It’s a word more common these days, but rarely in the 114 years of the Portarlington Golf Club has the term “trailblazer” been more apt.

Marilyn Mooney this week became just the 42nd person in the club’s rich history to be recognised as a life member, presented with the club’s highest honour by director Ian Assender at the annual general meeting.

Most would say it recognises her “work” at the club; but, typically, Marilyn herself says it has been anything but.

“To receive recognition for doing stuff you love to do is amazing,” Marilyn said with great humility.

“I love the club, so I’m extremely humbled by this and I’m absolutely chuffed, to be honest, because it’s totally unexpected and not at all why any of us in (official) roles in the club do the things we do.”

Outgoing president John Bowman was effusive in his praise of someone he described as “tireless” in fulfilling any requests the club had of her.

“Everybody who has seen our honour boards knows that Marilyn has held various board roles within the club, but that doesn’t tell the whole story about her, nor her work ethic,” John said.

“She has been in just about every little group going, doing things with no reward or things that we just can’t get other volunteers to do.
“From being here every weekend for the juniors to standing in the rain directing cars when we have a tournament here and a thousand other small roles in addition to all the formal ones she’s had, Marilyn has literally done it all.

“She is the archetypal great clubperson. She never says ‘no’ and brings great integrity to everything she does around the club.

“We’ve been lucky to have her among us and while life membership is not something we hand out too regularly, it’s absolutely appropriate in Marilyn’s case because she epitomises everything we want the club to stand for.

“She’s an inspiration to many people.”
Marilyn and her partner Jeanette moved to Portarlington from Melbourne’s west, almost accidentally, in 2002.

“We knew we wanted to get out of the city, but we didn’t really have a firm plan of where we wanted to go and live,” Marilyn recalled.

“But we got a great feeling about this area and when we did actually move down, we wanted to become a part of the community.”

Marilyn, a teacher by trade, had never played golf until she came to Port, but was soon bitten by not only the sporting bug, but another to help the club progress and modernise.

“So we started playing and Jeanette and I found it a great way to learn about the town and the people. Then Greg Wood asked me to help out the juniors with clinics on Sunday morning not long after that and that’s really where it all began.”

And maybe “all” is an understatement.
Marilyn was elected to the board in 2007 and served until 2018 and then again from 2020-22.

In that time, Marilyn was elected president and served in that role for two years from 2017, becoming the first female leader of the club since it began in 1909.

Other duties Marilyn has fulfilled include ladies’ committee board representative and as junior development officer. She has also served on committees for strategy, course maintenance and development, finance, memorabilia and tournaments.

Together with another former president Tony Meagher, Marilyn helped compile and later update the club’s historical centenary book.

Most recently, Marilyn gave her time to be a part of the rules and bylaw review for the new committee.

And they’re just the formal roles among dozens of others that have largely gone unnoted.

“I like being involved and feeling like I’m helping,” said Marilyn, who says it doesn’t remotely feel like two decades of involvement.

“Jeanette and I felt like we were accepted as part of the club straight away, which made things easier, but the club was much smaller then and nothing like what it has become today.

“I guess I became involved as I was invited to different roles, but then when it came the right time for me to put my name up as the potential president, I felt – at least in some way – that it was my responsibility as a woman.

“You do need to show up and be a role model so that men, but mostly for other women so they can see that we can do jobs, do them well and for the right reasons.

“There’s actually no real barrier to doing things like that, but not everyone sees it that way, so it’s important to show others they can do it, too.

“I’ve loved being involved because, as a rule, there are no egos involved and you just get to contribute in a meaningful way.”
Asked about what makes her so proud of the Portarlington Golf Club, Marilyn hesitated before saying there’s no one standout feature.

“Like everything, it’s the people you associate with, but I think generally we’ve become a far, far bigger club than many once would have thought possible.
“I like to think that we’ve become a major player in the golf community and also our community as a whole … and that’s come about with a lot of planning and building from the foundations that were laid.

“Every little part of the foundation that was laid might not have been thought of as important at the time, but without them, the huge steps forward that we’ve taken as a club in the past couple of years wouldn’t have happened … and that makes me very proud.

“All the changes make it an exciting place to come to. All the things you can do in the clubhouse and have a nice place to relax and come along with friends to eat and take pride in it all, we’re very privileged.

“And the changes in the course itself have been absolutely amazing … we have one of the best courses you could find anywhere now, particularly in terms of its condition.”

“I’ve got great pride in all the improvements that have kept on happening and with each change in board and management, we seem to take another step forward.
“I’m very lucky that I’ve got time to appreciate what (this honour) means and being a life member at a club I feel pretty privileged to have been involved with.
“I still help out and any little projects that need people to help, I’m happy to keep volunteering – it’s fun.

“I’ve been very lucky to have worked with a whole lot of great people who are doing things because they want to contribute.

“So my instant feeling when I heard my name mentioned (as a life member) was of total shock …

“Actually, I’m really chuffed. I see it as prestigious and a real honour.

“Yeah, it was a moment in my life that really hit me. I was very emotional.

“Pride was how I felt. And walking up (to the lectern), I did feel very proud. It’s lovely to get that acknowledgement.”

From all at the club, Marilyn, please accept our hearty thanks.

The Portarlington Golf Club's annual report for the financial year 2022-23 has been released.

For the first time, it contains not only the reports of the relevant office bearers and the financial statements, but also a look back at the events that helped shape our club's fantastic year.

It's also now entirely digital and can be found by clicking the link below.

Click Here for Annual Report

Months of effort and entertainment have culminated in a heart-warming donation from the Portarlington Golf Club to Feed Me Bellarine.

Neville Richards Premier League players were given the option of “hiring” event co-organiser Mark Hayes to fill in for their team if they were absent.

