About Golf Queensland
Golf Queensland was established in 2007 as a result of the amalgamation the Queensland Golf Union and Women’s Golf Queensland. It was the first State sporting organisation in Australia to represent and support both men and women in the game of golf.
As the peak body for amateur golf in Queensland, Golf Queensland provides a range of services to golfers, affiliated golf clubs and its District Members.
Golf Queensland aims to promote and foster the game of golf, preserve its traditions and encourage existing golfers to realise their potential and athletic abilities and develop golfing talent.
It operates as a not for profit Company with a Board of Directors and a Council representing Golf Queensland’s District Member Associations. Golf Queensland is itself a member of Golf Australia, the peak body for golf in Australia.
The existence of Golf Queensland and its predecessors, the Queensland Golf Union and Women’s Golf Queensland, was founded on the need for there to be a central body to coordinate matters such as golf rules, course rating, handicapping and State championships as well as to provide representation on issues generally impacting on golf clubs throughout the State.
Golf Queensland’s charter is, however, much broader than these traditional requirements of a State golf association. It now invests heavily into the development of golf in Queensland. This is reflected in the organisation’s vision which is simply “More people playing more golf”.
To do this, Golf Queensland undertakes a range of strategies designed to make golf a healthier and stronger sport in Queensland reflected in its current Strategic Plan 2015 – 2019.
History – Early Beginnings
The very first Golf Club in Queensland, the North Queensland Golf Club, was formed in 1893, its name later changed to that of the Townsville Golf Club. Toowoomba and Brisbane Golf Clubs would follow three years later.
On May 8th, 1914 the officially sanctioned administration of golf in Queensland commenced with the formation of the Queensland Golf Association which would in turn become the Queensland Golf Council in 1929, the Queensland Golf Union in 1961 and Golf Queensland in 2007.
After several earlier attempts, The Queensland Golf Association was originally established in order that Queensland could have a voice and full representation on the Australian Golf Union, established some 16 years earlier, and which had until that point denied Queensland golf the opportunity for national representation.
Not that the goal was achieved instantly, in fact it took until 1920 for the Queensland Golf Association to be admitted to the Australian Golf Union, much of that delay because of the issues surrounding WW1. Queensland was the last state to join the Australian Golf Union.
At the time the Queensland Golf Association joined the Australian Golf Union in April 1920, Brisbane, Charters Towers, Ipswich, Isis (Childers), North Queensland and Toowoomba Golf Clubs were affiliated members.
Digitising Golf History
In 2014 we celebrated a centenary of administrating amateur golf in Queensland. To celebrate this milestone Golf Queensland and the State Library of Queensland showcased a range of online media-based programs and included a digital golfing in Queensland exhibition in Flickr, an interactive digital experience of current and past golf clubs through Historypin, and an online presence to golf clubs in Wikipedia.
A key outcome for the project was for every member Golf Club to collect, digitise and describe its memorabilia for golfing generations to come. To achieve this we have developed a toolkit to help preserve our golfing heritage. Find out more by downloading the toolkit. (PDF, 2MB)