These three Macarthur workmates are swapping freight work for the fairway, representing NSW in Australasia’s biggest indoor golf championship in Melbourne this month.
Scott Green, Shane Zielonka and Andrew Robinson (pictured above) will join eight other teams from as far as Christchurch, Darwin and Perth to compete in the annual X-League Championships – the Southern Hemisphere’s largest tech-powered golf competition.
Now in its 14th consecutive year, becoming finalists marks a major milestone for the teammates who juggle busy work lives, young families and a rekindled competitive spirit.
“It all started with bit of friendly rivalry and our combined love of golf. Now, here we are, heading to the finals,” says 44-year-old Shane.
Having worked together for the last decade, the trio have claimed a collection of local golfing victories, but this year marks the first time they’ll finally get to swing for the top prize against top teams from across Australia and New Zealand.
“It’s been a long time coming. We’re pumped,” Shane said.
Hosted at a state-of-the-art facility in Melbourne, it’s an achievement that more than 1,000 X-League players vie for when they sign up for a season at one of X-Golf’s 32 Australasian hubs.
A testament to the souring popularity of competitive Esports, X-League runs three 10-week seasons each year where teams compete across nine-hole handicap matches.
While X-League brings a new flavour rarely seen in competitive golf, the workmates see it as more than just sport – it’s about connection and carving out time for themselves.
“Weekends are for family, but mid-week, this is for us,” Shane said.
“It’s all about the banter, the camaraderie and a bit of healthy competition to keep you sharp.”
X-Golf’s Nick Treble says these stories are exactly why the team continues to forge ahead to revolutionise what is one of the world’s most traditional sports.
“You’ve got the mateship of a local footy team, the buzz of Esports and the realism of the best tech currently on the global market,” he said.
“We’re very proud to reimagine a sport that we all love and we really value watching every day golfers push themselves, improve and build communities around the game.”
Created by Melbourne-based brothers, Ben and Charles Styles, X-Golf simulators have become renowned for ultra-realistic game play where every day golfers benefit from high-definition cameras, lasers, impact sensors and infrared to see each shot is tracked with precision.
The X-League national final tees off August 30-31 at X-Golf Clyde North in Victoria.
To learn more about X-League, visit https://www.xgolf.com.au/x-league/
