A LOCAL golf club has revamped its annual open tournament to ensure it can still go ahead during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Barmera Golf Club has moved its open competition from a one-weekend event, to a new format, which sees players able to enter by playing the course any two consecutive days between last Friday and Sunday, July 5.
The competition will include a 36-hole men’s championship, with winners and runners-up awarded for gross and net scores across three grades.
A 36-hole women’s competition is also included, with winners and runners-up awarded for both gross and net scores, with the number of grades dependant on entries.
Club captain Jordan Wright said instead of cancelling the event like many others, it was a case of getting creative with how it could still go ahead.
“Due to COVID-19 we weren’t really able to hold an open event, due to number restrictions and things like that,” he said.
“So we thought we would think outside the box and go with something that we could play over multiple days and still have our normal 120-plus people play in the open.
“We thought we would hold it over a month instead of a weekend, so we could adhere to all the different rules and social distancing.
“It will be good to help attract more people to the region now that even though borders are closed, people are moving around within South Australia.”
Wright said while it might not have the same feel as a normal Barmera Open, one key objective was still the focus.
“Obviously we can’t make it like a traditional open, which is over two days, so the fairness aspect has been questioned, but that’s not really the aim of the event,” he said.
“There will be discrepancies with that stuff, but the main thing is getting people out playing golf and still being able to have an event that would have been cancelled.”
Wright was confident of matching previous entry numbers despite the new format.
“Potentially, but maybe we could even do better,” he said.
“We are going to have our locals all play next weekend and anyone else who wants to play next weekend, if we have room, we will fit them in.
“All of our local members will play on what would have been the normal weekend that we hold the event.
“Lots of people will probably still come next weekend, which was the traditional weekend for the event.
“We get a lot of visitors that always book that weekend to come back.
“It would be good to have people from all across the Riverland come and play.”
With club competitions back to normal, Wright said the course was ready to go.
“It is probably the best it has ever been it would be fair to say,” he said.
Club president Neville McPherson said he was hopeful the new format would be a success.
“We thought, people in the city are wanting to get out and so it is a chance for us to give something to do,” he said.
“It is good for them and it is good for us and the region.
“I have already had people ring me and say they are bringing groups of nine and 12 later in the month and that is exactly what we wanted.”
McPherson thanked all of those who continue to support the event.
“We have had some great support from sponsors, which has been huge for us,” he said.
“They don’t want anything out of it, they just want to help the community, which is really good.”
McPherson echoed Wright’s sentiments as to the current condition of the course.
“We have just sprayed the whole course for broadleaf, mainly to get rid of the clover and it has just knocked the greenness off it a little bit, but we have never had better grass,” he said.
For more information on the new-look Barmera Open, visit https://www.facebook.com/BarmeraGC/ or https://www.barmeragolfclub.com.au/.