Early 1960s

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In early 1960, Golf enthusiasts, in conjunction with the Race Club and the Show Society, worked on developing a few holes around the race track with sand greens. In those days, the various Government departments did a few 'shonkies' for community projects. 

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Amongst those early organisers/workers were Fred (Smokey) Dawson, Les Reed, Peter Hooper, Marco Picconi, Tony Bretherton, Henry Scott, Harry Knight, Dick Condon and Tiger Woodley. 

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No 5 Airfield Construction Squadron developed a pretty rough five-hole layout at Tindal in 1965. All holes were par 3's, with small sand greens. Most importantly, there was the Club House (commonly referred to as 'The Drinking Shed'). Willy Wardell and Tommy O'Brien were instigators of this project with a lot of assistance from other RAAF personnel. 

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Access to the course was obtained through the existing Showgrounds gate, then turning left along a fence that ran from the Showgrounds entry road and behind the rodeo arena to the corner at the front of the caretaker's house (Ken Walters residence). It was not unusual to get bogged when coming along the fence line after rain. It was not until 1975 that the present access became available, with the removal of the railway line that ran from town to the good shed, located opposite where Riverview Caravan Park is now located. 

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1968-69 - Tony Bretherton President. 

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The Moline Golf Club invited the Katherine Golfers for the official opening of their club in 1968. The following golfers made up the team to represent Katherine. Jock and Twiggy Donnelly, Len Brown, Fred Snr & Jnr Pasch and Bill Coburg. Bill won the days competition. The Moline was a real bush course with minute greens, built along the side of a steep banked creek. 

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It wasn't long before Katherinites were going out to Tindal every Sunday morning to play 'Rafferties Rules Golf' and partake in large amounts of very cheap beer. Spirits were not served in the Airmen's Club in those days. During the 1968-69 dry season, there were probably more Katherinites than RAAF personnel playing golf and socialising afterwards. Amongst the better known Townies were Fred Pascoe, Kevin Atwell, Len Brown, Don Darben, Keith Lacey, John Heath, Bill Mullens, Loyal Diversion, George Bates, Mike Butcher, Robin Chalker, Frank Buller, Jock Donnelley and Neil Carruthers. 

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​The 1970 Eason was an immediate success and about 15-20 regulars were recruited. Tony Bretherton was President and he sent all the committee members a telegram to call a special meeting. As soon as the meeting commenced, Tony resigned. At one stage Tiggy Donnelley was carrying out the duties of President, Secretary, Treasurer, Captain, Handicapper and mower of the course. 

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A committee was formed in early 1969 dry season to get a 9-hole course up and running in Katherine because the RAAF Course was to be closed when the construction of the strip was completed at the end of 1969. The committee consisted of Keith Lacey, Don Darren, Les Reed, Tony Bretherton, Mike Butcher, Bill Coburn, Tiggy Donnellan and Len Brown. The area between the existing bowling green and the Bicentenary Road and the current sixth to ninth holes was to be used for the new course. Work on the new course was very slow because most Townies were more interested in playing golf and socialising right up until the weekend before the RAAF moved out of Tindal, just prior to Christmas, than attending the working bees. 

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When the Tindal Club closed, they donated their clubhouse (The Drinking Shed) to the Katherine Golf Club. Neil Carruthurs arranged for a Buntine truck to cart the shed and other bits and pieces to their new home. 

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Dismantle and re-erection was left until the weekend prior to the Raffies moving out. This allowed all to celebrate the closing of Tindal Golf Club and to kick off the Katherine Golf Club Drinking Shed. Paul Worsefield acquired the concrete for the floor. It was evident by the very uneven finish on the floor that a few cans had been consumed while they waited for the concrete to go off, enough time to have the finishing touches applied. 

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At the end of the 1970 season, we had around $800 in the bin. Most of these funds were raised by donations by members for refreshment services provided by the Committee. 

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Don Darben re-deigned most of the current course, with the idea of leaving as many trees as possible on the course. The trees added to the degree of difficulty as it narrowed the fairways down considerably in various parts. This was to compensate for not having sand traps and bunkers. A large number of big trees have been blown down during storms over the years. One of the trees was about 50 metres in front of the old 6th tee. It was very hard to hit a shot straight down the fairway because of the height and shape of this tree. Tony Bretherton decided to eliminate this problem by cutting down the tree. No doubt there are a lot of golfers who were pleased to see more of the trees disappear over time. 

