PCYC Queensland’s Wariganda golf tournament celebrates Reconciliation Week

PCYC Queensland’s Wariganda Golf Tournament held at Rowes Bay Golf Course on 3 June, was a great celebration of Reconciliation Week and Mabo Day within the North Queensland community.

Bringing together elders and young people, the objective of the event is to celebrate Reconciliation Week and MABO Day whilst raising awareness and benefits of the sport of golf within the local and surrounding indigenous communities and renewing and creating community connections around the game.

This year, 108 community members joined in the day including those from the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Townsville Aboriginal and Islanders Health Services, Salvation Army, Red Cross, Indigenous Youth Support Groups, Indigenous Men’s Shed and Women’s Groups, Queensland Police Service (QPS) and Police Liaison Officers who together, formed 27 playing groups.

Players came from Mackay, Bowen, Burdekin and Mount Isa to take part in the tournament, a four person Ambrose format, which is very inclusive for first timers. It is also a great opportunity for experienced golfers to mentor and pass on their knowledge of the game. Locally the tournament is preceded with a five week learn to play clinic for local community members who register and have never played golf. These players then enter the tournament as teams.

Our Wariganda Golf Tournament Ambassador, Uncle Russell Butler, plays on the Australian Indigenous golfing circuit. Wariganda is the name given to this area by the Wulgurukaba people, and the welcome to country was performed by the Wulgurukaba mob.

Congratulations to Xanthe Power, Temone Power, Tim Miller and Ben Power of team ‘24th Team’ took out the title for first place. Last year’s inaugural winners Mick Prien, Brad Stout, Alan Wharton and Kenny Thompson of team ‘Hot Dog No Bun’ placed second, and third place was taken by Trevor Prior, Adam Weatherall, Steve Batterham and Drew Ross of team ‘Townsville PLO’s’. Wayne Banfield from team ‘Wrapped Up Mince’ was the nearest to pin comp winner.

Thank you to all who participated and helped put the event together. We are already in discussions with the Rowes Bay Golf Course to make the Wariganda Golf Tournament for 2020 bigger and better and look forward to the fantastic community spirit and support this event attracts.

For more information on PCYC Queensland’s Indigenous Programs and events, click here.