Ä fantastic evening was enjoyed on Saturday August 31st by just over 200 members and guests who gathered to celebrate the Centenary of the Clubhouse.
The evening featured the memorable Hot Potato Band with their unique crowd engaging style and roving magicians who left many bewildered.
Guests were not left wanting with an abundant supply of delicacies, dishes and drinks from the bubbly variety to the smooth flavours savoured in the Chapel come Whisky Den.
The members present loved the evening and snippets of the feedback give an indication of the vibrant energy…..
“The whole event was outstanding and befitting of such a significant milestone for the club”
“Fabulous entertainment, food, historical selection, whisky den and attentive staff.”
“The night was absolutely sensational..”
“we were so excited, the hollywood lighting of the clubhouse from the outside set the scene for what we were to see once inside . What a transformation!”
Please click the link to access the gallery of photo’s from the night.
Toast from President – Jack Lutze
Good evening everyone and welcome to our celebration of the 100th anniversary of our grand old clubhouse.
I am not going to spoil this festive occasion with a long winded speech – but I would like to share a little of our clubhouse history and then finish with the annual toast to MGC. Before I do, a special welcome to our Patron, Liz Cavill.
We start in 1903, with no clubhouse and the Board and club meetings being held at the Hotel Steyne in Manly. In 1904, Mr Ross of Ross Cottage (near today’s 2nd green) became the de facto caretaker of the course and Ross Cottage became a clubhouse of sorts, with Mrs Ross dispensing afternoon tea and an outside wall of the cottage becoming the club notice board.
In October 1907, the club, having accumulated a few hundred pounds decided to have a clubhouse, but was faced with the problem of having no land on which to erect it. Fortunately the Pope bothers, who were instrumental in getting the land for the course, agreed to having the clubhouse on their land. For £300 they built the first clubhouse which was located about where the maintenance facility is now.
By 1923 the membership had grown to over 600 and the plans for a new clubhouse were underway. There were 2 rival sites – one near the old clubhouse and one where the club is now – and opinion was evenly divided. A Mr J. A. Wilson, the oldest member of the club, at 78, used a tall gum tree about where I am standing now, to persuade the members that this was the right site. One by one the Board members climbed the tree and came down agreeing the vista was perfect.
So the new clubhouse was built; following pretty much the same procedure as today – a loan of £20,000 from the CW bank which paid off the golf course debt and left enough for the clubhouse. On completion in Nov 1924, 350 members celebrated its opening with a grand Supper Dance. The opening was described in an esoteric and verbose article in the Evening News of November 3, 1924 – I won’t read it all, but the first paragraph will give you the flavour: Manly’s new golf mansion opened its eyes on Saturday. A fine infant, after the Italian villa style. Architecturally perfect, spacious, sumptuous and a symphony in tones of white and green, with roseate tiles. Time will mellow and adjust it to its verdant setting. Fabulous
In 1936 extensions were made to the new clubhouse by enlarging the western wing, adding the ladies locker room downstairs and the chapel upstairs. Then in 1963 the eastern wing was created to accommodate the pro shop and the upstairs bar and terrace. Another major alteration to the clubhouse came in 1968-69 when the upstairs verandah was eliminated and the new curved front of the building created. And the most recent renovation came in 2000, when Tony White’s friends at Multiplex did the job for $1, this one included the redesign of the front stairwell.
Now it is 2024 and the old gal is still resplendent, but beginning to show her age and needing a little TLC. With the commitment of her members and appropriate funding over the next 100 years, we will enjoy another memorable evening in 2124.
Before I go, I would especially like to thank Judy, Shariq, Jack, Phil and all the team at Manly Golf Club for all they have done in preparation and service to make this evening the great success that it is – thank you. I would also like to thank Anne Hutchison and Phil Baird for all their archive research work that is on show on the screens tonight.
So, without further ado, I ask you to raise your glasses and toast our wonderful clubhouse and club. To Manly Golf Club.
