IN THE BEGINNING
We know that our official starting as a club was in 1902. More of this later. In the meantime, some context.
Just when was the beginning of the game of golf is hard to determine. The Romans played a game called, “paganica that resemble the actions of golf,” China makes a bid in the 2nd century as do both Denmark and The Netherlands in the Middle Ages. In fact, it is not hard to imagine something similar would have happened in any organised society. All you would need would be a couple of kids and sticks and stones.
However, Scotland is usually credited with the honour of being the first. Given my father was a Scot and provided this doesn’t allow Doug Scott to claim any ancestral credit, I am only too happy to agree. Records exist. In 1547 for example, an Act of Parliament urged that, “golfe and football be cryed down,” because it interfered with archery practice so important for the defence of the realm. There are other references to the rules of the game and a handicap system to give credence to the claim that Scotland was the first.
And Australia? I had always believed the beginnings was in Bothwell, Tasmania, in the 1820’s but even this in dispute. How do you define “first” – as an activity.? A club, a set of rules? Let me illustrate. There is no doubt that golf was played all over Australia in the 19th century so why does Royal Melbourne claim to be the first in Australia when their beginning was in 1891? Because their history is uninterrupted unlike other contenders. I was never given the chance to be blackballed from joining such an elite organisation just like quite a few of you but I do find this attitude slightly … well you think of something appropriate.
Anyway, I am happy to let Royal Melbourne take the credit because it makes us look more impressive given our starting wasn’t so long after even if we have had, let us say, a chequered rather that uninterrupted history. But. I am barracking for the workers here.
However, it is time to return to the main point of this article: our beginning. Unfortunately, official records no longer exist so that we rely upon newspaper clippings from the time compiled, I think, by Life Member, Doug Clark, who not only served a year as President in 2000 but, more remarkably was Treasurer for 22 consecutive years. While researching the early days of the Anglican Church he had the foresight to also note articles about our club. Google helped but Doug is the real hero of what I have been able to put together. At the end I have included a tribute I wrote for Doug when he died.
Although it is believed that golf in Drouin was played at the turn of the last century on Mr Hendry’s property on Lardners Rd, it wasn’t until 1902 that an official club was established. This was well before Victoria in 1907 and to be completely petty, Warragul, in the same year. I don’t mind being petty. I live in Warragul, think it is right and proper for the Gulls so beat the Hawks at football, but happily drive past Warragul to get to our club. Of course I am in good company. Anthony does the same.
The Office bearers of 1902 were all men and included a doctor (Dr Alfred Cowan) and a colonel (G.V. Stephen) and not long after the Honourable Michael Scott. Did this make it an elite sport? Maybe. After all it wasn’t until the completion of the railway to Orbost in 1879 that the colonial development of Gippsland took off and the heavy manual labour involved would hardly have left time for a casual game of golf. On the other hand, mass production in the 1870s of what was otherwise prohibitively expensive clubs, would have brought the game within reach of many. Certainly, by the 1920’s, mention is made of publicans, bank clerks, Post Office workers, teachers and who knows who else as playing the game. To this day I find it one of the most appealing aspects of the game is that it is open to all-comers
Women were involved from the start. Doug’s next reference is to the committee of 1908 which included three women one of whom was married and two were single. This is not really surprising. Golf was one of the earliest sports available to women even though colonial society decided this was because it was “lady like.” I hope both men and women reading this have issued a collective sigh of disgust. In fact, the first golf championship in Australia was for women (1894).
It also reflects the politics of the time. 1908 was the year Victoria extended the right for women to stand for election to parliament. Australia led the way in woman’s suffrage. It was achieved in SA in 1894 and federally in 1902 although only to women of European heritage. The White Australia policy anyone?
The first official “course” – if you could call it that – was played on land owned by Mr McLachlan near the township on the Main South Rd. An eighteen-hole course was laid out that had, “many hazards such as charred tree stumps and fallen trees.” A club house of sorts was constructed. Ingeniously this club house had a wall that was hinged and when lowered, formed a trestle table from which afternoon tea could be served.
Thereafter the Club led a nomadic existence. It was played mainly on farming properties around the town, the use of which was constantly changing. The Club became used to staying for a short while before moving on.
In 1908 the land was subdivided into five- acre blocks forcing the Club to move to Mr C Smiley’s paddock in Lardners Rd, the site of the old Butter Factory, where a nine-hole course was constructed. Eventually the Club was allowed to return to the original site this time owned by Mr Hoopell. The clubhouse with the hinged wall survived these relocations. The land was sold yet again this time to a Mr Stewart who was a public minded citizen. Not only did he allow the Club to continue but he constructed a freshwater swimming pool fed by the King Parrot Creek.
