Yarra Yarra & RGD

[Greg Gilson]

As a long-time member of Yarra Yarra , I am very excited about what Tom & Brian Slawnik are going to help us with. Here's the intro from the Member Update. If anyone would like some of the more detailed information, please feel free to PM me....I cannot work out how to attach a PDF!


Congratulations & good luck to all involved


"We are pleased to advise that the Committee have unanimously agreed to appoint Renaissance Golf Design as consulting architects for our club. We are confident that Renaissance Golf Design can restore our course back to its unique position in the Melbourne Sandbelt.

“The Club’s Committee is very keen to see the course returned to its former glory, to ensure the relevance of Yarra Yarra into the future. It is imperative that we have a challenging golf course of a standard that will attract and retain members.” Club President

“Renaissance Golf Design is an outstanding appointment for Yarra Yarra which will allow our Club to restore the subtleties of Alex Russell’s original design as well as ensuring our course’s relevance today and into the future.” Club Captain

“Yarra Yarra is one of the finest courses designed by the esteemed Alex Russell and stands up extremely well in a neighbourhood noted worldwide for fine and unique golf courses. Mr. Russell surely made the most of an elegant piece of property. It is with great pleasure that we have been appointed by the Yarra Yarra Golf Club.” Tom Doak, Renaissance Golf Design

Yarra Yarra is excited for our future. We have appointed one of the worlds most respected golf course architects who has been responsible for the creation and restoration of some of the finest golf links around the globe. "

[Joel_Stewart]

What exactly will they be doing to "restore the subtleties of Alex Russell"?

[Tom_Doak]

What exactly will they be doing to "restore the subtleties of Alex Russell"?

Wait and see.

[Terry Thornton]

Tom,


By my reckoning RGD now involved at the following Clubs in Australia;


Royal Melbourne
Yarra Yarra
The National
Royal Adelaide
Concord


Any others?

[Scott Warren]

Terry,


Woodlands as well.


Also believe RGD has been shortlisted for NSWGC with a choice yet to be made.

[Josh Stevens]

Interesting about NSW - so they will at last start to undo all the ghastly rubbish the Great White Haddock put in place over the years.

Interesting also that two on that list YY and Concord are two courses with long and illustrious histories of being professional tournament venues, but are now so short and so constrained within small plots they will never be soiled by professionals.  I wonder if removing the need to be "championship" courses and just instead being good member's tracks, makes life a bit easier for RGD?

[Tim_Weiman]

Very happy for Tom and the RGD guys.

[Terry Thornton]

Thanks Scott,
Had no idea NSW was looking, must have missed that email.


Josh,
To save me googling, what was the last tourney Concord hosted of any note? I remember watching (I think) a NSW Open in mid 80's, Norman, Grady, Baker - Finch in the field. Can't recall much since

[Josh Stevens]

H'm yes I'm guessing the late 80s when Norman came back to Oz on a regular basis.  NSW Opens and a few others that are now defunct.  The ANZ championship springs to mind.  All back in the days of Persimmon and Balata.

Although they hosted the Australian Womens Open in 2004 when Laura Davies won.

[Greg Gilson]

From the club website:


Many major events have been held here. June 1908, saw the staging of the open Bogey Competition for professionals in NSW. Tom Popplewell won the event with 84 – 5 nett 79, Don Souter won the gross with 80 and Open Bogey was won by Victor East 5 up. Other competitors were Fred Popplewell, Carnegie Clark and Charlie Campbell. Other competitions include the NSW Close Championship of 1934 won by Vic Richardson, in 1939 by Norman von Nida, in 1949 by Eric Cremin and in 1956 by our own Frank Phillips. The event was changed to the NSW Open Championship in 1958 and was won here again by Frank Phillips in 1966, George Serhan in 1980, Greg Norman in 1983, Ian Stanley in 1985 and Greg Norman again in 1986 and 1988.

• The Australian PGA came to Concord in 1991 when the winner was Wayne Grady. In 1992 it was won by Craig Parry and in 1993 by Ian Baker-Finch.
• 1934 NSW CLOSE CHAMPIONSHIP Vic Richardson
• 1939 NSW CLOSE CHAMPIONSHIP Norman von Nida
• 1949 NSW CLOSE CHAMPIONSHIP Eric Cremin
• 1956 NSW CLOSE CHAMPIONSHIP Frank Phillips
• 1966 NSW OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP Frank Phillips
• 1980 NSW OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP George Serhan
• 1983 NSW OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP Greg Norman
• 1985 NSW OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP Ian Stanley
• 1986 NSW OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP Greg Norman
• 1988 NSW OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP Greg Norman
• 1991 AUSTRALIAN PGA Wayne Grady
• 1992 AUSTRALIAN PGA Craig Parry
• 1993 AUSTRALIAN PGA Ian Baker-Finch
• 2001 ANZ CHAMPIONSHIP Peter Lonard
• 2004 AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S OPEN Laura Davies
• 2007 Handa Australian Senior Open Wayne Grady
• 2008 Handa Australian Senior Open Wayne Grady