I’ve been trying to think of the appropriate words to close out this thread, and to thank all those people who have helped my wife and I enjoy what was one of the greatest thrills of our life. And, while this is a golf architecture discussion forum; don’t we all know there is much more to life than that? When a fellow of average means has the chance to make such a journey of a lifetime with his wife, one has to consider that the experience isn’t just golf. In fact, we celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary in just the kind of place we love, Brunetti’s of Melbourne-Lygon Street, which is like Disneyland to a Paisan.
In chronological order of our trip itinerary, thanks go out to the following:
Michael “Pup” Taylor who arranged a play at New South Wales, with Andy Gray, and regrettably Scott Warren could not make it for schedule conflict. Pup believes NSW is every bit as beautiful and dramatic as the famed Cypress Point –Monterey Peninsula courses. Michael was the top junior am, of Australia, and in fact is a mere “Pup” not having had is 20th birthday yet (if I have that right – and I still don’t believe it due to his worldly maturity and places he has played around). I have seen – not played the Monterey Penn, and I’m not going to argue the point. New South Wales is breathtaking, and I loved the ‘easy driving hole that Ran thinks is so tough!
Andy Gray and his significant other Autumn had Jo Ann and I over for dinner one evening, and we polished off a few bottles of vino. Maybe a few glasses too many as we left the first of our lost cameras in the cab on the way back to the hotel. And, Andy tried his best the next day to locate which cab company, which was a needle in a haystack. Andy is coming to the States for the 5th Major, and we will partner to make a good show. And not to forget Scott’s input and advice to us regarding things to do and see around Sydney, and Colin MacQueen’s advice from afar in Brisbane.
Next:
What would a golfer’s dream trip to Australia be, if not the Sand Belt, and the iconic courses of Alister MacKenzie. The honorable company of GCA.com members came through big time for Jo Ann and I. Matthew Mollica arranged a play at Kingston Heath with David Elvins and I. And David acted as a chauffer as I wasn’t quite ready yet to tackle the left side of the road. Yes, I would have loved to play a little better, but it was after all my second round since November. The dilemma of paying attention to playing tidy, or drinking in the moment and sense of place was an easy dilemma to solve. Just go out and hit the ball as best you can, with ‘no worries’ for the miscues and skanky shots. You are at Kingston Heath for goodness sake!!!
But the fun with the Melbourne gang didn’t stop there. David again picked Jo Ann and I up at our hotel and took us to their local favorite neighborhood pizza place “Motorino” for an evening with several other Melbourne golf afflicted maniacs. There were twelve ‘blokes’ to round out our tables and we must have ordered 15 or more of their various delicious pies with a sensible amount of beers to go around. Jo Ann commented that she felt like Mary Magdalene at the “Last Supper”. A great evening of talking this and that, mostly golf and Melbourne pride completed a delightful evening of fellowship.
Then comes the ultimate dream involving a trip to the Sand Belt, where I was given the opportunity of a lifetime by Tom Doak who arranged for me to play a round at Royal Melbourne east with none other than the CEO of the facilty, and a most generous man with his busy day and schedule, Paul Rak. We teed off at 7:15 on the East course, designed by understudies and collaborators to Dr. MacKenzie, Russell and Morcum. All of the iconic and distinctive Royal Melbourne-Sand Belt maintenance meld was in full glory. Sure, I would like to have played like a champion, but it was enough to get a good sense of the hole playing strategy. Sure, one can play more cautiously and not take the bait and not play to short sides and low percentage shots, but this isn’t about sensible moderation. This is the big enchilada. A few ball-in-pockets, a few pars and lots of bogey and doubles, but still a memory of a lifetime. And, while the club championships were going on the Mackenzie West course, and even though Paul had to referee a championship match in the afternoon in one of the flights, he took the time to take me in a cart, hole by hole, and point by point with Tom Doak’s brilliant restorations and creation of a short game practice area. Tom asked me if I could discern if any work could be detected. No Tom, I am not that qualified to say, and couldn’t see any obvious place of non-conformance or discontinuity of what was there as what is generally understood of what MacKenzie laid down nearly a century ago.
Tom Doak, I only hope I can repay your kindness in some meaningful way in the future. Thanks a million.
My one regrets about Melbourne is that we did not have the pleasure of meeting Cousin Paul Daley and also didn’t run into the gentleman, Andrew Goldfinch-General Manager Parkview Hotel, who offered us a wonderful upgrade of a room at what I will tell anyone (and did on Trip Advisor) is a superior hotel facility (most amazing breakfast buffet I have ever seen with top staff to boot).
But I did also have a pleasant late afternoon knosh and beers with Mark Furgeson who dropped by the hotel one evening, which was enjoyable and hopefully leads to his visit to see us when he makes his next USA journey.
This is probably the best place to thank James Bennett, of Adelaide – a side trip just a wee bit too far for our schedule to incorporate. Yet James, with Skype’s and crossed phone connections and missed calls, still was invaluable to making suggestions that only added value and interest to our trip. Thanks James.
We did get out to Port Fairy, and while I didn’t play, had a dusk tour of what might be the real hidden gem of the Australia run. I couldn’t help but feel the looks of much of the course was of Irish coastal dunesland milieu. Shane has a good thing going there, and when I heard the member fees, I damn near would get on my knees to beg dual citizenship or whatever it takes to live in that area just at the end of the Great Ocean Drive. It is the closest thing I have seen to the set-up at my beloved Wild Horse in Nebraska. Please come see that sometime Shane!
