Pro Shop News - October 2006 Firstly a big thank-you to everyone who attended my mother's funeral service and also the many cards I received from members and associates. It was very much appreciated.

Life has been busy in the pro shop the past few months, with plenty of golfers enjoying the facilities at Nudgee and obviously the weather has made it easy to play golf. The course unfortunately is the one that suffers so lets pray before we start to feel the summer heat we have a really good drenching to improve the condition not only of the course but the whole state.

There will be a few role changes amongst the staff in the New Year with the departure of Nathan Mahoney. Nathan will finish his apprenticeship at the end of the year and looks forward to trying his luck on the pro circuit. Nathan is a very talented golfer so I am sure with many more events to play in through out Australia initially on the Pro - Am circuit Nathan has a wonderful opportunity to achieve a very successful career as a tournament player.

A new addition to the staff will be Neville `Nifty' Mullins. One of the real gentlemen of Professional golf, Nifty has been working on the range on Sundays recently, but that will increase to Mondays and Tuesdays in the New Year. A very accomplished golfer and teacher with vast experience, Neville will be available for lessons at the range only on Mondays.

Gary Warburton will be based at the range each Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sundays. Gary will work the mini shop at the range on Wednesday and Friday, and will also be available for lessons on Thursdays and Sundays. Gary will also be specialising in club fitting. He will have all the fitting clubs from the leading suppliers on hand so I am sure this will be a great assistance to members and associates looking for some new clubs. A workshop has been established at the range where most repairs can be done on the spot. A loft and lie machine is also available to check your club angles.

Chris Keus will work the Pro Shop on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. Chris has been a real asset to the shop since taking on the job and is very popular with the members and associates. I look forward to his continued involvement here at Nudgee. Chris teaches his Real Golf method where he takes you out on the course instead of the practise fairway. He is available for lessons by appointment.

Chris Chaplin maintains his high teaching standard here at Nudgee. Set up with the latest Swing Analysis Video equipment Chris has all you need to help your golf game. Chris has recently returned from China where he was guest of the Hong Kong P.G.A. to help Chinese professionals with their coaching skills for this wonderful game. Chris will also be available for any club fittings.

Tim Brennan will continue to work full-time as he completes his traineeship. He has 1 year left in his apprenticeship and plans to continue playing both trainee and sunshine tour events next year. He recently had his first win in the Brisbane Trainee Pro-Am and hopes to continue this form when he travels to Melbourne in December for the National Futures Championships. Tim works from Wednesday through to Sunday.

Sam Bowers will continue with his starting duties and range duties on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday

Golf Trips

Since the last report members have been on three golf Trips. Our first trip was to Cairns for our annual O.O.B. trip. 27 Nudgee Members and 7 of my regulars made the trip which included games at The Links at Port Douglas, Cairns, Innisfail and the Fabulous Paradise Palms. It was very noticeable at each club that Cyclone Larry had made an impact on the course conditions, particularly Innisfail, where a huge cleanup on the course had been under taken. It was very sad to see the actual destruction in the town itself.

Day one was at the Cairns Golf Club where Colin Hopkins had 38pts to win Division 1 while John Godwin had 40pts in Division 2. We travelled to Port Douglas the next day for the fourball at The Links where Neil Watts and Oxley Member Gordon Wallace had 45 pts to win. Innisfail hosted us on day three and I am sure the club appreciated 36 extra golfers to the club for the day. Considering the damage the course suffered during the cyclone the course was in pretty good condition although it was sad to see the beautiful, tall Norfolk Pines that once surrounded the course all but destroyed. Club Captain Craig Alman, House Chairman Tony Logue and committee man Anthony Lee made us very welcome. Tony cooked us a fantastic B.B.Q. that evening and with plenty of cold beer a good day was had by all. Redcliffe member Bob Jones won Division 1 with 40 pts while Neil Watts (again) won Division 2 with 39 pts.

The hotly contested O.O.B. Trophy was the final event of the trip and Paradise Palms off the back blocks is a great test of golf. Defending Champion Greg Bates and inform players John Godwin, Neil Watts, Col Hopkins , Craig Hitchens and Keith Mc Lachlan all fancied their chances as did our visitors but it was the quiet achiever of the tour Ralph Williams who beat the star studded field with 34 pts to claim his first O.O.B. Trophy. Oxley's Wayne Lapworth was runner-up. It was a very popular victory by Ralph who is a great supporter of the Golf Trips I take. Next years event looks like being at Laguna Quays.

I was fortunate to play and take six Nudgee members on a senior tournament to Hainan Island in China. This small Island, a 50 minute flight from Guangzhou, boasts some fabulous golf courses and magnificent resorts. The city of Haikou is the capital of the Hainan Province Chinas biggest special economic zone. It is the political, economic and cultural centre of the whole province and boasts a population of 1.6 million people and a coastline of 131 kilometres. Apart from being amongst the first group of Chinas best tourist cities Haikou has been selected by the World Health Organization as Chinas first city for World Healthy Cities Programme.

