Sydney golf (with pictures)

[D_Malley]

i played manly when i was over there about 15 years ago.  i can not remember much about the course.  although i do remember the member i played with stating that manly had held a big pro event there several years earlier, not sure which event.  the other course i played which i do remember is Long Reef, a public course.  the course design was not great but what an awesome location.  someone should do something with that course.

[Mike_Clayton]

They played the 1971 Dunlop International at Manly - back when Dunlop/Slazenger had a deal with Nicklaus,Palmer and Player to produce signature sets of clubs. At least two of them came every year for almost 20 years and The Dunlop was the second biggest event behind The Australian Open.

Jack duffed a chip at the 17th from the front of the short par 4 green and only made par and then bogeyed the last -  a long par 3 - for 62.
Peter Stone, a local journalist who worked that tournamet reported only this week that Jack did that round on 2 hours sleep the night before - or the morning of - more likely!

[D_Malley]

thanks mike that is interesting

[Andrew Summerell]

Manly was ranked in the top 50 as recently as the mid 70’s. This was more a reflection how poor 2nd (3rd  & 4th) tier golf was in Australia back then.

Apparently, MacKenzie made some alterations to the courses bunkering when he was in Sydney through his contact with Eric Apperly. Apperly was a member there for years, as well as famous Australian Pros like Joe Kirkwood, Jim Ferrier & Ossie Pickworth. It also had the NSW Open (When it was a reasonable size tournament) quite a few times from the 30’s through to the last time in 1975. It also had the Australian PGA Championship just after WWII, as well as a few other local events.

[Reef Wilson]

i played manly when i was over there about 15 years ago.  i can not remember much about the course.  although i do remember the member i played with stating that manly had held a big pro event there several years earlier, not sure which event.  the other course i played which i do remember is Long Reef, a public course.  the course design was not great but what an awesome location.  someone should do something with that course.

ditto on Long Reef. Amazing setting for golf.
Reef

[Kevin Pallier]

ithe other course i played which i do remember is Long Reef, a public course.  the course design was not great but what an awesome location.  someone should do something with that course.

Thomson and Wolveridge did some work on the course and improved it a little. There's much better courses on the north shore than it = Terrey Hills / Monash and Elanora to name but a few.

Ville - looking forward to meeting you  -have you had any success at NSW GC ?

[Ville Nurmi]

Hello Kevin!
NSW teetime is monday at 12.22. I hope there is light to finish the round.
Ville

[Jason Topp]

Hello Kevin!
NSW teetime is monday at 12.22. I hope there is light to finish the round.
Ville

Have fun and post some pictures!

[Mike_Clayton]

Ville,

Light to finish the round?
If you go quickly you can get 45 holes in before dark - easily.

[PCCraig]

Play well I'm jealous!

[Ville Nurmi]

Light was a bit of a joke as the sun rises around 10 and sets at 3 in Finland

[Ville Nurmi]

It was a nice trip to Sydney, if you donīt count the 60 hours in a plane or at the airport. Missed the connection going there and was supposed to come back via Bangkok when the airport was closed. Oh well...
But I managed to play a round of golf where all of you said that I should play. Namely at the <a href="http://www.nswgolfclub.com.au/">New South Wales GC</a>

Ranīs <a href="http://www.golfclubatlas.com/nsw1.html/"write up</a> is really covering the facts, but I thought to add some recent photos. I think the course was excellent, quite a lot of roll, interesting greens and lots of roll on the fairways. The par 3īs were not long, but tricky. The club has redone at least the 18th green and they were reconstructing all bunkers going to the revetted style. I donīt know if I like that every bunker is revetted.

But to the pictures:
Some excellent growth of the roots.
Driwe on 4th
16th
Driwe 18th and green 18th

[Mark Chaplin]

David Elvins,

Melbourne-Sydney wouldn't fall into an easy day trip for golf, business maybe, but golf is pushing it.

Last time I did this for golf the 0600 Sydney-Melbourne flight was diverted to Adelaide due to fog. Managed to cancel my RM tee time and get a short notice Metropolitan tee for the afternoon. Got food poisoning that evening and missed RM West the next day so played a "quick" round on RM East. We were delayed by the paddock gates breaking down twice trapping us in the middle paddock. 

Fortunately Melbourne-Sydney was less eventful.

For anyone thinking of Australian and golf just remember Sydney is a world top 10 city, a great place to visit and shouldn't be missed under any circumstances to squeeze in an game somewhere else.

[Kevin Pallier]

Ville

It was nice to meet you while you were in town. Glad to see you enjoyed your time at NSW GC. Am looking forward to seeing how it presents for the Aust. Open next year.

Did you end of playing golf in Sydney on the weekend ? or spend time at the beach ?

[Ville Nurmi]

Hello Kevin!
Indeed it was nice to meet you!
No golf after NSW unfortunately. But we did swin in the sea when it was raining. The lifeguards thought that we were crazy.
I think this course really rewards local knowledge as the penalties with the bushes are so severe. It will be nice to see how the pros cope with it.

Best,
Ville