ROYA L QUEENSLAND GOLF CLUB
REC I PRO CAL CLUB S WEEKEND ~ 5th to 7th October 2012 ~
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT We have just enjoyed a wonderful weekend with representatives of 14 of our Reciprocal Clubs and over 150 attendees throughout the weekend of golf and social activities. Our Members, Associates and their partners have enjoyed meeting with a very fine group of like minded persons of common interests and similar backgrounds. This is no surprise as the very essence of Golf Club reciprocity is to build bridges to bodies of golfers, both in Australia and abroad, who have a similar outlook to ourselves. The main elements of Golf Club reciprocity are: • camaraderie and fellowship • to meet like-minded persons with similar interests when travelling • enjoy Reciprocal Club events when host Clubs put themselves on show • playing golf
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to gain access, in other cities, both home and abroad, to equivalent facilities on the same basis as we access our Clubs at home to gain facilitated access when relocating, in Australia or abroad, to equivalent golf facilities
“If you love the game of golf and the fellowship of golfers, then ‘reciprocity’ is a wonderful path to full-filling your golfing and social aspirations”. Thank you for your contribution to making the 2012 Royal Queensland Golf Club Reciprocal Clubs Weekend a most enjoyable event. To our Reciprocal Guests, we hope to see you return to RQ soon, and look forward to formally welcoming you back in 2014. Kerry Wark President
Thank you to ouR RECIPROCAL GUESTS Barwon Heads Golf Club • Gary and Jenny Lee • John and Sally Robertson
Elanora Country Club • Michael and Georgina Gaynor • John and Pamela Randall
Royal Canberra Golf Club • Peter and Sue Maloney • Ray and Claire Young
The Royal Adelaide Golf Club • Graeme and Catriona Newcombe
Concord Golf Club • John Atkin • Judy Haddrick • Brian Ollerton • Sue Carr
Killara Golf Club • Michael and Penny Clarey
Royal Perth Golf Club • Ian and Margaret Armstrong
New South Wales Golf Club • Barry and Nina Breen • Phil and Pauline Banister
Royal Wellington Golf Club • Ian and Lyn Lindsay • John and Odette Tait
The Royal Melbourne Golf Club • Richard and Caroline Larkins • David and Viv Temple
Royal Auckland Golf Club • Nigel and Anne Brown • Brian and Liz Hannan
Sorrento Golf Club • Brian and Lorraine Neill
Cottesloe Golf Club • Ken and Eliie Richards • Murray and Rosey Williams
Woodlands Golf Club • Dan and Kitty Payne • Lindsay and Merryn Brown
The 2012 Royal Queensland Golf Club Reciprocal Clubs Weekend commenced with a relaxing social game of golf on the RQ Links. Guests were paired with RQ Members to provide a friendly introduction to the course. The best shots of the day received a nearest the pin prize including: Marlene Little - Royal Queensland Jenny Lee - Barwon Heads Judy Haddrick - Concord Ralph Heading - Royal Queensland Rob King-Scott - Royal Queensland David Klaffer - Royal Queensland
Over 100 Reciprocal Guests and RQ Members enjoyed the Welcome Cocktail Party. Players discussed the wide open fairways of RQ over numerous refreshments and delicious canapés. A string quartet helped to set the mood as new friendships were made and old friendships rekindled. As the sun set Club President Kerry Wark provided a warm welcome to the 48 guests and strong contingent of RQ Members.
Golf concluded with a chilled glass of champagne.
On Saturday morning 6th October the RQ Associates’ Committee escorted 20 female Reciprocal Guests by boat to visit Brisbane’s Cultural Centre on the South Bank. This was the route taken by the Queen when she visited Brisbane following the devastating floods in January 2011. They visited the Queensland Art Gallery to view the “Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces from the Prado” exhibition, the first from their collection ever to be shown in the Southern Hemisphere. The culture continued with a visit to the “Sculpture Is Everything” exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art which featured works by Australian and International artists which included one of the best views of Brisbane from the Roof Terrace. An Italian lunch was enjoyed at Popolo’s Restaurant on the river, followed by a quick look at Jessica Watson’s Pink Lady yacht with guests marvelling at how small it was for such a grand achievement. A walk over the Goodwill Bridge then on through the Botanical Gardens to the return ferry terminal, completed a most enjoyable day out in Brisbane.
Whilst the ladies were relaxing in and around Southbank the gentlemen spent the day relaxing on the course. The 6,304 metre golf course played, whilst not right off the back tees, definitely lived up to its reputation of a challenging test with only one of the 48 Reciprocal Guests and Members playing to their handicap. Word certainly got around that RQ was hosting some special high profile interstate and international guests with photographers clamouring to gain a view of the private Club via any means possible including plane, car and even ship.
Kerry Wark, on behalf of the RQ Members, explained to the Reciprocal Guests the importance of the Reciprocal Clubs Weekend and the relationships with their Clubs. The fellowship of golf and quality of persons represented ensured an enjoyable weekend that would further develop these friendships. The evening drew to a close around 10:30pm when some guests with strange accents asked “when does the bus leave” as they wanted a good sleep before the all important Sunday match. Sunday morning 7th October started with our new Reciprocal Guests from Cottesloe arriving first for breakfast at the Club just after 6:30am. A strong field of over 100 golfers played in the morning Mixed 4BBB Stableford event with some players taking longer than others to “warm up”. Royal Wellington guests continued the strong golf with Lyn Lindsay carrying her husband Ian around the course to post a winning guest score of 45 points. John Atkin and Judy Haddrick from Concord were runners-up with 43 points. The RQ Members revelled in the balmy Queensland weather with Jennifer Vickers and David White posting a fantastic score of 47 points, closely followed by Nols and Mike Pelly on 46 points.
On Saturday night guests were picked up from their accommodation by bus and transported to the Club for the appropriate arrival via a special walk down the RQ Entrance. An amazing array of fresh Queensland produce satisfied the culinary requirements of the 100 attendees at the dinner with the Kingaroy Lamb Rack and Moreton Bay Bug the highlight. All in attendance really let their hair down and enjoyed a fabulous evening with RQ Captain John Greenhalgh announcing John Tait from Royal Wellington as the day’s champion with 37 points, closely followed by Dan Payne of Woodlands with 35 points and RQ President leading the local players in with 34 points.
The Closing Lunch on Sunday afternoon continued the relaxed convivial atmosphere of the weekend. The rare roasted eye fillet of beef and prawn salad was almost as popular as the champagne, with the Club almost running out of the bubbly! Ray Young, President of Royal Canberra Golf Club did a fine job as closing speaker on behalf of the 14 Reciprocal Clubs in attendance thanking the RQ Members in particular for the fine hospitality displayed throughout the event.
On behalf of the Board and Management of Royal Queensland Golf Club we thank you for your contribution in making the 2012 Royal Queensland Golf Club Reciprocal Clubs Weekend a most enjoyable event. Planning has already commenced for our 2014 event. To all of our Reciprocal Guests, don’t wait two years, we encourage you to continue to develop our strong relationship and come and visit and enjoy our world class facilities soon.