Australian Golf Passport

Our guest for this episode grew up in Melbourne, and played golf in his youth, but his love of the game blossomed in early adulthood. His rise from playing at Rosanna, to working in turf at the club, followed by a season at St Andrews, to then working at Cabot and finally joining the esteemed Gil Hanse has been a steady and successful climb into the upper echelons of the golf architecture and construction business.

In this episode, Ben shares his insights and experiences working in golf design and construction.  We touch on prior jobs, colleagues, and the upcoming works at Royal Sydney Golf Club.  Ben also talks about Ohoopee Match club, Gil and his staff, and concludes on some topics related to golf back home.

Link to the Hanse Golf Design website page dedicated to the Royal Sydney renovation project -

https://www.hansegolfdesign.com/projects/renovation-projects/royal-sydney-golf-club/

Link to the Landscape Architecture course at Melbourne University -

https://study.unimelb.edu.au/find/courses/major/landscape-architecture/

Link to the Olympic Golf Course in Rio –

https://www.top100golfcourses.com/golf-course/rio-de-janeiro-olympic

Hanse Golf Design website page on Ohoopee Match Club –

https://www.hansegolfdesign.com/projects/original-design-projects/ohoopee-match-club/

Images related to this episode can be found on our Instagram page (@AustralianGolfPassport) and on Twitter (@AusGolfPassport). Images accompanied by attribution to their owners / creators.

Exciting times at Angus And Grace Go Golfing. There’s a sale going on bamboo polos, and Matt has also recently taken delivery of a batch of Dimple & Divot brushes. The range of 7 Mile Beach branded apparel is proving popular, and the No Laing Up range is flying out the door! Follow AAGGG on Insta (@angusandgracegogolfing) and if you’re in Sydney, do yourself a favor and pop into the store at 39 William Street Paddington. Thanks so much to Angus And Grace Go Golfing for their support of the podcast.

Podcast intro music - Nbhd Nick / Stop Playing With Me - Instrumental / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Hot on the heels of a tremendous time with Tron Carter we dive into a perennial favourite - listener questions. Thanks so much to so many of you for sending in a fantastic set of topics to discuss. We’ve divided theese into two episodes, and have covered the first 50% here. Links courses, regional courses, Sandbelt bunkering, an all-time Aussie foursome, dog leg par 3s, par events, Huntingdale, and much more fill a seventy minute chat we hope you enjoy.  Mt Lawley’s Aussie green, and the new GA logo both come in for a roasting at the top of the episode, and we put a bow on Tron’s appearance, with some Insta surveys on topics he raised during his time with us.

Images related to this episode can be found on our Instagram page (@AustralianGolfPassport) and on Twitter (@AusGolfPassport). Images accompanied by attribution to their owners / creators.

Angus And Grace Go Golfing now have No Laying Up merch in store – a stylish collaboration which imbues the NLU brand with a touch of high quality Australian style.  Local fans of Soly, Tron, DJ & co no longer have to wear the cost of overseas freight – they can simply wear more NLU! Towels, caps, tees, head covers and more all available in store and online. Follow AAGGG on Insta (@angusandgracegogolfing) and if you’re in Sydney, go visit Matt at 39 William Street Paddington. Thanks so much to Angus And Grace Go Golfing for their support of the podcast.

Podcast intro music - Nbhd Nick / Stop Playing With Me - Instrumental / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

A distinct privilege to spend some time talking with No Laying Up’s Tron Carter.  A lover of all things Australian golf, Tron’s passion and knowledge shine through as he reflects on his previous trips to Australia, the courses he played and the places he visited.

Our discussion covers the Sandbelt, as well as the Mornington and Bellarine peninsulas.  Tron shares his observations on Aussie golf culture, the current landscape of professional golf, and all the headline courses you’d expect to feature in such a discussion. Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Victoria, Metropolitan, Peninsula Kingswood, The National, St Andrews Beach, Barnbougle and many more.  There’s architectural discussion and TC’s reminiscences of past visits.  Given the time of recording (during the first round of the 2023 Open Championship), we have Tron going down the leaderboard near the conclusion of the recording, which is truly a podcasting highlight for your humble hosts.  We thank Tron so much for his time and hope he manages another visit Down Under.

Images related to this episode can be found on our Instagram page (@AustralianGolfPassport) and on Twitter (@AusGolfPassport). Images accompanied by attribution to their owners / creators.

