Our Favourite Gold Coast World Masters Memories

PETER MCCARTHY & MARK HAWLEY

INTERVIEW

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO HERE OR READ BELOW

MARK HAWLEY

The Masters on the Gold Coast, formerly known as the Mitsubishi World Masters, is celebrating its 25th year.

It was the event that started it all for you, wasn’t it Pete?

PETER MCCARTHY

Yeh, I was 22-years-old when I started the Gold Coast World Masters. It was the very first event for the company that was actually called Prodigy Sports Management back then.

It was just myself, Mum and Dad who were working part-time for me, and my brother was driving a truck moving golf clubs from course-to-course.

Peter, Terry and Mary at the 2003 Mitsubishi World Masters

So it was wonderful having the family involved, but now we’ve moved on and the whole Go Golfing team gets excited about hosting the Gold Coast World Masters here in our backyard in October each year.

Mark, there are a lot of things that come to mind when you talk about best memories of the event.

One memory I have is in 2005 or 2006 and Royal Pines told us that the maximum capacity in their ballroom was 900 people. We had 1100 people in that ballroom.

We made them move all of the catering and everything out of the area. There was no dance floor, we set that up in the foyer, but it was fantastic we had so many for dinner.

Royal Pines has now updated their capacity for how many people they can host to 1100 people because of it.

Anyway, we had Mitsubishi as a sponsor for the first 18 years. It was a massive highlight when we started giving away cars year-after-year.

A golfer is the brand new owner of a Mitsubishi

I remember some people coming up on stage and saying “I can’t wait to go home and tell my wife, I played s**t golf for a whole week, but I won a car!”

We still give away amazing prizes, but Mark why do we do all of this?

Our motto is bringing golfers together for the best time of their lives, you know Ian Forsyth, Jerome Ballard, Jenny Brooks, Gwen Clutterbuck… my best friends are people that came and started playing at the Gold Coast World Masters.

It’s great to catch up with them year-after-year, so it’s the people who are the real highlights.

What about you Mark? You have been in the business for 9-plus years, do you have any fond memories of your time at the Gold Coast World Masters?

MARK HAWLEY

Yes, I have a lot of memories, Peter.

Well actually my first memory, I don’t know if you remember but, my first week on the job was the 2012 Mitsubishi World Masters

I was still at university, I was still helping out with the PGA at the time doing the Australian Open, and I saw the opportunity that came through and I thought this looks like a lot of fun.

You took me up on that and said, “Come along, I have got a week of work for you.”

Mark at his first Mitsubishi World Masters in 2012 (second from right)

Little did I know, what was in store for me. I remember I was driving a truck on one occasion on the first round, I was transporting the golf clubs to Robina Woods, now known as Palmer Gold Coast.

Anyway, I was only 19-years-old, too young to be behind the wheel, I came around the corner and didn’t see the overhanging roof over the top.

I was ready to greet all the golfers and clipped a side of the roof of the clubhouse and almost half of the roof fell on the carpark.

Anyway, that’s why I don’t drive the trucks anymore

PETER MCCARTHY

Mark, it’s no surprise that you say you didn’t see it, because anyone else that came for the week didn’t see the section of the roof you took out.

MARK HAWLEY

Yes, I did a good job. So I have come a long way since then Peter.

But no, you don’t trust me to drive the trucks and that’s probably a good thing.

You know what Peter, there is only one other person aside from you that has done all 25 years of the Gold Coast World Masters.

25 years is a huge achievement, and that’s Glenn Dodds. He plays at Mt Coolum, why don’t we get him on the line for a chat?

Glenn Dodds (middle) at the 2002 Mitsubishi World Masters

PETER MCCARTHY

Glenn are you there?

GLENN DODDS

I am here!

PETER MCCARTHY

Glenn, some of our clients might not be familiar with you. Tell us a little bit about Glenn Dodds. Where are you from? A little bit about your golf.

GLENN DODDS

Alright, I’m 59. I live on Sunshine beach on the Sunshine Coast (QLD).

I have been working for Australia Post. I have been playing golf seriously for the last 28 years or so.

My handicap has been as high as 23 and as low as 9, and currently, I’m off 14, which is embarrassing I don’t like it.

PETER MCCARTHY

Glenn, we are chatting to you because you have been coming to the Gold Coast World Masters every year since it started 25 years ago.

