSBC Golf Show back in NZ. Some of you may have already seen it on Sky Sports but, because of international broadcasting rights, etc, we didn't get a peak until Phil Leishman The Great Man Himself And My Fantastic and Victorious Playing Partner On The Day uploaded it to YouTube (I don't imagine he did it himself, he's too old for that sort of technological prowess) and flicked me the link.
So here it is. Brings back a few good memories of a quality day at Titirangi. Seems like a long time ago now!
Chisholm Park
12 holes bart cape kidnappers christchurch christmas doak ed bayley hawke's bay heretaunga jane poole napier golf club new zealand puregolf2010 rangiora rarangi gc royal royal wellington the first tee the interislander waiohiki
