Club to celebrate milestone
AWimmera golfing hotspot, which has been a source of pride for club members and residents for more than a century, is marking an impressive milestone.
Stawell Golf Club will commemorate its 125th anniversary with a tournament, starting Friday and finishing on Sunday.
Saturday will feature the main celebrations, with a day of golfing before entertainment at the club from 7pm, including special guests Sam Newman, Sam Kekovich and Leon Wiegard.
Life member David Dunn, 92, said he first joined the club 60 years ago to ‘play a bit of sport’.
“There was no new clubhouse then, it was the old clubhouse,” he said.
“When I first went out there I met three of the golf club’s key people: Alf Paulette, Keith Mccracken and Ken Robson.
“I was a bricklayer and they asked me to go on the committee.”
Mr Dunn said he was president of the club in 1971 and ’72, and was awarded a life membership in 2001 for his contribution towards a new clubhouse.
The clubhouse, which was Stawell’s third, was officially opened in 1966 and is still in use today.
Mr Dunn said finances were always front of mind for committee members and those around the club. “We scratched around and established plans for the new clubhouse,” he said.
“In the ’60s, there was only sandscrapes, and then we got the new greens. We also had a dam and water – it was a lot of work. “
Mr Dunn said the installation of a bowling green followed the course upgrade, bringing more members to the club.
“We had up to 300 members at one stage,” he said.
“We were getting more than 100 people playing every Saturday.”
Mr Dunn said the club had pulled above its weight from a golfing perspective.
“We’ve had some marvellous golfers here. We have one here now who plays off plus three,” he said.
“There are also lots of young golfers, too, which is pleasing.”
Mr Dunn said the introduction of carts, with motorised golf carts first approved at the club in 1991, was another change he had seen.
“We had to walk everywhere, now even the young blokes have carts,” he said.
Mr Dunn said the golf club was more than just a course.
“I was well into the social side of it, my wife and I. It was the only way the club could make any money,” he said.
“We’ve had some wonderful social evenings. We used to have a fancy dress.”
People wanting more information about the course and events can visit Stawell Golf Club’s public Facebook group.
Tickets for Saturday night’s event can be purchased via trybooking. COM/CLMLT
The Stawell celebration comes a week after Horsham Golf Club also marked 125 years.