Resort proposes pro-am to support Nambour golf program

From left, Luke Neylan and playing partner Colleen Smith, Marke Bowden and playing partner Carol McCoy and playing partner Tania Wood with Jarred Fleming.

A CELEBRITY pro-am event could be held at the Palmer Coolum Resort to benefit a golf program for people with disabilities. 

The pro-am was one of the ideas discussed during a recent meeting between Golf Programs Australia Incorporated president Darrell Dalton and Palmer Coolum Resort golf superintendent Kelvin Nicholson.

The meeting was held after GPAI hosted a successful Special Olympics inter-club golf tournament at the resort course.

Forty-six golfers from Redlands, the Gold Coast, Moreton North, and Brisbane and 25 from the Sunshine Coast-based GPAI, played in the competition on 28 May.

Mr Nicholson put forward four offers to Mr Dalton following the tournament and further discussions are to be held.

“He’d heard about the event and what a great weekend it was and said, ‘We’ve looked at ourselves and we’d like to do more,’” Darrell said.

Mr Nicholson’s first offer to GPAI was 50% of the refunds from container recycling at the facility.

“Secondly, they were looking to host a charity golf pro-am for us at Yaroomba,” Mr Dalton said.

“Thirdly, if we want to hold another event, their facilities staff would like to help us run it.

“And lastly, probably the most exciting, they were offering our students training through their resort.”

GPAI provides opportunities for people with disabilities to learn and play golf, not only building their sporting skills but providing opportunities for players and their families to build social networks.

The golf programs are supported a gift and golf shop and social enterprise in Nambour’s Currie Street where trainees make items for sale and develop their confidence and retail skills.

The offers from the Palmer resort will support GPAI’s programs and the organisation’ quest for a purpose-built golfing facility to provide training and development opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities.

GPAI business and creative manager Michelle Dalton said the Palmer Resort’s offers followed another from the Endeavour Foundation to send donated golf equipment to the shop for sale.

“I think people are looking at us and thinking, ‘They’ve been around eight years, they continue to grow no matter what, what can we do to help?’” she said.