Celebrating Heather Whitford: 50 Years as a Member

We celebrate Heather Whitford for being a Member for 50 years. We sat down and asked her about her time here at Glenelg, and she shared some of her personal highlights, winning the Foursomes event alongside her Mother-In-Law while also talking about the Club’s evolution and the success of our Women’s Try Program.

How did you first become involved in golf? And why did you join Glenelg?

Well, I married a golfer. Married into a golfing family. And I could see that if I wanted to have any sort of life, I needed to play golf.

The Whitford Family is synonymous with Glenelg, how has it been being a Whitford at Glenelg?

It’s been great. I mean, I’ve got the name, not the blood. I’m not of the caliber of my in-laws, but they are very supportive.

What changes have you witnessed over your time here as a member?

Well, when I joined in ’73, I was working full time and I joined as a business girl, which gave me a small time to play with the business girls on Sunday. And unless you are on a public holiday, you couldn’t play during the week or certainly on Tuesday. So that’s definitely a change.

Can you share any memorable moments or milestones that stand out in your time at Glenelg?

Well, it took me a long time to get my handicap because I had no sporting ability. But eventually I got there. And to my surprise, I’ve won the B grade championship and I won the foursomes on several occasions. One that I’m proud of is with my mother in law. All the way around, she kept saying, I’m too old for this, and I now feel quite guilty for making her play. But I’m proud that our names are together on the board.

In those days, we had two rounds of qualifying and three rounds of match play. So it was quite onerous. With the change in society. Now, you don’t have that match play because so many people are working part time.

How has the Club evolved since you first joined?

Well, when I first joined, there were certain parts of the Clubhouse that we couldn’t enter, and if we were on the tee ready to hit off and a group of men came up, then we had to step aside for them if they chose to make us. In 1987, the Equal Opportunities Act came up and my husband, who was the then Captain and his Committee, very quickly moved to enact the provisions and offered full membership to women. Within a year we had a woman on the full Committee and we’ve had a woman President of the Club and now a woman Captain. And I’m really proud of that because I don’t think Glenelg has got recognition for how forward thinking they’ve been. It’s a great inclusive club now.

Is there anybody specific who has played a significant role in shaping the golf club during your time?

Oh look, there are so many people. There’s probably one person that I don’t really want to single out too many people, but one person was Rhonda Watson. She was such a such a giving person of her time and her wisdom to the new Members. And I can walk on to a tee today and hear her voice because we might have discussed where to stand on the tee. So she was a great person. Another person who has had a big impact in women’s golf. And that’s Kay Nyland because she instituted the try golf program when women’s golf was looking a bit sad, the numbers were down and that’s been really, really successful. So there are a couple of people.

Are you pleased to see the numbers of women’s try golfers that we do have at the club at the moment? Obviously, that program has been quite successful here. Are you pleased to see how it’s been working?

I am. I am. I think it’s working really well now.

What advice would you give to those new members? Some of those probably coming through the Women’s Try Golf Program who have just joined?

I would say don’t just play in your own little group. You need to mix around and watch players and play with players who are better than yourself so that you can learn from them, learn how to, because this especially at Glenelg, it’s a game of strategy and you know, you can learn a lot from more experienced golfers.

What are your hopes for the golf Club’s future?

Well, that it continues in the same way and it stays a strong inclusive Club as it is now.

We recently held the Whitford Trophy, how pleased were you to see Chris (Whitford) and Jayne (Staridis) win?

I was delighted. Yes, I was out there and saw them win. It was great to see that. Sadly, Tony and I, I think we made the semis or the quarters one year, but we never had any success.

Are you looking forward to seeing an all Whitford trophy final with all Whitfords in the final?

Oh, I don’t know. I consider Jayne a Whitford. Yeah, but it won’t be me.