With the closure of the course back in 2007 and no prospect of it reopening in the near future members voted to donate remaining club funds to local charities, with $1500 going to the Mayor’s Linear Accelerator Appeal and $500 to Escapade Camp Quality, Illawarra.

The latter charity chosen by former course owners Cameron and Penny Stevens.

Presentations of the cheques were made last Friday with representatives from the club partaking of morning tea with the Mayor.

Vineyard Golf Links opened for business on the Easter long weekend 1995 by the Stevens family - Keith, Marie, their son Cameron and his wife Penny.

The deaths of his parents Marie (Jan ‘98) and Keith (Oct ‘98) saw Cameron take control of the course.

On September 13, 2000 the newly formed Vineyard Social Golf Club played its inaugural event, a four person ambrose, attracting 72 golfers of all shapes, sizes, gender and,

in particular, golfing

ability!

The Vineyard Oak Golf Club was officially granted admission to the NSW Golf Assoc-iation and Illawarra Golf Association exactly two years to the day after the social club’s first event, September 13, 2002, with a membership of 80.

In 2003 a successful coup, orchestrated by the club’s veteran members, resulted in the noted golfing “guru” and administrator, John Tilt being recruited from Callala to take over the presidency of the newly formed Vineyard Oak Veterans’ Golf Club.

Armed with such dedicated diehards that included Rob Downie, Ron McMillan, Stan Parker, Bob Watts, Bob Walsh, Ben Link, John Gardner, Col McCoy, Ross Riley, Arthur Kirby and Alex Leach the vets’ club operated like a well-oiled machine.

Weekly events were initially conducted on Mondays, but were changed to Wednesdays in order not to clash with the Mid South Coast Vets’ Golf Association, Hyde and Matheson Shields and Albatross Trophy events, conducted on Mondays.

During the Vineyard’s short life span hundreds (literally) of social golf clubs made the journey down the Worrigee Road to conduct events where, they all, unanimously, voted the Vineyard one of their favourite venues, largely due to the warmest of welcomes and VIP treatment they received from Cam-eron, Penny and staff.

In 2005 the course was sold to a developer with the grapevine whisper indicating that the course, as it stands, would be replaced for some 500 homes, a clubhouse, tennis courts, chapel and medical centre.

Walkways, gardens, fly fishing lake and pathways for residents to commute around the complex in their (provided) golf carts was also on the agenda.

Together with a completely new 18 hole golf course to be constructed on the vacant land to the north/north east of the current course.

However, as with many golf courses around Australia it was tough to keep the Vineyard Golf Links operation viable and the developers elected to close the course in January 2007.

As no golf could be played from that point onwards the Vineyard Oak GC gained permission from the NSW Golf Association and Illa-warra Golf Association to not pay players’ registration fees for 2006, pending progress by the developer in constructing a new golf course.

A matter governed entirely by State and local rezoning issues.

As there was little progress by the end of 2007 it was decided to close the VOGC and donate any remaining funds to charity.

Club spokesman John Collier, who also penned the weekly Golfing The Vineyards column in the Register said members also wanted to thanks the club’s major sponsors.

“Without the backing of the likes of Nowra City Holden, Country Motor Co. and Phil Muller, formerly of Ray White, Culburra, the club would not have wound up financially viable,” he said.

“Members have since settled into other golf clubs of their choice to continue their favourite sporting pastime, mainly the Worrigee Links where we have been made most welcome.

“Despite the opulence and excellent facilities of our new home unique aspects of the Vineyard like the abundant wildlife, serenity, toughness and challenge of the course is sadly missed.

“Plus the un-matchable camaraderie that existed between members, management and staff alike.”