A Reminder for All 'Vets'

With the introduction of several new WOG events over the past couple of years there are still a couple of issues that should
be clarifed to minimise any misunderstandings. Events close to the border(s) appear to cause some concern, in particular for
our latest 'veteran' recruits, as to who is eligible to participate in our events.
 
<<<< Males 55+ and Ladies 50+.>>>>

Anyone who is a member of an affiliated Veteran Golfer Association throughout Australia and New Zealand is eligible to enter
all of our weeks of golf tournaments. In the Blue Mountains each year, in addition to NSW members, we have participants from
Queensland, Victoria, Germany, Austria and the occasional Pom.

As each of these 'veteran golfers' are members of their own state VGA they are eligible. Any other veteran golfer who is a member
of an affiliated golf club but not a current member of an affiliated Veteran Group becomes eligible
by joining the Blue MountaIns Veteran Golfers 'on the spot'.

Taking this course of action avoids embarrassment and keeps the ball rolling.

Most of these problems are dealt with at the time of entry where mostly 'new' vets are exploring the possibilities of participating in
this type of event while seeing the countryside, my job is to make that process as transparent as possible, so for
$5 or $10 who would pass up the opportunity? We had around a dozen Victorians this year, five or six Queenslanders
and my European contingent - one failed to show this year.

Handicaps can sometines cause a few problems because there are people 'new' to golf and don't understand all the rules,
others know the rules but the tournament organisers DO NOT return cards or reports to individual clubs, it is their responsibility
to return those scores. Travelling 'vets' don't go home often and 100% of those check their handicaps regularly, if you catch one
out with an incorrect handicap, it is an unavoidable incident for sure. Tournament organisers can only check so far and
depend on reliable information being returned from home club administrators. With the introduction of  the new website
98% of handicap issues will be eliminated, of course dealing with 'special cases' can be extremely difficult.

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