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A 9-hole course was cleared, with machinery loaned to the Club, during the wet season by Hickey Bros (Kevin and Basil). All work on the course, including the mowing of fairways and the upkeep of sand greens plus the bar work, were done by voluntary labour.

 

 

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1970-74 - Keith Lacey President

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Paddy Fitzgerald was the Patron, Keith Lacey was the President, Don Darben was the Captain with Big John Hauth vice Captain and Pat Hauth Secretary /Treasurer and Bob Harling Handicapper of the Club in those formative years.

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In 1971, the Katherine Golf Club commenced operating under South Australian Golf Association rules and regulations for the first time. The course met the standards set down by the SAGA in relation to length and width of the fairways. We started using the SAGA Handicap System. Membership fees were introduced. Weekly competitions including Club Championships commenced.

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We also accepted the SAGA Handicap System. Membership fees were introduced weekly and by the beginning of the 1970 season, the course met the standards set down by the SAGA in relation to length and width of the fairway competitions including Club Championships commenced.

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The attendance at working bees had to be seen to be believed. The committee and the large number of volunteers who turned up for the regular working bees made this possible by some very hard work. It was not unusual to have 20 to 25 members turn up for a working bee on Saturday mornings. Maybe it was the couple of cartons put on by the Club that attract such large numbers.

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Don Darben was also responsible for introduction and explanation of the rule of golf and also obtained our first rule book.

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The rough was not in the early days. Any grass on the fairway was slashed to approx 2 inches. It was unusual for the spear grass to grow to over 6 foot in the wet season.

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Some of the original local rules in the early 1971 included: 

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1. One club length preferred lie. Tee up anywhere on fairway to avoid damages to club faces from hitting rock and the lack of ground cover.​

2. If a ball was lost in long grass. Play another ball from ball entered grass. Penalty 1 stroke.​

3. The borrow pit that ran along the side of 1st fairway was deemed casual water when it filled up in the wet season. Play another ball from ball entered grass. Penalty 1 stroke. This was eventually refilled and when the spear grass regrew it narrowed the fairway considerably.

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The mounds for the tees became so hard in the dry season it was almost impossible to get plastic or wooden tee into ground. Len Brown came up with novel idea of making tee's out of plastic stoppers from wine bottles. These could be cut to various lengths to suit your needs.

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The Club soon became an established sporting and social venue with the normal arguments and many diversions. There was a BBQ every Sunday after the game. Then it was chip and putt competitions for a beer or two. This often continuing until around 4 o'clock. It was not unusual to have between 20 & 30 members play every week. Town had a population of approx. 3000.

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The traditional "Rum Cup" came to Katherine when Tindal closed. These days bought out the worst in everyone and the bars on every hole did a roaring trade.

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Another "Gala Day" was the Annual Chicken & Champagne Breakfast at the close of the competition season. Some of the tales coming out of these days will live in the folklore of the club forever.

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The period 1970 to 1975 were very important years for the growth of the club. All competitions were played on Sunday mornings. We had regular turnouts of 20 - 30 members and 15 to 20 Associates playing every week during the dry season.

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Some of the foundation Members were Henry Scott, Len Brown, Les Reed, Tiggy Donnellan, Ken Boyle, Keith McDougall, Bill Mullins. Tony Pocock, Don Darben, Bob Harling, John Hauth, Andy Willox, Mike Butcher, Bill Mullens, Trevor Collins, Bruce Murphy, Boyd Wise, Slicker Collard, Ken, Marco Piccone, Bruno Cantoni, Don Lock, Keith Lacey, Taffy Hancock, Frank Scott. Johnny Oconnor, Baldy Morris, Richard Morris, Zorba Kerr, John Adamson, Royce Gordon, Lyle Deverson and Neil Carruthers.

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Don Darben (Regional Director, Transport & Works Department) arranged a land swap with the Show Society so the club could extend the course to 18 holes during the 1973 season. This was to put us on the same level as Darwin and Alice Springs.

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Unfortunately both clubs upgraded their courses to Australian Championship standards and we could not compete. By having a 18-hole course we would be able to attract championship tournaments such as the NT Open. We relinquished the area now occupied by the Rodeo arena and the netball courts and obtained the land behind the racecourse and occupied in part by the speedway track.

