[Sean_A]

Andrew

If you were going to suggest a heavy metal band to listen to, who would it be?  If you were going to recommend a HM band to a guy who isn't into that sort of thing - but will give it a go, who would it be?  Which HM band impressed(es) you the most and why?  What are your favourite non-HM bands?

Which courses in England did you enjoy the most and why?  Which courses in England were a bit of a let down and why?

Ciao

[George Pazin]

I’m left handed at two handed sports & right handed for the rest. When I first played guitar at the age of 9 I was left handed, but my first guitar was strung up right handed & my first tutor said, “I’m not re-stringing that damn thing. You don’t know anything, so just play it right handed.” I’m sort of happy I do now.

I find this to be true of most lefties; there are not nearly as many pure lefties as there are pure righties. I guess that's probably the result of growing up in a right handed world. I personally write left-handed, but do pretty much everything else with either, except I only golf righty (maybe that's why I struggle - the one guy I've played most of my golf with thinks I swing better lefty, but I think that's only because I haven't tried to actually hit a ball that way).

Do you still write much music for yourself?

Are you active in other artistic fields? Two of the better lead singer/guitarists I know are also very talented painters.

[James Bennett]

Why did you give up your promising cricket career ?

My cricket was promising at a state level & I was offered a state contract at the age of 19. I would have been making enough money to play cricket full time, but only as a young man with no wife, kids or mortgage. I was making more money as a musician, so I had to make a choice. I saw a guy a few years younger than me by the name of Michael Slater & knew I had seen the future of opening. It was then that I realised I didn’t have what it takes to hold down a Test spot, so the decision was an easy one.

Andrew

I think many of us have had that moment.  I worked out at 15 that I wouldn't be good enough to be a pro golfer - don't know why, but I did.  I recall discussing a similar situation with a GCA'er in LA, and he commented that the golf pro game became a distant option the day he played his best game in abysmal conditions, and was beaten by some 9 shots by a now PGA Tour winner.

What are your favourite two musicians/bands?

What are your thoughts on Bob Dylan? (personally, I don't enjoy his music, But I know some that do).

James B

[Andrew Summerell]

Given carte blanche at St Michael's, what would you do to the course?
What are your three favourite Beatles songs?
If you could have been in any massive band of the last 50 years, which band? And which member would you have replaced?
How much work would Penrith GC need to be an Aus Top 50 contender?

You once told me, when I asked how well you thought you could do at designing a golf course, that while you thought you could design some very good golf holes on a nice piece of land, the thing you thought you would struggle with is the routing. When I was playing with Robin Hiseman one day I told him that and he remarked that he found the routing one of the easier things about most courses. What is it about routing a golf course that you think would prove difficult to you?

I know you still play a fair amount of golf on courses in Sydney that are far from architecturally stunning. Do you play those rounds with a different mindset? You have joked to me a few times "just wait until you get home and have to play golf in Sydney again!" How do you approach those rounds, seeing as it seems they are missing one of the major things you love about golf?

Is Cumberland GC underrated in your opinion?

You spent three days at Pine Valley earlier this year. What feature(s) didn't appear to you in the first couple of rounds that you had noticed were great parts of the course by the end of your visit?
Your personal World Top 10?

St Michaels have already started the first thing I would do. Return the fairways back to couch & clear the bush. They probably won’t clear enough bush, as I really believe St Michaels should be a Brazilian.

The bunkering is horrendous. They have added a few fairway bunkers & a few waste areas, but the green complexes really need to be brought up to date. Most of their greens already favour an approach from one side of the fairway. I would just build on that, recontouring & shaping the greens with bunkering that complimented that.

It would be nice it they could make more use of their ocean front, but there may be reasons why that is not possible.

Regarding The Beatles, I’m a fan of the Abbey Road album (may I just add a little boast by saying I have recorded at Abbey Road a few times, once with Alan Parsons), especially the medley at the end. As far as what ‘massive’ band I would be in, I think it would have to be ‘Spinal Tap’. I believe they are looking for a drummer.

I’m don’t believe Penrith GC has the land to be a top 50 course, but they could open up some of the lakes & redesign it as a Florida resort course & as long as the maintenance was kept up, people would vote for it.

I don’t believe routing per se is difficult, but ‘great’ routing is.

Sydney golf – what do I say? You’ve seen my mindset. Sometimes I just lose interest & just stop bothering to putt out for the last few holes – and that’s in competition. I think my record is wiping the last 7 holes by not bothering to putt out at Kogarah. I hadn’t been there for 20 years & I won’t go back for another 20. (Thankfully, I’m only planning to live another 19 years).

