Royal Liverpool Golf Club: a true Hoylake love affair
I fell in love with Royal Liverpool Golf Club the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once. I can still recall the first time I drove through the gates and caught sight of the majestic clubhouse which stands guard over the links land here. On that day, I walked around to the front of the building and looked out across the golf course towards the distant Dee Estuary which wraps around the Wirral peninsula. Now I chuckle at the memory: my first impression was that it was, well, very flat – devoid of drama, benign. There were no…
Kauri Cliffs is one of the world’s most beautiful outposts
New Zealand is in the midst of a golf boom: new courses are being built, existing courses restored and airport carousels are abuzz with one golf bag after another – but breathtaking Kauri Cliffs Golf Course was here well before the masses. With the likes of Tara Iti and Tea Arai Links driving new interest and energy in New Zealand’s golfing landscape, clubs across the country are moving quickly to improve and expand their offering in order to capitalise. Despite its smorgasbord of stunning landscapes peppered with lakes, mountains and pristine coastlines, New Zealand, perhaps surprisingly, hasn’t always featured at…
Challenge and beauty in abundance at mesmerising Kinloch Club
My first year of High School was an absolute blur, I barely remember a thing. However, looking back there is one person who has withstood the test of time and lived long in my memory – Mr Killian. A brawny and brash South African mathematics teacher, Mr Killian was loud, bold and confrontational – quite frankly, he scared the shit out of me. He made us laugh and cry some days, verbal whippings were always followed by a light-hearted joke or two. It was an exhibition in tough love and one which ultimately yielded the best results. I look back…
Why my round at The Old Course wasn’t love at first sight
I wanted to love the Old Course. I tried to love the Old Course. I failed to love the Old Course. I feel like I’m in good company: five-time Open champion Tom Watson didn’t love the Old Course, St Andrews when he first played it. Grand Slam winner Bobby Jones was a petulant 19-year-old Open Championship debutant when he famously ripped up his scorecard and walked off in 1921 after failing to escape from a bunker on the 11th. I came close to following Jones’ lead on the 12th when what looked like a perfect drive down the middle tumbled…