Bridgetown Golf Club

The construction of the new Bridgetown Golf Club House is now underway.

The construction will be undertaken by local builder BRC Building Solutions with club member Patrick Quinlivan, as a volunteer, being the Project Coordinator.

The total cost of the project is estimated to be 2.1 million including design fees, construction costs, contingencies and fit-out of the new building.

The monies have come from a few different sources: thanks to a lot of community support, the Greenbushes Golf Club raised $16,800 from the community and another $11,000 was raised from a ‘Go Fund Me Page’ on line, and the Bridgetown Rotary Club donated $5,000 along with generous donations from other golf clubs.

Talison Lithium contributed $714,000 and the State Government Department of Local Government, Sport and Culture contributed a further $700,000 and the remaining $686,000 coming from the Club insurance payout monies.

It’s now in the background of our shared memories, but on Saturday February 5th, 2022 a fire which started near Hester Cascades Road, fuelled by strong winds and burning uncontrollably raced up Hester Hill, the fire was so fierce it led to the call for an evacuation of the townships of Hester and Bridgetown as it threated all in its path.

Only one occupied house was lost that day thanks to the efforts of all those fighting the fire.

There was of course a lot of other damage to out-buildings and sheds caused by the fire throughout the district, one of the first buildings lost was when the fire hit the top of Hester Hill and engulfed the Bridgetown Golf Club facilities.

The Club House and the Caretaker’s Cottage attached to the club house, and two sheds and the housed equipment were all consumed in the blaze.

Since that fateful day, over three years ago now, the Bridgetown Golf Club has been able to continue with regular golfing days albeit using make-shift facilities.

Talison Lithium have lent the golf club two demountables, one is a toilet block and the other is an office facility.

A new buggy shed was constructed and is now temporarily used as a club house, other sheds to house lawn mowers, buggies and grounds equipment have also been built.

President Bruce Pendelbury explained, “Even though the golf club has been able to conduct its normal playing season it has been with a restricted capacity.

“The club house with its catering and bar facilities allowed us to conduct our Carnivals, ‘Vets’ golfing days and other functions such as weddings, birthday parties and wakes, which are good fund-raising events for the club throughout the year,

“The club house was a ‘treasured headquarters’, it was there from the beginning, 1915. It held the honour boards, photographs and memorabilia through its 107 years of local golfing history, which was all lost in the fire, so it will be wonderful to have the new club house so we can start gathering a new history.

“The only materials we recovered from the smouldering remains were paving bricks which are now in use as a floor in the mower shed.

“All the members of the golf club are very excited that now at long last the reconstruction has commenced,” Bruce concluded.