Date: January 20, 2026
Course: Terrey Hills Golf Club
Tee Time: 12:30 pm - Shotgun start
Starting Hole: 9th
Players: Steve Fanale, Paul Khoury, Anthony Khoury, Frank Jury
Weather: Heavy cloud with the constant threat of rain, light sprinkle only
Conditions: Soft underfoot after days of rain. No run on the ball. Preferred lies in play
Game: 9th Game 2026
There was a definite sense that this round was on borrowed time.
After days of heavy rain and flash flooding across nearby suburbs, just getting a game in felt like a small win. The clouds hung around all morning, threatening more of the same, but aside from a light sprinkle here and there, the rain never really committed. One of those Sydney summer days where you’re never quite sure if you’re about to get drenched or just mildly sprinkled on.
It was my ninth game of the year and only the second outing of the Cedars Golf Club season, so we were excited to play another game on a great golf course, even if the ground was slightly waterlogged.
First Impressions Matter
Driving into the clubhouse at Terrey Hills is something else. It’s the first thing you see, and it genuinely feels like you are about to play on a proper golf course. The kind of entrance that quietly tells you this place takes golf seriously and expects you to do the same.
Terrey Hills is unapologetically traditional. Ankle-high socks. Shirts tucked in. Belts mandatory. No hats in the clubhouse. No mobile phones. No negotiation. A few of the boys were politely, but firmly, reminded of the rules.
Course Conditions
Considering the amount of rain the course had copped, the fairways and greens were in great condition. That said, there was absolutely no run on the ball. Drives landed and stopped. Muddied up the balls, so preferred lies were obviously in play.
Approaches plugged stopped dead on the greens, and we almost lost a few cause of how deep they penetrated. The greens were a little bumpy, but that was hardly surprising. I doubt they’d been able to roll or cut them properly with the weather leading in.
The course itself is long. Properly long. Only the second time I’ve played it, and the driver definitely got a workout. Undulating fairways, rolling greens, and holes that reward you for going for the shot. It suited my game, and I had plenty of chances to hit long drives and pull out my three wood for my second shot.
We were in carts, which sounds great until cart-path-only rules come into play. Being in carts sounds like fun, but the Terrey Hills paths have a habit of leaving you on the opposite side of wherever your ball finishes. So while technically riding, there was still a lot of walking involved with clubs, sand buckets and range finders in hand.
Match Play, Family Edition
I was grouped with PK again, so our ongoing match-play series rolled on. Coming into the round, Paul was leading the year 3–1, helped in no small part by what now feels like a very generous handicap because he is starting to hit the ball pretty well, especially his 3 wood.
We also had Anthony Khoury in the group, which was great. Always good to play with Anthony. He’s a far more enjoyable playing partner than his dad 😉 Steady, relaxed, good company. The kind of golfer you’re happy to share a round with for four hours.
We also played with Frank Jury, who I hadn’t met before. Relatively new to the game but playing more now after selling his business and “retiring”. He hit some really good shots early and showed plenty of promise, but consistency faded as the round went on, which is completely normal at that stage for someone so early in his golf journey. That’s one of the great parts of golf, meeting new people and learning their life story while chasing a small white ball around.
Match Play
We started on the 9th hole with a shotgun start, and I couldn’t have scripted a worse opening. First hole, wipe. No easing into it. PK took full advantage and jumped out to a 4-up lead early.
That easily could have been game over.
But slowly, things turned. I settled down and started pulling holes back. By the time we’d played what was effectively the 18th hole, ten holes into our match, we were all square. From 4-down to level I was pretty happy with that turnaround and felt confident going into the last 8 holes.
The back stretch was a proper tussle. Momentum swings. Tight holes. Putts that felt bigger than they probably should have. 1 up - all square - 1 up - all square. In the end, Paul closed it out on the last hole to win 1-up. Close enough to sting, but in the end, he deserved the win.
The “What If” Round
Despite losing the match, I actually played pretty well. Finished with 33 points, including four wipes. Which tells you everything you need to know about how the day could have gone with a little less rust or a kinder bounce.
Ahhh… what could’ve been.
Terrey Hills is a proper test. Long, demanding, traditional, and fair. It rewards commitment to the long game and shooting for the pin. I’ll be back, hopefully with a bit more run on the fairways and a slightly kinder match-play outcome.
On to the next one.
Final scores
Paul Khoury: 34 points, Match play winner (1 up)
Steve Fanale: 33 points (4 wipes… painful)
Anthony Khoury: 30 points
Frank Jury: 26 points
Match Play (2026): Khoury leads 3–1