Hi Members

Earlier this week I received an email from Lyn Purcell (Storey), the daughter of Bert and Doris Storey. Lyn is in her 80’s and still plays golf at Bacchus Marsh in the same cart her parents used! Please see below for her fascinating memories of her childhood at Gisborne Golf Club.

 

GISBORNE GOLF CLUB MEMOIR BY LYN PURCELL (STOREY) 2024

I was so sad to hear that Gisborne Golf Club lost its Clubhouse in a fire. I thought you might be interested in some early history of the club from my point of view as I was a child member in the late 1950s. There were no other children at that time playing golf around the district, or so it seemed to me as my mother always dragged me around to all the local courses to play in their tournaments. I guess all the historical ‘stuff ‘has been lost in the fire.

In 1953, my younger sister, Diane, began her schooling at Toolern Vale.

At the same time, it was a new life for my parents, Bert and Doris Storey, who discovered their love of golf and became members of the Gisborne Golf Club. Thus, the weekends often consisted of golfing for Dad on the Saturdays and for them both on Sundays. During the week my Mum also played on ‘ladies’ day in the Wednesday competition.

Both were naturals at golf. They had a few lessons from a golf pro called Colin Campbell, I think.

Of course, from then on, with both parents being at Gisborne on a Sunday afternoon playing golf, we children also had to attend the golf club. The golf course was on land owned by Bill and Lana Brady. It was part of their farm. Sheep would graze on the course and between the fairways. The ‘greens’ were actually sand-scrapes which were surrounded by a single wire fence about the height of your knee. Did it keep the sheep off the scrapes? Well, the evidence of sheep manure on the scrape would indicate no, but it was a rare find.

Golf was only played in the winter as the course had no large water supply to water the fairways at all. Luckily, Gisborne is noted for its wet weather in the winter and the course looked beautiful always.

I remember that all the adults looked ‘old’ to our young eyes. I realise now that Mum and Dad were probably two of the younger members, in their early thirties. But there were also some pretty old crackers there like Wally and Jean Slender. Gertrude Gilligan was an outspoken member. Besides them, I have fond memories of Jimmy McGregor who was the perpetual bachelor that all the ladies were trying to find a partner for. He was a delightful fellow and gave us kids lots of attention and fun. (Nothing sinister there!)

The members were responsible for looking after the golf course and club house. The club house was new when we arrived. It was built on the west side of the current road opposite the work sheds of today.  It was obviously the inside of a wooden four-roomed house (no lining boards) with all the internal walls removed so it became one large common room with a fireplace that ran all day in the bitter winter weather that Gisborne is noted for. Attached to that main room were two changing rooms, one for ladies and the other for the men to change out of their golf gear especially when they had just played eighteen holes in the rain. Large windows overlooked the first and ninth tees. Not the current tees we know today.

For the first few years, a handful of kids that turned up also had free run of the course if we avoided the fairways. A full round of golf probably took three to four hours, so we had to amuse ourselves somehow. Some days it was just too cold or wet to venture out to play and explore. Those days we brought our books and colouring pencils and packs of cards and sat as close to the fire as was safe. On the less freezing days, we put on our warmest gear and wandered the course on the adjoining land where a small creek meandered. The water was always freezing but it was irresistible, and our fingers stung with pain after a short time of dabbling among the reeds. At certain times of the year, we collected frog spawn from among the reeds, fully intending to see them develop all the way into frogs. Never were successful though. Other days we strolled among the sheep, inspecting the lambs of varying ages. The sheep were so used to humans that we could almost walk up to them before they would move on with their babies in tow.

Mum and Dad were keen for their children to learn the delights of playing golf, so we had golf lessons also from Colin Campbell who by that stage owned his own golf course on the Mornington Peninsula. Both of us were quite natural with our golf style but Di had little interest in playing. Meanwhile I played enough rounds to get my official VLGU (Victorian Ladies Golf Union) handicap of thirty-six, though it took me a few years before I actually broke it for the first time. By that stage I was living away from home (age eleven to seventeen) and played golf quite rarely. But I was always expected if Mum was playing in the many tournaments around the area, to go with her whenever I was home. Here are strong memories of the steep hills at the Woodend course and the snow on the ground at Trentham one year. NOW THAT WAS COLD!

My parents had a full association with the golf club. Dad took his turn as President, but he was really a hands-on person and enjoyed nothing better than helping the course curator, Ray Keane, cut the fairways. He was on the greens committee for many years and the results can be seen today in the quality of the course. My mother was never one to push herself forward, but she did agree to be ladies’ handicapper for many years. She also began her record of being club champion for at least seventeen years as well as holding the club record for a lady member of seventy-four or was it seventy-five off the stick! Her record golf card was preserved and displayed in a photo frame for many years until its record too was broken. Her knowledge of rules and coaching new members made her the number one partner to play with all her golfing life. Of course it was always the ladies who organised any food requirements. Both my parents were made life members well after the time they truly deserved. They had a competition called the Bert and Doris Storey Mixed Competition named after them for an annual event.

When I got older, i.e. teenage years, a girlfriend, Joan Swan (whose parents, Mel and Rachael Swan were great friends of Mum and Dad as well as members) and I were allowed to help with the annual Gisborne Tournament. It became our job to write up the scores to display the results of each competition as well as run a special team event where players could nominate two other competitors to team with even though you did not play together. It was fun but a bit nerve-racking as the scores came in and we had to be accurate with our totals for the team event.

When the members decided they would upgrade the golf club and construct a new course with greens, Dad was one of the leading proponents. It was a big step to take for it meant completely changing from sand-scrapes to large greens and building a new larger brick clubhouse looking toward the future. All members contributed cash loans to begin the enormous job. I remember Dad also put a thousand pounds in both of his daughter’s names as contributors. This money was paid back to all investors many years later.

Dad made a huge contribution to the construction of the new greens as he had a caterpillar tractor with a grader blade and bucket. He virtually built all the greens as we see them today. The new clubhouse, built further into the course than the old original one, had great views facing north to Mt. Macedon. At first the original golf clubhouse was attached to the back of the new build as the changing rooms for the members. A new kitchen meant catering was so much easier. Gisborne now had a golf pro running the members and public players’ activities.

At one stage (I can’t remember the exact date) Bill Brady gave the land to the Golf Club, an amazing act of charity and genuine love for what they had all achieved.

When my parents retired to Gisborne from Toolern Vale, they bought a block of land about a number one driver and a pitching wedge away from the course. They played every day for the rest of their lives if they well enough to do so. Dad was an impatient player when they went out alone for a hit and both were notorious for popping over to another hole if they were being held up. Driving a golf buggy enabled them not to be too much trouble! They also took their dog (poodle) with them despite a ban on dogs on the course. I think they were treated with great respect, and I feel the Golf Club was just saying ‘thanks for all your years of service.’

My parents continued to play golf till old age caught up with them. I do remember that Doris was in her eighties and had a handicap in the mid-twenties.

PS I am now a member at Bacchus Marsh Golf Club where my Dad, Bert Storey, also helped out with setting up the new course here, using his caterpillar tractor on the greens, not long after he had helped at the Gisborne course. Unfortunately, I do not have the skill of my mother, but I am still playing in my eighties and still using my parent’s golf cart! They built them well back then!

Best Wishes,

 Lyn Purcell

 

 

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