News Category - Portarlington Golf Club

One of the hottest names in world Legends golf is coming to Portarlington this month.
Former Australian Masters champion Richard Green has committed to play in the Sheen Panel Service Legends Pro-Am to be held at the club on Tuesday, February 25.

Green splits his time between the Bellarine Peninsula and the USA where he last year finished a close-up third on the PGA Champions Tour money list behind Steve Alker and the legendary Ernie Els.

But he infrequently plays in Australia given his commitments in chasing the Charles Schwab Cup in the United States.

"It's a great coup to have Richard come and play at Port," event co-organiser Mark Hayes said.

"We're lucky our pro-am fits perfectly in a window between Champions Tour events and Green wants to keep his tournament form rolling - plus he really likes Port as a course, so it's a win for all of us."

Green, 53, remarkably made more than $US2.1million in the US last year. He made the cut in all 26 tournaments he played and was, incredibly, five times a runner-up with another five top-10 finishes.

"Without a victory, that was one of the best seasons on that tour in years," Hayes said.

Green will join a star-studded field at Portarlington including US Tour winners Andre Stolz and Peter Lonard, recently crowned NSW Senior Open champ David McKenzie and former Vic Open champs Scott Laycock and Mike Clayton.

2024 11 news pro award The Portarlington Golf Club has won the gong for best Legends Tour pro-am event of 2024 at the Victorian Golf Industry Awards.

The Sheen Panel Service Legends Pro-Am was lauded by all the visiting professionals when it was held in February.

And true to their word, those same pros voted Portarlington ahead of fellow finalists Southern Golf Club and Gardiners Run when the awards were presented on Thursday night in Melbourne.

The pros were unanimous in their appreciation for the course’s impeccable presentation, while the event’s brilliant atmosphere – across two days – was a great credit to new sponsor, Sheen Panel Service, which went the extra mile with club organisers in bringing activations to life on course.

“It’s a great honour given how many great events and clubs are involved in the Legends Tour for us to win this award,” chief executive Michael Phillips said.

“We could not have been more appreciative of how much Josh Hewlett and his team at Sheen Panel Service contributed to helping us take it to the next level.

“And from there it’s a huge credit to all involved in our team in staging the event, particularly the presentation of the course by Steve Burchett and his crew.

“It’s a huge honour and I hope everyone in the club is really proud that we’re at that level of recognition from those who have played at national and international level through their careers.”

For the second time, the club ran a hugely popular Skins Game the day before the tournament proper.

The day featured live music, some great food and beverage offerings from some of the club’s partners, multiple sponsor activations and an interactive clinic courtesy of a handful of the touring pros on hand.

“It’s developed into a great couple of days at and for the club and we’re looking forward, with Sheen and our other partners, to doing it bigger and better again in 2025,” Phillips said.

Sheen Ocean Grove and Drysdale manager Josh Hewlett was delighted to have played a key part in the award.

“We’re very proud of our involvement and it’s a great honour to be acknowledged like that for us and the club,” Hewlett said.

“We look forward to working with the club on next year’s event and building it into the future.”

The Portarlington Golf Club began its Community Raffle series on Friday and Food Assist 3223 was the big winner.

Amazing generosity by patrons of the club resulted in $1480 being raised for the critically important food-based charity that’s vital to so many people in and around Portarlington.

“We were blown away by how generous everyone was and we’re extremely excited to put this money to great use in our community,” Food Assist 3223 president Prue Drever said.

“We’re also very grateful that the Portarlington Golf Club generated and co-ordinated the event on a busy Friday night for the team up there.

“The club has already helped us immensely in the past couple of years, so for Michael (Phillips) and his team to offer even more assistance is just really impressive.”
Drever estimated the money raised would help provide the equivalent of more than 150 meals for those in need.

“We can’t overstate how important that is for the people who visit us weekly. I’m just blown away that people can be so generous.”
Chief executive Phillips said the golf club intends to hold its Community Raffle each Friday evening through until at least the Christmas holidays.

“We have a lot of things happening around the club on Friday night with live music, happy hours and our member draws, but we’ve introduced a spinning wheel and now the Community Raffle to add extra layers,” he said.

“Having so many people here for a variety of reasons is a great way to highlight important groups and clubs, such as Food Assist 3223, to a larger audience.

“We’re delighted that our members and guests were so responsive to such a great cause.”

