Events

Latrobe Golf Club is one of three Melbourne clubs celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2023, and a group of GSA members and guests enjoyed a fascinating history forum at its Alphington clubhouse in late November.

The club has updated its history book  ‘Riverside Masterstroke’

Thanks to the hard work of club members Paul Robinson, June Senyard, Brendan Mathews and the late and much-missed Murray Cropley. These four dedicated members added to the earlier history written by former champion player and member Garry Mansfield.

Those at the forum heard the fascinating story of how the club has developed on a 19th century estate once known as ‘Lucerne Farm’

established by early settler Thomas Wills. A grand oak tree planted in 1842 by daughter Kate Wills still spreads its stately boughs beside the 7th green. Known as the Noble Oak, it is the club’s emblem.

Brendan Mathews and Paul Robinson told the forum guests about Latrobe’s evolution from buying a 9-hole public golf course on the old estate, expanding to 18 holes and even developing a 5-hole short course called ‘The Island’ on land surrounded by a loop of the Yarra River between Latrobe and neighbouring Green Acres GC. It opened just a year ago.

They pointed out the site at the top of the clubhouse carpark of the rundown Lucerne mansion which was demolished by Whelan The Wrecker in the 1960s. They proudly described the clubhouse as a social melting pot popular with sporting and racing identities. One former member was a noted SP bookie, and there is a theory that the Great Bookie Robbery might have been hatched in the front bar by shady characters overhearing talk of large amounts of bookies’ cash at the Victoria Club.

GSA member Peter Stickley was a special guest at the forum, and told of being a young assistant pro at Latrobe in 1958-59 under club pro Stan MacGeorge. Stickley used to ride his bike to work from Balwyn to Alphington and had fond memories of his kindly boss. Peter brought a group of historic clubs to display at the forum and explained how he restores old hickory and steel implements. He also donated to Latrobe a left-handed driver stamped with Stan MacGeorge’s name.

After the forum, 10 players enjoyed 9 holes of hickory golf around the picturesque front nine.

Peter Stickley joined the hickory group.

The Noble Oak tree       

Brendan Mathews and Paul Robinson

Paul Robinson with Secretary Stella Cugley and President Kim Hastie

Our guest speaker for our final dinner for the year was Melbourne based golf course photographer and GSA member Gary Lisbon.

Well known around the world for his photography…Gary has travelled for almost two decades capturing images of the world’s best golf courses for golf clubs and industry publications. Gary has visited and photographed over 685 courses in 26 countries (and counting) and his passion for the game is evident with his spectacular and enduring images. 

A 13-week trip in 2022 saw Gary visit and photograph 89 courses culminating in his just released “Great Golf Courses of the World” coffee table book. Gary spoke his spectacular journey, highlighting some of the other places he has visited and the successes and challenges of capturing images where weather is constantly changing. 

 Members and guests had thoroughly entertaining evening hearing from Gary whilst enjoying his many superb images of courses from all over the world.

                                    Please enjoy this report put together by John Trevorrow

Gary has photographed more than 685 courses in 26 countries, and many of his stunning images are the work of his camera drone, which he is licensed to fly in Australia, New Zealand and EU countries.

He revealed that the magic time of day for him is a 45-minute window each morning and evening when the sun is low in the sky and the softer light highlights the terrain and saturates the colours that all golfers know and love.

Gary has just produced a sumptuous new coffee table book ‘Great Golf Courses of the World’ after a 13-week trip through 89 golf courses in nine countries in the UK, Scandinavia, Europe, and other exotic places.

He showed many of the images as he told the back-story of capturing his beautiful images, including capturing the northern lights at midnight as they shimmered over Lofoten Links, a spectacular private golf course built on the coast of a remote peninsula in northern Norway.

Gary also quizzed the 68 people in the audience, which included Huntingdale’s president Malcolm Hutson and GM Alex McGillivray, by showing images from courses around the globe and asking who could name the venue. The well-travelled audience got all of them, except Norway’s faraway Lofoten Links.

This was the GSA’s third dinner for 2023, and the audience was also delighted to see Gary’s wonderful images of Royal Melbourne GC with the CBD towers in the background complete with hot air balloons, plus an aerial study of the 8th/10th green complex at Huntingdale.

The evening also had a delightful surprise element when relatives of Huntingdale legend Burtta Cheney MBE donated several items linked to the great champion golfer, administrator, teacher and inspiration to women golfers for generations. Her nephew David Cheney donated Burtta’s MBE medal and original MBE certificate signed by Queen Elizabeth, awarded in 1976 for services to the Australian and Victorian Ladies Golf Unions. David also donated Burtta’s Women’s Golf Victoria award of excellence bestowed in 2010 for her lifetime contribution to women’s golf in Victoria. Burtta was a founding member, life member and second president of the Golf Society, and these three precious items were donated to the GA/GSA heritage collection.