If you join NSW when you return, you will mostly play there & use the shared tee times with The Lakes & Royal Sydney.

I believe Cumberland is an underrated course, but as a local suburban course, not as a contender for the Top 50. The land is too constrained & the routing is too back & forth. In saying that, I’m impressed with what they have done with their greens over the last 15 years. Most courses that do a little bit at a time ‘in-house’ get it massively wrong, but Cumberland have done well in this regard & the other West Sydney courses should take notice of what they have done. Their greens are interesting, fun, functional & not overly difficult to maintain.

I’m not sure I missed anything in the first few rounds, but what impresses me is the width. For the penal nature of the trees off the fairways, the width of the fairways gives the course a sometimes infinite strategy.

I’ll have to put some more thought in to my personal Top 10.

[Andrew Summerell]

If you were going to suggest a heavy metal band to listen to, who would it be?  If you were going to recommend a HM band to a guy who isn't into that sort of thing - but will give it a go, who would it be?  Which HM band impressed(es) you the most and why?  What are your favourite non-HM bands?

Which courses in England did you enjoy the most and why?  Which courses in England were a bit of a let down and why?

Sean, I’m a big fan of Dreamtheater, but they are probably not the best place for a newbie to start. Iron Maiden is always a good place to start as they were at the beginning of what we see as Metal today. Of course, their guitarists are only average, but what can you do. (I can say that as I know Adrian quite well & he’s more into fishing, so he won’t read this; although Dave plays golf, so I might be in trouble).

If we are talking only England, I love the heathland courses (Swinley Forest probably being my favourite) & the south coast courses (Y’know, between Ramsgate & Brighton). I have played many of the courses up around Liverpool & Southport as well, but there is something about the quaintness of the south coast courses that I love. If I was to move to England (as I was trying to talk my wife into a few years back) I would probably live in Deal & join RCP. As much as I think RStG is a great course, I don’t think I could play it on a regular basis, but I could play RCP twice a week for the rest of my life.  There is plenty of movement in the land & the green complexes are a lot of fun, but it is a very playable links.

I’ve been fortunate not to play many disappointing English courses, but the courses at Wentworth probably disappointed me the most.

[Andrew Summerell]

Which HM band impressed(es) you the most and why?  What are your favourite non-HM bands?

Sorry, I forgot to answer these two questions.

True Heavy Metal is technically & theoretically linked to classical music, so those who are technically sound impress me. Guitarist like John Petrucci & Steve Vai are right up there in my esteem.

I listen to Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane & Wynton Marsalis. I also love film scores, with my favourite composer being Thomas Newman.

[Tim Bert]

What do you think of the more recent effort "A Matter of Life and Death" from Iron Maiden?

I did not grow up listening to Maiden so most of their tunes were "classic" metal by the time I took an interest in the genre. Still, I enjoy their music. That being said I REALLY like the title above as much as their classic stuff - and that isn't true of all their modern music.

[Andrew Summerell]

Do you still write much music for yourself?

Are you active in other artistic fields? Two of the better lead singer/guitarists I know are also very talented painters.

Most of the stuff I write these days generally has some project attached. I have a co-writer for the rock/pop songs we write, but the instrumental music (Film/TV/Theatre) is just myself. Some of my film & TV work has been with Shepperton Studios, which has allowed me to play a lot of the heathland courses & I have written a couple of pieces for theatre that were performed at the Edinburgh International Festival, which was handy to play in Scotland.

So, in answer to your question, I don’t really write much for myself. I have had a producer speak to me about doing an album with some of the more ‘classic rock’ stuff I have been writing, but I don’t really see it happening.

I’ve never pursued other artistic fields, although I draw quite well. When my father retired from musical theatre & light Opera, he became a professional artist/painter. He has done reasonably well, although at 79 he mostly just whinges about the Australian cricket team these days.

[Andrew Summerell]

What are your favourite two musicians/bands?

What are your thoughts on Bob Dylan? (personally, I don't enjoy his music, But I know some that do).

Hi James,

My two favourite musicians are probably Charlie Parker & J.S.Bach. Bach mainly because much of my technique was honed by playing & transcribing his pieces & Parker because he was the main contributor to the development of improvisation as we know it today.

I see Bob Dylan as someone who has contributed via inspiration. His legacy is not only seen in his own performances, but in others interpretations of his songs. He gave a voice to the mute, direction to the aimless & understanding to a misunderstood generation. (Gee, I should be writing Ken Burns documentaries with rubbish like that.)