Exciting times at Angus And Grace Go Golfing. A collab with No Laying Up will be on the shelves soon – which is sure to be a knockout range.  There’s a sale on bamboo polos, and Matt has also recently taken delivery of a batch of Dimple & Divot brushes. The range of 7 Mile Beach branded apparel is proving popular too. Follow AAGGG on Insta (@angusandgracegogolfing) and if you’re in Sydney, do yourself a favour and go visit Matt at 39 William Street Paddington. Thanks so much to Angus And Grace Go Golfing for their support of the podcast.

Podcast intro music - Nbhd Nick / Stop Playing With Me - Instrumental / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Ran Morrissett, the doyen of the online golf architecture community and founder of golfclubatlas.com is our special guest for this really enjoyable episode. Ran lived in Australia for several years and is one of golf’s most knowledgeable and passionate architectural minds.  He serves as architectural editor of golf.com, and also heads up their World Top 100 ranking panel.  Ran is also a contributor to Tom Doak’s five volume series of The Confidential Guide.

In this episode, Ran talks about his seven year stretch of living in Australia, and also shares his views on what makes Australian golf and our golf culture special.  He discusses which courses he most enjoys down under, and we also consider value for money golf, which Australian golf possesses in spades. The escalating cost of golf in the USA comes in for some thought too. Discussion then ranges from Lofoten Links in Norway, to Cape Wickham, to Rodeo Dunes in Denver and all points in between. 7 Mile Beach, Rustic Canyon, New South Wales and more…

We thank Ran for his time and the enlightening discussion. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

The Lofoten Links episode of NoLayingUp’s Scandinavian season of Tourist Sauce as mentioned by Scott in the first half of this chat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRA1BQcWRIg

The link to green fees at Barnbougle Dunes - https://barnbougle.com.au/play/fees-services/

The link to booking a tee time at The Coast - https://www.coastgolf.com.au/cms/public-bookings/

Images related to this episode can be found on our Instagram page (@AustralianGolfPassport) and on Twitter (@AusGolfPassport). Images accompanied by attribution to their owners / creators.

As the temperature here in Australia continues to fall and winter takes hold, the racks of Angus and Grace Go Golfing contain some beautiful layering pieces and outerwear for freezing days of the middle of the year. Pants have been re-stocked too.  And make sure that you visit to check their latest range of 7 Mile Beach branded apparel. Follow AAGGG on Insta (@angusandgracegogolfing) and if you’re in Sydney, be sure to pop in and visit Matt at 39 William Street Paddington. Thanks so much to Angus And Grace Go Golfing for their support of our podcast.

Podcast intro music - Nbhd Nick / Stop Playing With Me - Instrumental / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

One of Sydney’s finest courses and clubs has the spotlight for this edition of the pod, but there’s plenty of additional discussion in a spritely, slightly shorter session than usual. News of the week includes details on Golf in Marvel Stadium at the Docklands in September, which will be similar to the Callaway Golf take-over at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. Those interested can secure tickets here - https://marvelstadium.com.au/event/stadium-golf/

At the other end of the tech continuum, the 2023 Australian Hickory Shaft Championships are taking place in Melbourne in September, with Woodlands and Kingston Heath co-hosting. Registration details can be found via this link  - https://www.golfgenius.com/register?league_id=9594741941925357895

Discussion makes a brief turn into the impending course work by Gil Hanse at Royal Sydney Golf Club, and the potential of the site.  Some points can be taken from Los Angeles Country Club’s North course, recent venue for the US Open, given that it too was a site of extensive work by Hanse & co. The notion of some of those characters at LACC being instilled within Royal Sydney’s course is an appealing thought.

The bulk of the episode is devoted to The Lakes, one of the finest layouts in Sydney. Our episode covers the all bases from the early days, dating back to 1928 and the original course of Eric Apperly and Tom Howard, the freeway intrusion and necessary reworking by Von Hagge and Devlin in the late 1960s, to the current day version of the course, wonderfully reworked by Mike Clayton & colleagues.  Scott and Matt consider the strengths and character of the course, touching on a range of topics from grassing, pronounced green contours, reachable par 5s, and par 3 holes concluding each nine.  The course’s standout holes and storied tournament history are also points of discussion.

Those wishing to organise a game at The Lakes can get in contact with the club via this link - https://www.thelakesgolfclub.com.au/cms/play-golf/play-golf-at-the-lakes/

Images related to this episode can be found on our Instagram page (@AustralianGolfPassport) and on Twitter (@AusGolfPassport). Images accompanied by attribution to their owners (for this edition, we thank the keeper of the insta site for The Lakes GC for many images.

