Emma Sutton at the Vic Junior Amateur

Report by Emma Sutton

On 19th September, I embarked on a trip to Melbourne for the Victorian Junior Amateur.

I had organised to stay with a friend so the trip over was a little lonely, but once I was there I could not have been more excited for the week ahead.

I had met my friend Zara when I was sent to Tasmania by Golf SA in January and our friendship has remained strong throughout the year.  Creating and maintaining friendships with people all across Australia and the world is a great way to make traveling easier and more enjoyable.  I believe networking is important for our future in golf and life.

On Sunday, I had a practice round at Rosanna Golf Club which was one of the courses I was to be playing for the tournament; I had already played Yarra Yarra Golf Club the previous year.  Rosanna was a tough course with lots of holes that dog-legged – I knew it would be a challenge but I was up for it.  The greens were slow and I needed to be able to adjust to the different course conditions.

The girls were given an afternoon then morning draw which unfortunately meant we got the worst of the conditions on both days.  The first round was at Rosanna and the conditions were difficult with strong winds and heavy rain.  I was unable to play my best golf in the conditions and shot a disappointing 83.

I headed into the second round at Yarra Yarra with a positive mindset and tried not to worry about the cut line.  Again, the weather was not forgiving and the greens were much, much quicker that Rosanna.  Yarra Yarra also has a majority of par 4s which I struggled with due to my lack in distance off the tee.  Overall, I did not manage to adjust to the conditions and the layout of the course.  I ended up shooting another disappointing score of 85 which happened to be pretty similar to what most other girls shot.

After the first two rounds, I was sitting in 20th and thought I had made the cut of 24.  Unfortunately, this was not the case and due to local player exemptions, I was pushed out of the top 24 and missed the cut.  I was extremely disappointed and now know that I need to work harder so I am not put in that position again.  It was definitely a trip to learn from.

A massive thanks to the Glenelg Golf Club Foundation for their continuous support and for all of the good wishes from the Glenelg members.

About the Glenelg Golf Club Foundation

Through the Glenelg Golf Club Foundation, we have identified junior golf as one of our key areas of importance. As a result, the Club has focused on funding the ongoing development, training and promotion of junior golf with proceeds raised through the Foundation as a part of the Junior Golf & Elite Player Development project.

This results in an outstanding, fully funded Junior Development Program at Glenelg Golf Club.

Click here for more information on the Glenelg Golf Club Foundation.

Click here for more information on the Club’s Junior Development Program