WHITTLESEA Golf Club was lucky to survive the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, but that luck soured three months later.
“It was a very traumatic time,” says general manager Di Fisher (pictured right). “On the day of the bushfires the wind changed and swept the fire away from us so we were extremely fortunate the clubhouse survived. And then, in a cruel twist of fate, an electrical fault around the bar meant it was destroyed in May.’’
The fire razed the clubhouse, along with honour boards, trophies, records and club mementos that could not be replaced.
Members were forced to meet in temporary housing that looked a bit like a shipping container for more than two years until the new clubhouse was opened on November 26 last year.
“It was a turning point for the club,” Fisher says. “It was a new opportunity to be reborn, in a sense. It was a rebranding exercise.
“The final product we have today is a testament to the time, energy and in some cases personal finances that the members contributed. A lot of them were at fund-raisers for the bushfires when their phones started going off, saying the clubhouse was on fire.”
Fisher has spent much of her working life managing golf clubs, but also has had plenty of time on the fairways. A former state golfer, she still enjoys a hit despite much of her time being taking up with administration.
“As a young golfer, I had aspirations of turning professional one day,” she says. “I contemplated whether I would turn professional and try and make a living out of the game but it’s a very complex sport, golf.”
She says the professionals are a special breed. “Playing it is not easy,” she says. “You’ve got the technical side of it, but once you’ve mastered that and reached a certain level or proficiency, there’s another element for a great golfer to be exceptional.
“The most difficult part is that it becomes such a psychological game. A lot of other sports are reactionary, like tennis, where you’re moving to a ball and have a split second to make a decision. But with golf it’s just you, your thoughts, a stationary ball and a big open fairway ahead of you.”
Membership at Whittlesea includes access to the course 365 days a year and, while the club enjoys healthy membership, Fisher admits the sport doesn’t have the attraction it once did.
“We used to have the likes of Greg Norman and a lot of international stars at our big events,” she says.
“Spectators used to flock to the fairways, three or four deep. People wanted to be involved; it was a self-promoting sport back then. These days it’s a bit harder.”
Mark Twain is claimed to have once said “golf is a good walk spoiled”.
But Fisher laughs and says that’s very harsh. “I was born with a golf club in my hand,” she says. “Once you’re hooked, you’re hooked.”
Details: visit whittleseagolfclub.com.au.
