The latest news and views about the Trentham Golf Club.
A year of growth, teamwork and achievement
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Trentham Golf Club has reported a vastly improved financial position at the Annual General Meeting on Saturday December 14. Hard work and some painful but necessary price increases resulted in a 37% increase in total income, with a profit of $67,642. After three difficult years of Covid, floods, damaging storms, irrigation breakdowns and corella damage, the club now has a much more positive outlook.
A major feature was the strongly increased income from green fees, competitions, tournaments and membership revenue. There were also healthy increases in income from the bar, advertising, sponsorship, donations and social club fundraising.
With grants and donations, the club is now only $25,000 short of its aim to raise $175,000 to renew the irrigation system and keep the greens and tees in a healthy condition. Installation of a new wireless, app-controlled irrigation stystem has already commenced.
President Alex Evered reported that "the work of our greens staff and volunteers cannot be underestimated and we’re incredibly grateful for all the time and effort they’ve put in to make this a good year. It’s been a year of growth, teamwork, and achievement. We still have work to do and costs to manage carefully, but our dedicated community and successful fundraising is keeping us on track".
You can read the annual report here.
Trentham Community Bank grants our irrigation project $50,000
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The Bendigo Community Bank Trentham & Districts has generously provided a grant of $50,000 to support the upgrade of our course irrigation system. This wonderful contribution will make a huge difference to the course and the future of our club.
The grant was formally awarded to the club in a special presentation after the weekly golf competition and presentation on Thursday December 12, Our picture shows excited Trentham members and representatives of the Community Bank on the 10th green, celebrating the awarding of the grant.
A massive thank you to the Community Bank Trentham & Districts for their support, and a special thanks to Rhonda Holcombe and Jan Stephenson for their hard work, dedication and the development and presentation of the business case to the bank.
The club is now over two-thirds of the way towards the target of $175,000 to completely renew the irrigation system and provide for excellent green and tee conditions for years to come.
Trentham Course irrigation upgrade
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Trentham needs a new course irrigation system. The old system has problems with leaks, damaged solenoid wires and poor coverage. It is prone to breakdowns, leaving sections of greens poorly watered and burning off in hot weather. A staged replacement with new wireless technology is planned to provide a reliable and modern irrigation system for the course. We are currently raising up to $175,000 for the complete work.
Linda and Robin win club championship
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The Trentham club championships for 2024 were contested over three rounds in October.
Club champions for 2024: Linda Marchesi (left), and Robin Wilson (right) is congratulated by runner-up Simon Ovenden
In the men's championship, Robin Wilson, playing off 1, defended his title from 2023 with rounds of 71, 71 and 73 for a 54-hole total of 215. Simon Ovenden, also off 1, was the runner-up with 222.
The other divisions of the championships went to Alan Hopkins (B Grade, 260) and James Coyle (C Grade 285). The Senior Championship was won by Martin Walker with 253.
In the women's club championship, Linda Marchesi, playing off 7, continued her run of success over the last three years with a 54-hole total of 249. Runner-up was Terri O'Callaghan on 253.
Caroline Johnston was the B Grade winner after a sudden-death playoff over Andrea Krelle, both finishing on 293. Anne Cooper was the run away winner in C Gradewith 297. Anne Roberts was runner up on 322.
Green fee passes and memberships
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The committee of the Trentham Golf Club has determined the following price rises from September 1 2024.
7-day green fee pass: $550 for 12 months*
5-day green fee pass: $400 for 12 months*
Access memberships remain at $150 for 12 months. The Lifestyle membership has been renamed Summer Memberhip to better portray the benefits received during the warmer period from October 1 to March 31. The price remains at $500.
A decision was also made to no longer offer Access memberships in conjunction with green fee passes. The existing price is $700 (Access membership $150 plus 7-day pass $550). Current holders of this combination will need to take up a full membership for $840 when their green fee pass and Access memberhip expires.
* Passes are based on a factor of 12 times the current green fee of $45. If you play more than 12 times per year, a green fee pass is more economic. The 5-day pass is 5/7ths of the price of a 7-day pass. There is no handicap or personal insurance linked to a green fee pass.
Club receives sustainability grant
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Hepburn Shire held a function on Thursday August 15 at the new Trentham Mechanics to formally award the grants for their 2024 Environment and Sustainability grants program. Trentham Golf Club was awarded $9000 to upgrade the solar PV system and improve the efficiency of the clubhouse lighting. Colin Wilson attended the function on behalf of the club to say a few words about the club and its sustainability program, and to accept the grant.
A big thanks to Hepburn Shire for making the grants available, and of course finding that the golf club was a worthy recipient.
Colin is pictured with Hepburn Mayor Brian Hood, and the big cheque!
Vale Jim McCormack
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Trentham's much loved Life Member Jim McCormack died in hospital on Thursday March 21 at the age of 86. Jim was an absolute institution at Trentham after joining the club over 60 years ago. He was the longest-serving Trentham member.
Jim had many years as a committee member, and served on a number of occasions as President and Captain. He was the club handicapper in the days before GolfLink, diligently changing numbers on the handicap board after every event. He was the membership officer at the same time.