Fellow organiser - and cheeky pro - Matt Milne said he wasn’t sure if many of those who did the hiring got great results on course from Hayes.

“But I’ll give him his due, Hayesy certainly took the heat pretty well off the course and stumped up when he was approached no matter how bad his form was,” Milne said.

“In the end, we actually raised almost $1000 for one of the great causes in our neck of the woods – and I think we should all be really proud of that.

“Ideally you’d have got a few more stableford points for your investment, but you can rest pretty comfortably at night knowing you’ve really helped out some people in need of help.”

Feed Me chief executive Lana Purcell was delighted when Hayes took down $960 cash, adding to another $850 that was raised via a separate auction in conjunction with Kieser during the Carnival of Golf.

“It’s amazing, it really is,” Purcell said.

“We’re in a position that every cent counts, so to see this generosity from the members of the Portarlington Golf Club is really special.

“This money will help so many people with the absolute necessities of life, but it also really generates a great lift in community spirit and togetherness.

“It’s hard to put words on how grateful everyone will be.”

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Three of our brilliant members are taking to the Bellarine’s footpaths, beaches and fairways this month to raise money for a cause close to all of our hearts.

The “Triple J” team of Jill Barker, Joy Francis and Jen Edmanson will each take to the streets this month as part of “Remember September” that honours those who have fought – or are fighting – pancreatic cancer.

“We are each walking 68 kilometres or more, probably much more,” Jill said.

“We are doing this in honour of all our members that are fighting cancer from our club.

“All donations can be left at the pro shop and no donation is too small!”

Alternatively, you can go to the Remember September website and type “Portarlington Golf Club” in the “find a friend” area to ensure your donation reaches our women’s team.

TEAM DONATION PAGE - Click Here

The Portarlington Golf Club continues to take enormous strides in its joint missions of becoming both a community leader and hub.

The recent Carnival Of Golf featured large or full fields on most of its seven days, a great sign of its popularity.

But more importantly for the town, it attracted visitors from every corner of Victoria.

“It’s great for us as a golf club, naturally, but we had members from almost 40 separate clubs throughout the week,” club chief executive Michael Phillips said.

“That’s great news for the entire town, mostly other businesses who benefit from the influx of visitors, particularly midweek in winter.

“So we’re very proud to play our part in that sense, but in other ways as well, such as being the home of events for a series of really important charities throughout the year.”

The club was home to the EJ Whitten Foundation - through its new Rule branding - in February and will soon play host to two more key events.

“In September we are helping the Port footy club with their Fight MND charity day, featuring Terry Daniher as guest speaker to help his brother Neale’s great fight against the `Beast’,” Phillips said.

“Then on the heels of that one, we’ve got another in October that benefits the amazing charity work that the legends at Feed Me Bellarine continue to do for those in our society who aren’t as fortunate as others.”

More charity golf days are held on behalf of the Lions Club of Portarlington Drysdale to support junior sporting clubs, as well as the “Zipper Club” for those who’ve had heart operations.

We also attracted large national interest with our Legends Tour pro-am in February and will soon hold an event on the Associate Professional pro-am tour that will also lure people from around the country.

This, of course, comes on top of more than $125,000 the club has given in charitable support in the past four financial years alone, including more than $30,000 specifically via its Community Contribution Fund.

It also continues to be a “home base” of sorts for myriad business and community groups who hold functions within the club’s walls.

“We regularly host Probis groups, the Community Bank, the PBDA, Rotary, Bellarine Ladies Network and many other local community groups when they hold their meetings,” Phillips said.

“So while the club is golf to some and a restaurant to others, it’s a whole lot more to so many more.

“And we’re delighted to welcome all to our new-look clubhouse with its recently renovated entrance – another sign of us reinvesting for the entire community’s enjoyment and benefit.”

The club is already looking ahead to next year after another very successful edition of the annual Carnival of Golf.

Most days proved extremely popular, particularly those with teams events, including the ambrose days and Graeme McGregor Memorial.

Other events that didn’t quite attract full fields will be up for discussion when planning for the 2024 Carnival begins in earnest.

“But for now, we should really celebrate a particularly successful week,” chief executive Michael Phillips said.

“We welcomed not only a huge percentage of our own membership, but attracted visitors from every corner of the state with members from almost 40 other clubs coming to Portarlington for at least one event.

“That’s an enormous boost for not only our club as a golf destination, but for all businesses around town that receive the benefit of additional visitation.

“And I’d like to publicly reiterate the thanks that so many of the players offered for the conditioning of the course – so a huge shout to superintendent Steve Burchett, his entire team and all the on-course volunteers for bringing it all to life.”

Phillips also paid tribute to the club’s partners who contributed financially to the week’s success.

“People love the food, prizes and organisation, but none of it happens without the generosity of our sponsors,” he said.

“I wholeheartedly thank Bellarine Bayside, Kieser, Harvey’s of Highton, Lifestyle Communities, Coastyle and Port Phillip Ferries – and not to forget our own pro Matt Milne and his team - for their amazing support.”

To see pictures of our Carnival Of Golf, click HERE.

Results of the Carnival Of Golf:

• Friday Men's Results
• Friday Women's Results
• Thursday Men's Results
• Thursday Women's Results
• Wednesday Men's Results
• Wednesday Women's Results
• Tuesday Men's Results
• Tuesday Women's Results
• Monday Men's Results
• Monday Women's Results
• Sunday Mixed Results
• Saturday Men's Results
• Saturday Women's Results

Two of Australian golf’s most respected combatants slugged out a thrilling tie at the Barwon Cleaning Supplies Portarlington Legends Pro-Am on Tuesday.

