Not a big deal. I like the guy. Breath of fresh air.
LIV bites though.
3 Likes
OK. Hereās a post.
THE REVIEW
Itās kind of tough to sum this trip up. Suffice to say, thereās a staggering amount of great golf in an unbelievably small area. Iād echo @MG82 's bullet points from the other day regarding the courses, the people we met, and enthusiasm for a Tasmania trip at some point.
If you donāt want to read on ā the TL;DR version is: Played eight rounds in seven days on the Sandbelt and beyond with some really cool people. My game sucked balls but it was mostly really fun and I loved seeing the variety and quality of the courses on offer. Go if you can.
(really, really) long version follows, if you dareā¦
Are you sure? Get comfortableā¦
Summary
This trip was supposed to be a 40th present to myself ā but thanks to a poorly-timed baby arrival in 2019, then two years of Covid, I turned 43 the day we played Metro. So you might say itād been a wee while in the making.
MG alluded to it as well but after getting to know the bloke via this stupid place, I thought itād be fun to offer him the chance to get on a couple of courses thanks to my reciprocals. Trips like this really sheet home the wild advantages and many doors that my club opens for me; of the eight courses I played, I only paid green fees at Lonsdale.
Physically, the main parts of the body stood up well; weirdly, the first finger on my right hand got really sore towards the end, and despite taking three pairs of (mostly) broken-in golf shoes, changing socks often and going hard with the talcum powder, it didnāt take long before my feet were beat to shit.
Weather-wise, I was expecting hot; but for the most part, sitting in the sun rather than the shade was the play when we posted up on the various terraces for our 19th hole beers. In hindsight, Iām glad it only got warm (over 25 degrees) on the last couple of days I was there. Itād have been a super tough few days dragging around in 30+ like it was for my last round at Barwon.
As I made my way around, it was super interesting hearing members talk about the different courses and clubs, particularly those who belonged to more than one club. Thereās clearly very different golfing and social cultures across the Sandbelt courses, as well as no small amount of competition between the clubs ā and I got the impression it wasnāt all friendly! Some of the scuttlebutt and shit I overheard in clubhouses and on the course was pretty great.* A sample:
RM is full of dour Presbyterians. Golf shouldnāt be easy or fun.
PK is mostly cashed-up bogans, as is KH. I nearly choked on my beer at the last comment.
Everyone speaks very highly of Metro and Barwon, in all respects. I can see why.
The response I got when I said I was playing Sorrento was almost exclusively along the lines of āHow the fuck did you get on there? You know itās got a six-year waiting list to even be considered as a member?ā
Apparently one of the major reasons the Presidents Cup is going to KH and not RM is the RM Captain, who appears to be highly unpopular with a certain section of the membership, spent much of lockdown going after Dan Andrews on Twitter
(overheard in the car park at PK) Allegedly Tiger is a member at KH, and played a round there the day after WD-ing from his own tournamentā¦several grains of salt requiredā¦though Iām not surprised heās a member
When the pros were moaning about the green speeds at RM for the Presidents Cup, the greens staff got the hump and basically said āfuck you, weāll show you fastā ā so went out rolling them in the middle of the night to speed them up even more.
*this list is the opinions of several members, playing partners and conversations overheard in course bars post-round and do not necessarily represent the views of the author. Please donāt yell at me @MatthewM
Itās hard as hell to rate the courses, particularly playing as dreadfully as I was. MG alluded to it and I wonāt add much more, but a bucket list, all-time golf trip is no kind of a place to completely lose your swing. I had everything going on ā heely cuts, the shanks, shots off the toe, topped balls; I literally could not hit an iron or a wedge, and on par 3s was reduced to trying to bump a 5W to an open spot and putt from there. Iām a 14, but played like a 40. Sort-of got it figured out in the last couple of days, but it was downright embarrassing for the vast majority of the time, particularly playing with strangers. A golf course can be the most fun, entertaining, hilarious and enjoyable place to spend four hours, and as we all know, it can also be one of the loneliest places in the world. To your point MG, there were definitely tears at Metro (just after I almost broke your ankle with that 3W off the heel). Four days of uniformly atrocious golf on a trip Iād been looking forward to for three years will do that to a man. But enough about my shithousery. On to the ratings!
