Q Golf - Official online magazine for Golf Queensland Spring / Summer 2011 | Page 26

Moonah Course, par 4/11th
It was a typically scorching hot
Melbourne day around 35 °C, and from
my unique vantage point wedged three
metres up a dead twisted tree situated
between the green of the par-3 7th, and
the tee of the short par-4 8th, I was able
to simultaneously watch players such as
Norman, Singh, Woods and Mickleson
putting on the green of one hole, then
launching their drives at the next. The
only thing missing was an ice-cold bottle
of Victoria Bitter.

Founded in 1891 (and moved to
its current location in 1901), Royal
Melbourne Golf Club is widely regarded
as Australia’s oldest and most prestigious

The only thing missing
was an ice-cold bottle of
Victoria Bitter.

I clearly remember that four-times British
Open champion Peter Thomson was the
captain for the International team and
Jack Nicklaus captain of the U.S team,
with the International team making
the most of home-field advantage, by
winning convincingly 20 ½ -11 ½. And like
Tiger, another of my abiding memories
was the high quality of the sand belt
courses’ bunkering and greens.

golf club. It consists of two layouts
- the East Course and West Course.
The legendary Dr Alister Mackenzie,
considered by many as the greatest
architect in golf history, designed
the West course in 1926. Plenty of
strategically placed and amazingly
natural looking bunkers and fast
undulating snooker table-smooth greens

26 Q Golf Online Spring / Summer 2011

www.golfqueensland.org.au

are the trademarks of this very famous
Mackenzie design.
Alex Russell, influenced by time spent
with Mackenzie, designed the East
Course, which was ready for play in 1932.
Built ۈ\