But Terry Price and Andre Stolz arrived on the podium in very different ways.

Price joked that he thought it was a “gee-up” when he strode to the ninth tee and met his equally follicly challenged playing partners representing Cadel Food Services.

But the “cueball quartet”, as one wag called them, quickly fell into stride and Price was soon three under.

At the exact same time, fellow Queenslander Stolz feared his group, representing Harvey’s Produce, would think he was “complete dud” after he started on the 12^th hole with a double-bogey, slumped to three over after the 15^th and was still without a birdie until the first.

Price made a bogey on the 15^th and then closed with 11 consecutive pars to finish at two under and edge out five players at one under on a windswept day on the perfectly manicured layout.

But Stolz, who had barely made a putt at Curlewis on Sunday, in a Skins game at Portarlington on Monday evening or again through his opening 14 holes, would not lie down.

He burned the cup from close range on holes five, six and seven before finally getting one to drop on the eighth to give him a faint hope.

“I felt like I’d been hitting the ball so well but just couldn’t buy a putt, then they all started coming at once,” Stolz said after completing his round with four consecutive birdies to charge through the pack and join Price at two under.

“I sort of want to keep playing right now, that was an amazing run to finish up.”

Price, in his second visit to Portarlington, has been one of the course’s great advocates given its presentation and playability, so it was no surprise that the love affair was mutual.

“I really enjoy coming here – the course is one of the very best we play all year and you know you get rewarded for good shots,” he said.

“I didn’t know if I’d be able to hang on, but it’s good to share this prize with Stolzy, who’s such a tough competitor.”

Defending champion Mike Harwood couldn’t repeat his 2022 magic, finishing at +2, still good enough for a share of 21^st after a tight tussle all day.

Of the other marquee names, Peter Fowler had only one blemish – a double-bogey on the 16^th – to back up his runner-up finish at Portarlington last year with a T8 finish at even par, one behind crowd favourite Glenn Joyner, who led early but endured a late bogey to be in the bunch at T3.

Mike Clayton thrilled many in a rare appearance on tour, rattling home to share 14^th at one over par.

Another big prize for the day was also shared with the Avalon Airport Trophy for the best total 36-hole score from Curlewis and Portarlington on the Bellarine swing of the Legends Tour rewarded.

Ever-popular Lucien Tinkler carded a 72 at Port to add to his 70 at Curlewis to share top prize with Euan Walters who backed up his winning 69 on Sunday with a 73 at Port as both men finished a combined one under at 142.

Click Here for the Results

Pro Am Gallery

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The Portarlington Golf Club has received “incredible” national recognition of its ongoing improvements.

Golf Australia Magazine this week published its biennial rankings of the nation’s top 100 public-access courses, with Portarlington making its debut at No.63.

Portarlington chief executive Michael Phillips said to receive such positive news was a great fillip for the hard work everyone at the club had contributed.

“It’s an incredible result – a massive reward for all involved, but particularly as recognition for superintendent Steve Burchett and his team,” Phillips said.

“You occasionally see clubs make high-ranking debuts on lists such as these, but almost always those rewards are given to new clubs and not to long-standing ones.

“So to make our debut at No.63 is phenomenal, really.

“I think members and their guests have known of the sensational condition in which our course is routinely turned out, but we’re starting to get that wider recognition now, too.

“Steve and his grounds crew have been first class, especially in overcoming the challenges we’ve all experienced in the past couple of years.

“And we should also acknowledge the works of the course enhancement committee, plus Matt Milne and his staff in our pro shop who have all played their part in us achieving this recognition.”

Golf Australia Magazine editor and rankings panel boss Brendan James was effusive in his praise of the course’s condition.

“Once you have picked your jaw off the floor over the quality of the fairways and greens, take a closer look at the design as there are some seriously good holes here,” James wrote.

It was great news all round for Golf The Bellarine, with four of Port’s neighbouring courses in the top 25.

Newly elected Golf The Bellarine president Mark Hayes said to have five local courses – Barwon Heads was ineligible as a private club – was a huge result for the fledgling group that’s aiming to bolster tourism in the region.

“There is no greater advertisement than independent rankings like these and to have our group of courses not only recognised, but for all to be trending even higher is phenomenal,” Hayes said.

“It’s a great result for our new group and will hopefully make our pitch to make the Bellarine a must-visit destination for golf trips an even more attractive proposition.”

Thirteenth Beach’s Creek Course rose three places to 23, Curlewis was up four to No.21 and remarkably, two Bellarine courses are now in the top 10.

The newly developed Lonsdale Links made its debut at No.8, while Thirteenth Beach’s Beach Course moved up a spot to No.6.

The top three might prove hard to crack, all remaining unchanged with a Tasmanian stranglehold on the podium with Cape Wickham No.1, Barnbougle Dunes No.2 and Barnbougle Lost Farm No.3.

The Portarlington Golf Club received outstanding news this week with confirmation of a $50,000 grant towards its new solar installation.

The grant, funded by Sustainability Victoria, will help build a 99.36kW on-grid solar power system that will produce an average of approximately 370kWh of electricity per day.

It’s part of the $1.8 million second round of the Victorian Government’s Community Climate Change and Energy Action (CCCEA) program that will slash the energy bills of 88 successful applicants around the state.

Minister for Energy Lily D’Ambrosio said upgrades or new installations of solar and renewable energy batteries would save those facilities almost $900,000 on annual energy bills.

“We’re giving community groups like Portarlington Golf Club the opportunity to reduce their energy costs by upgrading their facilities with simple switches which save money and slash emissions,” Minister D’Ambrosio said.

“We’re helping community groups reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by more than 4400 tonnes per year — bringing us closer to our goal of reducing Victoria’s emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.”

