When you walk onto a golf course you are only allowed to have 14 clubs, but you can carry around as many demons as you want.

Top golf psychologist Dr Bob Rotella has worked with the likes of recent major winners Padraig Harrington and Trevor Immelman and says it is impossible to overestimate the importance of the mind in golf.

Rotella believes golf is as much about self confidence and trust as it is about physical competence.

Rotella believes golf is as much about self confidence and trust as it is about physical competence

Rotella has written a number of best selling golf books and has distilled much of his teaching into a new book, The Golfer’s Mind, which is intended as an easy reference guide golfers can return to again and again when they need to refresh themselves with advice on the mental game.

ASG will be publishing a series of articles based on The Golfer’s Mind: Play to Play Great.

Firstly, here is a list of ten principles, or what Rotella calls “process goals” to take with you on your next round of golf.

As Rotella says: “If you follow them, you’ll give yourself the best chance to find out how well you can play in that particular round.

The Golfer’s Mind 10 Mental Game Goals

1. I will trust myself and my swing on every shot. I don’t have absolute control of where the ball goes. I do have absolute control of whether I trust myself.
2. I will execute my pre-shot routine on every shot.
3. I will stay in the present moment. I won’t speculate in the middle of the round about what my score will be, or where I’ll stand in the tournament. I’ll stop worrying about not breaking 90, or 70. I will refrain from critiquing or analysing the shots I’ve taken. I will focus on each shot as it comes, and that will be the only shot I care about. When it’s over, I’ll see how I did.
4. I will refuse to allow anything that happens on the golf course today to bother me or upset me. I will accept bad breaks and mistakes, and be tough in adversity. I am going to be in a good mood and a great state of mind for the entire round today. I’ll enjoy playing.
5. I will trust my instincts and be decisive and committed.
6. I will get looser and freer and more confident as the round progresses, resisting the urge to get tighter, more careful, and doubtful.
7. I will love my wedge and my putter today.
8. I will let the ball go to my target on every shot. (And in other words firstly have a specific target to aim at)
9. I will maintain a constant ideal level of intensity on every shot.
10. I will play to play great, not play not to play poorly.

The Golfer’s Mind, Play to Play Great, by Dr Rob Rotella with Bob Cullen, is available in the Australian Senior Golfer Bookshop. Also check out Rotella’s other books including Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect, Putting Out of Your Mind and Your 15th Club: The Inner Secret to Great Golf.

See The Golfer’s Mind here for US $16.29 (Hardcover) plus postage or less for used.

 Whether it’s for a long weekend or for months abroad, Senior Golf Exchange membership offers a lifetime of golf travel opportunities.

Much more than just free accommodation for a golfing holiday, it is a private members club for Home Exchange and Hospitality Exchange for senior golfers worldwide.

Whether you are playing golf, just watching, or both, Senior Golf Exchange can provide you with the opportunity for golf travel experiences money just can’t buy.

Live like a local, make new friends and take advantage of all the associated benefits often available.

Australian Senior Golfer, in association with Senior Golf Exchange, has a great new competition with the first prize of an Honorary Life Membership of SGE valued at US $499.

In addition, there will be two runners-up prizes of two year memberships with no joining fee. With the current Foundation Member special offer, this is a prize value of US $99 for each runner up prize.

All you have to do is tell us in 25 words or less how you would best utilise or most deserve a Senior Golf Exchange life membership.

The competition is open to senior golfers (aged 50 plus) everywhere.

Simply fill in the email form below or email us at editor@australianseniorgolfer.com.au with “SGE competition” in the subject line.

Entries will close 28th October 2008 and the winner and runners-up will be decided by our judges and notified by email.

See our feature story on the SGE concept, “A revolution in 50 plus golf travel” here.

Senior Golf Exchange website

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With his new bride watching from the sidelines at the British Open, an Old Grey Shark has captivated the sporting world.

But whilst the 53 year old veteran Australian golfer didn’t win, Greg Norman did strike a major blow for older golfers everywhere and provide a massive incentive and inspiration to keep on swinging.

