Latrobe is a beautiful course in the leafy suburb of Alphington, just 10 Km from Melbourne’s CBD. It is bordered on two sides by the Yarra River and lined by majestic Red River Gums. Latrobe is a vibrant, friendly club whose members reflect the diversity of inner city residents. To play this beautiful course or become a member contact the club.

Latrobe Golf Club is located on one of Melbourne’s most historic sites.  Melbourne was first settled in 1835, and in June 1840 Thomas Wills purchased, for £3784, 176 acres (70 ha) of land which formed a rough semi-circle between Darebin Creek, its junction with the Yarra River and the Yarra River itself.  The land takes in all of what is now Latrobe Golf Club, plus Farm Road, Lucerne Crescent, the Tower Hotel and bordered on the west by what is now Como Street.

The golf club can trace its beginnings back to a miserably windy and squally night, 1 November 1939, when five hardy souls attended a meeting at the clubhouse which had been advertised in the ‘Northcote Leader’ for persons interested in forming a club.  The five who attended were L J Wood and A G Turner, both members of Ivanhoe Golf Club, L P Abbott, from Highland Park Golf Club, and cricketers Norm Whitcher and Merv Lavender.  Wood was elected President, Turner as Captain and Lavender, despite ‘the fact that he had never been on a golf course nor held a club in hand’ became secretary, treasurer and handicapper.  Nominal club membership fees were adopted and application for affiliation with the Victorian Golf League was agreed.

Within months, the founding five had realised 50 members and the club was up and running.  The early ’40s were heady days for the club, with regular competitions and social events.  However, the club was in constant dispute with the owners who refused to contribute to upgrading the course and facilities and who believed the club was trying to take over the course.  Moreover, there was a war going on, and even in the years immediately after the war there was the real possibility that the club would be disbanded.

The Northcote branch of the Returned Servicemen’s League (RSL) at that time had a social golf club of 40 members that played on a number of public courses, including Latrobe.  When the Northcote RSL golfers heard the ailing Latrobe G C was considering disbanding, they approached the club for a meeting to discuss the possibility of joining.  The result was a new category, Green Fee Members, created specifically for the RSL group, whose dues were 5 shillings (50¢)  pa, with a green fee of 2 shillings and sixpence (25¢).

The RSL members mixed in so well that in 1947 they were invited to join as full members.  In March that year there were 80 men members and 50 associates (women members), who each paid 7 guineas and 5 guineas (7 pounds 7 shillings and 5 pounds 5 shillings) respectively for dues.  However, of these amounts, only 5 shillings went to the club; the rest went to the lease-holders.

In 1948, because of dispute with the lease-holders, a number of long-standing Latrobe members decided to leave the club.  With total assets of a meagre 200 pounds, the remaining members, perhaps 50 or less, gathered on 3 March 1948 for what was to become the first official Annual General Meeting.  At the meeting James Foley was appointed President, Lavender Vice President, and other office bearers were Cec Stalker, Captain, Bill Gott, Honorary Secretary, and committee members Frank Leviny, Keith Carlton, Alf Smith and Roy Wilson.  Despite the fact that the Latrobe Golf Club had been in existence for almost a decade, this meeting is now regarded as the beginning of the club.

Once the new land had been purchased, plans were developed for construction of the extra holes.  This was undertaken, albeit affected by periods of severe flooding, difficulties with the terrain, problems with inadequate equipment, lack of manpower, doubts over the supply of funds, hospitalisation of the course designer, Sam Berriman, curator of Huntingdale Golf Club, and problems with the club’s own curators.  Finally, on Saturday 7 April 1951, the full 18 hole course was opened.  It was a par 71, with a of length 6226 yards (5693 metres).  The 1st hole was where the current 7th is, but it ran the other way, and included land which is where the current freeway runs.  The Yarra took a big loop in the middle of the course — vestigial remains of this are the water hazards beside the current 16th and 17th holes.

Extract from the club website: