The 2025 Community Bank Bellarine Carnival of Golf has come to an end.

More than 700 players from in excess of 30 clubs made the week an outstanding success.

"We'd like to thank everyone for their attendance and contributions," chief executive Michael Phillips said.

"We also offer a huge thanks to our friends and partners at the Community Bank Bellarine for their sponsorship of the Carnival, but generally just being a great supporter of our town and region.

"It obviously wasn't the greatest of weeks in terms of the weather, but we received pleny of compliments from our members and all the visitors about the superb condition of the course - so a huge thanks to superintendent Steve Burchett and his team, as well."

There were some amazing scores through the week - and some cool photos to capture it all, too; no to mention Julie Walker and Don English cleaning up in our week-long major raffles, too.

See below for all the results and a photo gallery, or check our social media feeds for more action.

Thanks again and we'll see you again next year!

• Saturday - Men's Stroke Championship - Results - Over 55 Results
• Sunday - Mixed American Foursomes - Results
• Tuesday - Men's & Women's 4-Person Ambrose - Men's Results - Women's Results
• Wednesday - Irish 4BBB Stableford - Results
• Thursday - 4-Person Gentsomes - Results
• Friday - Men's & Women's 2-Person Ambrose - Men's Results - Women's Results

Roll out the red carpet, one of Portarlington’s most fun evenings is coming up!

The fourth annual Spring Fashion Fundraiser will be held at the Portarlington Golf Club on Thursday, September 25, the evening before the AFL Grand Final public holiday.

Again hosted by Stockdale & Leggo Bellarine manager Sonja Di Pietro, the event will showcase the spring and summer wares of five local fashion houses - Just Next Door, Kouture By The Sea, Montana's Fashion, Duck's Nuts and HIVE.

Tickets include a complimentary drink on arrival, canapes and entry to fabulous raffles, with all profits donated to The Sexual Assault & Family Violence Centre.

“It’s always a great night out – especially for all the girls who love to get an early look at the next season’s fashion,” Sonja said.

“And it’s particularly important to showcase all our local fashion traders whenever we get the chance.”

Book your tickets at www.trybooking.com.au or via the information on the attached poster.

Or contact Sonja directly at Stockdale & Leggo Bellarine on Newcombe Street.

Local footy and netball clubs are the lifeblood of their towns – and the Portarlington Demons are no exception in the 3223 postcode.

So it’s an absolute boon for the entire northern Bellarine community that the footy club is finally becoming “whole” with the addition of its women’s division for the 2026 season and beyond.

The Portarlington Golf Club and the PFNC are already great partners in several aspects, so it’s an almost natural extension that the golf club’s Community Contribution Fund (CCF) will help kickstart this female footy revolution.

“We are absolutely thrilled to provide $5360 to the Demons to help women’s footy get off the ground locally,” golf club chief executive Michael Phillips said.

“The money will go towards the purchase of specific club apparel and other football equipment required immediately, but we feel like it’s an investment in something that will be absolutely brilliant for the entire community forever more.

“I think everyone around town knows the club has really taken some big steps forward in the past couple of years – and this new aspect is something I’m certain we’ll all look back on in the future as a key moment in the club’s history, so we’re rapt to be a small part of it.”

PFNC president Steve Cogger was extremely grateful to have received the CCF grant, noting it had come at a perfect time.

“We already are working hand in hand with the golf club in different areas, so for Michael and his team to step up again for us at a watershed moment in our history means a great deal,” Cogger said.

Two great things in our summers are often at odds with each other – the love of outdoor activities and the need for shade to enjoy them safely.
But with the aid of the Portarlington Golf Club, two local organisations are trying for the best of both worlds.

The club’s Community Contributions Fund (CCF) has granted a total of $3750 to two organisations that will implement SunSmart initiatives for their members and visitors.
For the Bellarine Agricultural Society (BAS), a marquee will mean a haven for those trying to cool down while trying to juggle all the action of the annual show at the Portarlington Recreation Reserve on the March long weekend.

For the Wallington Cricket Club, it’s another huge step forward in catering to the ever-expanding needs of their burgeoning women’s and junior divisions.
Either way, it’s about shade.

“This year at the Show it got really hot and we had sunscreen available but only in the office, so what we wanted to do was set up dedicated SunSmart bases around the show so people can find them easily and stay safe,” said BAS president Sue Cairns, who said she’d use the Aussie Open tennis as her inspiration.
“They have those cooling stations around the (Rod Laver Arena) grounds, so we’re going to now be able to have a similar dedicated station, which we’ll put near the front entrance.

“And we’ll put it near a water station and have them together because community safety is obviously paramount. We put a lot of planning into things and we determined that was an area we were lacking in because it’s often really hot at that time of year.

“So we really want to send a big `thanks’ to the golf club – it does so much for the community with raffles and grants and without it we wouldn’t be able to do half the things we do for the show and everyone who comes along.”

Wallington CC received a $3500 grant from the golf club two years ago – for the provision of coaching and equipment to its then fledgling women’s division - and has clearly put it to good use.

President Marc Occhipinti said the club had, in that short time, expanded to having three women’s teams, with no fewer than 45 women and girls having played last summer.

“It has been amazing to see the club take off like that with all the inclusive work that’s such an important part of our club and the community overall,” Occhipinti said.
“So we need to keep up with the provision of facilities and this grant will enable us to do something very important at our second ground that we now use.”

The booming club not only uses its traditional Wallington Reserve base, but now uses the Devlins Road Recreation Reserve in nearby Oakdene as a second home, primarily for women’s and junior teams.

“And there’s just not the infrastructure around that ground yet, no trees or anything for shade, so the SunSmart marquee will be critical to keep everyone shaded and safe,” he said.

“We need to have these amenities to keep ensuring that all newcomers to the game have a great and safe experience, so … in turn, giving people the chance to get involved as we have is a benefit for the entire community.

“We’re just exceptionally grateful for all our supporters and we wouldn’t be in this position without the amazing backing of the Port Golf Club.”
In the past six financial years alone, the Portarlington Golf Club has given charitable support of more than $250,000.

In that time, the CCF component has become the biggest single source of community initiatives with almost $65,000 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.

Golf club chief executive Michael Phillips said there had again been great interest in the CCF process, with a total of $14,110 to be distributed, well in excess of the project’s originally advertised $12,000 scope.

“These donations have become incredibly important within our community, so we’re happy to extend again this year for projects such as these that are incredibly worthy,” Phillips said.

“The principal is to help those who are not only helping their club or organisation, but also have a communal focus with their projects, so these make perfect sense.”