British NLE Courses by Mark Rowlinson

[Ran Morrissett]

Now posted under In My Opinion is Mark Rowlinson's initial attempt at compiling a list of courses that are no longer in existence across the United Kingdom.

Mark doesn't claim to be the authority (though of course he is!) and wonders if any one person is. Therefore, this In My Opinion piece is a call to arms whereby he wants YOUR help and would be very grateful to anyone who can supply additional information and/or courses, either within this thread or by emailing him at  markrowlinson@btopenworld.com.

His overriding goal is to build a useful resource, one that is capable of ongoing development. He will do the vetting, updating and amending, but graciously has no interest in claiming any sort of propriety to the list.

There are all kinds of benefits to compiling such a list, including properly framing an architect's career. Just because some courses don't stand the test of time due to war or economic times doesn't mean that they shouldn't count when considering the merits of an architect's body of work.

Every sixty days or so we will post on Mark's behalf an updated list with all the additions in red ink. The goal is to feel like we have helped Mark develop a comprehensive list by the end of this summer.

Cheers,

[Niall C]

That list already looks like quite an achievement to compile, well done Mark.

One of the courses listed in the Scotland list was Glasgow (1st Lanark Volunteers). This was a 6 hole course situated on the site of what is now the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow and about 100 yards from where I now live. Built in 1890's it doubled as both a makeshift golf course and as a parade ground. Looking at the site now you would be lucky to fit two good size holes into it.

Question - are we also to include courses which have been totally rerouted such that the new course bears no resemblance to the original ?

Niall

[Duncan Cheslett]

Fascinating stuff, Mark.

I'm particularly interested in your feature on Mirrlees, having played there as a child many times in the 70s with my grandfather who was a member.

If it began life as Davenport GC which then moved to Offerton to become Stockport GC, what is the story behind the other Davenport GC which used to be located on Garners Lane? Was there a connection or did the second club spring up separately?

As Davenport now play in Poynton should not the Garners Lane site be added to your NLE list?



I guess the lake is all that remains...

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Thanks Duncan.

Club website mentions: Club founded as a society, The Niblicks, in 1913. Subsequently established as course on Garners Lane, Stockport. Threatened by road development in 1966, club purchased Worth Hall Farm in Poynton in 1969. Final competition at Garners Lane on 29th Sept 1973. Land sold for development. 

It will be in the list next time round.

Niall, Thank you, also. I'm afraid the Scotland part of the list is very lacklustre. I'm sure you'll have much to contribute.

[Ben Stephens]

Mark,

Another NLE for you! Tredegar Park in Newport, South Wales. The old course closed about 10 yrs ago and developers planned a housing development there. Nothing has happened since. The club has moved to Rogerstone not far away from Newport Golf Club.

Cheers
Ben

[Adrian_Stiff]

I have played the old Tredegar Park, very quirky. You used to walk across a railway line to get to the first tee. The first hole was a par 4 but you could get it on with a 7 iron, it had 4 par five holes on the trott, a par 3 where the tee was a mat on an iron bridge and it finished with two par 3 holes! Was quite a nice course overall. I think if you go to google 1945 you can see it pre motorway and it the M4 diseccted it.
Puxton Park, Somerset is another more recent NLE.
Tower Hill, Burton, Somerset was a quirker too, I played it once, it had some greens that must have been less than 100 sqare yards, a dog leg par 3, a par 3 where you played over the car park (dont hit it fat) and a pair of tough par 4 holes, I think it was the toughest par 33 you could ever find. It closed maybe 1990?
Another Welsh one thats gone is Shirenewton, you can see this gradually fade on google. I think it closed around 2003? Its a bit north of St. Pierre (few miles).
Wootten Under Edge had a 9 holer too, right next to what is now Canons Court, you can still see some tee platforms.
Birdlip Hill, Glos had a course, I think I can make it out on the 1945 google.

If google earth can complete their 1945 mapping it will answer a lot of questions for us.

