My Australia

Yes, I live in Florida, but my heart will always belong to my homeland.

By Greg Norman

I have been fortunate through my golf and business ventures to be able to travel around the world and visit many exotic places, but my heart will always be with my native Australia.

I first chose to live in the United States because of golf, and although I still live here, Australia will always be my home. My parents and my sister are there, as are all of my childhood friends. In fact, I chose Florida because it reminded me so much of home, with the ocean on both sides, warm weather in the winter and, thanks to the Bahamas and the Caribbean, proximity to great fishing and diving.

Australia and the United States have a lot in common, including golf. The golf industry is obviously much larger in the United States, but Australians and Americans both have tremendous passion for the game.

One thing that most people who have never been to Australia don't realize is that the country is home to some of the world's greatest courses. The quality of golf, particularly in what is known as the Sandbelt region of Melbourne, is as spectacular as it is anywhere on earth. Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Metropolitan, Victoria, Commonwealth, Huntingdale and Yarra Yarra are all within twenty minutes of one another. And Cape Schanck, on the southern tip of the Mornington Peninsula, is another golfer's paradise.

QUEENSLAND

I was born in the outback mining town of Mount Isa, and a short time after I arrived, my parents decided to move to the coast. Townsville was where we settled.

Norman was born in the outback mining town of Mount Isa, but soon after his arrival the family moved to Townsville.

For the next fifteen years, Magnetic Island was a playground for our family. It's located just a few miles off the North Queensland coast, and it's been a mecca for sunseekers from Australia's cooler southern cities for decades. I spent countless hours exploring the underwater beauty of the coral reefs there. It was a wonderful part of the world for anyone to grow up in.

My parents owned a simple shack on the island (until a cyclone flattened it to the ground) that we used as a base to spear fish and explore the reefs. My first taste of golf was actually at the Magnetic Island Country Club, a great little nine-hole course.

One day, when my father came home from work, he announced to my sister, Janis, and me that he was going to help us build a boat. For the next few months, our backyard looked more like a boatyard as we studied the plans, laid out the materials and assembled our Sabot. Janis and I joined the Townsville sailing club and were eager to test ourselves under racing conditions.

The biggest question was who would be skipper. I eventually won the argument, but Janis, who is three years older, did not go down without a struggle. I think those first few sailing competitions were where I developed my intensity and competitive fire.

Yes, Queensland gave me my start, and it's always been very important to give a little bit back to a place that will always be so near and dear to me. For this reason, my father and I came up with the idea nearly two decades ago to start a foundation to help teach young people in Queensland about the game of golf.

I understand as much as anyone what access, encouragement and positive role models mean to a young golfer. So we created the Greg Norman Golf Foundation to fund professional guidance and instruction for students, children with specific physical disabilities, Aborigines and junior members of golf clubs throughout Queensland.

Probably more than any other sport, the game of golf requires self-discipline and determinationÑqualities that help to develop character and personal strength in young people. We work with junior golfers to build confidence and skill, to help them play to the best of their abilities and to make the game available to anyone who really wants to play. The foundation prides itself on opening its doors to everyone.

Queensland is a great place for sports and for encouraging participation in them. The foundation has already produced a number of fine champions, most notably Adam Scott and Karrie Webb, but ultimately what matters most is spreading and sharing a love of the game.

NEW SOUTH WALES

Sydney is a great place to start any trip to Australia. As for what best captures its essence, that has got to be the cosmopolitan nature of the city, the great beaches, the restaurants and its overall beauty. Sydney has so much to offer, including a tremendous business climate and unbelievable nightlife. It's a city with everything, from one of the world's most famous beaches, Bondi Beach, to one of the great architectural icons, the Sydney Opera House.

The golf industry is much larger in the U.S., but Americans and Australians both have tremendous passion for the game.

There are things in Sydney that you can't find anywhere else. I always tell people who are visiting Australia to spend at least four days in the cityÑand even that isn't nearly enough time.

In addition to playing some of Sydney's great golf courses, I love to experience as many restaurants as I can. Two of my favorite dining spots in SydneyÑindeed, two of my favorites anywhere in the worldÑare Beppi's and Doyle's on the Beach in Watsons Bay.

I first went to Sydney in 1974, to serve an apprenticeship for the New South Wales section of the Australian PGA as an assistant professional. I also met Jack Nicklaus there in 1976, and, many years later, played golf with Bill Clinton on one of the greatest oceanfront courses in the world: the New South Wales Golf Club. The Australian office of my company, Great White Shark Enterprises, is also located in Sydney.

THE 2000 OLYMPICS

Nothing made me prouder than to be involved with the 2000 Olympic Games, which Australia hosted. I had the distinct privilege of carrying the Olympic torch across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on the morning of the opening ceremonies. It was a moment in time that has been indelibly etched in my mind.

The crowd for that ceremony blew me away, particularly since the event took place very early in the morning. There were so many people, and they were so excited, that I never really got to run with the torchÑit was more like a torch crush. The Olympics were such a big event for all AussiesÑit was the Australian Olympics, not just the Sydney Olympics. More than 100,000 international visitors descended on the country, and the true Australia was exposed to the entire world. It was a critically important two-week stretch that ultimately proved very successful in promoting and fostering tourism, which represents more than 10 percent of Australia's gross domestic product.

I don't really have any regrets about how my life has turned out, but I am disappointed that I had to leave my home country to pursue the path I wanted to take. It is an unfortunate reality about the game of golf: The best competition in the world is in the United States, and if you want to be the best and play against the best, it's necessary to pack up and travel here.

I have a trip planned to Australia at the end of this year, and it will be the first time in three decades that I'll be going down there just to be an Australian. Sure, I'll play a little golf and tend to some business, but the itinerary definitely won't be packed the way it usually is. And let me tell you Ñ I can't wait.