It feels like a lifetime ago. In 1945, World War II came to an end. That same year, Liz Serpell joined a golf club that would become a constant throughout her life, celebrating 80 years of membership at Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club last year.
“Very relaxed and happy,” Serpell recalled of what life was like in 1945.
“The war was over and so things were starting to get back to normal again.
“I had my first lesson when I was about 16, so I’ve been playing golf ever since and love it.”
Now 97, it has been 81 years since Serpell first joined the Melbourne Sandbelt gem, then known as Peninsula Country Golf Club before it merged with Kingswood Golf Club in 2013.
Her love of golf was inspired by her parents and brother, who had already established strong connections with the club.
“I’d been going down to Peninsula since I was about five years old, when my mum and dad used to take me down with my brother,” Serpell said.
“They became members in about 1929 or 1930, then my brother joined when he was 16, and then I was allowed to join when I was 16.”
Now, less than three years away from raising her bat for a century, Serpell is still an active part of the golf club she has called home for more than eight decades.
At an age when most would struggle to get off the couch, she continued to play golf regularly until the end of 2024, when she was 95.
“I was still able to hit a decent ball, so that was good,” she said.
While her playing days may now be behind her, Serpell continues to be an active part of the community that has surrounded her for most of her life.
One of the highlights on Serpell’s calendar is the club’s annual long-term members lunch, which celebrates those who have been members for more than 40 years.
“I’m afraid my golfing days are over, but I still go down and I play bridge and I go to all the special lunches, so that’s nice,” she said.
“I’ve got lots of friends down there. Age doesn’t seem to matter, so you collect a lot of friends of different ages, which I think is really nice.
“It’s really been an incredibly important part of my life and I’ve always called it my second home.”
Much of Serpell’s connection to the club can be traced back to her mother, Marjorie McMeekin, who left a significant legacy at Peninsula.
McMeekin served as club president and became its first-ever life member. Today, her name lives on through the Marjorie McMeekin Cup, the club’s women’s four-ball competition.
Serpell had the honour of winning the trophy named after her mother in 2004, alongside her playing partner Jenny Tilbrook.
Membership at the club continues to be a family tradition, with Serpell gifting her grandson a membership for his 18th and 21st birthdays.
“Now I’ve got a grandson who’s a member, so it’s following the tradition,” she said.
“Not long after he was a member, he got a hole-in-one.”
After more than 80 years as a member, Serpell’s love for the club remains as strong as ever.
“It’s the companionship and just getting to know people. It’s the whole atmosphere of a golf club,” she said.
“When you go through the gates, it’s just incredible. It’s just another world.
“It’s just really a beautiful entrance to a golf club. Both courses, they’re so lauded, and it’s a thrill we’ve got the Australian Open coming (in 2027).”