Whoever invented the word hacker must have been watching a golfer whose efforts on the golf course were similar to mine. But I loved the game despite my disability because each round had resulted in a nice walk. On the courses where I played, each fairway was like a lovely wide green path through a forest, not quite wide enough for a golfer who displayed more hooks than a fisherman and more slices than a baker. For a bloke who loved running through the Wombat State Forest at Blackwood, it was heaven! The author of this book likes another type of course and dropped the Dromana Historical Society's copy into me on the way home after a round at The Dunes. This is a links course, the first of several of this type designed on the ideally-suited Peninsula, and ever curious, I asked what Links meant in golf. I found a Wikipedia article with an aerial photo of the famed Links course at St Andrews in Scotland.
Links (Golf)

For those who have already seen the aerial photo, here's the summary of the article.
"A links is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. The word "links" comes via the Scots language from the Old English word hlinc: "rising ground, ridge"[1] and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes and sometimes to open parkland. It can be treated as singular even though it has an "s" at the end and occurs in place names that precede the development of golf, for example Lundin Links, Fife.[2] It also retains this more general meaning in standard Scottish English. Links land is typically characterised by dunes, an undulating surface, and a sandy soil unsuitable for arable farming but which readily supports various indigenous browntop bent and red fescue grasses. Together, the soil and grasses result in the firm turf associated with links courses and the 'running' game. The hard surface typical of the links-style course allows balls to "run" out much farther than on softer turf course after a fairway landing. Often players will land the ball well before the green and allow it to run up onto the green rather than landing it on the green in the more targeted-landing style used on softer surfaces."

A pitch and run shot onto the green at The Dunes would require great accuracy judging by the green pictured in that Links' history (surrounded by so many bunkers that the approach reminded me of a crumpet!)

This book, entitled FROM COAST TO COUNTRY, has been a three year labour of love for its author, Trevor Roberts, the Golf Peninsula Vic* historian. My review's aim is to examine its value to historians wishing to write a history of the peninsula and family historians. HOWEVER, my focus has also turned to making sense of some confusing histories provided to the author by clubs such as Montuna. If Trevor had tried to do this, it would have involved a 30 year labour of frustration!
(*Golf Peninsula Vic was the result of a merger of the Peninsula District Golf Association and Mornington Peninsula District Women's Golf in mid 2015.)

The names index shows references to approximately 352 people many of whom have been champions. Apart from the history of the various clubs, the recording in one place of winners of various competitions is a main focus of the book. It is absolutely packed with photos of courses and winners. Rather than reproduce the index, I will describe photos-abbreviated as P (and those named in them) and lists, and note any information that tickles my fancy as a local historian.

Title page P Iconic ancient Moonah trees at the National Golf Club.
Table of Contents:
P.5 History of Golf on the Peninsula (P.10-14) History of Golf Clubs (P. 16-74) 25 clubs, courses.
P.6.Women's Golf 1949-2018: the organisation(P.78-82), champions 1968-2018 (P.89-90), events, women's pennant (P.103-132.)
P.7. Men's Golf 157-206: P.D.G.A , executives, life members,district champions, country teams, mid-week cup, masters' pennant, other men's events. Junior Golf (P. 241-258.)
P.8.BIBLIOGRAPHY P.271-2, APPENDIX 1 DROMANA GOLF CLUB P.274, APPENDIX 2 RYE GOLF LINKS P.276, APPENDIX 3 MT. ELIZA GOLF CLUB P.277, APPENDIX 4 CARRINGTON PARK GOLF CLUB P.278, NAME INDEX 281-299, SPECIAL THANKS 300.

P.10.Discovery of trophies and a scrapbook that inspired the history and sources of information,
P.11. Early private courses that became housing estates. PFlinders Golf Clubhouse circa 1948-54 that is now part of the clubrooms at Balnarring Race Course.

The statement that the Dromana Golf Club near the Dromana Primary School site was built in the 1930's is wrong. The course shown on Melbourne Brindle's map of Dromana in appendix 1 was drawn from his memories of Dromana before he left for America in 1918 at the age of about 14. The map was drawn in America decades later, showing his incredible visual recall that made him a famous illustrator. The course that was built in the 1930's was the DROMANA COUNTRY GOLF CLUB at Safety Beach. See DROMANA COUNTRY GOLF CLUB
P.12. P Early golfers, men and women, playing on the Flinders course, and players in front of the clubhouse at the Beaconshill course at Warburton.
P.13. The year of affiliation of each district club is given, Flinders, Mornington, Sorrento and Portsea being the Foundation clubs with the last two apparently having been a combined club from 1907 until 1925. One of the Growth clubs, Warburton became affiliated in 1952 and would have had lengthy trips to every away fixture until Beaconhills affiliated in 1964. Rosebud was affiliated in 1960 and Rosebud Country Club in 1962, the former's affiliation year previously not in my memory bank. Due to the end of the war, the end of petrol rationing and increased ownership of cars, the Peninsula experienced a huge upsurge of tourism, whole colonies of suburbanites camping together at Rosebud. Many of these were golfers!

In 1929, a new reserve for Rosebud had been obtained by Alfred Downward of Mornington, the local state member of parliament. A public course had been established on it in about 1951 if I recall correctly, but it was so popular with holiday-makers that the locals found it hard to slot in a round. Charles Coleman's BOGIES AND BIRDIES explained that this was the reason for the establishment of the Rosebud Country Club. Don Farquhar, blinded during the war, would not have been game to try his first go at blind golf on such a busy course, and did so at Mildura with the encouragement and assistance of Charles Coleman.

Other GROWTH CLUBS on the Peninsula to become affiliated were H.M.A.S CERBERUS, Carrington Park (formerly Rosebud) and Devilbend (in 1975.)The NEW ERA clubs, affiliated between 1976 and 2006, include Dromana's third club, Mount Martha Valley Country Club (now Safety Beach Golf Club) in 1991, and The Dunes (originally Limestone Valley Golf links) in 1994.
P.14. maps showing locations of Foundation, Growth and New Era clubs.
P.16. Flinders Golf Club. P David Myles Maxwell.
It is stated the David saw four roughly carved out holes at Flinders when he arrived to manage an onion-growing farm*, and that the imagination of the inaugural champion at the Melbourne Golf Club was stirred. In 1902, David set about forming the Flinders Golf Links on two pieces of land owned privately and by the Union Bank and within twelve months boasted a full eighteen holes. By the end of 1905, the club, affiliated with the V.G.A. since 1903, had 155 members.

I think this information about a bloke named MAXWELL, a name I'd thought to be of little importance in the history of Flinders, demonstrates that Trevor's book will be of great value to both local historians and family historians!

*MAXWELTON. The Barker Estate (portions of their run they had purchased as grants circa 1860) was subdivided in the early 1900's, one of the purchasers being a Mr Maxwell, who intended to grow onions on his farm, as did many of the other purchasers such as Mr Levien. If Mr Maxwell was not David, he was almost certainly a relative and possibly his father. If it was David, he might have been managing a neighbour's farm too. As far as can be worked out from the following article and the parish of Flinders map, Levien and Maxwell's blocks were near the south end of Punchbowl Road not too far south west of Flinders Township, Henry Tuck's Manton's Creek pre-emptive right, and of course the Flinders Golf Course.

