By Peter Owen
Bangka is an Indonesian island lying off the east coast of Sumatra. It’s the site of the infamous massacre of Australian nurses and servicemen by Japanese troops during World War 11, and it’s one of the world’s major producers of tin.
It’s also the place where Judy Patterson learned to play golf.
British-born Judy and her husband Dick, who worked in the mining industry, went to Bangka for a three-year stint, but stayed 10 years.
“There wasn’t a lot for the wives to do, but they did have a really nice golf course,” Judy said. “So we took advantage of it.”
Judy and a group of friends learned how to play, formed a club, encouraged some of the local ladies to join, and began to compete regularly in the afternoons.
And, though she enjoyed the game, she would never have dreamed, all those years ago, just how big a role golf would come to play in her life.
Judy is the president of Sunshine Coast Burnett and District Women’s Golf, head of an organisation responsible for the management and administration of women’s golf across 29 clubs, from Tin Can Bay to Bribie Island, and from Peregian to Proston.
It’s an awesome responsibility but, somehow, Judy manages to find time for a twice-weekly game of golf at Noosa, where she’s been a member since she arrived on the Sunshine Coast, and competes in most of the open days hosted by clubs in her district.
Judy and Dick Patterson retired to Australia after their sojourn on Bangka, and settled at Noosa Waters after falling in love with the region during a motoring holiday.
“We were here for only a week before we bought our house,” she said. “That was 20 years ago last year.”
Judy, by then a keen golfer, joined Tewantin-Noosa and, to her surprise, was appointed captain after a year. Then she was asked to represent Noosa at zone level, soon became zone president and then district vice-president.
“I suppose I’m a bit of a control freak,” she said, then corrected herself. “No, that’s not true. I just like to see things done properly.”
Last year Judy was involved in a restructure of women’s golf in the region, which saw the amalgamation of the Sunshine Coast and Burnett districts into a single organisation, representing 2400 female golfers.
As well as managing the association’s affairs and funds, Judy’s committee organises golf events, including pennant competitions, across the district. They have introduced a new event this year – Race To The Coast, a competition where golfers accumulate points in nine open days. It is designed to encourage participation in these special showcase days.
She’s also helped rewrite and update the district constitution and revamped the way pennant matches are played.
“I’m really enthusiastic about modernising and reinvigorating the game, and doing things differently,” she said.
Judy’s particularly proud of her district’s role in developing talented young female golfers.
She speaks of the success of their junior development squad, and describes how the district funded a camp for a dozen young girls over three weekends at Maroochy River.
“They’re coached by experts, develop their skills and get to know one another,” she said.
Judy says the appeal of golf for her is not just the competition, but the social aspect – meeting people and making new friends.
CAPTION: Judy Patterson (right) with Caboolture’s district representative Sue Graham (left) and outstanding young Maroochy River junior Ellandi Findlay.
Noosa Springs goes national
Australians all over the country learnt more about Noosa Springs Golf & Spa Resort when Channel 9’s Today show weatherman Tim Davies presented his half-hourly weather updates from the resort last week.
Affable Tim travels the country, delivering weather updates and forecasts each morning from different spots around the nation.
With the help of Tourism Noosa, Noosa Springs hosted Tim at the resort, and on Wednesday he presented five live crosses during the course of the show, hosted by Sunshine Beach home-owner Karl Stefanovic and Allie Langdon.
He talked about the weather – and how much he loved the resort – from various locations around the property, including the golf course where he interviewed coach Peter Heiniger and Noosa Springs ambassador, former rugby champion Michael O’Connor.
Immediately after the show, Heiniger and tennis director Glenn Irwin were flooded with calls of inquiry, and the phones in resort reception ran hot all day, with people seeking information about bookings.
Cassie in the mix in big pro event
Peregian’s Cassie Porter showed the step up to professional golf was well within her grasp when she fired four excellent rounds to finish the fifth best female professional in the TPS Victoria tournament at Rosebud at the weekend.
Cassie, who turned professional just before Christmas, recorded rounds of 67, 69, 68 and 69 for a 72-hole total of 11-under 273.
That placed her tied 23rd overall, seventh amongst the women, and fifth best of the female pros in a unique concept that pits professional men and women, amateurs and juniors against each other in the same event.
She’s now played in three professional events, has shown her game matches up with the best, and promises great things for the future.
Oh, so close for Kirk
Sunshine Beach’s Katherine Kirk missed the cut by a single shot when she played in the LPGA’s Drive On Championship at Fort Myers, in Florida, last week.
Kirk shot rounds of 72 and 72, as she regains her touch after the end of season break, in an event won by Ireland’s Leona Maguire.
Legendary club pro dies
Peregian member John Klatt, for 40 years the head professional at Brisbane’s Virginia Golf Club, died last week. He was 79.
Platt moved to the Sunshine Coast after retiring from Virginia and made many friends at Peregian.
He was an outstanding golfer, winning the Queensland PGA Championship in 1972 and 1974. He was chairman of the Queensland PGA and a member of the Australian PGA board.
Klatt’s funeral was held in Buderim on Tuesday, followed by a celebration of his life at Peregian Golf Club.
Club competitions
NOOSA
Monday, 31 January
Women’s stableford: A grade – Sandra Callaghan 33, Judy Patterson 32, Noreen Flood 31; B grade – Jane Peterson 37, Melissa Cowie 32, Maureen Burgess 30c/b; women’s 9-hole stableford: Elisabeth Thomson 21, Liz Bennett 19.
Tuesday, 1 February
Men’s stableford: A grade – Greg Collins 40, Leigh Hancock 38c/b, Mike Dehnert 38c/b, David Hood 38; B grade – Tony Haack 41, Marcus Edwards 38, Stephen Jackson 36, Derek Pousette 35c/b; C grade – Terry Farrell 40, Bert Hofer 38c/b, Jerome Stuart 38, Neil Bickley 37.
Wednesday, 2 February
Vets stableford: A grade – Bruce Blakemore 41, Stephen McCaul 40, Trevor Payne 38; B grade – Dennis Grigg 36c/b, Brian Roper 36, Dave Stewart 35c/b; C grade – Paul Minnis 38, Ron Logan 37, Martin Taylor 36.
Thursday, 3 February
Women’s stableford: Jess Fleming 37, Donna Coey 35.
Saturday, 5 February
Men’s stroke: A grade – Rob Martin 68, James Agace 71c/b, Coman Reynolds 71c/b; B grade – Gary Elliott 65, Bruce Hallett 68c/b, Adam Grogan 68; C grade – Ben Butler 66, Neil Garrott 70, Philip Bowden 71; women’s: Jess Fleming 68, Allana Moore 71, Tash Baker 77c/b.
COOROY
Tuesday, 1 February
Women’s stableford, 9 holes: Chris Michael 19, Merilyn Thomas 17.
Wednesday, 2 February
Vets stroke: A grade – Scott Bennett 67, Laurie Staples 68, Terry Lyons 69; B grade – Mat McQueen 68, Darryl Ayers 69c/b, Gary Dwyer 69; C grade – Robert Read 66, Anthony Jones 68, Rodney Roemermann 72.