[James Bennett]

what are your 4 favourite holes at Newcastle?  Are they the best 4 holes?  Why?

How do you think The Lakes membership will deal with the changes to their course, apart from perhaps getting a darker shade of sunglass?  Do you think they will appreciate it?  Do you think the re-work will have any influence over time on their northern neighbour at Kensington?

James B

[Andrew Summerell]

What do you think of the more recent effort "A Matter of Life and Death" from Iron Maiden?

I did not grow up listening to Maiden so most of their tunes were "classic" metal by the time I took an interest in the genre. Still, I enjoy their music. That being said I REALLY like the title above as much as their classic stuff - and that isn't true of all their modern music.

I probably agree with you. I quite like AMOLAD, but there seemed to be a time in the late 90's & early 00's when Steve seemed to be merely holding the band together without anything musically interesting to say.

[Andrew Summerell]

what are your 4 favourite holes at Newcastle?  Are they the best 4 holes?  Why?

How do you think The Lakes membership will deal with the changes to their course, apart from perhaps getting a darker shade of sunglass?  Do you think they will appreciate it?  Do you think the re-work will have any influence over time on their northern neighbour at Kensington?

James,

My 4 favourite holes at Newcastle? It would be easy to say the 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th , because they are probably the most famous, but my answer is conditional. I would like to see the 5th & 6th cleared more to the lines that Apperly designed the holes. This clearing has started by a working B project of volunteers, but they are clearing visual lines from the tees through the course & being only able to dedicate one day a week means the progress is slow.

There has also been talk of building the 11th to the original Apperly design. His masterplan has an exceptionally wide fairway with a centreline bunker, roughly where the right hand side fairway bunker is today. There is no evidence that this hole was ever built, but I’m sure it would be one of my favourites if it were.

I’ve heard mixed reports about what The Lakes membership think of the new work. There will always be detractors, but seriously, anyone who has played the course before the work & after the work & believes the old layout to be better is a first grade idiot. The old layout, regardless of dubious strategy, had 5 different styles throughout the course from more guys having a go at her than a street worker in a red light district. Now everything is tied in & the course is strategically sound & more fun.

I would like to see their northern neighbour reworked. The land at Kensington is not that bad & it’s a shame to see a club with so much money have such an awful course. Unfortunately, its maintenance & exclusivity blow people away, so if they aren’t architecturally minded they walk off the 18th thinking they have played a great course. I would like to see Clayts do similar to what he did at The Lakes, but I think Bob Harrison is a member there, so I assume he would get first dibbs. (Although, I’m sure Bob could do a reasonable job as well)

[Richard Chamberlain]

Andy

I heard a whisper that you opened the batting in your cricket life.
Who's batting style was similar to yours....Cowdrey, Slater, Gilchrist, Tavare, Boon

[Andrew Summerell]

Andy

I heard a whisper that you opened the batting in your cricket life.
Who's batting style was similar to yours....Cowdrey, Slater, Gilchrist, Tavare, Boon

I said in an earlier post that seeing a young Michael Slater was the reason why I chose music instead of cricket. I remember thinking if he could keep his head together he will be the best opening batsman the world has seen. Well, history proved that he couldn't keep his head together.

I was more of a 'Tubby' Taylor, although I wasn't tubby in those days. I was a left hander who nudged the ball around, drove through cover & square exceptionally well & could bat for large periods of time.

[Scott Warren]

Mr Summerell,

Have you played Royal Wimbledon? If so, what separates it in your opinion from the best Colt designed? Is it the repetition of the par 3s and early and late par 4s? The weak 4 holes across the public path? Or something else?

What is your favourite Open rota course to watch on TV and why?

What is your stance on Johnny Cash?

Musically, is it regretable that the 1980s happened, in a general sense, or when early/mid-80s babies like myself look at the decade, so we miss something?

Do you like or rate The Shins, Ryan Adams, The Thrills, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, The White Stripes or Rage Against The  Machine? If so, what grabs you?

[Kevin Pallier]

Andrew

Where haven't you played in Australia yet - but would like to ?

Where haven't you played in GB&I yet - but would like to ?

Where haven't you played in America yet - but would like to ?

What are your favourite golf books ?