David Cheney also donated to Huntingdale GC an old Life Member board – which incorporated a framed mirror – bearing Burtta Cheney’s name from when she was the first and only Huntingdale associate to be honoured by her club as a life member, back in 1968. The board was found in a Melbourne antiques shop by a friend of David, and it is now back at the club where it belongs.

To see more of Gary Lisbon’s work, go to www.greatgolfcoursesoftheworld.com

Dinner guest speaker Gary Lisbon with President Kim Hastie

President Kim Hastie with David Cheney 

David Cheney with HGC President Malcolm Hutson

 The first major golfing event for 2023 was held at Spring Valley golf club on Monday 15^th May.  A field of 31 players lined up for this prestigious 4BBB Stableford event celebrating the enormous life of journalist Don Lawrence who was a major voice in promoting golf through his regular newspaper column. By any standards the impact his words had on both contemporary and emerging golfers who looked most forward to his previews and reviews of tournaments and in particular pennant golf was outstanding. His legacy extended into the GSA where he served as President from 1992-94.

Leading up to the event there was much apprehension as to what the weather would bring.  High rainfall during April and early May (some 200mm) along with significant decreases in temperature were potentially awaiting us again.  However, the players were greeted with sunshine, light wind and warm weather making the course vulnerable that was clearly reflected by some in the scoring.  Included in the field was our current President Kim Hastie and life member Dick Kirby, he also being a life member of Spring Valley Golf club.

So, onto the golf!!

The golf course (a Vern Morcom gem) was set up to allow good scoring and presented in excellent condition.  At 12:30 our field of competitors took to the course for a multi-tee start.

Following the golf players enjoyed snacks and drinks in the club house where the presentations revealed the winners of the Don Lawrence trophy, runner’s up, best front and back nines, longest drive and nearest the pin.  Additionally, the GSA provided a prize for the best member/non-member combination. The competition was very close with the major trophy only being decided on a count back.

And the winners were:

• Don Lawrence trophy: Jenny Picking and David Rew C/B
• Runner’s up: Jamie Holland and Dean Mottram
• Member/non-member: Peter Crowe and Travis Cox
• Best front nine: Jamie Holland and Dean Mottram
• Best back nine: Jenny Picking and David Rew
• Long drive: Men: Dean Mottram   Women: Stella Cugley

• Nearest the pin 3^rd hole: Men: Bruce Sutherland   Women: Stella Cugley

• Nearest the pin 10^th hole: Men: John Scheffer  Women: Jenny Picking

Congratulations to all the winners and all who competed.  While the competition is exciting it is the coming together and sharing each other’s company that is important.

A big shout out to our Secretary Stella Cugley whose organisation was simply the best.  Thank you to Spring Valley Golf Club for a wonderful day enjoyed by all (based on some very flattering and positive feedback) and to Superintendent Craig Anthony (ex-Royal Melbourne) and his team who continue to improve the layout and condition pf the course.

We look forward to catching up with everyone again our future events.

Dinner at Kingston Heath Golf Club ……..Tales of a Volunteer

Our speaker was Golf Society member Peter Bellion APM, a retired Detective Sergeant with Victorian Police serving many years with the Major Collision Investigative Unit, a golfer for 47 years, and a member of Huntingdale Golf Club.

Peter is, however, most proud of his work as a long-time and dedicated volunteer and is an example of how volunteers play a key role in the success of both professional and community organisations. Peter will share with us his volunteering journey including his experiences at Golf Tournaments and with Life Saving Victoria.

Thanks to John Trevorrow for this report-

The second GSA dinner for the year was held in late June, 50 members and guests heard a moving presentation from Peter Bellion, APM.

Peter is a GSA member and is recently retired from serving many years with Victoria Police as a detective sergeant. Much of his service was in the Major Collision Investigation Unit, where Peter came into contact with the results of road trauma.

Peter has been a golfer for 47 years, and is a former captain and board member at Huntingdale GC, where he plays as often as family duties allow.

His talk was titled ‘Tales of a Volunteer’ and he entertained the audience with anecdotes and reminiscences about his many years of volunteering at Victorian golf tournaments and with Life Saving Victoria. Tales of his years with Victoria Police underscored the shared responsibility we all have to drive as carefully as possible on the roads.

Peter is a member and volunteer at Port Melbourne Lifesaving Club. He revealed that club membership across lifesaving is approximately 50/50 men and women, noted that this is in contrast to private golf clubs, where women membership typically hovers between 20 and 30 per cent.

A major theme of Peter’s talk revolved around the important contribution that volunteers make to our society, in whatever capacity they serve. “Without volunteers and volunteering, a lot of things just wouldn’t happen, and our communities would be the poorer for it,” he said.

And the benefits for the volunteers themselves are just as important, with social engagement being such a vital thing for good mental health and personal wellbeing.

The dinner was held at Kingston Heath GC, and the member and guests once again enjoyed the excellent food and service at this historic club.

