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tiger takes on victoria
Tiger Woods will add to the illustrious history of Victoria Golf Club when he defends his title at the JBWere Masters. But as Brendan Moloney reports, the course has already seen its fair share of drama. Course pics by Gary Lisbon.
It is a pity that Tiger Woods will hunker down at the Crown Casino when he comes to Melbourne to play in the JBWere Masters at Victoria Golf Club in November.
He could stay at the club, spare himself the inevitable traffic jams his presence will create and have his golfing education greatly broadened.
Victoria, in the heart of Melbourne’s sand belt, offers more than just a world-class championship course. The beautiful old clubhouse, designed by member Cedric Ballantyne in 1925, is full of memories, myths and memorabilia collected over more than a century.
As you pass through from the grand entrance or the upstairs accommodation to the pro shop and first tee, the walls talk of fantastic feats by great players both here and around the world.
A slight diversion takes you to the Bachli-Thomson Room devoted to Peter Thomson, who won five British Opens, and Doug Bachli, who in 1954 became the first and only Australian to win the British Amateur Championship. Both were members of the club and reminders of their days in the pennant team are on display, as is a larger than life bronze statue of Thomson looking towards the first green.
Another Vic member and friend of both was the golf writer Don Lawrence who first dubbed Jack Nicklaus the “Golden Bear” in print. Before this he was known as “Ohio Fats” and an engraved silver platter on the wall expresses Nicklaus’ eternal gratitude for the name change.
Nearby hangs a portrait of Geoff Ogilvy, who used to ride his bicycle to the course and was backed by canny fellow members at the dream odds of 80/1 when he won the 2006 US Open.
Nicklaus’ manager, Mark McCormack, also had a good collect at Victoria when it hosted the 1964 Wills Masters tournament. Another in his stable, Arnold Palmer, played as well but McCormack’s money was on unheralded South African Cobie Legrange at 33/1.
His bet of £10 ($20) was placed with a caddie known only as “Cabbage”, who disappeared when Legrange drew eight shots clear of Palmer and Nicklaus on the final day. Dunlop-Slazenger executive Arthur Huxley, who placed the bet for McCormack, felt honour-bound to pay and was out of pocket the princely sum of £340. Huxley searched high and low for “Cabbage” but he was never seen again.
Palmer endeared himself to the crowd that year by climbing six-metres up a gum tree to play his third shot to the par-five ninth hole. After one wit told him he should play his ‘tree’ iron and another said to hurry up because the pubs closed at six o’clock, Palmer knocked the ball out, chipped about 25 metres to the green and two-putted for bogey.
Golfers are surprised to learn that anyone can stay and play at Victoria and also at the cost. While Woods’ suite at Crown goes for around $AU5,000 a night, the tariff at Victoria is $275 (twin share) and includes a full breakfast, light lunch, slap up dinner and a round of golf. Many enjoy it so much that they make another booking before they leave and some groups have not missed their annual pilgrimage there for more than 30 years.
The atmosphere is friendly but a little more formal than the resort courses of Queensland and along the Murray River. Gentlemen no longer have to wear a tie in the dining room, although a jacket is required. This would no doubt astound irascible manager Jack Merrick whose ghost was raised by Jack Newton at the club’s centenary dinner in 2003.
As a 14-year-old, Newton played for New South Wales in the Interstate Series and was billeted at the home of Bob Shearer. As a joke, Shearer suggested Newton go over to Vic, tell Mr Merrick who he was and ask if he could play the course and Newton fell for it. When he got there Merrick sized him up and said ‘No’ before turning on his heel and shutting the office door in his face.
Years later, when Newton was leading the 1981 Australian Open on the course, Merrick introduced himself on the practice range. Newton replied: “I know who you are. You’re the (expletive deleted) who said ‘No’ to me.”
It will be interesting to see how Woods handles the course. At 6,278 metres it is not long by modern standards and has yielded some astonishing scores over the years. It is protected by fine Alister Mackenzie bunkers and tricked up a bit by growing in the rough for big events but if conditions are calm, a sub-60 round is on the cards.
Stuart Appleby, who shot 59 in the Greenbrier Classic on the US Tour recently, carded a 62 here in the 2002 Australian Open pro-am. Even more impressive was the 61 shot by Gavin Vearing in a club competition in 2000. He had a par at the opening par four, which will play as a par three for the Masters, and bogeyed the second. Then he made seven birdies in a row to be out in 30 and another five in the run home. Vearing, now a teaching pro at Green Acres golf club in Melbourne, won the par comp with a score 10 up.
The most famous club comp winner was the great left-hander of the 1930s, Harry Williams, who made the turn at 10 under par. Off a handicap of plus four, he eagled both holes where he had to give a shot and stood at eight up. Inveterate punter that he was, he decided to go to the races and marked down nine losses for the back nine.
His score of one down was still good enough to beat the field that played 18 holes. Sadly, the punt and the drink got to Williams and he died destitute with his mother in a gas-filled flat in 1961.
There are still members who played with Williams and tell marvellous stories about the course, the club and its characters over drinks in the bar. If Woods chose to stay, they’d tell him that having a string of major championships to your credit does not count for much at Victoria, as Nicklaus, Palmer, Tom Watson, Gary Player, Billy Casper and Greg Norman have shown over the years.
The course has no respect for reputations and the three Australian Opens played there have gone to relatively unknown players - Frank Phillips in 1961, American Bill Rogers in 1981 and Steve Allan in 2002.
The old timers are waiting to see where Woods hits his drive on the par-five 18th. In 1981 and using a wooden driver, Norman unleashed an adrenalin-fuelled monster on the last day that left him with a wedge to the green. He hit it into a bunker - to this day he maintains it was the right club - and although he made birdie, he lost by a shot to Rogers who needed a four iron to get home. For years, until the space age gear arrived, most visitors refused to believe that Norman hit it so far.
at a glance
Getting there: Victoria Golf Club is in Cheltenham, about 25 kilometres south of the CBD.
Green fees: The club is open to members and invited guests only. International and interstate guests are welcome by application.
Accommodation: The clubhouse has 15 spacious, comfortably appointed rooms, each with full ensuite facilities. Each room offers views of the grounds and the course.
The club does have stay & play packages allowing guests to play the course. Price for full board accommodation (incl. breakfast, lunch and dinner), golf on availability, distance book and club storage: $340 per person, per night (single); $275 per person, per night (twin).
For more information, call (03) 9584 1733 or visit www.victoriagolf.com.au
For tournament information, visit www.australianmasters.com.au
* All prices in Australian dollars.
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