At the
moment there is a display of memorabilia in the display cabinet in the Members’
Bar, highlighting something of the role played by the elected Associate’s
Committee from 1921-96 covering the first 75 years of the Club’s history. 
In the
cabinet you can see a collection of Associates only Programme Books and Annual
Reports, Trophies, Trophy cards, Handicap summary cards, and a variety of
medals and pins. All committees passed their knowledge and experiences forward
like links in a chain.
For the
first 75 years of the club, women members were referred to as Associates which
was typical at most clubs. In a golf club situation an Associate member could
be described a member of ‘lower financial rank’. The rank referring to the
amount of fees paid not a personal income or character reference! In many cases
the female member was also associated by marriage or birth to a full fee paying
member. Fees for Members was on average double of that paid by the Associates.
This continued until the equality of membership changes in 1996.
The first
mention of an Associate’s Committee was in the Club’s Minute book in February
1922. The women had been invited to hold their own election to form a Committee
responsible for the running of the women’s programme in its entirety (These
elections continue to this day.) The elected Associate’s Committee ran on parallel
lines to the Club Committee and was not a committee appointed by the Members
(Men). In simple terms the Course and Men’s Golf was administered by the Club
Committee and Women’s Golf controlled and developed by the Associates. 
That
first year 1921-22 was a very casual and social affair on a course without a
clubhouse but by the July 1922 AGM a management structure was in place and the
first alphabetical ledgers were created showing the total membership for the
year of 149 Members and 110 Associates, paying two guineas and one guinea respectively
each per year. 74% of the membership were women! The
Associates did have an administrative template to follow. On the 29th
June 1903 representatives of five city clubs had met at Royal Sydney Golf Club
proposing the formation of a Ladies Golf Union. The volunteers and officers of
this union were highly motivated formidable women as indeed were Long Reef’s
members! One of the first task for the Long Reef Associate’s Committee was to
join the union! The
Associates had a blank canvas to work with, and work they did! The Committees
were usually made up of 9 women. The Members’ (Men) competitions were held on
Saturday and Sundays (mid-week golf was several decades away) and Associates
could find tee time on weekends too until Members’ numbers grew. The Associates
were able to fill the empty space on the course and the clubhouse during the
week– and how they filled it! The Mixed competition on Sundays was very strong
too. With the exception of taking in all subscriptions, which continued to stay
with the Secretary (we would describe as the General Manager) the women did literally
everything else working with the monies transferred to the Associate’s bank
Accounts following an agreed budget. Associate golfers played their
competitions on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Thursday as the major day and
Tuesday used for qualifying rounds, minor competitions and time to introduce
new players and beginners. An Associate’s Programme book listed the varied
events throughout the season. (Late Jan until early Dec to fit in with school
holidays and the heat of summer). | Random membership numbers across the decades and fees paid -
( g = guinea - one pound one shilling). List includes the percentage of women members.
The men’s numbers increased after the war in the 50s.
1934 Members 172 - 4g. Associates 131 - 2g. 76%
1948 Members 292 - 7g. Associates 176 - 3g. 60%
Throughout the 50s the names of 728 Members at 10g and 398 Associates at 5g. appear at some time in the ten year period in the membership book.
1978 Members 318 paid $210. Associates 145 paid $155. 45%
1988 Members 469 paid $430 Associates 149 paid $215 32%
1996 Members all categories 995. Associates all categories 393 40%.
Women had
become members of the club at the very first opportunity, at the first General
Meeting in May 1921. From that date through their own Committees they developed
a programme of golf, celebrated the gifted golfers amongst them in a variety of
competitions and Championships, they completed commitments to the LGU, acted as
fund-raisers and at times became the ‘Housewives’ of the club. At the same time
they interviewed all new prospective members, ruled on the Dress Regulations of
the day and expected standards of Golf Etiquette on the course and in the Club
House. The Associate’s
Committee led by the President and Captain planned every stage and event, from
the complexities of the various Timesheets, acting as Starters through to the weekly
trophy presentations. The
Treasurer had all monies to collect, books to keep, banks to visit and reports
to make ready for a monthly meeting and the AGM and auditor. The Handicapper
and her committee helpers checked cards, worked out count-backs, recorded results,
kept player profiles and helped announce winners and handicap breaks. At the
start, all of this was done by hand with a good grasp of arithmetic! General
communication was by the Noticeboards, letters and announcements at the
Presentations. The two Committees mainly communicated by letter. The Associates
programme of golf was a mix of traditional competitions many of which were drawn games across three
divisions (Matches were played in 3s) to encourage the mix of abilities and
social events. There was the ‘Ladies only” Melbourne Cup lunch and fashion parade, the Players
and Caddies lunches, Cromer v Long Reef Day and any excuse for a dress-up day. Delegates
were sent to the varies bodies including the Veteran’s Association and Barrenjoey. There was a concert to rehearse ready for the Annual Dinner. The Bridge Club
was to come, on Wednesdays, starting in 1975 and until the late 80s was also held
on Mondays as a practice day. The Associate membership was a spiders web of
connections and friendships. ' From the
70s until 1996 there was another Associates committee at work that looked after
the Business girls/Weekenders. This sub-committee usually had 5 members, taking
care of Saturday women golfers and organising both winter and Summer comp
pennants teams. They too had their own bank account and the archives has their
last cheque book on display. Jenny Loughnan (who went on to be a member of the
Board) was the last Secretary and the Archives has Weekenders records from
1972.  By 1996, as
the club celebrated its 75 birthday the system was fine-tuned! There was a real
sense of involvement, ownership and membership. It was almost like a successful
small business with money in the bank, everyone knew everyone and new members
joined as and when they could be absorbed into the field. The pennant teams showed
the quality of golf being played. For example in 1995 the Associates competed
in a record number of representative teams, 7 in total. In 1996 under the captaincy of Chris Riddle the
club won four trophies -the Grade 3, the Gordon Shield, Bronze 1 Bowl and
Bronze 2.
From 1996
The Equality of Membership rules and the introduction of computers gradually brought
about changes to the responsibilities of the Women’s committee. The term ‘Associate’
disappeared as women paid equal fees with the men and for the first time could
stand for a position on the Board. 
Sandra Mellowes Member of Associates
Committee 1995-97
President of Women’s
Committee 2006-8 Sources -
Club
Minute Books/Reflections
75ht Birthday magazine 1996
The First
65 - women – Sandra Mellowes/A Brief
history of Women’s Golf in NSW -WGNSW - 2003/The First
100 years of Long Reef Golf Club. LR Website. -Ross Lanes and Sandra Mellowes |
.jpg)
.jpg)
%20(23)20250902005628.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
