The 2023 AVGU National Championship in Canberra
As you would be aware the ACTRVGA is hosting the 2023 AVGU National Championship to be held between Sunday November 12 and Friday 17 November next year. You can go to the 2023 Championship website by clicking here.
This bulletin is to bring you up to date on the program and running of the event. Further bulletins will be issued from time to time as appropriate.
We will have male and female golfers from across the country attending and this is a great opportunity to meet and mingle with your fellow interstate AVGU members.
Our financial members all meet the eligibility criteria and are of course welcome to enter the event.
It goes without saying that we rely on help from our membership to run the Championship. With the projected number of attendees, you will understand the logistical and administrative issues involved. Even if you are playing, you can still assist in some roles. Further info on volunteer roles is below.
If you can volunteer to assist, please see Chris Morgan to register your interest.
The program:
- Registration will be held at Gungahlin Lakes on Sunday 12.
- A 4BBB medley will be held on Monday 13 at Murrumbidgee and Fairburn.
- The three Championship rounds will be held on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at Gold Creek, Gungahlin and Queanbeyan.
- Wednesday is a rest day. Entrants will be offered and optional tour of the Murrumbateman wine district (at extra cost).
- The presentation dinner will be at the Hellenic Club on the Friday evening.
Arrangements have been locked in with each of the clubs involved.
We are catering for up to 600 entrants (players and non-playing partners).
The 4BBB
Standard 4BBB conditions apply. Players with an accompanying spouse/partner will be drawn to play together. Others will be able to nominate a playing partner on the Registration Form.
The Championships
Separate, identical Championships will be held for men and women and run concurrently.
The Championships are 54-hole stroke events with a concurrent stableford competition.
All players will have an option at any time to discontinue stroke and play stableford only.
AM (07:30) and PM (12:30) starts are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday. On Friday start times will be 07:00 and 12:00
Partners/spouses will be drawn to play on the same course and time as the male entrant, irrespective of grade, unless requested otherwise. Playing groups will be men only and women only but will be disbursed across the course.
Other entrants will be drawn to play with different entrants across the three days and as far as possible with members of other Vets groups.
Men and women will be divided into three grades and play the courses as follows:
| A GRADE MEN/WOMEN | Tuesday 14 Nov Thursday 16 Nov Friday 17 Nov | Gold Creek Queanbeyan Gungahlin Lakes |
| B GRADE MEN/WOMEN | Tuesday 14 Nov Thursday 16 Nov Friday 17 Nov | Gungahlin Lakes Gold Creek Queanbeyan |
| C GRADE MEN/WOMEN | Tuesday 14 Nov Thursday 16 Nov Friday 17 Nov | Queanbeyan Gungahlin Lakes Gold Creek |
Grades will be determined by GA handicaps on 5 November.
For the Championship rounds, handicaps for all players will be as at 14 November 2023 and will remain for the 54 holes, subject to slope adjustment of the course being played. For daily events, handicaps may be adjusted as determined by daily Golf Link assessment.
Carts and Polo shirts
Motorized carts and championship polo shirts will be offered at extra cost.
Kick off
The 2023 event was launched at the 2022 Championship in Mandurah (WA) and our the new website opened on 11 November 2022 so entries can commence.
Alan, Chris, David M, David P and Marian attended Mandurah and launched our campaign at the presentation dinner and handed out the flyer to interested parties.
Entries will close on 31 July 2023, unless we decide to extend the date.
Early bird discounts will be offered for entries received before 30 January 2023.
Eligibility
Entry is open to male and female amateur golfers over the age of 55 years as at the commencement of the tournament who are financial members of a veterans group affiliated with the AVGU and have a current GA Handicap. In States that do not admit females as full members, the Tournament Committee reserves the right to accept female entries on application.
Nonplaying partners
Entrants are encouraged to bring along their nonplaying spouse/partner. We have put together an attractive package (at additional cost) of conducted tours on competition days, the presentation dinner, welcome function and other social functions to encourage attendance.
Volunteers
To this point, the work of setting the parameters of the event and the preparatory stages has fallen to members of the Committee. When this is complete we commence detailed planning for a myriad of logistical issues in running the event. From October we will be bringing on board volunteers to assist in the detailed planning and backup and support to the committee members in areas such as entry verification and management, finance, IT and social activities.
Later in the lead up and running of the event we need up to 50 volunteers for registering entrants on playing days, marshalling and other on course logistics. Some specialist functions such as rules determinations also need to be covered. Tour guides will be needed.
ACT Vets entrants
Members can enter the championship and are encouraged to assist other volunteers during their nonplaying times.
Packaging and pricing the event
Entry fees and charges have been finalized and detailed on the entry form.