SHOOT LOWER SCORES: GEOFF OGILVY,

BUBBA WATSON & ROBERT ROCK PLAYING TIPS

APRIL 2012 // ISSUE #278 www.golfaustralia.com.au

SWING TIPS TO TURN YOUR GAME AROUND

SERGIOS SECRETS

STAR MAKER

WE TALK TURKEY WITH CHUBBY CHANDLER SPECIAL 29-PAGE PREVIEW

SCRAP THE OLD METAL

ITS TIME TO REVAMP YOUR BAG

AUGUSTA
JASON DAYS MASTERFUL GAME & WHY YOU SHOULD COPY IT

READY
DARTS & DUFFS
BEST & WORST MASTERS SHOTS OF THE PAST 25 YEARS

BREAKING THE DUCK

THE MAJORLESS TOP GUNS WHO WILL CONTEND

ALLISS IN WONDERLAND

THE VOICE OF GOLF REVEALS HOW AUGUSTA MUST BE PLAYED

BONVILLE GOLF RESORT

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GOLF COURSE IN AUSTRALIA CONTINUES TO IMPROVE...
See inside for course review

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ONE OF AUSTRALIAS GREAT INLAND COURSES IS CELEBRATING ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2012 AND, WITH A RECENT MAKEOVER, IT HAS NEVER LOOKED BETTER.
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: BRENDAN JAMES

MAIN: New

bunkering, like these sandy hazards beside the par-5 14th green, has elevated Bonvilles presentation. BELOW LEFT: The 380-metre 1st hole requires solid hitting from the opening swing. BELOW RIGHT: One of Bonvilles prettiest holes is the par-3 17th. It can also ruin a good scorecard.

hink back to the last time the beauty of a golf course took your breath away, or at the very least made you stop for a minute to bask in the scene. If it was by the sea, discard that one because any course or hole, no matter how good or bad, can look world class and amazing with an ocean view. Let your thoughts drift away from the ocean to lush strip-cut and undulating fairways lined with majestic strands of ooded gums as well as vast areas of sub-tropical forest and punctuated by white sandy bunkers. In the spring, blossoming azaleas and owering natives add touches of pink, red, white and purple to the colour palette. If youre now thinking of Bonville Golf Resort, youve been fortunate enough, like me, to experience arguably this countrys most beautiful inland golf course. If you havent played Bonville, theres never been a better time to experience what some are moved to describe as Australias Augusta National. There is some resemblance to the famous home of the Masters Tournament and all credit must go to the designers, Terry Watson and Ted Stirling, whose brief from the original owners was to create a course like that found in Georgia. However, there is only one Augusta. What Watson and Stirling did was create a distinctly Australian golf course that has some features Augusta is famous for, including great elevation change between tee and green on many holes, holes incorporating natural watercourses, and, of course, the azaleas. But that is where the similarities begin and end, as Bonville has its own distinct character and memorable features. To achieve that end, improvement and change has been the mantra of the Bonville team since the current owner bought the property from the original Japanese developers in 1999. There was recognition, almost immediately back in 1999, that Bonville needed some dramatic change if it was to stand alongside the best in this country. All the greens were soon converted from Penncross bentgrass to the more resilient Bermuda 328 grass, while tall trees shadowing some

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Danger is never far away on the undulating par-5 7th hole.

Last hurrah: the iconic Bonville setting surrounding the final green.

greens were removed or heavily pruned. The putting surfaces have since thrived and today are excellent to putt on. One aspect of the layout I have always thought was below par was the bunkering. For a layout in an area that receives good rain annually, some of Bonvilles bunkers would not drain very well and there would be occasions of sand washout on others. This problem has certainly been addressed with all 52 bunkers throughout the course being rebuilt during the past two winters. Each bunker was remodelled with better drainage and bunker mat material installed. Bunker mat is a three-dimensional sand retention and drainage matting, which is laid on the steep slope of bunker faces. The sand is trapped within the open structure of the bres, allowing the sand to be held in place. Even in heavy downpours, the matting allows water to ow internally to the drainage in the base of the bunker without taking sand with it.
The first of a wonderful collection of par-5s the 485-metre 4th hole.

High-quality white bunker sand was then transported in from Queenslands Sunshine Coast to nish off the hazards and the result, for mine, is rst class. The bunker remodelling, with most being made larger or re-shaped to be more visually appealing has, again, improved markedly the experience of what is always an enjoyable and challenging round at Bonville. And the changes are not going to nish there. A master-plan has been established for Bonville that proposes 421 homes to be built around the edges of the course, as well as the creation of upgraded resort facilities. A great golf course like Bonville would not be complete without a surrounding community of home owners and an expansion of the existing tourism accommodation, Bonville general manager Brad Daymond says. The necessary planning approvals are being
Water and sand guard the green on the testing dogleg right par-4 12th hole.