Of course it was a huge disappointment that he failed to capitalise on his third round lead - at least he lost to an Irishman named Paddy - but his achievement should be congratulated and celebrated.

As Norman said after his loss: “I can walk away from here being disappointed, but I can walk away from here with my head held high because I hung in there.”

As was endlessly repeated during the tournament, the 53 year old had put himself in a position to be the oldest ever major winner.

It would have been an historic and hugely popular win - as you could imagine, here at Australian Senior Golfer we were amongst those salivating at the prospect - but not to be.

What Greg Norman did prove, especially with the whole package of the British Open lead, the Bahamas wedding to Chirs Evert and the dignified defeat, is that there is life after 50.

To those of us around or over that age it comes as no surprise or shock. The older you get - apart from maybe a few creaks, pains and physical limitations - you still largely feel the same as you did as a teenager. The “old” people are always those people just over the horizon. But try telling that to the “younger” generation.

A lot of people seemed genuinely surprised that at his “advanced” age Norman was up and around on his own, let alone in danger of winning one of the most coveted prizes in golf for the third time.

What does often change as you get older are your priorities.

“….a lot of people should take stock, no matter how old you are, if you really want to chase something and chase a dream, you can go do it.” Greg Norman

As Norman said:” Quite honestly, I’m sure I surprised a lot of people. But at the same time, immediately I think about it now, what happens if I won. What happens if I won, then I might have had to be out here playing more golf, and maybe that’s what I didn’t want to do anyway.”

Norman is due to play in the upcoming Senior British Open and the Senior US Open and has made no commitments after that. His third placing means, among other things, an automatic invitation to the US Masters next year. Now that would be interesting.

Commenting on the physical aspects of his age on his golf, Norman said: “I made the comment in the pressroom a couple days ago that the only thing that would have been different was my shot-making ability. That would have been the only thing different. Even Judy Rankin said that watching me play, as she did for the last couple days on ABC television back in the States, that there wasn’t a whole lot wrong with my game. I’ve still got the components in there.”

On his performance generally he said: “I think it’s a great indicator for every player out there, whether you’re just coming on the Tour for the first year or you’re turning 40 or in your 50s. The game of golf is there to be played, and if you go in there with the right attitude and keep yourself physically fit, you can put yourself in that position no matter what.

“If I’m a young kid, looking now and seeing a guy at 53 years old leading the British Open and I’m only 18, I’m going to say, boy, I’ve got a lot of years left in my career. I think it’s great, I really do.”

And as a final inspiration: “I’ve said this before, I think at the end of the day, a lot of people should take stock, no matter how old you are, if you really want to chase something and chase a dream, you can go do it. Even though there’s failure at the end of it for me, I still put myself in position to really show a lot of other people that you can go do something if you really want it.”

Update: Greg Norman finished in a tie for fifth in the Senior British Open at Troon in Scotland, four shots behind eventual champion Bruce Vaughan, who beat fellow American John Cook in a play-off.

Greg Norman’s new lease of (golfing) life

Greg Norman’s Open Honeymoon

This is the sensational view from a Senior Golf Exchange listed beachfront home in Tennyson, South Australia. Owners Chris and Sue Watson are both members of  The Grange Golf Club in metropolitan Adelaide.

 Older golfers gazing longingly at travel brochures or getting all misty eyed thinking about unreachable faraway links and saying to themselves, “if only”, can take heart.

 Often, for the older age group it is not finding the time to take the golfing holiday of your dreams that is the problem, it’s the prohibitive costs involved.

 Well, what if you could schedule, say, a three week holiday in the Australian or international location of your choosing, and the accommodation and associated costs were just a one off $99.

 That’s right,  what if you not only got superior, home-style accommodation at that price, but the possibility of some special golf friendly extras thrown in, such as use of a motor vehicle, golf equipment and reduced private member introduced golf club green fees.