The golf club’s partnerships with several generous local businesses made the evening possible, with Bellarine Country Butcher, White Fisheries, Zero’s Garage, Cellarbration, PFD and Port Phillip Ferries each donating to provide raffle prizes.

Other groups will share the Friday night stage in coming weeks with those expected to participate including several sporting clubs and the Portarlington Primary School.

Our famous Carnival of Golf had a few tweaks this year, but it has gone off with rave reviews.

Seven great events over seven fun days, with an emphasis on team events - a decision borne out by outstanding patronage with sold-out fields every day bar Wednesday.

To see photos from throughout the 2024 Carnival of Golf, click HERE

And when you consider the high winds we endured at times, it was a tremendous effort by all to show up and not only get it around, but also turn in some fine scores, too!

Attached are the results for all events, with huge thanks to all in our pro shop for co-ordinating their smooth and timely production each day.

A shout, also, to captain Jenny Edmanson and her helpers for ensuring everything ran so smoothly during the week. Plus Kaelyn and the functions team and Richard and his kitchen team for bowling up great presentation events.

And last but defintely not least, a big thanks to all our visitors for the week - it doesn't run without you!

Thanks for a great week and we'll see you again next year.

RESULTS

There’s scarcely an organisation in Australia that more deserves the community’s help and respect than the Returned & Services League.
So it’s almost with a sense of reverence that the Portarlington Golf Club has extended part of its Community Contribution Fund (CCF) resources to the RSL Portarlington and St Leonards Sub-Branch.

“Every single one of us living in this country with the freedoms we enjoy owes a debt of gratitude to those who serve and who once served in any global theatre of war or peacekeeping duties,” chief executive Michael Phillips said.

“So as part of the club’s CCF, I’m absolutely delighted that we can make a contribution to the critically important and ongoing role the RSL plays on the Bellarine.
“And that sentiment applies not only to veterans, but to all in our community who increasingly find inspiration and solace in its members’ deeds.”
The PGC CCF allocated $2500 to help the restoration of the Portarlington hall’s Pratt Room, primarily used as a bar and meeting room.
The money will help bring the facilities of the old Department of Defence building up to modern standards with new chairs, sound-proofing and upgrades to lighting and ceiling fans.

Sub-Branch president Peter Greaney was delighted with the golf club’s backing, highlighting that while the revamped room will be a boon to veterans, it also will benefit other community groups, too.

Local RSL vice-president Ross Walker and president Peter Greaney take the grant from acting PGC chief executive Jackie Durbidge.

“On behalf of the committee and members of the Portarlington and St Leonards RSL Sub-branch, I would like to thank the management, committee and members of the Portarlington Golf Club for your kind donation,” Greaney said.
“The money will go towards much needed renovations to our Pratt Room, which is regularly used by our members, and also the wider community during our commemorative services such as ANZAC and Remembrance days.

“I also would like to thank the golf club for its continued support, which will enable us to provide ongoing welfare and advocacy assistance to the veteran community and their families.”

In awarding the grant, Phillips asked his own staff to consider ways the club could further assist the RSL outside the CCF grant.
“We really want the RSL to continue to grow as it has in recent years and continue to provide the vital services within the community,” Phillips said.
“But to make that happen, we all need to continue to provide support where possible, not just in a one-off fashion that the CCF permits.
“So we’ve come up with a plan alongside Peter and his colleagues to help the RSL continue its fund-raising initiatives throughout the year and our members will see this in the form of our club being home to some raffles the veterans hold.

“We’d ask all our members and their guests to continue this spirit of giving back to the RSL when they get the chance to purchase a raffle ticket when they visit our club.”
In the past five financial years alone, the Portarlington Golf Club has given charitable support of more than $150,000.

In that time, the CCF component has become the biggest single source of community initiatives with almost $50,000 in such grants alone.
The CCF was established to support not-for-profit community or sporting organisations to make positive improvements that will, in turn, benefit the wider community.
This year, highlighting just how much the CCF means to these institutions, the club received 18 grant applications totalling in excess of $122,000.

The RSL’s grant is one of four successful applications, with a total of $15,000 given back to the community, extended from the originally advertised scope of $12,000.
“We really think these donations have become incredibly important within our community, so we’re happy to extend this year because all the applicants were incredibly worthy,” Phillips said.

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Green heads Sheen legends

Port’s Pro-Am tops

Charity a raffle winner

Carnival a winner again

RSL feels community love