Chief executive officer Michael Phillips said the grant was music to the club’s ears.

“In line with the club’s strategic policy, it’s our absolute goal to reduce our environmental footprint and this Sustainability Victoria grant enables us to take a huge step in the right direction,” Phillips said.

“To that end, we had already entered into an agreement with Aus1 Energis to provide a $100,000 system for the club that will help us slash our annual $85,000 electricity bill as well as our environmental impact.

“But thanks to the Victorian Government’s CCCEA program, what would have been a five-year repayment phase will now be cut to approximately three years, giving the club and its community a long-term return on investment over the 20-year life expectancy of the system.

“It will now allow us to repurpose that funding towards an even more expansive push towards sustainability, as well as investing in other community projects.”

Through the CCCEA program, a total of $3 million will ultimately be invested by the Victorian Government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency for community groups.

In 2021, the CCCEA program funded more than $1.16 million for community organisations to make energy upgrades or conduct an energy audit. This has already delivered $300,000 of annual savings.

It sat at the Portarlington Golf Club, commanding the reverence of a visiting head of state.

It was photographed like a leading lady on the red carpet.

And we’re led to believe it may even have put a tear in the eye of a few more seasoned observers.

Yes, it’s the Melbourne Cup.

And for the first time in its 161-year history, the Cup made its way to town this week, including a dinner date at the Portarlington Golf Club.

It’s revered around Australia and New Zealand as the ultimate racing prize and maintains a strong historical attachment to the racing industry’s “battlers” who cling to the romantic notion that anyone can own the stayer that can win the “race that stops a nation”.

So for those who had watched it through the decades, particularly those who’d never seen it in person, to have the golden cup in the View Room was a special treat indeed.

“It’s been part of us for so long, so it’s pretty nice to see it first hand,” one guest said of the surprisingly large and heavy trophy, that weighs in at 3.4kg and, containing 1.65kg of 18-carat gold, is valued at approximately $275,000.

“It’s impressive … and you know how much it means to so many people, so to be able to pick it up and take a photo with it is very cool.”
Legendary race caller Greg Miles, who called a remarkable 36 editions of the Cup, was part of the VRC contingent who brought the Cup to town as the only western Victorian stop on its international tour that is now in its 20th year.

Miles regaled the 80-strong audience with a series of Melbourne Cup tales, spilling some inside secrets on a few great moments.

Since the tour’s inception in 2003, the famous three-handled Cup has travelled more than 760,000km around the world, visiting more than 560 destinations, engaging with tens of thousands of people and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for local fundraising initiatives.

As part of that process this year, Portarlington is one of 24 regional venues that will be allocated a barrier as part of a $50,000 national sweep.

That barrier will be allocated to a horse when the final barrier draw is made on the weekend before the cup is run. Should that horse duly win on the first Tuesday in November, a cash prize of $50,000 will be put towards a charity for a community initiative within Portarlington.

The models shone, Bellarine fashion rocked – and a good time was had by all!

A full house in the View Room at the Portarlington Golf Club was treated to a wonderful night as four local fashion houses combined forces to put on Port’s first catwalk parade.

Event organiser and host Sonja Di Pietro said the night had been wonderfully received by all involved and that she hoped it would be the first of more to come.

“The stores and their teams should be really proud of the effort they put into showcasing their wares, especially to a sell-out crowd at our first attempt,” Sonja said.

“It was a great opportunity for a predominantly female audience to have a night out together for the first time in a long while – and I think it was really well received by all.”

Sonja, the manager at Stockdale & Leggo Bellarine on Newcombe St, had another goal on her mind through the evening, too.

“I am delighted to let everyone who came along know that we managed to raise $2300 for the Epworth Hospital’s women’s health programs – a great cause dear to many of our hearts,” Sonja said.

“The feedback we had from participants and the crowd was extremely positive and I hope to continue to achieve wonderful things together as a community.”
The four boutiques - Just Next Door, Kouture by the Sea, Montana’s Fashion and Accessories and Kita Ku – each put up an impressive array of spring and summer concepts for the upcoming season.

“And the way the models showed it off was absolutely brilliant,” Sonja said.
“The way they strutted their stuff along the red carpet was so much fun and I really think the audience loved their enthusiasm and willingness to have a good time. The emphasis of the night was really to just have fun after a challenging few years.”

Stockdale and Leggo Bellarine director Daniel Lamanna paid tribute to Sonja’s efforts.

“She’s a great representative in our community and you can see her passion to bring people together really shine through on nights like that,” Daniel said.

The Portarlington Golf Club has embarked on an ambitious pathway towards environmental sustainability.

In line with the club’s long-term strategic plan, president John Bowman said a bold $100,000 investment in solar energy would have great immediate positive impacts.

“The club has entered into an agreement with Aus1 Energis to supply a 99.36 kW on-grid solar power system. This system will produce an average of approximately 370 kWh per day over the year,” Bowman said.

“We basically want to become more socially responsible and have a positive impact on the environment’s health.

“Over the expected 20-year life cycle of this system, it will be the equivalent of us planting more than 13,000 trees, which can only be good for all of us.”

There is a second aspect to the club’s strategy of developing long-term and sustainable environmental projects.

The club has significantly reduced its reliance on potable water for irrigating turf and will continue to do so through the development of a stormwater harvesting system.

“This, in essence, diverts stormwater to our dams on the course to be used for irrigation,” Bowman said.

“To continue the reduction in potable water use, ‘Class C’ recycled water is also used for irrigation.

“Water savings have also been achieved through the introduction of Santa-Ana couch turf on the fairways and tees. This has allowed the club to provide better quality playing conditions whilst reducing the volume of water required to produce such surfaces.

