WOMEN’S OPEN WOMEN’S OPEN
Royal Adelaide again proved why it is one of this country’s most respected layouts after the successful hosting of the 2017 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. Pictured is the par four 6th early on the morning of the second round
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he world is rife with hashtags these days and in the lead-up to February’s 2017 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, Golf Australia marketed the tournament heavily on social media with ‘#expectbrilliance’. While it was more in reference to the stellar field that lined up at Royal Adelaide Golf Club (four of the world’s top eight female golfers made the journey), it may as well have also been referring to the course that would be their stage for the week. Just as Richard James and his crew at The Grange had done 12 months earlier, Royal Adelaide superintendent Nathan Bennett and his crew showcased their course to the world in what was another highly successful event, the second of three Women’s Opens that the city is hosting consecutively. Again, the players and tournament organisers were in raptures over the course and its immaculate presentation, while the Adelaide golfing community also voted with their feet. More than 32,000 came through the gates, exceeding last year’s excellent attendance figures at The Grange and thus furthering the cause to have the tournament stay in Adelaide beyond 2018.
AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 19.2
While Ha Na Jang’s stunning final round will stand out for most (she played her final six holes in 5-under to snare the Patricia Bridges Bowl by three shots), from a golfing purist’s perspective it was a thrill seeing Royal Adelaide back in the tournament spotlight. Although hosting the World Amateur Team Championships (Eisenhower Trophy and Espirito Santo Trophy) back in 2008, the last time it had hosted the women’s Open was 1994 (when Annika Sorenstam won) and men’s Open in 1998. Given such a hiatus between major professional tournaments and the small fact that 2017 is also the club’s 125th anniversary, you could imagine that Bennett and his crew may have felt just a little bit of extra pressure to present something special for February’s Open. But did they deliver! Despite some challenging conditions in the months leading up to the tournament, Royal Adelaide was simply superlative and drew universal praise from all corners. Former professional Jane Crafter, one of Adelaide’s favourite daughters and whose uncle John Northcott was Royal Adelaide superintendent up until the mid-1990s, paid Bennett and the crew