Day set to be classic

A solid blend of locals and visitors will participate in this weekend’s Bethanie Australia Day Classic golf tournament at the Bunbury Golf Club.

An individual 36-hole Stableford event, consistency is the key for those who wish to feature at the business end of proceedings.

Bunbury Golf Club general manager Des Shearer was pleased with how the field was shaping up days out from opening tee off.

“Nominations have been really positive,” he said. “It’s the biggest field we’ve had in 10 years and it’s great to see golf on the radar for visitors to Bunbury.

“It’s an all ages event and we’ve got golfers between the ages of 18 and 75 taking part.”

Shearer confirmed the field was split down the middle in terms of local and visitor participants – but outlined there was more to the event than finishing at the top of the leaderboard.

“It’s not just about the golf on course, it’s also about the camaraderie off the course with everyone enjoying the hospitality,” he said.

Getting some practice in prior to Saturday were travelling contingent Trevor Baker, Gary Hughes, Doreen Hughes and Gary Wenn – who all spoke openly about their fondness of the tournament.

“It’s a great challenge,” Wenn said. “We’ve been coming here for the last 10-15 years. We meet as a group and it’s a really enjoyable week.”

“We stay at the nearby caravan park for the whole week,” Mrs Hughes said. “So it’s not too far – I love the new layout of the clubhouse as well.”

Both rounds will tee off at 7.30am across the weekend, with post-tournament presentations pencilled in for 6pm on Sunday night at the Bunbury Golf Club.