AROUND FLINDERS,P.2, Mornington Standard, 13-9-1902.)
EXTRACT.
" LEVIEN'S.
Continuing some two miles or so along the road to Flinders we come to the land (also a portion of the Cape Schanck estate) recently purchased by some enterprising gentlemen for purposes of onion growing. Of these blocks the one in the best condition is about 94 acres, owned by Mr Levien, M.L.A. As regards the soil on the holding, Levien, who is acknowledged one of the best authorities on onion growing in the State speaks highly. The principal drawback is, in his opinion, the fresh briny breezes which blow from the Southern Ocean and are the delight of the jaded city visitors in the summer time. Most of the block is laid down in onions, and Mr Jennings, who is managing the place; has the land ploughed and worked until it was in a very friable condition and made an excellent seed bed. There are now a good many weeders and onion thinners on this and the adjacent properties, and the place has a much busier appearance than it had 12 months ago, when the land was used for grazing purposes only.

MAXWELL'S .
Adjoining is about75 acres recently purchased by Mr Maxwell. On this property stands "The Grange," which was Mr Barker's first homestead after he took up the Cape Schanck run. In spite of the eloquent request in verse,written by a local poet*, who is a true disciple of "bard Robbie," and printed in these columns some time ago, this place is still known by the old title and has not been re christened "Maxwellton". Mr Maxwell is working his onion crop on the share system with Mr Nicholls, who is also a new arrival in the district. The hay crop at "The Grange," alias Maxwellton," is also looking very well."

*HENRY TUCK JNR'S POEM.
MAXWELL'S BONNIE BRAES.
[By Henry Tuck, Flinders.)
The Spring returns again, Maggie*,
With bud and bloom to cheer,
And memory bears us backwards
To the spot we both revere.
Ah! there 'mid Nature's sunshine
We spent our brightest days,
And called it New Maxwelton,
Ere Maxwell saw the braes.
Again I twine a garland
To wreathe your bonnie face,
And view the landscape o'er
From yonder lofty place.
The arrowy shafts of sunlight
Shoot forth in golden rays,
And bathe the oaks and hill-tops
Of Maxwell's bonnie braes.
And we built our airy castle
In glowing colours set,
And through misfortune dark and fell
It has not crumbled yet.
Once more in fancy, Maggie,
We hand in hand do stray
And call it still Maxwelton
And love the dear old braes.
(P.4, Mornington Standard, 27-9-1902.)
*Henry Tuck Junior who was born on Arthurs Seat while his father was building the historic McCrae Cottage, married Margaret Dowling, daughter of Flinders pioneers, in 1877.

DAVID MYLES MAXWELL'S WEDDING NOTICE.
MAXWELL—VALANTINE.—On the 10th May, at Invergowrie, Rose-street, Armadale, by the Rev. D. S. Maxwell, David Myles, third son of the Rev. D. S. Maxwell, to Rebecca, third daughter of the late David H. Valantine (Messrs. M'Clure, Valantine, and Co.), Melbourne.(P.1, Argus, 28-6-1898.)

Trevor Roberts mentioned that David Maxwell hailed from St Andrews in Scotland. He obviously remained at Flinders for many decades. You'll never guess the name of his property!
MAXWELL.-On August 31, at private hospital, Melbourne, Rebecca, dearly beloved wife of the late David Miles (sic) Maxwell, of St. Andrew's, Flinders, loving sister of Margaret (Mrs. R. B. Mair) and Mary (Mrs.J. A. Shaw). (Privately cremated September 1.) P.2, ARGUS, 2-9-1942.)
REBECCA'S DEATH RECORD.

MAXWELL Rebecca, Death
mother: Rebecca, nee MCCLURE
father: VALANTINE David Hood
places of birth and death: MELBOURNE, MELBOURNE EAST
age, year, register number: 75, 1942, 9467/1942

Mr. D .M. MAXWELL.
Mr.David Myles Maxwell, 77 years,of St Andrews guest house, Flinders,died in a Melbourne private hospital on Saturday. A son of the late Rev. David Skinner Maxwell, a Presbyterian minister,Mr. Maxwell was a native of Montrose*
(Scotland). He was a brother of the late Mr. George Maxwell, M.P., who for many years represented the Fawkner
seat. Mr. Maxwell is survived by a widow. Rev. John Mackenzie conducted the service when the cremation took place on Saturday afternoon. (P.12, The Age, 24-1-1938.)
*Montrose is 69 km north along Scotland's east coast from St Andrews, via Dundee.


An article found last night stated that the mysterious Mr Maxwell of Flinders was the brother of a lawyer who was tough on witnesses. This application for probate of a South Australian, obviously a relative, shows that in 1913 David had already named his guest house as "St Andrews".

PAGE 5, ARGUS, 5-12-1913, COLUMN 6.
ALEXANDRINA ARNOT MACPHERSON
EXTRACT. CREDITORS WERE ASKED TO SEND PARTICULARS TO "George Arnot Maxwell, of Selborne Chambers, Bourke street, Melbourne, Victoria, barrister at law, and David Miles Maxwell, of St. Andrew's, Flinders, Victoria, householder, the executors therein named" etc.

TRUSTEES OF "BASS PARK" IN 1914
Bass Park was the private land purchased by the golf land company given to the government in exchange for the crown land that had become part of the course.



P.17. David, honorary secretary of the club since its inception,and the committee worked to secure the site, a company formed to buy the private land and some of this land being exchanged to the government for the part of the course that had been set up on crown land.
P MODERN VIEW OF THE CLUBHOUSE AND PART OF THE COURSE IN THE BACKGROUND.
THE ORIGINAL LINKS. I knew that one of the holes had been named after Bill Darley, handicapped from childhood when he was gored by a pig. There were some other fascinating names for holes, such as Niagara (3rd) and Spion Kop (4th.) Niagara was of course down hill and Spion Kop back up to the top of the cliff with any shot that fell short classed as out of bounds. It is likely that the 4th hole was named by a member recently returned from the Boer War. The Boers were obviously fortified on the top of a hill of that name, 38 km west south west of Ladysmith and the British forces faced the seemingly impossible task of making the top of Spion Kop (Dutch: Slag bij Spionkop; Afrikaans: Slag van Spioenkop) to relieve Ladysmith. It was more than seemingly impossible, the battle resulting in a Boer victory, and perfectly described the chances of hitting the ball up to the top of the cliff on the fourth when a south westerly was likely to blow the ball back to the tee near the high water mark.
P. 18. The ladies played alternate holes instead of these 3rd and 4th holes. Other colourful names for features on the course were the Coffin and Purgatory Ravines and Aunt Sally.

I've read plenty of trove articles about horse racing on the peninsula, including at Flinders. Never once did I see the location of the Flinders racecourse mentioned. It was on the golf course and last used in 1926. The finishing post was near the end of Wood St.
P Dr Alister Mackenzie, famed course architect, was brought to Australia to design the Royal Melbourne Golf Club's new links at Sandringham in 1926 and to spread the expense, Flinders and nine other clubs were invited to avail themselves of his services, Flinders contribution to be 100 pounds which was raised with ease, oversubscribed by 14 pounds. He recommended the closure of the 3rd and 4th holes.
P.19. The Flinders members must have thought that golf wasn't meant to be easy. They enjoyed the battle with Niagara and Spion Kop. The recommended closure of these two holes was rejected and immediate carrying out of the other recommendations was beyond the clubs resources at the time. However The Coffin where both the Coffin and Purgatory ravines were poised to swallow any less than perfectly hit shots has become the club's signature hole.

