Golf, by TourMiss

This week’s Joburg Open being played at the Houghton Club is yet another tournament that brings back fond memories. It was two weeks into 2000 and my first time in South Africa. A fortnight earlier I had stood in darkness, apart from the lights of one or two motor vehicles, on the first tee of the Tonga Golf Club and at the stroke of midnight I hit the first shot on a golf course in the new Millennium. A fortnight later I made my way from the eastern Pacific Ocean shoreline in Australia west ...

The emotional golf-related news in recent weeks continues to remind us all there is so much more to golf than trying to hit a golf ball around a golf course in the least number of shots you can. There’s been a few stories that have pulled hard at the heart strings. Sad news of Tiger’s beloved mother, Kultida passing away over-showered everything in golf.  No, everything in sport! Tiger was still very much in mourning when he unexpectedly attended the final day of the Genesis Invitational ...

Scott Jamieson has returned to Durban for a first occasion in a dozen years where he enjoys a special triple treat in his career​ competing in South Africa’s third largest city. Jamieson was just two events into his first full DP World Tour season when he made his ‘Open’ career debut at the 2010 South African Open on the Durban Country Club course located a wedge shot from the Indian Ocean shoreline. Then in two events, one either side of Christmas 2012, Jamieson celebrated a maiden DP ...

I have been asked often during the course of so many decades reporting on men’s pro golf: ‘Who is the toughest golfer you’ve ever had to work with?”. The answer to that question is unquestionably Darren Clarke. You see, as a freelancer I was writing for a number Irish-based outlets including the Irish Independent, the Irish Star, the Irish Examiner and Irish Golfer Magazine, so if Clarke was playing well I needed to speak with him. Though Clarke was not always obliging, including ...

I have spoken often of the great pleasure in travelling the world reporting on the ancient club-and-ball game and also equally teeing-up in so many different countries. This includes also teeing-up along the shoreline of the world’s oceans and seas and to then have the good fortune to enjoy a round on the opposite shoreline of the same ocean or sea. An example of what I am referring is Australia’s Crescent Head Golf Club course and recently featured on this website (See: http://www.golfbytourmiss.com/2024/12/crescent-head-country-club-a-stunning-6-hole-gem-overlooking-the-mighty-blue-pacific/ ...

It’s timely in writing this golf course feature (late December 2024) as it is less than two weeks shy of the 25th anniversary of my historic ‘First Person To Hit a Golf Shot on a Golf Course In 2000‘ and also just a month away from 25-years when I played my first game of golf in South Africa. My visits to the Rainbow Nation sadly have been just a few and each to be present at DP World Tour tournament venues in Joburg and Durban. A maiden visit was to Joburg in the second week of ...

One of the great delights of living or visiting Sydney is the dozen and dozens of pristine beaches to the north and south of Australia’s largest city. So, when it comes to golden sand beaches located right on your front doorstep then Sydney has to be the envy of the world as there is close to 100 Pacific Ocean coastline beaches in a 100-kilometre stretch from Palm Beach in the north of the city to Garie Beach in the south. Indeed the entire coastline of the state of New South Wales (NSW) boasts ...