The Ladies European Tour players skipped breakfast to explore the beautiful scenery on the Coffs Coast ahead of the Pacific Bay Resort Australian Ladies Classic – Bonville, which tees off at Bonville Golf Resort in New South Wales on Thursday.
The golfers met a troop of kangaroos on the ‘Look at Me Now’ Headland, a part of the Moonee Beach Nature Reserve, which is a significant Aboriginal site 15km north of Coffs Harbour.
Meghan MacLaren from England, who won the Women’s New South Wales Open up the road at Coffs Harbour Golf Club last year, said: “This is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been. I love Australia but sometimes you don’t get to see the reasons that you love it. This place is 100 per cent peaceful and historic. It’s usually travel, airport, hotel and golf course, so to get out and see some sights makes you chill out a bit.”
Amy Boulden from Wales added: “It was so beautiful and it was interesting to hear the background about the area from our aboriginal guide. I’ll definitely be telling the girls about the place. Australia is definitely my favourite place to come and visit. The food is great and the people are so friendly and welcoming that I don’t really want to go home. I could easily live here.”
Sweden’s Jenny Haglund, who won last year’s Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco, always makes time to see the areas she visits and she said: “It was very pretty and had a little bit of everything: nature, waves, cliffs, sand, and oh… kangaroos!
She added: “I always try to see one thing in every place that I visit on tour because I think it gives you energy. Australia is my favourite country in the world, so I’m really excited to be here. It’s kind of like America, but a nicer version. It’s a mixture of America and Europe and has the best of both worlds. I really like the food, the people and the weather.”
This week marks the second edition of the tournament and western Australian Hannah Green is hoping to benefit from past experience and home advantage.
She said: “I’m really happy to be playing back in Bonville. I played last year and it’s a great course. It’s really hilly and the greens are tricky. I think whoever putts well will have a great chance. I’d love to win obviously and feel good after a top 10 in the Aussie Open. I just want to be more consistent and the Olympics are next year so it’s my goal to represent Australia and I’m working towards that.”
MacLaren is also feeling confident and she said: “It’s pretty special to return to a town where you’ve won and even though it was on a different golf course, I might drop in for a visit and soak up the vibe again. My game’s in a good place and I’m looking forward to taking it out onto the course.”
