Northampton Golf Course 1893-1990 NLE

[Ben Stephens]

Dear GCA,

I was playing in a pro-am at Northampton Golf Club yesterday, which my team won!! what intrigues me is the original course - Old Tom Morris was involved in the design of 9 holes on the Kettering Road side of Spinney Hill in 1895 and Willie Park Jr was inolved in the design of 18 holes in 1914.

Donald Steel was the designer of the 'new' course at Harlestone on the Althorp Estate. It is ok with two very good par 3's - 2 and 16.

I found some images of the 'old' course which I was told was like an inland links in the opening 4 holes and the last 4 holes. The 18th hole then was the hardest finishing hole in Northamptonshire.

Here are some images:



Aerial Image






























Condition of the course in 1980!


The sad thing is that a supermarket now occupies the site of the old 1st tee, 2 and 18th greens as well as 18th fairway. The rumpled nature of the land remains and one wonders would it be suitable for a public pay as you play par 3 course?

Cheers
Ben

[Brad Tufts]

Wow...great undulation on that old course.

Why did they move/change?

[Ben Stephens]

Wow...great undulation on that old course.

Why did they move/change?

Yes - wow - I don't know exactly why they moved I suspect probably for development. When I saw these photos in a book at the club I thought wow and why did the hell they moved???!

[Adrian_Stiff]

£££ i expect   
 I found this site about NLEs       www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk

[Ben Attwood]

Wow!

In my teens (late 1990's), before I was passionate about golf, I spent a fair amount of time mountain biking. Our town hang out was on the 'old golf course' at Kettering road. What great memories. It was a fun place to race around with a few friends with jumps out of what I presume were old bunkers.   

I would have loved to have played it as a golf course, but make no apologies that my first post on this site is not about playing golf on golf course terrain! I also used to ride past this place everyday on my way to school. Half of the area was ideal links type terrain and half was plain land on a slight incline. Thank you for the thread.

[Jonathan Davison]

Adrian,

The missing links website is fantastic. Very interesting the amount of lost courses just in the North East of England.

[Ben Stephens]

Images provided by the Rt. Hon. M.H. Morrow GCA











Thanks Melvyn!

[Ben Stephens]

Additional information regarding nearby Kettering Golf Club - thanks to Melvyn

[Ben Stephens]

Excerpt from Golf's Missing Links - thanks Adrian!


Northampton Golf Club.
 
 
 
Founded in 1893. An 18 hole Willie Park designed course at Spinney Hill. The club continued at this site until its move to Harlestone in the late 1980s.
 
 
 
Just after WW2 the address was Kettering Road, Spinney Hill. The secretary was W Turner, St John’s School, Tiffield, Towcester. The professional was D McEwan and the greenkeeper J M Jones. Course records were, amateur R Catt 69, professional J M Jones 67. The 18 holes had a SSS of 73 and there was a membership of 425. Visitors’ fees 3/6 a day (intro 2/6), weekends and Bank Holidays 5/- a day (2/6). Sunday play allowed with caddies.
 
 
 
Just prior to the move from Kettering Road in the late 1980s the secretary was T C A Knight and the professional R Lovelady. Course records were, amateur C Cieslewicz 66 (set in 1972), professional M Gallagher 64 (1983*). The 18 holes measured 6,002 yards with a SSS of 69, the membership was 600. Visitors fees were £10.

*year recorrected from 1963 to 1983 based on copy of card in clubhouse

Played in a pro am at the new course recently and Mike Gallagher was one of the pros taking part!