Nine holes in the bush: the Hatherleigh Golf Course, 1976–2024
For 48 years the Hatherleigh Golf Course offered nine par-3 holes cut through gums and yakkas. This is the story of the course, from Gladys Smith cutting the ribbon in 1976 to the last Phil Keatley Cup in June 2024.
From the archives · 1976
Added to the archive 2 min readHatherleigh FNC
For almost half a century, the Hatherleigh Golf Course was one of the district's quieter pleasures. It had nine short holes set in native bush beside the football oval and netball courts.
Opening day
The course opened on 6 March 1976, when the then Mayor of Millicent, Gladys Smith, cut the ribbon. Later that year the wider Hatherleigh Sport and Recreation Centre was made official, on 15 November 1976. The centre brought football, netball, tennis and golf together on one site, about 15 kilometres north of Millicent on the Princes Highway.
The course
The course was never meant to be long, and that was part of its appeal. It was a nine-hole, par-3 course (par 27). Its fairways and watered greens were cut through natural scrubland, sheltered by big gum trees and yakkas, with wetlands alongside that gave native wildlife a home. It suited golfers of every standard, and anyone who wanted a quiet round without making a day of it.
Local players and visitors spoke highly of the fairways and greens for as long as the course was open. The names of the club's champions are still on the Hatherleigh Golf Club honour boards in the clubrooms.
The Phil Keatley Cup
From 2014 the annual Phil Keatley Cup Ambrose Golf Day became a fixture on the Hatherleigh calendar. Phil Keatley ran it, and it carried his name. Peter Wight and Bob Jones won the first cup. Phil is also the man behind Phil's Wheel, a Thursday-night fixture for 20 years.
Closing the gates
In 2024 the Sport and Recreation Centre committee faced the same pressures as many small country courses. Maintenance costs had been rising for years and fewer people were playing. Committee chairman Tim Merrett announced, with regret, that the course would close at the end of June 2024.
The last competitive event was the Phil Keatley Cup on 23 June 2024. The committee said it would negotiate with Wattle Range Council about the future use of the land.
The fairways have gone quiet, but the course is still part of Hatherleigh's story. It gave the district 48 years of rounds, competitions and cup days, looked after by the Sport and Recreation Centre committee.
Have photos, scorecards or memories from the golf course? Send them to the club so we can add them to the archive.
Photos
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