Like MG, Iām pretty much an architecture novice, so have just provided my thoughts, rather than any real analysis. Itās also really hard to properly judge a course when youāre hitting driver, 5W in place of pretty much every iron, and putting, so take these as you will.
In the order I played:
Albert Park driving range
You drive in along the main straight of the F1 track, and they let you drink beer while you hit. Whatās not to like? I think it is also the site of one of my last good shots of the trip*
*maybe because it was the morning of the England v USA World Cup match, and Iād had three Guinness (Guinnesses? Guinni?) before 0830ā¦who can sayā¦
Yarra Yarra
We pitched up in plenty of time for this, having enjoyed a great Brighton lunch and a quick nose around the wonderful Grape and Grain in Moorabbin with the multi-talented @mighteagle08 , who Mark describes as a Renaissance man ā I can only agree. Met up with our gracious host @seskis whoād pulled any number of strings to get us on at the conclusion of the club champs, so rolling putts was accompanied by watching Yarra Yarraās 14y3m Ladiesā Champion stuff one to six feet from 160m on her 36th of the day to take the big prize. OK then.
Playing on champs day meant back tees and hilarious pins, so it was a relief to knock the first tee shot of the trip down the left centre with a good look at the green. Then my swing fucked off to Fiji leaving me with a golf bag I really had no idea what to do with for the next week ā but it was wonderful to play such a fun, thoughtful layout, guided all the way by Adam, who lobbed interesting trivia and helped me keep my chin up, including compulsory big Carlsbergs at the turn, despite the temperature dropping into the mid-teens and vests becoming a necessity (even if some peopleās logo game was on a different planetā¦!)
Despite the incredible amounts of rain Melbourne received over winter and through spring, the conditions were excellent. The fairways didnāt have much run, but all lies were first class and the greens ran fast and true ā no bobbles or dodgy breaks here.
Unfortunately, the elegant clubhouse was all closed up once weād finished, but I really canāt say enough about Yarra Yarra. Itās seen by some, somewhat unfairly, as a āsecond tierā Sandbelt course, but itās a lovely, welcoming place, and despite the grandeur of the facilities, it never felt uncomfortable or overwhelming, like one or two other places.
Again, huge thanks to Adam for the hosting, and to David for being a fascinating guy to spend a few hours with. My golf was arse but Iād genuinely hope to meet and host either of you if you ever make it over my way.
Swag purchased: None. Would I play again? In a hot minute. Would I join up? For sure.
Royal Melbourne East
The first of the big hitters. Iāve played West once before, so had an idea of what to expect, but even so, we managed to get off on completely the wrong foot by going in the main front entrance rather than the locker room door. There was some severe admin woman on the phone behind the front desk, so chirpy old me decided to try to butter her up once she was finished. This wasā¦not a success. Long story short ā donāt go in the main door. Donāt try to make small talk. And (MG!) certainly donāt leave your golf bag in the foyer while you dash to the bathroom!
Once we recovered from our scolding and made our way to the golf side of the facility, things got much nicer. We rolled a bunch of putts, nosed around the pro shop and met our Canadian playing partners, who were pleasant enough without ever really being chatty.
Conditions were cool and sunny, the greens were slightly patchy but rolling beautifully, and as mentioned elsewhere, the bunkers were very difficult. The short par 4 first sticks in my mind and sums up so much of the entire property: itās so brilliantly deceptive off the tee. The number of times I walked 50 metres forward from the tee box and was like āfuck, if only Iād known there was this much room out here!ā
As MG said, East is a relentless test, but itās never unfair. Mind you, the kind of golf I was playing, a relaxing 90-minute massage would have felt unfair, never mind 18 holes. Ha. However, both of us finished up feeling like weād been kicked around the property for four hours. Apparently if West is closed, plenty of members just donāt even bother to play because itās so much harder, and despite the fact we were playing one of the best courses on the planet, I think we were both pretty pleased to be walking off 18 green and get a beer down the hatch.
