New Carpentaria Golf Club president Murray Mountjoy says the quality of the course and restaurant are on the 2024 executive committee’s radar as areas of improvement. Photo: Supplied.
Improvements to the course and inside the clubhouse are on the scorecard for Carpentaria Golf Club’s 2024 president.
Well-known Weipa resident Murray Mountjoy was elected to the role earlier this month and said he was looking forward to notching up some major wins for the club, both on the fairways and in its restaurant.
“Our restaurant is an area of focus, and we’re looking to improve the range and the offering of our restaurant meals,” he said when asked what his leadership priorities for the season were.
“We’re going to focus on a reliable, quality offering and setting.
“We’re also looking to continue the improvement of the course itself, which will improve the quality of the game and, from that, the number of players.”
In a boost for the club, it will host a qualifying round of the popular Survivor Golf series, a two-person Ambrose event with prizes on offer every hole, before competitors line up for its flagship event, the Goodline Weipa Open, in May.
Mr Mountjoy said he believed he and his committee could help steer the club through the challenges of previous seasons, adding patrons would start seeing changes over the coming months.
“I felt I could make a difference to the club,” he explained when asked why he put his hand up for the president’s job.
“It’s been through some difficult and challenging times in terms of providing the quality golf we want, and the facilities throughout the club.
“We’ve got a committee that are committed and keen and capable of making the changes, and want to put the effort into the club.”
Vivian Chan has joined Mr Mountjoy on the committee as secretary for 2024, with Deb Duffy and Clinton Wonfor filling the treasurer and club captain positions respectively.
The club’s 2024 committee consists of Carolyn Head, Steven Jensen, William Grant, Tyler Nicholsen, Brandon Waretini, Rob McVean, Matt Byrne, James Hunter, Catherine Sloane.
Course management is always one of the biggest hurdles to a golf club’s success, and Mr Mountjoy said Weipa’s weather made the challenge even more difficult.
“It’s extremely difficult and a big challenge for our greenkeeper staff and our team,” he said.
“You’ve got a wet season that’s notoriously hard and difficult on greens, and the prolonged dry season that’s equally as tough.
“There’s a lot of work that needs to go into just maintaining the fairways.”
Notwithstanding the challenges facing the club, Mr Mountjoy said the committee was excited to be teeing up for success in 2024.
