Golf at Adelaide Oval?
It’s just not cricket
For the first time in its 147-year history, golf has come to Adelaide Oval.
Yesterday I was lucky enough to be in one of the first groups to experience Adelaide Oval Stadium Golf. The concept is quite simple. There were 9 tee blocks constructed around the oval, some being:-
- in the Member’s stand
- at the base of the Moreton Bay fig tree
- in front of the heritage scoreboard
- in the eastern stand at ground level
- in front of the Audi Club on level one
- on level five in the southern stand
The holes associated with each tee are on the actual oval surface and scoring is done based on how close to the flag your ball finishes.
The complete setup is shown in the diagram below:-
Australia’s first Stadium Golf Event
Adelaide Oval Management and the major sponsor Australian Golf Digest are to be congratulated for bringing such an event to the iconic Adelaide Oval.
It takes approximately 80 minutes to “play your round” and each group has a dedicated caddy to make sure you stay on track.
The staging of the event was “minute” perfect with the timing clearly visible on the screens around the oval, as shown below:-
My Group
I was allocated to a group of three in my 10:30am timeslot. Playing with me was Tony who was making his way down from Queensland on route to the Mornington Peninsula via the Great Ocean Road. Travelling with his wife, the previous day was spent touring the Barossa Valley and they were therefore most impressed with what was on offer in South Australia. My other partner was Trevor from the Penfield Club north of Adelaide. Trevor’s smile and happy nature was contagious. He simply loved every moment of the experience.
OK, so let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. How did I score? I was reasonably happy. I was able to score 2 birdies from my 18 shots. Unfortunately, they were offset by more than 2 double bogeys!
I did have two highlights. One of my birdies was only centimetres from a deuce and I did manage to sink my putt on the clubhouse putting hole. However, it was Tony who came closest to holing out when this shot on Hole 1 hits the flag and sits on the edge of the hole! The video evidence follows:-
Wrap Up
The Organisers made a big call prior to the event
“If you’re interested in a golfing experience unlike anything you’ve had before, this event is for you.”
Well guess what … they were spot on. It was a fantastic experience and I encourage any golfer to make the effort to book in. The event runs until next Sunday 4th November.
You will not be disappointed.
Author : Rocket Rod Hill
QOD Golf Australia