Special mention has to go to the locker room. I didnāt know a shower could be that good. Definitely leave time in your schedule to make use of their facilities.
Kingston Heath
Given our tee time at RMW wasnāt until 2pm, we decided to swing past KH to check out some practice ahead of the Australian Open. Like lots of other properties in the area, it was interesting in terms of what else is around. Youāre driving through this dogshit light industrial neighbourhood full of furniture warehouses and wheel alignment places and spa pool retailers, then you turn off and all of a sudden youāre on one of the best golf courses in the southern hemisphere.
Mucho fucking around with ticket websites and passwords and logins ensued (cos of course there was nobody in the booth) before we made our way in and headed straight for the pro shop and first (10th) tee. Naturally, they had the place looking immaculate, but both of had had the strong impression that it didnāt seem to have taken all that much effort, and that the conditions we saw it in were probably pretty close to your general day-to-day at KH.
We watched a few nobodies on the range for a while (Adam Scott, Cam Smith, Minjee & Minwoo Lee, Dame Laura Davies) before wandering a few holes. We came across a group of three out for a practice round and listened to them gripe about the 560m par 5 12th, which was playing into the wind. āThis is fuckinā ridiculousā¦I hate what they do to courses for tournamentsā¦even Foxyās not gonna fly that fairway bunkerā¦ā next minute, three of the purest, traj-y, tight draws were rocketing down the left centre. Oh, to whinge about course setup then straight murder the ball like that. It would have been fun to stay and see what other antics we could have spotted, but a tee time at a world top 10 course awaitedā¦
Swag purchased: Logo hat (no writing ā IYKYK). Driver head cover. Bonus shoe bag. Would I play? Yes please. Would I join up? Hard to tell based on walking around with tournament infrastructure, and we werenāt allowed anywhere other than the pro shop, but it looked promising, and @mighteagle08 reckons itās top banana.
Royal Melbourne West
Today we managed to head in the right entrance, and arrived in plenty of time to get ourselves squared away. I even made my way around the majority of the putting course, before retiring to the nets to try to find a move that didnāt involve 234,553 swing thoughts (driving range is closed due to gigantic underground carpark construction). Narrator: he did not.
Thereās been a bit said about the conditioning, and it must be said that visually, things look a bit patchy on both courses. However, given the grass replacement project thatās under way, the abysmal winter and spring Melbourne has had, and the amount of traffic the place gets, itās understandable. It didnāt affect play, and as we talked about later, when everywhereās nine out of ten, youāre dealing in really small margins when trying to differentiate between properties.
HOWEVAā¦it was infinitely more fun that East; I got to play a world top 10 in a two with one of the best blokes going around; we had plenty of time between shots to get our heads up and appreciate where we were; and we got to play the last few holes in what was pretty close to the mega-light, which has to be one of the best experiences itās possible to have. Like East, thereās heaps of room off the tee, and youāre forced to think and make strategic decisions every time you pull a club, which is excellent fun. MGās perfectly-clipped fairway bunker to get on in 2 onā¦whatever that par 5 was will live long in both our memories. Another couple of beers and some great chat with @bradjacko and @tjosu on the patio capped things off, then another spin through the best showers on the planet saw the end of our Royal Melbourne experience.
Overall, though, and over both courses, I never really got past the feeling that we were like tourists in Rome: itās special to you, but youāre not special to them; thereās fuckinā thousands of people just like you every year, and youāre just another bozo with a golf bag. Thatās not to say we didnāt get welcomed ā just that some other places do a better job of it that RM does. I have some sympathy, as it must be hard to maintain that sense of occasion for people when thereās probably a hundred guests a day (at a guess).
Would I play again? I mean, of courseā¦ Would I join up? Hmmm. Itād open doors literally all over the world, both in golf and out. But it wasnāt my favourite overall place of the trip.
