The Whitford family name is synonymous with Glenelg Golf Club, and Chris Whitford has been a stalwart of the Club. Holding multiple positions over his time including Club Captain in 2001 and 2002, we sat down with Chris who gave us an insightful look into his 60 Years of Membership.
How did you first become involved in golf and why did you join Glenelg?
My father was a golfer and I used to caddy for him with various places, North Adelaide, here as well. But I first joined Westward Ho Golf Club in 1961 when I was about 13 or 14. That was a tin shed behind the the service station on Tapleys Hill Road. There were scrapes, box thorn bushes, a number of open channels through the course and snakes. And then I joined Glenelg two years later when I was 15. In June ’63.
What changes have you witnessed over your time here as a member?
Ssome of the first things I remember about the course changing is the entrance. The entrance road used to come off Warren Avenue. It used to come off Tapleys Hill Road at the bridge, drive straight down Warren Avenue across the fifth, six and the 8th fairway at the time which is now the seventh. Along there was overhead power lines, with the roads. Three or four holes you had to hit over the road and through power lines. So of course, when James Melrose built the entrance, it was changed. That was a major change, a lot of changes of the course, obviously. I remember that the handicap board when I was an impressionable youth, was just the pin board in the foyer and well my handicap was sort of coming down, I used to enjoy watching the pins move. The clubhouse was obviously very different in those days and there’s been two or three new versions of the clubhouse. The course has changed. Some of the holes are substantially [better than] what they were 60 years ago, but some of them are very, very different.
Can you share any memorable moments or milestones stand out over 60 years?
It’s more pleasant remembering the better times than the bad times. I think the best score i’ve ever had here was 64, the course was par 72 at the time. I was eight under and I played with Greg Chappell, Terry Jenner and Gary Thompson. We were each other’s best men at our weddings a long time ago. So that was a good day. One day I played with my three sons who were junior members here some time ago, they’ve now moved to The Vines. I birdied the last five holes to win the A-grade competition that day playing with my three sons, I enjoyed that. I’ve won some club championships. The last one I won as the Captain and I had a hole in one on the 34th hole in the final. That was pretty good.
How has the club evolved since you first joined?
It’s always been a Members club, very friendly. There’s always been atmosphere here. One of the big differences is the actual clubhouse itself. You know used to be the stone brick which you still see but there used to be a billiard room, two full sized billiard tables. They were located below us, which is now part of the locker room. We used to play billiards sort of after hours. The course has obviously changed. The Tuohy-Crafter changes have been, I think, fantastic in terms of bringing the course back from when it was probably a bit overgrown as time goes on, but they’ve sort of culled a lot of the trees and bushes and whatever and brought it back to more of a green sort of environment, you know, a lower water requirement and back to the links style, how it used to be, which I don’t really remember, of course, but Bob Tuohy certainly remembers. The fairways lined by pines, I think that is important as we are as we know, we’re on Pinehill named for that reason, because of the pine trees on the hill. But I think the course has evolved and I think well it’s certainly greatly improved. Certainly it’s rating in the courses of Australia has improved. So that’s terrific.
Is there anybody specific that has played a significant role in shaping the golf club during your time?
Well, when I first started, um, Max Dale and Brian Ferris were, I would call sort of my mentors, you know, as a junior, obviously, and they were a bit older and they were Simpson Cup players, obviously, and I think they sort of looked after me a lot, so I owe a lot to them.
What advice would you give to new members who have just joined?
I think make the most of the facilities. I like to play with different players, different times, and I suggest that it’s new. First I was just playing with the same group, but I think it’s nice that you can play, a junior can play with a senior and it’s not a problem at all. So I’d sort of recommend that they perhaps play at different times and with different people. We’ve got electronic timesheets these days, so you can always pick who you play with. But make the most of the facilities because we’ve got a fantastic golf course and a fantastic clubhouse and a great atmosphere. So enjoy your time at the Club.
What are your hopes for the golf clubs future?
I think keep doing what we’re doing, I think we’re kicking a lot of goals. The course is fantastic. The latest changes, a lot of them have been made necessary. Some of the changes, I think, you know, I really like some of them, some I’m not quite so keen on. But it’s a fresh look. Visitors are really raving about the course and I think that’s fantastic. I think we’ve got to keep on doing what we’re doing, placing the members first, understanding what is important to members and doing what is right for the Club.
You’ve held a lot of positions in this club from player, mentor and Captain, what are you most proud of in your time here?
Well, early on, Bob McCluckie and I were in charge of the junior program and I was both my three sons came into the club. I was looking after the McMillan Shield team, which is a handicap match play for juniors. And I remember a couple of them played against, say, Wade Ormsby at the time. Wade Ormsby, he’s gone on to fantastic things in golf. As a mentor to those juniors, I think that’s to me, that’s the right space for me because you have an impact on them and you realize that that golf really is a game for life and the opportunities it presents. Both on the course here, but in life in general, it’s fantastic. I think I’m pretty happy with what I did there. I was first on the committee I guess in the early nineties and kikuya was a big issue at the time and I don’t think we’ll ever get rid of kikuya. It will keep on popping up, but in my time on the committee and I was Captain in 2001 and 2002 the new course has obviously developed and we went up in the rating across Australia which is very good. So I was very proud to be part of that.
Are you proud to see Glenelg having such strong juniors at the moment?
Yes, That’s that really is it is heartwarming, literally heartwarming to watch these juniors hit the ball for a start because they hit the ball further than we used to hit the ball. We’ve got fine young people, you know, boys and girls in our Club right now and and the sort of people you want to do things for because the they’re good individuals and you know well they’ve got a life of golf ahead of them. No doubt the lot of them, they’ve got aspirations of turning professional. Some of them will probably do that and some of them will probably do alright. We’ve got a terrific junior program, second to none. I think in my time when I was playing Simpson Cup, the average age would have been, I don’t know, 35 you know whatever, and now it’s less than 20. It’s just wonderful to play, wonderful to watch these kids play and it’s terrific for the Club.
What do you look forward to seeing in the future for the Whitford family here?
Going back when dad was a member here, and back in ’61 when I was a member of the Westward Ho and I joined here in June 63, 60 years ago, Mum Iris, she joined about the same time my older brother Tony and my younger brother Dennis and Cathy all joined roughly the same time. I think Tony was probably a year before me and I remember Mum was the first person to break 100, which was a bit disappointing for us, but Richard was an engineer in Whyalla, the elder brother, he didn’t play here but he has, when he came back to Adelaide and he’s not playing golf anymore. Dennis and Tony’s moved on unfortunately passed away a couple years ago, but he was a past Captain of the Club but Dennis and Cathy still play here. We’re looking forward to continuing here for many more years to come, and not to be understated, there’s a fountain on the fifth tee. The women wouldn’t see because it’s a long way back but it was named after my father who was killed in a road accident in 1982. When Mum passed away in 2013, her name was added to the plaque. So that’s nice, we’re very proud to have that fountain at the back of the fifth tee and I think that’s where I would like my ashes scattered when I when that happens
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