History of Trafalgar Golf Courses
The first golf course at Trafalgar was on the property now known as "O'Meara's". The late Harold Perrior said it consisted of 9 holes with grass greens. The 1st tee and the 9th green were next to the late Mr. Bert Mann's house (which is now 59 Contingent street Trafalgar). They played the 1st hole over Contingent Street and the 9th came back over the same street to the green near the 1st tee. (no 61 & 63 Contingent Street)
This course was played on from approx 1909 to 1914 with the president then being Dr Smithwick. Some of the early golfers were George and Harold Perrior and Mr. Andy Wall.
The club went into recess for 3 years. A new course was then started on the properties of Mr. G Wall, Mr. G O'Connell and the Perrior Brothers at Sunny Creek in 1916. Those who started this new course were Father Shanahan, the Perrior Brothers, Jack Wall, John O'Connell, Andy Wall and Harry Maxwell.
This course consisted of 9 holes with grass greens, 2706 yards in length and par 38. It was then fully extended to 18 holes in 1925. There were no records to show who was the first club champion but we do know that Mr. John Wall was champion in 1921. Some of the champions over the next 13 years were Dick Errington, Bob O'Connell and Harold Perrior.
After a very wet year in 1934 (the year of "The Big Flood") they started to construct 9 holes on Mr. C Murray's property (now L & R Davey's) in 1935. Most of the greens were cut out of the hill by Mr. G Rogers. Some of the keen golfers played on the Warragul Golf Course that year which was on "Killarny" just east of Warragul and then moved onto Murray's in 1936.
Some of the early associates who played at Sunny Creek and then at Murray's were Mrs. Hasthorpe, Mrs. W Morrison, Miss Rutcliffe (who was the first associate's club champion), Allison and Vera Perrior, Gwen Hasthorpe, Mrs. J Birch, Mrs. O'Connell, Mrs. B Dowie and Mrs. McLaughlin.
The first club champion on Murray's was Bob O'Connell in 1936. Then Harold Perrior, Jim Barker, Eric Donaldson, Joe Marino, Frank Biggs and others.
The first tee was at the bottom of the hill where the club house was. Then they changed the course in 1946 to cut out the 1st and 2nd holes which were rather steep and added on 4 holes in Ashby Brothers. This now gave us 13 holes. We played the first 5 holes a second time to make up to 18 holes. We moved the club house up to the top of the hill in Ashby's where it stayed until 1953. It was then moved out to the present golf course by working bee and used until the present one was completed in 1964.
The present Golf Course.
In 1949 a special meeting was called to form a constituted club and buy a property of our own. After much discussion it was decided to buy the present property. it came up for auction in November 1949. The upset price was 4 pounds 10 shillings ($9.00 per acre). After competition from one other bidder who wanted it to plant pine trees, it was knocked down to the club for 7 Pounds ($14per acre) for the 100 acres. Mr. Stan Charlesworth a keen member, was the debenture seller and loaned the club the money for purchase.
The course was designed by members. among who were, Frank Biggs, Les Symons, Eric Donaldson, Albert Morrison. Ivor Ashby, Joe Marino, George Browne and Bob O/'Connell and with the help of Mr. George Lowe, the Warragul Golf Club professional.
After purchasing the course in November 1949, the above members plus others, worked under Mr George Browne and plotted all the fairways, greens and tee positions. The club then had the Denereaz Bros. bulldoze the fairways under the original plan at a cost of approx $1400.00.
The first contractor we had to plough the course was Mr. Wain. I remember the day he started as I was appointed to be in charge of him. He put the plough in the ground on the western side of the 9th green and followed the heaps of timber from there down past the 7th green, up the 8th fairway and over the hill around the 8th green and then returned down past the 9th tee and fairway to where he started. This all took him 2 hrs. From then on we had different contractors plus voluntary members, namely Morrison Bros. and others. It would be hard to visualize the amount of timber and roots that were turned up and then have to be picked up by hand by members and associates at working bees.
One lady associate who stood out was Mrs. Bonnie Powell who spent Sunday after Sunday picking up the tree roots on the west of the 8th fairway. She used a potato bag, and when 1/3 full she dragged it over and tipped the roots in the rough. There were many others that did the same "Emu Parade" and after one year of harrowing and ploughing we sowed the first seed with super. The bags of seed were mixed with sieved sand taken from the hollow in front of the 7th Green. Lester Tatterson and George Browne were amongst others who lost a lot of sweat. After a meeting in January 1953 it was moved by Mr. Stan Charlesworth that we move from the old course and start playing golf on the present one. The main reason being, to get everybody wanting to play golf, would have to go out there and help clean up the present course and make it more pleasant.
From there on it was years of working bees by both members and associates and the odd contractor to do the heavy work. Mr. Vic Wilson gave many hours of his time voluntary with his bulldozer, building tees and greens and burning off.
We opened another six holes on the second nine in 1957 and the next three in 1958, completing the eighteen hole course. The first water scheme was put in by voluntary labour under the supervision of Mr. Basil Ashby. It was opened in December 1960 at a cost of approx 1800 pound ($3600). After a meeting in 1961 we decided to engage a course architect Mr. Vern Morcom came to the course in January 1962 and presented the new plans six months later. The holes he changed were the 1st green, 4th tee, 6th green, 7th tee (later changed to present tee) 10th hole, 12th green, 13th new hole, 14th tee, 15th tee and green, 16th tee and green, 17th green and the 18th tee. This has brought about the beautiful course we have to share today.
The present water scheme was put in and officially opened in 1974. The present club house was completed in 1964 by Mr. Ron Ireland who was made a "Patron Member" for his efforts. The Liquor Licence was granted in September 1965. Two members I would like to commend are : The late Mr. George Browne who volunteered his services as surveyor and surveyed the entire new course with tee and green placements. Also Mr. Basil Ashby who has been a tower of strength mainly on the mechanical and all the electrical side. Today being a very worthy "Life Member'.
I have great pleasure in writing the history of golf in Trafalgar and wish to thank the late Mr. Harold Perrior. Mr. Bob O'Connell, Mr. Frank Wall. Mr. Albert Morrison and others for information supplied to me.
A. D. Hasthorpe.
March 1989