The History of Golf at Burswood
The Perth Golf Club began as a nine hole course on Burswood island. It was officially opened at Saturday 5 October 1895 with the first game being played at 3.30pm that day.
While some were concerned that the new game could come to rival “our national sport” of cricket in popularity, both being viewed as leisurely gentlemen’s games, others enthused over the chief appeal of golf as being playable year-round by people of all ages in all weather conditions.
Perth’s first golf course on Burswood Island was quickly to outgrow its location. Difficulties in transit to and from the location were cited, initially being accessible only by boat, as well as the rough farmland terrain and often damp conditions under foot making it difficult to score well.
Four years later in 1899, a horse racing course was also established on the island. A new 9-hole golf course was developed in 1900 at Wattle Grove Farm in Belmont, alongside the race course, and golfers were often interrupted in their game having to pause to allow galloping horses to pass by. Proximity to the river causing wet playing conditions finally lead to the Perth Golf Club moving again, eight years later, to South Perth.
Golf returned to Burswood from 1988 to 2013 with the Burswood Park Golf Course. For a quarter of a century, the public course flourished – coming a long way from the ‘wire grass’ and deep drains full of water in 1896, before making way for the construction of the Perth’s new 60,000-seat stadium, now known as Optus Stadium.
With the opening of Matagarup Mini Golf, we are proud to bring gold back to Burswood once again.
Book Now. www.perthminigolf.com.au