Veteran golfers ready for a week on the links

Almost 200 veteran golfers will be descending on the Colour City this Sunday for a full week of golf on Orange and Bathurst courses from March 4–8.

The Central West Week of Golf, formerly known as the City of Orange Veterans Golf Classic, consists of a 54-hole Stableford Handicap played on Orange’s Duntryleague and Wentworth courses, plus a round at the historic Bathurst Golf Club.

The annual tournament celebrates its 27th event this year and the program continues to attract golfers from across NSW, Victoria and Queensland.

“It was one of the first ‘weeks of golf’,” said organising committee secretary Brian Kellet.

“It was started off by Harold Percival, in conjunction with a really good committee… it's had a reputation built up by them as the best run, best organised tournaments —  people come year after year after year,” Brian continued.

“We’ve got some people who've been coming for 20-odd years!”

Even with so many more golf events being put on all across NSW, the 2024 tournament will see more than 190 golfers tee off at Wentworth on Monday, with play continuing at Bathurst on Tuesday and concluding at Duntryleague on Thursday.

The Central West Veterans Golf Classic Champions for 2024 will then be named at an Award Presentation Dinner Dance at the Orange Ex-Services Club on Thursday evening.

Wednesday is allocated as a rest day, but Friday will see golfers return to Wentworth for a 4BBB Medley Stableford.

It will be a big week for Orange on and off the course, added organising committee treasurer Stan Streatfeild.

“You’ve probably got over 200 people coming into town for a full week,” Stan said.

“And it could be a lot more than that really, because you've got golfers, you’ve got all their partners and all the rest of it. They all have to stay here for a week and eat for a week and drink for a week. So that’s really great.”