[Andrew Summerell]

Have you played Royal Wimbledon? If so, what separates it in your opinion from the best Colt designed? Is it the repetition of the par 3s and early and late par 4s? The weak 4 holes across the public path? Or something else?
What is your favourite Open rota course to watch on TV and why?
What is your stance on Johnny Cash?
Musically, is it regretable that the 1980s happened, in a general sense, or when early/mid-80s babies like myself look at the decade, so we miss something?
Do you like or rate The Shins, Ryan Adams, The Thrills, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, The White Stripes or Rage Against The  Machine? If so, what grabs you?

No, I haven’t played RW. I only played Stoke Park a couple of years ago. My Colt course collecting has been a slow process over many years.

My favourite Open Roto courses to watch on TV would probably be:
-   TOC, because I just love the place.
-   Royal St Georges, because the dunes just look wild
-   Royal Troon, because it can be a real slog for the pros coming home & I like to see which ones can reinvent their game to handle the situation.

I respect Johnny Cash more after watching ‘Walk The Line’, but that’s about it.

I don’t think 80’s music is regrettable, because all the gastly New Romantic stuff allowed the ‘New Wave of British Metal’ to come to the fore. Whenever there is a strong move one way, there is always a strong move in the opposite direction. It’s the ‘middle of the road’ we need to fear & regret.

The Shins are cool. Ryan Adams is overrated & up himself. I don’t mind The Thrills, but I think they are done. Jeff Buckley is overrated & in his death, over marketed. White Stripes are overrated. RATM have always been top notch.

Radiohead are Gods – each & every one of them. They broke boundaries by making music that was beautiful in a time when the world just wanted to listen to flannelette music. Unfortunately, they influenced Coldplay, James Blunt & James Morrison, a fact that Thom may have nightmares about. They changed the way we listen to & approach music in the 90’s & they continue to change the way we view the medium today.

[Andrew Summerell]

Where haven't you played in Australia yet - but would like to ?
Where haven't you played in GB&I yet - but would like to ?
Where haven't you played in America yet - but would like to ?
What are your favourite golf books ?

I have pretty much covered the courses I want to play in Australia, but there are probably a few I would like to go back to. I should head over to W.A. again & play some of the courses I have only played once like The Cut & Kennedy Bay. I wouldn’t even mind heading down & playing Albany, a course I played about 20 years ago.

As far as GB&I, I have only played Royal Portrush in Ireland, even though I lived in Ireland for a while. I really need to spend a couple of weeks playing in Ireland & Northern Ireland.

There are plenty of places I haven’t played in America. I have been fortunate to play many of the great courses of America, but I would love to play some of the lesser known gems.

Regarding golf books, I must say I love the Paul Daley books. They have some nice photos & he tends to edit them in essay form, which suits my attention span.

[Wade Whitehead]

Andrew:

This is fascinating, sir.  Thanks for contributing.

Do bands, like Whitesnake, ever see anything preposterous in themselves in the heat of the moment, say in the tour bus, especially in light of something like Spinal Tap?  When I've seen Kiss on stage, I'm torn between "This is awesome" and "How can these guys take themselves seriously?"  I can only assume they don't.

What disappointed you about Kauri Cliffs?

What do you think of the Taylor T5?

I play music, both in a twenty-piece jazz orchestra and a quintet of old jazz musicians.  I draw many parallels between a well-executed improv and a solid round of golf.  They both have a flow - perhaps occasionally interrupted - through which is reconciled an original intent with an eventual outcome.  You?

Thanks again.

WW

[Scott Warren]

I only have one Radiohead CD, OK Computer, which I liked immensely. Would it be good to purchase all of their studio albums, or do you suggest a few specific ones.

Andrew of course will answer, but I love Radiohead too much not to throw in my own $0.02.

Their first album, Pablo Honey, is quite Britpopy and polaries people.

I would start with the album before OK Computer, The Bends. After OK Computer they began to really improvise, but the first left-field album they released, Kid A, is brilliant, but is a grower and may need to be percivered with.

Of their most recent albums, I would most recommend Hail To The Thief and In Rainbows (and best sampled in that order), which then leaves Amnesiac (left-overs from the Kid A sessions), which is, IMO, their weakest record.

But The Bends and Kid A for sure, then it's a case of delving further if you are really enjoying what you hear.

[Andrew Summerell]

Andrew,

Great read! What were the beginnings of your musical career, from the start? Based upon your early experiences what advise would you give an kid interested in music, possibly as a career? What do you think of Bob Dylan? Kings of Leon? Thanks.

One more thing, do you have any inside connections with Roseanne Cash so you could possibly get the "List" of 100 songs her dad made for her to study? She seems to be holding it pretty tight to the chest.

