MEN’S CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY 1971 – JOHN CUSACK

John Cusack won the MGGC Men’s Championship in 1971, the third year the playing of golf commenced. At that point in time the Championship consisted of 36 holes of stroke play followed by knock-out match play between the top eight stroke play qualifiers.

During that period a specific trophy was awarded to the winner and this item represents one of those. The trophy consists of a prism-shaped jarrah base mounted on two pedestal feet. Two solid metal eagles, wings outstretched, are mounted on either side of the top of the base. The base has a metal plaque that is inscribed:

‘MELVILLE GLADES

GOLF CLUB INC.

Club Champion 1971

J. D. CUSACK’

Bolted onto and above the base are two further truncated triangular pieces of jarrah wood, the inner piece fitted with a pearl overlay. At the top is a solid metal golfer in a follow-through pose.

The trophy shows signs of many years of admiration. The plaque has been polished to an extent that the gold-coloured coating has been rubbed away revealing the darker subsurface material of the plaque. The golf club held by the metal golfer has broken off and is not available, and its gold finish has mostly been rubbed off.

Of anecdotal interest, in a communication with one of John’s best friends, Tony Kelly, who like John was one of the eight founders of MGGC, Tony said that he was proud to recall caddying for John during that event.