Course Records and History
COURSE RECORDS
Allison Course
Men: 65 Adam Groom (24/02/02)
Women: 63 Kirsty Hodgkins (29/01/16)
Junior Boys: 66 Matias Sanchez (15/04/16)
Junior girls: 63 Kirsty Hodgkins (29/01/16)
Water Street Course
Men: 60 P.A. Toogood (1960, original course rating)
64 R.E. Winnett (1964, revised course rating)
Women: 70 C Conroy (1964)
HISTORY (Special thanks to Don Mapley, who gathered much of the information for this page)
The Ulverstone Golf Club was formed at a meeting held on March 8th, 1911. The 13 residents who attended the meeting all agreed to join the Club, paying an annual subscription of five shillings for gentlemen, and two shillings and sixpence for ladies. The Council had agreed to lease the showgrounds of the time (now Fairway Park) at a rental of two pounds per annum. The initial five-hole course was opened on March 29th, 1911. (Three weeks to create a golf course? Wow!)
In 1920 the course was extended to nine holes when more land was leased west of Victoria Street. The nine-hole course was officially opened on 12th August, 1922. When bunkering was completed in the early 1930s, the club had a very interesting and tight layout of 2745 yards (2510 meters) and an 18-hole par of 68.
In 1961 the committee decided to proceed with the purchase of land at Allison for a new eighteen-hole course. The new course was developed over 14 years by a bevy of volunteer members under the direction on greenkeeper, Tom Britton, while his deputy, Wayne Porter, maintained the Water Street course. The plan for the new course was produced in October 1964 by course architect Al Howard and with only minor alterations, was constructed to his specifications. Access to the development was originally quite difficult, but was much improved after the construction in September 1965 of a bridge over the Leven River linking to Lobster Creek Road.
On Saturday, March 2nd 1974, the club held a 4BBB stableford, with the first nine holes played at Water Street, and the last nine at Allison. However the club’s move to Allison was delayed by the destruction and then replacement of the bridge in 1974, and the lack of a clubhouse which could not be completed until funding was made available in 1976. The club finally bid farewell to Water Street on Sunday, 30th October, 1976. The first important competition on the Allison course was held on November 6th – the annual Legacy Day.
Ulverstone Golf Club’s respected and much loved member and player is Roy Stott. Roy has been a member since 1948, and was an outstanding player. His most memorable victory was the Australian Amateur Golf Championship played at Royal Hobart in 1968 when he holed a shot out of a bunker to claim the title. He won the Tasmanian Amateur Championship in 1954 and 1967, and represented Tasmania 15 times between 1951 and 1970. His many achievements led to his induction into Tasmania’s Sporting Hall of Fame in 2008.
In recent times the club has hosted both state and national competitions including:
- Interstate Teams Championship September 2001, 2016.
- Tasmanian Open Men’s Championships 1996, 2000, 2002, 2019, 2020
- Tasmanian Women’s Championships 2002, 2005
- Australian Junior Girls Championship 2006, 2010.