Metropolitan
As birthdays go, Iāve had plenty worse: walking arguably the Sandbeltās best-conditioned course with a good mate and a couple of new friends. Shame about my playā¦but thatās hardly a fair way to rate a course. MG and I had a horrible rush to get to our 0940 tee time, with tiny Ubers, rush-hour traffic and GPS-related shenanigans all playing their part to ensure we arrived with barely 20 minutes to go before balls in the air. However, we received a lovely, warm welcome, with both staff and members going out of their way to introduce themselves and point out the locker rooms, driving range and other facilities. Everything that gets said about the conditioning of Metro is true. Your ball sits up on the couch fairways like itās on a couch tee, and it was a pleasure watching (and hearing) MG and Tyler, whoāre two of the longer guys Iāve played with, compress their balls off it. Youāve read or heard about the greens and bunkering; I should know, I went in probably 20 of them (and got out of maybe fourā¦thintowin) but this is a special place, and shouldnāt be overlooked. All the staff were warm and lovely, and seemed genuinely happy we were there ā something of a contrast from the last couple of days. Good beer, delicious clubhouse food, classy locker room (great showers!) and an exceptional pro shop make this a must-visit.
Swag purchased: None (but scored heaps of tees). Would I play again? Without a doubt. Would I join? Absolutely. And Romani in the front office was absolutely delightful, in every way. Ahem.
Peninsula Kingswood
Itās a decent hike from the city, but if it was 30 mins closer itād probably be over-run. Very new-money vibe. The folk I met there were really nice, and super laid back, but the place itself was pretty vulgar. Seemed like someone went to the US, visited a bunch of high-end country clubs and went āFuck yeah! Thatās what we need! 36 holes and three putting greens! A full driving range with 30-odd bays! A 25-metre lap pool and spa! Tennis courts! Luxury rooms to stay in, and separate houses for bigger groups! A gigantic, glass-and-concrete (nicer than it sounds) clubhouse! A library with a log fire!ā I heard they spent $75 million and Iām not a bit surprised.
I played the South course, which is a bit more open than the North. I knew I was in for a good walk when on the third hole, my playing partner Luke wiped one into the long stuff and I just heard him say in the most Aussie way possible āAhhhh, thatās such a shit swing ya cuntā. He then went on to break 80 for the first time.
Thereās wonderful stonework and bridges, and the bunkers blend into waste areas in an appealing way. Itās a very attractive-looking property, and seems to straddle the boundary between Sandbelt golf and linksland very well. Swag purchased/received: PK-branded valuables pouch and course guides (gift for staying overnight). Would I want to play again? Sure, if someone else was paying. Would I want to join? No. Lukeās a good dude though.
Sorrento
After a good sleep in the Portsea Hotel, I pottered round to Sorrento for my 0730 tee time. It was a delightful and cool morning which promised to turn into a scorcher later, so I was grateful for the invitation to start whenever I wanted. Thereās a ton more elevation and land movement here, which was a bit of a shock after a week of walking flat Sandbelt layouts!
I caught up to a lovely couple after three holes, who use Sorrento as their summer bolthole while spending winters in the city. Both were also members at RM. They invited me to join them, so I had a generous couple of Sherpas to guide me around the undulating layout. One of the highlights was being approached by a young bloke asking directions to the 8th tee. āSorry mate, I have no ideaā¦hey, cool hat!ā Callumās not on the Refuge (yet) but was rolling some NLU kit, and was very impressed by my head cover and Nest towel.
My swing was slowly starting to come back, to the point I could get an iron onto the back of the ball about 6/10 times, so golf was getting more enjoyable, and I couldnāt have asked for friendlier, more gracious or more insightful hosts. Their main takeaway was Portsea is undoubtably a better layout, but Sorrentoās conditioning and quality puts it in the shade.
Swag purchased: Golf shirt. Would I play again? Definitely. Would I join up? Errrā¦yeah? Itād take several lifetimes of saving and good decisions to afford a property in the immediate area, but for sure.
After golf, I zapped across to Queenscliff on the ferry on an absolutely gorgeous, calm day. Stuffed my face with some excellent fushānāchups (shut up) at the pub along with a schooner of decent local beer. Schooners, by the way, are excellent. The perfect size for when itās hot and youāre thirsty and want to enjoy a beer, but a pint is too much. They might be my new favourite thing.
