Melbourne Sandbelt

I yeah I'd think Victoria as well I thought like it was the second place we went we'd been to Yarra Yarra before which is obviously great but like probably a little bit rung down on everything else Victoria straight away was like one of the most beautiful looking courses I'd seen before and then every single one since then has been great but every single time I've been like is it better than Victoria probably not yeah Kate Wickham was great like a completely different experience but like every single time just like It doesn't quite match Victoria.

Yeah, we should say that Barnbugle and Kate Wickham are not like Sam Bell courses.

They're by the sea.

They're spectacular in many respects.

You get the ocean.

You get probably visually more bang for your buck.

But I think for me, the Sam Bell courses and Victoria just... from a golf purist standpoint like if you're going to be a real like perv in golf like that's that's the place to do it

yeah and that and that is with me getting into a bunker and not getting out oh

It's true.

Why do so many golfers highlight Kingston Heath and, of course, the Sandbelt courses? You've travelled the world.

You've played golf everywhere.

And you do say they're the best courses in the world.

You'd put them in the Seaside Golf.

But then there's another category.

And it is called Sandbelt Golf.

And it is not replicated anywhere else in the world.

It was just ridiculous.

Makes you realise, when you play on really slick greens, like the Melbourne Sandbelt, you realise how good these guys are.

It just highlights...

Yeah, the touch.

It's a very interesting type of golf.

I've never played on greens as firm and as quick as the Sandbelt courses.

It's just, they're firm, but like you can, because obviously we're kind of doing, filming over with Ron and Joel as well.

And we're kind of often, we're actually getting, me and Sam and Chris are getting to play a fair few courses as well, which is, we're very, very grateful for that.

Yeah, so we've got a little image that's going to confirm that.

He'd inquired and been in communication with a great number of clubs in Melbourne on that Sandbelt region while he was down here.

And after due consideration, he received a letter back from Commonwealth Golf Club that basically said, thanks, but no thanks.

It

It's about the tournament and the prestige behind the tournament, but then it's also about their craft, and the opportunity to use their craft and test it and be challenged by it.

And, um, the Sandbelt is a phenomenal area of the world.

Like, there are these incredible golf courses all next to each other, and only 30 minutes' drive from one of the most livable cities on the planet.

Like, that doesn't happen.

They can't necessarily stage these events every year.

Um, but as long as you can return to them every so often, um, they keep that sort of flame alive of what the inherent properties are of the Australian Open.

And, and yeah, Rory, like when I got the job at the Australian Open, um, I messaged his manager and I just said, "Heads up, I'm back in golf." I had stayed in touch, um, and they went, "Make it on the Sandbelt, Royal Melbourne or Kingston Heath, and Rory will be there." Um, and so that's what we did.

[laughs]

They just really embrace it.

And I honestly think, look, we've got Melbourne Sandbelt, and that's absolutely brilliant.

It is world-class, world-renowned.

It is a tourist attraction.

It was a great look at it.

Sahith loves the Sandbelt, by the way.

He won the 2020 Australian Master of the Amateurs at Vic Golf Club, my favorite on the Sandbelt, even though today, well, he's sort of knocking at the door there, but-

[laughs]

...

But with, with the quality of players that are coming down for the Aussie Open, obviously Rory, uh, headlining that crew, and we've got Ryan Fox now, who plays every other year and, and is the Open champion.

Sahith is gonna be probably not at the top line of betting, I wouldn't have thought.

But very, very happy that we've got guys that appreciate the Sandbelt, that appreciate the golf courses that we have here, and are willing to come down for the Aussie Open.

"Mark, you are wrong on the tea tree debate, and obviously you are uneducated.

It's an invasive species on the Melbourne Sandbelt, meaning it worsens the conditioning of the surrounding flora and grass.

Peninsula Kingswood is the best vegetated golf course on the whole Sandbelt, and it has no tea tree." That comes from Mike Clayton.

Who?