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As we enter our 75th year it is fitting to reflect on our past and present. South Western District Ladies Golf Association was first started at the suggestion of Miss Rene Austin in 1933; when she wrote to clubs in the South Western District suggesting the formation of an Association. Delegates from founding clubs; Barwon Heads, Colac, East Geelong, Geelong, Torquay and Queenscliff met and formed the SWDGA. Their aim was to introduce shield (pennant) matches to this District, as we were not affiliated with the VLGU as it was known then. In 1937 it was decided that the winning clubs of the shield matches receive a pennant flag, the colors to be blue, green, and gold. These are still the colors we use to this day on our flags and representative team uniforms. The first Championship of South Western was played for in 1933 and won by Shirley Tolhurst who went on to win the Victorian Championship in 1934. Since then we have seen many State and National Champions come from our District as it grew into what it is today. Betty Kernot, Joan Fisher, Vicky Uwland, Melanie Holmes-Smith and Marilyn Clifford have all won either State or National Championships. In 1941 at the SWDGA Annual Meeting it was decided to suspend the shield matches and the Championship for the duration of the war. They resumed in 1947. Over the years, new clubs were added to the Association and to this day we number 25 clubs that cover a very large region from Lara to Apollo Bay. We are one of the few Districts to provide weekend pennant for junior girls and working women. Our pennant divisions over the years have grown from two to seven divisions with the added introduction of an Interclub match play competition to further women’s golf. We foster junior golf by holding many events, clinics and having junior representative teams. We continue to foster women’s golf by holding clinics, events, seminars, rules talks, senior representative teams, and administrative advice for our affiliated clubs. Not only have we had great players in our District but great administrators too. Four Life Memberships have been awarded in our 75 years to Dorothy Smith, Jean Russell, June Gillivour and Joye Burton in recognition of their enormous contribution to South Western. We are one of the few Districts to have their own web-site and are indeed fortunate to have such a vibrant District due largely to the efforts of all who preceded us.
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