And that’s near the ‘botel’ with boats cruising along the Murray and docking into a huge tavern/restaurant making Goolwa “the Riviera of Australia”. All this transformed over 276 acres of boxthorn bushes and swamps bought for £253 an acre, and described as “not a figment of someone’s imagination…”Now 50 years later, we have a beautiful Fred Thompson-designed 18-hole golf course, a pleasant clubhouse, but most importantly an amazing 600-plus membership which really makes South Lakes – acknowledged as SA’s best regional golf club.
Memories of the original concept, incorporation on August 16, 1966, handing over of the course by the developers Realty Development Corporation (RDC) on September 1 that year, and the amazing journey that followed will be revived when more than 200 attend a luncheon on Sunday, August 21.
Among the guests will be Brian Wilson, 85, (pictured) who was marketing manager of RDC from the start of the South Lakes project, and one of the first four to be made a foundation life member of the club. He was there when Governor Sir Edric Bastyan read a poem The Lament of an Old Golfer (no mention of planes interrupting one’s putting on the sixth), and will welcome His Excellency, the Governor of South Australia, Hieu Van Le, at the luncheon when a commemorative plaque is unveiled.
The 50th anniversary of a club is usually par for the course (pun intended), but this one is special because it embraces so much of Goolwa’s change in culture and development post-WWII. Significantly, this was the first development of a golf course in Australia that incorporated subsequent housing around it, and it is believed that South Lakes was the first in South Australian golf club history to offer equal membership rights to women including playing on Saturdays.
South Lakes also became the first club to start off with junior membership from day-one, and this remains special to Brian because his son Philip, who still lives in Goolwa, was the first junior.
The dreaded arthritis and other health issues ended Brian’s playing days, but he continues to be a familiar face around the club. “I still like to have a beer with the boys on a Saturday; I love this place,” he said.
“It was a lot of hard work in those early days, but it was rewarding… everyone could see what this golf club could mean to Goolwa.
“The development brought a lot of work to Goolwa, and eventually families. One of the big things was that we had a large number of corporate members from Adelaide – at least 20 per cent of the membership – and they brought guests with many of them also going on to invest in the town.
“Despite the master plan receiving approval from all necessary regulatory bodies, we didn’t get the airstrip down the sixth fairway. The District Council of Port Elliot and Goolwa gave us approval for everything with a handshake over a cup of tea. I cannot imagine that happening today.
“The first nine holes were opened for play on the seventh of November, 1966, and my word, there have been a lot of great golf stories on this course ever since.
“There were 600 allotments for housing around the course and the first houses cost $6500.
“It has been an interesting journey, and I’ve seen a lot of change, but I’ll tell you, the people here have always been special. We’ve always had a Dad’s Army of a dozen-or-so volunteers who go out once a week and do work on the course, and it has been this spirit that has made South Lakes what it is – a wonderful club.”
Brian is sure to spend the anniversary reflecting on the day TDC managing director Max Liberman bought the 276 acres for £70,000 off dairy farmer ‘Bluey’ Lewis, and a great line in Sir Edric’s poem, “… and the birdies were many and the errors were few, in the days of long ago.”
But as Brian says, a great golf club is not about the memorable putts that have got longer over the years, but the members of today who will be remembered.