Affiliated Clubs
| Barraba Golf Club (Libby Thompson) | Mungindi Golf Club |
| Bellata Golf Club (Sue Kirkby) | Narrabri Golf Club (Robyn Spence) |
| Bingara Sporting Club (Jenny Burling) | Nundle Golf Club(June Burr) |
| Boggabri Golf Club (Adele O'Connell) | Qurindi RSL Golf Club (Jenette Atchison) |
| Gunnedah Golf Club (Jacinta Stanley) | Spring Ridge Country Club |
| Longyard Golf Club (Janette Davis) | Tamworth Golf Club (Peta Johnson) |
| Manilla NSW Golf Club (Dianne Goodare) | Wee Waa Golf Club (Anne Henry) |
| Moree Golf Club (Liz Gough) | Werris Creek Golf Club (Bev Sawtell) |
District Contact
District President: Diane Boulton
15 Craigends Lane, HILLVUE NSW 2340
Phone: 6765 6285
Fax: 6762 8865
Email: sec.n_nwdlga@outlook.com.au
JNJG Territory Manager: Gerard Wilkinson
Phone: 0419 708 676
Email: gerard@jnjg.com.au
A Brief History
Originally printed in the Diamond Anniversary Booklet of the N&NWDLGA, 1992. Published on this page at the request of N&NWDLGA Committee Members.
The foundation of our Association in 1932 was interesting in that it was precipitated by a misunderstanding between the Tamworth Associates Committee and the N.E.D.G.A. With the help of the old Tamworth Associates Minutes and the A.L.G.U. Year Books – for which I am grateful (our old association records having disappeared) – a lot has been discovered and I would like to record it here.
At this time the late Miss Una Clift M.B.E. was president of the Union and Mrs A.A Rankin, of Newcastle, the country vice-president.
The N.S.W.L.G.U. is comprised of a metropolitan area and 13 country associations.
Six associations were formed before the N.&N.W.D.L.G.A. Inc. with Riverina L.G.A. Inc. and N.E.D.G.A. forming in 1931. Tamworth was invited to join the latter association and they accepted.
However, the late Miss Leonora Wray, M.B.E. as vice-president of N.S.W.L.G.U., wrote in June 1932 advising Tamworth they had not affiliated and it was realised no notice of meeting had been received. Tamworth was very put out about this despite the fact the N.E.D.G.A. secretary insisted a notice had been sent. The outcome was that Tamworth wrote to Miss Wray suggesting a separate association be formed with Tamworth as headquarters. The Union was agreeable and on 19th October 1932, Miss Wray arrived in Tamworth by train to chair the meeting to form the N.&N.W.D.G.A.A.
Six clubs – Barraba, Gunnedah, Manilla, Quirindi, Tamworth and Werris Creek – were represented and so the North West was formed.
These six clubs were the nucleus of our association and have remained ever since. Boggabri, Narrabri and Moree joined very soon after our inauguration.
Bingara joined in 1950 and Wee Waa affiliated in 1953; Mungindi and Pilliga in 1955, although Pilliga affiliated with the West in 1957. Walgett joined us in 1958/60, returned to the West in 196, affiliated with us again in 1962, only to revert to the West in 1967. Next came Bellata, Collarenebri and Nundle in 1962, to remain with us. Gwabegar affiliated in 1964, but left us for the West in 1967. Then came North Star in 1972; Burren Junction in 1973 but ceased to function in 1976. Spring Ridge joined in 1974; Croppa Creek in 1980; Curlewis in 1986; and then Longyard affiliated in 1990.
I may add, that after the strained relations with N.E.D.G.A. we have had nothing but cordiality and a close relationship has always existed between our associations. This is as it should be as in a roundabout way, N.E.D.G.A. was responsible for our formation.
At the first meeting Mrs A.A. Cohen (Tamworth) was elected our president with Mesdames A. Beer (Gunnedah) and Frazer (Barraba) vice-presidents and Mrs W. Upjohn (Tamworth) the first secretary. The latter remained in this position for six years. Mrs W. Robinson (Tamworth) was appointed treasurer and remained in this position for five years.
It was decided to hold a tournament in 1933 from May 23 to 26 at Tamworth. This duly took place and according to reports in the Northern Daily Leader, was a huge success. It was called Carnival Week (4 days) and no wonder! There were teams matches, foursomes, bogey and stroke events and for good measure, driving, approaching and putting competitions at the conclusion of play.
