Article from The Sporting Globe 1937

Club History From October 1892

Riversdale Golf Club had its beginning during the early part of October 1892 & can proudly claim to be the second oldest Golf Club in Victoria - only Royal Melbourne has a marginally longer history.
Originally formed as Surrey Hills Golf Club the Club was located at Mont Albert some 6 kilometres north of its present location. In 1907 the club moved to Camberwell and a short time later changed its name to Riversdale Golf Club, retaining this name when it moved to the present location at St. Johns Wood, Mount Waverley in May 1927.

From its early days as a country estate owned by Sir Redmond Barry (famous as the Judge who sentenced Ned Kelly to death) the property has been developed into what is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque golf courses in Victoria with numerous varieties included in the thousands of trees which line the Clubs fairways and providing a testing challenge for even the straightest of hitters.

The altered layout was designed by Alex Russell and officially opened in March 1930 with a fourball match between Walter Hagen and Joe Kirkwood (a former Riversdale professional at Camberwell) against Mick Ryan and Ivo Whitton. Hagen and Kirkwood were at that time touring the world giving exhibitions and playing against local champions. Apart from relatively minor alterations planned by noted curator and course designer of the time, Alan Morcum, and completed in 1949, the general fairway layout remains virtually unchanged to this day. Conversion of the entire course to Santa Ana Couch fairways took place between 1987/1994 and a complete remodification of the course bunkering was carried out during 1994/1995.
Shortly after the move to St. Johns Wood, George Naismith was appointed Professional to Riversdale, a position he held for some 34 years. A fine golfer, Naismith was Victorian Professional Champion in 1932 and 1934 and won the Australian Open in 1937. Apart from his outstanding golfing record, George Naismith is well known as the early mentor of two later golfing greats Peter Thomson and David Graham, both of whom were Assistant Professionals at Riversdale.

In 1996 Riversdale conducted the Centenary Riversdale Cup competition, an event for amateur golfers which is now widely recognised as the outstanding amateur stroke event in the Australia. Played over 72 holes the Riversdale Cup list of winners notes most of the country's top amateur golfers (some of more recent times turning professional) including Ivo Whitton (four times), Harry Williams (3 times), Bill Edgar, Bill Higgins (3 times), John Hood, Neil Titheridge, Michael Clayton and Robert Allenby (twice). Professional golfers also have competed on the testing Riversdale layout with the Club being the venue for the first Victorian Open championship conducted in 1957 and won by Ossie Pickworth.
Frank Phillips (1964) and David Graham (1970) also won the event when played at Riversdale, with Graham's win undoubtedly assisted by local knowledge of the course where he had commenced his professional career 10 years earlier.

Riversdale's first Clubhouse building consisted of Sir Redmond Barry's original home together with additions carried out during 1927/1928. The larger ground floor rooms of the homestead were left basically intact but the roof was raised to enable addition of upstairs rooms and the existing basement was excavated further to provide locker room accommodation. The renovated Clubhouse was featured in the Australian Home Beautiful magazine during a 1929 series on golf clubs of Victoria and copies of the article are on display in the existing Clubhouse. The building remained in this form until further alterations were completed in 1955 with the addition of the current Bar.

Further additions were completed in 1988 with provision of improved administration facilities, a new entrance to the building and major alterations made to the Clubs liquor storage area. Toilets were installed adjacent to the Lounge and Dining Room together with extensive upgrading of the Kitchen facilities which service the excellent dining facilities available.

Although altered three times over the years, the Clubhouse remains on its original site and still contains considerable portions of the original homestead purchased with the property in 1927 and thus serves as a tangible part of the continuing history of Riversdale Golf Club.