50th Anniversary 24T H & 2 5 T H O CT OB E R 2015
LOOKING FORWARD… Hill Top Golf and Country Club President, Graham Meneilly. Photo: Alicia Niglia.
The Hill Top story into the future WHILE members and staff are celebrating Hill Top Golf and Country Club’s 50th Birthday year and all of the many achievements and successes enjoyed over the years, Hill Top Golf and Country Club President, Graham Meneilly says they’re also looking towards the future, with some fantastic plans in the works to continue to grow and build on the already strong foundations of the club. “The course itself punches above it’s weight. It’s an 18
hole irrigated golf course that really performs quite well. It compares well. “Our good reputation and the quality of our greens has been hard fought for. We have one full time greens keeper who takes care of garden and course maintenance and the rest of the ongoing maintenance is carried out by our dedicated team of volunteers. “ N o r t h l i n k s hou si ng d e velop m e n t h a s b e e n a
wonderful new direction for the future of Hill Top Golf and Countr y Club. The development, at completion, will house 289 new homes and with statistics showing that 75 percent of people who live around a golf course become members of the course, we are excited about the prospect of welcoming a new generation of members to the club. Continued page 34
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HILL TOP 50th Anniversary
GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB T A T U R A
24TH & 25TH OCTOBER 2015
A history in the making HILL TOP GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB Hill Top Golf and Country Club in Tatura had its birth in 1909 when a few enthusiasts laid out a four-hole course on an area described as “vacant ground” at the rear of the public gardens. Later that same year, the first official club was formed with ‘Hogan’s Paddock’, an area north of the railway line, as its home ground.
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1913
1963
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In 1913, the club transferred to an area consisting of the Lake Paddock (the reserve on which the present Bartlett Lake and Tatura Primary School form part of). The club played there and progressed from a nine hole course to 15 in 1948 and a full 18 holes sandscraper course in 1949 until it vacated it at the end of the 1964 season.
Golf Architects, Eric Horne (curator of Medway Golf Club) and Horrie Brown (curator of Keysborough) submitted a plan and were retained. The fairways were sown in April 1964, the greens were planted in September that year and the course was opened in April 1965. The purchase of the property and construction of the course cost approximately £55,000.
Late in 1963, a property of 137 acres on the north side of town, called Hill Top, owned by the estate of the late Rodney Shire Councillor, Stuart Ross, and previously owned by J. H. (Hill Top) Davies, became available. It was undulating, high class land, ideally suited for a golf course, with a well-situated brick home which could be converted into a clubhouse. Members decided the only way it could be purchased would be by forming a community club, thus gaining the interest and the support of the town and district people as a whole. A special meeting was called in late 1963, chaired by Pat O’Toole, where £15,000 was promised in debentures, interest-free for two years. This was used to purchase the land. The first working bee was held on December 26, 1963 with 28 attending.
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A seven-rink bowling green was added in 1965, again with voluntary labour and at very little expense to the club – the grass being South African Couch. A further second green was added in 1972. And at the 1986 AGM a proposal was put forward and duly accepted to install a fully automated watering system which was completed by autumn 1987 and later updated in 2001 when the system was computerised.
HILL TOP & COUNTRY CLUB 50th Anniversary GOLF 24TH & 25TH OCTOBER 2015
The official opening of the course did not take place until August 27, 1966 when, in front of a crowd of several hundred, the Deputy Prime Minister, John McEwen pronounced the course open with t he L iquor L icence granted on Tuesday, May 24, 1966.
1966
1994
Gaming Machines were introduced to Hill Top in December 1994. T here have been many changes to the pokies since that time, in par ticular the ownership of the Gaming Machines which in 2012 reverted from Tabaret to Hill Top.
1996 1999
The Hill Top ladies did a superb job in catering for events throughout the years, and in 1996, it was decided to lease out the kitchen with Gavin and Diane Dennis taking up the opportunity, further improving it as a venue for meals, wedding receptions and all kinds of social occasions.
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In 1999, the NorthLinks consortium negotiated with Hill Top for the club to give them the 3rd, 13th, 14th and part of the 15th fairways, which they would subdivide along with the land to the north of the course they had purchased. In return, NorthLinks, under advice of Thomson, Wolveridge and Perrett (golf course architects), would construct new golf holes which are now known as the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th in which Hill Top received fair compensation for. In July 1999, a decision was made to build a new dining room with a capacity of over 150 diners, kitchen, foyer and dining amenities. This was officially opened proudly by club president, Norm McLeod on October 16, 1999. Links Bistro is now Tatura’s best venue for such events with regular guest entertainers and club celebrations.
2015 Hill Top Golf and Country Club continues to be a proud com mun it y club with one full time greens keeper, a staff of 28 and a s t e ad y s t r e a m o f dedicated volunteers ensur ing the club continues to thrive.
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HILL TOP 50th Anniversary
GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB T A T U R A
24TH & 25TH OCTOBER 2015
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COMMUNITY… Hill Top Golf and Country Club continues to build on a strong history of community spirit. Photo: Alicia Niglia.
The Hill Top story into the future Continued from front page of feature “HILL Top is a family club. We’ve got all of our golf families, and our bowls families are a really important part of it too. The whole community sticks together, they work together and we’ve got everything going for us here. “We’ve got a lovely restaurant, a wonderful function centre, a friendly atmosphere, a beautiful golf course and bowling section and we’ve got an onsite caravan park which has grown in popularity year on year. “Some of our members have been coming
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here from far and wide for more than 30 years and every time they come they say the place is getting better and better. “An important part of celebrating how far the club has come in the last 50 years, is looking forward and identifying where we can improve to ensure that we will be celebrating the club in another 50 years. “Our immediate aim is to improve the number of people who play week on week at the club. We’re a not for profit organisation and our player support is vital to our success. “Our most ambitious plan for the future
of the club is the inclusion of our own dedicated motel accommodation for our visiting golfers. We already have a parcel of land allocated and we have Council support for the project, all we need is an interested developer who’s willing to make the project their own. That’s our long term goal to have permanent motel style accommodation on course to better situate ourselves for visitors from outside the region. “We believe in what we have here and we look forward to another wonderful 50 years ahead.”
HILL TOP & COUNTRY CLUB 50th Anniversary GOLF 24TH & 25TH OCTOBER 2015
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Hill Top Golf & Country Club Board Members
Michael Trevaskis
David Roberts
Bob Hunter
VICE PRESIDENT
TREASURER
BOARD MEMBER
Graham Meneilly
John Fanning
John Mapson
Peter Caldow
PRESIDENT
BOARD MEMBER
BOARD MEMBER
BOARD MEMBER
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