The tournament is an incentive by the Chinese government to bring golfers to the Island and stay and play and promote the facilities and believe me the West Coast Golf Club that staged the event was a fabulous .

They also tipped in U.S. $50,000 prize money for the senior professionals. With rounds of 74-73-74 I finished 7th in the event which helped with expenses. Designed by the legendary Pete Dye and his son Perry measuring 7500 yards of the back it features undulating fairways, huge well protected greens and diabolical rough. A view from the balcony of the Hotel. Each professional was allowed three amateurs as part of their team and Ralph Williams, Bob Leach and Jeff Miller were my team. Fellow professional Len Sorenson was accompanied by Russ Madill, Peter Daley and Ross Shields. The package included our airfares, accommodation at the Sheraton Haikou Resort, all our meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and our refreshments at the dinners. The amateurs played a single stableford each day and a Teams Event with the Pros each day. We also had our own personal caddies for the week. Without starring the entire group played well and thoroughly enjoyed the format of the Tournament not to mention the fantastic dinners put on by the organisers. I am looking forward to next year and taking another group of Nudgee members.

The group in the Hotel foyer Our Local Caddies

Our latest trip was to Alice Springs for the Outback Legends Senior Classic. This was a mixed trip with 20 Nudgee members making the journey to this great event. The Alice Springs course (one of the first designed by Peter Thompson) rates as good as any in the country and the golfers playing it for the first time were amazed that a facility this good could be situated in the middle of Australia. We stayed at the Aurora Resort in the centre of town on the Todd Mall close to the many restaurants in the city. Our favourite night out was our visit to the Overlander Steakhouse where the evenings special was the platter consisting of Crocodile, Kangaroo, Emu and Camel. Our own Elvis Presley (Errol Williams) entertained the audience with some great tunes and Lenny Robertson got through the 700gram T-Bone. Some excellent golf was played on the testing layout with Barry Quinn, Carol Williams, Warren Hughes, Sandra Wallace and Ray White the best performed Nudgee players. I finished 5th in the event behind winner Mike Ferguson so I was pleased with the effort. New Products

We currently have a number of great deals available in the shop. Our full range of Bridgestone drivers and fairway woods are all massively reduced by 40%. Our Wilson drivers, both previous and current models, have also been reduced. We have a full range of demos available for use so feel free to come in and try them out.

You may have noticed that the shop has recently been reorganised. The main purpose of this was to make room for the new, larger range of Footjoy golf shoes. Footjoy is without doubt the number 1 shoe in golf, and they have a large range of comfortable, yet stylish shoes for both men and women at affordable prices. One such model is the LT series. This shoe is available in 3 colours - orange/white, white, and navy/black/white. Full waterproof shoe, it is a lightweight leather-upper shoe that will make your walk the most comfortable yet. If we are out of stock in any Footjoy style that you want, we can order that style for you and it will arrive within 5 working days (depending on availability)

The new lines of Cobra golf clubs are now available. The HS9 series of woods have a composite makeup, with both titanium and graphite used in their construction. The graphite crown lowers the centre of gravity to enable a higher launch with no extra effort. The new hybrid, Baffler DWS (Dual Weighting System), is the latest in the popular range that many of you have already experienced.

It features 9 `hot spots' across the face for increased distance and accuracy, and is available in models 1-6, with each varying in loft. Finally, the latest Cobra irons are here and we have a large range of models that can be incorporated in a club fit with Gary Warburton. Our fitting system has a number of different length, lie angle and flex options that will be utilised during a club fit. Book in at anytime for a Cobra club fit and watch your handicap plummet. The new summer range of Turtle Creek clothing arrives very shortly.-looks fantastic some great men's and ladies outfits. In the meantime plenty of apparel on sale at greatly reduced prices.

As always, we have a large range of equipment from all the major brands at your disposal. From Titleist to Ping, Cleveland to Taylormade, Callaway to Cobra we can access any model you desire at a competitive price. Come in and see us at anytime with your golfing questions and queries and we will be happy to assist.

Good Golfing!!!

OPENING DAY - FEBRUARY 2006 th The 2006 Season started once again with the charity day on Sunday 5 of February. This event supports the RBWH research foundation and has done for many years. Through the support of the Nudgee members, more than $30,000 has been raised for the foundation. Hard working Nudgee member David Rose and the Foundations' Heather Lawton attended the event and with perfect weather and a field of 220 players we were guaranteed a very successful event.

Some excellent scores were recorded in the multiple card 4BBB Stableford. President Vern Smerdon and Chris Purtill scored 53 points to win the men's event, Leanne Johnson and John Taylor won the mixed with 49 points while Barbara Hucker and Leslie Malcolm won the Ladies with 48 points.

