Golf Latest News
MEDIA STATEMENT
October 17, 2023
THE REcovery process begiNS TODAY
Whilst the events of yesterday are still extremely raw for the Club, we would like to thank all first responders led by the Coldstream CFA Fire Brigade, Ambulance Victoria and Victoria Police for their incredible efforts in responding to the emergency and fighting the fire under extremely challenging weather conditions – ensuring all staff and members were safely evacuated, whilst containing the damage to the clubhouse and safeguarding our golf course and neighbouring properties.
“As a Club with a history that extends back a 100+ years, the loss of our clubhouse is devastating, but it is the loss of irreplaceable trophies, photographs, artworks and memorabilia that hurts most deeply” – said Club Captain, Fred Jones.
The exact cause of the fire is still being determined by investigators.
As we begin the long rebuilding process of a new clubhouse, we are looking forward to welcoming back our members this weekend to play golf, with plans for the development of temporary clubhouse facilities and amenities already underway.
“Whilst this is undoubtedly one of the darkest moments in the rich history of The Eastern Golf Club, we are resilient, and I know that our Club will come back better and stronger” – said Jones.
Finally, we are extremely appreciative of the offers of assistance and unconditional support that has been extended by the Australian golfing community and Victorian tourism industry during this challenging time.
For further details, please contact:
Sales & Marketing Manager – The Eastern Golf Club
Tracy Hore on + 61 412 597 126 or marketing@easterngolfclub.com.au
WINTER GOLF – ARE YOU PREPARED?
Whilst we don’t officially welcome winter until June 1, we have already begun to experience winter-like temperatures and playing conditions. 
With the arrival of days that are bringing single-digit temperatures, it is time to start thinking about how to best prepare for your round and how the course will play on much cooler days.
Without doubt, the biggest adjustment that needs to be made is with regards to your club selection. Temperatures are already colder which means the ball will not be travelling as far – however, the biggest difference can be seen between morning and afternoon conditions – when club selection can vary by at least 2-3.
Without taking into consideration wind factors, a 7-iron will travel approximately 125 metres in warmer temperatures; whilst in cooler temperatures, players will need to use a 5-iron to achieve a similar distance.
In normal weather conditions, 80% of players don’t select enough club and during winter, this percentage increases. To gain a better understanding of your distance capabilities, it is important to practice in all weather conditions – both on the Driving Range and our on-course practice environment, Shark Waters. Ensuring you have the right clubs in your bag is also important and if it has been a while since you last had a club fitting, now is the perfect time to book in for one – with our EOFY Sale beginning, we have some very special offers available on our range of TaylorMade, Mizuno and Titleist golf clubs.
During the colder months, a warmup becomes even more important to minimise the risk of injury and we recommend members head to the Driving Range for 15-30 minutes of practice prior to teeing off.
What to wear on course during the cooler months is essential – being prepared for rain, hail or shine during the winter months – whilst not being bulked up so much that you are struggling to swing your club properly. Below is our winter apparel check list.
- Wet weather jacket and pants
- Beanie
- SKINS layering pieces
- Umbrella
- Rain Gloves
- Handwarmers
Date: May 30, 2023
course review – golf australia magazine
Eastern Golf Club has been featured within the December edition of Golf Australia Magazine – with a course review written by their Editor and ‘Top 100 Australian Golf Courses’ Judge, Brendan James.
“From the moment you drive through the gates and ease your way up the long driveway to the clubhouse, you can’t help but be struck by the splendour of the golfing landscape and its surrounds at The Eastern Golf Club. Built on the southern banks of the Yarra River and with the tree-blanketed valley wall of Christmas Hills and the Dividing Range as dramatic backdrops to the north and north west, Eastern is simply a beautiful place to play golf. You can be standing anywhere out on this course and feel a long way from the hustle and bustle of the city and suburbs. Truth is, all of that is just down the road, which is where the roots of The Eastern Golf Club lay.” – Brendan James
Date: February 10, 2022
Image Credit: Brendan James, Golf Australia Magazine
golf australia magazine 2022 ‘top 100 golf courses’ – south course ranked #54
We are delighted to announce that the South Course has been recognised within Golf Australia Magazine’s ‘2022 Top 100 Courses’ – ranked #54 – an improvement on our ‘2020 Top 100 Courses’ ranking of #55.
