September 20th, 2026Hepburn Springs Golf Club 1930-2026
In 1930 hopes for the Hepburn golf course were so high that a professional was hired to develop the second nine holes and make further improvements to the course.
Funds from the sale of three blocks were used to fund the redesign of the course. Sam Bennetts had been recommended by Commonwealth Golf Club (originally Murrumbeena, then Waverley) where he had been professional for almost a decade from 1915 to 1924 and designed the first holes.
He had been the first professional at Northern Golf Club in Glenroy from 1913 and in the late 1920s was at Eaglehawk, possibly Neangar Park. He also played a role at Trentham, Ballan, Mooroopna and Woodend. By developing these courses he formulated ideas about golf course architecture.
Sam arrived at Hepburn Springs in 1931 and retired in 1951. He ditched the earlier plans for the course and set the layout which remains today. The land was cleared by crosscut saw, axe, spade, crowbar and a great deal of sweat. No bulldozers, chainsaws and backhoes in those days. Some club members took out Miners’ Rights on parts of the course so that they could purchase dynamite to build the greens.
Over the years the club experienced some frustration making improvements on land that it did not own. After a decade of negotiations, Harry Campbell Rankin, John Peter Harper and Edward John Frith, acting on behalf of the club took out a mortgage to purchase the titles for the club on December 7, 1962.
The club paid £7500 cash which it raised by a mortgage to ANZ which was discharged December 13, 1977. Apparently about 13 people acted as guarantors – a measure of club loyalty and support.
This decision gave the members confidence to improve the course and facilities for members and visitors. In 1967 a log cabin was built to cater for green fee parties, a new clubhouse was opened in 1969 by Dr J. C. M. Harper and J. J. Dwyer. Dams were completed in 1975 and 1981 and the 5th and 6th holes were redesigned in 1981.
On December 6, 1988 Hepburn Springs Golf Club Incorporated was named on the titles after the two surviving trustees, Harry Campbell Rankin and John Peter Harper signed it over. In the following years dedicated club members contributed to further improvements to the course, the clubhouse and a new dam on the 12th hole.
Tournaments were held annually as major fundraisers – in the hey day of the 1950s and 1960s Golf Week filled the local guesthouses with players from afar.
Franklin House in 14th Street, Hepburn, behind the 18th tee, advertised its proximity to the golf course and guests would use the stile at the back fence to reach the course. Booklets of events, including names of players, were produced.
An annual Spa Tournament day was held, strongly supported by British Open winner Ian Stanley and other sporting celebrities. Over many years this day was a major fundraiser for the club – only possible through the dedication and very hard work of golfing volunteers.
Hepburn Springs has been well represented in district golf. The Central District Golf Association was established in 1952 and Hepburn Springs won the major pennant in 14 of the first 20 years and the individual district championship in 18 of those years.
Hepburn Springs Associates (women) were also successful in winning events such as the Gisborne Bowl and Trentham Falls Plate and various Ballarat District events. Many divisions also won flags in Ballarat District Pennant.
Junior golf produced many fine golfers, most notably Ray Jenner, a former Australian amateur champion and five-time champion at Victoria Golf Club.
Gai Skinner (Doherty) not only won many Hepburn Springs championships but also many at Midlands in Ballarat and the Ballarat District Championship. She is a Life Member of Ballarat District.
Another notable achievement was in 1992 when Leigh Yanner and Clay Nicholls representing Central District Golf Association, won the Australasian Amateur Foursome Challenge Shield.
In 1980 Ian Denny, a junior at Hepburn Springs, was Central District Junior Champion. In 2023 his company, Golf Services Management, bought the course from the Hepburn Springs Golf Club, ending almost a century of enthusiasm and persistence by local members.
He has already made improvements in the clubhouse and on the course to provide a sublime golfing experience for members and visitors. George Parker would feel entirely vindicated for his early vision to transform a rugged hillside landscape into a respected golfing venue. Compiled by Daylesford & District Historical Society volunteer and Hepburn Golf member Jan Smith. Thanks to the society and Ross Baker, whose collection of golf club history filled in many gaps. (Read the club’s earlier history at www.tlnews.com.au – Edition 366.)
