Archive for February, 2009

WAGA Up-date

The Australian Disasters - Yesterday, Sunday the 22nd of February was declared a day of mourning for the 209 people who lost their lives in the Victorian fires and for the many injured and homeless. In a ceremony at the Rod Laver tennis stadium, HRH Princess Anne joined the Governor-General of Australia, the Victorian Governor and numerous political and religious leaders to lead Australians with a simple message of sympathy and solidarity for  those who suffered so much in the fires. It was extremely moving and made one realize that when your problems seem large, there are others worse off than yourself! The Prime Minister, the Right Hon. Kevin Rudd has declared that in future years, February the 7th will be a national day of mourning in rememberance of the victims of the 2009 fires.

The Queensland floods - have receded and water is flowing south, eventually it will travel several thousands of miles and enter Lake Eyre in South Australia which has not seen water for several years.

Golf - here on the Gold Coast, it has rained every day for the past week. Various amounts from large to small, making golf in the afternoons risky. In a versus par event at Lakelands on Saturday morning, I could only manage minus 2 which was about average for the field. Handicap out again by point .1 - bugger!

Malaysia - two ladies from Perth joined over the weekend, giving WAGA 50 golfers and 24 non-golfers;  WAGA will still accept entries and the more the merrier.

Costa del Sol - entries from Dubai over the weekend have taken the total number of players towards 40 - spots are still available.

Sunshine Coast, Palm Springs, Queenstown - all events have a steady trickle of entries and all have spots available. I encourage viewers of the WAGA web-site to help us promote all events - they are extremely good value and great fun.

2009 Victorian Bush Fire Appeal - for those of you who sent cheques, I have deposited them with St George Bank who are clearing them and forwarding funds to the appeal - thank you!

Happy golfing,

Brian Lassen - WAGA; armlass@optusnet.com.au

WAGA Up-date; The Australian Disasters

Last week, two disasters occurred in Australia. In Queensland, 61% of the state was flooded. In Victoria, bushfires claim 181 lives and over 1000 houses. Victorian authorities say that there might well be 300 dead.

Many survivors had less than 25 minutes to leave their homes and have been left with nothing! Australians have contributed over 30 million dollars, Her Majesty the Queen has made a private donation and foreign governments have made donations.

Duke and Janine Miller from Hawaii, regular WAGA attendees sent me this email ” Dear Brian, we have been watching the news about the terrible fires down under. If you could send out an address to your WAGA participants where we might send a check to help those who have lost so much, many of us on your WAGA list would do so”

Thank Duke and Janine! St George Bank, a WAGA sponsor is doing just that today calling it a Day of Donation. If you wish to help, you can send a check(cheque for us Aussies) or wire transfer to:-

St George 2009 Victorian Bushfire Appeal Account

BSB 112 879

account number 491 045 616

The Swift code for wire transfers is SGBLAU2S.

St George have also advised that all fees will be waived on such payments. If you wish to send a cheque to the WAGA mailing address, do so and I will pass it on to the bank. All such donations will be acknowledged. Please remember to make cheques out to St George 2009 Victorian Bushfire Appeal Account.

Thanks and keep looking at the website and recommending it to friends and fellow golfers.

Brian Lassen, WAGA

brian@wagagolf.com or armlass@optusnet.com.au

When you think your day is bad

Last weekend. On the Gold Coast, perfect sunny weather allowed the ANZ Ladies Masters tournament at Royal Pines Golf Course to host numerous below par scores and the winner, Ms K Hull (Aussie) had minus 16. Karrie Webb was 6th or 7th, minus 3. I wish, thinks Brian, a plus 18 handicapper!

The State of two States.

To the north of Brisbane, 61% of Queensland is flooded with one city, Ingham, being flooded twice in 48hrs - a major road accident closed highway 1 with 5 fatalities, at Cape Tribulation near Cooktown, a 5yr boy was taken by a crocodile. Not what you would call a “good weekend” for those people.

And it gets worse!

To the south, Victoria had 46.4deg C temperatures on Saturday with 100kt winds. The numerous fires claimed the lives of over 131 people and 750 homes were destroyed. Authorities are still counting. Spare a thought for these poor people. WAGA do not know if any of our members have been injured but if I hear, I will publish details on the website.

All of the above has nothing to do with the aims of WAGA but it does show, we do not know our futures and when we think things are tough, there is always somebody worse of than ourselves.

So WAGA will continue to provide tournaments that will allow you to escape from the motony of work, retirement, watching the share-market or your bank balance and give you new friends, fun and I hope, memorable rounds of golf and sightseeing.

Happy golfing, Brian Lassen, WAGA

World Airline Golfing Alliance Up-date

I notice it is now 18 days since I last placed information on the site. How time goes when you are having fun, watching the stock market or worrying about the big R - Recession word. That word and its possible woes are always the centre of news here in Australia. Governments around the globe seem to be trying to ignore it, blame somebody else or tell us it really is our fault. I don’t quite know how it is my fault but at WAGA, we will strive to combat the problems of it, enjoy our lives as much we can and promise to provide WAGA attendees with the best budgeted golf tours that they can find. Some things can be put aside, some can be ignored but at the end of the day, we have worked hard so deserve some pleasure in whatever time we have left. So there it is, Governments do what they will, WAGA will continue to provide great events, great fun and great value!

Here on the Gold Coast, we are enjoying 31degC temperatures and the ANZ Ladies Masters is being played at nearby Royal Pines Golf Course. Numerous ladies are under par, I only wish! Recent golf has not been anywhere near par I must say.

WAGA future events. Malaysia in April, 48 golfers and 23 non-golfers; Coast del Sol in June, 35 attendees, Sunshine Coast in August has 28 spots taken, Palm Springs in Sep/Oct has 20 taken and Queenstown in November has 10 applications. Spots exist in all events! Numbers are down but given the state of affairs around the world, WAGA are happy with responses thus far.

Yesterday WAGA staff met with the General Manager of the Radisson Gold Coast who is preparing a proposal for August 2010.  The Furama Resort in Danang, Vietnam is also preparing a proposal and the Hilton in Pattaya Beach, Thailand is also interested in future WAGA business. I would think that 2010 will hold only 4 events for WAGA so if you have a spot that you think would be suitable for a WAGA event, you know where to contact me: - armlass@optusnet.com.au

Happy golfing, Brian Lassen, WAGA