In 1970 Peter Thomson was 40, five years removed from his fifth Open Championship win, and I was just beginning to explore the brilliant variety and quality of Victoria’s golf courses.
Portsea was the first really good course I played, although what would a 13-year-old know about golf course architecture? What I instinctively understood was it was fun to play, it was always in good condition, the hills made for exciting shots, and it had an indefinable je ne sais quoi separating it from the norm.
I’m not sure what the green fee was, but likely it was roughly the price of a Dunlop 65, Thomson’s ball of choice – and, consequently, almost everyone else’s too.
The routing of the holes hasn’t changed too much since. Bruce Grant, the club’s most consequential superintendent, John Sloan and I added the par 3, 13th hole around the turn of the century.
Otherwise, a few tees moved, the 1st and 6th greens were moved back to add both length and architectural merit, and Grant pushed to fill the course with indigenous trees at the expense of all else. The wisdom of his choice is apparent a quarter of a century on.
More importantly, Portsea has always been a brilliant club for one reason. It’s the most eclectic membership of any club I know – from what people do for a living, who they might vote for, and how well or not-so-well they play the game. At the end of it all, when everyone is back in the clubhouse, there are few places in golf you’d rather be.
Although sadly no longer with us, nobody better epitomised the spirit of Portsea than Jack Carr. We played a lot of golf together, and you would have to go a long way to find a better man. Portsea and Jack were the perfect mix. We all come and go, but the spirit of the course at Portsea will always attract the people with whom you’re happy to share the game of golf.
A course that provides engaging puzzles to solve beats one which does not.
A course where the ball is encouraged to run beats one where it is not.
A course where you can carry your bag at any time beats one where you cannot.
A course where you can play quickly while walking, beats one where you cannot.
A course that you can enjoy at all ages beats one where you cannot.
A course with understated maintenance practices beats one with conspicuous green keeping.
A club that emphasizes the simple game of golf beats one which pursues the trappings of status.
A course you want to play again and again beats one you only wish to play annually.
– RAN MORRISSETT, long-time head of the World Top 100 panel, with the perfect description of Portsea.
Words by Mike Clayton