In the mid twenties, about 1925, a group of men met and decided to make a golf course at Phaff’s paddock. Dr. Cecil Uren and dentist Elvyn Hood, both of whom had been students at the University of Sydney, were the leaders. Soon many local citizens and their wives joined the club and a 7 hole course was put down. Mr Bob Shepherd, Chairman of the Council, was patron.
As this was where the local Ramblers, All Blacks and other footballers played, it was agreed after a few months, to move to the showgrounds. A small club house was erected a short distance from the present entrance to the grounds and from there, players hit the ball down the first fairway towards the horse paddock; then across the show ring where the fence rails were often a hazard, then towards the cattle yards, Pig Creek, and by the time nine holes were played, players had done a full circuit of the showgrounds.
Some members I recall from those days were the Urens, Hoods, Dodds, Fausts, and Lascelles, Jack O’Conner, Briggs, Mazlins, Lyall & Evie Jones, A Spence, Olive Lade, Lillian Stacey, Frank & Eileen Wilson, Mrs Gillespie, Carter Bros, Flo McGrath, Oakhills, Watts & Rose Maltby. The women would make afternoon tea and the men bought a dozen large bottles of beer. After a while, we had competitions with Bowen, Mackay and Collinsville.
After World War II, moves were made towards securing the Club’s own land. Negotiations took place with Mr Gordon Edwards, but, at that time, finance was a problem. Members motored over Myrtle Creek and looked at land owned by Messrs. Jones and Kingsbury in the vicinity of Braemar. The committee decided that this was unsuitable so the Club stayed at the showgrounds until 1948 when it was decided to renegotiate with Mr Edwards for the land now owned by the Club. Mr Tom Foxlee agreed to sell the club 10 acres making a total of 42 acres for the course.
Much hard work was involved in clearing and burning the gums, ti-trees and other scrub. Volunteers with tractors, ploughs and graders came especially at weekends, preparing for the beautiful course members have today. At that stage, the present road leading to the golf links was part of the Council garbage dump and as children, we used to collect gum leaves growing there, for our pet koalas.
Frank Wilson, Joe Carter, Alan Spence, John McLellan and Lyall Jones drafted out a course. While all this was going on, members realized that the Club house at the show gronds had served its purpose and so it was decided to purchase Mr W Greenwood’s old home at ‘Cricklewood’, said to have been build round the 1890’s. Mr Dick Oakhill supervised its removal and reconstruction.
Mr Murray Gibson, President, introduced Mr Lloyd Roberts, Member for Whitsunday, who performed the official opening in May 1952. The Club’s patron, Mr Charlie Faust, drove off the first ball from Number 1 Tee to the accompaniment of loud applause and as he did so the men and associates did a crocodile dance with Piper Arthur Neill on his bagpipes. About 350 people were present including Mr Walter Dodd, Chairman of the Council and A Perske, President of the Bowling Club. The band, under the baton of Mr E Mulhall, rendered lively music. Celebrations continued well into midnight and so gave birth to our Proserpine Golf Links, one of the most valuable and beautiful assets sporting bodies we have here today.