Golf
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ONE of Griffith’s biggest participation events – the Veterans’ Week of Golf – kicks off today with around 200 golfers from around the country set for a big week on the local course.
Currently in its 15th year, the tournament attracts veterans from Queensland, Victoria and all areas of NSW for five days of goodnatured competition and socialising.
David Woodside, president of the Griffith Veterans’ Golf Association, said all the pieces were in place for another successful week of golf.
“We’re lucky, because people keep on coming back,” he said.
“Hopefully they think we do a good job of organising it and continue to do so.
“We regularly get around 200 players. Some of the other tournaments are struggling to survive but ours isn’t – we’ve had that number for the last three or four years and we’re pretty happy with that, and the feedback’s always been very good.”
Woodside said tournament organisers have also made an effort to promote the sights and sounds of Griffith as much as possible.
“We try and promote the city, too – we have a tour on Wednesday to Yarran Wines and we encourage people to check out the Festival of Gardens when they’re not playing, things like that,” he said.
There are two major competitions for the week – the men will play a 54-hole single stableford across three days, while the ladies will fight it out for the Old Belahlee Ladies Open Trophy in a 36-hole competition.
The week will wind down with a 4BBB medley and presentation dinner on Friday night at the Griffith Leagues Club.
Woodside said the success of the tournament was down to a relaxed atmosphere and its no-fuss, veteran-friendly policies.
“One of our major policies is if people book and for some reason can’t come because of illness or family reasons, we just refund the money,” he said.
“That appeals to people, I think.
"We don’t ask questions.”