As a much younger man working in the inner Sydney suburb of Surry Hills, the most accessible and enjoyable round of golf I could find before or after work was at Moore Park Golf. In fact, whenever I or a colleague walked into the office with a golf bag slung over a shoulder, Moore Park was the likely venue for that day’s round. At the end of my shift, I could walk out of the office, jump in a cab, and be on the practice putting green at Moore Park five minutes later.
They were glorious days. But when I changed jobs, and locations, those days were left behind and my rounds at Moore Park were reduced to six monthly or yearly excursions. That said, the layout that has improved dramatically during the past 15 years and today is far better than the course I beat a path to in the ’80s and early ’90s.
Moore Park began as a nine-holer back in 1913. It was designed by the legendary Scottish pro Carnegie Clark, who was then the professional at Royal Sydney. Fellow Scots, brothers Duncan and Charlie McMillan, had successfully lobbied the city council to build a course at Moore Park and they approach Clark to do the job. In the ensuing years the course was extended to 18 holes and the current clubhouse was opened in 1926.