As the temperature here in Australia continues to fall and winter takes hold, the racks of Angus and Grace Go Golfing contain some beautiful layering pieces and outerwear for freezing days of the middle of the year. Follow AAGGG on Insta (@angusandgracegogolfing) and if you’re in Sydney, be sure to pop in and visit Matt at 39 William Street Paddington. Thanks so much to Angus And Grace Go Golfing for their support of our podcast.

Podcast intro music - Nbhd Nick / Stop Playing With Me - Instrumental / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

A mixed bag for episode 23, with a whole range of topics covered including upcoming events in several states, a new golf outlet in Melbourne, and thoughts following recent rounds at a variety of courses from Scott & Matt. A three-day trip to the Sunshine State including rounds at Royal Queensland, The Glades and Brookwater forms much of the meat of this episode, with Scott sharing his thoughts and experiences from those courses.  Matt was lucky enough to recently play Victoria GC and briefly chats on this Sandbelt gem. 

Upcoming events at Port Fairy and Newcastle are promoted, with the “Holes That Aren’t Holes” event at Port Fairy promising to be a cracker. Contact PFGC ( https://www.portfairygolf.com.au/cms/contact/ ) for more information, and registration details.  In other news, Henry Cussell and Ross Baker have opened a golf outlet in the heart of the sand belt, adding to the landscape of boutique / artisan retail golf destinations in Melbourne. An absolute must visit for hickory enthusiasts especially!

Images related to this episode can be found on our Instagram page (@AustralianGolfPassport) and on Twitter (@AusGolfPassport). Images accompanied by attribution to their owners (for this edition, we thank Golf Australia Magazine, Greg Norman Golf Course Design, and Royal Queensland GC too, who have a wonderful hole by hole flyover library on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@royalqueenslandgolfclub7698 ).

As the temperature here in Australia drops, and winter approaches, the shelves of Angus and Grace Go Golfing contain more cool weather styles.  Quarter zips and essential winter layers for golf on chilly days.  Golf Daddy bucket hats also make an appearance for a limited time, in a range of colours. Follow them on Insta (@angusandgracegogolfing) and if you’re in Sydney, visit Matt in their store at 39 William Street Paddington. Thanks so much to AAGGG for their support of our podcast.

Podcast intro music - Nbhd Nick / Stop Playing With Me - Instrumental / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

A real treat for this episode of the podcast – a chat with famed Australian golf course architect Bob Harrison.  His design portfolio spans decades, and includes many of Australia’s most significant courses.  He has also worked on several notable projects overseas, in Asia, the US, and the UK.

We talk with Bob about his early years in golf, his time at university, ambidextrous golf and golfers, Bob’s engineering pedigree and the undergraduate project that saw him move into the field of golf architecture.  Discussion then moves to Sanctuary Lakes, The Glades, and Bob’s love of designing short par fours. We move to Ellerston, and experiences with Kerry Packer, as well as Bob’s take on trees in the fairway. Newcastle comes in for some chat, with one or two possible shortcomings, and the proposed changes, which will hold interest for many of our regular listeners. We move on to the topic of a little cultural cringe apparent within the upper echelons of Australian golf clubs when it comes to engaging local architectural firms, before devoting time to some of Bob’s favourite holes among the many he’s designed.  The episode draws to a close with talk on National Moonah, New South Wales, and topics dear to Bob’s heart – Barossa Shiraz and Machrie Golf Links.  Thanks to Bob and his design firm colleague Scott Champion, for their time and assistance in preparing this edition of AGP Podcast – we really appreciate it.

For those thinking of making the trip to the Isle of Jura – check Ardfin out here – https://www.ardfin.com/

For even more detail on his work, visit Bob Harrison Design’s website here – https://harrisongolf.com.au/index.php

Images related to this episode can be found on our Instagram page (@AustralianGolfPassport) and on Twitter (@AusGolfPassport). Images accompanied by attribution to their owners (often Gary Lisbon and Will Watt of contours golf travel – thanks guys!).

As the temperature here in Australia drops, and winter approaches, the shelves of Angus and Grace Go Golfing contain more cool weather styles.  Quarter zips and essential winter layers for golf on chilly days.  Follow them on Insta (@angusandgracegogolfing) and if you’re in Sydney, visit Matt in their store at 39 William Street Paddington. Thanks so much to AAGGG for their support of our podcast.