Before hitting Lonsdale I poked my nose into Queenscliff GC, which involves an ID check (as thereās a Department of Defence installation next door) and an entertaining drive over a long one-lane bridge. Itās something of a change from Mornington ā blokes in untucked shirts smashing beers before their afternoon Duck Run/9 hole stableford comp. Unfortunately I had to decline their kind invitation to play, but it looks like a place full of character (and characters!)
Lonsdale Links
āOoohhh, gidday daaaarl!ā was my greeting from one of the older lady members as I was unloading clubs in the car park. Her and her friends were coming away from a (very) festive Christmas lunch and were clearly in a good mood. With fatigue and blisters becoming a real issue, I needed a bit of a pick-me-up, so the old ducks were a great welcome as I wandered up to the clubhouse.
Lonsdaleās a bit of a Marmite setup. Itās an old layout which was updated by OCM, who drew inspiration from Raynor/MacDonald among others, and from its ridgetop perch, offers good views and land movement across its 18 holes. Iām never going to play NGLA, but I got to play a riotously fun layout which includes Alps, Biarritz, Punchbowl, Plateau, Eden, Leven, Thumbprint, Long, Reverse Redan and Road templates, with the final hole also boasting a giant church pew bunker up the left. Other highlights included square-edged greens, fluffy not-sandbelt bunkers, cool double-triangle flags and great on-course signage so I never got lost.
I got lucky with the wind, with just a light breeze keeping me cool as I made my way around my second 18 of the day. There wasnāt a cloud in the sky, and Iād been warned to expect plenty of snakes in the late afternoon, but they continued to prove elusive ā not that I was complaining. My delightful companions left the course after nine, leaving me to complete the back on my own, and my 3:30pm tee time put the mega-light firmly in play. I felt rather Tom Coyne-ish as I shouldered my bag and set out soloā¦after 27 holes already that day, itād have been easy to bail to my accommodation at Barwon and rest my aching feet. But you spend a long time at your desk and a short time on a golf trip, so I soldiered on. And Iām so glad I didā¦the golf started to improve, the evening sun got better and better, and my bag seemed lighter (or was it the lost balls?). Sure, I was late for dinner, and ate solo in the Barwon clubhouse (which boasts a copy of Paper Tiger in its small but excellent library) like a bozo. But I wouldnāt swap that solo back nine for anything.
Swag purchased: Head cover for 3W. Would I play again? Without hesitation. Would I join up? If I lived in the area, more than likely.
Barwon Heads
Barwonās the greatest. What a place to spend 24 hours. Despite rolling up with an hour before the kitchen closed, stinking after 36 holes, I was greeted like an old friend. Grabbed a quick shower and enjoyed a lovely dinner in the grand old dining room, with a copy of the good Doctorās The Spirit of St Andrews to leaf through. Iām told that once youāve been formally introduced to Alan in the bar (whoās been there since the late 80s), and had a bit of a chat, heāll remember you even if itās ten years before you come back.
The boys on Aussie Golf Passport have made much of the stay and play package at Barwon, and all I can say is, get in there. Theyāre about to embark on an extensive remodelling and modernisation of the grand old clubhouse, which everyone I spoke to was at great pains to point out was going to be done with paying respect to its design, without losing its character and charm.
I had a great sleep and awoke just after 6 to the sound ofā¦surely not? Pulled back the curtain like the kid in āTwas The Night Before Christmas to see a group teeing off #1, which was just 50 metres from my pillow. Over breakfast, the excited chatter was that this was finally going to be the first 30+ day since March ā with just a light sea breeze to keep us cool-ish as we made our way around.
My two playing companions were both retired ā one from the racing industry and the other from the world of consultingā¦so we had a bit to chat about. The first four holes are sensational, with the fourth tee box giving the view of the entire trip ā one way across the course and clubhouse, then the other direction along 13th Beach Rd and the surf break. Bass Strait was the most amazing azure, and millpond-flat other than the lazy rollers being enjoyed by the surfers out for an early-morning ride.
The rest of the round was one hit after the other: views across the marsh to the two courses at 13th Beach; wide fairways, fluffy bunkers, warm, then hot temperatures, and great chat with a couple of classy gents. We finished up 18 towards the clubhouse ā the windows look a lot smaller from outside it, thankfully ā then a couple of beers and a top-class curry for lunch before I headed back to Melbourne and home.