P.20. Mornington Golf Club.
P map and layout of course in 1904 and circa 1930 respectively. Modern photo of bunker and green with bay and harbour in the background.
The club celebrated its centenary in 2004.The club's activities started on Grover's, Barrett's and Cook's paddocks behind the Tanti Hotel.Mr W.S.Cook, a solicitor became the club president in the years before the first world war. After no sign of activity between 1915 and 1925, because the above-mentioned paddocks had been subdivided, a new course of nine holes was established at the racecourse, mainly inside the track but with some tees outside it. With the military occupying the track in 1940, the committee negotiated use by members of the 9 hole private course of the Dava Lodge Guesthouse.
P.21.
P Dava Lodge course circa 1947, map of the Mornington course, presumably as leased from Sir George Tallis in 1946, modern photo of part of the course with the bay and Sunnyside beach in the background.
The first nine holes were opened on 29-4-1950 and the other nine were opened not long afterwards. The site was later purchased from the Tallis family.

Without local knowledge, Trevor could only work with information supplied by the various golf clubs. He's found more than has been posted by the club on its website, such as the course lay-outs and maps, from Ian Gatliff's ROUND ON THE HILL:THE HISTORY OF MORNINGTON GOLF CLUB 1904-2004. I felt duty-bound to add something more. I wonder if Ian found this achievement.

COUNTRY GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP.
At the country meeting at Fishermen's Bend, on Wednesday Mr. S. P.Townsend, of Mornington, gained the
distinction of being the first country champion of Victoria. (Much detail of the contest.)
P.4, KYNETON GUARDIAN, 19-9-1914.

Good ol' S.P. was still starring when his only son, Richard Denis (Hare?) Townsend became engaged* to Dorothy in 1935. From the son's birth record, I was able to establish that Victoria's first Country Champion was Samuel Phillip Townsend.
*Richard married Muriel Dorothy Dawborn in 1937.

TOWNSEND
Richd Denis (Hart?), Birth
mother: Isabella, nee RICHARDSON
father: Saml Philip
place of birth, year, reg. no. SCHNAPPER POINT, 1909 6249/1909

YA GOTTA LAUGH. Whether the champ's son was a hart or a hare, he would have had to be wary of hunt clubs!


P.22.Sorrento Golf Club.
P drawing of the (1912?) clubhouse, wrongly captioned as the original clubhouse, the first clubhouse leased from November 1907 till 1912.
As was the case at Flinders, the members of the golf club, established at a meeting held at the Conti on 30-3-1907, formed a golf lands company to purchase the site for a course which the golf club would lease. The owner of the site, James Wright, was an original shareholder of the company, as were Henry Bellingham, Howard Smith, Isaac Edward Bensilum, Augustus Frederick Hiskens (see SORRENTO SCHOOL HISTORY below) and John Winterburn Kemp (the teacher after Hiskens at the Sorrento State School), which was situated on the Nepean Highway near the club's present 17th green.
Portsea children had previously been taught by the teacher at the Quarantine Station, with lessons conducted across the fence, which was a most unsatisfactory situation, and the Sorrento school was built on this site between the two townships*. It was possibly because of this combined school that the golf club was originally named Sorrento-Portsea. *See SORRENTO SCHOOL HISTORY
P.23.
P Clubhouse opening in 1927, current clubhouse.
The original course consisted of nine holes and was accessed via lanes now known as Greenwood Avenue and Booroondara Road. In November 1907, the weatherboard cottage which served as the clubhouse until 1912 was rented for 8 shillings per week. The club's land was declared a sanctuary for native game. In 1909, Portsea was dropped from the club's name for reasons not explained in the minutes.
P.24-25. Double-page photo of the course in early times looking towards the clubhouse with 1st green and 2nd tee in foreground. Plenty of holes in the ground (bunkers) but not a sign of the many lime quarries which had been filled in!

The discovery of the death of James Scott, a Sorrento resident for many years, in 1907 (in a par after the one about the Sorrento-Portsea links), led to another discovery, an amusing tale about J.D.A.Scott, the Sorrento Golf Club architect and professional, who was in demand in either capacity from clubs as far afield as Sale and Colac, but disappointed the Sorrento members who were champions in business affairs but chumps on the course.
CHUMPS, NOT CHAMPS

THE ABOVE GIVES SOME INDICATION OF THE DETAIL THAT WILL BE FOUND FOR EACH COURSE DISCUSSED IN THE BOOK. SO I DO NOT INFRINGE COPYRIGHT, I WILL CONFINE MYSELF TO PROVIDING NAMES OF PEOPLE INVOLVED AND DESCRIBING PHOTOS AND LISTS FROM NOW ON.

P.26-7.THE DUNES GOLF LINKS.
In January 1994, Duncan Andrews P bought a partially built golf course (Limestone Valley)designed by Colin Campbell from butcher Vin Jervis. There was hardly a tree on the property.
Whether Andrews was a saint or not, his decision, perhaps inspired by his own surname, may have made him think of the type of golf courses famed in Scotland, the birthplace of the game, such as St Andrews.
He decided to take a punt that golfers in Australia might like a course that had no trees. The course superintendent, Simon Muller, who moved to The Dunes in 1912 after 12 years at Old Melbourne commented,"It started a bit of a renaissance here in Australia of links golf courses."
The secret to the course's continued relevance is that it allows scratch markers and hackers to derive satisfaction from a round of golf. Andrews worked closely with designer Tony CashmoreP to ensure there was none of the intellectual snobbery in the design which would see the ordinary golfer who strays marginally off the fairway at times losing heaps of balls in ridiculously high rough. Sullivan's* lime kiln P, lovingly restored, would be of great interest to the historically-interested golfer, or even Mark Twain who considered that golf was a waste of a good walk!

In about 1843 the elderly Dennis and Honora Sullivan moved to Point Nepean to start lime burning, as did James Ford, the founder and namer of Portsea, who married their daughter, Hannah in 1841. In 1852 the Ticonderoga arrived at the heads, with so many passengers fever-stricken that the authorities did not dare let the vessel proceed to quarantine facilities near Melbourne (Elwood?)in case some of the inmates escaped. The Sullivans' land was quickly taken over with compensation being paid. Patrick Sullivan, by now head of the family, moved it to Rye and continued lime burning there. After Patrick's death, his son James concentrated on the Gracefield hotel in Rye and establishment of a firewood business, and placed Antonio Albress in charge of the kiln, which remains on the links. Albress was a Cape Verde Islander, whose name sounded like Albas in Portugese, and the author of LIME LAND LEISURE speculated that Antonio Albas was Tony Salvas (another Cape Verde Islander.) That sort of error is what convinced me to extend my local history research to the Mornington Peninsula in 2010.