Peter Bellion with President Kim Hastie

Peter Bellion with 2018 World Cup of Golf Volunteer Co Chairs Kim Hastie & Vicki Van der Venne – Metropolitan Golf Club

Royal Park Golf Club celebrates 120 years… They created a special event coinciding with celebrations for the 120th anniversary of Melbourne’s unique historic course. An all-day golf event,open to anyone was organised and to help celebrate GSA were asked to send a group of hickory players to play in the afternoon team’s event.

Congratulations to the club and GSA /Royal Park member Bruce Sutherland for organising a very enjoyable day.

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Report of Royal Park Golf Club 120^th anniversary event, Sunday March 19^th

 By Michael Davis

Royal Park GC president, Bruce Sutherland, is a member of St Andrews in Scotland. “Luckily, I am a ‘country member’ which makes it affordable. It’s very dear otherwise.”

But Bruce cherishes his membership at Royal Park just as dearly as he does that at the venerable home of the game of golf.

Like Royal Park, St Andrews is indeed a public course provided you can afford the green fees, which are considerably higher than the iconic Melbourne 9-holer which runs alongside the Melbourne Zoo in Parkville. Golfers at Royal Park often stand over the driver or a crucial putt to a roar from the lions’ den or trumpet from the elephants’ enclosure.

All of this, according to Sutherland, adds to the charm of the place. But more than that, he believes 9-hole public courses in Australia are the lifeblood of the game.

He says he is honoured to be president of Royal Park and was thrilled to  celebrate the club turning 120 years old in March this year. It was probably men like Sutherland who in 1903, soon after the federation of Australia, formed the Royal Park Golf Club on their own initiative.

“They leased the land, built and maintained the course with their own resources, time and physical work in Royal Park on the edge of the heart of the city. This park, at 170 hectares, is the largest green space in Melbourne. It now includes fields and facilities for a wide range of sports, the Zoo, wetlands and a range of public facilities,” Sutherland says.

“The place is steeped in history,” he adds proudly. “The area was originally a ceremonial place for people of the Eastern Kulin nation. From the outset, the golfers’ first tee was next to the cairn where Bourke and Wills began their ill-fated expedition.”

One of Royal Park’s many beautiful quirks is that it is the only known course in the world which has both a train and tram lines running through it.

The course began as 18 holes but over the years as the park developed it was moved to a variety of positions in Royal Park. After being mowed by one-man mowers, a horse-drawn mower was introduced in 1929.

The club endured many highs and lows over the years in terms of membership numbers and financial security. In the 1960s the club held monthly dances. It is now a public, 9-hole, undulating, tree-lined golf course in the north-east section of the park. It has survived the effects of two world wars (during the second of which thousands of soldiers were camped in the park), densification of the neighbouring suburbs, the burning down of the clubhouse, as well as the effect of the Covid pandemic when the local pet dogs thought they had found a new heaven on the empty fairways.

The club has been a nursery for hundreds, maybe thousands, of golfers. The most prestigious of which is five-time Open champion Peter Thomson, widely regarded as Australia’s best-ever golfer. Peter discovered the game as a young lad when his uncle ran his greyhound on the fairways. Living close the fourth hole, with only a single club the boy began hitting the white ball in 1941 when nobody was around. Once his talent was spotted he was greatly encouraged by some members of Royal Park Golf Club.

In 1942 he became a member when the club lowered its entry age to 13 to accommodate him. He won its championship in 1945. A plaque at the first hole commemorates his relationship to the club.

On Sunday March 19^th, more than 90 players (juniors, women, men and veterans) gathered at the club to celebrate its longevity and 120^th anniversary. The festive day started with a shotgun 18 holes played in the morning followed by lunch, light-hearted speeches — including a moving one by Peter Thomson’s son Andrew – and a prize-giving by Peter Ross, president of the Victorian Golf League.

In the afternoon there was a 9-hole ambrose competition with many of the golfers playing with old hickory clubs and some even donning plus-fours for the occasion. Fifteen members of the Golf Society of Australia and their guests joined in, and these hickory players even featured among the prize-winners in the afternoon competition.

“All the golfers were aware of their indebtedness to the founders of the club, acknowledging all the efforts and commitment of those who followed them, to foster the game of golf at Royal Park that so many enjoy,” Sutherland said. “It was a wonderful day of golf camaraderie with both old acquaintances being rekindled and new friendships made.

“This club is an example of the great value of public golf courses. It succeeds via the co-operation of its various stakeholders, the Melbourne City Council, Serco who maintain it, Greenspace and the YMCA who manage the clubhouse and bookings and the various clubs that use it.

“In line with our history, Royal Park Golf Club will continue to offer very attractive membership rates for all classes of golfers, making golf accessible for many, encouraging the growth of the sport.

“We are committed to broaden the range of people playing golf and keep their fees reasonable to ensure they don’t act as a barrier to membership. And we pride ourselves on fostering the social aspect of the game, welcoming visitors and new members,” he says proudly.

May it continue for another 120 delight-filled years.

– First published in Inside Golf magazine Issue 211 – May 2023