The Brisbane Golf Club, in its 125th year, has been named to host the first combined Brisbane Junior Amateur Championship for the next three years.
Secretary of the Brisbane District Golf Association, Warwick Nicol, has described the decision as yet another step forward in the phenomenal growth of junior golf in Queensland.
“This is a great opportunity to showcase the best junior golfers in south-east Queensland, and it is fitting the event should be played at one of the best golf courses in the state,” he said.
While the Brisbane Junior Amateur is a long-standing event steeped in tradition, this will be the first time the Championship has been a standalone event. It is also the first time the Championship will be played over two days and 36 holes, as well as the first time the event has been combined to cater for both boys and girls.
The tournament will be staged during the term three school holidays, on Thursday and Friday, July 8 and 9. Boys and girls 18 years and under will be eligible to enter.
While the south-east Queensland corridor will be the initial catchment area for players, the aim is to grow the status of the tournament so that it will attract the cream of Australia’s junior talent.
“Our goal is to make this one of the most prestigious junior golf events in the country, and we believe asking The Brisbane Golf Club to host the tournament will add to that prestige,” Mr Nicol said.
“In the past the Brisbane Junior Amateur has been contested over just 18 holes and was played in conjunction with other events. It never really had its own distinct identity, but that is about to change.”
BGC President Mark Deuble, who said junior golf was something very close to his heart, complimented the BDGA on its decision to dedicate a specific tournament to the Brisbane Junior Amateur.
“Our club has almost 100 junior members – something of which we are extremely proud – and hosting a Junior tournament of this calibre will no doubt further grow these numbers,” he said.
“One of the philosophies underpinning our current board is the promotion and growth of junior golf, and we see this as a giant step forward in that area.”
Dr Deuble added that being asked to stage the Brisbane Junior Amateur at BGC, under this new format, also fits in with the club’s aim to cater for a diverse group of members.
“We want to have members here, from the youngest juniors through to those in their 80s, who simply love to play our great game,” he said. – TONY DURKIN