2024

As another successful year for the Society draws to a close, I reflect on a few of the activities.

The second half of the year has been a busy one. The Don Lawrence Trophy rescheduling, a talk by Sydney based Sports Historian Dr Michael Sheret and a late Golf Historians forum in Shepparton, all made for a condensed program of events, nevertheless and pleasingly they were successfully run and won.

A highlight of the year was our dinners, we were fortunate to have three interesting and entertaining speakers in Dr Joshua Ralston, Sandy Jamieson, and Graham Marsh.

This past year work on the GA heritage collection, including a magazine & journal audit, the re formatting some old tapes and films and planning for deaccessioning items.

In our hickory events, we had the successful running of the Inaugural Victorian Hickory Shaft Championships at Barwon Heads GC.. pleasingly this event looks to have a solid future.

At the recent 43^rd AGM we gave special thanks to Greg Bain, who retired from the Committee after serving six years. In late 2018, Greg took over as the Long Game editor. His publishing background and enthusiasm for the role ensured we have had many  years of interesting and enjoyable reading. This past year he initiated and oversaw a rebranding refresh to the print formats and layout quality to standardize our look.

An example of  “our latest look” can be seen in our banner.

Our popular Annual Meeting Day and final golf event for the year, the Doug Bachli Trophy, was won by one of our new members Clayton Gunning. Hailing from WA, Clayton and two new fellow members made the most of their Melbourne visit, enjoying the many great courses we offer. We thoroughly enjoyed having them join us.

The trophy presentation this year was quite special with Doug Bachli’s daughter and grandson doing the honours.

Michelle Bachli paid tribute to her late father, the first Society President and brilliant golfer who won world in in 1954 when he become the first Australian to win the British Amateur Championship.

Lastly to the Committee, I give my sincere thanks. They contribute in many ways and I very much value their input and appreciate the time they give.

Committee elections, congratulations to those re-elected and welcome to our two new Committee members in Martin Maguire and Doug Turek.

My thanks to everyone who attended our events this year. Organising and running events is not without its challenges and so your participation and ongoing support is much appreciated.

Lastly the Society appreciates, the wonderful hospitality given by the many clubs we visited during the year.

Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy festive holiday season

Good golfing and enjoy the summer tournament season we have coming up.

Shepparton Golf club founded in 1922 was the venue for the final Golf Historians Forum for the year.

Members of the club’s Centenary Committee warmly welcomed the Society members who travelled to Shepparton and in late October.

Committee members Neil Lavis, Sally Naylor, Rob Kelly, and Greta Keenan recounted the club’s evolution from when the golf was played in an ad hoc way around the district from about 1900.
An early golf club was formed in Shepparton 1909 but had no permanent course, and the club went into hibernation with the outbreak of the Great War.

The present club was found in 1922 and gained permissive occupancy of its land at its present site, opening a nine hole course in June 1924.
Within four years, the course was extended to 14 holes, and the club had 200 members.

In 1931, the club bought 8 hectares(20 acres) of adjoining land and expanded to 18 holes with sandscrapes for the putting.
The early 1950s saw electricity and the water supply connected, and more land purchased.

In 1955, course architect Sam Berriman was commissioned to design a new layout on the bigger land with grass greens.

A new clubhouse and improved course were opened in 1960, with the membership climbing to 1000.

In 1962, the club hosted a famous exhibition match between a young Jack Nicklaus , the reigning US Open champion and 1960 Australian Open winner, Bruce Devlin.

3000 spectators turned out to see both champions shoot 69 on a memorable day for the club.
The club has a series of historic photos from that day on display in the clubhouse, some of them signed by Nicholas himself. The original scorecard for the day is also displayed.

The 1970s &1980s, saw major improvements, more land bought and a focus on developing junior golf.

To facilitate this the club arranged for visiting golf coaches to help run clinics for up to 200 juniors from around the district.

In the late 1980s, the club fought for special permission to play a mixed team of boys and girls in the Goulburn Valley junior pennant competition
To further secure the clubs future they were finally be able to buy the original crown land that it occupied since 1922.
For the session we were treated to a short film depicting some wonderful early images of the course and on display were several artefacts and historical an photographs.
The clubs permanent display cabinets were a rich showcase of memorabilia not only of the Nicklaus- Devlin exhibition match but featured a section dedicated to a favourite son the late Jarrod Lyle.

During the forum, we were able to go out on course and expect the site of the original clubhouse near the 17th tee and also one of the original sand scrape greens which has been cleared and sign posted, it sits in rough amongst trees behind the 14th hole. It was lovely to see this small piece of the courses history retained.
Attendees stayed on site at the club, enjoyed a meal together in town and most played the course the next day.

 President’s Trophy –   The Royal Melbourne Golf Club – Monday 29 July 2024   

 Report   The President’s Trophy drew a good-sized field of 30 players to Royal Melbourne GC on July 29th. The late winter afternoon was cool and light drizzle was persistent, but despite the weather there were some excellent scores returned on the famed West Course’s front nine.

The format for the President’s Trophy is 9 holes of stroke, with the top four qualifiers going on to sudden-death matchplay on the East Course to determine the winner. All players must choose only seven clubs for their day.

As the scorecards were collated, all players gathered for afternoon tea in the clubhouse’s MacKenzie Room in front of a welcome open fire.

RM historian and life member Moira Drew led the field with an excellent Nett 33.5. Fellow RM member Andrew Thomson was next with Nett 34, and he played off in a match against Mango Maguire, who played excellent golf in the qualifier, carding one over par for a Nett 34.5.

Four players returned nett cards of 37, and a countback determined Toby Cumming as the final qualifier, who faced Moira Drew in the first match. Toby won on their opening hole with a steady par four, and awaited the winner of the other match.

Andrew Thomson’s bag on the day contained a modern driver and six antique hickory clubs: a lofted spoon, three irons and a putter. He and Mango halved their first hole and moved to the difficult par-4 second.

Mango made a creditable bogey 5 after taking a penalty from an unplayable lie off his tee shot. Andrew was on the green in three with a stroke in hand, and holed a difficult second putt to win the match with a nett 4.

Toby and Andrew moved to the third hole for the deciding match. Both found the right-hand rough off the tee, and were in greenside bunkers for three. Escaping wet bunkers with an antique niblick is a difficult proposition, and Andrew went long into another trap. He sportingly conceded the hole and the President’s Trophy to Toby, as darkness began to close in on the match and the spectators who had gathered to watch the contest.

Player and spectators returned to the clubhouse for the presentations and a sumptuous post golf spread

Society President Kim Hastie thanked Royal Melbourne for its hospitality and for hosting another enjoyable day’s golf at its sublime venue.