“It’s pretty good [The Vintage],” he tells Golf Australia Magazine with a grin.
“I’ve obviously played here a few times. I played my first ever pro event, the New South Wales Open here, I think it was 19 years ago. I was a 15-year-old amateur. I pre-qualified in and teed off the 10th. I’m teeing off the 10th again tomorrow, 19 years later, as a bit more of a mature pro,” he laughs.
That teenage debut sparked a career that’s taken Papadatos across the globe, earning him multiple titles—including two Victorian Open victories and the 2014 New Zealand Open. Yet for all he’s achieved so far, he’s still desperate to lift the New South Wales Open trophy.
2014 NZ Open champion in Queenstown. PHOTO: Getty Images.
“It’d be huge,” he says.
“To have a win in my state open would be an amazing achievement. I’ve had a lot of success down in Victoria, and I’m really proud of that. But it’d be really nice to have a good week here at home.”
Papadatos’ form has ebbed and flowed over the past year, but he’s pragmatic about the rhythm of professional golf. After more than a decade of life on the road, he’s learned to value perspective as much as performance and output on the golf course.
“I’ve been playing a lot the last 12 years – it’s nonstop travelling in Asia, Europe, and America,” he admits.
“I had a few months off in the middle of the year to just cool off, practise, and reset. I’m very happy playing here in Australia at the moment and focusing on the Aussie tour with the opportunities we have here. Then hopefully I can get back over to Europe at some stage because I really enjoyed my time there.”
Europe is where the Central Coast native ideally wants to ply his trade.
“I liked it over in Europe. The countries, the travel, the lifestyle.”
“I had a lot of mates over there. The Korn Ferry Tour in the States was great, and I was lucky to play there, but my heart’s always been in Europe. That’s where I want to get back to.”
Papadatos’ time in the United States was filled with learning curves. A runner-up finish in Chile early in his American stint secured full status on the Stateside’s second-tier tour and changed his career trajectory overnight. But the constant back-and-forth travel between Australia and the States, and the challenges of living without a permanent base, eventually took their toll.
In action at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Knoxville Open. PHOTO: Getty Images.
“I did six trips, Sydney to Dallas return,” he recalls. “It takes its toll.
“It’s not too easy. I had a great first season but just didn’t convert the success to a PGA Tour card.”
These days, he’s balancing the grind of tour golf with a new kind of challenge—his first step into business ownership. Earlier this year, Papadatos co-founded InSim, an indoor golf simulator venue on the Central Coast, combining his love for golf with a growing passion for entrepreneurship.
“I was up on the Gold Coast visiting a couple of mates and playing a few pro-ams,” he says.
“A mate back home asked what I thought about starting an indoor golf simulator business. I went and visited a place called the Burleigh Bunker—it was amazing. I loved the concept, and I thought it’d be great to bring that to the Central Coast. I called my mate, who’s now my business partner, and said, ‘Cobie, I’m in.’”
InSim has already become a local hit, offering TrackMan bays and a gym-style membership model that gives golfers unlimited access to practice time.
Insim is now up and running on the Central Coast. PHOTO: Insim Facebook page.
“I’m lucky that I’ve got a great business partner,” Papadatos said.
“Cobie’s done a lot of the fit-out. I’ve helped wherever I can, but I’m not too good on the tools,” he laughs.
“We work together well. The idea of it is because it’s set up as a membership, it means I don’t have to be too hands-on. While I’m on tour, Cobie can run it, and when I’m back, I can do as much as I can to take the heat off him.”
The business is steadily growing. “We’ve had so much good feedback and a lot of support,” he says. “We were really focused on just that one venue, but there’s been a lot of interest. I think there’s definitely opportunity for growth and expansion. For now, though, we just want to make sure we deliver a great product to our members and the local community.”
PHOTO: Insim Facebook page.
At 34, Papadatos is realistic about the future. While his golf ambitions remain front and centre – starting with another shot at his state open – he’s also preparing for life beyond the ropes.
“I’ve always been interested in business,” he says.
“When you’re 23 on tour, you have the blinkers on. But as you get older, you realise there’s life outside of golf and opportunities outside of golf. Seeing what guys like Jason Day are doing, he’s so successful and still doing so much outside of golf. I look at that and think, why can’t I do something similar? As long as it doesn’t affect my golf, I’m always looking for other opportunities.”
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