THERE aren’t too many areas of golf that Peter Hines has not dabbled in during his 84 years.
The former tournament director of the NSW PGA has officially ended his days on a golf course – not so much playing golf but either overseeing tournaments, working as a rules official, caddying and, for the past decade or so, helping the greens staff maintain Penrith golf course in Sydney’s west.
It took a few ‘Jack Frosts’ and cold and windy mornings for Hines to make up his mind that it might, at last, be time to stop and smell the roses and, in his own words, watch the world go by.
“I had set a plan to work until my 85th birthday in October but three frosts in one week at my golf course changed my thinking,” Hines told Inside Golf.
“This ended 40 years in golf, which started with work on the 1984 PGA championship with the late Terry O’Donoghue .
“That led to my career at NSW then later to the PGA Tour, ending in 2017.
“Since then, I’ve been enjoying three and four days a week with the course staff at Penrith Golf Club.
“I have made lots of friends around the world and have some wonderful memories.”
HANDS-ON: After a cold western Sydney winter working on the greens staff at Penrith Golf Club, Peter Hines has decided it’s time to cut back.
Hines said he would still potter around the pro shop for his good friend Jonathan Green, the head pro at Penrith GC.
“I’ve been friends with Jonathan for 40 years and I might outlast him. He did his traineeship there and later took over the shop.”
Hines said his caddying days for some of the up-and-coming youngsters were over too as his left knee made that a bit too painful.
“We (he and wife Shuri) had planned on going to the Japan Open in October, but airfares are ridiculous at the moment.
“So, maybe not this year,” Hines said.
“I still love a bit of travel.
“But I have pulled the plug working at the shed with the greens’ guys after seven years and before that volunteering for about 10 years when I wasn’t on tour.
“Big things have happened at the course and I’ll be interested in watching the development there.
“I’d be happy to go back and give them a hand with coring and that sort of thing.”
Hines said there were a few jobs around the house to keep him busy.
“I am also going to do a photography course at the local TAFE,” he said.
“And when the new airport opens I’ll be able to pursue my other great love, aviation, so I’ll be hopping down there for some plane spotting and to have breakfast with my daughter Wynter.”
After so many years in golf, Hines thought long and hard when asked his favourite player.
“Probably Greg Norman,” he said.
“And not just because I worked for him for about three years.
“Greg was always generous with his time, and we did the Australian PGA with Great White Shark Enterprises for three years as well as some Qantas/American Express corporate days with him and that was special to sit down with him and discuss the game.
Peter Hines with former Open champion Ian Baker-Finch.
“When I got life membership with the PGA Greg sent me a lovely letter, which made it quite special.
“Adam Scott is another player I’ve always admired.”
Hines has also been involved doing the rules for Jack Newton Junior Golf.
“That is always a joy. I took the last group in one of their events at Camden a few weeks ago in the state junior championships and the last group of four players were off handicaps of plus four, plus four, plus three and plus one.
“Seriously, the par fours were a joke for them.
“I’ll continue to do that (rules official) four or five times a year, but I do love that and it’s lovely to watch the juniors and it’s much better to see them on a golf course rather than hanging around street corners.”
Retiring? Not Peter Hines. He’ll be doing something on a golf course – somewhere – for the rest of his days.
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