Jeane Dainton, born in 1925
JEANE Dainton became a member of the Shepparton Golf Club in 1955 and remains the oldest and longest continuous member of the club to this time.
Jeane joined the club when the current 17th was the first tee. Then, the clubhouse was positioned at the back of the 17th and the greens were all sandscapes.
She decided to try golf after having played tennis and basketball. No one else in her family was a golfer at that time, so Jeanne and her friend Alva Chessells turned up to have a go. Norm Wilson, the greenkeeper, gave the girls a lesson, and he must have done a good job because they immediately headed into town to buy their gear and begin their golfing journey.
At that time, there were few lady golfers, but Wednesday was their day. The ladies had to adhere to the strict dress code which stipulated skirts below the knee worn with the club jumper. A bus would run out to collect the ladies who didn’t drive. After golf there was no lunch, just tea and biscuits.
Jeane remembers the old clubhouse with holes in the floor and an old wood stove. Those on hostess duty would place the cups in the oven so that the players could enjoy a nice hot cup of tea!
When Jeane first started competitions, she and her friend would go out early and practise hitting up and back on the 17th, in front of the clubhouse. She soon learned this was strictly forbidden, after being reprimanded by one of the committee members.
On April 4, 1960, the Governor of Victoria, Sir Dallas Brooks, opened a new clubhouse on its present site.
Jeane became involved with committees, and she served as handicapper, secretary, captain in 1977-78 and pennant captain, and as presdeint from 1980 until 1982. Jeane was made a Life Member in 1984.
During Jean Turnbull’s presidency in 1968 and ‘69, the wearing of ‘slacks’ became a contentious issue among the ladies with much discussion, sometimes heated, over whether or not ladies could wear trousers.
A compromise was met when it was decided that ladies could wear trousers as long as they were tailored and from Fletcher Jones. Jeane herself believed that skirts should continue to be the uniform, but eventually came around when she realised that we needed to, “move with the times.”
However, when one day a lady turned up with the bottoms of her trousers tied up with hay bands, it could not be overlooked, and she was politely told that this was unacceptable!
When Jeane was Captain, she can remember another controversy over the playing of games on a Sunday. She recalls that a match in a 4BBB knock-out had to be played on a Sunday to fit into the schedule, which was fiercely opposed by one of the ladies.
After Jeane carefully read the rule book, she informed the lady that there was no rule which said a match COULDN’T be played on a Sunday, and it went ahead. When the lady found out about it afterwards, she tore strips off Jeane, but too late, the deed was done!
Jeane has made many friends through golf over her 65+ years as a proud member of the SGC and is a legend of the club. At the grand age of 96, she still attends special Ladies’ functions and regularly goes to lunch, enjoying her meal and a glass of red.
Jeane’s grandson Chris Dainton is also a member and no doubt the family involvement will continue well into the future through her nine (and counting) great-grandchildren.
