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The Ballarat Golf Club has had a fascinating history. It is one of Australia’s oldest Clubs and has many points of interest.
Up until it moved to a partially new course in 2008, it was Australia’s oldest18 hole club on its original site as other golf courses founded before Ballarat moved to other locations during their history. A small portion of the original course (near the old third hole) has been retained in the new 2008 course so it could still be claimed as Australia’s oldest course on part of the original course.
The Club was founded on Thursday 11 April 1895 at a meeting attended by just two people - ardent Scottish nationalist Thomas Drummond Wanliss, first president and John Corbett, first secretary.
The minute book records
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A meeting for the purpose of founding a golf club was held at Mr Corbetts, Union Bank, on 11th April 1895.
The Hon Ths. Drummond Wanliss MLC took the chair
It was resolved to found a club to be called The Ballarat Golf Club
The following gentlemen joined the club:
Hon TD Wanliss, JB Pearson, Andrew Nicoll, John Corbett, George H Antcliffe, Thomas M Antcliffe, SF Mann Jnr, Dr Scott, Rev ES Radcliffe, Lindsey Smith, Lt Col Williams, AJ Hare, Dr Salmon, AC Drury, WA Christy, A Bown, Rev Mr Maddern, JJ Cahir, TW Stoddart, Rev Mr Griffiths
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Play commenced on an eleven hole course on 24 May 1895 but this course only lasted two weeks – too short for a match of a single round and too long for a double round. From 8 June 1895 it became a nine hole course. The course was on Crown Land which was part of the Ballarat common and yearly the club paid a small rent for the use of the land.
The original course architect, club captain Andrew Nicoll modelled the course on St. Andrews in Scotland. Your links in length of holes and the positions of hazards have been made as like those of St Andrews as possible (1899 Annual Report).
In the early years close ties with the Melbourne Golf Club (later Royal Melbourne) and the Geelong Golf Club existed. Ladies were admitted into the club in 1899 and a separate ladies nine hole course was established. By the early 1900s the Ladies Committee was a stand alone committee that dealt with its own affairs but was not involved in the main administrative affairs of the club. It was designated that Wednesday was Ladies Competition Day and Saturday was for the men. Golf was a winter sport and each year a gala opening day was held in April.
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In 1909 the nine hole course was changed into a full 18 hole course. Players had complained about the many ‘crossings and blockings’ when playing the nine holes twice. Originally the course was like a cow paddock, greens were fenced in summer to protect them from grazing cattle, but by 1907 the course had improved so much that it was regarded as the best inland course in Australia and many professional players came to play on it.
Click Here for Part 2 of the Club History
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