Sheahan Ink: Ash Barty shows off golfing prowess at Peninsula Kingswood Country Club
The lure of one of Australia’s best golf courses could see tennis legend Ash Barty become Frankston’s unlikeliest ally.
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Frankston, on Melbourne’s outskirts, has long been considered a home to many a bogan.
Franga, Franganistan or just plain Frankston is far enough from Melbourne and a long way from Portsea to be labelled as such.
But the beachside suburb could see itself rising up the ranks of Melbourne’s median house prices if one exclusive golf club has its way.
Peninsula Kingswood Country Club hosted the world’s best tennis player two weeks back in Ash Barty and the Australian Open winner was seemingly smitten.
She indicated she wants to buy a membership to play golf regularly at the sand belt estate.
General Manager Anthony White informed Sheahan Ink that Barty is keen to continue her golfing prowess in Victoria, despite residing in southeast Queensland.
“She enjoyed it so much she wants to join,” White said.
The golf course was rated five in the top 100 courses in the country, according to Golf Digest Australia, ahead of The National at Cape Schanck, Barnbougle in Tasmania, Metropolitan, Royal Adelaide and the Greg Norman designed Cathedral in country Victoria.
The following night, the mad Richmond fan watched her Tigers go down to the Demons at the MCG, coincidentally on her 26th birthday.
Thanks for spending your birthday with us, @ashbarty! 🎂 pic.twitter.com/5GlBf1MyeL
— Richmond FC 🯠(@Richmond_FC) April 24, 2022
Realeastate.com.au states Frankston’s median house price is $10,000 cheaper than the Victorian median of $780,000, yet its nearby counterpart Frankston South’s is into seven at $1.2m.
But with Barty back in the ‘burbs with a golf ball, the locals will be rubbing their hands together hoping more cashed up celebrities will follow suit and join the Barty party, maybe even putting more swing back in the Frankston real estate ring.
The sporting world has been abuzz since Barty’s retirement wondering if golf, AFLW, cricket or a baby are next on the agenda.
Barty has amassed a whopping $33,540,000 in prizemoney on the women’s tennis tour thanks to dogged determination and a sublime skill set.
Skills we may never see again as a professional.
Swan’s hamstrung in Hobart
A Tasmanian mansion with million dollar views of the Derwent river in Hobart was on Dane Swan’s schedule this weekend, but a hamstring strain has cost him the opportunity to party.
The Apple Isle’s capital city was to play host to Swan but the retired champion has been left hamstrung.
AFL player agent pioneer Ricky Nixon organised for he and Swan to headline a Hobart football club’s sportsman’s lunch on Friday and then kick on at the party palace.
But Swan was left benched.
“It’s a huge disappointment,” Nixon said.
The pair had planned to stay in Hobart on Friday night at the $4m mansion with a pool and spa overlooking the famous waterway, but with Swanny’s injury thought it best to spend more time at the club rather than at play.
The Hobart party palace is believed to owned by a Geelong nightclub owner.
The pair instead enjoyed former Melbourne player Garry Baker’s restaurant in the city’s CBD before hitting the road and travelling north to Wesley Vale Football Club.
One of the AFL’s greatest small forwards, former Saint Stephen Milne, was Swan’s fill in.
Milne was paid handsomely for the late call up across Bass Strait and thrilled the fans.
Australian sporting icons honoured in Sydney
Australian sporting icon Anthony Mundine and American surfing legend Kelly Slater donated a one-off piece of art to the Charlie Teo foundation at an exclusive dinner in Sydney on Friday night.
The function, held at Crown’s Sydney tower in honour of the surgeon and his self-titled foundation, dedicated a portion of the evening, hosted by Richard Wilkins, to a unique item painted by an Aboriginal artist who re-created a photo of Mundine and Slater.
The proceeds from the sale of the item were donated back to the Charlie Teo foundation.
Many consider Slater an honorary Aussie after spending so much time on our soil with our beautiful beaches and sensational swells.
Zerafa taunts Tszyu
Trash talking is already underway with middleweight contender Michael Zerafa delivering this message to rival Tim Tszyu this week: “I’m coming for your head”.
“You can’t run forever, you should have buried me when you got a chance,” Zerafa said this week.
It’s fighting talk from Zerafa, given he was the one accused of doing the running last time the pair were scheduled to fight.
But this is Zerafa, a boxer who punches and polarises in equal measure.
Is Tszyu running from Zerafa? Very unlikely.
The only running you will see in the context of this potential fight is Zerafa running his mouth – and it’s for one reason only: Talk is cheap especially in boxing where big paydays and big mouths are frequent.
Trash talking in the fight game leads to more interest, which translates into more bums on seats and importantly more pay per views – and yes, more money for Zerafa.
“It’s the fight everyone wants to see,” the SAS celebrity contestant told us.
But first Zerafa will have to get past Brazil’s Esquiva Falcao for the vacant IBF middleweight title which will take some doing – 29 fights, 29 wins pretty much says it all.
“Sure it’s one fight at a time. Win that one and then I’m getting Tszyu and I’m going to shut up all the haters,” Zerafa said.
No conflict here
Claims of conflict have been dismissed as “offensive” by Kylie Watson-Wheeler’s business, Disney, with the streaming giant commissioning a documentary on the Western Bulldogs.
Ms Watson-Wheeler is the Bulldogs president as well as senior vice president and managing director of Disney Australia.
Suggestions the AFL team may have been given favouritism in appearing in the documentary were tabled by television executives in Melbourne merely asking the question.
One high up at Disney told Sheahan Ink there are several AFLW teams who are part of the planned series and it is simply “wrong” and “untoward” to suggest there was any favouritism by the Bulldogs’ president.
Sheahan Ink was then provided a statement from another at the company.
“All commissioning decisions go through a robust greenlight process regionally and globally,” it reads.
It’s believed the Western Bulldogs could be one of several AFLW teams to participate in the series highlighting the great inroads the league has made championing the women’s competition.
Secret shorts
Two big name AFL identities have seemingly fallen out over one’s vaccination stance.
Instagram unfollowing is the latest way one works out whether their friend, enemy or even lover has ghosted them.
And this is what’s happened with these two former champs, with the two now working in the media.
One is a strong advocate for the Covid vaccination whereas the other is pro-choice, opting not to take the jab.
In a sign of off-field dissent, the pro-choice player said he threw his arms in the air wondering what he’s done to offend the big name media man.
Where has freedom of choice gone in this modern era?
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Originally published as Sheahan Ink: Ash Barty shows off golfing prowess at Peninsula Kingswood Country Club
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