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Don also assisted by allowing Works machinery to be tested on the course prior to going bush after repairs. A hole and fairway maintenance roster was introduced.,We increased the course from 9 to 18 holes by putting in a 4th hole out behind the race course where the speedway track is now and 5 holes that are now holes 1 to 5.

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There is a vast difference between sitting around a table drawing up 9 new holes on a plan and actually going out into the paddock and marking out the position of the tees, fairways and greens. Boyd Wise, John Hauth and Taffy Hancock had the honour of marking out the new holes and must have used a dozen rolls of toilet paper to mark the fairways. Taffy cleared the fairways using the T & W dozer and grader that had to be tested after been overhauled. He also cleared the area between the clubhouse and the dam This timber and that from the surrounding fairway was pushed into the borrow pits dug when the bowling green was been constructed. This borrow pit was eventually filled by dumping the rubbish from the Clubhouse and fill from various building and construction sites around Katherine.

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The Committee decided to develop the area into a football / cricket oval. There was also possibility the town tennis courts would be relocated as they required a complete upgrade or replacement.

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1974-75 - Boyd Wise President.

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It was a common practice for some members to go out late on Saturday afternoon and rake all the sand greens in preparation for play on Sunday morning. Not long after we began playing the 18-hole course we had the misfortune to have some 8 - 12 stray horses move onto the course mainly because of the abundance of feed. These horses thought the sand greens were wonderful places to have a roll and fight. After several futile attempts to remove the horses and repair the fences advertisements were placed in the local paper advising the owners to remove the horses or they would be destroyed. As there weren't any answers to our adverts the local pet meat shooters were invited to remove the pests. Its amazing that we have never had stray horses on the course since this action was taken.

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Tiggy Donnellan, Ken Puet and Taffy Hancock were responsible for the majority of the mowing done between 1970 - 1975. Ken had a massive heart attack and died whilst working on the 5th green. 

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During this period if anything needed to be done we went out and got it done with voluntary labour and shonkies from any Govt Department you could find to give necessary assistance. Telecom Transport & Works and Civil Aviation were the main contributors. It was always very beneficial to have Departmental Heads, CEO's, Supervisors, Bank Managers as members of your club. No one ever asked where the material for various project came from.

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The Associates affiliated with the SAGA in 1975 and commenced playing on Saturday afternoons mainly thanks to the efforts of Eileen Tomkins.

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Eileen was one of the mainstays of Associate golf here. Llyle Deverson had a deep drop toilet dug for the convenience of the members and Eileen was given the privilege of christening the new toilet.

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Regulars amongst the original Associates were Barbara Harling. Margaret Bretherton, Helen Faulkener, Edith Mackie, Heather Pocock, Fay Cox, Jeannie O'Connor and Gail Murphy.

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As some of the originals left, their places were taken by new members who were not frightened to bend their backs and put in a lot of quantity time on the course. These included Trevor Allwright, Neville May, Col Gigney, Ken Walters, Ian Harvey, Andy McNeil, Bob Kendray, Alan McKinnon, Doug Parfit, Chippy Shand, Harry Williams, Ray Bateman, Charlie Linderberg, Hilmar Floth, Paul Hassett, Bob Dodd Jim Cobb. Phil Witte Robbie Mackie and Steve Mackie.

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The New ClubHouse

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In 1974 we won the tender to dismantle and remove a Sidney Williams framed building, formally used by DCA building at the old airport. The well-attended working bee dismantled the building, with Lyle Deverson and Joe Troy arranging the necessary transport. This building was to be the frame for the new clubhouse. When the building was finally erected, only the roof trusses were used because the original building was too small to met our growing membership.

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The Club Patron Dick Fields officially opened the Clubhouse on the 17th June 1976.

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The building was never going to be big enough as we spent most of our time sitting outside, mainly because you couldn't wear spikes on the tiled floor.

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In 1976 we had to decide between having a roof or a concrete floor for the external bar area as we didn't have sufficient funds for both. As it turned out, we managed to recruit Bob Vergo, a very friendly bank manager who gave as an overdraft to cover these costs. We have never been out of debt since.

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The first full time Manager was Bruce Murphy. Bruce has been known to empty a full rubbish tin in an effort to find a 5-cent piece he had dropped and put it back in the till. The daily takings would have been out otherwise. He ran that bar as if he owned it.

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Frank Scott became our first resident caretaker when he set his caravan up within walking distance of the old long drop toilet.

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