 Not only that, but for that same $99 you could repeat the process as many times as you could arrange in a year. If it is all starting to sound like that old well-known television commercial, “but wait, there’s more!”, don’t be concerned. In this case it is all true.

 This is a new, Australian based, golf related travel concept that is set to revolutionise holiday options for senior golfers. It is modeled on the spectacular growth of international and domestic home exchange programs - there are now some 60 such internet-based operations with more than 130,000 member listings.

 But Adelaide entrepreneur and avid golfer Graeme Smith has taken the concept a step further and optimised it for golfers - particularly those aged 50 and over.

 He has launched SeniorGolfExchange.com, which he says is the world’s only private member listing specifically designed for golfers, and one which will facilitate the opportunity to play the world’s best golf courses without incurring accommodation costs.

 Essentially, Smith has adopted the increasingly popular concept of people swapping homes - or alternately hosting each other - for holidays, and improved and tweaked it for older golfers.

 ‘‘The aim is to offer golfers the opportunity to stay in privacy and comfort, close to virtually any world golfing region of their choosing,” Graeme says.

 ‘‘For Adelaide golfers that could mean a weekend within comfortable driving distance of, say, Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula or the sand belt. They could also travel to further afield golfing meccas such as Perth or the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

 ‘‘But I expect the jewel in the operation will be the international program which will give members the opportunity to spend several months abroad - potentially playing courses like St Andrews, Pinehurst and Pebble Beach - with no accommodation costs and reduced green fees through member introductions.”

 There are also other spin-offs that will add appreciably to the concept’s appeal.

 ”Vehicle hire costs might also be avoided by the exchange process, and the same with golf equipment, even motorised or electric buggies,” he says.

 ‘‘It will also give members the opportunity to live like a local in the area when it comes to meals and entertainment.”

 Initially, many people are attracted to the home exchange concept because of the huge cost benefits, but often they find that it is the actual experience that is the real value.  Things like making new friends and having the opportunity of living in an area like a local, rather than as tourists segregated away in an expensive but nondescript hotel.

 As Graeme says, it can “provide golf travel experiences that money can’t buy.”

 As a first reaction, some people might balk at the idea of having “strangers” in their homes and have a myriad of questions.

 If you visit the extensive Senior Golf Exchange website you will see every possible issue and topic is covered down to the finest details. Everything can be discussed and agreed upon beforehand, so you will extensively “know” who you are dealing with long before there is any  home or hospitality exchanged. (Check out some of the member profiles to see the sorts of people involved with the scheme.)

 It is one of the beauties of Graeme’s service that senior golf fits so perfectly with the home exchange concept. These schemes operate quite successfully with a general populace clientele without problem. Here you know you are dealing with senior golfers only. It is also ideal for golfers wishing to travel extensively within Australia playing in major veteran golf tournaments.

Graeme admits that, apart from his own passion for the game, this is one of the main reasons he specialised the exchange  for the senior golf market.

 ‘‘It is very much because of the ethos of the game and the fraternity it invokes,” he says. ‘‘What that means is that golfers know other golfers will respect the privileges, property and environment afforded to them. ”

 ‘‘It may sound corny but the great English writer PG Wodehouse got it absolutely right. ‘‘What he said was this - ‘Golf is the infallible test. The man who can go into a patch of rough alone,  with the knowledge that only God is watching him, and play his ball where it lies, is the man who will serve you faithfully and well’.”

 Sticking with the golf theme, SeniorGolfExchange.com will also offer exchange arrangements to coincide with significant professional and amateur events around the world.

 Officially launched in April, there are still foundation memberships available to the first 100 suitable applicants from each of the major regions of the world. This will entail a joining fee of $99 that will provide two years of free subscription. Life membership is available for just $499.

 Enquiries can be made to at the Senior Golf Exchange website, or call Graeme Smith on 08 8344 8400 or Mobile 0412 822 233.

This US home, perched on a private golf course itself and minutes from Chanbers Bay Golf Course, selected for a future US Open, is one of the properties listed at the new Senior Golf Exchange private members club.

