The major role of the Golf Society of Australia is to manage the Museum and Library collection on behalf of Golf Australia.

Golf is one of the 8 new sports to be represented in the National Sports Museum at the MCG in Melbourne, which opened in March 2008. The Golf Society of Australia, in conjunction with Golf Australia worked with the National Sports Museum producers to mount a feature display and multi-media installation.

Selected items are also on display at:
The Clubhouse – Moonah Links
(Mornington Peninsula)
Ph: 03 5988 2000
open Clubhouse hours

Captain's Jacket
R&A Captain’s Jacket worn by Dr Harold Gardiner-Hill, Captain in 1956

History of Golf

Some of the clubs in the Museum

  • Clubs used by Louis A Whyte, first Australian Amateur Champion (1894) in canvas bag with wood ‘carry stand’
  • Clubs used by Warren Bennett, 100th Australian Amateur Champion in 1994
  • Club used by P C Anderson, winner of British Amateur Championship 1893
  • Clubs used by Doug Bachli, the first Australian to win the British Amateur Championship, in 1954
  • Putter used by Peter Thomson in 1956 British Open
  • Driver used by David Graham to win the US Open in 1981
  • Pitching wedge used by Kel Nagle in Centenary British Open in 1960
  • Sand iron used by Greg Norman in British Open 1986
  • Set of irons used by Ossie Pickworth, four-time winner of Australian Open
  • Driver used by Betty Kernot to win the Australian Ladies’ Amateur Championship 1937 & 1938
  • Clubs used by Lindy Goggin, Australian Ladies’ Amateur Champion 1971, 1977 & 1980
2009 WAO photo display

Other items in the collection

  • Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews Captain’s Jacket and medal
  • Trophies won by Harry Williams, W A Higgins, Alf & Peter Toogood, Mona Macleod, Judith Percy and others
  • Selection of golf club making equipment
  • the Moncur Collection – series of films of golf in Australia in 1950’s and 1960’s
  • Don Lawrence Collection – scrapbooks, photographs and press-related material
  • The Library collection includes books on tuition, biographies & autobiographies, club histories, handbooks and bound series of Australian golf publications
ball display

Items sought for the Museum

  • Clubs – range of styles and types over time, including those significant for their style, maker or use, unique and unusual designs
  • Balls, tees & bags – different styles and method of manufacture, etc
  • Medals & trophies – significant events and winners
  • Apparel and golf fashions
  • Score cards – courses, course records and other significant scores, changes to courses, etc
  • Courses design and green-keeping, including design, construction and management
  • Rules – records of rules, changes and decisions
  • Books and other printed material relating to all aspects of golf
  • Material relating to golf tuition
  • Club records, including published histories
  • Historical accounts written about and by notable people, or about events and places

Items offered can be on donation or loan.
The GA Collection is currently being prepared for a move to the under-construction Australian Golf Centre at Sandringham. Once this has been completed, anticipated for early in 2021, the Collection will have many of its items publicly displayed at the AGC.

Please see items held within the Golf Society collection below:

ball display