Swag purchased: None - intentions were good but that multicoloured logo is pretty out there. Would I play again? Without hesitation. Would I join up? If I lived in the area, more than likely.
I had intended to keep score for no other reason than itād be interesting, but as soon as the shanks came along, Iā¦decided not to. However, I did keep track of some other stuff:
Holes played: 144 (eight rounds)
Steps taken: 183,568 (biggest day 28,591/22.1 km/13.7 miles)
Kilometres/miles walked: 139.7/86.8
Beers consumed: 27
Balls lost: somewhere between 12 and 15
Birdies: 1
Times I was in my pocket before hitting the green: at least 6
Overall, if I were to move to Melbourne, itād be a verrrry hard decision between joining Metro or Yarra Yarra. Both were wonderful courses, we were warmly welcomed and shown around at both, and they each have amazing, elegant facilities which are beautiful without a hint of pretentiousness. But donāt sleep on courses down the Peninsula. Sorrento was delightful, as was Barwon Heads; and Lonsdale, while quirky, is really good fun. I can see why some people think itās stupid, but I loved it. I havenāt even mentioned the other incredible golf down that way ā 13th Beach, St Andrews, Portsea, The Nationalā¦plus thereās all sorts of interesting shit I just drove straight past, like wineries, cute little towns, beaches, bush walksā¦itās a great place. If it wasnāt for my little guy, Iād be over there like a rat up a drainpipe.
Huge thanks to everyone who helped me/us out over the time we were there, walked courses, drank beers, talked shit; but special mention goes to MG. For a guy Iād never clapped eyes on before Saturday 26th, Iāve now got a mate for life. Your positive attitude, low-key, cerebral approach to life, patience, kindness and general good vibes makes you one of the best. Canāt wait for our next one big fella.
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Live look at me as I was reading through that & seeing a) your game made a comeback and b) you got to all the courses & made the fucking most of your trip
You have a great way with words my man, you should maybe write for a living or somethingā¦ 
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Also, I cannot believe itās already a week since this has all finished. My part of it at least 
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Just a quick thought exercise here.
If I were to suss out the viability of a group trip to Tassie for early/mid 2024, what sort of timeframe would be preferable for people? Donāt need concrete numbers this far out (obviously) but I would probably try & keep it to a max of 16 just for ease of booking tee times, accommodation, etc but if the demand was there, Iām sure we could up that.
If 8-10 days playing a mixture of King Island (Cape Wickham/Ocean Dunes), Barnbougle, 7 Mile Beach and maybe Royal Hobart/others was a chance, would that be of interest? Too much/not enough?
Happy to take suggestions or whatever, this is all very much in itās infancy. Clearly, haha. Would be sick to get something like this in the pipeline though, and make it available to as much of the ANZAC crowd as possible. Canāt let all these American Roosts have all the fun.
So - Date Preferences
- February-March 2024
- April -May 2024
- June-July 2024
- August-September 2024
- Other
0 voters
Length of trip
- 5-6 Days
- 7-8 Days
- 9 days +
0 voters
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Thoroughly enjoyed that read. Iām hard at it this Friday afternoon as you can tell. Enjoyed the couple of beers we had too.
I felt the loss of game part, I think it got us both at RM, particularly West for me. Which isnāt ideal when youāve built it up before getting there but was enjoyable nonetheless. Nice work from you finding the positives!
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Very interested and clearly easier for me than most given my location. From a weather point of view I would suggest late Summer or Autumn, feels like it is most stable during that period much like Melbourne.
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Interested to get to King Island @bradjacko?
Trying to figure out which way round to do it would be best. May make more sense to fly into Hobart then head North with you local yokels. Would then depend if you wanted to head up to KI after Barney Dunes or if youād just keep it to a driving trip?
Could get C-Suitey quickly with needing charter flights but if we have the numbers to keep costs down it could be epic.
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Yeah Iād be keen on King Island. A mate from Victoria and I were discussing KI in the Autumn of 2024 so getting involved a bigger group seems like the prudent play to me.
