The South Australian Men’s Sand Greens Championships
78 Golfers from around South Australia will again gather for the unique golfing experience that is the South Australian Men’s Sand Green Championships.
Hosted by Port Broughton in 2013, players this year will descend upon the Kingscote Golf Club on the internationally celebrated Kangaroo Island just a short distance off the coast of South Australia.
Played over 36 holes on Saturday 16th & Sunday 17th August 2014, the SA Sand Greens Championship is an event open to all male amateur golfers who are members of Golf Clubs affiliated with Golf SA.
The Championship comprises two divisions: A Division with a Golf Australia handicap limit of 12.9 and B Division with a Golf Australia handicap range of 13.0 – 27.4
Trophies will be awarded in each Division to Gross and Nett Winners with a Teams event also being held.
The tournament has historically been dominated by regionally based players – none more prominent than Kadina’s Jim Wheeler who has won the title 7 times since 1999. Jim's son Ryan won the Championship for the first time in 2013, with Jim Runner up. Both players will be vying for the title in Kingscote.
In the days prior to the Championship Golf SA will conducting the following Clinics on KI:
> Thursday 14 August 11.20am – 1pm at Penneshaw Area School (year 6/7 and year 8/9 classes)
> Thursday 14 August 4pm – 5.30pm at Kingscote Area School (‘Train the coach sessions’ attended by PE Teachers from local schools and prospective Community Coaches).
> Friday 15 August 11.20am – 1pm at Kingscote Area School (year 10 classes).
Sand Greens History:
More recent host venues:
2007 – Yankalilla (A) & Peterborough (B) first year of A and B Grade.
2008 – Kimba (A) & Cleve (B)
2009 – Minlation (A) & Ardrossan (B)
2010 – Blyth (A) & Saddleworth (B)
2011 – Tumby Bay (A & B at the same venue)
2012 – Kadina
2013 – Port Broughton
The inaugural Sand Greens Championship was held at the Port Pirie Golf Club on 25th & 26th Sep 1982 with a Trophy being provided by the then South Australian Golf Association (SAGA).
Originally played in the single division of handicaps up to 16 – a second ‘B grade’ division for handicaps 17 – 27 was introduced from 2007.
About Sand Greens: The maintenance of sand greens is itself unique to regional golf with a special two-sided rake commonly used to groom the green surface. One side of the rake is toothed to create a grooved surface on the sand while the other side of the rake is a straight edge to create a smooth putting surface to the hole.
While the sand green format remains unique to arid regional courses throughout the world, due mainly to the scarcity of irrigation sources to maintain efficient grass green playing surfaces, it’s a little known fact that some of the world’s most famous layouts started their lives as ‘scrapes’ layouts. For example the greens of Pinehurst golf course, three-time host of the US Open Championship, were actually made of sand until the mid 1930s when grass was finally grown successfully on the area's hardpan surface.