“We have also been active in the promotion of native vegetation around the course. We have enhanced this with the selective removal of large, old and dangerous pine trees and planting out these areas with indigenous native flora to increase the bird life associated with the golf course.”

Some of the bird species that have increased in number in the past couple of years have been the Rainbow Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet, Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos and Tawny Frogmouth Owls.

“The types of machinery that we use certainly plays a part in how we sustainably operate, and is part of our overall environmental improvement strategy,” Bowman said.

“We currently use an electric green roller and are about to receive delivery of our first electric green mower. In time, as the club switches to solar power, we will see a shift from the exclusive use of fossil fuels to – at least in part - being able to operate under solar energy.

“Through this technology, we will further lessen our impact on the environment by reducing noise.

“Our aim is to develop more sustainable actions across our business and foster better environmental stewardship, ultimately leaving the property in better condition for future generations to enjoy.”

A hearty band of visitors raised $2250 for Feed Me Bellarine at the Portarlington Golf Club on Saturday night.

With weather befitting the club’s Christmas in July theme, chief executive Michael Phillips was delighted with such a strong turnout for the charity event.

“With everything that has been going on, we were thrilled to see so many people buy a ticket for such a worthy cause in Feed Me Bellarine,” Phillips said.
“It was very much something we wanted to do for our local charity and we hope to expand on it in future years and make it something of an annual celebration around the clubhouse.”

Almost 100 guests partook in a three-course meal and took in the great vocals of duo Cam and Christian, all in the name of community fundraising.
Feed Me Bellarine chief executive Lana Purcell was humbled to receive the donation.

“Things rarely slow down for us since we started, but this is a particularly important time of the year for us in the cold weather we’ve been experiencing,” Purcell said.

“So we’re absolutely thrilled that so many great community-minded people came out to share an evening and help us out so much.

“Our hearty thanks to the members at Portarlington Golf Club and those in the area who came along to support the night.”

Feed Me Bellarine is a community food project that collects spare food and excess produce and shares it with people who need it most.

In the past decade, it has provided more than 800,000 meals and saved more than one million kilograms of food from landfill.
More than $1.3million of donations has been raised to help the concept thrive and expand.

Julie Milne turned sparkling club form into a district level victory today when she ambushed a quality field to win the prestigious individual crown during the June Gillivour Silver Salver.

Milne, a member at host club Portarlington, won the overall and A grade crowns with a fine 38 stableford points that she attributed to a “bit of good rhythm” in which she’s currently reveling.

Her total was three points better than A grade runner-up Elizabeth Raftery, of Bendigo, who shared the day’s next best score of 35 with Ocean Grove member Deb O’Neill, the winner of B grade.

Raftery’s score was enough to propel her Bendigo team, including Leanne Robertson and Sue Holland, to victory with 96 points to win the time-honoured June Gillivour Silver Salver.

O’Neill and clubmates Sharon Cresswell and Susie Stevens were runners-up with 89 points in the chase for the silverware, awarded to honour one of Portarlington and the SWGA district’s most successful golfers and administrators.

Milne, on a roll in club golf, too, said playing on her home course was an advantage against a quality field of visitors.

“But that only helps if you’re hitting them all right, which thankfully I am at the moment,” she said.

“I was in a bit of good rhythm out there today, putted well and managed to get out of any bunkers, so it was really a thrill to win because I know the wheels could come off at any minute,” she said modestly.

“I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve won, it’s quite an honour.”

Raftery, the reluctant spokeswoman for the winning team, said her score was built on hard work rather than anything spectacular.

“There was a lot of scrambling all day … it wasn’t pretty, but it was effective,” she said, heaping praise on Portarlington’s condition.

“I thought the course was fabulous because Bendigo is wet and muddy at the moment and this was nice grass to play off.

“It was lovely to win an event with Leanne and Sue … we’ve played regularly together (over the years).”

Click Here to view the results

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Have you ever wondered why what you’re looking at out your window doesn’t match what the weather guru is telling you on the radio or TV?

Well ponder no longer!

The Portarlington Golf Club has just installed its own weather station, the only one of its kind in Portarlington that can give us an accurate representation of what’s happening around town.

The new WeatherLink system provides constant updates on temperatures, wind direction and speed, rainfall and barometric pressure.

It even gives you daily highs and lows so you know exactly what’s going on in YOUR neighbourhood, not on the other side of Melbourne.

And for those who are visiting Port, it’s absolutely the best way to know what you’ll confront when you arrive.

So how do you access this data?

For the essentials, click on the “WEATHER” tab at the top of our home page, www.port.golf and you’ll go straight there.

If you want a bit more information (trust us, there’s lots of it!), download the “WEATHERLINK” app from either the App Store on Apple or Google Play for android phones. (The icon will have “DAVIS” written across the bottom.)

If you like your weather hardcore, log on to www.weatherlink.com, create an account and follow your nose to Portarlington. Once you familiarize yourself, search for the “bulletin” via stations around the country using the “map” tab.

And the best bit of all of this … it’s free!
If you have a business around Portarlington and the northern Bellarine that has a website and want to share our weather data to your clients, reach out via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we’ll try to help you out.

Enjoy!

The Portarlington Golf Club has joined other leaders in our community to bolster the Junior Sports Grant program across the Northern Bellarine.
The Port Report, in partnership with Bennetts on Bellarine, has implemented the initiative which aims to “make positive improvements to the sporting skill development and general wellbeing of young people” in our community.

Applications for grants of up to $2000 must demonstrate how they’d be used to implement initiatives or extend existing programs that engage our youth in sporting activities that also help connect their families to community organisations.

