Despite the lovely setting, the club needs members in order to stay viable, and they are encouraging people seeking recreation, fitness, a bit of fun and friendship to come on board. A special meeting was held on January 15 to determine the club’s future, but members decided to press ahead in hopes to attract new blood. 

Numbers have diminished over the years from when the club began in the mid-1930s. They recorded 30-40 members in 2000, but only have about 15 today. Club president Brian Rowan said their strength is friendship and welcoming acceptance.

“In this club, part of the rules is that we change around all the time, so we get to talk to everybody in the club. If somebody wasn’t a good player, that means nothing – none of us are really great players.”

The 12-hole course bends and curves atop the gentle contours of the land. Brian said it is good terrain for people who find hills hard to navigate.“It’s not too up and down, but it’s just comfortable. Eleventh hole’s about the worst, coming up, but it’s nowhere like the 18^th at Armidale,” he chuckled.

Greg Brabant now lives in Inverell, but before he moved off the farm near Copeton, he said he could have chosen to join Inverell or Delungra, and he signed up with the smaller club.

“I decided to come to Delungra, because being off the farm, most of the blokes here are farmers, or ex-farmers. I’ve got probably 12 or 13 new mates that I’ve got, outside of what I normally had,” Greg said.

“This is my club. Until this club closes, this is my club, and that’s why I’m prepared to come out here, because I like the atmosphere in this club.”

The club will host a chook run at 4pm every Sunday until the Open Day on March 5, which will have a 1pm start. There will be two working bees held to tidy up the course, the first at 9am, Saturday February 18 and the second at 9am, Saturday, February 25.

Anybody seeking more information about the club can ring Brian Rowan on 6729 1271 or Marlene Ballinger on 6724 8379.