P.28-9. THE DUNES GOLF CLUB.
At Melway 157 E 10, we see Links Rd. I think it had something to do with the Sorrento Downs Golf Club.
Amazingly the location of the course is still on the internet.
"Sorrento Downs Golf Course
Sorrento Downs Golf Course is a golf course in Victoria and has an elevation of 10 metres. Sorrento Downs Golf Course is situated southeast of Sorrento and is close to Tuckey Track Reserve."

Trevor described its location in this way."The area in question included a 12 hole golf course and adjoining undeveloped land bounded by Melbourne Rd and houses facing (fronting)Tarakan Ave, Petrel Ave.,Westmore Ave., Lister Ave. and Collins Parade, for which general approval for subdivision of 360 building blocks had been previously obtained."

In July 1994, members of the club were informed that the whole property had been sold by David Deague to a company headed by M.Steel. The course remained open until December 1994. As the V.G.A. would recognise only one club per course, sharing another course with an existing club was out of the question and discussions with Steve Montgomerie, manager of the Dunes Golf Links, revealed that this was the only local course with no V.G.A. affiliations.

After discussions with Dan Andrews, the owner of the Dunes Links, it was agreed that the club would transfer to its new home on 1-2-1995.

The club's history was compiled and written by John Fitzgerald and George Richards with further details written by club secretary Trevor Roberts (1999-2003) and other members.

Mr Andrews allowed the club to use the storeroom under the original building as temporary clubrooms until the completio of the new clubhouse in 2000. P.Presumably both adjacent buildings are shown on page 29.

The club was incorporated in June 1995. Some of the Limestone Valley golfers had joined with the Sorrento Downs members when they moved to the Dunes Links. I hadn't mentioned it earlier because I couldn't recall where Limestone Valley was. The penny finally drops! That's what The Dunes was called when it was owned by Vin Jervis*. (See the previous chapter.)
* A BIT ABOUT VIN JERVIS

Garth Jacoby was the inaugural Pennant Captain in 1999, guiding one team. Under John Cotter's Captaincy from 2000 to 2004, with expert tuition from the club professional, David Hogben (2001-2004)some success was experienced. The club's highlight has been the Division 1 team , under the management of Denis Oliver, winning a threepeat of Pennant finals from 2014, a feat achieved by only two clubs in the district, Portsea and Rosebud Country Club.

P.30-35. WARBURTON GOLF CLUB.
P FIVE BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS OF THE COURSE, THREE FROM EARLY DAYS.
In the 1930's, several local businessmen persuaded Phil Mayer, proprietor of the Warburton Chalet and St Andrews Guest House, to allow them to lay out a few holes on 20 acres of grazing land, a mile on the Melbourne side of the town, on which the guest house was located. The game became so popular that Phil engaged the services of course architect Hedley Vernon Morcom to design a course on Chalet land. Despite depression difficulties in 1932, Phil engaged local workers who constructed a nine hole course using horse and scoop, pick and shovel.

Those using the original course realised that the Chalet course offered a challenge to the finest golfers, and in 1935, Phil agreed to the proposed club using his course. It affiliated with the ruling body as the Upper Yarra Golf Club and changed its name to the Warburton Golf Club in July 1951.

CRISIS. Following the death of Phil in the early 50's, the course was managed by his widow, Winnie, and his brother Julius, but after Winnie's death in the mid 60's there was pressure from the family to realise assets. You'll have to read the book to find how the club's loss of its home was averted. (You won't find out on the internet!)
People involved were: Bill Hester, Peter Bartlett, Ivan Weinert,Harry Levy, Orm Singer and Ken Ireland (sub-committee to investigate purchase); Malcolm and Peter Walker, locals who purchased the course and advised that it would be enlarged to 18 holes, (designed by Jack Watson and opened by V.G.A.President, Jack Lovett on 10-5-1970); Messrs Hester, Singer, Peter Bartlett Jnr, R.Eddy, Jack Coulson and C. Middleway (sub committee in 1972 appointed to consider an offer from the owners to lease or purchase); R.Leith, O.Singer, Ross Eddy*, P.Bartlett Jnr. (trustees. *Ross Eddy resigned in 1973 due to his transfer to W.A.); Jack Coulson (headed a sub committee to plan extensions to the clubhouse.)
AFFILIATION WITH DISTRICT CLUBS. Upper Yarra Golf Club, as it was then known, together with the Mornington Peninsula clubs, was allocated to the West Gippsland District Association; (I think this means in regard to country week.)

John Beckwith (Ranelagh) and A.A.B.Webster (Long Island) called a meeting, held at the Grand Hotel, Frankston because the West Gippland District was too large in area. Warburton was represented by the President, Harry Martyr, and captain Peter Bartlett Snr. It was 1952 and Warburton became a foundation* member of the Peninsula District Golf Association.
* This puzzled me because I presumed that the FOUNDATION CLUBS, (see page 13), had been members of the Peninsula DISTRICT Golf Association but apparently the body's name was PENINSULA GOLF ASSOCIATION.
Gippsland Golf Association.
Traralgon Record (Traralgon, Vic. : 1886 - 1932) Tuesday 20 April 1926 p 2 Article
On the motion of Messrs Wall and Heath, the secretary was instructed to write to the V.G.A. re Country Golf Week, asking them to reconsider their decision to include the Peninsula Golf Association in our section.

I was apparently wrong earlier, while discussing Warburton on page 13, in assuming the northern clubs had to travel to the Peninsula for pennant matches.
"The Association (P.D.G.A.) was divided into North and South Zones due to the considerable distance between the clubs. The north consisted of Beaconhills, Montuna, Emerald and Warburton. Emerald later withdrew from the Association."

In 1962, Peter Bartlett, Warburton's captain, was elected Vice-President of P.D.G.A. and continued in that position until 1971, when on the retirement of Mornington's Jack Watson, he became President. Peter became the third life member of P.D.G.A. in 1972.

P.36-7. DEVILBEND GOLF CLUB.
The article provided by the club is also posted verbatim on the internet. Situated at Melway 146 J-K 12 to 152 J-K1 and fronting Loders Rd, the 141 acre site was obviously obtained with the help of the Shire of Hastings after Cr Cyril Fox had moved at a public meeting attended by 80 people on 28-2-1973: "That this meeting resolve to form a Golf Club in the Shire of Hastings." At a further meeting on 18-4-1973, the club was formed and the draft constitution was
accepted. A co-op was formed and the take-up of memberships was excellent. The dams, which obviously provide water hazards as well as providing a picturesque setting, were constructed as well as nine holes so that the course could be used and a year later the course had been extended to 18 holes. Finally on 20-12-1975, Club President, Kevin Phyland, hit off from the 1st tee to declare the course open. In October 1995 a new lease for the next 21* years was signed, providing security and the capacity to add another nine holes.(*Internet.)

I don't like loose ends so I've asked Rick Warren, the Devilbend Pro., if a new lease has been obtained and for how many years.