 What Are Home And Hospitality Exchanges?

Home exchange is a reciprocal arrangement between two exchange partners to exchange vacant possession of each other’s home for an agreed period of time and with specific understandings relating to the use of each home’s facilities.

A non-simultaneous home exchange can occur if one exchange partner has a second or holiday home or may be travelling on another arrangement, and would prefer to have their home occupied in their absence, and “bank” an exchange opportunity for later.

Hospitality Exchange, sometimes referred to as “hosted”, is a two-part arrangement. One exchange partner stays with the other for an agreed period of time and at a later agreed date the positions are reversed. If, for a time, Members are precluded from offering accommodation within their home, a Hospitality Exchange, excluding accommodation may be arranged.

Exchanges don’t need to be “like-for-like”, or of the same duration. The exchange partners agree on what is acceptable to them and the end result may be a very creative combination of the various exchange options.

Because SeniorGolfExchange.com is a Private Members’ Club, it is anticipated about half of the exchanges will be Hospitality Exchange, sharing in some of their golfing experiences, and other common interests, which are discovered during search activity and time spent getting to know each other.

“First, search for a fellow Member with compatible circumstances, in a location you want to visit, then two way communication by all the means at your disposal - email, telephone, digital photos, video. Ask for references if they make you more comfortable.

Ask all the questions you need answers for. If you are still not comfortable with the prospect of handing over your home, select another Member as your exchange partner, or perhaps you are more suited to a Hospitality Exchange, with or without in-home accommodation.”

For answers to any questions, call Graeme Smith direct on 0412 822 233.

Forty five year old US golfer Rocco Mediate lived the fairytale for 19 play off holes at the US Open at Torrey Pines before being eaten up by big bad Tiger Woods.

“Oh, my God, that was ridiculous,” Rocco, World No 157, said of his slightly better known opponent. “He’s hard to beat. I threw everything I had, the kitchen sink, everything right at him.”

Throughout the five days of a remarkable tournament, Rocco laughed and joked his way into being a crowd and viewer favorite.

Whatever happed on the course itself, it was remarkable that there were people sitting in the 18th hole grandstand at 6am, when the two players weren’t due to pass by there themselves, just once, till after one in the afternoon.

All the people in grandstands on the way – it was like going to the motor races when two cars were only going to do the circuit once. There was an estimated crowd of some 25,000.

When talking about Rocco, it is hard not to compare him to an animated character. He says all that smiling, chatter and pacing is nervous energy coming out.

When things started getting really serious in the playoff, -  particularly after the 10th and when Rocco came back and birdied 13, 14 and 15 and pulled one stroke ahead – it seemed when he wasn’t smiling he was sweating.  He looked like he was hyper sweating like some exaggerated cartoon character.

It should not be forgotten that Rocco is a 20 year tour veteran who has battled a bad back for a number of years. He would have been the youngest ever US Open winner and the youngest ever first time major winner.

Rocco knew he was living a golfing dream and was determined to enjoy every minute of it.

“It was a blast. I’ve never had more fun and more insanity. It’s just amazing,” he said after his fourth round tie with Woods forced the playoff.

“Oh, my God, I get to play for the National Open against the best player on earth, that maybe has ever played. How much more could you ask for?”

Tiger Woods V Rocco Mediate

Earlier US Open Reports

Update  19/6/08

Just days after winning his 14th major, Tiger Woods announced he will have reconstructive surgery on his left knee that will sideline him for the rest of the 2008 season.

Woods will have reconstructive surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament and will require time off to rehabilitate a double stress fracture of his left tibia that was found last month.

Doctors say the long term prognosis for the 32 year old is good, but Woods is expected to limit the number of tournaments he plays annually in future.

One senior Australian golfer back in the news and back on the competitive golf course is Greg Norman.

 For a number of reasons, the 53 year old has found a new lease of golfing life.

