Upcoming Pro-Am caps decade of driving growth via golf program

Darrell and Michelle Dalton of GPAI.

GPAI golfers at Glenview Par 3, where the Charity Pro-Am will take place on December 4.

The 2025 GPAI Charity Pro-Am marks more than just a world-first event — it’s the culmination of over a decade of quiet, consistent work by Darrell and Michelle Dalton, the founders of Nambour’s Golf Programs Australia Incorporated (GPAI).

From humble beginnings in 2014 as a Special Olympics program at Tanawha Par 3, GPAI has grown into a multi-faceted organisation recognised for innovation. From rain-or-shine golf coaching sessions to a thriving charity golf shop in Nambour, GPAI’s impact continues to grow —  all driven by one vision: inclusion through golf.

“When we started GPAI, our mission was to create an initiative where people living with an intellectual disability felt included and welcome on the golf course,” said Mr Dalton. “To now be running a national-first Pro-Am in partnership with the Australian PGA, where our cohort helps deliver the tournament — is beyond what we imagined.”

The weekly program is now delivered at Glenview Par 3 with GPAI also providing coaching, employment and

training opportunities from its curio-retail gift store & charity golf pro-shop in Nambour for a number of program participants.

In 2024, the organisation won “Best Sunshine Coast Community Organisation of the Year” and was a finalist for “Best Disability Service, Recreational or Sporting Program.”

30 PGA Pros, 90 amateurs

The Pro-Am, to be held Thursday, December 4 at Glenview, will feature up to 30 PGA Professionals and 90 amateurs in a teams format. But it’s the behind-the-scenes contribution of GPAI’s own golfers that sets the event apart.

“Our participants will have helped plan, promote and prepare this event. They’re greeting guests, assisting with player registration, awarding prizes — you name it,” Mr Dalton said. “It’s theirs as much as it’s ours. Golfers living with an intellectual disability will rub shoulders with PGA Professionals, local businesses, amateur golfers and media and they can’t contain their excitement.”

With big ambitions ahead — including building a clubhouse and storage facility — the Pro-Am is both a celebration and a springboard for GPAI’s next chapter.

“We’re here to break isolation and drive inclusion,” Mr Dalton said. “And this Pro-Am is a stepping stone to larger

fundraising tournaments in partnership with my professional organisation, the Australian PGA, which is committed to making golf a more inclusive sport.”

Details www.gpai.org.au/teamentry | president@gpai.org.au | 0407 472 526.

Put your business on course for a great cause

Businesses across the Sunshine Coast are being encouraged to swing into action for a good cause by backing the 2025 GPAI Charity Pro-Am on Thursday December 4.

Hosted by Golf Programs Australia Incorporated (GPAI) at Glenview Par 3 Golf Course, the event is shaping up to be one of the most inclusive and meaningful tournaments in the country — and a great opportunity for businesses to get involved.

Sponsors, teams, prizes

“The job now is to secure sponsors, teams, prizes, media and funds to assist in dealing with the reality of putting on a serious event such as a Pro-Am which attracts unavoidable costs,” said GPAI President and tournament organiser Darrell Dalton.

Sponsorship packages are now available, and team entries are open. Each team consists of three amateurs who will be paired with a PGA Professional in a Team Stableford format. Entry is $400+GST per team.

“This isn’t just a day on the green — it’s a chance for businesses to stand behind something that matters,” said GPAI President Darrell Dalton. “The uniqueness of this event is that it will showcase the skills of its differently-abled golfers, not on the course, but in the management, promotion and event delivery which they have developed since joining GPAI.”

Darrell said the event provided an opportunity for amateur golfers to rub shoulders with professionals at a marvellous course and friendly format.

“Whether you’re entering a team or coming on board as a sponsor, you’re helping us deliver something remarkable.

Secure your team today for this truly unique charity event and play alongside a PGA professional in a combined Stableford format over 18 holes.”

Spots are limited. Enter via www.gpai.org.au/teamentry | Sponsor Enquiries: president@gpai.org.au | 0407 472 526