The Forest Hills Golf Club has a long history and is one of the oldest Golf Clubs in
Victoria. The original Club – Dandenong Golf Club, dates to 1904 where a 9 Hole
course was established in Stud Road, Dandenong, where the current Dandenong
TAFE is situated.
In 1909 the Club moved to Dandenong Park in an area between Pultney St and
Dandenong Creek. In 1910 the club shifted to paddocks of Mr. Hungerford which
consisted of 13 holes. For unknown reasons, the Club moved back to Dandenong
Park in 1912.
Dandenong Park area was unavailable for golf between 1917 and 1919 due to
the War. After the 1st World War in 1919, golf started again on a property
owned by Macpherson and Rodd and nine holes was established adjacent to
the State School, which is now occupied by the Dandenong Historical Society.
During 1920 the Dandenong Golf Club established 18 holes on the property of
Mr. Hemmings over the Dandenong Creek and southeast of MacPhersons
paddock. This is now the location of the Dandenong Workers Club in Wedge
St Dandenong.
The Dandenong Golf Club changed its name to Kingswood Golf Club in 1931.
With the urbanization of Dandenong in 1936, Kingswood Golf Club decided to
relocate to Centre Dandenong Road, Dingley Village until 2013. The land was
sold and merged with Peninsula Golf Club to form Peninsula Kingswood Golf
Club on the Peninsula Site.
As a result of Kingswood relocating to Dingley Village, the remaining
Kingswood members voted to change its name to the Forest Hills Golf Club
back in 1936. Kingswood sold Forest Hills the Old Tin Shed for ₤1,000 and
was established on the Hemmings Paddocks in 1937. The club was at the
time, in a Forest under the Dandenong Hills and therefore named Forest Hills
Golf Club. When this occurred, a decision was made to open to the public and
not just be a private golf club. The Club joined the Victoria Golf League. This
was done in 1937 and the Forest Hills G.C. was the 14th club to join the VGL
which itself was established in 1934.
In 1949 a group of Forest Hills members left the club and formed Spring Valley
Golf Club at Dunlop Road, north of Heatherton Road Springvale.
Most of the history from 1949 to 1999 has been lost through the various
moves, however with the growth of Dandenong and Doveton throughout the
1950’s, the 18-hole course was reduced to 9 holes as new estates were being
built.
In 1957 the Club won its first Victorian Golf League Pennant, which was
represented by Claude Gooding, Charles Manning, Walter Hodge, John Ivey,
Archie Franklin, Julian Ward, Ian Hetherington (Captain) Jack Quigley, and
Brian Jones. They defeated Brighton 4 and 3 on 21st July 1957. The club has
been very competitive in the VGL Pennant and has won 8 Handicap Pennant
Flags, with 3 Handicap Flags between the years 2006 to 2011. This has seen
the Club go from Division 7 to Division 4 in the VGL Handicap Pennant and
but is now currently in Division 6.
The Club also fields a Senior Handicap Pennant side and was runner up in the
Crampton Division in 2017.
In 1998 having come to a mutual arrangement, Forest Hills Golf Club left the
Dandenong Workers Golf Course and moved its home to the Oakleigh Golf
Course at the corner of Park Road and Oakpark Drive in Oakleigh. This is a
Par 29 with only 9 holes, 7 of which are Par 3’s.
After 5 years, the Stuart Appleby Foundation was looking for a headquarters
for its Junior Golf Program and so the Forest Hills Golf Club had to relocate
again. In 2002 the Club took up residence at the Spring Park Golf Course,
Corner Centre Dandenong & Lower Dandenong Roads, Dingley Village where
it is still today. This course is a Par 33 and is 2,205 metres long. It is one of
the best 9-hole public courses in Melbourne.
Six of the 9 holes were a part of the Southern Golf Course, before a tragic
accident occurred when a player was communing between the course proper
and the 6 holes over Lower Dandenong Road. As a result, the Melbourne
Metropolitan Board of Works and the Southern Golf Club came to an
arrangement whereby Southern would acquire MMBW land adjacent to the
existing course. The MMBW would take over the 6 holes and create a public
course. Later when the MMBW dissolved, Parks Victoria took control and
developed it into a 9-hole course.
Juniors have always been a priority with the Club, fostering several very good
players who have played Pennant at various Metropolitan Clubs. Stuart Sears
and Ian Hetherington both won the VGL Medal of Medallist for their respective
years. The Coulon brothers, David and his younger brother Daniel, who both
were sent to the VGL Golf School at Mirboo North each year by the Club, have
shone through. David being the Club Champion for 16 years and represented the Club in both Pennant and major VGL Events, and Daniel who turned
Professional and taught at the Capital Golf Club in Canberra, Mission Hills in
China, was the Director of Malaysia Golf, a Teaching Professional at
Sandringham Driving Range and now with his brother David started the ”Golf
Studio” in Bond St Mordialloc – which is the largest indoor golf training centre
in the Southern Hemisphere.
Being an early member of the Victorian Golf League, the Club has for many
years had members join the VGL Executive Committee. Over the past 80
years, 2 Members have joined the VGL Executive Committee. The 1st
was
Ted Rogers who served for 19 years. Through Ted’s commitment to golf
especially with Juniors, Ted was given the privilege of Life Membership to both
the Forest Hills Golf Club and the Victorian Golf League. The 2nd member to
join the VGL was Peter Frost who joined the VGL from being the Forest Hills
Club Delegate back in 2011, Peter has held the positions of Vice Captain,
Men’s Captain and is now the current President of the VGL.
