A Club Rich in History
Embedded in the community since 1910.
Discover Our Past
1910: Land acquired by Marrickville Council
Marrickville Golf, Sporting & Community Club (MGSC Club) is situated on part of Riverside Park on a property called Riverside which was acquired by Marrickville Council in 1910, an area of 27 acres which encompassed Bruce and Beauchamp Streets and bounded by the Cooks River which was low lying & swampy and needed some drainage and filling. Marrickville Council had the foresight to adopt a policy to acquire all lands on the banks of Cooks River within its own LGA. It was not all good land as the Council used some of these lands as rubbish dumps.
1938: Building a golf course
In 1938 Marrickville Council established a 9 hole golf course on the high ground of Riverside Park in conjunction with Richards Park. Work began in 1939 and was finished in 1940. The hilly area was chosen as “it was unsuitable for cricket wickets”. The Western Suburbs Churches Cricket Club strongly defended the right to use the flat part of Riverside Park now basically Mahoney Park and won that battle.
The establishment of MGC was a Depression relief program under the Spooner relief scheme at a cost of $2,500. Spooner was the Minister for Public Works. The work was carried out under the supervision of the Council’s Engineer, Mr Cottam and a local golfer, Mr Apperly advised on the layout of the course. It provided work for local men with married men given preference. It was necessary to secure an adequate water supply for the golf course. Marrickville Council acquired the Dibble Street waterhole for the purpose. NSW was in drought and the metropolitan water supply had frequent restrictions applied to it. The 1940s drought lasted for several years. Drought recurred again in the late 1950s. Charlie Meader was a MGC greenkeeper for 20 years. He spoke in awe of the Drought of 1958 when the waterhole almost ran dry. Marrickville Council had to buy water and truck it in to keep the greens alive. For other parts of the Course, workers used buckets to transport water from Cooks River and strained it before use. Luckily since then water shortages on the Course have not been as serious.
1940: The Greenkeeper’s home
The Marrickville Council Golf Course was officially opened on Saturday 30 November 1940 by the Mayor of Marrickville, Alderman Harold Douglas Marr. An exhibition match was played by Ed Apperley, William Bolger, George Thompson and Charles Gray which finished all square. The proceeds of the play of 30 pounds was in aid of the local branch of the Lord Mayor’s Patriotic Fund. World Ward II had began and there had already been casualties within the community.
Local golfers formed the Marrickville Golf Club when the course was completed. This group asked Marrickville Council to set aside part of the Course Caretaker’s dwelling for the clubhouse. The dwelling was previously used for the caretaker of Riverside Park and would now also double as the greenkeeper’s room.
1941: 9 hole golf course officially opens
On Friday, 11 July 1941 in the Sydney Morning Herald, it was announced that the Marrickville Golf Club will open its doors on Saturday 12 July 1941 afternoon. By the end of 1941 MGC had 128 members and 72 women members. A founding member of the original Marrickville Golf Club was Sydney Jones, who died in 1938 and never played a stroke on this golf course.
On Sunday 29 November 1942, John Flanagan drove the ball on the 7th (263 yards) with a number 3 wood to achieve a hole in one. Flanagan was also 5 under par after 9 holes. The column “Down the Fairways” is full of interesting tidbits on the MGC. In May 1949 it was reported that young Stan Ireland is Marrickville’s champion, his brother Willie having won the honour twice. The Sun Herald also regularly listed the Club Golf Results. The name Beckhaus is well known and features in many results. Merv Beckhaus has been a member here for over 60 years and his son has won many championships and is the current MGC greenkeeper.
1947: Remodelling the clubhouse
World War II did have an effect on golf numbers as many people from the area enlisted. Over 3,000 local men and women went into the armed forces and over 750 died. When the war ended there was an upsurge in club membership. By the end of 1947 there were 219 men and women members. The MGC committee recommended that the old building be remodelled. This occurred at the expense and with the help of every member of the MCG. MGC had a lease on the clubhouse and certain restricted right to the Golf Course.
1954: Transformed to an 18 hole course
On 16 February 1953 the MGC was incorporated. Eighteen months later Marrickville Council opened the additional 9 holes that transformed the MGC to an 18 hole golf course. The 18 hole golf course was officially opened on Sunday 28 November 1954 at 1.30pm by the Hon. W.T.Murray MLC and Mayor of Marrickville Mayor Murray, who was also an officer of the MGC.
The cost of programs was 4 shillings, which was expensive and proceeds from the sale of programs were donated to the Marrickville District Hospital Jubilee Fund. Prior to the opening at 1pm, a golf clinic was conducted by Kel Nagle, Australian Professional Champion and Eric Cremin, State Professional Champion. They were sponsored by Chesterfield Form-Rite Golf Clubs. At 2pm after the official opening, there was an 18 hole exhibition golf match, Nagle partnered with Reg Thomas, Runner Up Club Champion and Cremin partnered with Les Saxby, Club Champion.