Foundation Day Celebration
Sheffield Golf Club - Badger Heights turns 50 this year
Sunday September 6, 2026
This day is 50 years since a motion was passed to re-form the Sheffield Golf Club at Badger Heights.
The club invites current and former members, family, friends, locals and the wider golfing community to help us celebrate this important occasion.
Golf Event
The day will bring our community together for an enjoyable Ambrose 3 golf event, with options for both 18-hole and 9-hole play. The 18-hole competition will be the main event, while the 9-hole option offers a relaxed choice for those who would prefer a shorter round.
Both competitions will tee off together, giving everyone the
chance to share in the spirit of the day. There will be no restrictions on the
number of drives each player may use, so teams can enjoy the round in a
friendly and inclusive way.
Registration
To help us plan the day and welcome everyone properly,
please register via the online form. Registrations close on August 31, so we
encourage members, friends, and guests to complete their registration early.
Formal Proceedings
Formal proceedings will begin at 3:00 pm and will provide an opportunity for us to come together, reflect, and celebrate the club’s story. The program will include brief speeches and a recap of the club’s founding, shared by foundation members John Hope and Neil Denney.
See the article below for a taste of our early history and a link to our photo gallery which will evolve as we get closer to the event.
Presentations and Afternoon Tea
Following the speeches, we will recognize the day’s winners and
draw the door prizes. Afternoon tea will then be served, offering a relaxed
chance for members, friends, and guests to catch up and continue the
celebration together.
Time Capsule Contributions
We invite everyone to contribute to the time capsule as a
way of capturing the memories, stories, and spirit of this special occasion. A
collection box will be available on the day for donations, and the time capsule
will be buried at a later date.
Weather and Event Updates
If bad weather occurs or the course is unplayable, the golf event may need to be cancelled. Even so, we warmly encourage everyone to join us for the formal proceedings, which will still go ahead from 3:00 pm as planned.
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Any cancellations or program changes will be shared on our Facebook page and emailed to registered participants, so everyone can stay informed and connected in the lead-up to the day.
Food and Refreshments
Pies and hot dogs will be available from the kitchen during play
Players and invited guests are invited to the afternoon tea after play.
Event Timetable
If there are a high number of entries the start may be brought forward to ensure completion of play by 3pm. Registered players will be notified after registrations close.
Registration closes August 31
Fairways, Friendship and 50 Years of History
As Sheffield Golf Club prepares to celebrate its 50th
anniversary at Badger Heights, the milestone offers a chance to honour the
people, perseverance and community spirit that brought the club back to life.
The Sheffield Golf Club at Badger Heights is preparing to celebrate a remarkable milestone: 50 years since its modern revival. On 6 September 2026, members, families and supporters will gather to mark half a century of community spirit, local determination and love of the game. The day promises more than just golf, with an Ambrose event, afternoon tea, a time capsule burial and a special look back at the club’s formative years, presented by foundation members John Hope and Neil Denney.
But the story of Sheffield Golf Club stretches back far beyond 1976. Its roots reach into the 19th century, when it was one of the four clubs that helped establish the Northern Tasmania Golf Association — a contribution so significant that the association later granted Sheffield life membership.
Like many country sporting clubs, Sheffield’s journey has not always been smooth. Before the current course was established, the club played across four different layouts, all on private land. One by one, those homes disappeared as the properties changed hands, and by about 1954 the town was left without a golf course altogether.
The comeback began in 1975, not in a boardroom, but in conversation between a group of golfing mates driving home from Woodrising Golf Club in Devonport. From that simple exchange came flyers distributed across Sheffield and Railton, public meetings to test community interest, and finally a defining moment at the Sheffield Hotel on 6 September 1976, when the motion to reform the club was carried. Thirty locals each contributed $50 to get the dream off the ground. Land was purchased at the foot of The Badgers, work began in earnest, and within three years the club had built nine holes and secured affiliation with the Northern Tasmanian Golf Association.
Today, the names of those 30 foundation members are commemorated on a plaque in the clubrooms — a reminder that clubs are built as much by community effort as by sporting ambition. Not every founder was a golfer, but many became enduring club stalwarts, and several were later recognised with life membership. Two foundation members, Neil Denney and John Hope, remain involved with the club today, linking its earliest days with its future.
The foundation members were as follows:
The anniversary is not only a celebration for current members, but also a chance for the wider Sheffield community to reconnect with the club’s story. Descendants and family members of the foundation group are especially encouraged to attend the 50th birthday celebrations on 6 September, alongside current, former and prospective members who would like to be part of the occasion.
Golf will, of course, remain at the heart of the day. The anniversary competition will be played as a three-player Ambrose, with tee-off from 10:30am. In keeping with the club’s strong tradition of family involvement, family teams are warmly encouraged to take part — a fitting tribute to the generations who helped shape the club in its early years.
There will be an entry fee for the day’s competition, but in the spirit of the celebration, non-members will not be charged green fees.
Once play wraps up, the celebration will continue off the course with afternoon tea, the burial of a time capsule and a special look back at the club’s history from about 3pm. It is expected to be a fitting way to mark not just a sporting milestone, but a proud chapter in Sheffield’s community life.
Neil Denney (Foundation and Life Member), Craig Denney, John Hope (Foundation and Life Member), Stephen Hope competing in a family grudge match on Anzac Day 2026.