1951
The St. Leonards Golf Club was founded in 1951 with approximately 40 members. The course was designed and built by Arthur Blanche on land he owned and consisted of 9 holes with sand-scraped greens. The Golf Club did not have a clubhouse and met in the St. Leonards Hotel, which Arthur Blanche also owned.
The golf club continued for a few years but eventually dissolved, and during the late ’50s and early ’60s, the course fell into disrepair.
1963
In 1963 Arthur Blanche reactivated the course as part of his plan to turn the St. Leonards Hotel into a Country Club complete with a golf course. First, as a 9-hole pitch and putt course, then as a 9-hole course, essentially on the original layout. However, the country Club project did not eventuate.
1966
Around 1966, Bud Russell designed a new course that included the original nine holes plus an additional nine holes on the north parcel of land. The system was built with grass turf, opened in 1967-68, and operated as an 18-hole public golf course.
1979
In 1979 Arthur Blanche agreed to reform the St. Leonards Golf Club with John Sullivan and Frank Strauss, both keen local golfers.
1986
The first clubhouse was a tin shed. In 1986 a permanent clubhouse was built in Blanche St (It was demolished in December 2021).
At that time, Arthur Blanche was responsible for the course's upkeep, and the golf Club was responsible for organizing the golf program.
1988
On the death of Arthur Blanche in 1988, it was agreed that the golf club would be responsible for all aspects of the course, and the land was leased to the Golf club in a series of ongoing leases. This is the current situation
2005
In 2005 the Blanche family obtained permission to develop part of the golf course as a residential subdivision which meant some course alterations to the golf course.
2011
A new clubhouse was constructed on the west side of Ibbotson Street to replace the existing building on Blanche Street.
As residential development extends through the eastern end of the course and removes other golf course land (close to the township), future holes are planned on the west side of Ibbotson Street (and have already been mapped out).
This change of clubhouse location also necessitated a re-numbering of the holes on the course, essentially reversing the front and back 9 (the 10th tee has never been located near the clubhouse as occurs at many clubs).
2014
In 2014 the Blanche Family obtained a permit for a staged multi-lot subdivision on the part of the existing golf course land.
Also, in 2014, the Greater city of Geelong Planning Scheme was amended to ensure that urban development did not occur outside the defined settlement boundary of St. Leonard’s. The golf course was outside the town boundary and would need to be rezoned before further development could occur.
Today
The Blanche family has since then proposed to develop 9 holes 18 tee golf course on land they own on Ibbotson St to assist in their attempt to have the golf course rezoned to residential use.
Upon the successful rezoning, the Blanche family would pass ownership of the site along with all improvements to the St. Leonards Golf club.
The future
The new golf course is still being developed with a completion date of approx. 2023