Q Golf - Official online magazine for Golf Queensland Spring / Summer 2011 | Page 8

Playing for the fun

Wendy O’Connell

By Bernie Pramberg

growing up on the NSW central coast at
Tuggerah Lakes.

Queensland Women’s
Senior champion Wendy
O’Connell really is an “I’ve
been everywhere” golfer.

“We lived right on the golf course and,
like a lot of kids, I started off with a cutdown 3-iron with a wooden shaft,’’ she
recalled. “I probably started to get serious
about golf when I was 13 or 14.’’

A leading contender for the Australian
Women’s Senior at Toowoomba Golf Club
from October 24-28, Wendy has played
from Groot Island to Broome, Katherine
to Kalgoorlie…and enjoyed every minute.
A member of Wantima since moving
from New South Wales in 1980, Wendy’s
achievements in the game range from
winning the 2006 Australian Seniors at
Bribie Island to success in Queensland
Sand Green titles at Boulia and Wandoan.
And there are plenty of stories in
between…

Wendy’s father, Alan Higinbotham, had
become the inaugural secretary of the
NSW Golf Association when it was formed
in 1947 and served in the position until he
retired.

Her love of the game was sparked as a girl

“My father was very involved and we
were also members of the Pymble club in
Sydney,’’ she said.
Wendy was a talented junior…until
another sport intervened.
At 17, she stashed away the golf clubs
to focus on softball which became her

8 Q Golf Online Spring / Summer 2011

www.golfqueensland.org.au

sporting priority for more than a decade.
Wendy represented NSW and the
Australian Capital Territory in softball,
earning selection for the Australian team
in 1973 and in 1978 for the World Cup in
El Salvador.
“The trip to El Salvador was for two and a
half weeks and was very interesting,’’ she )ͅ