Rachel Hagan, Yorke Peninsula Country Times
August marks the 100-year anniversary of the Stansbury Golf Club, and the club is making sure everyone in Stansbury can join in and celebrate this huge milestone with them.
Over the last century, the number of members has fluctuated but, no matter the struggles it has faced, the club has always survived.
In the early days of the course, the land was mostly dirt and many golfers refused to use the “green” because of dangerous rocks.
Back then only the daring would be seen at the Stansbury course, as it was separated by a road that the golfers needed to navigate around.
To this day, the course still relies on rainwater which means it turns brown in the summer, but president Guido Varricchio said it did not matter because it still had the best view on Yorke Peninsula.
“It’s quite special for a small town to have a golf club — not everyone has a golf club in their town, and these guys out here do a mountain of work to keep it going,” Mr Varricchio said.
“It is a very community-minded golf club and town, and we’re trying to integrate that a bit more into the club with the celebrations.
“I think inclusivity is a big thing, and we need to be connected with our history and our community, you have to be or you’re not going to survive.”
The club will be holding three major events starting at the end of August, to commemorate the community’s effort over the last 100 years.
The Centenary Celebration Dinner and Auction will be held on August 31, and special guest Les Burdett OAM will help celebrate.
“Les is going to be interviewed on stage and take some questions from the crowd,” Mr Varricchio said.
“He’s very well-known and has been the pitch curator at Adelaide Oval for over 40 years.” The following day, September 1, is for all ages and everyone is invited to the Family Fun Day, with kids’ golf activities and a barbecue lunch available.
September 4 is the date of the big event, The Stansbury Masters, with Andrew “Jars” Jarman, Bernie Vince and Greg “Blewey” Blewett from Triple M’s Rush Hour covering the day for a national audience.
This will be the third Stansbury Masters, which was the brainchild of Bernie and the late Tim Vince.
This article appeared in the Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 20 August 2024.