Aussie Rules - A bimonthly column from Travel + Leisure Golf by Greg Norman

Beginning with its January/February 2004 issue, TRAVEL + LEISURE GOLF proudly welcomed Greg Norman as a Columnist. Norman could write his own ticket at any golf publication, but he joined TRAVEL + LEISURE GOLF because, as avid Shark.com readers know, he is about far more than hitting golf balls. Sure, he was the sport¹s defining player in his prime winning two British Open Championships, 20 PGA Tour events and another 66 titles worldwide but more than any other player, Norman has extended his range.

Many a professional golfer has delved into course design, but only Norman has marketed new kinds of grass. Other pros have stuck their name on a wine label, but Norman has taken the industry by storm. Golf, wine, restaurants, real estate, fashion is a perfect fit with TRAVEL + LEISURE GOLF. When you add it all up, Norman might be the ultimate TRAVEL + LEISURE GOLF guy, and his column, Aussie Rules, will reflect his enormous breadth of experience about various subjects relating to the golf lifestyle.

Spearfishing with golf clubs and other underwater adventures

From the very first time I explored the underwater beauty of the coral reefs off Australia's Magnetic Island as a boy, I was hooked.

My sister and I spent many hours skin diving and spearing fresh fish. More often than not we would wander home at the end of the day in triumph, then dine on coral trout, red emperor or whatever the day's catch happened to be. And here's an interesting tidbit: Even before I was formally introduced to the game of golf, I fashioned one of my early spears using the shaft from a golf club attached to some surgical tubing. Perhaps that was a sign of things to come!

I have enjoyed many magical underwater experiences over the years: diving with great white sharks in Port Lincoln, a fishing town on the southern edge of Australia; cautiously ascending about 100 feet back-to-back with Nick Price as we maintained visual with a school of sharks that had surrounded us; cave diving; night diving; and cage diving in shark-infested waters.

Most importantly, however, the water has long been an escape. It has provided countless opportunities to get away with family and close friends and experience some quality time away from golf, business and everything else that is on my plate.

I remember one particular journey I made as a youth. I was with one of my schoolmates and his father. We were island-hopping on an extended trip. By day we would fish with a hand line over the side of our boat, or tip ourselves overboard and go searching for our prey with spearguns. By night we would anchor the boat in a sheltered lagoon along the Great Barrier Reef, wade ashore to one of the small islands and cook our catch over an open campfire--and then fall asleep under the stars.

One day I was well below the surface looking for my evening meal when I spotted a large fish, trained my speargun on it and pulled the trigger. The shot was a success, but the velocity of the spear sent the fish farther than I anticipated, embedding it in a coral outcrop.

I gave several tugs, but the spear would not budge. While I was pondering how to remove the spear from the coral, I glanced to my left and through the bubbles could see a six- or seven-foot shark approaching. I knew it wasn't after me--it wanted the big fish impaled on my spear.

I dropped everything and floated back to the surface, keeping a wary eye on the intruder in case he changed his mind. When I reached the surface I floated on my stomach and watched the shark through my mask. After a couple of quick bites, my catch was gone--Mother Nature at her best!

A couple of years ago I was diving with a good mate and I found myself in a spot of trouble. I was chasing a fish about ninety feet under water and I caught my regulator on a rock with an extremely sharp edge.

Well, I didn't realize it right away, but the rock had punctured the regulator. I knew I was in trouble when, after a few minutes, I found it nearly impossible to inhale. A quick assessment was made--I could go to my buddy ninety feet away or go to the surface. I opted for the latter, knowing full well that a slow ascent was imperative. Upon reaching the surface and climbing into the boat, however, I knew I had a mild case of the bends. I had pain in my joints that felt like someone was sticking me with needles. My diving was put on hold for a while. It was another lesson learned and an experience that reinforced the importance of knowing and respecting your environment at all times.

In May 2004 I embarked on a month-long trip to the Caribbean, Europe and Asia for tournament play, business meetings and a bit of relaxation. I was delighted that my daughter, who had just completed her junior year of college, was able to join me. After finishing the BMW Asian Open in Shanghai, we made the trip to Truk Lagoon in Micronesia for a few days of diving.

Debris from World War II still litters the beaches of the Truk Islands, which were once an important stronghold for the Japanese. Known as "Japan's Pearl Harbor," Truk was a strategic headquarters for both offensive and defensive action. In fact, almost all major naval operations, including the attack on Pearl Harbor, were coordinated through Truk.

After the Marshall Islands, Truk was the next obstacle for the American Pacific Fleet in its advance toward Japan. U.S. Navy carriers twice targeted the Truk Islands, and the sheer number of vessels that were sunk is why it has become one of the most desirable dive sites in the world.

Each of the shipwrecks and aircraft lying on the seabed has a particular quality that lures divers. Some serve as artificial reefs, with abundant coral formations crusted on their surfaces and swarms of small fish now calling them home. The deeper wrecks, where the sunlight rarely if ever penetrates, have much less marine growth, so the structures are in better shape, even after more than fifty years of sitting on the ocean floor.

In two days we made six dives, all to Japanese merchant ships spread throughout the lagoon. Our first was to the Fujikawa Maru, one of the premier shipwrecks in the world. In fact, it has been the subject of movies and countless articles. Having seen a few wrecks in the past with little or no growth, I was astounded when we entered the shipÑit was covered with thick and colorful marine life.

We visited five more fascinating spots, each with its own character, challenges and visual splendor. Interestingly, diving is similar to golf in that regard, because each dive site, like each golf course, is unique.

And also like golf, diving is an international experience, and I am lucky to have visited some of the world's top spots and dived with people of many different backgrounds. These adventures have added to both the mystique and the memories.

Living in south Florida also gives me wonderful access to some great dive spots in the Bahamas. In fact, just three hours by boat east of our house is a shallow, infrequently visited coral reef. Occasionally my wife Laura and I will take our kids, Morgan-Leigh and Gregory, on a day trip to this reef for a fishing and snorkeling adventure. It's a quick getaway, but those experiences are unmatched.

Nothing beats time spent with family, and our time spent underwater has etched some wonderful memories that we will carry with us for years to come.