Mareeba Golf Club History

The twentieth anniversary of the opening of the club’s eighteen hole golf course will occur on the 7th April 2010.

Golf was first played at Mareeba on land situated inside the Mareeba Racecourse. The jockey’s room was used to conduct events and to serve drinks. Associates catered for competitions under the grandstand the foundation president was the late G. F. Smith.

Before World War 2 the committee secured the lease where the present course is now situated. The original nine hole layout was designed by surveyor Mr Oussie Carlsen, a foundation member. It is understood that the move from the racecourse to the present location took place in 1938.

The original clubhouse was purchased from the Kelly family and moved from the corner of Byrnes and Basalt Streets. All the provisional facilities were financed by a debenture loan of $10 per member, many of whom made this a donation to the club.

Past member Mr W. A. Johnston, a Mareeba building contractor erected the first section of the present clubhouse. Past President and current member Ron Kane added an extension and in 1986 built part of the present verandah. By then three more holes had been developed to provide a twelve hole course.

Wal Corby worked for Barclays who built the new Mareeba Hospital. Wal Prepared a plan for the development of the remaining six holes. Robert Leinster had become President in 1984 and he became aware that the Mareeba branch of the T.A.F.E. College was offering a course in land clearing. The Club was fortunate the it had the land and a plan. In 1986 the extra six holes were cleared, fairways formed, and drains cut for little or no cost.

Current member John Collins followed Robert Leinster as President and in 1987 he was approached by the College for another co-operative program in turf-laying. A fairway and green was needed. Current member, past President and past Patron Don Hastie brought over his tractor and disc harrows and John Collins followed him on the Club’s Tractor and spike harrows and they formed up the present number 12 fairway. David Adil loaned irrigation pipes and sprinklers, Ivan Benjak provided a tractor and rotary hoe and greenkeeper Sandro Lombardi formed up the green. The College withdrew from the project so lots of members planted the fairway and Jack Blake supervised the irrigation of both fairway and green. The project started in August 1987 and members played the new hole in early 1988.

While all labour and the use of machinery had been provided at no cost, soil for the green and the irrigation had to be purchased. The exercise presented the committee with the sobering reality that the cost of developing the remaining five holes would be considerable. It was decided to retreat and consolidate.

Other changes were happening. Golf Club trustees Jack Bethel, Bill Grant and Tom Moore, all life members, had underwritten the financial management of the club for many years. On 7th November 1988 the club became incorporated and the trustees retired. Incorporation also saw the end of the Associates Committee and its lady members were thanked for their fundraising.

In late 1988 President Collins successfully negotiated with the Mareeba Shire Council for the Council to provide $30,000 towards earthworks, excavation for water mains, additional clearing, and forming up the greens for fairways 2,3,4,5, and 6.

The Club was financially strong and in early 1989 Ron Kane further extended the clubhouse. A new kitchen and bar were built, the verandah added and locker room constructed underneath.

In July 1989 Council commenced work and this was the catalyst which allowed the club to purchase the irrigation equipment and the topsoil for the greens. Some $70,000 was expended but this would have been considerably higher had it not been for the assistance received from many quarters.

Tom Axford from Smorgans lent a tractor and a trailer, David Adil a pasture slasher, farmers Serg Battisting, Ivan Benjak and Tony Smoljko came with their disk harrows and rotary hoes, and both male and female members of the Club rallied to the call for volunteers to plant he greens and fairways. They were ably led by Jack Blake and Carl Mattsson.

The achievement was nothing short of magnificent and was reflected on the opening weekend which co-incided with the Rothmans Tournament. Over three hundred and fifty players participated on 7th and 8th April 1990.

Now, 19 years on, the same selfless contributions of members continues with the current redevelopment of the number 7 and number 14 greens. This selflessness has made the Mareeba Golf Course what it is today.