EMAIL RECEIVED 17-12-2019.
Hi ---,
This has been passed onto me by our Pro Rick.
---, the Club signed a new 21-year lease in 2017.
I hope this helps.
Kind Regards
Tim O'Sullivan
General Manager
Devilbend Golf Club

P. 38. PORTSEA GOLF CLUB.
Arthur Relph? Ive never seen him mentioned in regard to Portsea. Was he Arthur J.Relph, the keen photographer of the bush? No![

"What a magnificent golf links this country would make!" thought Arthur William Relph as he surveyed the land between the Quarantine Station and the ocean. Eventually about 90 acres were set aside by the Portsea Land Company on 18-6-1923 and the nine hole links first opened for play from December 1924 to Easter 1925, the club's committee first meeting on the last day of 1925. A tenth hole was added in 1926, an 11th late in the decade, 12th and 13th in 1930, a 14th in 1934, 15th and 16th in 1955, and 17th and 18th in 1965. It seems that, like at Flinders, some of the holes have special names such as "Delgany" P, the par 3 13th hole.
P The clubhouse from Delgany Hill, c.1960, Juniors showing the Way at Portsea (Adam Cervi, Ryan Grant, Craig Scott, Louise MacDonald.)


As mentioned earlier, the club histories were mainly provided by the clubs themselves. This one, apart from demonstrating how the number of holes was increased in several stages, is frankly disappointing. Who were the people involved? What was the relationship between the Portsea Land Company and the members of the golf club? Who designed the course? Exactly what did Arthur William Relph do to establish the club? Why does the history state that Relph set out to acquire the land and later state that the club leased it from a land company?

Perhaps the club may wish to add the following to its history on the internet which added nothing to what it provided to Trevor. The land company obviously consisted of members of the club, as at Flinders, Sorrento etc.

THE PORTSEA GOLF LINKS,
The laying-out of the Portsea Golf Links
has been proceeding steadily during the
winter, Mr. Jock Young, the Riversdale
professional, directing the work. The
course is already taking shape, a con-
siderable amount of ti-tree scrub has been
cleared from the fairways, nine tees and
greens have been formed, and are now
being planted with grass, and a water
supply is being installed, several large
tanks and many thousand feet of piping
having been purchased for this purpose.

The Portsea Lands Company Pty. Ltd.
which controls the property, and is laying
out the links, has been registered, and
the following directors have been elected:
Messrs. A. W. Ralph (Relph) (chairman); Harold
Armytage, E. G. Brooke, W.W.Gudgeon
W. L. Davidson, H. J. Manson, .and J. B.
Young.

For the ensuing summer months a tem-
porary nine-hole course is being laid out
for the use of visitors. Next year the
fairways will be ploughed and planted
with suitable grasses, and the club house
will be erected.(P.14, Table Talk, 11-10-1923.)

These links will need to be pasted into your search bar to discover more about people involved in the club.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182548128
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146583740

And let us not forget that there was earlier a combined Sorrento-Portsea club (until 1909, as pointed out in the Sorrento history.) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/65828572


P.40-41. MONTUNA GOLF CLUB (1922-80); BERWICK MONTUNA (1980-2016.) Melway 212 B4.
THE MONTUNA GOLF COURSE OCCUPIES THE SITE OF THE HOMESTEAD OF ONE OF THE FIRST OVERLANDERS

LOTS OF BIRDIES AT MONTUNA

It is difficult to establish the size of the Montuna property on trove because the Luke family remained in ownership and there were no advertisements for its sale. Edmund Lake (a retired artist and photographer) died in 1938 but his widow, Ida Florence was probably still living on Montuna until her death in 1960. She celebrated her 90th birthday there in 1952* and was probably the Mrs Luke mentioned in her daughter's death notice in 1953.
LUKE.— On March 12 (suddenly), at his residence, "Montuna," Beaconsfield, Edmund Thomas, loved husband of Ida Florence, Monte, Ernest, Una, Vic, Bert (Lill (Mrs. Ashcroft), Kelvey and Vera (Mrs. Dennis), aged 74 years.
(P.1, The Age, 14-3-1938.)

* Reunion for 90th Birthday
The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954) Saturday 17 May 1952 p 3 Article

LUKE Ida Florence, Death, mother's surname: MASON, father:PEARSON Charles Kelney
places of birth and death: AVOCA, BEACONSFIELD
Age, year, registration number: 98, 1960, 22330/1960

It is difficult to understand what 1922 signifies in 1922-1980. The courses, both at The Lakes and on Montuna seem to have been constructed in about 1928. As correctly stated in the history, the Montuna course was closed (because of the ill-health of Ernie and Bert.)

The earliest and only report of the Montuna Golf Club before 1946 was in 1932 when the word, club, may have been wrongly used instead of "course". "Members of the Pakenham Golf Club will pay a visit to the Montuna Golf Club next Saturday." (P.4, The Dandenong Journal, 13-10-1932.)

The same error may exist in this 1946 report of the revival of the Montuna golf "club" ,which provides great detail about the people involved. It will be interesting to see if the former players at the Lakes Golf Club (Ernie Dennis etc) are mentioned. (SOME WERE. TOM BLACK WAS ELECTED AS PRESIDENT.)

The course was built by Ernie and Bert at the suggestion of their father, Edmund Lake, who'd brought the Upper Beaconsfield property in 1907 and named it Montuna (after the two children whose names I've put in bold type in Edmund's death notice above and would not appear to be the two youngest children as claimed.)

The course opened for public use in November 1929. The history does not say when it was closed due to ill health BUT IT WAS SOME YEARS BEFORE THE 1946 MEETING.

The formation of the club came about through a number of locals who used to play at the Lakes Golf Club (now Beacon Hills.) The persons concerned were Ernie Dennis, Ossie Williams, George Bould, Vic Barlow,, Fred Black and Tom Black.

The Lakes, at the time was owned by a company whose manager, Herbie B.Falconer, suggested that we form a golf club but the company had decided to sell the land which became Beaconhills. AT WHAT TIME? The year mentioned previous to the use of these three words in the fourth paragraph was 1941 (at the end of the first paragraph) when Lilly Luke's store became a post office. (No year is mentioned in relation to THE FORMATION OF THE CLUB.)

Those interested in forming a local club held a meeting in the Beaconsfield Hall at which it was decided to approach the Lukes with a view to making Montuna their home club.

It was decided to take up the option of purchase. To raise a deposit, seven members each put up one hundred pounds free of interest. J.S.Loveridge, W.Johnston and T.F.Black were appointed trustees.

In 1946* they started operations......all the work done by members.... The late Sid Thewlis brought his field mowers and hay rake to do the fairways, the greens were cut by hand mowers.

* At last some indication of the meaning of AT THAT TIME is given. It does not mean 1922, the year that a headline reader would assume marked the formation of the Montuna Golf Club, 1928, the year Ernie and Bert finished constructing their course, 1929, the year the course was first used. It is possible that Ernie and Bert had taken six years to complete their golf course and had started in 1922. The purchase of the golf course obviously did not take place until after the death of Ida Luke's daughter in 1953 or Ida in 1960 unless they only purchased part of the Montuna property. Note that the operations mainly involved restoring the course which had not been used for several years (as reported in the 1946 revival of the Montuna golf "club" article.)
Once again an important date is not given, that of the purchase.

Before purchasing from the Lukes, the water supply was limited to what could be obtained from the dam between the third and fifth fairways. After the purchase a lease was obtained to pump water from the Cardinia Creek (the lease had been held by the Lukes.)

A clubhouse was constructed in 1946 and demolished for a second building adjacent to the first tee which is still in use re green fee players etc. A new clubhouse to provide better facilities for members was planned in 1964, completed in 1969 with the latest extension completed in 1979. (A pity that such clear timelines were not given earlier in the history!)

