Early Days and Golfing Success Eric's Father Henry Wellstead Apperly

Early days and golfing success “Apperly’s game looked undistinguished Eric’s father Henry Wellstead Apperly, but he hit most of his shots straight, if was born in Melbourne and his mother not in copybook fashion, and he was a was Alice Langton Apperly. Henry relentless fighter. He was chosen to became the Secretary of the AMP play for Australia against Great Britain Society - one of the largest insurance in 1934 at the age of 45, but it will be companies in the country. Born on for his work as a golf course architect 16th September 1889 in Sydney, that he will be remembered…” 1889-1951 Son of the AMP Society’s Eric Langton Apperly was known as Secretary, Eric Apperly the ‘boy champion’ in his early golfing Eric married Marjorie Audet in 1923 grew up in what could only years. He reportedly took up the and they had one child, a son Richard be considered affluent game to improve his delicate health, Eric Apperly, who was born in Sydney and at the age of 16, the young fellow in 1925. He too became an architect. circumstances in Sydney described as “a sickly boy”, made Richard married Myrna Hirsch in 1957 society. Educated at the the final of the 1907 NSW Amateur and they had three sons - all born University of Sydney, Championship, only to lose on the in Sydney. obtaining an Architecture 37th. A tall and gangly individual, he went on to win five NSW Amateur Writings and opinions degree, he not only Championships whilst a member of In October 1933, Apperly designed buildings, but also Killara Golf Club and later Manly wrote extensively on golf course golf courses. As such, he Golf Club, the first in 1912 and architecture in Golf Australia magazine: the last in 1930. “My Conception of a Good Golf Hole. was likely the first trained In my opinion, a hole is a good one if design professional in Apperly’s most famous victory it calls for nicety of judgement, careful Australia to engage in golf came in 1920 as the first New South thought as to the direction and placing course design. Others, Welshman to win the Australian of the strokes or particular skill and Amateur Championship, defeating variety of their execution, no matter such as civil engineer Alex Tommy Howard 4 and 3 at The what the length or the par may be.” Russell, soon followed Australian. Apperly also won the 1921 in his footsteps. Australian Foursomes Championship. He went on to say: He was selected in the NSW state “In this short article on Golf Architecture team in 1906 - and was still there I had intended to pick out one or two over 20 years later - a remarkable of my favourite holes on our Sydney feat of longevity. courses and to say why I considered them good. It struck me however, The Sydney Mail described Apperly’s that before being so it might be as technique as “unorthodox, looking well to try and get a clear view of what at times almost clumsy”, but added constitutes a good hole. It is certainly a “He gets results and as a fighter subject on which there is much room he knows no equal.” Jack Pollard for difference of opinion, as one will wrote in his book Australian Golf - not infrequently hear the favourite of the Game and the Players that: one good player roundly condemned by another, and each will advance A young and gangly Eric Apperly arguments in favour of his view. at front left in this photo of the NSW Amateur team of 1906 A good deal depends on the player’s attitude of mind to the game itself; some would have it a game of strict justice, where punishment is meted out to the erring strictly according to the extent of their sin, whilst the good are never troubled. To such I would say, why not decide your competitions by competitive examination, awarding marks for length and accuracy over a series of tests with the various clubs? Such a method should undoubtedly be more successful in unearthing the best stroke maker, but golf would assuredly cease to be a game. Courtesy of Royal Sydney Golf Club In order to retain its fascination, golf Three of Australia’s early Below centre: Wright and A hole should never be lengthened must ask for something more than golf course architects in a Apperly Architects original or shortened with the sole object mere mechanical accuracy in stroke rare photograph together - elevations of the clubhouse of altering the par; the testing qualities production, the spirit of adventure must Eric Apperly plays at Concord at Avondale Golf Club in or interest of the hole should alone be fostered; the player’s character Golf Course in 1919, watched Sydney. Eric Apperly also be considered. and judgement should be tested; by Tom Howard (centre) and designed the Avondale he should be required to know himself Dan Soutar (left). course in 1926. Many of the most exacting holes and play accordingly. for class players nowadays are from 450 to 480 yards in length. Easy par In these days, too, when many players figures they may be, but they are the are so mechanically accurate in the holes where long and accurate players ordinary straight-ahead shots, it seems look to gain a stroke on less skilful or to me quite fair that some special stroke powerful opponents by getting fours. should occasionally be called for, and that the player capable of producing it Holes of less length rarely require an should have some advantage. approach with the brassie or spoon (amongst the prettiest strokes of For instance, a fairway sloping sideways, the game) from such long hitters as where only a slice or draw can expect Hattersley, Williams or Ferrier, who are to hold it, is quite a legitimate test for surely entitled to some advantage players who aspire to championships, for their long hitting.” and in addition it adds variety and makes for greater interest. Apperly also eagerly described in September 1933 the new course of The best holes, however, whilst the Royal Melbourne Golf Club for the providing plenty of thrills and interest New South Wales readers of Golf in for the expert, should not be made Australia. Some extracts from this impossible of accomplishment in article are enlightening as to Apperly’s reasonable figures by the shorter hitter own design philosophy: who can command reasonable accuracy. A way round, or a shorter carry, should vondale Golf Club “The design of this course was the work be provided for him, provided of course of Dr. Mackenzie and Mr Alec Russell, that he must be reconciled to taking and I may say at once that I consider it one stroke more to reach the green. Courtesy of A easily the best piece of golf architecture yet achieved in Australia. Finally, I would ask players, when estimating the quality of a hole, to A few words about its difficulties, and banish par from their minds. In my the methods of bunkering, compared opinion, a hole is a good one if it calls with our own courses, may perhaps for nicety of judgement, careful thought be of general interest to golfers. as to the direction and placing of the strokes, or particular skill and variety The country on which it is laid out in their execution, no matter what is excellent for golf, nicely undulating the length or the par may be. and with sandy soil of a rather heavier quality than ours. It was originally To say that a hole of 248 yards in covered with ti-tree, so that a bad pull length is bad because it is too easy for or slice (or even a slight one in some a par 4, is surely absurd, if the tee is places) will not infrequently land in put forward five yards does it therefore the scrub, whilst the rough is tougher become a good hole because it is and more difficult to recover from now a difficult par 3? The addition or than ours. subtraction of a yard or two cannot have much effect on the merits of the To my mind, some of our own golfing hole as a test of golf, surely! country, such as is seen at La Perouse, Kensington, or The Lakes, is really Players who argue on the par basis superior: it is more like the windswept forget that it is only an arbitrary method sand dunes over which the best British of estimating the playing value of the championship courses are laid out, course as a whole, and that every Plan of Royal Melbourne’s 2nd and which have always been looked round of eighteen holes is bound to West that accompanied Eric on, rightly, I think, as the true contain some easy and some difficult Apperly’s article in ‘Golf in home of golf.” pars. And it is not always the difficult Australia’ of 1933 - most likely pars that are the best golfing holes! sketched by Apperly himself. GOLF ARCHITECTURE 59 He goes on to discuss the I do not mean by this that super-human Architecture and golf architecture He redesigned New South Wales Golf greens and the bunkering: feats should be demanded of all A qualified architect, Eric Apperly Club’s course at La Perouse in 1936-7 players. The short hitter should always was a partner in the architectural and he redesigned the course of the “The formation of the greens, their be provided with a way around the practice of Wright and Apperly, Bond Pennant Hills Golf Club in 1946, after contours and the surrounding difficulties (as is done at Cheltenham Street, Sydney.

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