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I donāt believe he is the captain anymore. The announcements re RM hosting the Asia-Pacific Amateur in 2023 mention a gentleman named Tony Rule as being the club captain. He is not the person that was captain earlier in 2022.
Having said that, there is a non-zero chance that Mr Kirby is a nest member - I have seen him refer to NLU in tweets before - such as this drive-by.
https://twitter.com/AndrewKirbyGolf/status/1567335815382179840?t=4BqgufPmbXKxeFhn4HgaAw&s=19
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Tassie folks prob better placed to comment, but a March-April timeframe is prob bestā¦perfect in Melb and I had a near perfect weekend at Barny in mid-March this year.
Voted 5-6 days, the South to North then onto KI for keen punters sounded pretty solid.
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Looks like I need to tell the wife Iām already working on our return trip
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Iāve been home almost a week now and have finally kicked the jet lag. When I think back on the 3 courses I played, I canāt help but feel incredibly lucky what the game of golf has done for me.
NSWGC with @ScottW was a perfect way to start my rounds down there; extremely warm welcome from the staff, great practice facilities, and a generous course that didnāt overly penalize my horrendous tee game. We were paired with two women members (one dropped at the turn due to an unfortunately slow pace of play) that were a delight to play with; here in the US, we donāt have much overlap between men and women members playing together unless theyāre couples, so that was a lot of fun and really showed the vibe of the place.
I played RM West with @bradjacko who very generously acted as my Uber to/from the train station and that really made it much more comfortable for me turning up to this club that I have built up in my head as a shrine. They make international guests take a caddy, and while my guy was a good chat and knew the course well, he does it as a hobby but is a player and member there first and foremost. Looking back at all the pictures I took and thinking about the shots, this course definitely showcases its perfect design features after the fact. Example, I keep going back to the 6th tee shot, where on a calm day like we had you donāt have to worry about the bunker protecting the aggressive line on a good drive, which is great because itās so well hidden. If the wind were up, most amateurs arenāt flying that bunker and are faced with an unforgiving fairway bunker shot (like I was after a nicely toed driver).
I donāt have much to add to the Metro reviews that hasnāt already been covered by @MG82 or @sliceroulette other than echoing the sentiments of how enjoyable this round was. Perfect conditioning was very welcome on a day that my swing finally clicked, and it felt good to play a solid round to end the trip. Later that night, the wife asked me what my favorite part of all the golf was, and it was like being asked which child is your favorite because there was a lot to love about each place. RM West was pretty clearly my favorite course, but I didnāt care at all for the other American that rounded out our foursome and I let that annoy me more than it should. The pic below summarizes the trip well as it shows two guys I had just met that I can comfortably call friends and will eventually play golf with again some day, but it also gives me some regret that I didnāt take a similar shot with the two other Refugees I played with as I have the same thoughts about them. Itās also a harsh reality check playing golf down there in perfect weather and feeling rejuvenated to grind and work on your game, but coming home to winter here in Oklahoma and only getting to play if youāre wearing multiple layers.
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Would be all over a March or April trip. With my first baby on the way in June this would be a nice opportunity to get one last dose of bucket list golf in before my life gets flipped upside-down!!
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2024 my gui 
Hopefully you can build up enough brownie points to leave the good lady with an 10 month old 
Hahaha probably liked my chances better for 2023!
Alright, Iāll start plotting to be father of the year and get some points on the board early
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please continue
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I managed to swing a Vegas Bucks trip for my best friend when my first was 2yrs old and my wife was 6mths pregnantā¦horse trading can swing many things!
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You give a man hope, thatās for certain!
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Itās not a good story and probably petty of me. On the 4th hole he let go of his driver in his backswing, then proceeded to do it maybe 5 or 6 more tee shots through the round (one of which was right down the middle). I looked him up in the GHIN app at one point and heās a 6.9 index, with a low of 4.1, so not exactly a stick that should be getting pissy over errant tee shots at one of the best golf courses in the world. I tried shooting the shit with him some too as I grew up fairly close to where he lives currently and it was like pulling teeth, mostly because he was texting a lot of the time.
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