The Western Australian Golf Club in Yokine, Perth, is in superb condition ahead of this week’s Nexus Advisernet WA Open, with the greens getting firm and fast, and the rough nice and juicy.
That’s according to general manager Damien Todorovic, who is looking ahead to the week with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.
“We want to put on an event that shows the club and the tournament in the best possible light,” he says. “Hopefully the crowds will come through to the club and add to the atmosphere around the course.”
With free entry for spectators, activations being run by GolfWA, superb corporate hospitality packages and live television coverage on Kayo and Fox Sports, the Nexus Advisernet WA Open is gearing up to be a massive event for the city of Perth.
The course, a parklands classic that features plenty of changes in elevation, is expected to play its part too.
“It’s got a great mix of holes,” says Todorovic. “And with five par threes and just three par fives, it’s not going to be as easy as people might expect.
“Yes, the course is not very long by modern standards, given how far the players hit the ball these days, but there is bound to be some wind and the rough and the 80 bunkers on the course will offer plenty of protection.”
Players starting on the 1st hole will be greeted with one of the trickiest holes on the course – a daunting par three of some 220 metres. Needless to say, par is an excellent score on this testing opener, with numerous scoring opportunities presenting themselves later in the round, including a number of driveable par fours.
The par fives, while short, all play uphill and Todorovic and course superintendent Idris Evans, who has been at the club for 36 years, are eager to see how the recent changes to the 17th and 18th holes hold up against the professionals.
“From a spectator perspective, our clubhouse offers excellent views of the golf course, including the 1st, 9th and 18th holes,” he said. “We made the decision to remove a large ridge that ran through the 17th and 18th fairways and add a couple of new bunkers. It not only improved the visibility and playability for golfers, but made the whole of the 18th hole visible from the clubhouse. This is exciting not just for this week when the pros are in town, but every other week when we return to being a members’ course.”
Picking a winner for the week is always tough, but Todorovic is hoping that one of the WAGC members in the field, including Haydn Barron and rising amateur star Joseph Buttress, will be in the mix come the back nine on Sunday.
“The course will offer some birdies and players who hit the ball in the right areas will be rewarded,” Todorovic said. “But there are some areas to avoid and hopefully some local knowledge will give the WAGC golfers a small advantage.”
The par-four 12th hole is one spot that spectators might look to make their way out to. Driveable for most players, the tee also is the highest point in Perth’s residential metropolitan area, offering great views of Perth City and The Hills. As a reachable par four, there should be lots of birdies made, to go with a few eagles and the usual score-wrecking disasters.
We would like to thank our generous sponsors and partners, who help make the WA Open possible: Bowra & O’Dea, Coca-Cola European Partners, Department of Local Government, Sport & Cultural Industries, Drummond Golf, NatSales Australia, Nexus Advisernet, Nexus Life, Toto, SportFM, Triple M, The Western Australian Golf Club, Cottesloe Golf Club, Joondalup Resort, Lake Karrinyup Country Club, Mount Lawley Golf Club, Royal Fremantle Golf Club and Royal Perth Golf Club.
