What Course is this? Ans: Carnarvon Golf Club

To demonstrate our answer to the recent challenge, we have constructed this timeline slideshow which shows the entire history of moves endured by Carnarvon Golf Club. The course/club was named after a large sign, visible from Parramatta Road, advertising factory sites for sale on Carnarvon Hill Estate.[4]

The photo above, held by Mitchell Library and mistakenly captioned as Concord, is actually Carnarvon Golf Club Mark II. Occupation of the playing fields to the top of the photo fronting Silverwater Road (nee Sutherland Rd) was the subject of tense negotiations in 1930[1]. The Minister for Health, Dr Arthur was forced to negotiate with the club and Lidcombe Council conceded a strip of land 200 yards wide fronting the road on the northern side of Paddock No 2. The Council was granted frontage on Sutherland Road for sporting fields.

David Innes recalls caddying at Carnarvon in 1930 which must have been on the Mark I course because he refers to fairways running down to Haslam’s Creek.[2]

The Mark II (main photo) site was officially opened on Saturday 4th November 1933. The President Mr Alf Watsford drove the ball from the first tee[3]. The Fariola St clubhouse can be seen centre left of this photo. Bunkering was limited to the area around the greens.

Newington State Hospital can be seen to the right hand side of the photo. Nine holes can be seen directly to the north of the Fariola St clubhouse, while 2 additional holes running east/west can be seen on the northern edge of the playing fields. Members crossed the road to play the other seven holes.

A possible layout for the nine holes of the Silverwater Course - or Carnarvon GC Mk III
A possible layout for the nine holes of the Silverwater Course – or Carnarvon GC Mk III – photo coutesy six.maps – 1943 layer

Duck Creek can be seen in at the top of the photo. Silverwater Rd (nee Sutherland Rd) runs left to right in the top of the frame.

There were plans for major work to the clubhouse in 1940[5] but these plans may not have eventuated. The Mark III course came into being in 1943 when the US Navy took over the clubhouse and most of the top paddock. The course was reduced to nine holes and the Club purchased a cottage in Clyde St for their clubhouse. It was more likely that the money reserved for clubhouse modifications was spent on the Clyde St accommodation but there is no evidence of this as yet. A possible layout of the nine holes is shown above. The current course, which is also shown in the slide set above, was leased in 1947.[4]

Carnarvon Golf Club announce their first annual ball at Auburn Town Hall to be held on October 10, 1928.[6]

The first published competition report for the Club was the Club Championships held sometime prior to June 29, 1928.[7]

References:
[1] The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate, p2 October 13, 1930
[2] The Story of Golf in New South Wales, David J. Innes, NSWGA, 1988, p150
[3] The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate, p3 November 9, 1933
[4] The Carnarvon Golf Club website history
[5] The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate, p5 February 7, 1940.
[6] The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate, p9 October 3, 1928.
[7] The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate, p19 June 19, 1928.