The Seafood smorgasbord proved a popular addition to the days format and the very easy to listen to singing group, the Hall's Angels, headed by Nudgee Member Mick Angeles, were a smash hit with the 150 members and associates who stayed on. It was a wonderful day to start the season and all who played and bought tickets in the many raffles are to be congratulated on a job well done.

Proposed Trips - June - Cairns. September - China October- Alice Springs

TASMANIAN TRIP

There is no doubt that Tasmania is becoming a popular destination for the keen golfer. I recently took 28 golfers to Launceston (23 Nudgee members) and we all thoroughly enjoyed the week in the Apple Isle. We managed two games at the new Barnbougle Dunes Golf Course and a game each at Mowbray, Riverside and Kings Meadow before heading to Devonport for one game at Woodrising in their annual Senior Pro-Am Day.

Barnbougle Dunes is a new course designed by former tour player and it was a very good test of skill and patienc e. The course, now rated number 7 in the top 100 courses in Australia, is situated on the rugged coastline about 75 kilometres North West of Launceston near the tiny coastal town of Bridport and boasts magnificent views of the coastline. This course has a real links atmosphere, with generous fairways, pot bunkers, blind tee shots and approach shots and huge undulating greens. Fortunately for us the wind was calm so it was very pleasant conditions but from all accounts from the locals when the wind blows it can become impossible. It was a real eye opener for the guys who had never played this type of course before.

The Senior Pro-Am day at Devonport was a real thrill for most of the guys with many former Australian Legends including Bob Shearer, , and Brian Jones in the field to give the event a real international flavour. As always the very social Nudgee contingent had a great day out.

Mowbray, Riverside and Kings Meadow courses were in very good condition and the greens were as good as we have played anywhere. It was a great week of golf and fellowship with Neil King, Barry Short. Tas Henry and Noel Godbold both performed very well.

STAFF

With the retirement of Ken Grimley from the Shop, Chris Keus has taken over his position. Ken worked in the shop for 12 years and was a very loyal, honest and conscientious employee and will be missed. I'm sure all members are familiar with Chris Keus. Chris, a former Nudgee member, is back at Nudgee on a more full time basis working Monday, Tuesdays and Saturday mornings. Gary Warburton`s days are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Gary is responsible for TAFE Courses on Thursdays and Sundays and also the Juniors on Sundays along with Tim Brennan and Nathan Mahoney.

Tim is in his second year of his apprenticeship and after receiving an overall distinction in his first year as a trainee looks forward to playing a few more events this year and maintaining his high standard. Nathan enters his third year after a solid second year pass. Nathan is a very talented player (he won th the Brisbane Pro-Am late last year - 7 under 65 and finished 19 in the 2005 N.S.W. trainee C'Ships) who has had a few injury problems of late. He is getting on top of it all so we should expect some good results from him in the not too distant future.

A new voice on the microphone is Sam Bowers, who will be starting the fields on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Sam is only new to the job but seems to be handling the responsibility quite well.

Chris Chaplin maintains his high standard of golf tuition here at Nudgee. Chris has been with me for almost 10 years and has built up a fine reputation with his peers. Chris is equipped with all the latest Video Swing Analysis and a comfortable viewing area. If you need assistance with your game you need not go any further.

DRIVING RANGE

Members and associates would have seen some changes going on at the range with the extension of the shed. When completed, the range will have a fully functional repair shop (including loft and lie- machine), a large range of demo clubs, fitting system, bargain buys and some accessory products. The driving range will be operational from 9.00 a.m. until 5.00 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday and will be an ideal place for a club-fit or some club repairs while you are practising. This should be happening by the end of March.

NEW PRODUCTS

The Ping's new range of irons is now available in the pro shop. The i5, G5 and the S59 Tour are a very impressive looking golf club. The G5 is the more forgiving model, with an overside head and low centre of gravity making for an easier ball flight. The i5 is smaller in the head designed for the under 12 marker and the s59 is a classic blade for the better player currently used by tour players such as Nick O'Hern. The G 5 Wood is still a very popular seller. Although very similar to the previous G2, its' centre of gravity is lower to help achieve better accuracy. The Cobra Drivers are still selling well and won their first tour event last week when J.B. Holmes captured the F.B.R. Open by 7 shots from another Cobra user in Camilo Villegas. Holmes trusted his King Cobra 454 Comp Driver, X/Speed 3-metal (15.0) and Baffler 4/R Utility Metal (23.0). Holmes hit 47 of his 56 drives over 300 yards (84%), the most of any player. Sixteen of Holmes' drives exceeded 340 yards, including a long of 365 yards. In the final round, Holmes reached the green on the 332-yard par 4 17th with his King Cobra X/Speed 3-metal.

The Nike Sasquatch Driver was voted editor's choice driver of the year and the slingshot iron super game improvement iron by golf digest magazine.