Toowoomba Golf Club
About the golf club
Toowoomba Golf Club provides 18 challenging holes carved out of the beautiful natural parkland course located 700m above sea level on the escarpment of the Great Dividing Range in the suburb of Middle Ridge.
The club, which celebrates its 126th birthday in 2022, was established in 1896 from humble beginnings, is proudly Queensland’s second oldest golf club (only beaten by Townsville Golf Club three months earlier).
Now there’s another new chapter in the club’s history with the opening in October 2022 of The Ninth Middle Ridge retirement community.
The course and history
The Toowoomba Golf Club has had five locations during its long history and was established by several Scottish families who were early settlers keen to recreate a piece of their golfing heritage to the Darling Downs.
The first club, with 21 original members, is believed to have established a nine-hole course on Drayton Road in Harristown. Rough fairways were formed in the heavily timbered area.
The club later moved to Toowoomba’s east to open vacant land on Herries Street where St Vincent’s Hospital now stands. Players often lost balls in the long grass with reports a gun dog was trained to “point’’ the balls.
In 1901-1902 the club’s next move was to the Toowoomba Turf Club on the western side of town. Sharing the track site became difficult as golf could not be played on race days.
After much negotiation, the club headed to Willowburn where permission was granted to play on the grounds of the psychiatric hospital. The course began as a nine-hole and eventually grew to 18 holes. Willowburn officially opened in February 1910 and remained on site for 16 years. The Baillie Henderson Hospital now is on the site.
By 1925 the club had grown substantially and the search was on for yet another suitable site. Club members agreed on Middle Ridge, its fifth and current home. The new club was officially opened on December 4, 1926, when Queensland Premier William McCormack hit a long drive to officially open the course for play.
Membership
The club offers a range of membership options tailored to a player’s commitments and needs. Memberships include full membership with club voting rights; country membership for players living more than 100km from the club; memberships based on age, family memberships; junior and social.
Visitors are always welcomed. See the club’s membership option here.
Club facilities
The popular Ridges Bar and Bistro is the place to enjoy a meal in the dining area or relax and take in the course views from the club’s deck. Ridges is open to members, guests and visitors.
Kitchen hours are lunch, Tuesdays to Sundays, from 11.30am to 2pm; and dinner, Wednesdays only, 5.30pm to 8.30pm. For more information, click here.
Ridges also hosts celebrations, business functions and weddings.
The Toowoomba Golf Club Pro Shop can provide tuition for golfers of all standards, including individuals, group clinics and corporate golf lessons.