Sorry, one more thing. I only have one Radiohead CD, OK Computer, which I liked immensely. Would it be good to purchase all of their studio albums, or do you suggest a few specific ones.

Kelly,

I started learning classical guitar at the age of 9. I always practiced, but mostly because my parents made me, until I was about 14 when I got an electric guitar. By the time I was 16 I was practicing at least 4 hours a day. I started playing professionally at the age of 17 & in the same year I won the ‘Rebel Yell National Guitar Comp’, which among other things allowed me to be signed to an agency & got me a lot of work. (Joe Walsh & Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter were judges at the final, so jamming with them at 17 was kinda neat). My first big tour came a couple of years later with the band Europe.

The best advice I can give someone who wants to have a career in music is practice hard & don’t expect to have a career as a ‘rock start’. There are many wonderful ways to make a good living in music.

Unfortunately I have no connection to any of the Cash or Carter family & Scott W probably answered the Radiohead question better than I could.

[Andrew Summerell]

Andrew:

This is fascinating, sir.  Thanks for contributing.

Do bands, like Whitesnake, ever see anything preposterous in themselves in the heat of the moment, say in the tour bus, especially in light of something like Spinal Tap?  When I've seen Kiss on stage, I'm torn between "This is awesome" and "How can these guys take themselves seriously?"  I can only assume they don't.

What disappointed you about Kauri Cliffs?

What do you think of the Taylor T5?

I play music, both in a twenty-piece jazz orchestra and a quintet of old jazz musicians.  I draw many parallels between a well-executed improv and a solid round of golf.  They both have a flow - perhaps occasionally interrupted - through which is reconciled an original intent with an eventual outcome.  You?

Thanks again.

WW

I’m sure it depends on the band. Whitesnake is a business organisation & Dave is the CEO. The stage show is choreographed & the after show parties are record company functions filled with people you have to meet & schmooze. And, although I’ve been on many tour buses in my years, I’ve never been on one with Whitesnake. It was all jets & cars.

With Kauri Cliffs I found the strategy for most holes was very similar, especially greens taking approaches from the outside of the dogleg. I was also disappointed with how the design handled the land, especially at the 16th. The 16th has to be close to the most disappointing hole I have ever played. If ever a piece of land was crying out for simplicity, this was it, but is has been over bunkered & over contoured & it probably a little to long. I would love to see the 16th with no bunkers on the inside & no bunkers behind the green & played at about 271m (300y).

Regarding the Taylor T5, you need to understand I had an endorsement deal with Kramer (before they went broke the first time) & have a bunch of Kramer Barettas with paintjobs like evil spirits rising out of a grave yard, a violent war scene & a subtlety airbrushed pair of boobs, so the Taylor T5 may be a little too tasteful for me to comment on. In saying that, I have played quite a few Taylor acoustics, although I actually own a Martin.

Improv vs golf? The main similarity I see is that all the real work is done off stage. You play your best golf when you are not thinking about the swing, & this is the same with improv. One of the things I enjoy the most these days is to imporv through various modes (generally Bebop) & hear things I am playing & think, “how cool”. I have done my work off stage learning my modes to the point that I don’t have to think too much about them, so when I play they come out as part of me & it’s almost like I’m listening to this guy who happens to be me. I’m sure play golf in the zone is similar.

[Matt Day]

What do you think of the more recent effort "A Matter of Life and Death" from Iron Maiden?

I did not grow up listening to Maiden so most of their tunes were "classic" metal by the time I took an interest in the genre. Still, I enjoy their music. That being said I REALLY like the title above as much as their classic stuff - and that isn't true of all their modern music.

I probably agree with you. I quite like AMOLAD, but there seemed to be a time in the late 90's & early 00's when Steve seemed to be merely holding the band together without anything musically interesting to say.

As a die hard maiden fan that's a good review of the situation. Blaze Bayley wasn't suited to maiden and the music was pretty poor. X Factor was okay but the virtual XI album was pish.

Did you ever play with any WA metal bands such as Allegiance?

[Leo Barber]

Great interview Andrew.  Christmas afternoon in NZ and Sound of Music just happens to be playing on TV - that movie is gold.  On the couch watching but not in the fetal position!  What other courses have you played in NZ and thoughts?  Ever played a round with Alice Cooper? 

[Andrew Summerell]

Did you ever play with any WA metal bands such as Allegiance?

No, I didn't Matt. The only Australian heavy metal bands I played for were Mortal Sin & Outcry. (Mortal Sin was just filling a spot when Andy went on a sacking rampage)

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