History

The greens were officially opened by VGA President Mr Alec Brake on the 9 July. The dam needed enlargement.

Terry Brew was employed as curator and played a major role in drainage, watering systems and course improvements.

Tragedy struck and the clubhouse burnt down. A tent at the first tee was used as a clubhouse until a temporary clubhouse was built by the members at a cost of, $7,500. It’s now part of today’s clubhouse and is where the kitchen, bar and pool room exist in the current building.

Major drainage, clubhouse development and an extension of the watering system occurred at a cost of $110,000. Part grant. Part in kind with Club members physically pitching in and a $50,000 loan.

On the 14 August a liquor license was granted.

The clubhouse verandah was added.

Automatic watering systems to tees and greens. Over 20 years the membership had doubled to 400.

Over the past thirty years Jubilee has continued to go from strength to strength building on its assets through:

• Additional equipment purchase in mowers, tractor and a front-end loader.
• Toilets at the 5th and 14th tees replaced with septic cisterns (i.e. running water).
• Reconstruction of the 11th green occurred during the tenure of Greens Keeper Ian Hancock.
• Further extensions and updating of waterlines throughout the course.
• 2007: Bunkers replacing pine trees that died on the 2nd hole.
• Fairway improvements and new types of grass established on most fairways.
• 2009: Markers on the fairways depicting 200, 150 and 100 meter from greens.
• Junior golf began in schools and coaching by Jubilee members
• A grant for junior golfing equipment approved and 10 sets of clubs purchased.
• With the help of Federal Funding, a fully automated watering system over the entire course.

Jubilee Golf Club wishes to thank Dick Pendlebury and his family for information in relation to the clubs history.

My memory is about my grandmother, Annie Hoysted. A family tragedy brought Nana into golf. In 1933, aged 36, she was widowed, and sadly three years later, her seven-year-old son George died. Her friends at the Anglican Church really helped her and they introduced her to golf at Jubilee. This was about 1937. Rick and Elsie Burridge were some of the golfers that brought her to golf each week. She played into her 80’s. Her greatest achievement was at Benalla with Joan Lack and Grace Maroney when they won the Bowl. Robyn Grealy

Since my first handicap card in 1976 I have had many wonderful years playing golf at Jubilee. This has given me much joy and pleasure and kept me fit and healthy.  Jubilee course is tops with many improvements done over those years, lovely fairways, challenging greens and very friendly people. My first years were helped by encouragement from older members in Hilda Karnatz, Kath Burridge, and Barb Sloan and I was made welcome by all members. I have so many happy memories with the club and I wish them all the best for the future. Alma Sargent.

To enable us to get ‘competition golf’ going as soon as possible, the heavily timbered areas of the course were just dozed to one side or the other and so the ‘fairways’ were formed. A local rule prevailed allowing a ball that entered this debris area was not lost; a ball to be dropped at point of entry – no penalty. Playing down the 15th on this occasion a fellow competitor, a visitor, had disappeared into the scrub to chance finding his ball. After a while I told him don’t worry, just drop another ball out here, there is no penalty. I am not worried about the ball mate, was his reply. I can’t find my bloody clubs! We certainly had some difficult situations in our early days before what is now as a wonderful golf course. Rod McKenzie.

The tees needed to be reformed and the trees on the back 9 required thinning out. David Ross had an old bulldozer on his Everton property. We talked him into loaning it to the golf club, provided we could get it started and transport it to the club. I’m not sure who provided the low loader, but Greens Director Vern Dalton, organised it, plus a crowbar, cans of Aerostart and a new set of batteries.  The batteries were installed, the crowbar was used to turn the engine over making sure it was not rusted up, then plenty of Aerostart and hit the starter.  After what seemed a long time it burst into life, belching black smoke. It was loaded and shifted to Jubilee where it was used for a couple of years. Conclusion: a good example of how we build the course. John Guilfoyle.

I would like to say that I think I would be the luckiest member here to be given the health and fortune to have been able to play golf and make so many great friends. Right from the beginning in 1963 till the present time, the memories I treasure are of members, both men and women from all walks of life that have worked so hard over the years turning the rough old spewy bush track we had at the beginning into the beautiful course we have here today. This has been achieved with the great club spirit that we have here and is still as strong today. It is something that has seen Jubilee win through some tough times such as losing our greens in a very dry year. Then we copped a landslide that spread rocks and boulders and everything that was in its way across the 10th fairway, almost down to the lady’s tee; our clubhouse was broken into often and goods stolen; and then our Club House was burnt to the ground. The mood was one of despair for a while, but the members came back with nearly all saying we are not going to let this beat us, we will rebuild. A great effort by John Guilfoyle, Bob Morrison, backed by club president Alan Belcher and committee, gained a grant from the sports and recreation ministry of $30,000. We had to match this which we did with our voluntary labour. With that grant we built the present club house, put in a water line around the course, pop ups around our greens and 4km of drainage. This was done with the greatest voluntary effort. Ralph Nalder.

Anne McLeod (nee Goldsmith) was a young teenager as the Jubilee Golf Course as we know it today, started to take shape. The front nine was the farm and the back nine was virgin bush – much like the bush behind the 12th and 15th tees today. The 18th hole had been the house paddock where the house cows roamed. The dam was much smaller then. The 5th fairway was an orchard. As the back nine was being constructed the members were able to play golf on shortened fairways which helped to keep their interest up. For instance on the 11th a temporary sand scrape was level with ‘that grass tree’. The 12th sand scape was where the cottage is now.