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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.

For those who have been part of the club’s journey — and those who simply want to share in the occasion — the 50th anniversary promises to be a day of memories, connection and celebration. For more information, or to register your interest, contact Sheffield Golf Club.

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