Another golfing year gone, another year older. Think I am starting to feel my age now. Two years have quickly passed since the outbreak of Covid. Gladly most of the lock downs and restrictions the World saw, are a distant memory.
2022 saw only one interstate visit to Tasmania, now a regular stop on my golf rota. There were still plenty of courses re-visited, or ventured to for the first time. With golf open days also resuming, there were a few old favourites which I managed to return to, as well as a few public access courses:
- Kingston Heath GC
- Royal Melbourne GC (West)
- Frankston GC (Millionaires Club as some refer to it)
- Portsea GC
- St Andrews Beach
- Sandy Golf Links
Hole 7 at Ratho Farm
But there were also some interesting courses I went to for the first time:
- Bougle Run – New 14 hole short course at Barnbougle
- Ratho Farm – Oldest course in the Southern Hemisphere
- Launceston GC – Due to a spare day in Launceston
- Rosebud CC (North) – Reworked by OCM in the Mornington Peninsula
Ratho Farm has been on the want to do list for a while. It is the oldest course in the Southern Hemisphere and located on an active farm. This means passing through gates at time, used to enclose the animals, sometimes even playing over them. Don’t expect a perfectly manicured course, this is old school rustic, like courses would have been back in the day. Well probably a bit better than they were back then, but you get the drift.
This photo doesn’t need explanation. It says it all.
By far the biggest highlight of the year, was my first ever hole in one. Playing in a social group at my local public course at YarraBend, I managed to hole out on a hole I usually struggle with, the 17th. For the record, it was 5′ past and spun back in. All of the surrounding groups certainly heard the shouts. At last my hole in three story can be retired.
That’s a wrap on 2022. There are big things planned for 2023. A return trip to King Island and my first golfing adventure to the UK. More details on these in a month or two. Hope you all have a great year ahead.