Portarlington GC chief executive Michael Phillips said the club was delighted to contribute financially to “a brilliant initiative”.

“We obviously believe in sport and being active, so to help our youngsters and their families become more involved in that lifestyle makes perfect sense for us,” Phillips said.
“It’s important that leaders in our district help drive such programs and we fully commend and support the great foresight and passion of those at The Port Report and Bennetts for putting their hands up to drive it along.

“The Portarlington Golf Club wants all children and their families to be healthy and active and, along with our partners at the Bendigo Community Bank in Portarlington and Drysdale, we have a proud history of supporting local organisations with grants to achieve those goals.

“This is another great step on this path and we’re excited to be involved.”

Applications for the grants are open until 31 March, with those successful to be notified no later than 5 May.

The criteria to be assessed include whether the proposal meets an important need, the sustainability of the project, the capacity of the group to manage the project and its funding and, of course, its value and timeliness.

Further details on developing applications can be sought via committee members Stephen Cogger (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Glen Jose (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) with all applications to be sent to the paper at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before the deadline.

When you’re 63 and have more than 30 professional wins on tours around the world, “best evers” aren’t very common.

Yet that’s precisely what Mike Harwood delivered today to win the inaugural Barwon Cleaning Supplies Portarlington Legends Pro-Am.

Harwood lit up the Portarlington Golf Club with nine birdies en route to an eight-under-par 64, good enough for a one-shot win over Peter Fowler and Grant Kenny in the over-50s tournament.

Harwood, runner-up in the 1991 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, remarkably said after his win in the $15,000 event that he may never have putted better.
“I putted amazingly – I think 24 putts,” the Melburnian said.

“I can actually say that might be my best putting round in my 43 years of playing professional golf.

“It was incredible and even more so when I couldn’t hole one from a foot three months ago.

“It says a lot about the quality of the greens and when you see some of the other scores, you can tell they were running perfectly.”

Former Australian Open champion Fowler was unlucky when his ball fell off his tee during his downswing on the first hole, midway through his round.

Fowler, who played a practice round with Harwood a night earlier, managed to top the ball up the left of the fairway, but could only manage the bogey that potentially cost him a tie with his good mate.

Kenny looked likely, too, when he holed out for an eagle two on the short par-four 13th, but made five pars to close out the back nine.

Another spectacular performance came from another legend of Australian golf, Mike Ferguson.

Ferguson, himself a winner of more than 15 professional events around the world, turned 70 on Australia Day.

But yesterday he wound back the clock to shatter “his age” with a four-under-par 66, good enough for outright fourth.

Legends Tour debutant Richard Green, a resident on the Bellarine, carded a 68 in his first look at Portarlington, but showed signs that he will be a dangerous player when his regular tour commitments permit.

Of the other main drawcards, Andre Stolz fired a 69 and Peter Senior carded a 73.

Results

Whether or not he becomes the next Tiger Woods, Portarlington associate professional Max Edmanson has taken the biggest step of his fledgling golf career.

Edmanson on Monday won his first professional tournament, the Mornington PGA Associate Match.

His one-stroke victory against a quality field of his peers, all doing “traineeships” around Victoria, was equal parts relief and excitement for the laid-back 22-year-old.

“Yeah, it’s a good feeling, but I’m pretty relieved, to be honest,” Edmanson said today after edging out Baxter Droop with four back-nine birdies.

“I hadn’t been playing well at all, even on Sunday when I was just mucking around with Dean Jeffrey and Sam Beeston at Port.

“I asked Dean to take a video of my swing and when I looked at it, I just saw something that I worked on and yesterday it all just popped into place.”

Edmanson, in the third year of his PGA membership pathway program under club pro Matt Milne, had played several rounds at Mornington in the past year or so because the PGA had used it as a base for a few rounds during periods of Covid travel restrictions.

“They had a couple of temporary holes in play yesterday (dropping par from 72 to 70), but I like it and it suits my eye, so I felt good most of the day,” he said.

“The driver was on and I hit 15 of 18 greens and … when I was a little bit nervous towards the end … I still hit good shots up the last couple of holes.”
Edmanson’s bogey-free 65 was his equal best score to par, matching his 66 at Portarlington and earning him loose change in excess of $220.

“I think it helps fuel the fire a little bit, knowing you can get it done against some really good players,” he said.

"I’m not knocking the money, it’s nice. But it’s more of a feeling that’s important. It will give me more belief in myself, just knowing your game can hold up under pressure.”

Milne was full of praise for Edmanson, who’s become very popular among the Portarlington membership.

“Your first win is always very sweet and hopefully many more will follow,” Milne said.

“It’s just that added confidence that can really help you next time you’re in that situation.

“Everyone at the club can be really proud of him.”

There have been many grand sporting achievements in the Farmer household through the years, so it takes something special to rank a mention.

That “special” happened today.

Brett Farmer, back into golf for only three seasons after a near two-decade absence, holed a 3-wood for an albatross on the par-5 ninth hole.

For a man who’s done a lot in sport and seen even more, it was a moment to take his breath away.

It's understood to be just the fourth albatross in a Portarlington Golf Club competition.

“The majority of us out here can’t reach the green in two, let alone sink it, so it’s beyond my wildest dreams to be honest,” Farmer said with the broadest of smiles.

“I was a long way back up the fairway and thought I’d hit a pretty good shot, but I couldn’t see it when we walked up, only a ball at the back of the green.

“So I went and looked and that wasn’t mine and then one of the fellas, who I reckon had snuck a quick peek at it when he walked past, said without a hint of anything in his voice, `Why don’t you look in the hole?’.

“So I took a look and there it was … my heart skipped a beat, I couldn’t believe it.”

