Find me here:
  The Paranormal Guide
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Atlas
  • Glossary

Ghost in the Rough

27/3/2013

Comments

 
Orbs on the fairway, apparitions in the rough and 'creepiness' felt on the green; have all been experienced at Mount Lawley Golf Club, Western Australia. Hole 11, 'Clooties Elbow', is where the activity takes place. 

Are the experiences a manifestation of the spirit of a man, found there in 1930?
PictureTragedy not too uncommon at golf clubs.
Miss Margaret McKinnon, along with friend Ella Thomas, was enjoying a lovely winters day round of golfing at the Mt Lawley Golf Club. The two had played a game or two, and it was assumed that the rest of the day would be no different. Unfortunately, Miss McKinnon was not going to have the chance to see if she had beat her personal course record. Before the round was up, she had dropped dead from a heart attack.

I suppose it is not unusual for a golf club to see a few deaths during its life time. With a large percentage of patrons being retired and older, and the sport itself at time taxing on the body, heart attacks are no strangers to the green. Lightning strike have also taken their toll on more than a few golfers nationally (and internationally), over the years.

However, Mt Lawley Golf Club has another type of death to add to its records, but we will get to that soon enough.

Tragedy at Mount Lawley

Golf Club History

PictureMt Lawley Golf Club, the early days.
Mt Lawley Golf club was founded in 1928, after two neighbours Harry Glick and Carl Klem, initiated several meetings in the then outer Perth suburb of Mt Lawley. The aim of the meetings was to form a new golf club situated in a under utilised reserve.

After a series of in-home meetings, they stepped up the process to involve the greater public. In 1927, they held a meeting in the local cinema, after which over one hundred people had each pledged what would be half a years annual membership to the soon to be established club.

From there the actual construction of the course was underway. The original design was for an 18 hole course with a separate 9 holes for the women but, unfortunately, financially this could not be supported, so 10 holes were developed instead.

The course finally opened to play in 1929, and according to the Mt Lawley Golf Clubs official website, 'As the fairways were still in the very early stages of their development, many had large sandy patches, and soon golf balls became the same colour as the ground and very hard to spot.


PictureHole next to which the body was discovered.
The solution was to paint them red, in order that they could be easily distinguished. However, the brightly coloured balls soon attracted the attention of the resident crows, and many a well-driven ball disappeared mysteriously from the middle of the fairway.'

The course has changed quite substantially since its early days, now featuring a full 18 holes.

The Golf club officially opened May 31, 1930, but saw itself featured in the headlines a few months beforehand. At 8:20am on the 10th February, the clubs green keeper James Elliot Tinlin was doing his morning work, when he stumbled across a body in some scrub between holes. Next to the body was a partially empty bottle.

Tragic Death and Ghosts

The body was later identified as Michael Kelly, a middle aged out of work sawmiller who had also seen service in World War 1. His last known movements concerned the purchasing of the poison. He left his home in Maylands, (a nearby suburb to Mt Lawley), and walked to a nearby chemist shop. After he was refused the poison 'to kill dingoes' he left, but later returned with a friend/witness for the purchase. The next time he was seen was dead on the golf course, the coroners inquest came to the conclusion of suicide by poisoning.
PictureThe shop the poison was purchased?
It is stated that Michael Kellys' body was found near hole 11, otherwise known as 'Clooties Elbow' (Clootie means 'The Devil' in Gaelic). It is around this hole, also dubbed 'Satans Elbow', that a lot of paranormal activity is said to take place. This activity includes apparitions seen in the scrub that frames the fairway, and 'orbs' seen with the naked eye.

Some psychics and clairvoyants have felt 'unusual sensations', and one claimed she had 'never felt so terror stricken in her entire life'. According to Golf Australia, Mt Lawley 'is the most haunted golf course on the planet!'

A pretty big call considering some of the encounters people have had at the Royal Perth Golf Club, which has an even more macabre tale to tell...

Ashley Hall 2013

Please post your comments and further information about this article below!

Comments
comments powered by Disqus

    The Paranormal Guide Articles

    Here you will find all of the articles written for The Paranormal Guide on all things paranormal, strange, dark, macabre, weird, strange and bizarre!

    All photos with the blog posts remain the property of their respectful owners. If one of your photos is featured here without attribution please leave a comment on the blog and full credit will be given.

    Categories

    All
    Bizarre Experiments
    Conspiracy
    Cryptozoology
    Cursed And Haunted Objects
    Curses Demons And Exorcisms
    Earth Mysteries
    Fakes Frauds And Hoaxes
    Ghosts And Hauntings
    Ghosts Ghouls And Demons
    Interesting And Inspiring People
    Investigations
    Miracles
    My Paranormal
    Paranormal Photos
    Paranormal Vocabulary
    Phobias And Philias
    Post Mortem Practices
    Psychics Predictions And Seers
    Questions And Discussions
    Reviews
    Spirituality And Miracles
    Spirituality And Miracles
    Strange And Macabre Places
    Strange And Tragic Deaths
    This Week In Dark History
    Tragedy
    True Crime And Punishment
    Ufos And Aliens
    Unsolved Mysteries
    Urban Legend Superstition And Folklore
    Weird Odd And Bizarre


    Ashley Hall -
    The Paranormal Guide

    Ashley Hall explores The Paranormal, True Crime, Strange Deaths, Dark History, The Weird, The Strange and The Bizarre! Fact or Fiction? You decide!

    Picture

    Contributors

    Picture
    Matty Sweeney
    Picture
    Peet Banks
    Picture
    Nic Hume

    Picture
    Check out The Paranormal Guide Podcast and join three paranormal investigators and researchers for honest and raw discussions on all things paranormal, strange, dark and macabre HERE!

    Archives

    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

    Please note that dates are from when the article was originally made.
    The Paranormal Guide does have posts all the way up to the current date.


    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.