WADA Golf at Joondalup Resort

24 committed WADA golfers took to the Joondalup Resort, Quarry and Dunes combined course, for our traditional early winter fixture. Fortunately, the showers held off and the group was rewarded for their commitment with a magnificently presented course. There were some treacherous pin placements again this year, and a strong westerly breeze made for challenging conditions.

The event was again sponsored by Dentaurum Australia. A WADA Golf sponsor based in Sydney, Dentaurum is the oldest dental supply company in the world and has a proud history of product and service excellence, supplying a wide range of orthodontic, prosthetic and hygiene consumables.

We were joined by Dentaurum Managing Director, Kevin Ferrari. Our sincere thanks are extended to Kevin and his team for their generous support of this event. We look forward to a long association with Dentaurum for future WADA Golf events.

Our winner for the day on a fine score of 40 points was Dean Martin. Patrick Douglas maintained his run of fine results with a second on 38 stableford points and Charles Angliss was a close third on 37 points.

Nearest the pin prizes for the day, sponsored by our corporate partners were won by:

Nearest the pin

3rd hole

Quarry NTP Brad Potter Health Practice Brokers

7th hole

Quarry NTP Terry Pitsikas Swan Valley Dental Laboratory

4th Hole

Dunes NTP Gregory Yap Dentsply Sirona

7th Hole

Dunes NTP Terry Pitsikas Healthlinc

9th Hole

Dunes NTP Michael Welten Insight Dental Ceramics

Our placegetters

• 5th place on 34 points: Russell Gordon

• 4th place on 35 points: Keenan Indercheeth (well done on pipping Russell to the post, Keenan!).

• 3rd place on 37 points: Charles Angliss

• 2nd place on 38 points: Patrick Douglas

• 1st place on 40 points: Dean Martin

All interested golfers are welcome to join us for a game.

Good golfing

Frank Welten

WADA Golf Captain

Dentistgolf@gmail.com

Vale Ray Purt

Ray Purt began his career in the dental industry at the tender age of 15 in Harley Street in London, England, when he began an apprenticeship as a ceramist. He was conscripted into the British army and posted to Germany, were he finished his apprenticeship in the British army. After a two-year posting, he came home, met his future wife, and within a month they were on a plane to Johannesburg (South Africa) and within days was working in a large dental laboratory. “He thought it was an adventure – and the adventure never stopped,” says Ray’s son, Clive.

“He established his own dental laboratory after a few years and it was reported to me that it was the biggest on the African continent,” Clive reveals. “He had 20 to 30 dental technicians and he would fly around Southern Africa as a roving consultant ‘taking shades and advising what was possible’. I discovered he did a lot of restoration work for some serious politicians in South Africa. The most notable was his meeting with Chief Buthelezi (a well-known political figure of the Zulu nation) who he established a wonderful dialogue with during his Dental treatment.”

The Purt family’s move to Australia came about when Prosthodontist Professor Patrick Henry was attending a dental conference in London told a friend (who was a dentist in South Africa, who Ray was working for at the time) that he was looking for a technician who knew their stuff, and Ray was recommended. “Within three months, my father came over to Perth and met with Patrick Henry,” Clive says.

“He actively supported our immigration application. Immigration was tough at that point and we were grateful. That was in January of 1977. Patrick Henry was always my dad’s dental confidant over the decades.”

Dental supplies and equipment business, Ray Purt Dental, was established in July of 1979. “From the first week of opening, the door at Ray Purt Dental has never been closed and the phone has never stopped ringing,” says Clive, who himself has worked in the business for 34 years (more than 10 years shoulder-to-shoulder with his father).

“My father lived and breathed dentistry,” Clive says. “He was passionate about it; he had this amazing thirst for dentistry. He was always there sharing his knowledge, trying to educate, help and troubleshoot, which always kept the business going.”

To the dental community, Clive says thank you for embracing Ray and allowing him to develop, contribute and flourish. “Thank you for taking him on face value. Thank you for supporting him in ways that I know excited him from the point of your acceptance. He really enjoyed his time in dentistry. Thank you for the support, which allowed him to give and receive knowledge in dentistry. We all benefited in some way having connected with my father.”

Many members of the dental community source their equipment and supplies through Ray Purt Dental and worked closely with Ray over the years.

Ray Purt passed away on March 12, aged 88 years.