Brad Clifton tees off on the stunning 9th tee with Craig Parry and Jamie Lyon watching.
It was a beautiful Sydney Spring morning when the Golf Getaway boys headed north to Wyong on the Central Coast for a special day at a very special golf course-Kooindah Waters.
Aussie golfing legend Craig Parry was hosting a member’s day on the course and we along with our camera crew had scored an invite. Happy days.
We had also arranged to meet 9 time tournament winner Andre Stolz for some chipping lessons, NRL great Jamie Lyon and Australian Golf Digest Editor, Brad Clifton. Plus of course play some golf in Craig’s 2 ball Ambrose before we got the camera out. A busy day.
Kooindah is aboriginal for water…so Kooindah Waters translate to water water and there sure is a lot of water on this golf course, in fact by the time I’d finished the 2nd I was starting to wonder if I had enough balls in the bag.
Ross Watson – whom we interviewed on the Gold Coast a week later, considers Kooindah Waters to be one of his finest design jobs and he’s very proud of the way they used the natural water and flora to shape the course. The sleeper retaining walls and bunkering are used to provide a “rustic” feel and that by working closely with Craig Parry they’ve managed to create a “thinking golfers course” where accuracy, ball placement and imagination are the keys to scoring well.
Add on the amazing variety of wildlife including 68 different species of birds and you can see why Craig wears his KW ambassador badge with honour.
Mirror and I were matched against a couple of the local boys Neal and Nigel in the 2 ball and although we were a little slow out of the gate, we played well on the back nine and ended up drawing our match.
After the club house prize giving it was time for some fun and a Golf Getaway Celebrity hole on the 2nd with Craig, Jamie, Brad, Mirror and I. Closest to the pin would win a new pair of Oakley Flakjackets with golf specific G30 lenses. Amazing technology and for someone like me who has never quite got used to wearing sunnies on the golf course-the real deal. Then it was off to the 9th to see if Craig could bounce a ball over water to the green and finally a driving comp on the 10th. You can catch all that and more, including an up close chat with Craig on www.golfgetaway.com.au
An excellent day at Kooindah Waters-some golf, a few lessons, an exhibition and great company all hosted by the terrific on course- in house team on a sensational golf course.
Well worth a visit if you are ever up that way.
To watch the full episode at Kooindah Waters click here.
Shaun “Fade” Fay www.GolfGetaway.com.au