[Ben Stephens]

I have played the old Tredegar Park, very quirky. You used to walk across a railway line to get to the first tee. The first hole was a par 4 but you could get it on with a 7 iron, it had 4 par five holes on the trott, a par 3 where the tee was a mat on an iron bridge and it finished with two par 3 holes! Was quite a nice course overall. I think if you go to google 1945 you can see it pre motorway and it the M4 diseccted it.
Puxton Park, Somerset is another more recent NLE.
Tower Hill, Burton, Somerset was a quirker too, I played it once, it had some greens that must have been less than 100 sqare yards, a dog leg par 3, a par 3 where you played over the car park (dont hit it fat) and a pair of tough par 4 holes, I think it was the toughest par 33 you could ever find. It closed maybe 1990?
Another Welsh one thats gone is Shirenewton, you can see this gradually fade on google. I think it closed around 2003? Its a bit north of St. Pierre (few miles).
Wootten Under Edge had a 9 holer too, right next to what is now Canons Court, you can still see some tee platforms.
Birdlip Hill, Glos had a course, I think I can make it out on the 1945 google.

If google earth can complete their 1945 mapping it will answer a lot of questions for us.

Adi,

My cousin, who you have met, used to play golf at Shirenewton when he was starting out golf. The business went bust and no one took over the course so it went back to farming.

Google Earth 1945 is fascinating especially looking at the damage in London just after the Blitz!

Cheers
Ben

Cheers
Ben

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Ben and Adrian,

Thank you for your information. I expect the list to grow to about twice the size, especially when those hundreds of old Scottish courses are added in.

[James Boon]

Mark,

Great work! I look forward to seeing the list expand and for more meat to be put on the bones. If I can find the time to do any more local digging for information, I'll let you know!

Cheers,

James

[Robin_Hiseman]

Mark

I can add a couple more to your list and illustrate the Langton Hall entry.

First off, Langton Hall.

This aerial shows the remnants of the four holes in the old parkland together with the irrigation lake.  The old greens are the brown patches.  The 9th tee played from within the avenue of trees to the right to the green in front of the hall. 

Langton Hall, NLE, near Market Harborough.

Edenbridge Golf Club, Skeynes Course

Without question, the most boring golf course I ever played.  Endless staight up and down holes between rows of densely packed saplings to identical, upturned saucer greens.  It was cheap, and very nasty.  Not surprised that it has gone.  It was awful!


Skeynes Course NLE, Edenbridge Kent

Park Prewett Hospital, Basingstoke

Don't know anything about the history of this place other than it was attached to the abandoned Park Prewett Hospital, which has, since this picture was taken, been redeveloped as housing.  The old golf course is still there lying fallow, for now.  That is Weybrook Park to the north.


Park Prewett NLE, Basingstoke

If I come up with any more, I'll chip in.  This is fascinating stuff.

[Brian_Ewen]

Robin
Did you ever do any more research on your local NLE , Laurencekirk ?

There is also one more, on the other side of Stonehaven , Muchalls GC, which I believe closed with the start of WWII

[Tony_Muldoon]

A forgotten course with its own history.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rudyard-Lake-Golf-Club-1906-1926-Jeuda-History-RARE-/360340680355?pt=UK_Sports_Memorabilia_ET&hash=item53e5fa6ea3


Too busy to post much but I have been looking at a few sites on Google earth - the 1945 views are illuminating.  You can see the second course at Fulwell NLE.  Designed by Taylor after RMS as a 36hole facillity the  ladies course is now a 9 holer own by the council, dating from the 1970's and have nothing to do with the old course.  What is also fascinating is the area of what is now the main course given over to agriculture during the war.   I will eb doing research on several other courses I know sufferred this fate. That and the lack of money to restore the pre war course means ore 'archetecture' was lost than generally acknowledged.

I think it was Scott who previously pointed out you can see Addington New on there. I must check out Princes, Bembridge and hopefully the Rothchilds private course by Simpson.