sought which would permit the development of a beautiful estate to complement the spectacular golf course. In the meantime, one of the memorable aspects of playing at Bonville is the quality of its par-5s. Each requires attention to strategic detail where putting your shots in the right position from the tee and in lay-up areas will reap bene ts. The 485-metre 4th is a great driving hole with a saddle-shaped fairway funnelling even slightly off-line shots back to the centre of the mown portion. The aggressive player may consider going for the green in two shots here but it is a shot that must be solid and shaped slightly right-to-left around the dogleg and the wall of ooded gums anking the fairway. Two fairway traps and a huge swale, both about 60 metres short of the green, are in play and can complicate the errant lay-up. The slightly shorter, but more challenging, 7th hole is a gem. The view from the elevated tee on this 470-metre par-5 reveals all that stands between you and the hole tall trees left and right, two fairway traps encroaching on the driving line from the right. You cant help but have the feeling here that any ball not nding the wide fairway from the tee will be lost for good. It is only a steady descent from the tee down the fairway, which bottoms out at a creek about 75 metres short

of the green. From here, the putting surface lies well above you with bunkers left, right and short. This hole asks plenty of questions en route from what to hit from the tee, to where to lay-up for your second or what club you might need to hit the green with your second shot. Similar questions are posed on Bonvilles iconic closing hole a 460-metre journey up-and-over a hill between deep strands of towering ooded gums that line the way to the green, that lies just beyond a pond and meandering stream. Standing on the crest of this hill looking down toward the green, with the azaleas in full bloom (remember, only in spring), you can imagine, if just for a moment, a similar view confronting players at the Masters when playing the famous 13th or 15th holes. For many players, there is never any question whether to go for the green in two shots or not. In such a wonderful theatre that the 18th provides, it is hard not to add to the drama by throwing off the shackles and risking a dropped shot or two by playing aggressively. I was so pleased with what I found at Bonville on my most recent trip there to compile this feature. The resort is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and it has never looked or played better in two decades.
property with 30 accommodation rooms overlooking the 1st fairway. There are several packages to consider. The basic Overnighter package starts from $210 (midweek) for one night in a resort room twin share and includes a full hot breakfast as well as a round of golf in a twin share cart. AWARDS: Ranked in Golf Australias Top-100 Courses in 2012. Named Australias leading golf resort at the 2006 and 2011 World Travel Awards.

THE COURSE
LOCATION: North Bonville Rd, Bonville. About 10 minutes drive south of Coffs Harbour on NSW north coast. About six hours north of Sydney, ve hours south of Brisbane via the Pacic Highway. CONTACT: 1300 722 444. WEB: www.bonvillegolf.com.au DESIGNERS: Terry Watson & Ted Stirling (1992). PLAYING SURFACES: Bermuda 328 (greens); Greenlees Park couch (fairways, rough). PGA PRO: Matt Dagger.

GREEN FEES: $110 (Mon-Thur, inc. shared cart); $125 (Fri-Sun, inc. shared cart).

THE CLUB & RESORT

MEMBERSHIPS: For more information or to become a member, call (02) 6653 4002. CORPORATE & CONFERENCE DAYS: Bonvilles conference facilities can cater for boardroom meetings of two to larger theatre-style seminars of 200 people. Both indoor venues open out onto wide verandahs and overlook the resorts gardens and the golf course. ACCOMMODATION: Bonville is a boutique-style

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A MULTI-AWARD WINNING RESORT

Bonville Golf Resort was announced as Australias Best Golf Resort in the 2012 Luxury Travel Magazines Gold List Awards for its accommodation, restaurant, resort facilities and, of course, stunning golf course. After the days golf, visitors can enjoy a game of tennis on one of the three all-weather courts, swim in the 30-metre rock lap pool or enjoy a rainforest walk before retiring to the on-course accommodation. Bonvilles 30 rooms are set amongst the lush gardens of this beautiful resort, with all rooms situated alongside the picturesque 1st fairway. All Executive and Resort rooms have been refurbished to enhance their modern conveniences including fully remodelled bathrooms, LCD at screen TVs (including nine Austar/Foxtel channels) and luxurious bedding. All these recently added extras at Bonville are designed to ensure the best possible nights sleep so you can wake up feeling rejuvenated, revived and ready to enjoy your Bonville escape.

Bonville boasts 17 Resort rooms and 13 Executive rooms, catering to all tastes and requirements. Executive rooms are tted with large spa baths or spacious balconies to enable you to relax and unwind taking in the beautiful surrounds of this stunningly beautiful golf resort. Bonville is a place where you will want to return over and over again. It is within a 10-minute drive from the Coffs Coast Airport and it has a magni cent subtropical climate. Bonville also has close access to stimulating activities ranging from shopping at nearby Sawtell, deep sea shing, diving, white-water rafting, horse riding and bushwalking through rainforests. All this is in addition to the white sandy beaches and the blue and white waters of the Paci c Ocean. If you would like more information about becoming a member of Australias Best Golf Resort please call the Bonville team on 1300 722 444.

Experience Australias most beautiful mainland golf course.

Australian World Cup winning rugby captain, John Eales

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WORLD CLASS WINING & DINING

Overlooking the most beautiful golf course in mainland Australia, as voted by The Golf Course Guide 11 years in a row, is the award-winning Flooded Gums Restaurant, which is set in a federation-style clubhouse and is home to spectacular views overlooking the 1st, 8th, and 18th holes. The restaurant has been voted the Best Restaurant in a Resort a record ve times by the Northern NSW Restaurant & Catering Association Awards for Excellence and is also Winner of one Goblet in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 by the Fine Wine Partners, Wine List of the Year Awards. The regions and varieties represented on the Bonville wine list represent Australias and the worlds best and have been sourced and selected by consulting Sommelier Christian Beppler. Christian is also the Sommelier of Jonahs of Whale Beach Sydney, which is a member of the prestigious Relais and Chateaux group, an exclusive collection of the worlds nest hotels and gourmet restaurants and is a partner property to Bonville Golf Resort. The Flooded Gums Restaurant is open to the public for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Its combination of a magni cent setting, the delightful food, impeccable service and peaceful atmosphere all combine to make The Flooded Gums one of the most rewarding Australian golf course dining experiences.

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