For seven decades, the fairways of Cranbourne Golf Club served as a sanctuary of inclusion and a pillar of Victorian sport. On Saturday, 28 February, that era came to an emotional end as the prestigious private club closed its gates for the last time.
The final day was a sell-out, with morning and afternoon fields packed with members eager for one last round on the Sam Berriman-designed course. A farewell lunch followed—a bittersweet “19th hole” that allowed a community built over generations to say its final goodbyes.
A Legacy of Inclusion
Founded in 1951, Cranbourne was born from necessity. At the time, several Victorian golf clubs practiced discriminatory policies against the Jewish community. In response, the club’s founders secured land in the then-rapidly developing Cranbourne district, officially opening the course on 9 April 1954.
For Steven Baron, a member of 37 years who travelled from the Bayside area to play, the club’s heritage was its heartbeat.
“I was happy to join because of the heritage of the club, the design of the course, and the members who were there,” Steven recalled. While the club had Jewish origins, Steven noted that the membership evolved into a true melting pot, with Jewish members comprising about 20 per cent of the roster.
“It’s a golf course that had no restrictions. It was welcoming everybody, whether you were Chinese, you were Japanese, or Vietnamese,” he said.
“The Rug Pulled Out”
The decision to close was announced roughly two years ago, driven by the harsh realities of rising maintenance costs and a shifting economic climate. However, for those who called the club home, the finality still stung.
Darren Walker, a member since 2004 and former club captain, described the moment he heard the news as being “absolutely shattered.”
“I was captain of the golf club at the time. And it felt like the rug had been pulled out from underneath,” Darren said. He noted that despite financial struggles, the club had seen a post-Covid surge in participation. “There were opportunities for us to do some things to kind of shore up the financial future of the club, and sort of the next thing we knew, it was all out the window.”
The Great Equaliser
Beyond hosting Australian Amateur Championships and producing international stars like David Micheluzzi, the club was defined by its “everyday” atmosphere. Darren fondly remembered the “Saturday 20”—a winner-takes-all tradition where regulars pooled $20 before shouting drinks for the group.
“My experience of golf is that it’s much more of a leveller than it is an elitist thing,” Darren said. “I know some wealthy people through the golf club. I also know a lot more people who are just everyday Jacks and Joes who play golf because they enjoy the challenge and because they like the community aspect of it.”
Life After Cranbourne
The club’s leadership ensured that while the course was closing, the members wouldn’t be left stranded. Approximately 250 members have transitioned to Huntingdale Golf Club, with others moving to Southern, Keysborough, Settlers Run, Sandhurst, and Patterson River.
While Darren has already begun playing at Huntingdale, he admits a sense of lingering sadness. “Life goes on. Probably always going to be that regret that we didn’t manage to keep Cranbourne Golf Club going.”
For Steven Baron, the closure is “very sentimental,” but he takes comfort in the club’s final act of service. “The fact that the club did everything it could and placed every member at another golf club was a wonderful thing.”
As the last putt was struck, Chief Executive Officer Andrew Kenny summarised the seven-decade journey:
“This club had meant different things to different people: competition, friendship, opportunity, belonging, but what unites those experiences is the strength of the community behind them. That legacy will endure long after the last putt is struck.”
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