 As we write this, Norman is set for his second straight event in the US and plans a number of tournaments in the coming months, including the British Open in July.

SHOWING all his class and experience, Lake Macquarie golfer Tony Jones (pictured left) has won the NSW Veteran Golfers Association Matchplay Championships. 

The 72 year old single handicapper beat his younger rival Rod Hall, from the Port Kembla Golf Club, in a hard fought and close final at the much improved Shellharbour Links course. 

Both these players have been NSW representative golfers in their time and the talent shone through during the week long event, with preliminary rounds also held at the championship Port Kembla course and The Grange at Kembla Grange. 

Jones (Waratah Golf  Club) has been playing golf for 57 years and needed all the guile and cunning he has built up over that time to make up for the distance he was losing on the longer shots. 

Jones and Hall turned level after nine holes but a couple of birdies on the par threes saw Jones one hole ahead with one to play. 

His second shot on the final hole ended up in a gully about 35 metres short of the green but a brilliant chip to within a few feet of the hole clinched the championship. 

Hall, unlucky with a few very close putts on previous holes, failed with the birdie putt he needed from the fringe to force the match into overtime. 

Jones was in the NSW Amateur Junior side as a 22 year old, and has won a number of tournaments over the years. In latter times he has been a runner up and frequent competitor at the Australian Men’s Senior Amateur Championships. 

Jones was delighted with his Veterans win, particularly after slipping two holes behind on their back nine (they teed off the 10th). 

“It was a good win but I know he can play better than that,” he said of his 62 year old matchplay foe Ron Hall. 

“He’s a good player all right, he played for the state for quite a while, plus he comes from down here,” Jones said. 

“Plus he’s off four and I’m off seven so I was giving him a bit of a start (they played off scratch for the matchplay), there’s ten years in age and about 30 kilograms in weight,” Jones joked. 

The veterans matchplay championship has previously been held annually in Coffs Harbour and this is the first year it has moved to what looks like its permanent new home in the Illawarra. 

NSWVGA secretary and matchplay tournament director Dick Farrant said whilst numbers were slightly down because of the move it had  been a very successful week. 

Farrant said there had been entrants from all over NSW and the ACT, with particularly strong support from the Newcastle area. 

“We will definitely be holding it at the same three courses next year,” he said. 

“It has been a very popular event and I’m  sure if you spoke to any of the competitors involved they would have had a great week.” 

Tony Jones is one competitor predicting an even bigger and better event next year. 

“There will be a lot of better players next year because they will all be saying ‘if that old bastard can win it, it must be pretty easy’, so they’ll all be down here,” he said.

Marie Wins Ladies Matchplay Championship

Jamberoo Golf Club member Marie Farrant (pictured right) won the ladies section of the NSW Veterans Matchplay Championship, blaming the win on her new Lady Cobra golf clubs.

“They’re beautiful,” she said of the month old clubs.

Marie has been playing veterans golf for 13 years and was celebrating her best win.

“This is my biggest win and also the first time I have played veterans matchplay,” she said.

Marie beat rival Jane Hartmann from the Wakehurst Golf Club in Sydney. She was three up with two holes to play.

“I’m very happy, it was a good win,” Marie said. “I’m really happy with the golf sticks, really pleased with them.”

“We’ve played four games of matchplay this week and I’ve won four in a row.” 

Marie and her husband Dick (NSWVGA secretary) have travelled Australia playing veterans golf and have attended all the Australian Veterans Golfers Union National Championships, which rotate around the country on a state by state roster.

They’ll be attending the AVGU National Championships in Adelaide this October.

“We’ll be going to Adelaide this year and this will be our second time around now,” Marie said.

Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam was showered with the sponsors product (beer) after winning the Michelob Ultra Championship in Virginia by seven shots.
Australian Katherine Hull, who started the day tied for 21st, produced an amazing Albatross when she hit a 3-wood 229 yards on the par 5 seventh. Her career best 64 lifted her to sixth place.
Karrie Webb was 38th, Sarah Kemp and Lindsey Wright 57th

Defending Australian Open Champion Craig Parry and world number five Geoff Ogilvy have confirmed they will be starters when the tournament returns to Royal Sydney Golf Club later this year.
The official Royal Sydney announcement was made at a media conference this week. The 93rd Australian Open will run from December 11 to 14.
In a pre-recorded interview, Craig Parry said he was delighted the open was returning to Royal Sydney, as it is a course he loves, but, “It doesn’t love me, though. I’ve never seemed to play well around there.”
Golf Australia chief executive officer Tony Hallam announced the triumphant return this week and is confident the field will be brimming with the best of home-grown talent.
“We have every expectation that all of the leading Australian players will be back to participate at Royal Sydney in the 2008 Australian Open,” Hallam said.
Hallam spoke to the nine Australians competing in the US Masters in Augusta last week and is confident the likes of Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby and Aaron Baddeley will be back.
“We have the strongest group ever of Australian players, we have two in the top-10 (in the official world golf rankings), three in the top-20, 12 in the top-100,” he said.
Hallam did not rule out attempts to secure selected non-Australian stars of the USPGA Tour and said moves to lure players of interest had already begun.
“We had about 30 international players last year and we certainly had some positive discussions last week,” he said.
“But it’s very early in the year in terms of their schedules but I think one of the discussions with a very leading player last week, he knew the Open was in Sydney, he knew where it was being played.”
“The players are already talking about it.”

Golf Australia could be looking for a new chairman of its Open championship, with the position recently vacated by Paul McNamee. McNamee has departed to take up the role of CEO at the struggling Melbourne Demons AFL club.
Hallam is reported to have said no decision had been made to replace McNamee.
“Paul has done a wonderful job over the past couple of years and he is leaving us as a good friend of golf and Golf Australia in particular. Paul’s role was actually part-time, so there was a lot of work done around Paul by our team, and we’re looking for them to step up into additional roles. At this stage, we are not specifically looking to replace Paul.”

A replacement is definitely needed by Golf Australia for a major naming rights sponsor to replace MFS. The financial company is in dire straights with its shares suspended from the Stock Exchange.

 UPDATE 20/5/2008

World Number 4 Adam Scott and 2006 US Open winner Geoff Ogilvey have confirmed they will be joining defending champion Craig Parry at the 2008 Australian Open.

Unfortunately, Aaron Baddeley will miss the event. His wife Richellle is expecting thier first child in November and he has decided he will not be returning to Australia to play in any tournaments at the end of the year.

Three times US Masters winner Gary Player has lined up for his record 51 Masters.

The South African golfer has gone past Arnold Palmer for the most number of Masters played.

Player, now 72, is also celebrating the 30^th anniversary of his 1978 title. He also won in 1961 and 1974 and was runner up in 1962 and 1965.

To win the 1978 title, Player scored a final round 64 including seven birdies in his last 10 holes. Today at Augusta, he scored a creditable 83.

No, he is not going to challenge Tiger Woods or anyone else for the title this year or the next, but the point is, he is still having a helluva time playing golf at 72 years of age.

Whether you are 25 or 65, that is something to aspire to. Over time, ASG hopes to find out how he, and others like him, does it.

In rugby, you are eligible for “Golden Oldies” at 35, in golf, you just keep on, and on and on……

Gary Players other career highlights include:

• First US Masters international champion.
• Holds three British Open titles, 1959, 1968 and 1974. 1965
• US Open champion. 1962 and 1972 PGA champion.
• One of only five men to win golf’s modern grand slam.
• Winner of the South African Open 13 times.
• Won South African PGA three times
• Won the Australian Open seven times.
• Recipient of the 1966 Bob Jones Award presented by the USGA for distinguished sportsmanship in golf.
• A total of 24 PGA TOUR and 19 Champions Tour titles.
• Won a Tour event in five straight decades.
• Served as Captain of the international squad at the 2003, 2005 and 2007 Presidents Cup. Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Playing in his 51 Masters.