History of the club

Golf had been played for at least one year before the Isis Golf Club was formed in 1912, with local solicitor JJ Butler (inaugural President) and Dr JR Robinson (Inaugural Captain) being the prime movers in establishing the Club.  The course was initially located off North Isis Road, past the location of the old hospital and is reputedly the second oldest nine hole club in Queensland.

The Club represented by TC Fowler became one of the ten foundation members of the newly formed Queensland Golf Association in 1914, and has remained a member continuously of the State body (now the Queensland Golf Union) since that time.

In 1921 the Isis Central Sugar Mill purchased the Doolbi Sugar Mill and the General Manager generously allowed the Isis Golf Club members to use the adjoining paddock.  In 1924, the Isis Golf Club through a Mr Ker and Club Trustees purchased the paddock from the Isis Central Sugar Mill at a cost of 120 pounds, with further purchases and a gift of land from the Calder family bringing the course to its present size.

The Club hosted its first Carnival on October 29-30, 1932, with visiting golfers from Biggenden, Bargara, Maryborough, Bundaberg, Murgon and Howard.

On April 28, 1936 in its Silver Jubilee year, Dr Robinson and JJ Butler donated the Isis Cup tp be played for annually by teams from across the Wide Bay Burnett Region.  It was not until 1940 that Isis was to win its first Cup, with a record score, led by champion Bert Sharman.  This annual teams' competition for the Cup continues to this day.  In the same year the Club conducted its fifth Carnival to celebrate its Silver Jubilee.

Notable associate golfers in that era were Miss M Gahnstrom and Miss Thea Brand who is remembered today through the Brand trophy donated in her memory.

From 1942 to 1944, members play was suspended during World War II but the Associates played on a limited number of links, with full competition resumed for Members and Associates near the end of 1945.  As promised by the President (EL Sutton, who presided over the Club from 1948 to 1964) in its Golden Jubilee Year, a new clubhouse was erected on the site of the old Doolbi School in 1963.

Although there had been junior membes who paid lower fees than adults, there was no official junior club or competition until May Brain, in 1968, organised and guided the first group of Isis Junior golfers, with the first Junior Championship held the following year.

1986, the year in which the Club became an Incorporated Association, was also the 50th year of the Isis Cup and 1987 the 75th Jubilee Anniversary, the year in which the club took its first steps towards a new course development that was to span the terms of four Presidents and the years 1987 to 1994.

Inaugural competitions for the newly-established Isis Golf Vets Association began in 1991, with the future Childers District Social Golf Club also beginning in 1991 as the Federal Hotel Social Golf Club. 

The Isis Golf Club's new $43,500 irrigation system was completed and opened by Shire Chairman, Cr Wally Christensen in 1992, followed in 1994 by the Official Opening Day at the Isis Golf course of the new course layout opened by Morrie Fanning, first ball driven by Gary Calder and the course was blessed by Bill Cowan.

Some setbacks in the 21st century included a mini tornado striking the course in 2006 destroying many large trees on different fairways.  Fortunately with member and community assistance the course was quickly returned to normality.  Not so easy to fix was the course flooding in 2010/11 where large sections of the course remained unplayable for many months.  A Government grant assisted in cleaning and replacing many of the drains and gradually bringing the course into fine condition.

That brings us to 2012 and the Centenary Year of the Club, celebrated by many events over the year.  In particular the Reunion Weekend of September 15/16, when the Saturday afternoon 9 hole Centenary competition was preceded by a Centenary tree planting ceremony with one of our oldest playing members to plant the tree.  A Dinner/Dance held at the Clubhouse in the evening offered opportunities to socialise and revisit memories of the yesteryear.  The Club's expectations of a huge crowd of members past and present, together with families and friends, were fully realised and all enjoyed a memorable occasion.

The remarks that conclude the history of 100 years of golf at the Isis Golf Club provide a fitting end to this brief history.  Golf survives, even thrives in the Isis and the Club continues to offer members of our Club, visitors from other clubs and any other golfer the opportunity to play on our appealing and distinctive, tree lined course.  May it continue to do so for at least another hundred years!