The following feedback was provided by two of the judges:
‘With all the major drainage work done and bedded in, the South Course is starting to shine. It is a big, bold layout which one might expect from the Greg Norman stable but it is the strategic lines of play and creative green complexes that get the golfing juices flowing.” – Brendan James, Editor, Golf Australia Magazine
“There’s plenty of width, good green complexes and the condition will continue to improve as the course matures over a few more growing seasons.” – Kevin Nolan, Judge
View Golf Australia Magazine’s ‘Top 100 Courses’ 2022
Date: January 7, 2022
How to choose a putter the right way
If you are like the majority of golfers, you probably have more than one putter sitting around in the garage at home – one that you’ve used over a period of time and fallen out of love with; you’ve received it as a gift, and it never quite felt right?
The other area that many players have in common is the process of choosing a new putter – maybe some online research or asking playing mates; going into a store and hitting some putts with a range of putters before selecting one – confident that you’ve got the right piece of equipment to take your putting skills to a new level.
Like all things these days, technology has changed in putter design with the concept of ‘one size fits all’ all but obsolete. With different shapes, weights and faces all now available, a putter can now be individually fitted to your specific needs.
Let’s consider the steps in getting fitted for a putter…..
Length: length is easy to get right but is as easy to get wrong. Most golfers use a putter that is too long – manufacturers make putters at a 35-inch standard length and this is what the majority of stores stock.
Head design: most of you will remember the PING anser – the classic shape that is still around today. Shapes such as SPIDER have taken the game by storm of late due to their stability and forgiveness however, they don’t suit everyone. Different stroke types suit different players and it’s recommended that you have your stroke analysed to see what best suits you.
Hosel, lines and weight: aiming the putter is extremely important and it is best to try a range of things that may assist this. Not everyone finds a line helpful, nor does one hosel type suit every stroke.
Grip: the big thing in recent years is big grips but they are not for everyone. Tiger has played with a thin pistol grip his whole career; whereas Jordan Spieth has always liked a mid-size think round grip.
The reason that many retail stores cannot offer a tailored fitting service is they don’t have the technical equipment, or the training and knowledge to do so. As part of the TaylorMade Performance Centre you have access to SAM Putt Lab, a state-of-the-art piece of technology that is used to teach putting and to fit putters. The Sports Shop also carries a range of demonstration putters that members can try on course, providing you with every opportunity to ensure you are selecting the right putter for you.
When selecting all of your golfing needs, The Eastern Golf Club Golf Shop prides itself on three core values:
-
Providing value for money – our price match guarantee means that we will honour a lower advertised price for the identical product advertised by a local competitor
-
100% money-back-guarantee on fitted equipment
-
Exceptional after-sales service
Click for more information on SAM Puttlab
Date: April 6, 2021
Understanding address versus impact
The two positions of a golf swing that are considered to be the most important are address and impact – if you start in the wrong position then it makes it very difficult to get into a good impact position. Many golfers get both positions horribly wrong and understanding the key differences is a great start to correcting them. In this article, we are going to look at the full swing address and impact positions.
Address:
Getting yourself in the correct position to begin with dramatically increases your chances of making a good swing, no matter what level of golf you play, in all strokes.
At address your
- Weight is fairly even, maybe a little more weight favouring your front leg around 60/40.
- Head is slightly behind the ball.
- Feet, hips and shoulders square.
- Hands slightly ahead or level with the ball.
Impact:
By looking at the two images, you can see that there are several big differences between the address and impact position.
At impact your
- Weight is much forward say 80/20 as you can see by the trail leg.
- Hips slightly more open than shoulders now – this is called separation.
- Head still slightly behind ball.
- Hands much more forward than at address.
Whilst only still images, they are still very helpful in understanding the key differences between address and impact; and more importantly what a good impact position looks and feels like.
A good drill to do is to start by getting into a good address position and then going into impact. Try going back and forth between the two positions and feel the differences.
