As told by Joe Reuss in November 2009
About 1944, the Golf Club applied for, and was granted, use of Belvoir Park to establish a Golf Course. This meant the relocation of the Tip to the Lincoln Causeway, then called “the mad mile”, and the removal of house cows off the Common. No need to say this met with objections from those who used the Common.
Many dedicated Golf Members and volunteers began the development of a 9-hole Sand Scrape Course. In those days, very little motorised equipment was available so most of the work was done by hand, using horse-drawn equipment borrowed from various farmers. However, hard work prevailed and 9-round holes were developed. A small weatherboard Club House was built, probably about 20 feet x 20 feet, and a log cabin type machinery shed.
In the mid-1950s, a cement-rendered Club House was built in which very many social occasions were held. After the first nine was completed, a further three holes were developed on the western side of House Creek, adjacent to the Reuss property. Wodonga Football Club relocated to Martin Park, which allowed the Club extra land to develop the Course and enable it to have a very tight 18 holes.
In the early 1960s, the Club purchased the “Donkey Paddock” at the southern end of the Course. This was purchased from the late John Hamilton-Smith, who always had a pet donkey, hence the name “Donkey Paddock”.
An attempt was made to establish grass greens but, due to the amount of labour and know-how required, was abandoned and reverted to sand scrapes.
Talk of relocating the Highway out of Wodonga Township began in earnest. The proposed Bypass would be to the north and traverse the Club. As the Course was on Council property, the Club approached the Council through the Shire Engineer, Bill Page, to negotiate with the then Country Roads Board for compensation to allow the Club to rent or purchase land to relocate and develop a new Course. Compensation with Council was agreed at about $640,000 which sounded a lot at the time.
Many sites were looked at and Parkers Road site settled on.