Having a chat with Andy Meldrum

30 Nov Having a chat with Andy Meldrum

Congratulations, Andy, on your appointment as our new Vice-Club Captain. We welcome your knowledge and experience. Just a few questions so members are able to know you a little better!……

How long have you been a member at Maroochy River Golf Club?
3 years now and hopefully many more to come!

Working or retired? What was main career?
My background is marketing & advertising, mostly in the brewing industry. I worked for Carlton United Breweries for many years and had the pleasure of working on some of Australia’s most well-known advertising campaigns including VB’s “For a Hard Earned Thirst”, Carlton Draught’s “Made From Beer”, Cartlon Mid’s “Stay a little longer” and Great Northern’s “The Beer From Up Here”. I also lived and worked in London and New York.

I’m now semi-retired and trying to work on my golf game!

How long have you been playing golf and at what other clubs?
Growing up as a kid in Toowoomba I was lucky enough to get a few lessons at Middle Ridge Golf Club, and then I played a decent amount in my 20’s when I was living in Victoria. I was a member of a club called Curlewis on the Bellarine Peninsula for a while, but played a lot of my golf on the Mornington Peninsula on courses like The Dunes, Portsea, Sorrento and Cape Schanck.

Before joining MRGC I also played for a year at Noosa Tewantin GC.

What would you like to achieve during your term as Club Vice-Captain?
First priority is to support our Club Captain Greg, our President Jim and the rest of the board, and our GM Charlie in the management of our great facility.

A couple of areas of specific focus for me will be:

– re-establishing an effective Greens Committee to help ensure that all aspects of our golf course reflect the requirements of the membership
– encouraging members to do their part in caring for our course eg pitch marks, divots, and appropriate cart use
– working with our superintendent Stu to deliver an improved experience at our driving range and short game facility
– encouraging a culture of respect on the golf course for the rules and traditions of our wonderful game

Where do you live now, and why?
I’m currently living in Coolum Beach, but about to move into my new place in Marcoola. 5 minutes closer to the golf club which is handy!

Best golfing memory…. A special game, someone you played with, somewhere you played?
I’ve been fortunate enough to have a few! Probably a couple of memories that really stand out. Walking into Augusta National for the first time whilst attending The Masters a few years back is of course simply unforgettable. But the day that probably takes the cake was a day spent at The Old Course on a trip to Scotland in 2019. A few days before on the 1st tee at Elie Golf Club (another wonderful course nearby in Fife) I had been paired up with a local who, like me, was heading out solo for a late afternoon 18. As we got to talking he mentioned that he was a member of a few of the clubs in the area, including the R&A! And when I mentioned that I had not yet played The Old Course, he very generously insisted on hosting me. When the day arrived I soon realised that golf would only form part of the day. Upon arrival at the imposing grey stone building that sits overlooking the first tee of The Old Course, my host greeted me and took me on a tour of the R&A clubhouse. Highlights included the real Auld Mug (not the replica the Open winners get!), the members’ bar with its leather sofas, old wooden lockers and bay windows overlooking the course, the R&A library which documents the 500 year history of the game, and the sumptuous billiards room featuring a table that I would definitely be scared to play on. This was followed by a 3 course lunch served upstairs in the member dining room (jacket and tie required of course!), and then finally down to the member locker room which sits underneath the building. Even the rain and blustery conditions couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, particularly when I holed a chip to make eagle on the 14th hole (home to the famous “Hell Bunker”), to help get me home in a memorable 79.

Do you travel much, if so, when/where?
I’ve done a lot of travel over the years. In my well-spent youth I spent several years backpacking to 100 countries or so, and also travelled a lot internationally for work. My most recent trip (just pre-Covid) saw me driving around Ireland and Scotland for a couple of months playing as many of the world’s great links courses as I could squeeze into a summer. Truly the golf trip of a lifetime.

What is the most useful/useless talent you have?
I’m not sure whether it’s useless or useful, but I have an unusual ability to catch dropped objects before they hit the floor. Maybe a throwback to a lot of time spent in the slips cordon in my youth?

What is your favourite food/meal?
It’s hard to go past a good roast dinner with all the trimmings, but as anyone who’s played with me will know, I’m quite partial to a meat pie as well!

Any other sport you play or follow?
When I’m not on the golf course or down at the driving range, I’ll often be out on my bike on David Low Way for a bit of exercise. I follow professional golf pretty closely and also enjoy watching the cricket, F1, AFL and poker.

And finally, any ambition yet to achieve?
I’d love to break 70 one day; and after too many near misses to count, I’d like to think I might sneak a hole in one at some stage!

Thanks for having a chat Andy…