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Mark_Rowlinson

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Old photos and more NLE courses
« on: December 03, 2010, 12:55:26 PM »
This is the final batch of photocopies I made from:

British Golf Clubs by Road and Rail – Golf Clubs of the Empire, ed T.R. Clougher
6 volumes annually 1927- 1932
(Cambridge University Library)

Once again, I have to say that the photos were reproduced very poorly and have come out even worse after photocopying and scanning. I have photocopied the whole page, because in many instances courses which no longer exist are listed. Any comments are welcomed. The photos were reproduced between 1927 and 1932, but we can only guess at when they might have been taken.






Both these appear to have been photographed during events of some kind.



Quite a few fir trees even then.



Royal Blackheath amalgamated with Eltham in 1923.



Woolaombe Bay doesn’t appear to have survived. It looks quite spectacular (in a sea mist!). Wooler is listed as being founded in 1975 by R and A handbook. Was the club disbanded and later re-opened? On the same site?



Naze, Lockinge Mersey and Wednesbury all seem to have perished.



Shoeburyness, Shorncliffe, East Lincolnshire, Slaithwaite and District have disappeared, I think.



Look how few trees there were at Wentworth! I can’t identify which course or which hole.

Heath, West Cheshire and Monkhams have succumbed?



Wonderful bunker at Seaton Carew! Does it still exist?  I take it that one of the Seaford clubs is the public one, the other the private club. Seaham appears to have lost ‘Harbour’ from its title.



Of these clubs I think Red Wharf Bay and Rhayader no longer exist.



Moor Park had not long been open. Quite a few NLEs here: Honor Oak, Merton Park, Molesey Hurst, Monkhams, Mote Mount, Nazeing, Neasden, New Hanger Hill, Norbury, Northaw, Northwick Park.



Greatstone, Little Warley, Fulwood Park and Liverpool Banking seem to have gone to the great teeing ground in the sky.



Otterburn NLE. Oxford University and Oxford City are constituent parts of Southfield. Oxhey went shortly after the Second World War. Padgate NLE.



Nice bunkering. Anyone recognise the hole?



I didn’t think to photocopy the previous page, to see if there were two clubs/courses in Ilfracombe. Sorry. Fort Anne seems to have gone. Is Port Erin now Rowany? Chale, Needles and R IOW have gone – see an earlier post for photo of Needles.



Higher Bebbington has gone, ditto Holy Island. Hooton, too. Has Horbury gone? Hough Green seems also to be a casualty.



I’m not sure the player on the right is actually ‘on the course’! 



Hendredn Bala – is this now simply Bala? I take it that Teesdale is now simply Barnard Castle. Ardsley seems to have gone. I’ve never heard of Bladud GC. Strange name.



I think Helmsley has perished. Never heard of Peppard, either.



West Park and Hapton are no longer listed, nor Harlow.



Hawes and Hay (sounds like an animal and its food!) NLE.



Someone seems to be playing from the beach!
United Services, Belvoir Castle, Grassington, Guildford Town, Shalford Park and Hainault Forest seem to be the casualties here.



Presumably the photo is of the Felixstowe Ferry course before WW2. But is it? Could it be Eastward Ho?
Farningham, Eastward Ho! Lambton Collieries, Fishguard and Goodwick Bramshot and Flixton seem to be the losses here.



Anybody know anything about Barossa? – the golf club, not the wine growing region.



I think the casualties here are Bude Cliff, Burlescombe, Burnopfield, Burwash.



Broad Oak and Bruton don’t seem to have survived.



I’m not sure about Cannington Park – there is a Pay and Play listed as a 1993 foundation in R and A Handbook.



Enfield, Blundell (or do we know it as something else?), Alcester are fairly definite casualties. Is Aldershot Command now The Army? Alsager moved some years ago to a site alongside an ordnance factory!



Crook of Devon, Dalkeith, neither of the Dalrys, Denny, Doune, would appear to be moribund. I presume Douglas is now Douglas Water.



I like the suggestion that this is the 7th green. That might be the green beyond the bunkers, but this chap is not going to reach with his putter!
Fintry , Fochabers, Ford Valley and Fauldhouse (previous page) probably no longer exist.


Tim Leahy

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Re: Old photos and more NLE courses
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2010, 01:53:23 PM »
that Worcestershire CC must have had a great steak sandwich in the clubhouse!
I love golf, the fightin irish, and beautiful women depending on the season and availability.

John Chilver-Stainer

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Re: Old photos and more NLE courses
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2010, 04:26:08 PM »
Mark,

This book is a feast of information.
 
Douglas G.C. in Lanarkshire caught my eye and awakened a flood of nostalgia.

