OUR RICH HISTORY
Bernard 'Spud' Costello and Neil Irving digging foundations for Shellharbour Golf Club, c.1971 (Discover Shellharbour).
Early Shellharbour Golf Course (c. 1971–2013)
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Origins & Development
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Built around 1971 by volunteers — including Tom Fein, Robert Makin, Frank Lark and Justice Hogan — the Shellharbour Golf Club began as a 9‑hole layout (until 1976), expanding to 18 holes by the early 1980s
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The inaugural Shellharbour Open took place in 1977, won by Rory Slade, and the same year Bill Penglase recorded the course’s first hole-in-one
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Excavation & Clubhouse Era-
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Early 1970s images show volunteers digging the foundations for the clubhouse. A 1983 clubhouse was photographed in 1986, noted by long-term members as a cherished community venue
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Aerial Views & Demolition
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Aerial shots from around 1990 and June 1986 show the course beside coastal wetlands, with Bass Point in view.
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The course was demolished around 2013 to make way for the Shell Cove housing and marina redevelopment.
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The Links Shell Cove (Opened 2004)
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Planning & Opening
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A new golf course adjacently designed to complement the Shell Cove marina was discussed in 1986, with construction starting in April 2000. It officially opened in January 2004, attended by touring pro Constanza Rocca
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Club & Management
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Initially named “Shellharbour Links,” it was later rebranded “The Links Shell Cove”. Early club history notes that by September 2004, local council took clubhouse operations from the original Shellharbour Golf Club to Shellharbour Links due to management challenges
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Course Design
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Designed by Scott Murray, later refined by Richard Chamberlain and Darby Muller, the course remains part of Shellharbour’s modern golfing facilities
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Local Hero's
Member Hero's
Old Course and Memorabillia
Credits- Shellharbour City Museum/Discover Shellharbour