Podcast intro music - Nbhd Nick / Stop Playing With Me - Instrumental / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

In this episode we drive two hours north of Sydney – to the memorable and enjoyable Newcastle golf club. A wide-ranging discussion addresses the character of the course, the seaside location, and the topography on which Newcastle sits. The design prowess of Eric Apperly is also noted, as well as the similarity between parts of the course at Stockton, and Apperly’s work at New South Wales GC. The possible changes to Newcastle are also discussed, and these are fleshed out further in the next episode of Australian Golf Passport – an interview with Bob Harrison.

Later in this episode, Scott provides a thorough guide to golf in the region surrounding Newcastle, giving his views on golf in the Hunter Valley and elsewhere.  Some of the attractions of the region are covered too. The merits of the course at Newcastle, especially in relation to metropolitan Sydney courses, are also considered. Newcastle is a course unlike any other – possessing a uniquely Australian charm, an understated elegance, and oodles of design quality and practicality.

Those wanting to visit Newcastle for a game can start the ball rolling by clicking here - https://www.newcastlegolfclub.com.au/cms/play/public-bookings/

Background on the course from Ran Morrissett of golfclubatlas fame is provided here - https://golfclubatlas.com/countries/newcastle000110/

Images related to this episode can be found on our Instagram page (@AustralianGolfPassport) and on Twitter (@AusGolfPassport). Images accompanied by attribution to their owners (often Gary Lisbon – thanks Gary!).

Do yourself a favor and go browse the current range from our supporters, the one and only Angus and Grace Go Golfing (angusandgracegogolfing.com). Follow them on Insta (@angusandgracegogolfing) and if you’re in Sydney, visit Matt in their store at 39 William Street Paddington. Thanks so much to AAGGG for their support of our podcast.

Podcast intro music - Nbhd Nick / Stop Playing With Me - Instrumental / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

On the eve of The Masters and the Easter holidays, we publish our longest episode yet. Over 100 minutes of discussion devoted to answering two dozen or so listener questions.  We start by briefly addressing news of the week – the Aus PGA Tour event over the Moonah course at The National, then move to ponder Australia’s answer to Augusta National.

Listener questions touch on a range of topics including access to private courses, best renovation work and greenfield site work in Australia in the last 20 years, and a few esoteric ones too! This was great fun to record and we hope you indulge us with the long and unedited episode. Perhaps suited to a long session mowing the lawn, or a long drive over the Easter weekend… Thanks to all who submitted a question and apologies to any we missed.

Images related to this episode can be found on our Instagram page (@AustralianGolfPassport) and have individually attributed to their owners. There’s the usual supporting chat on Twitter (@ausgolfpassport). While online, go browse the current range from Angus and Grace Go Golfing (angusandgracegogolfing.com) and follow them on Insta (@angusandgracegogolfing) . If you’re in Sydney, visit their store at 39 William Street Paddington. Thanks to AAGGG for their support of the podcast. Periodic thank you to Nick Mills of @sandbuilt studios for our logo too. Nick is a genius.

Podcast intro music - Nbhd Nick / Stop Playing With Me - Instrumental / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Hot off a stellar hit and run mission to Victoria where Scott played 72 holes in a two day visit, we devote this episode to Lonsdale Links. Spoken of very positively in our previous episode with Todd and Joe from the USA, this reworked seaside layout has quickly established a reputation as a must-see course on the Bellarine peninsula, owing to its memorable, fun, quirky yet manageable layout.

The first few minutes of the episode are devoted to the upcoming pro tournament at The National’s Moonah Course, and some potential design work on the Sunshine Coast. Scott’s trip to Melbourne is covered, and we touch on Royal Melbourne’s two courses,  13th Beach and Curlewis, before moving onto Lonsdale Links. The course is discussed in detail, along with the concept of template holes, and their origins with CB Macdonald more than a century ago. Favourite holes, what we like and didn’t like, and what we think doesn’t work. Later, discussion pans out to look at the Bellarine peninsula more broadly, supplementing discussion from a prior episode.  The various attractions of the region are covered, making it clear the trip there is definitely worthwhile!  We close the pod with a brief diversion into some of golf’s great outfits, which should probably be a podcast episode in itself, for someone down the road. Or perhaps a poll for us and our listeners…

On the topic of template holes, this page by Andy Johnson of The Fried Egg is a great template resource - https://thefriedegg.com/category/architecture/the-templates/

Images discussed in the podcast can be found on our Instagram page (@AustralianGolfPassport) and have largely been supplied by Will Watt of Contours Golf Travel (@contours.golf.travel on Insta). There’s the usual supporting chat on Twitter too (@ausgolfpassport).

Podcast intro music - Nbhd Nick / Stop Playing With Me - Instrumental / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com