In 1910 the land was sold to the Woeff Brothers. When they constructed a flax mill, the Club was on the move again. This time they ended up at Mr Henry Higg’s property on the corner of McNeilly Rd and Higgs Rd.
A new course was established on Mr G. Powers’ property before the Club went into recess for WW1. This wasn’t uncommon, with the AFL (then VFL) suffering the same fate. It wasn’t so much out of a sense of patriotism as an acknowledgement of the lack of manpower. The introduction of six o’clock closing was also part of the war effort though but it seems curious that what became, ‘the six o’clock swill,” lasted in Victoria until the nineteen sixties. Some of you will remember lining up half a dozen beers just before closing time before staggering home.
Things got back on track in the 1920’s, this time at Mr Mick Butler’s place on the Old Sale Rd at Brandy Creek. Mick was the father of one of the Club’s stalwarts, Gerry Butler. Peggy Hocking, Secretary for five years at the turn of this century, remembers visiting the farm and seeing some of the old tee boxes and therefore the layout of the holes Although the topography of the land made it ideal for a golf course it was thought that with the increased enthusiasm for the game a site closer to Drouin would be better.
Eventually, land owned by Mr Jenkin Hopkin in Hopetoun Rd was chosen. Prior to this a short seven-hole course was laid out on the Gleeson Hotel paddocks between Young Street and the Sports ground. Today the paddocks have morphed into Civic Park while Gleesons Hotel has become, “The Family Hotel,” currently run by Simon Appleby who is a prominent supporter of our club. Hopetoun Rd seemed to be the final resting place for the Club before it went into recess for the war.
Through all of these moves what seems remarkable was the apparent ease with which changes were made. The construction of new holes would have been largely done by hand and voluntary labour. The result would have been interesting to say the least. The fairways would have been little more than paddocks and it is unlikely that mechanical mowers would have been used. A Mr Lechtie was much admired for his, “expertness with the scythe….and his work with this difficult instrument was almost unbelievable” Given it was dairy country, cow pats would have been a hazard The greens at Hopetoun Rd were enclosed by post and wire fencing to make putting easier assuming of course that they were greens.
War intervened and the club, just like twenty years before, went into recess. The war to end all wars was certainly a “mis-spoke.” It wasn’t until 1955 that the club got back on to its feet and this will be the subject of a future article.
VALE DOUG CLARK
For many a year, if you happened to be on the golf course late on a Friday afternoon, you would have been likely to see a solitary figure strolling the fairways. It would be nice to imagine that the bag over his shoulder was canvas and the small number of clubs hickory-shafted but that is romanticising it. The figure was Doug Clark and he was finishing the working week in the way he liked best: alone with his own thoughts and on the golf course.
Doug made many contributions to the club but he should always be remembered primarily as a golfer. He had a single figure handicap for most of his career and went close to breaking his age. He was one of those enviably boring characters who believed the fairways were there for a purpose. He wasn’t long off the tee but he was straight. If he wasn’t on the green in regulation it didn’t matter. His chipping was immaculate. No breaking of the wrists, scooping the ball or looking up before the shot was even played. Just a gentle swing at a well -controlled pace. When he needed to putt, then, like the man himself, it was true and straight.
This meant that no matter what the event he was always in contention. If you wanted to win you always had to make sure Doug wasn’t lurking waiting to pounce. A simple example to illustrate. Doug loved his golf trips. Once at Victoria, despite a heavy cold that should have sent him home, he won. The stakes? The responsibility of organising the trip next year. Well, perhaps bragging rights as well. The point is though that he wasn’t going to let a little thing like an unwelcome cold stop him.
In 2002 the club awarded him a life membership. It is not hard to understand why.
For 22 consecutive years he was the club’s treasurer. Few of us can understand the allure for some people for figures; there is rarely a rush to fill this job on any committee. But for all of this time Doug kept the books balanced and steered us through some tricky times. It was the era of the purchase of the 200 acres on Fairway Drive and the subsequent development of this for the new nine-hole course. Doug was intimately involved in all of this. The financial commitment was large but the success of the project meant the Club could look securely to the future.
As if this wasn’t enough, Doug then served a term as president, a job that inevitably brings with it tensions. Not surprisingly, Doug provided the calm leadership needed.
In more recent years Doug, with wife, Sylvia, lived in a retirement village at Rosebud. He continued to play golf although he was limited because of a heart condition. His attitude was revealing. He would only play if he could be challenged. The course that is part of the village did exactly that. To the end he was a passionate golfer.
Finally, Doug was a man of integrity. There are not too many who have a kind word for the Racing Club. Doug did. He said that they were there first and were largely responsible for the clearing of heavy bush that allowed for much of the golf course to be developed later. He also maintained that the agreement between the two clubs clearly stipulated the height of the trees that has been the bone of contention between the two clubs ever since.
So, there you have it: golfer, administrator and gentleman.
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