When the Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge eventually return to Australia, an Ulladulla lady hopes to lure them to the south coast with a royal blue ball.
Dot Meehan has a golf ball she believes belonged to Prince William’s mother, the then Lady Diana Spencer, who visited the district in 1981.
The Milton-Ulladulla Times reported that Lady Di, having just been proposed to by Prince Charles, was seen walking on the Mollymook Golf Course surrounded by body guards in March 1981.
Only days later, Mrs Meehan’s sister Ethel Entwistle was playing with the Mollymook Lady Golfers when she found the pale blue ball in the rough near the 16th green.
Mrs Meehan said the ball was light blue with Lady Diana inscribed on it in old English style text, along with an asterisk and number one.
At the time, she said, no-one really knew whether it was Lady Di’s golf ball or not, however she had been spotted in the vicinity.
“Our pro at the time, Mike Wilsdon, looked at the ball and he had never seen anything like it,” she said.
“We think it must have belonged to her, maybe it was a gift – what else do you give a woman who has everything?”
Mrs Meehan’s family has held onto the ball for almost 40 years as a reminder of Lady Di’s visit.
She said it would be “wonderful” if the young royals could include the Shoalhaven, and maybe Mollymook, when they next visited Australia.
She said if the royals came to Mollymook, and she had a chance to meet them, she would have to have her best outfit on.
The royal ball has been passed around and showed off at various golf club functions, including the 50th anniversary celebrations and is currently kept under lock and key by a family member.
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