The Event

Our 15th Annual Australian Hellenic Golf Open (AHGO) will be held at The Metropolitan Golf Club on Monday 22 October 2018. The AHGO will be a handicap Individual Stableford format played over 18 holes. The winner will be the player with the highest Individual Stableford points. Players will be divided into A, B and C Grade which will provide opportunities to in Longest Drive and Nearest to the Pin for each Grade.

The maximum tournament handicap is 27. All participants must have an official AGU handicap (Golf Link number) to be eligible to compete and win any of the competitions, including the first Prize. Individual handicap information must be provided with application form submitted and at registration prior to the commencement of the tournament. The handicap will need to be confirmed by a Golflink number. Social Golfers with social handicaps can participate, subject to availability based on number of official handicap golf entrants, but will not be eligible for any of the official competition prizes.

We are also holding a Cocktail Event on Sunday 21 October 2018 at the Hellenic Museum in Melbourne CBD. All participants in the Golf day will have complimentary access and can also purchase an additional ticket to bring along a partner.

The Course

The Metropolitan Golf Club located in the renowned sandbelt courses of Melbourne and is widely recognised as one of the finest championship courses in Australia. Metropolitan enjoys a reputation as one of the best-conditioned and most beautiful courses in the country. Pure couch grass fairways with large, fast bent-grass greens that are hand-mown to the edges of the greenside bunkers add greatly to the challenge of the course.

The Entry Fee/ Registration

The entry fee for the tournament is $295 and registrations can be made via the following link through Trybooking:

1. 2018 AHGO click on https://www.trybooking.com/390062

Tickets for the Cocktail Event are $50 and can be purchase via:

2. Cocktail Event only click onhttps://www.trybooking.com/390076

What’s included in your AHGO registration:

• One entry to AHGO event
• Breakfast prior to tee-off
• Buffet Lunch
• Eligibility for prizes including Hole in One chance (must have valid handicap)
• 1 ticket to cocktail function at Hellenic Museum, Sunday afternoon (3-6 pm), October 21st, 2018 (Additional cocktail ticket can also be purchased).

Entry into the event will be based on successful Registration with an email confirmation, received with Tournament places available on a first come first served basis until all tournament positions are filled. All registrations must be accompanied by verification of golf handicap (valid golflink number). Due to the growing popularity of the event waiting lists are not uncommon. Please ensure your entries are submitted as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

All successful registered participants will be provided with a tournament itinerary closer to the date of the event.

The following is the proposed Tournament Itinerary for the 2018 AHGO (subject to changes):

Nike Trophy

The 2017 AHGO champion, Peter Theodorakopoulos, was presented with the perpetual "Nike" trophy. The trophy,sculpted by Michael Meszaros, is based on the "Winged Victory" statue of goddess Nike by Paianios. "Nike"in bronze, is walking through Pentelic marble to victory. The marble was donated by the Glyfada GolfClub in Athens and stands on Tasmanian Blackwood to symbolise the bonds between Greece and Australia.

Event Partners

We are pleased to announce the following 2018 Event Partners:

We are currently in the process in onboarding a few more event partners with details to be provided accordingly.

Tournament Charity

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a horrible disease and fundraising events such as this year’s AHGF golf day are so critical to helping provide continued support to all Victorians living with MND.

MND is an uncommon disease and often people may not have heard of the condition prior to being di¬agnosed. MND is the name given to a group of diseases in which the nerve cells - neurones - controlling the muscles that enable us to move around, speak, breathe and swallow, fail to work normally. With no nerves to activate them, muscles gradually weaken and waste. The patterns of weakness vary from per¬son to person. In Victoria approximately 400 people are living with the condition at any given time - this includes many Greek men and women who are affected by this disease.

The effects of MND – initial symptoms, rate and pattern of progression, and survival time after diagnosis – vary significantly from person to person. There is no known cure for MND. Research has shown some interventions can help people living with motor neurone disease to live better for longer. These include receiving multidisciplinary care, having good nutrition and using non-invasive ventilation.

Although there is currently no cure, it is not true to say that, ‘nothing can be done for the person with MND’. A great deal can be done to maintain quality of life and address many of the effects of MND. The AHGF aims to raise awareness for this disease and also contribute to timely research which may ultimate¬ly lead to therapies to reduce the effects of MND or the development of a cure.

MND can affect the lives of people we know and love.

George Hatzirodos was a strong, hardworking and fit man. What seemed to be aches & pains from work was actually his body being taken over by this debilitat¬ing illness - MND. He was reluctant to visit a doctor until it was too late, whilst the illness attached to his breathing canal causing respiratory issues and resort¬ing to him spending 2 weeks in the Intensive Care Unit. It is a silent illness, with most surviving between 2 to 5 years. The diagnosis took some time to be identi¬fied & by the time they diagnosed his illness (MND) we had lost my father, fa¬ther-in law, grandfather to this wicked & horrible disease. He was born in Limnos in 1943 & passed away suddenly in May 2017, a year after retirement at the age of 73 years. Let’s all support this cause and dig deep to find a cure of this cruel disease soon.

Helen Tsirmiris - nee: Hatzirodos

We encourage the participants to dig deep and donate towards the charity. All proceeds raised will go towards the Research into Motor Neuron Disease. The Golf day will provide all participants with the chance to win some great prizes as part of the scheduled Charity Hole in One, including a car for each lucky Hole in One’s achieved.

If you have any further queries regarding the Tournament or joining the AHGF please email golf@ahgf.com.au or contact:
Theo Theodore 0417571977