Montuna was originally in the West Gippsland Country District, with headquarters at Warragul. Sid Thewlis and Tom Black were the delegates, continuing in this role after the club was transferred to the Peninsula District Golf Association (in 1964,as stated on page 13 of the book-another important date missing from the club's history.)

No detail is given about why the club was renamed as Berwick Montuna Golf Club, apparently in 1980. The most recent refurbishment to the clubhouse was completed in 2007.

PTwo shots of the course (beautiful parkland!)and a recent one of the clubhouse.

As this journal is approaching capacity and further information may be lost if I exceed it, I will now concentrate on naming names of people who have contributed to, or excelled in Peninsula District Golf.

P.42. THE NATIONAL GOLF CLUB. First launched in Feb. 1885 and was claimed to be the first new golf club in Melbourne for approximately 60 years. I was going to state that testing the veracity of the claim would be an interesting piece of research but I thought about William Allison Blair Senior's former farm at Braybrook and the claim was shot down in flames within seconds. They bragged about their four courses and their designers but gave no indication of where they are. The only part of the WE LOVE US piece that is of interest to me is that the Long Island Course is not actually on LONG ISLAND. I can remember some years ago searching on Melway for such an island in the bay near Frankston. No such thing! The island was bounded by water sure enough; the bay on the west and Kananook Creek from the Carrum Creek (renamed Patterson River after a politician)to its mouth in Frankston near the hotel that Mark Young established. The course is on the east side of Kannanook Creek at Melway 99 G10 near the site of the former Frankston Drive-In Theatre.

P. 44-53 GOLF AT ROSEBUD INCLUDING CARRINGTON PARK GOLF CLUB ON P.51-2 AND BAY VIEW PUBLICITY ON P.53.

ROSEBUD COUNTRY CLUB
THE CLUB ON THE HILL.
The title is misleading because the country club course (2 x 18 holes) is on the former Wannaeue Estate on the Boneo plain (roughly Melway 170 B-E 7) and the club or course on the hill was The Rosebud Park Public Golf Course (Now Bay View) on the north side of Elizabeth Drive at Melway 170 J4.

The article about the origins of golf in Rosebud contributed by the country club (Dorothy Mortlock and the author of THE STORY OF ROSEBUD COUNTRY CLUB 1962-2012, Bill Hitchins) explains that information is scarce because most of those involved had passed away and any records that had been kept were destroyed in a clubhouse fire in 1965.

The article states in regard to the group of golfers inspired by Scotland-born solicitor Straun Wright- Smith who had a practice at Rosebud, that they formed the Rosebud Park Golf Club. But government regulations and the terms of the lease meant the golf club could not deal directly with the Lands Department and instead had to FORM a Park Trust to do so on its behalf. Wrong as this assumption was, it is based on a strong connection between the club and trust memberships. Whenever land was set aside from crown land, for a church, reserve etc. trustees were appointed. By circa 1950, shire councillors were often acting as trustees of such land, (as representatives of the Land Department. Crs.Bert Herman, Reg. Henderson and Ray Baker were successively elected to Chair the Trust in the mid 1950's. All three were strong supporters of both Rosebud Park and later Rosebud Country Club. P.46) However the Rosebud Park Trust had existed for decades, ever since Alf Downward had obtained the land for a recreation reserve (with H.M.Clemenger of "Parkmore" being one of the original trustees, as stated in the 1929 article.)
The funniest thing and strongest evidence for the wrong assumption was that Fred Bishop was the secretary of both the club and the trust, frequently firing off angry letters to HIMSELF.

The above assumption was apparently in Charles Coleman's BOGIES AND BIRDIES. Another account of Rosebud Park Golf Club's formation mentioned in the history stated that the trust started the golf club which is highly unlikely too.
What is stated in the history (whose author was unaware of the Lands Minister, Alf Downward's achievement of having Rosebud Park reserved for public recreation)was that Straun Wright- Smith, who was a Flinders Shire Councillor, had seen (probably in correspondence to the council)that the Lands Department wanted something done to increase use of Rosebud Park; it being too far from Rosebud and lacking attractions offered by the summit views and Kings Falls on Arthurs Seat, to which picnic parties often walked. (Ethel and Laura Fountain's memoirs.). It was the Lands Department's ultimatum to the shire to USE IT OR LOSE IT that led to the formation of the club. (P.44.)

I will repeat what I have written on page 13 about Alf's achievement and why some Rosebud Park golfers decided to purchase their own course, and present evidence that interest in obtaining a course had been generated in 1946 (three years before 1949 as claimed in the history) and strongly supported by Cr Forrest Edmund (Joe) Wood, who was also pushing to solve overcrowding at Rosebud State School and get a High School so that Southern Peninsula students weren't spending countless hours travelling to and from Frankston High.

In 1929, a new reserve for Rosebud had been obtained by Alfred Downward of Mornington, the local state member of parliament.. A public course had been established on it in about 1951 if I recall correctly, but it was so popular with holiday-makers that the locals found it hard to slot in a round. Charles Coleman's BOGIES AND BIRDIES explained that this was the reason for the establishment of the Rosebud Country Club. Don Farquhar, blinded during the war, would not have been game to try his first go at blind golf on such a busy course, and did so at Mildura with the encouragement and assistance of Charles Coleman.

Re Don Farquhar at Mildura. I tried to find the article when I was discussing page 13. This is not the version that I've included in the Rosebud Sea Scouts History which mentioned that Charles Coleman was a member at Rye (the McDonalds' course south of the cemetery.)
BLIND MAN GOLF STAR
A BLIND man played golf at Mildura this week and drove a ball 250 yards. Donald Farquhar, of Rosebud, Victoria, was
blinded in 1942 when in the nose of a Flying Fortress hit by ground-fire in a raid on Jap-held Rabaul. At Mildura on holiday, Farquhar and his wife were caddying for friends, Charles Coleman and his wife, of Rosebud.

Farquhar, who played golf before the war, had a few swings with a club, then played 18 holes, the last four in par.
He teed-up each ball on the fairway. On the green Coleman rattled the pin in the hole to give him direction and
distance when putting.

Farquhar conducts a boat-hire business, does engine repairs, painting, and other maintenance himself.
(P.3, The Sun, Sydney, 8-7-1951.)


PROPOSED GOLF LINKS AT ROSEBUD.
Flinders Shire will give all help possible towards establishing a golf course on a recreation reserve of 150 acres at the rear of Rosebud.
Cr. F. Wood speaking on the proposal, said if a links could be established, it would be a tremendous asset to the whole shire. Several folk were keen to see links established, and council help would be appreciated.
The enterprise, he felt sure, would be a splendid proposition.(P.6, Standard, Frankston, 21-3-1946.)

SOME OTHER CONTRIBUTORS (to one club or the other) MENTIONED IN THE HISTORY BUT NOT YET NAMED, OR A BIT MORE DETAIL.
Pages 45, 47,48,51,279. Pat McLaren, (owner of "Carrington", the mansion across Elizabeth Drive from the Rosebud Park golf course entrance built and named by the Moran family)who was elected as a life member of Rosebud Park Golf Club. He provided two tractors and other machinery worked on the course for two years at no charge.

