The club would be formed for the purpose of promoting golf and other sports in the Riverina. On July 5th 1928, the Wagga Wagga Country Golf Club was established. The club would be formed for the purpose of promoting golf and other sports in the Riverina.
It took two years to develop the golf course and clubhouse. On May 3 1930 the golf club was officially opened.
From Concept to Reality
On July 5, 1928 the Wagga Wagga Country Golf Club (the original name) was established at a meeting in Gurwood Street, Wagga Wagga.. Mr J.C. Sheekey chaired the meeting. Mr J.N. Nathan moved and Mr G.M. Cox seconded a motion that: “A golf club be formed for the purpose of promoting golf and other sports”.
It was the attractive location of the western side of Lake Albert that drew a number of people from the existing membership and other prominent people in the community to form a syndicate and purchase the land to form the new golf club. In total, there were eighty-one original debenture holders who provided and guaranteed funds to enable the new club to be established.
During the following two years a great deal of work was carried out to design and construct the golf course and build the clubhouse which was converted from a residential cottage. A professional golfer from Sydney, Mr Dan Soutar, was engaged to design the course with Mr J. C. Sheekey.
1930 - 1949
Wagga Wagga Country Golf Club was officially opened on Saturday, May 3, 1930 by the Mayor of the City, Alderman E.E, Collins at a gala function at the clubhouse.
By 1940 the “links” as they were known, had nine grass tees along with eighteen grass greens and fairways. An important milestone in the Club’s history was the installation of mains electricity to replace the generator, which had been used up to that time. This was particularly important for lighting in the clubhouse and pumping water onto the course from Lake Albert.
During the Second World War membership declined as many members became involved in the war and so tournaments and club championships were abandoned. The Honour Roll in the clubhouse reveals that thirty-seven members went away to war and four of them paid the supreme sacrifice.
Following 1945 and the end of the war, the Club underwent a renewal as only twelve holes were then in play. A great deal of work was undertaken by the members to rebuild the six greens that had not been used for some time.
The original name of the Club was retained until a Special General Meeting on June 10, 1949 changed it to Wagga Wagga Country Club (WWCC). There had been an intention from the beginning to provide facilities for other sports including tennis, bowls and swimming, so it seemed appropriate to change the name but the focus has always been on golf.
1980 to today
In May, 1980 the Club celebrated its 50th anniversary with a week of golf and social functions, which attracted many past and present members. Also in 1980 some club extensions and renovations were completed and an automatic watering system was augmented with automatic fairway watering which now provides the Club with one of the most attractive and picturesque golf courses in country NSW.
Some years ago the Board of Directors introduced a capital works levy as part of annual subscriptions so as to guarantee members that funds would be available for continuing improvements to the course and the clubhouse. In September 2005 the 75th anniversary of the opening of the course was celebrated.
These details were taken from the “Wagga Wagga Country Club 75 Years” book produced by John Retallick and Michael Campbell and published by Wagga Wagga Country Club 2005.
