About the A.V.G.A.

WHERE AVGA GOLF came from ....

A HISTORY of the AUSTRALIAN VETERAN GOLFERS ASSOCIATION Inc.

A meeting of four businessmen, Messrs. A Hall, W.Foulsham J.Barkel and H.Hattersley took place on 7th July, 1965 and thus was formed the Australian Veteran Golfers Association. (A.V.G.A.)

The purpose of the Association was originally to become affiliated with the World Senior Golf Association whose policy was the "promotion of Senior Golf and through it Goodwill between Nations". Authority to select a team to represent Australia at the World Seniors Championship was given by the Australian Golf Union through the New South Wales Golf Association President, Mr D.W.Dwyer to the Australian Veteran Golfers Association.

The AVGA's headquarters was based in Sydney and it arranged tours over the years that followed to Hobart, Launceston, Geelong and Townsville. Each area were all encouraged to establish their own Veteran Golfers Association.

By 1977 the membership in Sydney had grown to 699 and Regional Associations to 15, bringing the total number of Veteran Golfers to around 2500 in Australia. Whilst every endeavour was made to promote senior golf in the many Clubs it was considered that improvements could be made to the overall Association. Many had contributed to its progress, like Jack Barkel (the only Australian to win the World Seniors Golf Championship), Vic Kendall and Clare Higson of P.G.F. Sporting Goods.

In 1977 whilst in the United States, Bill Sidwell (Sec. of the A.V.G.A.) discovered that not all Senior Associations were compatible with each other, and upon his return set about organising a National Association to amalgamate all veteran / senior golfers under the one banner in Australia. Considerable negotiations took place with various Clubs over the following years expressing their concern that control of Veteran Golf was in Sydney and it needed to be decentralised and be made more National.

Mr Harry Macklin-Shaw, then President of The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide was approached to ascertain the viability of such an organisation being established in South Australia. He instigated a meeting of interested parties who met at The Grange Golf Club in 1980, and so was formed the South Australian Veteran Golfers Association.

To obtain funds for this National "break out" an International Championship was staged in March 1981 by the A.V.G.A. in Sydney at The Australian Golf Club, Kensington, Sydney with the full support of Qantas Airways and Citizen Watches. Donations were received from many well wishers, resulting in a successful event. Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, the then Prime Minister and President of the Republic of Fiji, attended this inaugural Championship. Later he established the Fiji International Seniors Golf Championships in Suva. Funds were then distributed to interested parties in each State for the purpose of promoting Senior Golf in their respective States.

A National Body was considered most essential and the first meeting of the "Steering Committee" took place on the 16th June 1981 at The Australian Golf Club. The Australian Veteran Golfers Union was formed for the purpose of organising senior golf in Australia. Each State has continued to grow, with representatives from each State being represented on the National Committee of the Australian Veteran Golfers Union.

Being the original body that created the spread of veteran golf throughout Australia, the Australian Veteran Golfers Association Inc. still promotes "Goodwill between Nations" by operating its overseas golf tours and local golf tours within Australia. 

The Australian Veteran Golfers Association Inc. operated golf events and tours for the benefit of Senior Golfers who are members of registered Golf Clubs. Due to a change in legal requirements in Australia, it has necessitated all tours being managed by Golfsmart Pty Ltd - a NSW licensed Travel Agent up to 30 June 2014, after which time licensing requirements in Australia ceased.

Golfsmart Pty Ltd now trades as AVGA Golf and was approved by the Australian Veteran Golfers Association Inc. at the time to be the sole company to handle all of its tours and events.

AVGA GOLF still provides support for senior golf in various ways and enjoys a close working relationship with the Australian Veteran Women Golfers Association.