All this, despite the fact that on the last day weather conditions were cold, windy and unpleasant.
Also interesting is the fact that the single events were played in two's – hitting off at 3-minute intervals and there were 46 entries in the foursomes and 80 players overall, with Walcha, Uralla and Armidale competing as well as our own clubs.
At our first tournament the lowest handicap player was on 12 and Miss Esther Paget (Mrs H. Cooney) of Werris Creek, with a handicap of 15, won both the open and closed championships with rounds of 80 and 87. Miss M. Bannister (Mrs W.H. Maze) of Tamworth, was runner-up and subsequently won the open championship four times and the closed five times.
She also won the long drive of 221 yards at the first tournament. Foursome winners were Misses E. Paget and M. Bannister. Teams match winners on the Thursday were Misses P. Fenwicke. N. Fenwicke, Mrs F. Nivison and Miss McCormach, of Walcha, with Werris Creek winning on Friday with an average score of 67 net each. Tamworth fielded eight teams.
Tamworth Associates arranged a number of social functions including a bridge evening with 60 players attending.
A meeting of delegates was held sometime during the tournament and present besides the office bearers were Mesdames Hunt (Gunnedah), Frazer (Barraba), Hartley (Manilla), E. Ryan (Boggabri), D. Hawker (Quirindi), F. McManus (Werris Creek) and W. Robinson (Tamworth).
Succeeding tournaments until 1937 were held at Tamworth with Werris Creek the host club in 1938 and Narrabri in 1939. Unfortunately, no committee was recorded in the Year Books until 1950, when Mrs Eileen Fay (Bingara), Mrs Ipkendanz (Boggabri and grandmother of Lisa Ipkendanz), Miss Scott (Moree), Mesdames Etheridge (Narrabri), Wallace (Gunnedah), F. McManus (Werris Creek), P. Pittman (Manilla) were listed as committee members.
There was no mention of an association handicapper until 1939 when Mrs L. Cousens, of Tamworth, occupied that position for two years, followed by Mrs H.S. Thacker (Tamworth) for three, Mrs R. Bruce (Narrabri) two years, Miss B. Scott (Moree) one year, Miss E. Scott (Moree 11 years) and Mrs B. Cross (Werris Creek) 20 years, Mrs S. McLean (Manilla) 5 years and Mrs J. Doubleday (Gunnedah) who is the current handicap manager.
During World War II our association ceased to function.
At a Tamworth Committee meeting on the 4th December 1947, it was proposed by Mrs H.S. Thacker that the N.&N.W.D.G.A.A. be reformed and the N.S.W.L.G.U. be asked for a date in 1948 for an association tournament. However, it was not until 1949 that a committee meeting was held at Gunnedah. Subsequently our first post-war tournament was held at Tamworth in 1950, with Mrs A.L. Stewart, of Tamworth as president.
Since then we have held an annual three-day tournament at four of our 18-hole grass green courses in rotation; the courses being Tamworth, Gunnedah, Moree and Narrabri. Our post-war tournaments have all been held during the first week in June with the 1990 tournament at Tamworth being the first association tournament to be sponsored. Sponsors for that tournament being Toyota Australia who have also sponsored the 1991 tournament at Gunnedah and this year's event at Moree.
In 1988 Associates became Lady Members and when the Association became Incorporated in August 1989, the name was changed to "North & North Western District Ladies Golf Association Incorporated". We now have 20 clubs, six with 18 holes, 13 with nine holes and one with 12 holes. Eight courses have grass greens and 12 sand.
In 1960 at the Country Championship meeting played at the Australian Golf Club, official flags of each association were flow for the first time and presented to the appropriate associations by the N.S.W.L.G.U. It was a gesture appreciated by all associations.
Barraba hosted the N.S.W. Sandgreen Championships in 1989 and it was then suggested that the N.&N.W.D.L.G.A. should donate a trophy for the winner of the Bronze 2 section. This trophy was presented for the first time at the 1991 Sandgreen Championships held at Walcha.
Update since 1992
Longyard Golf course has been added to the 2013 Annual Tournament rotation and will be the host for this year, making five courses used in rotation for the Annual Tournament – Tamworth, Gunnedah, Longyard, Moree & Narrabri. Due to the falling numbers of ladies playing at the smaller clubs, the following clubs either closed or ceased to have ladies affiliated with our Association, these being: Collarenebri, Croppa Creek, Curlewis, North Star and Mungindi.