We had a truly elite cohort of students who transformed the camp far beyond our hopes. Our group was highlighted by a future tour pro by the name of Lachie Swayn, who is always very quick to remind you of his 7 handicap.

We played on a number of courses in the Ocean Grove area including Queenscliff GC, Ocean Grove GC, Barwon Heads (short course), and the local stomping ground of Centenary Park. We played many rounds of Ambrose’s (team golf) where 4 of us would hit and play the best ball. Strong competition grew for golfers with specific skillsets to join our teams such as Ollie for his short game, Lewis for his drives and Fletcher for his charming personality.

While not everyone had played golf before, we saw vast improvements in many peoples' swings. Early on in the camp, myself and other members of our group became very concerned at our companion’s ability to hit the golf ball. Declan was the king of the extra practice swing and Luka Williams was a superstar of the vicious slice. It was truly incredible to see their improvement throughout the camp as they could now hit the ball with relative ease.

Other big improvers included Lily and Ayah who, by the end, were mashing drives straight down the middle. As the week wore on there were some surprise standouts, especially on the par 3 courses. A dynamic duo of Pat and Noah shined as teammates as they took home a few wins together.

Meals each night were delightful as we dined out for some classy feeds. Before meals, however, some extremely competitive tennis commenced. Elegant veteran Mr Higgins challenged “curious” George on the court with some exceptional stroke play and placement before eventually coming out with a win.

Then there was the mini golf tournament; a sore subject for some, but for others, it was a triumph. Ted headlined the day by completing an impossible comeback, which was topped off in the final hole with an inspirational hole-in-one. While Tom may have struggled on the course, his smile and sense of humour returned shortly after. As our resident Marvel fan, he was treated with the rest of us to a private cinema to view the new Antman film. Ben Cook, the duke of the drive, showed his booming power off the tee all camp, frustratingly edging out my own drives by ever-so-slight distances all camp long.

The final day was a true testament to the sport of Golf, having parents come and play with their children was as uplifting as it was enthralling. I had the great pleasure of playing with my grandpa and it was some of the most fun I’ve had on a golf course. As Bobby Jones once said “Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good balls, and you get good breaks from bad balls, but you have to play the ball from where it lies.”

ANTON KOPEC
Year 12