According to lovers of the game, golf is most definitely a sport for life and this philosophy holds equally true at Newington College.

Although golf was originally established at the College back in 1958 (when our first College team finished second on the table behind Randwick High School), it did not progress as a co-curricular activity again until 2020.

However, despite the lack of longevity when compared to some of the other sports played at the College, (many, like rugby, for more than 160 years), there is no shortage of enthusiasm and talent amongst Newington golf players today.

Just ask Lucas Veloz, Year 12 student and current Golf Captain.

‘I love it. I will absolutely continue playing the game even after I finish school. I’ll keep playing forever,’ Lucas says. 

Lucas, who plays off a handicap of 11.8, joined the competition team as soon as he was able in Year 10. 

‘I’ve been playing externally for Bonnie Doon Golf Club since 2021, so going on four years now. I had really grown a passion for it, so when I realised it was on offer as a sport at the College, I jumped at the chance to expand my playing.’

For Lucas, one of the biggest drawcards of the game is the individual accountability.

‘While there are times when golf is a team pursuit, I really enjoy the fact that for the most part, it’s all on me,’ he says. 

‘You can’t blame anyone else for mistakes on the golf course. If something goes wrong, it’s down to you. That means the onus is also on you to identify what’s wrong with your swing and how you can improve it,’ he explains.

Lucas also says he adopts the ‘goldfish mentality’ when it comes to his game strategy.

‘That’s something we’ve talked about a lot in golf training, having a goldfish mentality. This basically means that when you make a mistake out there, you don’t fret about that mistake,’ he says. 

‘Forget about it, just move on to the next shot. Remember that you’re still in play, you’re still on the hole and you can turn things around. There’s no sense in letting your mistakes hold you back.’

According to Mr Sam Irwin, Assistant Head of Sport, this mindset is paying dividends for the College and there are currently some quality players coming through the ranks. 

‘We’ve got 21 students in the program from Year 10 upwards. Two of them have handicaps under 10, and then Lucas follows closely at 11.8. We’ve got students obtaining their handicaps for the first time, making pressure putts to score a par or win the hole. We’ve got them hitting hole-in-ones and scoring eagles, which are quite rare. So overall our players are doing extremely well and enjoying themselves,’ Mr Irwin says.

Indeed, Lucas is one of those students who has managed to score an eagle, which occurs when a player achieves a score of two strokes under par on a hole, thereby completing that hole in fewer strokes than anticipated.

‘I’ve only ever had one eagle, and it was on a par four hole while playing for Newington,’ Lucas explains.

‘I certainly won’t forget that experience in a hurry!’

Mr Irwin strongly encourages all interested students to get involved in the game.

‘Get yourself a set of clubs, practice as consistently as possible and then go for your handicap,’ he says. 

‘Grab your mates and get them on board, you don’t have to do it alone. The beauty of golf is its diversity; while you can seek out the individual challenges that Lucas enjoys, you can also play alongside your peers, catch up socially and experience all the different golf courses together.’

This social mindset is part of the ethos of the upcoming 2025 Newington Golf Day.

Newington Golf Day has been officially hosted by the College since 1929, after a gathering of Old Newingtonians at Concord Golf Club the previous year enjoyed strong support. With the event still held at Concord Golf Club 96 years later, Old Newingtonians, parents, staff and guests will hit the green on Monday 31 March to tee off, reconnect and raise funds for the ONU Mental Health Fund.