If you would like to book in for a lesson, or a Full Swing Service, please touch base when you’re next playing.
Date: January 20, 2021
South Course #17 in Golf Australia Magazine’s 2020 ‘Top 50 Favourite Courses’
Brendan James – Golf Australia MagazineDirector of Golf I TaylorMade Brand Ambassador
Date: April 7, 2020
golf australia magazine’s ‘top 100 australian golf courses 2020’ announced
The Eastern Golf Club has two, of it’s three, championship courses featured within Golf Australia Magazine’s ‘Top 100 Australian Golf Courses 2020’.
South Course : Holes 1-18 (#55 Golf Australia Magazine ‘Top 100 Golf Courses 2020’)
North Course : Holes 10-27 (#84 Golf Australia Magazine ‘Top 100 Golf Courses 2020’)
Date: February 17, 2020
AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR GAME CAN BRING INCREDIBLE RESULTS
Why is it that less than 10% of golfers have regular instruction and, by that, I mean four to five lessons a year?
For some, it’s a lack of time, for others it’s financial but the number one reason for not investing in your game is the ‘fear of change’. Changing any pattern of behaviour takes time to get used to. There will be errors along the way, slips and frustration as you don’t necessarily see immediate improvement. The general rule of thumb is that it takes between 30 to 60 days to change a pattern of behaviour, and not within days as most golfers expect.
The improvement cycle looks like this:
- Make the decision that you actually want to get better.
- Seek help on what to change and that’s where the golf professional comes in.
- Practice the changed behaviour as much as you can and for a period of three to four weeks.
- Check in with your golf professional on how your progress is going.
- Repeat the above.
If you follow this cycle, without doubt you will improve – it will just take time and a bit of hard work. Don’t be one of the 90 % of golfers that go round and round searching for the magic answer without finding it because there isn’t one; and often enjoying their golf less and less in the process.
If golf lessons aren’t your thing, the quickest way to see improvement is through a review of, and changing your equipment and having your equipment properly fitted for you – just as you would a pair of shoes. I see so many golfers who play golf two – three days a week with equipment that is 10 – 15, and sometimes 20 years old. Golf equipment and technology is changing constantly, as do our own bodies – what may have worked three years ago might not be best suited to you to ensure maximum enjoyment from your golf, whilst also assisting in minimising any risk of injury.
If you’re keen to improve your golf game and are unsure how to go about it, or simply want to try the latest and greatest equipment, please touch base with our team in The Sports Shop, and we would be delighted to have a chat and see how, together, we can help you improve your game, and ultimately get more enjoyment from it as you improve.
Date: January 15, 2020
Eliminate those three-putts with good rhythm and timing
If there is one area of the game where the Pros really outplay the amateurs, it is in their putting.
If you were lucky enough to see Kevin Na’s win at the Shriners Open on the US Tour, you would understand – with one of the best putting performances ever seen on the greens. In the second round he holed 202 feet of putts; to put that into perspective – he holed an 11-foot putt on every green. A good day on the greens is about 100 feet – to double that on one day is simply incredible and Na only won the tournament in a play off that lasted six holes.
What can the average golfer learn from players like Na is that good rhythm on the greens is the key to controlling speed and eliminating three-putts. When most amateurs are faced with a 20-foot putt, the tendency is to simply hit the ball harder; make a short back swing and then ‘accelerate’ the putter through very quickly in a jerking fashion, often losing control of the strike and therefore having no consistency of speed.
The key to controlling your speed is to swing the putter with consistent rhythm and timing to allow your backswing to become much longer than your follow through on those 20 and 30-feet efforts. One of the biggest myths in golf that prevents this is to putt with your shoulders and no wrists. To allow the backswing to lengthen, your wrists should naturally hinge a little as should your elbows. Try throwing a ball without hinging your wrists – you can’t and putting is no different.
If you want to conquer the big putting surfaces at Eastern, spend some time working on your lag putting with the above techniques and watch the handicap slowly come down.
Better still book in for a putting lesson using SAM Puttlab and BLAST Motion with our team.