Farmer’s father Graham – better known to all footy fans as Geelong great “Polly” – was one of the inaugural legends of the AFL Hall of Fame in 1996. But Brett had been a good footballer in his own right, playing under-19s for Geelong before returning to Western Australia and becoming a premiership player in the powerhouse Claremont WAFL teams of the early 1980s.

He returned to the Geelong region and coached Torquay, where he lived beside the course and honed his game to the point where at one point he was off “about four in my late 20s”.

“But then I didn’t play for years,” said Farmer, now 61.

“I’m really just getting into it again and having some fun with my mates.”

The left-hander had 15 stableford points through eight holes in the Thursday competition and was pushing for a birdie when he strode on to the ninth tee in order to reach 18 to be back in line with his 10 handicap at the turn.

His drive “wasn’t one of my best” but did enough to crest the hill on the dog-leg and roll to the right side of the fairway.

“The wind was coming from right to left which is the same way that I normally (shape) it, so I started about 10 yards right and it just seemed to hold its line enough,” Farmer said of his magical blow.

“It was always heading in the right direction, but it was from about 215m and I obviously didn’t see it drop because I wear glasses, so I can’t even see the ball landing on par-3s, let alone from that far.

“The other guys all said it looked like it’d be good up somewhere near the front and the pin was cut pretty maybe just right of centre and only about 7m on.“I just kept it pretty low, hit it pretty solid … and it rolled up about 30m … then I had no idea what happened at all.”

The closest Farmer had come to the magical albatross previously was on the long sixth hole when he blazed a fairway wood on line, but had it finish about 2m short.

“I was one (point) down on my handicap and hoping to get a birdie to get to 18 points (for the nine), but that was a “two for five” and I ended up with 20,” said Farmer, who ended with a neat 36 for his round.

Farmer seemed in the mood to celebrate, but wasn’t sure of the protocols.

“I don’t know. It’s obviously never happened to me before. It’s such a rare thing, particularly in comps.

“But it’s pretty exciting, I know that.”

Three new champions have emerged after a dramatic and historic final round of the club championships at Portarlington on Sunday.

In front of large and generous crowds, club newcomer Alicia Clark almost squandered the “unlosable” lead before holing a clutch putt to win the women’s A Grade crown by one stroke.

Murray Weiley became the first person to simultaneously win the men’s A Grade and veterans’ crowns when he held off an array of challengers with his third consecutive outstanding round.

And the junior championship was well supported as it returned to the club calendar, with Jackson McGrath and Matteo Surace taking out the two titles on offer in another tight battle among eight young mates.

Clark had started the final day nine shots clear of six-time champ Jenny Edmanson and looked to have the cup in her keeping after nine holes, having added one shot to her cushion.

But a wayward drive out of bounds into the maintenance sheds right of the 10th fairway triggered a triple-bogey and two dramatic hours.

“I’m absolutely thrilled … I’m not really sure what happened out there, but I’m really excited to get my first club championship,” said Clark, who required a 10-foot bogey putt on the final hole to ensure a one-shot victory.
“I had no idea what the scores were, but I was super relieved when somebody told me I’d won,” said Clark, also a member of the club’s hospitality staff.

“Jenny’s obviously a great player and has been there before and was probably a bit calmer than I was, but thankfully I’d done enough in the first two rounds.
“I didn’t have my best stuff out there today … but in the end it doesn’t really matter.”
Weiley proved that consistency pays.

The wily veteran was even par for his final round through 15 holes and, despite three closing bogeys, his 75 was enough for his first club crown.
His 227 total over the rain-shortened three-round championship was too much for Gavin Whyley and Brendan Larkins to run down.
But the tightness of the contest shone through with no fewer than eight players better than 240.
McGrath topped his mates in a great battle for the junior crown, too.

His closing 90 set up a 10-shot margin the gross division, while Surace was rewarded for his consistency with consecutive 74s enough for the nett title.

The women’s veterans’ division was by Jan Cogger, who provided the day’s highlight, nailing the perfect 7-iron for an eagle three on the 14th hole.

Members can read the full stories and learn all the category winners in the member section of the club’s new website.

The Portarlington Golf Club has made the plans of two more local organisations possible with substantial community grants.

The Portarlington Girl Guides and the Portarlington Cricket Club are the latest beneficiaries of the PGC’s Community Contribution Fund to address outstanding issues for their memberships … and well beyond.

Girl Guides district manager Belinda George said the organisation was “extremely grateful” to have received $5000 earlier in 2021, then another $5000 for the second part of their hall restoration project, including urgent roof repairs.

“It means the Guides will have a venue that is safe and able to facilitate their needs for the foreseeable future,” George said.
“Previously we had leaks in the roof and other plumbing issues, but this project will give us somewhere warm, safe and hospitable for the girls to use.”

George said the Girl Guides shared their hall with several other community groups, spreading further the benefits of the funding, with Portarlington Playgroup, fledgling women’s group BeWRECT, the local CWA branch, the Portarlington Orchestral Group and Bellarine International Women’s Group all soon to share the space.

“So it’s great for all of us … it really gives the community somewhere to use and be safe and to feel welcome again,” she said.

The Portarlington Cricket Club recently received $6000 to build a new barbecue area and buy outdoor furniture. PCC treasurer Claire Heatlie said the cricketers were “very grateful”.

“We really struggled last year, as did everyone, and the cricket department runs at a massive loss, so the kitchen and the bar income is very important,” she said.

“We were really limited last year with the amount of people we could have in the room. Now we have an extra 40 tables and chairs so we can seat people outside because of the grant.

“Without support like this, clubs like ours just don’t survive.”

The Community Contribution Fund was established to support not-for-profit community or sporting organisations to make positive improvements that will, in turn, benefit the wider community.

