Australian Golf

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Golf is hugely popular here in WA with a multitude of both public and private golf courses, all of which are always well supported. The public courses are run by the Council with a Pro shop providing lessons and equipment; they cost the equivalent of 15 to 20 pounds for 18 holes, great value, Nita and I have played 3 so far.

Membership of the private clubs is similar to back home but you have to pay huge joining fees and stick a wedge behind the bar. At my club it is $4,500 to join plus around $2,000, thankfully I didn't have to pay that.

In our region we are within 20 minutes of four private clubs, two of them allow a temporary membership for overseas visitors or service personnel. My application for the Western Australian Golf Club (www.wagolfclub.com.au) had to go through the Board who allowed me a restricted male membership up to the end of May. It works out around 120 pounds a month so playing 3 times a week I'm quids in!

You get unrestricted membership after 4 years. The only restriction appears to be that I cannot play in the pm competitions on Wednesday or Saturday but as I can enter the morning comps on either of these days, no problem. If I want I can play 4 qualifiers every week but so far I'm 'only' playing Wed, Fri and Sun. These are men only on Wed and Sat and mixed on Fri and Sun, always a 4 ball so not quick.

The first tee is 0700 off 1 and 10 and there are normally over 100 entries for both the am and pm competitions. They play either par or stableford. The par game may be similar to what we call bogey in the UK, to score a + you need a nett birdie, half is par and - is bogey. The comps always seem to be won by someone who has +8 or 46 stableford points so getting any prize voucher is going to be a challenge.

The online system is great as you can book your comp entries and tee times 6 days in advance.

There are no divisions, just a winner and runner up. The winner scoops $100 (about 65 pounds) but they do award vouchers (of $3 a shot for each stroke under) for anyone who shoots below their handicap.

The course is tough woodland / parkland with a few hills and so far I've struggled to master the greens, which are quick with plenty of break. 3 putting is a breeze. It's a par 70, 5835 metres with 3 par 5s. The first is stroke index 3, a 220 metre par 3 (235m if the flag is at the back) with a lake on the left and out of bounds right, followed by a long par 4, stroke index 1. A good test straight out of the car park.

Men can play off 36 here and they have the USA handicap system, something to do with an average from your best 10 rounds taken from the previous 20. My Aussie handicap is 21, which I know will have my family and mates at Bridport rolling their eyes but so far my best has been 31 stableford points - work in progress. The stroke index is worked out 1 to 18 and then 18 to 36, it doesn't always follow that SI 1 will be the same as SI 19, for example SI 3 is SI 32. Confusing.

The views are stunning and the course is loaded with parrots, kookaburras and other exotic (and noisy!) birds so if the golf is poor everything else makes up for it.

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