Date: October 9, 2019
You may be practicing, but is what you are doing helping you improve your game?
It is not uncommon to see the driving range full on any given day, but are you really getting the full benefit out of what you are doing? Chances are that you may not be achieving as much as you could be.
If you are hitting balls before a round, half a bucket of balls is more than enough. This is the time when you are warming up, not practicing. Spend 15 – 20 minutes going through your bag with the focus on rhythm and tempo. Most of your balls should be hit with the scoring clubs and very few with your driver or longer clubs. I reguarly see people arrive at the driving range and immediately pull out their driver and start hitting the ball. Make sure you include some time on the chipping and putting greens before heading out on course.
If you do have the additional time, separate to those days that you are playing a round of golf, to get some more practice in then do your golf game a favour and make it worth while. I would estimate that the large majority of players spend time hitting on the driving range without any plan, and no structure, and are not really making any significant improvement to their game.
If you are having lessons, or working on something constructive to the improvement of your game, the driving range is the place to do it, so invest the time in this. The worst thing you can do on the range is to just hit balls with no purpose or thought. A good simple exercise is try and ‘play golf’ on the range. Hit a driver at a certain spot, pull out a 6 iron and hit at a different target and finish off with a small pitch. This is more constructive, and beneficial to your game than just ‘hitting away’ with the same club, ball after ball. Have fun with clubs and different shots too; try and hit your 5 iron low and high; try and hit a 7 iron half its usual distance. Don’t be one of those players just trying something different every day, thinking you’ve got the fix, but only to find in a day or so, that you haven’t.
All Eastern Golf Club members enjoy full use of the Driving Range facilities including unlimited golf balls.
Some final thoughts for improvement:
- Get some help and appreciate that changing anything takes time. Don’t be one of those doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result.
- Small changes can lead to big improvement – especially in your short game technique.
- If you do practice, then spend 70% of your time on shots inside 120 metres.
- Before taking advice from someone, including yourself, ask are they qualified to give it?
Date: August 1, 2019
Improve your putting and lower those scores now
No matter what skill you are looking to assess, the first stage of the improvement process is to measure and assess. Once you know what you are doing, whether it’s right or wrong, you can then plan what you need to improve and go from there. The important thing to remember is that the assessment must be measurable so that, over time, you can continue to assess and track your improvements. An example of this is trying to improve your fitness and health – you would collate vital information including how much you weigh, your body measurements and other important health details.
With anything you would like to get better at doing, you always need a starting point from which you can begin your program of improvement.
For years the golf industry has not had the technology to measure and assess a putting stroke; which is one of the main reasons why many golfers never improve in that area of their game. The other reason is that most golfers think their technique is actually efficient as they have never been shown otherwise and the majority of time, it’s not.
We now have the technology to measure and assess a putting stroke in extreme detail and provide golfers with clear reasons as to why they are OK one day and bad the next using SAM Puttlab and the BLAST sensor.
In simple terms, feel is determined by putting dynamics; and by dynamics I am referring to your timing and tempo. Once you develop the correct parameters in these areas which can be achieved with as little as five minutes practice a day, you can improve your putting stroke in no time and you will see your scores come down with it. It was interesting reading an article by Australia’s Cameron Smith in the July edition of Australian Golf Digest saying that he uses the BLAST sensor before every round in his warm up as his feel changes every day. Yours does too.
The BLAST sensor and SAM Puttlab station are both available within the TaylorMade Performance Centre and are the complete solution for improving your putting and lowering your scores.
To enquire about our selection of golf tuition packages; and our calendar of golf clinics, please discuss your requirements with The Sports Shop team.
Date: July 31, 2019
australian golf digest course review
“Moving house is never easy to do. For Melbourne’s Eastern Golf Club, the relocation from suburban Doncaster to Yering in 2015 was an emotional mix of sorrow and opportunity. The former sentiment was over the
loss of 90-odd years of history at one site and the latter a chance to simultaneously make a powerful statement and fortify a new chapter in the club’s history.”
To read Steve Keipert’s full course review in Australian Golf Digest please click on the link below:
Date: June 27, 2019
