Summer (Winter?) Down Unda
Australia
Spring is right around the corner and thank goodness for that! Because no matter where you live in the US the winter was pretty harsh, with record polar vortex chills in the midwest, massive blizzards in the east and rainstorms in the west. But lucky for me I was back in Australia this winter for Aussie summer to start my season! With a month of playing, seeing friends, and adventuring in one of my favorite countries, I’m again back with lots of pictures, stories and memories.
Victoria
I traveled and played all over the country, but the first stop was Melbourne. I arrived a couple days early before our first event to acclimate to the time change and spend a little time in the city. It worked out perfectly, because one of my best mates, Jayson, was in town for the Australian Open of tennis, so I got to spend a couple days with him. I had never been to a tennis tournament before and it was so fun to have my first be at the grounds of Melbourne Park. It is was fun venue and prefect way to spend the day. Not only was there tennis to watch, but also food, stores, areas to lounge and more. The tennis was just the beginning, but we played some golf first before exploring more!
Jayson and I at the Australian Open
Best final round pair at Ballart Pro Am with Xiyu Lin and Tahnia
The swing of tournaments included the ALPG qualifier and the Ballarat Icons Pro Am about an hour and a half from Melbourne. I had good status on the ALPG through my play last year, but I ended up as first alternative for the first big event, the Victoria Open at 13th Beach. However, there were still a couple opportunities to play my way in, so that was mt goal during these two events in Ballarat.
My performance and finish in the qualifier, however, wasn't enough to earn a spot into the Vic Open. The conditions were extremely windy and I honestly felt a bit rusty. I wasn’t swinging super confident off the tee or seeing the lines for putts very well, so I didn’t put together the scores I needed.
A win at the two day Ballarat Pro Am also would have earned me a spot, but a big number late in the first round set me back. I opened with a first round 4-over and closed with a second round 2-under. It was good to see a nice come back under par round, but it was not nearly enough to get me into one of my favorite tournaments of the year.
I was disappointed to be so close to getting into the Vic Open, and in the end not be able to play my way in and compete, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. You have to just do the best you can and keep practicing to get better! Overall, however, I was happy I got some early competition rounds in to see what areas of my game really needed work, which helped prepare me for another full season on the Symetra Tour.
We had a day off between events so me and a couple Aussie mates from the Gold Coast and Sydney came back for some more sightseeing! We had a full day planned with coffee stops in the morning, a walk around the CBD, lunch at a cute cafe and an afternoon at Brighton Beach. Brighton Beach is famous for its 82 colorful bathing boxes that line the beach. They were built over a century ago and remain almost unchanged. The boxes are all unique and it is fun to walk down the beach and admire them. In addition, when you get all the way to the end you can see the Melbourne cityscape which is also beautiful!
Soo Jin, Eunice and I soaking up some sun at Brighton
Melbourne is always bustling and there is so much to see even in the hidden laneways, side streets and small alleys. Degraves Streets has small boutiques, eateries and cafes, Flinders lane is filled with fine dinning and high end bars. And Hosier lane is known for its eclectic street art. There is so much to see, drink and taste. The few days I had in Melbourne were not nearly enough and I already have a growing list of the spots I need to return to!
South Australia
Next stop was Adelaide, South Australia the site of this year's ISPS Handa Australian Open. I arrived in town a couple days early to practice and prepare for the Monday Qualifier. I played the course last year, so my previous knowledge was helpful. I knew what I had to do, and was excited to get out there and compete. I started out with an early bogey, but stayed in it and made a with a couple birdies at the end to finish even, which left me two shy of qualifying. On Mondays you have to bring it from start to finish and my slow start/ lack of birdies left me with no tournament for the week. But it was a beautiful week in Adelaide so I got to practice at some great local courses, support my mates playing in the Aussie open and explore more of the city.
Hall family
This is Chris! Chris and I first met in San Francisco in 2016, and stayed in touch briefly since then. When I found out we were going to Adelaide for the Aussie open last year we reconnected, and he has become a dear friend. This year, I also got to meet the rest of his family — his mom Josie and sister Sara! We had family dinners, game nights, and Josie even took me up to their family farm. Up in the hills of Adelaide, their farm sits on 75 acres of beautiful rolling hills and the town creek, where you can kayak and swim, flows through. It was so peaceful and nice to get out of the city for the morning and visit the famous German town of Handorf for some lunch on the way home. The Hall family made my time in Adelaide so special and many of my favorite memories there include them. Chris, Sara, Josie, if you’re reading this — I miss you!
