Pioneer Valley Golf Club
Leichhardt Road, Mirani, Queensland
Phone: (07) 49591277
2011 - Pioneer Valley Golf Club, Inc. All rights reserved.
A Brief History
In February 1982 a meeting was called at the Marian Community Hall to gauge interest in a proposed golf club in the area. A Steering Committee was duly formed with the local Marian police Sergeant Tom McGurgan, elected as inaugural President and Marian Mill Timekeeper, Brian Fiegert, elected inaugural Secretary.
By October that year, the steering committee, after investigating a number of prospective sites within the district, was offered a 21 hectare parcel of land on Leichhardt Road, Mirani, which was owned and controlled by the Department of Natural Resources. Fifty five Foundation members provided the initial impetus of the club.
The late Mr Bren Alman, who at the time was the Professional at Mackay Golf Club, assisted with the design of the original nine holes (the present back nine holes of the club.) While sitting at the Mirani Hotel one afternoon he was asked for his advice and on the back of a beer coaster, drew nine lines which eventually became the club's nine holes. Interested people volunteered their time and machinery to commence carving out the course from the virgin forest land. Farmers with tractors spent hundreds of hours clearing, slashing and shaping the design. By Opening Day on 25 March 1984 the club had 130 members.
The original Club House was constructed from four portable "dongas", purchased from a nearby construction site. Eventually the present club house was constructed and opened on 8 June 1991, by the Member for Mirani, Mr Jim Randell. The club was called "The Valley Golf Club", however the name was changed to The Pioneer Valley Golf Club after its Incorporation on 31 August, 1988, when it was discovered that another Valley Golf Club existed elsewhere.
The modern -minded club gave women equal status as full members, unlike most clubs of the time where women were only granted an associate membership. Indeed, two ladies, Mrs Judith Hall and Mrs Jo Doyle were on the inaugural governing committee at the time of the club's opening.
As the club grew, the next progression was to a full eighteen hole course. There was a major difficulty in that the club was not able to access the land adjacent to the club house as it was privately owned and the eighteen holes would have to be built in a row with no way back to the club house after nine holes. Brisbane Golf Course Designer, David Burrup, was called in to create an interesting layout for the second nine holes on the available land, incorporating a 65 megalitre dam, which would be constructed for irrigation purposes. Again volunteer labour was used to build the second nine holes, which were opened in 1998, in time to run the Club's first North Queensland Men's Open Amateur Championships.
After a short time, with the club suffering severe loss of club house income and with the logistical problems of eighteen holes of continuous play, in running major club events, the Committee of the day decided to "bite the bullet" and purchase the land adjacent to the club house from the local land owner and to construct two extra holes which would allow the vital access back to the club house. Hence holes number 1 and number 18 were opened a short time later and complete the present design that players enjoy today. The $120,000.00 loan involved in securing the land to develop the final two holes will be fully paid- off in 2011.
At the Club's tenth anniversary Dinner Dance in March 1994, foundation member, Mr Robert Craig was presented with a Life Membership for his ten years of active volunteer service in the construction and ongoing maintenance of the course.
Kay Craig
Secretary
Past Club Champions
Year Men Women
1984 M. Wardrop S. McMenamin
1985 R. Craig S. McMenamin
1986 R. Craig P. Ryan
1987 D. Pike P. Ryan
1988 I. Templeton K. Cornell
1989 R. Craig K.Cornell
1990 R. Craig Y. Stevens
1991 R. Craig D. McAuley
1992 R. Craig K. Craig
1993 R. Craig Y. Stevens
1994 R. Craig D. Wallman
1995 R. Craig F. Hamelink
1996 D. Moore S. O'Hara
1997 R. Craig K. Craig
1998 R. Craig K. Craig
1999 P. Davies K. Craig
2000 A. Blackburn K. Craig
2001 A. Blackburn K. Craig
2002 T. Watson A. Peckett
2003 A. Blackburn L. Podmore
2004 A. Blackburn K. Craig
2005 P. Brittain K. Craig
2006 M. Joyce S. Holmes
2007 G. Staples S. Holmes
2008 S. Petherick K. Craig
2009 P. Brittain S. Holmes
2010 P. Brittain K. Bridger
2011 P. Brittain K. Bridger