He will always be remembered for his gentlemanly nature, friendliness and his tireless work for the club. He was very generous, supporting many club projects and sponsoring events and trophies, especially for women.
Jim was still playing golf every Thursday and Saturday until this year, and even up to three weeks ago occupied what seemed like a permanent chair in the clubhouse ... helping on the finishing and starting desks for our competitions. We will miss his copperplate script on the trophy vouchers.
In 2022 Jim achieved his second hole-in-one (pictured), over 45 years after his first!
Jim was also a life member and former Captain of the Spring Hill CFA, for whom he served in a tireless capacity for many years. He sold his large property at Spring Hill, around the shores of the Coliban Reservoir, a few years ago, and while he moved to live in Kyneton he still travelled to Trentham for golf. He was also the last student to attend Spring Hill Primary School No.1906 before it closed in 1951.
His funeral was held on Wednesday April 3 at 1:30 pm in the Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, Kyneton, followed by burial at the Kyneton Cemetery. CFA members and Trentham Golf Club members formed a guard of honour outside the church.
Bob Dobinson presented with life membership
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Trentham's former greenkeeper for 34 years, Bob Dobinson (right), received his life membership medallion from President Keith Webster at a presentation after the competition on Saturday January 13th. Bob was elected to life membership of the Club at the Annual General Meeting on December 9th.
Two years on
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June 9th marked two years on from the intense storm that devastated our course and the surrounding Trentham area. Local members suffered damage to their homes. And few people who sheltered in their homes that night envisaged what was happening on the course. Seventy-five large trees were blown over, fences damaged and our practice nets destroyed. The course was closed for nearly two months before it was playable again.
Looking back and two years down the track, the efforts of our greens staff, club members, visiting green keepers and contractors have achieved a wonderful outcome. While a few signs are still visible around the course in the form of a few remaining fallen trees and timber piles in the rough, and mulch piles where trees once stood, the course is fully playable and back to its best.
It's an ill wind that doesn't blow some good, and the course has improved in some areas. As examples, the 2nd and 12th greens have more sunlight and better grass health with fewer tall trees shading them from the north. The 12th hole is much better without the two large gum trees overhanging the fairway on the left hand side of the approach. The 14th hole has been opened up with fewer trees down the left side and the removal of the large eucalypt near the 15th tee. Our new and much improved practice nets are currently under construction.
Two years down the track the club would like to thank everyone who has helped either by giving time, expertise or financial contributions. It demonstrates what can be achieved by community effort and good organisation, motivated by a love of the club and the course.
Become a volunteer
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Trentham Golf Club has developed a new volunteer program to assist in course maintenance and improvement. The aim is to maintain and improve Trentham's reputation for course condition and playability, and to make the course even better for members and visitors. There are four work areas covered by the volunteer program: mowing, gardening, sand and bin run, and woodcutters.
Stay in credit!
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Trentham introduced the competition credits system in 2020 as a response to Covid-19 lockdowns. Along with the usage of timesheets, it was designed to eliminate cash payments, and to allow players to compete in competitions even when the clubhouse was closed. In fact, because of the non-contact and social distancing nature of the system, the club was permitted by the Victorian Department of Health to conduct "virtual" competitions even when other sporting competitions were banned across Victoria.
The competition system has been so successful, popular and administratively useful that it will continue as a standard feature of club competition organisation.
The advantages of the credits system are:
- Members can book into competitions at a wide variety of start times from early morning until 12.30pm. The previous limits were removed.
- Members don't need to bring cash every week
- The need for someone volunteering on the starter's desk is removed.
- Cash deposits at the bank are eliminated.
- Administration of the system is easier, without difficult and time-consuming reconciliations.
Participating in the system is easy. Paypal or credit cards are used to buy credits online. Members pre-purchase credits for play, and every time they play in a competition one credit is deducted from their balance (three credits for Access members). When their balance reaches zero, they receive an automated reminder e-mail to buy more.
Please remember when using the "Buy credits" form, to enter your full 10-digit GolfLink number. Hit the "Tab" key after number entry and your name and current credits will appear in the next fields (see image). If you don't do this, your purchase may not work. Then you can go on to purchasing more credits to top up your balance.
Photo comparison 1946 to now: what a change!
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Trentham Golf Club was first formed in 1937. The club commenced by leasing land for a 9-hole course on land owned by the Trentham Co-operative Society. In October 1949, the club purchased all the land owned by the Co-operative Society and over 60 years has developed the course we have today.
To compare what the course looked like in 1946 to what it looks like today, click the link below. The historic aerial photo from 1946 shows the Trentham Co-operative Society's yards and slaughterhouse just forward of the 4th tee among the large cypress trees, most of which still exist. The club's sand greens show as white dots, some in the same place as today's greens. Some trees existed in 1949, such as those around the 15th tee, the large Manna gum on the hill on the corner of the 16th, and some roadside trees. But nearly all trees on the course, native and exotic, have been planted since the land was purchased in 1949.