100 holer Brett Morrissey of Geelong also had several e-mails and offers of assistance. I couldn’t fit in his 13th Beach for a round, but was happy to meet him at one of his franchise coffee-pastry shops, Brumby’s.
Then came the hop to Tasmania. If I had one of two things to do over, I would have spent at least a few more days in Tazzie, just to take more time of R&R on the amazingly beautiful east coast. You can go a dozen or more miles along white sand gorgeous beach lapped by turquoise blue waters and not see another human being!!!
There is a dynamic force in Tazzie, named Greg Ramsey. This guy has got to be the most advanced thinker, big idea man I have ever met!!!! Unbridled enthusiasm, entrepreneurial spirit extraordinaire. He and Dieter Jones toured me around what has the real - and not in the least hyperbole, possibility to be one of the greatest sites for a golf course to be designed onto breathtaking land and geographically unique situational venues of the world. The chance meeting with rock star in privacy retreat- BR was fun, even if I didn’t know his music being a geezer square that I am.
But Greg’s generosity and display of genius didn’t stop there. Not only did he tour Jo Ann and I around my favorite city of the trip, Hobart, but he then took us on a momentous day in the history of his family, to his family homestead, Ratho Farm, on a night they as a family would have a gathering to say farewell to living on the homestead for generations. Why are they vacating? Well because it is being converted to a Heritage Historical Golf and Agricultural Retreat, complete with luxurious converted ‘convict cabins’ to become bed and breakfast units. People can play the oldest course in Australia at Bothwell Golf club, visit the Australian Golf Museum there, of which Greg is the Trustee of the Museum that archives wonderful memorabilia and artifacts detailing the growth of golf in Australia. There will be horse riding and agricultural heritage exhibits. It is a ‘do not miss’ for future golf visitors to Tasmania, already going to the golf nirvana, called Barnbougle Dunes and the Lost Farm. Let’s not forget the man that first brought the possibilities of Barnbougle Dunes to the attention of our GCA family. Yes, THAT GREG RAMSEY!!!! Thank you so much Greg and Dieter. You guys are the real rock stars in my world view.
Finally, it is the culmination and final destination of my personal golf odyssey, the top of the island, the end of the intrepid quest to see and play the course Greg long ago informed us was possible at Barnbougle, and the Lost Farm. I have wanted to see this since the ongoing construction photos of Brian Schneider, as he was on-site for Tom Doak along with my old friend Dan Proctor, who helped shove around the small amount of dirt while melting down peaks of dunes that needed it.
But, as I have mentioned on other threads, particularly Mark Saltzman’s most recent recap and photo journey of Barnbougle, I cannot top the better golf players commentary on the strategic merits and shot making demands, nor the photos and video quality that already exists detailing this Shangri La of golf. Barnbougle is clearly the more demanding, brawny course, with more severe slopes and false fronts on perched greens, and noses and knobs, runaways, and fairway action. Lost Farm is a more comfortable play, but there are some amazing features that Coore and Crenshaw have created or found and utilized in brilliant ways The turf is not optimum yet at LF. The sand is way too soft in bunkers and needs to mature and settle firmer. Many fried egg and buried in sand lies. But, having played BallyNeal, I’d have to say that Tom’s more bold approach to using contour and space is identifiable and evident. His sense of sporting challenge, yet quite playable from correct tees really does make him a practitioner to enjoyable for the average golfer, and a challenge to the best. With handicap and proper tees, I think the mid to high handicapper will do quite well in a match with a good low handicap player, IMHO. But if either the low or high handicap doesn’t have pure joy and fun playing the Barnbougle Courses, it would be time to take out the defibrillator. What a magical place in this world! I can not overlook the help and hospitality extended by course Superintendent Phil Hill, and Director of Golf, Gary Dixon.
And in a long list of serendipity moments, I was able to play Lost Farms morning round and 9 holes of BD with seldom poster but often reader of GCA.com Ross Tuddenham, formerly of Scotland, currently living in Melbourne. I hope my chatter and video taking didn't wear him out. Had it been Kavanaugh, he'd have shot me by the third hole I'm sure.
Please post more, Ross.
My final thoughts on these GCA subjects are moreso centered on the people who played important parts in this journey that it was even possible for this bloke to achieve. My wife Jo Ann and I are eternally grateful to you all. New Zealand is not to be forgotten (even if I forgot an article in New Zealand towards the end of the trip that is still too painful to repeat that story). Grant Saunders and I touched base a few times. I regret I didn’t have the time to play a proper round with Grant, or even get to the South Island. And, it was my fault I got so distracted with the loss we had, to make proper contact with Ashe Towe, who is often so well spoken of on GCA.com. Everyone told me the South is the best. Yet, we saw wonderful sights and had great times in the North. My advice to anyone retracing some of this journey would be to allow a full week more to New Zealand. The people are unique in cultural make-up, and incredibly friendly and helpful.
Overall, the state of lifestyle, cultural heritage and so much to offer the rest of the world in socio-economic and resources treasures in both Australia and New Zealand are vast and rich, that if you don’t already know this about these aspects of the two counties, you should make a point to visit and see the countries first hand.
This very long post should close out this thread. While I’m somewhat shy about all the hubbub and making a bit of a spectacle of our trip, I still can’t actually find the best words to say Thanks all you Aussies and Kiwis. I also consider it a bit of serendipity that Jo Ann and I also found out via e-mail from my daughter that she is expecting our first grandchildren (plural). Yes, twins!!! If it were up to me, I’d name them Kiwi and OZ, but I’m not that much of a hippie.