A GROUP of displaced Morisset golfers has vowed to keep the town's flag flying by completing the masters pennant season despite no longer having a home course to play on.
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The Morisset team will instead play their remaining home games of the masters pennant season at Waratah Golf Club, at Argenton.
When Morisset Country Club closed its doors and ceased trading on Sunday, it signalled the end of golf at Morisset for the club's 719 golfing members.
It was particularly bad timing for the 14 men in the club's masters pennant team who still had three rounds to play in the district competition.
Among them was Michael Harvey-Walker, of Balcolyn, who said his team-mates were saddened by the club's closure and initially assumed it was game over for their pennant season, too.
"But then we decided to fight on, to honour Morisset, and to honour its members past and present," Mr Harvey-Walker said.
The golfers took to their phones in search of a solution. They were rapt when Waratah Golf Club offered the team a lifeline.
"Waratah kindly offered us the use of their course for our remaining home games this year," he said. "We played against Kurri Kurri Golf Club there on Sunday and won 4-3."
Mr Harvery-Walker said the club's closure had hit golfers hard.
"I only joined Morisset in 2015, but I've seen a lot of sadness," he said.
"Mates of mine have been playing at Morisset for 45 years."
The club closed after receiving a notice on May 15 from the property's owner, Drysdale Metals Pty Ltd, to vacate the site by August 15.
But the club closed early on Sunday following advice from its auditors.
Mr Harvey-Walker is a former scratch player and multiple winner of club championships in Sydney.
He now plays off a handicap of 3, and won the Morisset masters title in 2017. He rated the course highly.
"I've been playing golf since I was 12 - that's over 50 years of playing golf - and I can tell you the golf course here was a big drawcard to Morisset," he said.
"I want to congratulate the greens staff at Morisset who always had the fairways and greens in beautiful condition."
Mr Harvey-Walker said he had been impressed by the Waratah layout, and would likely join that club. Other displaced Morisset players are expected to switch to golf clubs at Toronto, Toukley and Wyong.
Drysdale Metals has yet to reveal its plans for the Morisset site.
Mr Harvey-Walker, meanwhile, said the masters pennant team was determined to go out on a high.
He said the team was hopeful of a podium finish with three rounds remaining, but it was unlikely Morisset would claim the pennant.
"We're always competitive, but it really would be a fairy tale ending if we could win it."
