Kiwi champion
World number one Lydia Ko from New Zealand has won the Australian Amateur Championship at Woodlands Golf Club in Melbourne.
Ko, who won the Australian Women’s Stroke Play title in 2011, defeated Kingston Heath member Breanna Elliott 4&3 in the 36-hole final to be the first Kiwi to win the Amateur Championship since Jan Higgins in 1989.
“It feels pretty amazing and it feels great that I came further than I did last year so I’m pretty proud of myself,” the 14-year-old said.
In the men’s event, Germany’s Marcel Schneider won the Amateur title on the 37th hole of a hard fought match with Queensland’s Daniel Nisbet.
Schneider was four down in the match at various stages but rallied with birdies on four of his last six holes to reel in the Caboolture Golf Club member.
Schneider is the first German to win the title and the first international player since Norway’s Anders Kristiansen in 2008.
Don’t forget!!
Make sure you get your entry into our ‘Play with the Stars’ promotion.
Thanks to our friends at Hilton Queenstown and Air New Zealand, one lucky winner will get to compete in the Pro-Am at the New Zealand PGA tournament at the end of March.
This is a money-can’t-buy experience that you will remember for the rest of your life. You’ll fly to Queenstown, stay at the beautiful Hilton on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and get to play in an event full of celebrities and professional golfers from Australia and New Zealand.
To enter, simply click on the banner above. Good luck!
Shark in Brazil
While he waits for the International Olympic Committee to deliver a verdict on his design proposal, Greg Norman is readying a less-scrutinised golf course in Brazil.
The Shark has been hired to design an 18-hole course for Reserva do Paiva, an eco-friendly, 532-hectare golf community that aims to become a “world-class destination for living, tourism, and leisure.” Reserva do Paiva will take shape in the town of Cabo de Santo Agostinho in the state of Pernambuco, just south of the coastal city of Recife.
The community will include roughly 4,000 houses, six hotels, a marina, an equestrian centre, shopping areas, an outdoor theatre, schools, a spa, a medical centre and the usual recreational amenities, including tennis courts and soccer pitches. Norman reports that the first two holes of this new course will overlook the Atlantic Ocean. From there, the track will wind its way inland, through mangrove swamps toward a 505-hectare rainforest that serves as Reserva do Paiva’s inland border.
* Source: Golf Business Community
Who’s the best?
It’s the question that divides golfing households around the country: what is the best course in Australia?
In the January issue of Golf Vacations, British Open winner Ian Baker-Finch weighs into the debate, selecting his top 10 courses in Australia. Will it be Kingston Heath? Will it be Royal Melbourne? Or will IBF pick a dark horse as the best track in the country?
Talking of great courses, we look at three of the very best in New Zealand, along with features on golf in such far-flung places as the Dominican Republic, Cambodia and Ireland. Back home, we list 11 top Stay & Play destinations in Victoria.
And what better way to start the New Year than by winning a golf holiday? We’re giving away a fantastic experience in Hamilton Island, one of the most luxurious holiday destinations in Australia. Also in the latest issue, your final chance to enter our fabulous competition to win a brand new set of Mizuno clubs and bag, worth AU$2,000. Enter online right now for both competitions by clicking the links above.
Great prizes, great features, great photos. Make sure you’ve got a copy of Golf Vacations this summer.
One for the ladies The inaugural Sanctuary Cove Ladies Golf Classic will be held at The Pines and The Palms courses between March 11 and March 13.
The three-day event will not only provide players of all levels with the opportunity to enjoy golf in a social, no-pressure environment, but allow competitors, sponsors and supporters to raise funds towards the Adam Scott Foundation. Money raised at the event will support the foundation’s current project to build a Youth Centre in Labrador.
Day one will be a fun foursome event, followed by two days of 18-hole competitions. No ladies golfing event would be complete without a little glamour so Sanctuary Cove will be hosting a meet and greet, including a fashion parade and entertainment as well as an official dinner and presentation barbeque. Café St Tropez will be awarding a AU$50,000 diamond for a hole-in-one, while an impressive diamond studded golf putter, proudly created by Calleija Jewellers, will be presented to the 36-hole champion.
Entry fee for the three-day event is AU$330 per person and bookings must be made by February 14.
Worldwide Webb
Australia’s Karrie Webb has confirmed she will return to defend her HSBC Women’s Champions title at the Tanah Merah Country Club in Singapore in February.
Currently 18th in the world rankings, Webb will journey to Singapore after her appearance at the Australian Women’s Open at Royal Melbourne from February 9 – 12. She will be joined in the Open field by world number one Yani Tseng.
“I am so excited to be playing the Australian Open on the composite course at Royal Melbourne,” Webb said. “Although I first played the Australian Amateur on the East Course in 1991 I have never played the composite course before in tournament golf.”
Fun in Fiji
The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa is stylishly designed to reflect Fiji’s rich cultural heritage and local style. It is further complimented with the finest resort facilities, including the award-winning Heavenly Spa by Westin, a championship golf course, five swimming pools, complimentary non-motorised watersports and a host of other activities.
Golf Explorer is offering a new Stay & Play package that offers great value for money. Stay six-nights at the Westin Denarau and play as much golf as you want for just AU$599 per person (available for new bookings only).
This price is only available for travel until March 31, 2012 and includes private return airport to hotel transfers and free room upgrade.
Ocean’s Twelve
The Ocean Dunes Golf Club in Phan Thiet, Vietnam has extended anniversary celebrations into 2012 with an attractive new stay-and-play package.
The ‘Golf Package’ starts from US$75 per person and includes 18 holes on the celebrated Nick Faldo-designed course, caddie fee, a twin-share room and breakfast. This deal is valid until March 31 and booking is subject to availability.
"With our golf package, Ocean Dunes makes this experience available to anyone, through the Tet Holiday and beyond, whether they arrive from Shanghai, Singapore, Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City,” said General Manager Glenn Cassells.
Play the PGA course
Hyatt Regency Coolum is offering free access to its famous Australian PGA Championship course over two weeks this summer.
As greenkeepers mount their annual course renovation from January 30 to February 12, golfers staying at the resort can play as many rounds as they like without paying green fees*. Then, as the course recovers from February 13 to 19, guests can take advantage of a 25 per cent discount on green fees, paying just AU$82.50* per person for 18 holes.
At times, some holes may be closed or restricted, but players will still be able to hone their skills on one of Australia's best resort golf courses and enjoy a game in the magnificent surrounds of Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
Luxury accommodation is available from AU$255* per couple per night in a King Room or from AU$400* for four people per night in a two-bedroom Woodland Villa.
For full details and bookings call Hyatt Regency Coolum on 07 5446 1234 or 1800 266 586 and quote CLM030, or visit coolum.regency.hyatt.com