P.46. Ossie "Jock" Bishop, no relation to Fred, who was employed by the club to collect green fees and controlled the order in which players started their rounds. It was because of his moral scruples that prevented him from allowing Rosebud Park club members to jump the queue that the idea of the formation of the Rosebud Country Club was born.

P.46. Cr Bert Herman has been mentioned in my commentary, but he helped in essential ways to construct the course, driving his tractor and seed drill at no cost.

P.46. Ray Baker, a shire president and successor to the Bacchli family as licensee (AND OWNER)of the Rosebud Hotel, was also a member of both clubs (Rosebud Park and Country Club)and frequently hosted club meetings. His hotel was virtually the de facto headquarters for both clubs in their early years.

P. 47.Ray Mentiplay, Bob Grant. Ray was a baker at Rosebud, as his brother was at Rye. The first member of the Mentiplay family to set foot in Rosebud did so in 1867, near The Rosebud, as a survivor of the Prize Fight disaster. In 1962, Ray became president of the Rosebud Park club, succeeding Bob Grant who had led the transition to the country club. Ray became the founding president of the Country Club when it came into existence at the annual meeting in November that year, but he never got to see the new course. He died on 30 December 1962.

P.47. Straun Wright-Smith was the first president of Rosebud Park Golf Club.

Members of Pat Mclaren's family.

Local businessman, Alec Webster (See Peter Wilson's ON THE ROSEBUD for extensive detail about Alec.)

George Williams (one of the first four life members shown in the page 48 photo) and later his son, Alex.
Colin Wright-country club captain 1964-7 secretary 1968-70, life member 1973.

Jack Hiscock, club treasurer for 15years from 1964.

Bob McMahon, honorary solicitor 1962-1985.

Reg. Kilborn, honorary auditor from the beginning (1962?) until he died in 1966.

Tom Gallagher, his wife, Barbara and her father Keith Ditchburn. {i]Well there's a bit of Rosebud family history that I didn't know! I believe Tom was a racehorse trainer at Rosebud and the brother of Fred Gallagher who played footy for Essendon. The Ditchburns arrived in Rosebud straight after W.W.1 and were the last to run the post office established by John Roberts before the licence was taken over by Ernie Rudduck's store in 1920.
GALLAGHER Thomas Sheperd Marriage DITCHBURN, Barbara Lillian 1950 17016/1950
Barbara was the Country Club's ladies' champion in 1966 and 1968 and Tom is a life member.

Arthur Norris, Bob Grant; Ray Bolle; Jack Heil and his golf professional son, Alan;as well as the Rosebud Hotel's Doug Bachli* and his successor and shire councillor, Ray Baker.

* Doug Bachli probably caused the need for the creation of the country club. He was stressing the need for a golf course by 1946 when he became the Victorian Country Champion. I wonder how many Rosebud golfers used to watch him practising on the foreshore footy ground 20 metres away over the road from the pub(the remains of which became today's village Green) and how many golfers holidayed at Rosebud with the hope of seeing the young champ in action. For the first time articles about Rosebud focused on golf as well as camping. No wonder Rosebud Park became too busy for the members! For further detail about the Bachli family see:NO TIME TO PRACTISE ON A COURSE

P.48. Tom Maw was Rosebud Park's first Captain in 1956 and so significant was his contribution to the formation of the courses at Rosebud Park and the country club that the entrance to the latter is named Tom Maw Drive. His machinery, his staff and expertise greatly assisted the members to clear (no easy task at Rosebud Park as indicated by the aerial photo on page 52) and shape the fairways at both clubs. His son, Alan recalled that bills to be sent to the club disappeared into his father's drawer. Tom was elected as one of the club's first four life members and the club's oldest tournament is named after him.

P. 49. Nell Burley was the first female champion at Rosebud Park in 1959.


T.M.NICHOLSON,[/url], ANZ Bank manager who was treasurer of the Rosebud Park Golf Club in its start-up phase before moving to Sunshine.

Cr.F.E.(Joe)Wood, as shown by the 21-3-1946 article above, was right behind the golfers three years before the Lands Department ultimatum, and obviously had the backing of his council colleagues. The first suggestion of the need for a golf course for Rosebud probably came at a meeting of the ROSEBUD AND DISTRICT CITIZENS' LEAGUE soon after its establishment at a 1945 meeting chaired, and probably convened, by Cr Wood.

Charles Coleman is only mentioned as the author of Bogies and Birdies, but the fact that he was one of the country club's first four members* indicates that he played a prominent part. (* The photo on page 48 was reversed on the country club's website until I posted a link to it on the HISTORY OF DROMANA TO PORTSEA Facebook page and was informed that the caption did not match the photo. The manager of the club remedied the mistake very promptly after I informed him.

P.51-2. CARRINGTON PARK (Originally at Rosebud Park Public Golf Course, now at Eagle Ridge Golf Course.)Liz
Article and the three photos on p.52 provided by Carrington Park life member, Liz MacDonald.

The club evolved in 1960 when Phillip (Pat) McLaren P was going to sell Carrington P, his private residence at Elizabeth Drive, Rosebud. In 1964 the club was incorporated with the first directors being Julius (Judy) Lockington Patching, Phillip Patrick McLaren, David Lloyd Lewis, Kenneth Lyons Greer, and Quentin George McLaren.

As early as 1966, the Carrington Park mens' and ladies's golf members commenced play. An agreement of allocated tee times had been arranged with the Rosebud Park golf course. The Rosebud Country Club may never have been born if this concession to members had been achieved a decade earlier!

In 2009, financial restraints caused by falling memberships and expensive costs to run and maintain "Carrington" were being felt. In 2013 Carrington was sold to developers and the club accepted the invitation of Eagle Ridge Golf Course to become its "In House Golf Club.
POriginal booking shed at Rosebud Park; panorama of Rosebud Park course c. 1960 from an elevated position -probably the closed portion of Hove Rd; aerial photo of Rosebud Park indicating how many trees and shrubs had needed to be removed from proposed fairways-"house" near the entrance is "Carrington". Fairways indicated in the third photo show that the course consisted of only 9 holes and did not extend north across Hove Rd into the northern 66 acres 2 roods 17 perches of the PUBLIC PARK AND RECREATION RESERVE gazetted in 1927 from the southern part of the 158 acre reserve from which 7 acres, now occupied by the Rosebud Tennis Club, had been reserved for a cemetery, never used despite funeral notices for Sidney Smith Crispo and a lady (whose name I've forgotten) stating that they would be buried at the Rosebud Cemetery; Crispo was buried at Rye!

P.53. BAY VIEWS GOLF COURSE.
Ex Rosebud Park public golf course and Carrington Park golf Club.
Nothing but an advertisement with two nice photos.

P. 54. Safety Beach Country Club. (Originally Mt Martha Valley Country Club.)
Article and photos provided by Jenny Dovosan of the Country Club.
Property Developer, David Deague, planned an estate of 400 homes intertwined with 9 hole golf course and boasting a spectacular clubhouse and function centre now known as The Atrium with five floodlit tennis courts and a swimming pool between The Atrium and course. The plan was inspired by the Gold Coast's Sanctuary Cove, probably the reason more than 1000 palm trees were planted on the site. The Mt Martha Valley Country Club was for the use of residents and landowners who were contracted to pay yearly maintenance fees.

