Golf Australia

Each month, Golf Australia showcases great Australian courses and golfing holidays, profiles players and conducts road tests of the latest equipment. Leading PGA professional share instruction tips to improve your game and keep your handicap tumbling.

“YOU DON’T RECRUIT ELITE YOUTH LIKE LIV HAS IF YOU’RE PREPARING TO FOLD.”

Golf Australia

WILD CELEBRATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA

FAIRWAY FUN WITH A PRINCE

GROWLING FROG GOLF COURSE • A shade over 21 years after it opened, Melbourne’s Growling Frog is no longer just a public access course with a name you won’t forget in a hurry – it is a Top-100 nationally-ranked layout worth … croaking about.

“I HOPE THEY PAID YOU A LOT”: CLAYTON ON SMYLIE’S DEFECTION TO LIV • Elvis Smylie’s mentor and former caddie, Mike Clayton, reveals what he said to the 23-year-old in their first telephone conversation after Smylie signed with LIV Golf – and how he believes the young man’s game will hold up.

A Fresh Start and New Era • FOR GOLF AND RECREATION

STEPH IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION • Like fellow stars Grace Kim, Hannah Green and Minjee Lee, Steph Kyriacou will be lining up in both the 2026 Women’s Australian Open at Kooyonga in Adelaide and the Australian WPGA Championship at Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast. She spoke to Australian media about beating her mates, the insanity of Aussie crowds, and the benefits of vodka at noon.

ROBBIE DOLAN • Robbie Dolan won the 2024 Melbourne Cup and has enjoyed himself ever since, particularly on the golf course, where he’s been a recipient of invitations to golf days, pro-ams and similar frivolity. And he has a tidy swing, as Matt Cleary found out at Royal Queensland during the Pro-Am of the Australian PGA Championship.

“THE COOLEST THING ABOUT THE MAJORS IS THEY NEVER DECLARED THEMSELVES TO BE MAJORS.”

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“THE PGA TOUR ISN’T ABOVE SELF-HARM, ESPECIALLY IF DEEMED TO BE FOR ITS OWN ADVANTAGE.”

features

RIPPING IN • Elvis Smylie’s LIV decision reignites golf’s money-versus-meaning debate, testing ambition, talent and temperament, and asking whether a gifted 23-year-old can truly chase greatness outside golf’s traditional proving grounds system today.

MARCH SHOWCASE • This month delivers four blockbuster WPGA Tour events across Australia, highlighted by the Women’s Australian Open at Kooyonga. Rising stars and established names clash, chasing career-defining wins and global recognition.

KIWIS IN THE SWING • There is a statement of intent across the pond. From the purity of Paraparaumu Beach to the theatre of Queenstown and the exacting demands of Royal Auckland, New Zealand’s summer of professional golf is redefining what meaningful, destination-driven events can look like.

the PLAYERS PROBLEM • Loved, loathed or merely tolerated, The Players Championship sits awkwardly between spectacle and significance — rich in history, politics and contradictions, yet no longer golf’s undisputed fifth major.

2026 GETAWAY GUIDE

GO WEST • From windswept links to serene parklands, our Perth guide explores the city and surrounds, showcasing the top courses across the region every golfer should experience.

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FEEL THE FLOW FOR EFFORTLESS POWER

PREPARATION: GOLF’S GREAT DIVIDER

CHRIS RYAN’S SHORT GAME TOOLBOX • Organise your short game method … and start saving shots.

FLIGHT CONTROL: THE KEY SHORT GAME SKILL • The Short Game Toolbox focuses on developing your ability to control flight and spin. Why? Because they are at the heart of any successful shot in this 25-55-yard Scrambling Zone. Send the ball out at your chosen height and the results will follow.

STARTING POINT: THE BASIC PITCH • The Short Game Toolbox begins by establishing what I’d call a basic pitching...