The late David Gair Inglis was an ideas man, and a bloody good one at that.
In fact, the former teacher would introduce himself as ‘DGI’ – Damn Good Ideas.
Inglis, who sadly passed away in 2003 from Motor Neurone Disease, was one of the great movers and shakers in Australian golf for nearly two decades.
He was the driving force alongside Frank Williams in founding the Australian Masters tournament in 1979, and later the Johnnie Walker Classic. He was also instrumental in establishing The National Golf Club on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
I first met Inglis in late 1996 during a visit to the Yarra Valley and the site of the proposed The Heritage Golf & Country Club. Inglis had just gone into partnership with Dr John Tickell – a doctor, best-selling author and businessman – who had earlier developed the Hyatt Regency Coolum Resort on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Over the next few hours Inglis outlined his ambitious plan.
Integral to the early success of The Heritage was signing Jack Nicklaus
