At the start of this year, life was full-on. We were finishing the build on our new home (which we’ve now finally moved into — thank god!), I was launching a brand-new Trade School and Formula High School program at work, and golf… well, that was a distant memory.
I’d come close to selling my clubs on Marketplace more times than I can count. They hadn’t seen daylight in 10–12 years. But something made me hang onto them. I dusted them off, found my old golf shoes (which either shrunk or my foot has grown), and decided it was time. The golf bug bit again.
New Shoes, New Start
First stop: Drummond Golf at Woolloongabba. I picked up a fresh pair of FootJoy shoes. Of course, this was during the weekend Tropical Cyclone Alfred drenched Brisbane — we copped nearly 300mm of rain. Classic timing.
With golf on the brain, I stopped in at the Brookwater Golf and Country Club pro shop — one of the best courses in Queensland and Australia. I chatted with the team about lessons and they recommended Duane Kirwan. “He’s got a great way of explaining things,” they said. “Just jump online and book in.”
Challenge accepted.
Boonah Warm-Up (and Wake-Up Call)
Once Boonah Golf Course dried out, I snuck in a cheeky 9 holes one Sunday. Felt great just to be out there, and I was happy-ish with how I hit the ball — but I’d lost about 40m off my drive. Then, two days later… boom. My back went. Two days off work. That was the sign I needed: time to invest in some lessons and build proper habits before old ones (and old injuries) took over.
I also wasn’t loving my grips, so I upgraded to jumbo Golf Pride grips from Drummond Golf, who fitted them for me as well. No more excuses. Time to book that lesson.
A Nerve-Wracking Drive to Brookwater
Booked in with Duane online — Boonah doesn’t offer lessons — and headed out to Brookwater. It’s about a 45–50 minute drive, and honestly, I was stressing the night before. Brookwater’s fancy. What was I doing rocking up there when I felt like I was hitting the ball like absolute crap?
But I cleaned up the clubs, told myself I couldn’t change anything now, and off I went.
Got there 45 minutes early and checked in at the pro shop. They handed me a voucher for a small bucket of range balls. Problem: I had no idea where the range was. “Sorry, mate, first time here — where’s the range?” The guy behind the counter kindly pointed just left. I wandered past Duane, who was wrangling a pallet of fresh stock, and made my way to the vending machine.
Another problem: I’d never used one before. I stuck the bucket under the chute and stared blankly. Someone else walked up and I admitted I had no clue. Luckily, they helped — you just enter your code on the screen. Crisis averted.
The range was packed, and I found a spare bay, did some chipping, then worked through the bucket. About 60% good hits, 40% questionable ones, and still no distance to speak of.
Then Duane rolled up.
Game On: Lesson with Duane Kirwan
We headed to a separate area of the range. Quick chat on the buggy ride — I mentioned it’d been over a decade since I played properly and that I used to play cricket. That’s when the red flags go up for golf coaches. Cricket usually means funky swings and grips. But I was clear: I’m here to learn. I’m open. Let’s build good habits before bad ones come back.
He filmed me first and showed me the footage. Without even saying anything, I spotted the issue — my left hand wasn’t behaving, especially at impact. My ball position was also way forward (hello cricket front foot habit).
He said, “We can work with what you’ve got and improve slowly, or we can rebuild and make bigger gains — though you might hate me after your next round.” I told him I was here to get better, not to stay comfortable.
Breaking Bad Habits
We started with the grip: moved my left hand so the thumb pointed down the shaft. Then we worked on the backswing — thumbs to the sky. Follow-through? Same thing — thumbs up, forearms touching.
He warned me I’d probably start slicing or push balls into someone’s backyard. But to my surprise and Duane, I hit it straight. Not only straight — I was getting distance. The draw started coming back too.
Next we shifted the ball position back a little, and that almost completely killed the slice.
Then came the driver. The club that’s been a nightmare lately. I persisted. Hit 20 shots — maybe 5 or 6 were genuinely good, but when they were good… they sounded right. Felt right. The distance was back.
Final Thoughts
Duane’s a legend. Loves a yarn, but every story has a lesson built in. He gave me clear stuff to work on, and honestly, I left excited. Not just to play — but to learn, to practice, and to come back for another lesson.
Will I return to the big scary Brookwater? 100% — not to play just yet, but definitely for another session with Duane in a month or so.
It’s bloody good being a teacher on holidays with the chance to swing a club, work on my game, and start fresh.
