Australasian Golf Museum

The Australasian Golf Museum, located in Bothwell village, tells the story of how golf evolved from a crude game played by a handful of villages on Scotland's east coast, to now being a truly international game, and Australia's most popular participation sport. The museum illustrates why the early settlers in historic Bothwell became Australia's first golfing community, with the nearby Ratho Golf Links recognised as Australia's oldest golf course, and the township having as many as 5 different golf courses. The evolution of the game is explained through the different eras, as defined by the development in club design and manufacture, from early woods carved by hand through to drop forged irons with ever changing facial structures, angles and weights to enhance the game, classic examples of which are on display. There are examples of the evolution of the golf ball; from Feathery (1400s to mid-1800s) to Gutta-percha (1850s to 1900) to Haskell (turn of the century to World War II) and the modern balls. Many of Tasmania's champion golfers are featured, from Australia's first born champions, the Pearce Brothers, to Lucy Arthur, Len Nettlefold, Elvie Whitesides, the Toogoods and the Goggins, along with historic memorabilia associated with these pioneers of the game in Australia.