What brings you back?

Glenn (middle) sporting the original 1995 Gold Coast World Masters polo

GLENN DODDS

Just the experience. I’ve played a lot of rounds of golf down there and I haven’t played with someone I wouldn’t have another game with.

It’s just the camaraderie of the other people, they love to play golf, they love to have a beer and they all have the same idea.

Let’s play golf, drink beer.

PETER MCCARTHY

So you have been coming to the event on your own, but you’re never really on your own. You’re a popular character at the tournament.

What makes that happen?

GLENN DODDS

It’s just catching up with the guys you’ve played with a few years earlier and keep running into year-after-year.

Then there is meeting new people that are there for their first tournament and having a beer with them after a game.

MARK HAWLEY

How many beers are you drinking Glenn? Sounds like you’re drinking on the course and after!

GLENN DODDS

Oh yeh, you got to do both. It is usually 3 beers each nine.

It depends how often the cart comes around!

Glenn Dodds at the 2009 Mitsubishi World Masters

PETER MCCARTHY

Glenn, we have done a few quick calculations. We reckon you have played with 300 different golfers in your 25 years at the Gold Coast World Masters.

Any favourite memories from any of them?

GLENN DODDS

The funniest day I have ever spent was with these two Japanese guys.

I was out there, with another bloke as well, and we noticed these Japanese guys were starting to hand over big rolls of cash, a couple of $50 notes, at the end of the hole.

They were betting on their game, and then we noticed they were betting on my shots, and the other guy’s shots.

We were thinking “are you kidding”, these guys had wads of cash and started betting on our game. It was very interesting and we thought it was quite funny.

PETER MCCARTHY

Did you play well that day?

GLENN DODDS

Sometimes. It was like most days, some holes are played well, some holes aren’t.

Yeh so it didn’t matter who won the bet, they didn’t care. They thought it was funny. They were laughing with each other.

PETER MCCARTHY

Glenn, over the years we have played all of the golf courses on the Gold Coast. 

What’s been your favourite course that we have offered over the years?

GLENN DODDS

Definitely Lakelands. It is probably one of the tougher golf courses on the Coast.

It has got long holes, but Jack [Nicklaus] is good at designing courses I think.

He doesn’t hide stuff from you, it is all laid out for you – bunkers, water – it is up to you to keep out of it.

PETER MCCARTHY

In 25 years, have you been on the podium as a winner?

GLENN DODDS

You have! I have four slabs of crystal to prove it.

My first one was after 10 years, it took a while! I was the Men’s B grade champion, I was a bit of slacker in that year.

Glenn with his first win at the Gold Coast World Masters in 2005

I was a winner again in 2009 in A grade, a runner up in A grade in 2012, and a runner up in 2017 in A grade.

PETER MCCARTHY

Now, I remember having you up on stage before for our major prize draw.

How did that pan out for you?

GLENN DODDS

That panned out really nicely, thank you.

The first time I got called up on stage for that draw I got second and ended up on a trip to China.

PETER MCCARTHY

Yes, and you took your beautiful partner Tracey with you. Tell us what were the highlights of that trip?

GLENN DODDS

Oh, pretty much everything we saw was interesting. We chucked on a 16-day tour on top of it so we went on a bit of a tour.

We saw the Wall. The Terracotta Warriors which were just amazing. I have seen photos of them but it just doesn’t cut it until you see them live, it is an amazing place.

PETER MCCARTHY

Glenn, you talked about catching up with people who have just recently joined the event and playing for the first time whats some advice for people who are thinking “oh, I’m not good enough” or “it’s not for me”.

GLENN DODDS

It is right for everyone who wants to play a game of golf. It doesn’t matter how good or bad you are, just go out there and give it a crack.

Glenn at the 2019 Gold Coast World Masters

It is a good time just meeting new people. You rarely play with the same person in the week, so you’re meeting up to 12 other people on the golf course.

That’s the part of it. The camaraderie and not being home!

PETER MCCARTHY

Well Glenn, it is an absolute pleasure having you along. You’re part of the reason why we love this event so much and love putting it on looking after you.

MARK HAWLEY

It’s been a pleasure, Glenn! Thanks for coming on and look forward to seeing you in October, we’ll grab a beer.

GLENN DODDS

Thank you very much, see you then!

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