Slow land sales meant there was not enough income to support, maintain and enhance the course so a group of residents and estate landowners formed a company named Mt Martha Estates Limited,which purchased the sporting facilities and function centre from the developers. To become viable the club needed to open all facilities to the public.The course was extended to 18 holes during the next two years. Following completion the name was changed to Safety Beach Country Club to be geographically correct. An old rumour that Safety Beach was originally referred to as Shark Bay due to effluent from a whaling station flowing down Dunns Creek is then mentioned. True locals knew the name well but Shark Bay is not once mentioned on trove and the derogatory name was coined when the Wilsons opened their abattoir near Moats Corner in 1954, twenty seven years after Safety Beach acquired its name.

No stalwarts of the club or timelines are mentioned here or on the country club's website. On page 13, 1991 is written in association with the Mount Martha Valley Golf Club, which I take to be the year of its affiliation with the Peninsula District Golf Association.

P. 56. CAPE COUNTRY CLUB. (Now RACV Cape Schanck Resort and Cape Schanck Golf Club.
Doug Clayton, who with his son became a member of the country club, sold this land to Bill Thomas who was convinced by Colin Campbell [bP to form Cape Country Pty Ltd to develop a resort. Colin started work on the course in 1969 with the help of Benito Grasso, an Italian bulldozer and Tractor driver, finishing the first 9 holes in late 1972 after working ten hours a day, seven days a week and finishing the other nine holes EVENTUALLY!
Green fees were collected by the starter in Colin's Mercedes. EVENTUALLY a small log cabin was built. EVENTUALLY a number of people became interested in forming a club. Colin wanted men and women to have equal playing rights. A women's club was soon affiliated with the VLGU and(and probably because of the V.G.A. policy of one club per course mentioned earlier the men's section waited another year before becoming affiliated with the V.G.A.

The Cape Country Club Golf Club held its first club championship in 1978 and a members only area was added to the log cabin.The Men's teams were affiliated with the P.D.G.A. (in 1978.p. 13)and the women's teams with the Mornington Peninsula Women's Golf Association. The men won the B Grade pennant in 1983 and the A Grade Pennant in 1984 but due to insufficient income from green fees, the said company was struggling and was eventually sold to the developers of the adjacent, current, National Golf Course. Harry Huxtable bought shares in the company from Bill Thomas and secret negotiations about developing the site began with David Inglis who took over a year to discover Laurie Curtis and his group. Laurie's team included Len Stone (site manager), Tony Cashmore (architect) and Peter Speedie (surveyor.) Colin Campbell had second thoughts about the sale but his majority shares were in the name of his estranged wife who agreed to sell to the developers.

Article sourced from Ian Collins P in association with John Meadows P, Trevor Main and Sandy Johnson, who are compiling a history of the Cape Country Club. Photo of Colin Campbell courtesy of Nepean Historical Society.

P. 58. RACV CAPE SCHANCK RESORT.(home of the Cape Schanck Golf Club
Colin Campbell's course was acquired by developers in the mid 80's and the National and Cape Schanck courses were built simultaneously; the latter, redesigned by renowned course architect, Robert Trent-Jones, to be a public course and the National to be a private club.

P. 60. BEACONHILLS COUNTRY GOLF CLUB (NOW CARDINIA-BEACONHILLS COUNTRY GOLF LINKS.)
William Schlipalius was Sorrento's famed ice cream man*. Charles Schlipalius,who was in 1878 the first owner* (grantee) of the land now occupied by the Cardinia-Beaconsfield Golf Links (Melway 210 H 6,7 to 211 B 6,7) was his father.

* SCHLIPALIUS HOUSE

**As Charles selected the 309 acres the grant may have been issued some years later. In 1910, Charles sold 289 acres and retained 20 acres.

Here are the birth and death records and death notice of Sorrento's William Schlipalius.

SCHLIPALIUS William Henry Birth

mother: Jessie Ann, nee MAWHAN

father: Charles Leopol

Place of birth, year, reg. no. FITZ, 1879, 23227/1879


SCHLIPALIUS William Henry Death

mother: Jessie Ann, nee MARSHALL

father: SCHLIPALIUS Charles Leopold

places of birth and death:FITZROY, MELBOURNE

age, year, reg. no. 67,1947, 4648/1947

SCHLIPALIUS. - On May 6, at Alfred Hospital, William Henry Schlipalius, of Hotham road, Sorrento, beloved husband of
Lucy, and loving father of Roy, Rose (Mrs.Seedsman), Walter, Reuben, and Albert, aged 67 years.
SCHLIPALIUS. - On May 6, William Henry, loving son of the late Jessie and Charles Schlipalius, late of William street,Malvern, loved brother of Charlie, Jessie(Mrs. Hopkins), Alfred, Edith, and Harold.
-At rest. (P.2, Argus, 7-5-1947.)


WAS WILLIAM'S FATHER, CHARLES LEONARD SCHLIPALIUS, THE BEACONSFIELD PIONEER?
ELECTORAL DISTRICT OF DANDENONG.-BERWICK DIVISION.
THE Ratepayers and General List for the above division are now printed,and copies may be inspected, free of charge,
until the day appointed for revision, at any office, at every post office within the division,and at the offices of my deputies, as under.
Patrick Keogh, Pakenham.
Charles L. Schlipalius, Upper Beaconsfield
Arthur S. H. Smartt, Gembrook.
Edward S. Hill, Bunyip South.
Amelia Piggott, Bunyip,
William 0. Ryan, Narnargoon.
Robert W.-Graham, Sheerbrooke.
JOHN BROWN,
Registrar at Berwick. (South Bourke and Mornington Journal, Wednesday 24 January 1906, P.2.)

The Beaconhills Country Golf Club history states that Charles (Leonard) Schlipalius was "son of a noted plant collector". Charles Leonard Schlipalius's golden wedding notice (re his marriage in 1870) confirms that this is the death notice of his father, whose place of origin is revealed.
SCHLIPALIUS.—On the 13th May, at his son-in-law's residence, 2 Macquarie-street, Prahran,Charles Gustave Schlipalius, late foreman, Melbourne Botanical-gardens, aged 73 years. Dresden and Saxony papers please copy. (P.1, Argus, 14-5-1897.)

www.schlipalius.com
schlipalius.com
is a google search result for SCHLIPALIUS, SORRENTO. It states:
" Welcome
Hi - if you have information on the Schlipalius family (who in Australia are descended from German immigrants and connected to the Mornington Peninsula Victoria).
Please email me if you wish to publish family information here, or add your own information or wish to have a schlipalius email address."



The above information is enough to convince me that Trevor Roberts' FROM COAST TO COAST (A HISTORY OF DISTRICT GOLF ON THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA) will be of great value to family and local historians. Those who have been involved in Peninsula Golf will have a different reason for appreciating Trevor's efforts to compile details of those who founded the clubs, those who continued their efforts and those who gained distinction by success in pennant, country golf teams and so on. While expensive, the book will be a great coffee table book, especially if post-it notes are used so that visitors will look at the right pages and see the names of the purchasers, their family members and friends first. I need say no more.