[Niall C]

A forgotten course with its own history.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rudyard-Lake-Golf-Club-1906-1926-Jeuda-History-RARE-/360340680355?pt=UK_Sports_Memorabilia_ET&hash=item53e5fa6ea3


Too busy to post much but I have been looking at a few sites on Google earth - the 1945 views are illuminating.  You can see the second course at Fulwell NLE.  Designed by Taylor after RMS as a 36hole facillity the  ladies course is now a 9 holer own by the council, dating from the 1970's and have nothing to do with the old course.  What is also fascinating is the area of what is now the main course given over to agriculture during the war.   I will eb doing research on several other courses I know sufferred this fate. That and the lack of money to restore the pre war course means ore 'archetecture' was lost than generally acknowledged.

I think it was Scott who previously pointed out you can see Addington New on there. I must check out Princes, Bembridge and hopefully the Rothchilds private course by Simpson.

Tony

I'm sure both the wars will be key dates for when lots of courses were lost. I've started a list of Scottish courses NLE and I'm up to about 40 and thats courses that were around in the 1890's but aren't about now using Robert Price 2002 edition as a list of courses still in existence. What I often don't have is a date for when they went out of existance but I'll bet many were used for agriculture during the wars and simply never went back to being a golf course.

Incredible to think that many of the fields that you pass as you drive around might have been golf courses once upon a time.

Niall

[RSLivingston_III]

After reading James Balfours first chapter describing the changes to the Old Course between the 1840s and the 1880s, I would count TOC in this list. 1840s era version sounds like it was a wonderful challenge.

Reminiscences of Golf on St. Andrews Links

[Robin_Hiseman]

Robin
Did you ever do any more research on your local NLE , Laurencekirk ?

There is also one more, on the other side of Stonehaven , Muchalls GC, which I believe closed with the start of WWII

Brian

I read up on it in the local library, but there wasn't much to see.  There were whispers that the landowner wants to resurrect it, but I doubt it's the top of his agenda currently.  It' been a while since I could call Laurencekirk my local village.  Moved down south in 2005.

[Duncan Cheslett]

A forgotten course with its own history.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rudyard-Lake-Golf-Club-1906-1926-Jeuda-History-RARE-/360340680355?pt=UK_Sports_Memorabilia_ET&hash=item53e5fa6ea3

I may be being fanciful but can signs of golf course activity not be seen in the field at the centre of this Google Earth photo - even after 85 years?

[Tony_Muldoon]

 
Mark great list but the original Blackheath is missing .






I will check but I’m not sure that the course at Wimbledon Common hasn’t moved form its original site.

Or more tangentially,  how about Pall Mall?


http://www.golf-information.info/chole-mail-kolven.html



Duncan I think you may be onto something.

[Duncan Cheslett]

Mark,

Another one for your list, and you'll be kicking yourself!

Royal Ascot GC for over 100 years played in the middle of the racecourse - I'm sure we've all seen it on TV.  A few years ago they were kicked off the racecourse and built a new golf course next door.

http://www.royalascotgolfclub.co.uk/about

[Craig Disher]

Mark,
I've located a cache of German WWII aerial photos which as you'd expect contain many views of the SE coast. I'm sure they will provide some additions to your list. One 1940 photo shows a course located to the east of Hastings in what is now Hastings Country Park. If you look at the park on google maps there is a small pond which is located about at the center of where the course was located.

Another NLE was located to the west of Hastings on the coastal road. Here's its location:

[Duncan Cheslett]

I just found another one Mark, and it's on your doorstep!

Helsby GC used to play on a course on Helsby Hill, before leaving following a dispute with their landlord and settling at their present site.

 http://www.helsbygolfclub.org/pages.php/page/caf853cc-c3fe-102c-9079-001ec9b331b2/view.html

You gave Helsby a rather lukewarm review in your 'Cheshire'  book - I'm playing there today so it will interesting to see if I agree.

Are we still on for Friday?

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Thanks Duncan. Errors are relatively easy to spot. Omissions can be much harder. There was a course at Frodsham in 1870 or so making it the 2nd oldest in Cheshire. It folded and today's course is a recent thing by John Day, if memory serves me correctly.

What did you think of Helsby?