Category: News & Events

Do you have fundraising skills that would help us and would like to volunteer?

The Western Australian Blind Golf Association promotes the game of golf amongst blind and vision impaired people and runs a lively programme of weekly golf, and national and international tournaments.

We need someone to research grant funding sources that would be applicable to our organisation, and to develop applications in order to underpin the work we do.

If you have some previous experience; good computer skills and strong communication skills – then we would love to hear from you. Knowledge of golf is not mandatory, but is useful!  Contact our Secretary on wendy@wabga.org.au for more details.

The first pre season golf clinic took place at Collier Park on Tuesday 3rd February and was enjoyed by all.

The WABGA is running a 6 week course in March 2015 suitable for anyone that feels they may be interested in the game of blind golf.  It is suitable for those that have never have held a golf club before, or have played a little. We will help you to find your feet on the golf course and decide if this is a game for you!

The course will run at Collier Park over 6 weeks and introduce you to all aspects of the game.  We will provide all equipment, and the services of a professional golf pro who has worked with blind golfers.  We will also provide experienced caddies to assist.  The course will cost $10 per week with funding support from the WABGA. There will be a pre-course meeting to discuss all aspects of the programme; sort out your equipment needs and meet with the golf professional and members of the Western Australian Blind Golf Association on Thursday 5^th March at VisAbility in Victoria Park at 3.30pm

If you feel this could be for you, or someone you know, then we would love to discuss with you and answer any questions you may have. Please email wendy@wabga.org.au and we will get back to you with further details.

We have had a great season in 2014 when not only did our golfers win the Men’s Blind Golf World Championship, Ladies’ Blind Golf World Championship and the National Stableford – but we also had a great turn out to our weekly golf games.  We are looking to expand and are looking to recruit new caddies to assist our blind golfers.  If you have a love of the game, and some spare time on Fridays between March and November – then this could be a very rewarding and enjoyable way to enable a vision impaired person to get the most out of their game.

We are running training for new caddies during February and March with our playing season kicking off on the 6^th March 2015.  We play weekly at Wembley, and monthly at Collier Park.  If you are interested, please send brief details including a phone number to our Secretary at wendy@wabga.org.au. We will ring you back and talk through more details to see if this could be the opportunity for you.

The WABGA has developed up a pre-season training programme with Gavin Fontaine, the golf professional at Collier Park.  The programme is a 5 week course for golfers and caddies as follows:

Week 1.  Short game – chipping, technique and distance control

Week 2.  Swing – iron play including pitching

Week 3.  Bunker play

Week 4.  Putting – short and long distances

Week 5.  Driving and iron play from uneven lines (uphill, downhill and sidehill)

A 9 hole round of golf will follow to practice!

The dates proposed are from Tuesday 3^rd February to Tuesday 3rd March at Collier Park.  Further details from wendy@wabga.org.au

We have been pleased to welcome some new members to the WABGA in recent months, but we have room for more!

If you now find that you have problems spotting the ball and want to play golf in a supportive environment of like-minded people – then the WABGA could be for you.

We play a 9 hole game at Wembley, North Perth every week and a monthly 18 hole game at Collier Park, South Perth.  Members can play towards an IBGA handicap enabling them to play in State, National or International tournaments – or just simply come to enjoy a social game.  We have caddies that can assist.

Please email wendy@wabga.org.au or ring 6364 0355 to find out more

WABGA golfers won the honours at the World Blind Golf Championships that were held in NSW Australia in May 2014.  WABGA golfers took several of the top prizes with Malcolm Elliott now the ISPS HANDA World Blind Golf Champion and Jenny McCallum winning the Ladies Championship. Malcolm also took the Net B2 Award and Doug Burrows came in as runner up in the Net B3 category. Deanna Minciullo was third in the Ladies Championship.

To top this, Jenny McCallum repeated her strong performance and is also the Ladies 2014 ISPS HANDA Australian Blind Golf Champion with Deanna Minciullo as Runner Up.

The WA Masters was held at Collier Park in Perth on Monday 28^th October 2013 with a large turnout of 23 players including many from the eastern states of Australia. The overall winner for the WA Masters Ron Anderson Trophy was Takakazu Takahashi from Japan with Rick Krolik from Victoria as Runner Up.

Full results are as follows:

Overall Winner                    Takakazu Takahashi / Caddy: Shiro Yamazaki

Runner Up                            Rick Krolik / Caddy: Alexander Petropulo

B1 Winner                             Glenn Niciejewski / Caddy: Jodie Niciejewski

B1 Runner Up                      David Blyth / Caddy: Gary McInnes

B2 Winner                             Sean Witting / Caddy: Brian O’Meara

B2 Runner Up                     John White / Caddy: Ross Thompson

B3 Winner                             Rod Mills / Caddy: Michael Mills

B3 Runner Up                      Doug Burrows / Caddy: Chris Roberts

The competition was hotly contested and acted as a perfect practice day for the Australian Open held over the following two days.

The 2013 Western Australian Blind Golf Open Championship took place at Collier Park on the 17^th and 18^th April 2013.

In a spirit of tremendous camaraderie the competition was hotly contested.  John White was the overall winner on 69 points ably assisted by Ross Thompson.

Doug Burrows was runner up with caddying by Terry Woodward on the first day and David Broadhurst on the second day.

Jenny McCallum won the B2 category on 67 points.  Mark Chamberlain was caddie on day one with Ian McCallum on day two.  Doug Golding did the honours for the B3 category on 53 points with Dilys Hughes as caddie.

The WABGA was pleased to welcome two new caddies who ably assisted their players – Mark Chamberlain and Terry Woodward. This is part of a continuing drive for new members and caddies that is being conducted by the WABGA.

Jim Hunter, Tournament Director said that the Championship had shown the true spirit of Blind Golf with some excellent golf played in a spirit of friendly rivalry.

Two guests were very welcome at the prize ceremony.  John White, Dr Handa’s representative on the IBGA board and David Blyth Chairman of Blind Sports Australia who presented the prizes.  All players and caddies had the chance to socialise over a drink and refreshments as a fitting end to a highly successful tournament.

FULL RESULTS

	Player		Category		Caddie
Overall Winner	John White	69 points	B2	34.3	Ross Thompson
Runner Up	Doug Burrows	68 points	B3	34.8	Terry Woodward (day 1)David Broadhurst (day 2)
Winner B2	Jenny McCallum	67 points	B2	31.3	Mark Chamberlain (day 1)Ian McCallum (day 2)
Runner Up B2	Malcolm Elliott	60 points	B2	46.7	Peter Brunner
Winner B3	Doug Golding	53 points	B3	37.7	Dilys Hughes
Runner Up B3	Darryl Evans	32 points	B3	32	Marilyn Evans (day 1)Len Pettit (day 2)