[Nick Ackland]

Just announced, in the wake of the Australian Open being cancelled yet again, Mike Clayton and Geoff Ogilvy have created the Sandbelt Invitational to be played in December this year.


To be played at Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Peninsula Kingswood and Yarra Yarra. As a local and member of one of the clubs involved, I'm extremely excited!


https://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2021/10/19/the-sandbelt-invitational-steps-in-after-australian-open-cancellations

[Rob Marshall]

Just announced, in the wake of the Australian Open being cancelled yet again, Mike Clayton and Geoff Ogilvy have created the Sandbelt Invitational to be played in December this year.


To be played at Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Peninsula Kingswood and Yarra Yarra. As a local and member of one of the clubs involved, I'm extremely excited!


https://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2021/10/19/the-sandbelt-invitational-steps-in-after-australian-open-cancellations

Why would the Open be cancelled when you can hold another tournament?

[Scott Warren]

Why would the Open be cancelled when you can hold another tournament?

Because Golf Australia is focused on everything other than what the game in Australia needs from it.


Incompetent would be generous because it assumes no intent.

[Nick Ackland]

Why would the Open be cancelled when you can hold another tournament?

Because Golf Australia is focused on everything other than what the game in Australia needs from it.


Incompetent would be generous because it assumes no intent.

Further to what Scott said, It seems Golf Australia decided to cancel the Australian Open without really consulting the players and other people impacted. The cancellation is extremely unpopular and disappointing, which is why the Sandbelt Invitational has people so excited.

[Rob Marshall]

I assumed it was government restriction. I have friends with kids over there and I know it’s been pretty strict on travel.

[Mike_Clayton]

It's because the Australian Open beholden to sponsors, television and who is playing.
Our tournament is not. It  just hopes to be a decent tournament on great courses giving local players - who have barely played competitive golf in months - a chance to play.


And when they cancelled the Open there was still uncertainly about quarantine. The tennis players came in January and endured 14-days quarantine because first-round losers were guaranteed $100k. No overseas golfer is doing that - no matter the appearance fee.
I would happily sit in a hotel for 2 weeks for a million-dollar guarantee but I can't see Rory doing it for any money in the world.

[Thomas Dai]

Why the Aus Open isn’t happening is one thing but let’s embrace a new idea, new venture, and a bloody brilliant one at that with the participation of men and women, professionals and amateurs over four fabulous courses.
Well done to Messrs Ogilvy and Clayton and all others involved. If I was a local I’d be even more enthusiastic.
Imagine a version of this event held on four fabulous courses west of London, or in East Lothian, or Ayrshire or Aberdeen or South Wales or Kent or Donegal or Long Island or just about anywhere.

Atb

[Stewart Abramson]

Will it be televised? If so, in which markets?

[Mike_Clayton]

Will it be televised? If so, in which markets?

No TV but hopefully you'll see some of it on modern media.

[David_Tepper]

https://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2021/10/21/its-not-every-day-professional-golfers-play-courses-the-equal-of-these-four-melbourne-classics

[David_Tepper]

The tournament has been played:

https://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2021/12/23/brady-watt-wins-the-inaugural-sandbelt-invitational

[Mike_Clayton]

It did get played and given we had three months to arrange it things went off pretty well.
People came to watch, the young players loved playing with the pros - which is a large part of the point of it - and the four courses looked amazing. It's the best time of the year for the sandbelt as the roughs burn off and the heathlands are at their best.
[size=78%] [/size]
Yarra Yarra in it's 2017 state was a course we'd never have considered playing but post-Doak revival its was brilliant.


Hopefully next year we get a few more of the better Australian pros - Hannah Green for example who couldn't play because of a 14-day quarantine in Perth.

[Peter Pallotta]

Congratulations, Mike, and a tip of the hat to you and Geoff et al -- you saw a need, in these trying times, and instead of mere grumbling and a lot of talk you stepped in and stepped up to create a beautiful event to meet that need; and then, despite these trying times, you actually pulled it off, to the benefit of many many others. You gents should feel proud.

[Matthew Rose]

Kinda disappointed there wasn't a little more attention given to this event, especially in the local press. Once you wade beyond 8,000 headlines about cricket and get to golf, most of it is about Tiger and Charlie or COVID.

And obviously no television either, although that was not really something I expected. Still it's kinda frustrating flipping through endless hours of horse racing on Saturday afternoons knowing televised golf isn't a big thing here.

[Mike_Clayton]

Kinda disappointed there wasn't a little more attention given to this event, especially in the local press. Once you wade beyond 8,000 headlines about cricket and get to golf, most of it is about Tiger and Charlie or COVID.

And obviously no television either, although that was not really something I expected. Still it's kinda frustrating flipping through endless hours of horse racing on Saturday afternoons knowing televised golf isn't a big thing here.

The local newspapers here are woeful when it comes to golf. The Age especially which has always been a paper with golfers as a natural constituency - and the paper Peter Thomson and I wrote golf columns for over 50 years.

[Thomas Dai]

Damn good idea. Well done. Be nice to see it adopted elsewhere.
atb

[Ira Fishman]

Why the Aus Open isn’t happening is one thing but let’s embrace a new idea, new venture, and a bloody brilliant one at that with the participation of men and women, professionals and amateurs over four fabulous courses.
Well done to Messrs Ogilvy and Clayton and all others involved. If I was a local I’d be even more enthusiastic.
Imagine a version of this event held on four fabulous courses west of London, or in East Lothian, or Ayrshire or Aberdeen or South Wales or Kent or Donegal or Long Island or just about anywhere.

Atb

It really is a tribute to Messrs Ogilvy and Clayton’s commitment to Australian golf and great architecture.


 I am not sure that the idea translates well to other regions, but I do see a terrific opportunity to raise money for charity with a Pro Am arranged by Tom Doak, C&C, and Jeff Warne played across Sebonack, Friar’s Head, The Bridge with NGLA or Shinnecock thrown in for good measure 


[size=78%]Ira[/size]

[jeffwarne]

Why the Aus Open isn’t happening is one thing but let’s embrace a new idea, new venture, and a bloody brilliant one at that with the participation of men and women, professionals and amateurs over four fabulous courses.
Well done to Messrs Ogilvy and Clayton and all others involved. If I was a local I’d be even more enthusiastic.
Imagine a version of this event held on four fabulous courses west of London, or in East Lothian, or Ayrshire or Aberdeen or South Wales or Kent or Donegal or Long Island or just about anywhere.

Atb

It really is a tribute to Messrs Ogilvy and Clayton’s commitment to Australian golf and great architecture.


 I am not sure that the idea translates well to other regions, but I do see a terrific opportunity to raise money for charity with a Pro Am arranged by Tom Doak, C&C, and Jeff Warne played across Sebonack, Friar’s Head, The Bridge with NGLA or Shinnecock thrown in for good measure 


[size=78%]Ira[/size]

Great work Mike and Geoff.
Rick Hartmann, my former boss and long time pro at Atlantic has attempted to do a similar event in The Hamptons at Atlantic and Maidstone and  Shinnecock was in the works before Covid cancelled it this year. Our charitable attention and events at The Bridge tend to be focused on our Bridge Foundation in Harlem,and Atlantic has a yearly solo Pro-Am event as well that supports local east End charities

[Tim Gavrich]

With all the pros and strong amateurs living in the Jupiter/Palm Beach area in FL, it'd be a no-brainer there, IMO.

[Thomas Dai]

Longer 2021 highlights - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I2PlnZcnc2M - jeez the courses look soooooo good.
Atb

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