PGC chief executive Michael Phillips said the club considered many factors when allocating funds, including the potential for increased engagement of volunteers, community and participants.

“The golf club sees itself as a community leader and that it’s our duty to assist other sporting clubs and community groups whenever we can,” Phillips said.

“Our success as a club in the community is partly measured by the success of everybody else in the community.

“We feel we have a significant role to play in that space and we are very fortunate and lucky to have a business model that allows us to support other community groups who don’t necessarily have access to the funds that we do.”

The club earlier this year gave $3650 to the Portarlington Bowling Club for greens maintenance and $1500 to the Portarlington Miniature Railway for safety improvements.

Portarlington Golf Club CEO Michael Phillips checks out the new  Portarlington Cricket Club facilities with James Harvey, Peter Evans and Claire Heatlie.

Photo: VINNIE VAN OORSCHOT, Bellarine Times

We're excited to re-open our club, but we must do it in a restricted way to ensure the health of not only our business, but more importantly our staff.
The Bellarine Peninsula’s hospitality sector is being hit hard by worsening staff shortages with very few people ready or able to work in our industry.
So, as we approach the busiest time of our year, changes have become a necessity.

If we do not alter course, our people will soon tire because there is so much work and so few staff.

Our first ports of call are that we can’t open our kitchen every day of the week and must continue to stagger our bookings.

We encourage you to make a booking so not be disappointed when you turn up.

We are committed to training the next generation of hospitality workers, but in reality, we’re likely still a few years from them becoming skilled leaders in our industry.

In the interim this summer, we ask customers to continue to be patient while we navigate these difficult times.

Please understand these challenges, and becoming upset and aggressive with staff just doing their best is not acceptable.

Our clubhouse will be open seven days a week from 10am and the restaurant will operate Tuesday through Sunday for both lunch and dinner services.

COVID UPDATE

By government orders on 19 November, all members and guests over the age of 12 years and 2 months are required to show proof of double vaccination on entry to the clubhouse and pro shop or to play golf.
Face mask restrictions have been loosened, but they are still required within retail environments, which includes our pro shop.

Welcome to the new Portarlington Golf Club website.

You’ll already see a bold new look, reflecting our club’s colours and bold new brand.

But you’ll also get to experience a range of new functionalities, designed in alignment with the club’s new purpose statement, “Where golf and friendship come together”.

And while the “old” address will continue to work for a while, you’ll also see the club has adopted a new internet address and email formats.

Portarlington Golf Club chief executive Michael Phillips said all on show at www.port.golf was emblematic of the club’s new image.

“We have a new executive chef, a whole new concept and feel in our clubhouse and our food and beverage offering has been modernised and expanded to reflect the wishes of our members and guests,” Phillips said.

“So it’s only fitting that our portal to the outside world also reflects our new bold, clean and classy image.”

The website features quick links to popular features of the club’s services and social media posts.

“And one of the biggest additions is the ability for all members and visitors to book in our bistro in a state-of-the-art online format,” Phillips said.

“Our members have a range of special options available to them specifically, but all the public-facing information we think is now much more logical and easier to access.

“The new website and email addresses are a big leap for us. But we’ve gone from a very long and convoluted domain name to one that is short, sharp and memorable – so either browsing our site or emailing us on your phone is now so much easier.”

The vivid imagery for the club’s new website was generated by local design house Streamline Media, chiefly through its principal Jarrod Boord and photographer Nikole Ramsay.

Boord, a long-time drone photography and video specialist, set the date for his aerial visit months before his October 27 appearance.

Then, remarkably, the planets aligned on that very day and a still, warm and cloudless morning presented itself for the sparkling images presented around this website.

“It’s a beautiful course, so I’m thrilled that we got lucky on the dates to be able to show the world just how stunning the property is,” Boord said.

For a couple of generations of Saturday golfers at Portarlington, Col Evans’ performance was a staple.

But the man who conducted the famous “Saturday night beer raffle” – or Col’s Swindle as it was known to more than a few – has done so much more at the Portarlington Golf Club.

Evans, one of five brothers, will soon notch an extraordinary milestone – 60 years of consecutive membership of the club.

Along with Bill, Ron and Jim (all deceased) and his other brother Norm, the Evans clan have been synonymous with the building industry around Portarlington – not to mention the cricket and football clubs, where they are legendary.

But from the day Col joined the golf club as a wide-eyed 17-year-old, when the course was just nine holes long, he’s been nothing but proud of another of the town’s great institutions.
“It’s been a great place over the years,” Col enthused when told of his impending honour.

“I remember when we went to 14 holes in the ‘60s, then to 18 in the ‘70s and to what it is now.

“I was involved (officially) for a bit over 14 years, from memory. I was vice-captain, then captain and then on the board for a while, too.

“I am proud of the club. I remember when I first came here, there was an old house that had been removed from in town and put down near where the pro shop is now and that was the clubhouse.
“I remember a few times when there were floods in Geelong, we had all the Barwon Valley golfers come out and play out here as if they were members here, too. That’s what the club is all about.”

Evans has been a consistent golfer for many years. “But I never quite got to single figures,” he said with a wry smile.
“I got (my handicap) to 9.6 once, but I never got to play off nine.”

Evans has had a hole in one on the 17th, won “a few” quarterly medals and has been medallist of the year. He represented the club on several occasions and even Geelong in the Queen Elizabeth Medal once at Royal Melbourne.

“But I only ever played once a week and never practised … it’s a waste of time.”

Evans was made a life member of the Portarlington Golf Club in 2003 as he recovered from a cancer scare.

But he never thought much about receiving his latest honour, he said. “Nah. I just play golf to meet people around the club … but it’s not bad.”