The Lancefield Golf Club was formed in June 1927 when given the use of land owned by Jack Linehan. Ten sand scrapes were established followed by a Club House in 1928.
Golf was only played in Winter as sheep also grazed the course and the grass became too long to play in Spring and Summer. Each scrape had a ‘two wire’ fence around them to stop the sheep soiling the sand.
In 1977 the Romsey Shire Council purchased the land primarily for the sand deposits. They then intended selling the land but, after much negotiating by the then Secretary Bob Harris and Cr Kevin Tully, the Council agreed to the Golf Club remaining provided that an 18 hole grass green course was built. An added bonus for Council was that they had a valuable tip site to be used. To further recoup the $80,000 land purchase price, the Council sub-divided the land on Golf House & Heddle Road and gave the Golf Club a block of land on which to build a new Club House.
Then ……
To finance the cost of building the greens the Club sold 15 Foundation Memberships for $1,000 each and Bern Shannon contacted Bill Edgar, well known amateur golfer in Melbourne, to design an 18 hole golf course in front of the Club House but because of the Tip Site, 4 of the holes were formed on land across the road.
Work commenced in 1982 when member Ian Mustey and his sons Stuart & Scott, with their extensive earth moving machinery, dug the big dams and formed 10 greens and tees, laid the pipes around the course and installed the diesel motor and pumps. Dennis Connors used his tractor and blade to provide the final shape of the greens, followed by members spending countless hours raking and preparing the surface for sowing. Jack Nicholls then installed the sprinklers on the greens and tees and connected the water to each green.
Finally, in 1984, 10 grass greens were opened and golf could be played 12 months of the year. Four more holes were added in the next 4 years with the final 4 across the road on land Council had bought giving the Club 18 grass greens. All the mowing of the greens and tees was done by Ron Mau with a hand mower which he moved between greens in his ute. With 18 greens now in play the Club employed its first Green Keeper.
In 1991, with a large number of our 350 members present, our new Club House was opened by Cr Tully. President, Ken Ryan, outlined the long journey the Lancefield Golf Club had taken with the 18 grass greens completed at last!!
….. and now.