Chris’s First Boba!
I’ve limited my cafe content to a mere two photos from the dozens I went to during my stay in Australia for this post! There are cute cafes everywhere and it truly just brings me joy to sit down at a nice cafe and have a coffee and toast with a friend. Aussie cafes are aesthetically beautiful, the food is always healthy and fresh and the coffee is so tasty. It’s really hard to find cafes here in the States that compare. A dream of mine is to one day open a Aussie style cafe somewhere!
New south whales
My time in Australia was a bit shorter this year with the season on Symetra starting a bit earlier, so the Australian Ladies Classic at Bonville was my last event before heading home. I had a good event here last year so it was so great to be back. Bonville is a beautiful, renowned course in Australia, and it sits among the towering trees and greenery in Coffs Harbor!
I started out Day 1 hot, and was 3 under through nine, but I made a mess of the back nine and ended up shooting 5 over. Day 2 wasn’t much better and I missed the cut. This turn of events, was incredibly frustrating, and I thought to myself — how could I go from such a good start to missing the cut? That being said, it was a good lesson and reminder of the importance of staying in the present and focusing on one shot at a time. I got too ahead of myself and let things slip away.
Overall, my swing was a bit loose, my mind was not clear and my routine was not consistent during my first few events in Australia. I felt frustrated and upset because I did so much good work during the off season. But my time in Oz reminded me to be patient and kind with myself. I am confident in my capabilities, but I do need to continue to stick to my process and work hard. It is so early in the season and there is so much more to come.
Coffs Harbor
The Paynter family—Chris, Heidi, Macy, Ryan and Tilly (their pup) kindly hosted us during our time in Coffs Harbor! They were so sweet and we had the best time staying with them! Their house was just a short walk from a quiet beach, which was very convenient.
Not only did the Paynter’s have us at their home, but Chris also spent the week caddying for me! In addition, he taught me how to make proper Aussie coffee (the key is all in the steaming of the milk), took us on the most beautiful beach walks with Tilly and even brought us to see some wild kangaroo! Thanks so much for having us; we had such a great stay and I can’t wait to hopefully see you guys again next year!
Meet Kylie! One of my favorite things about traveling is seeing friends along the way and during my time in Coffs Harbour I got to see Kylie!! Kylie and I went to Davis together, and she has been traveling and living in Australia the last 5 months. She happened to be passing through Coffs Harbor at the exact same time as our tournament, so she stopped by and hung out with us for a few days. It was so special to be reunited after a few years half way around the world!
Kylie and I trying to track down some Kangaroos
Sydney
The last stop of the trip before heading back stateside was Sydney. Jenny and I road tripped down from Coffs Harbor and spent our finals days in Australia exploring the iconic city on the harbor. We did all the typical touristy things, visiting the the opera house, the Sydney harbor bridge and Bondi beach, but with only a day and a half in the city it was prefect. The city is absolutely stunning and its location on the water reminded me a lot of San Francisco.
Surfs Up
The highlight of our time in Sydney had to be an evening surf sesh at Bondi Beach! I am not a super experienced surfer and Jenny has never surfed before so I decided to sign us up for some surf lessons through AirBnB experience. This was my first time doing an experience and it turned out to be great! Our instructor was super and the evening session made it a bit less crowded and even more picturesque. Afterward, we grabbed a quick bite with our instructor Steveo at a local burger spot, which was prefect because we worked up a real appetite. Surfing has always been something I wanted to get better at and Steveo gave me some great tips, so I am super excited to get back in the water and practice!
We ended our trip with the famous Bondi to Coogee beach walk and had a nice brekky at a local cafe for one last avocado smash toast, bircher muesli and coffee. The walk from Coogee to Bondi is breathtaking and the morning sun hit the water for perfect light and warmth. Morning is also typically the best time to surf, so there were tons of people out catching waves which was fun to watch! It was the absolute prefect way to close our trip in Australia!
Australia, you never let me down and each time I come back I just fall more in love. Thank you for all the amazing friends and families you have blessed me with in this beautiful country. I am so grateful for them and the memories I have gotten to make! I already miss your coffee, brekky and beaches dearly. Thanks for getting me back in tan form, keeping my belly happy with endless avo toast and satisfying my texture tastebuds with perfectly foamed lattes. Can’t wait to be back soon — until next time!
Lots of love,
Dre <3