Bill Rogers doesn’t need golf clubs, he doesn’t need golf balls and he doesn’t need any fancy practise facilities. All he wants is kids to play the game.
And juniors to play golf in Queensland’s Central West these days are – according to Bill – as scarce as rocking horse droppings. Currently there are only six in the district with an AGU handicap, and the most he can recall in his time involved is a dozen.
But rather than stress about the declining numbers, Central West’s junior golf co-ordinator for the past 15 years welcomes the challenge of finding, and helping, kids get into golf.
“We need to get the mums and dads interested, then the kids will follow,” said Bill who has also spent 25 years as president of Central West. “The job as president sent me grey, so I thought I’d take on a role helping the juniors. I could see that area needed a boost. Our major problem out here is our isolation. And, we have had some really tough economic times of late too, which hasn’t helped.”
But Bill, who has lived in the district most of his life as a ringer, small business owner and school bus driver, says excuses aren’t reasons.
“I still don’t reckon I have done enough,” claims Bill who is 75 years old, holds an AGU handicap of 10 and has played to his age ‘a couple of times’ since he reached 70. “I’m not sure how to attract the kids because even out here there are other sports they can play. But I do know that if we can interest them we will do all we can to keep them.”
While Bill has the golfing equipment at the ready, and the enthusiasm to keep juniors motivated once they are hooked, a lack of resources remains the No.1 issue. He recently attended a junior workshop in Brisbane and said he was blown away by what he saw and heard.
“I honestly couldn’t believe how far behind we are out here,” he said. “Golf Queensland does the best it can I’m sure, and we can’t ask for much more from them. But for us funding has always been a problem. My one great wish is to see qualified coaches out this way more often.”
‘Out here’ is a huge, somewhat isolated area. Bill is based in Tambo, which is the south-east border of the Central West district, an area that covers almost 400,000 square kilometres. Blackall (100 klms away) is the closest town with a golf course, while Longreach – 300 klms north west – is the largest centre.
Last year Bill reignited the Central West Junior Championships for the first time in more than a decade. They were held in Barcaldine, 23 juniors played and Joshua Hasted from Winton is the reigning champion.
Bill is planning the next event for Longreach, in September, but concedes the best-laid plans don’t always come to fruition in the west.
“For me it’s a hobby and an interest, but the hobby becomes more exciting when new kids take up this great game,” he said.
For the record, Bill has three players from his years as president and junior co-ordinator who he says were standouts. And the trio – brothers Matthew and Jerome Miller and Jacob O’Dell, all from Barcaldine – went on to win Queensland Sand Green Titles.