Club History

Please CLICK HERE for a brief history of Waverley Golf Club, one of the founding clubs of Churchill-Waverley Golf and Bowls Club.  

The following is a thumbnail sketch of the Waverley Golf Club's beginnings until the move to the current Rowville site.  

Originally called The Glen Waverley Golf Club the first meeting held at Cumberland Brighton on 1 September 1926 elected Mr Harry K Turner as President, Mr S W Rogerson as Honorary Secretary, and Mr A F Crosby as Honorary Treasurer with Messrs F Rogerson, D Jacobs and A B Turner as Committee members.

Land owned by Mrs J F Crosby in Glen Waverley was available for laying out links for the use of members of the club.  Two weeks later 36 members were elected as members

They purchased a lawn mower for less than 20 pounds ($40), a Holecutter for 35 shillings ($3.50), 60 feet of hose at 7 pence (6 cents) a foot plus fittings, one dozen tins at 24 shillings ($2.40).

The Links were officially opened on 6 June 1927 with a mixed foursomes and ladies and gentlemen's singles events played concurrently.

And so began our Club on a 9 hole course.

The first greenkeeper, Mr Russell, was employed for two days per week during the months of May, June, July, August and September 1928 and the Secretary purchased a single unit 30 inch Ransome fairway mower with sulky frame, shafts and seat from England for 42 pounds 10 shillings ($85)

On 2 September 1929 the Secretary reported that the Golf Association of Victoria advised that the application to be a member club had been granted.

In early 1938 Mr and Mrs Crosby advised the Committee that they had purchased an additional 50 acres adjoining the existing links and were considering making this area available, together with the existing 30 acres, to the Club.

At the Annual General Meeting 23 April 1938 it was agreed that the name of the Club should be altered to "Waverley Golf Club"

In July of 1938 the Club engaged Mr V Billings, a member of the Professional Golfers Association as professional attached to the Club subject to him attending the Club on Saturday and Sunday.  (Mr Billings was the uncle of Ian Baker-Finch).   Shortly after the Club congratulated him on his performance during the 1938 Victorian Professional Golf Championship and asked him to accept a bag of golf balls as an indication of appreciation of his efforts.

In April of 1939 Mr Billings resigned and Mr E Naismith was appointed as Professional and in early 1940, Mr J Green took over from him.

At a Committee meeting 13 April 1944 the Greens Committee requested extra expenditure for the wages of a youth for approximately 3 weeks relieving the Green Keeper while on holidays. (We suspect that this is G W (Bill) Powell) who is now a Life Member of the Club.)

In 1946 the Club entered a team in the VGA Pennant competition for the first time and in 1949 the "B" Team won all but the last game of the series.

At the Extraordinary General Meeting on 15 July 1959 there was a proposal relating to lease expiry on 31/12/1963 and need to find and develop a new course.

At the Extraordinary Meeting on 28 July 1960 The Notice convening the meeting contained the following words.

"At last a suitable area has been located.  It consists of 90 odd acres of undulating country at Rowville approximately 7 miles from our present course and about 4 miles from Dandenong.  It stretches from Stud Road to Heany Park Road".  The price is 52,250 pounds and we are required to pay 3,000 pounds by mid August 1960, a further 12,000 pounds by mid October 1960 and the balance at 4,500 pa plus interest at 6.5% on quarterly adjustment.

The Committee advised that LaTrobe Golf Course is underwater and their members had been invited to play on Saturday mornings.

In 1961 the senior Pennant team played off in the final against Rosanna at Huntingdale but were defeated.  The Minor team also played off in the final and was defeated.

In January 1962 the Treasurer reported that arrangements were in hand for the purchase of an Army Hut.  The hut was at the St Kilda Road Army Barracks in Albert Park not far from the football ground and later Mr W Fox presented an initial plan for a bowling rink at the new site.

On 21 December 1962, following two years of extensive work by the committee, Bill Powell and his staff, members played on the 12 holes then ready for play.

During 1963 the Ladies played against Amstel, Croydon, Cranbourne, Green Acres and Eastern and won the Inter-Club Shield.

On 31 December 1963 the President of the VGA Mr David S Martin attended the Club to officially open the 18 hole course.