Back in the 60’s the family often visited my granny who lived in Douglas, and as a young boy  I played with my cousins all over the fields and woods, along the rivers and moors, but I don’t recall discovering a golf course.

So I just checked on a 1925 Map of the area and sure enough there used to be a golf course there, but is now NLE. I’ve no idea of the history but according to the situation on the map it was close to the village center on the grounds of the remains of Castle Dangerous.

The Douglas Water Golf Club is only about 3 miles away from Douglas, near another village called Rigside which is close to a village called Douglas Water (which is a different place to Douglas).
This course is also recorded on the 1925 Map so the two would have been in existence at the same time.
« Last Edit: December 03, 2010, 05:01:34 PM by John Chilver-Stainer »

Mark_Rowlinson

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Re: Old photos and more NLE courses
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2010, 07:58:16 AM »
John,

I wish I'd had the time to photocopy a whole volume, but I didn't think of it until too late. Silly me!

I remember being taken to Abington and Crawford by Alfie Ward some years ago. We viewed with much sadness the site of his Arbory Brae (profile of it somewhere on GCA) and the site of an important course at Crawford (also profiled on GCA) the vestiges of which can still be seen today. I'll try to pull together what information we have on NLEs into a single document that GCAers can correct or add to, but it will not be for a while - New Year I suspect.

Mark.

Adrian_Stiff

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Re: Old photos and more NLE courses
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2010, 08:26:40 AM »
Mark - I walked around a few holes on the old Rodway Hill Golf Club just a couple of hours ago. Rodway Hill closed about 1945, on the site of Rodway Common, the 1st and 18th are still there as is the old clubhouse, it must have been a pretty good course because it staged a county championship, you can still outlines of tee pads and bunkers. Todays Rodway Hill in Glos is a course 40-50 miles away. Cannington 1993 is a new one. Woolacombe certainly does look good. It would be nice to pool resources and form a dedicated list to "lost greens". Sadly knowedge about many has already died.
A combination of whats good for golf and good for turf.
The Players Club, Cumberwell Park, The Kendleshire, Oake Manor, Dainton Park, Forest Hills, Erlestoke, St Cleres.
www.theplayersgolfclub.com

Duncan Cheslett

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Re: Old photos and more NLE courses
« Reply #5 on: December 05, 2010, 12:56:57 PM »
Great stuff, Mark.

Interesting to discover that my club is in Yorkshire...



 :o

I could have sworn it was half in Lancashire, and half in Cheshire. Nice to see we've still got the same phone no, though.

Membership's up, too - nudging 400...
« Last Edit: December 05, 2010, 01:06:06 PM by Duncan Cheslett »

Mark_Rowlinson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old photos and more NLE courses
« Reply #6 on: December 05, 2010, 02:44:41 PM »
I'll consult Ran as to the most efficient way to set up a GCA site available to all to deal with NLE courses in Europe. There are so many.

Marty Bonnar

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Re: Old photos and more NLE courses
« Reply #7 on: December 05, 2010, 05:12:04 PM »
Fauldhouse still there (known now as Greenburn). (Scene of many's a teenaged FBD's finest golf escapades and one of my oldest friends still lives just behind the 2nd tee). No Station there anymore but the railway line runs right through the middle of the golf course - on a MASSIVE embankment!
Ah, the memories!
FBD.
The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Christoph Meister

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Re: Old photos and more NLE courses
« Reply #8 on: December 06, 2010, 11:47:23 AM »
I'll consult Ran as to the most efficient way to set up a GCA site available to all to deal with NLE courses in Europe. There are so many.

Mark,

great idea! - I'll put together the defunct courses in Germany for you - there are quite a few....

Christoph
Golf's Missing Links - Continental Europe
 https://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php/wales-2
EAGHC European Association of
Golf Historians & Collectors
http://www.golfika.com
German Hickory Golf Society e.V.
http://www.german-hickory.com

Mark_Rowlinson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Old photos and more NLE courses
« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2010, 12:34:20 PM »
Thanks Christoph - you are a wonderful resource!  Mark.

I got to speak a little German today - I bumped into the tenor Thomas Schulze at the Royal Northern College of Music today. His English is, of course, FAR better than my German.

Adrian_Stiff

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Re: Old photos and more NLE courses
« Reply #10 on: December 06, 2010, 01:34:46 PM »
The old Woolacombe golf course site still looks intact. It looks as good as Bandon Dunes, checkout the pictures on google earth... just north of Saunton.
A combination of whats good for golf and good for turf.
The Players Club, Cumberwell Park, The Kendleshire, Oake Manor, Dainton Park, Forest Hills, Erlestoke, St Cleres.
www.theplayersgolfclub.com