“The itinerary took in a range of golf and history events and venues, with a bus full of interstate and international visitors travelling together over 6days for all 14 events” explained Coordinator Lynette Polley “From Port Arthur and Hobart’s great courses in the South, to Woolmers Estate and Barnbougle Dunes in the north”.
“An early highlight was the Mat Goggin Junior Golf Foundation’s ‘This is Your Life Luncheon’ on Friday, where golf writer Brendan Moloney interviewed legendary amateur golfing brothers Peter and John Toogood in front of 30 diners between morning and afternoon nines at Royal Hobart and Tasmania Golf Clubs”
Christian Rainey, General Manager of the Mat Goggin Junior Golf Foundation explained “After Brendan’s excellent interview, which brought out so many rich golfing stories, Peter and John were presented with the inaugural Mat Goggin Game for Life Award, to recognise their tireless contribution back to the game over the last 60 years”
The showcase event of the Golf Festival was once again the National Hickory Championship at Ratho Links, Australia’s Oldest Golf course, outside the village of Bothwell in Tasmania’s Highlands. Bothwell Golf Club Life Member Max Stuart describes an extra special event;
“This year, to officially open six holes that have been restored from the original pre-World War II layout, we were thrilled to have 5-time British Open champion Peter Thomson play an exhibition match with former national champions Lindy Goggin, Peter Toogood and local club champion Michael White”
“Lindy Goggin took on the men from the back tees and played super golf throughout to win the match with a long putt on the penultimate hole, while Peter Toogood was a good sport and played with Hickory Clubs to illustrate that the game hasn’t changed that much in the last 500years and hickory clubs are still very competitive in the right hands. The size of the gallery and quality of golf was something little country courses don’t get to see often”
Bothwell's own Christine Rogers was crowned Australian Hickory Open winner, with 19 stableford points for 9holes, ahead of a strong field, dressed in appropriate attire of plus fours or long skirts, tweed jackets and flat caps, and hitting gutta-percha golf balls with sets of Hickory clubs “Its a great honour to hold a national championship- you’d think local knowledge would be important, but this was the first time we played these restored holes too!” grinned Christine.
On the Sunday another local, junior golfer Aiden Bowerman defeated Melbourne golfer Matthew Wellington and was crowned National Hickory Matchplay Champion, and presented with a rare book on the evolution of golf, written and presented by Dr.David Hamilton from the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St.Andrews.
"I really enjoyed meeting all these golfers from around Australia and I’m looking forward to learning more about the history of the game from the book I won” said Aiden.
In the National Foursomes Matchplay Championship, Peter Gompertz from the England’s Royal North Devon and Long Island GCs teamed up with golf historian Barry Leithhead from the Blue Mountains to score a brave victory over legendary foursome couple from Royal Sydney GC, David and Anna Williams. “I’ve never endured such pleasant sledging from the opposition. Despite the prestige at stake, we played in a very gentlemanly fashion...except of course there was one lady involved” explained Peter with a grin “Royal North Devon is the oldest golf course in England and the grazing sheep and fenced greens are just some of many similarities with Ratho”.
Bothwell’s new ‘Keeper of the Green’ is renowned club maker Ross Baker. “Ross has worked so very very hard in getting the course ready for the opening, and hasn’t been assisted by the drought” said Greg Ramsay from the Ramsay Family, owners of the golf course. Ross Baker picked up from there “To see a large gallery come to follow the exhibition match, and such a fun game of golf made it all worthwhile. I can’t wait to get my new Pro Shop up and running here at Ratho for this coming tourism season. We’re relocating an old shearing shed from a nearby farm, and rebuilding it to attach to the Bothwell Golf Clubhouse”.
“The Highland Fling & Golf Ball that night at the Bothwell Town Hall was a rowdy affair”, Lynette Polley said. “Master of Ceremonies Gordon Brown from ABC’s Collectors program, the Launceston Police Pipe Band and Master Distiller Bill Lark entertained around 100 revellers. Many patrons wore Scottish regalia, and the Highland Dancing went until late in the night, fuelled by wonderful Celtic Cuisine.”
Peter Thomson, Australia’s most successful professional golfer, summed up a successful series of events in Bothwell, “I’ve had a very enjoyable weekend in this charming highland village, which I wish I had found the time to visit earlier. Golfing on Australia’s oldest golf course at Ratho is going to be a very memorable experience, and I’m looking forward to coming back again with friends”
The movie ‘Strokes of Genius’ about legendary American golf Bobby Jones was screened on Sunday night over dinner. Then the tour bus ventured up the Heritage Highway to Woolmers Estate and Launceston on the Monday, as described by David Williams from Sydney.
“My wife and I hadn’t been here to Launceston together before, but the walk along the Cataract Gorge to our sumptuous dinner at Stillwater Restaurant was truly memorable.”
“The evening epitomised the whole Festival week - a very interesting personal tour of a wonderfully restored colonial building, delicious food, great company, many discussions on golf and life and everything else in between” Anna Williams continued. “To hear golf course architect Mike Cooper conversing with golf historian Dr. Hamilton from Scotland about their varied golfing experiences was just fascinating”
The Festival concluded with the Oliver Trophy at Barnbougle Dunes on Tuesday.
“Gordon Oliver was a golf course architect from Britain who was very active in promoting the game around Australia in the 1920s” explained golf historian John Lovell from New South Wales, who spoke over lunch. “Oliver designed many well known courses such as Peninsula, Greenacres and Patterson River as well as a course at Bridport in 1929 which was never built. But we are fortunate to have all the masterplans for the course and resort, so the Festival invited all the clubs who he did design courses for, to come and celebrate Oliver’s contribution to the game, learn a bit about him & his vision, and play off for the inaugural Oliver Trophy”.
A combined Mornington Peninsula side edged out Emerald GC to win the event, with Pauline Bloom from Peninsula GC the winner on 38points. After a wine tasting by local wineries Delamere and Jansz Sparkling, Touring Professional Mike Clayton, the architect of Barnbougle Dunes spoke over dinner about the challenges of golf course restoration, and the heady days on the European Tour in the 1980s, with the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam.
“We are already greatly looking forward to next year’s event. We had a tremendously fun crew along for the whole week, and were delighted at the many people that joined us for events along the way. We look forward to an even larger contingent of fun loving golfers joining us next year from May 21st- 26th” concluded Lynette Polley