Beginning of the Woodlands Golf Club

Club House of the Woodlands Golf Club.

The Club as we know it today had its genesis in 1912 when George Rogers, a school teacher in the Hamilton district, was transferred to Chelsea.

An enthusiastic golfer, he had been responsible for the formation of a well established club in the Western District, and naturally the first thing he looked for in his new terrain was a golf course.

He wrote:

"I lived at the Mordialloc Hotel where the licensee was a Mr Hill, a prominent racing man, and having in view that my last Club made use of the racecourse for its links, I enquired of Mr Hill particulars of the Epsom Racecourse with a view to obtaining permission to play there. It was whilst on a visit to the racecourse that I saw the property now owned by this Club, and I was struck by its beauty as well as its suitability for golf."

"Some days later, Mr. T. McN. Millar, Head Master of the Mordialloc State School, called to welcome me to the district, and I spoke to him of the prospects of ‘Mayfield’, as the property was known then.He gave me all the details as to ownership and informed me that the Manager of the Estate was a Mr Whitfield, to whom he would be pleased to give me an introduction."

"I lost no time in paying a visit to the homestead where I was courteously received by Mr Whitfield, who was very interested in the purpose of my visit, and stated that the permission of the Trustees Messrs. Blake and Riggall, would be necessary.
I had afternoon tea with Mr Whitfield and it was during our conversation that a man of forthright appearance came into the room and joined the company."

"He sat, and without taking part in the conversation watched me with an air of disfavour, until he suddenly rose, and with the caustic observation ‘that gentleman has too much to say’, left the room.It was my first meeting with ‘The Count’ the legal owner of the property.On arriving home one evening my wife told me that a Mr Newton had called on business, he was a Land and Estate Agent, and lived at Mentone."

"Seeing my bag of clubs, Mr Newton enquired if I was a golfer, to which question he was informed that I at any rate, played golf, but the question of being a golfer had never been satisfactorily settled."

"I saw Mr Newton at his office and told him of my enquiries. He became very enthusiastic, and I thereupon obtained paper and envelope from him, and in his presence made application to play golf at ‘Mayfield’ Estate.Mr Newton remarked, ‘You are not wasting much time’, to which I replied that, as I was a complete stranger in the district and as he was well known to Mr Whitfield, it would perhaps facilitate matters if he followed up the letter and interviewed the Trustees. As a result of this interview the Trustees granted permission to play over the Estate, and the way was now paved for the formation of a Club."

All this took place during the Autumn of 1913, and the possibility of golf links being laid down became more of a reality to those golfers whose main enjoyment to date was knocking a ball around in the paddocks where Parkdale Railway Station now stands.
Eventually it was publicised that ‘A meeting of gentlemen interested in the formation of a Golf Club would be held in Mr F. J. Newton’s office in Mordialloc on Thursday, 17th July, 1913’. At that meeting it was moved by W.C. Ingpen and seconded by J. Daly that a Golf Club be formed. It was resolved that the Club be called the ‘Mordialloc Golf Club’.

The following office bearers were appointed:

President: T. McN. Millar
Treasurer: F. J. Newton
Captain: J. J. Rogers
Committee: M. J. Bourke; J. Daly; C. Ingpen
Secretary: G. H. Rogers
Auditor: Hervey Newton

A number of prospective players had already made application for membership and the following were duly elected subject to payment of subscription.

Mrs & Mrs Bradley
Mr M. J. Bourke
Mr & Mrs Cauldwell
Mr Collis
Miss Cook
Rev & Mrs W.M. Crocker
Mr O. F. Darlot
Mr J. Daly
Mr L. Gibson
Mr. R. Hill
Miss Hallett
Mr & Mrs W. C. Ingpen
Mr & Mrs T. McN. Millar
Miss C. Millar
Miss A. Millar
Miss McQueen
Mr & Mrs R. J. Newton
Mr & Mrs J. J. Rogers
Mr & Mrs G. H. Rogers
Mr Hunter Rogers

A week later a further list of applications was dealt with and the following accepted:

Mr J. M. Ballantyne
Mr J. King
Mr F. King
Mr & Mrs Chas Lowe
Miss Looker
Mr T. G. Newton
Mr Stirling Rogers
Mr F. M. Scudds
Mr Percy Phillips
Mr Connard
Miss McSwiney
Mrs Ward
Mr Cooling

On 17th October, 1925 at an Extraordinary General Meeting, the ‘Mordialloc Golf Club’ was dissolved and the undertaking and assets transferred to the ‘Woodlands Golf Club’. (Hunter 1973:63)

Members on the steps of the Club House at Mordialloc, September 1, 1935.