Pay Day...

Hello Golfers, Congratulations to Sweden's Henrik Stenson who became the first European to win both the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup titles. Henrik shot a final round 68 to claim a three shot victory at East Lake Golf Club, pocketing a mere $US1.44 million first place cheque, but the win also secured his place at the top of the season's FedEx standing's to collect the $US10 million bonus. Not a bad days work! Back on home soil most of the country experienced a great weekend of almost perfect weather for golf and the footy season is drawing to a close with some great, entertaining games being played. (This week the refs were not such a talking point!) Unique golf Courses Who said that all golf courses had to be carved into the side of a mountain, or meander around scenic hills and lakes, no, this week we have some very unusual golf courses, in some very unusual places! Here are 5 examples of some of the most unique golf courses in the world. 1. Prison View Golf Course, Angola, Louisiana. The nine-hole course was built and is maintained by prisoners, who aren't allowed to play on it. It was designed by the prison dentist and appears to be much like any other golf course"¦ except for some of the rules. Anyone wanting to play must apply 48 hours in advance so they can be screened, and play may be suspended at any time "due to institutional need or at the Warden's discretion." 2. Kabul Golf Club, Kabul, Afghanistan. Originally opened in 1967, the Kabul Golf Club has had a patchy history. It closed in 1978 because it was considered a symbol of Western capitalism, but reopened in 2004. During those non-golfing decades, it had to be swept for landmines before anyone could play on it again. I'd still be a little wary about playing on it, personally! 3. Mosul, Iraq. It may not be there anymore, but in 2004, some homesick soldiers made a makeshift hole using an antenna and an oil rag as a flag. It was so popular that five more holes were added and the impromptu Mosul golf course was born. 4. Golf Merapi, Mount Merapi, Indonesia. When the construction started on this course, Mount Merapi volcano erupted. It's a mere 8 kilometres away! though the locals saw it as a blessing from the Gods. The Sultan calls it his home course, and it is said that it never rains when he plays. Another eruption did occur in 2006, big enough to send golfers scurrying for home. "That is the risk of putting a club here," the owner casually said. 5. Furnace Creek, Death Valley, California. The lowest golf course in the world at 39 metres below sea level, and you're definitely going to want to bring something to keep yourself cool: summer temperatures can exceed 54 degrees celsius. It's available year-round in case you really feel like breaking a good sweat. Oh, and you have to watch out for the coyotes that are prone to wandering onto the course. Fast Riser Patrick Cantlay Patrick Cantlay is splitting his time between the Web.com and the PGA tours this year. The 21-year-old golfer came into the picture while playing at UCLA, and it was clear that he had star potential from the moment he competed in the 2011 U.S. Open and shot an even-par 284. That allowed him to tie for 21st in a field that included the best golfers in the world. Cantlay won the Colombia Championship, a Web.com Tour event, earlier this year. He also tied for ninth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA Tour. Cantlay has been slowed by a back problem this summer, but the injury is not expected to have long-term consequences. Watch out because he means business. What's in the bag Name: Harris English Age: 23 Professional Wins: 2 Clubs: Ping Driver: Ping G15 3 Wood: Ping G5 Wedge: Ping Tour Gorge After playing in the Walker Cup in 2011 in Scotland, English turned professional in September that year. His debut was at the Nationwide Tour's Soboba Golf Classic and he nearly won his second event at the WNB Golf Classic, but lost in a playoff to Danny Lee. The runner-up finish moved him to 75th on the Nationwide Tour's money list. In December that year English earned his PGA Tour card for 2012 by finishing in a tie for 13th at the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. Ruffling Feathers A $20 fake owl called Ollie has bluffed corellas into staying off the putting greens, when other measures proved ineffective. WEMBLEY Golf Course has been saved from spending thousands of dollars on measures to deter destructive white Corellas by a $20 fake owl scarecrow. Ollie the owl, as he is affectionately known by staff, was installed by course superintendent Darren Wilson after he became frustrated with the damage caused to the putting greens by flocks of up to 200 Corellas. “_We were spending all day fixing the holes so the players had a good putting surface,_” Mr Wilson said. “_I was at a loose end with all the damage and I just saw the owl in Bunnings and thought ‘why not’.”_ The course now has three more Ollies stationed at other greens to deter the cockatoos, but Mr Wilson said they had to occasionally replace them because they were being stolen! Old clubs? We'll buy them from you... Golf Traders offer our customers a fantastic service whereby we can purchase, part exchange or swap your equipment. With the golf season in full swing, we all have clubs lying around that are basically redundant. Instead of letting them collect dust in the garage, turn them into cash... or at least let them go some way to buying the new clubs you so desperately want. View all of our stock here or come into our store and have a hit in our brand new practice facility and try before you buy! Golf Traders 02 9517 3471 33 Nelson Street Annandale, NSW 2038 Australia Golf Traders PRO TIP: Stop and Smell the Roses Too often we get caught up in our own little world out on the course, working on the rhythm, the target and just about anything else we can think of. Seldom do we take a moment to stand back and really appreciate what a great game we are enjoying. Take the time next time you are out on the course and smell the roses, look at the view, manicured fairways and just being outside and away from phones, photocopiers and emails. A bad day at golf is better than a good day at the office! Happy golfing David Fearns (PGA) Golf Traders