MANCHESTER GOLF CLUB - a photo tour of Harry Colt's Hopwood

[Duncan Cheslett]

Discussion of Manchester GC on the Hallamshire thread sent me delving through old photos I’d taken over several visits, and prompted me to put together a brief tour of one of my favourite inland courses in North West England.


The original Manchester Golf Club was formed 200 years ago in 1818 but ceased playing in 1880. Around the same time some Scots ex-pats formed a new club and called it Manchester St Andrews Golf Club to differentiate it from the older club. Once it appeared certain that the original club had ceased operation the “St Andrews” was dropped and the snappier name appropriated.


When the first Manchester club resurrected itself a few years later, they were forced to take the name “Old Manchester Golf Club”. The club survives without a course or home to this day.


Manchester Golf Club famously played at Trafford Park for several years, and the course merited inclusion in Darwin’s “Golf Courses of the British Isles” in 1910. Shortly afterwards however, Trafford Park was developed into a huge industrial estate and the club had to find a new home. They settled on a site on the moors to the north of the city and called in Harry Colt to design a course. As far as I can discern, not very much has changed since.


Hopwood Cottage became the new clubhouse, and Hopwood has been the name by which the club is known locally ever since.
 
The first hole is a good par 4 on which, unusually for Hopwood, everything can be seen from the tee.





The 2^nd is a short par 5 which on the card looks eminently reachable.





Until you realise what one has to carry to make the green. A lay-up is the sensible choice for most.





The 3^rd is another par 5 – this time a sterner test altogether. The tee shot is blind






As is the second!





Until finally the green is in view.





The 4^th is a lovely short hole, typically Colt.





The 5^th is a blind tee shot





Followed by an uphill approach to a lovely green





Another blind tee shot on the 6^th – a theme is developing here!





The 7^th is an uphill reachable par 4





And the 8^th an exposed short hole not without its charms or perils in the inevitable wind.





To be continued...

[Duncan Cheslett]

Hole 9 is a downhill par 5 with a second shot over a brook which many will wimp out of.






The 10th comes immediately back up the hill to a beautifully sited green defended by an oft visited cross bunker.





The course is in top gear now, transitioning from one memorable hole to another. 11 is a shortish dogleg which some may be able to cut over the trees.



The view from the corner and the reason why attempting to drive the green may not be the wisest strategy...



12 is probably my favourite hole on the course, and one that unveils itself slowly. The mill in the background is the line off the tee.



The approach looks straightforward enough...



Until you get a little further...



I find 13 very one-dimensional and contrived, but many view it as Hopwood's signature hole. It's a longish par 3 over scrubland to a flattish green which juts out from the surrounding hillside like the prow of an ocean liner.



Things get moving again with a majestic drive to a wide fairway. The green is tucked round to the left up the hill.



I could have done with finding another 50 yards with my drive!



15 is a straightforward 2 shotter with lovely bunkering. The waste area out to the right is typical of Hopwood. The property is huge, and rarely does one see another hole, never mind another golfer!



16 is an even longer par 3 - at 230 yards uphill a full driver for most!



I've always thought that the course peters out a little over the final two holes. The 17th begins the march back to the clubhouse



And rather disappointingly, the 18th finishes in no-mans land 200 yards short of the house. I can't think why the final green could not have been by the clubhouse terrace. Now of course, the pathway to get there is blocked by trees, greens sheds, and car parking.



I've always enjoy playing Hopwood, and considered joining this year before plumping instead for Cavendish. As a MacKenzie acolyte, it would have been a step too far!

Hopwood is a big, serious course and worthy of a place among the second tier of inland tacks in northern England. It's not an Alwoodley or a Holinwell, but it sits comfortably alongside Cavendish, Delamere or Moortown in terms of quality IMO.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Nice to be reminded of Hopwood. Last time I played it I found too many of the carries forbidding, but my golf was going downhill rapidly. I lost a lot of balls in the deep rough - it was wet that summer. But it has tons of character.

[Adrian_Stiff]

Lovely tour Duncan. Looks a very nice course.

[Niall C]

Well done Duncan, good to see. There looked to be quite few shots playing up over the summit, is that fair comment ? I also agree entirely with your comments on the 13th. I'd be interested to know if that actually is a Colt hole or whether it is one that has been inserted/altered at a later date.

Niall

[Mark Pearce]

How could anyone look at the course shown in those pictures and think 13 was the "signature hole"?  It looks completely out of character.  It does make you suspect it's the result of alterations

[Adam Lawrence]

If that 13th is an original Colt hole I would be amazed. Apart from anything else, it is a pretty big piece of earthworks for pre-WW1. And although we know Colt moved quite a lot of dirt to create some greens that early (8 St George's Hill, 9 Swinley Forest) the shaping has very little in common with anything we know of his. It's true that his construction model was not properly established at this point, but Hopwood was a big commission for him at the time and it's inconceivable to me that he would have allowed that through.

[Duncan Cheslett]

If that 13th is an original Colt hole I would be amazed. Apart from anything else, it is a pretty big piece of earthworks for pre-WW1. And although we know Colt moved quite a lot of dirt to create some greens that early (8 St George's Hill, 9 Swinley Forest) the shaping has very little in common with anything we know of his. It's true that his construction model was not properly established at this point, but Hopwood was a big commission for him at the time and it's inconceivable to me that he would have allowed that through.

I agree entirely. The club appears to be really proud of the hole - the fly through on their website refers to it as their signature hole - but I think it is horrible.


The shaping of the artificial hill is so unnaturally uniform it defies belief. No attempt has been made to soften the transition between slope and green - it is as if a giant knife sliced the top off the hill and the sharp edges were left.


It is the shape of a giant bucket of earth tipped upside down and grassed over.


I've no idea what Colt's original hole looked like, but I'm sure this wasn't it. I will make it my mission to find out.


Who's up for a Hopwood/Fixby moorland combo in the spring? With Ogden as a side dish?

[Adam Lawrence]

I haven't played Ogden since I was a teenager. I used to love that place, because when I was playing with my Dad and his mates, the streams across the fairways meant my lack of length didn't make much difference. But I warn you it is a place for a nice day.

[Jon Wiggett]

I don't believe the 13th is original. I have vague recollections of being told the green was a lot lower and a little to the right. Having said that I also remembered the 18th green been just short of the clubhouse and not hidden behind trees or 200 yards away. Must be getting old.

[James Boon]

Thanks Duncan,


I came across reference to Manchester GC quite a few years ago and have been interested in seeing it ever since. If any get together that way comes about, I'll be there!


I know us GCAers often find interest in different things to most golfers, but how anyone can think that 13th is the pick of the bunch is beyond me (from your photos only of course...


5th looks a great greensite, as does the 12th.


Cheers,


James

[Duncan Cheslett]

Jon,


Re: 18th green.  This is what I'm talking about. Why would it be set 200 yards short of the house?





And while I'm at it, here's a Google Earth shot of the offending 13th in all its glory!

[Jon Wiggett]

Duncan,


after posting yesterday I sat down and had a good search through my memory and discovered I had superimposed the last hole of another course on to this one. Yes, you are correct it is really odd the last green is this way and that it has never been corrected.




With the 13th. From the description given to me I assume the old green used to occupy the area where the winter green is and the pad for the present green is also partially built on it.




Jon

[Sean_A]

Duncan

Thanks for the pix.  The course looks better than I thought it might despite some suspect bunkering.  I like the look of 13!  Its a do or don't die hole which isn't tarted up in any way...thats fine by me.

Ciao

[Duncan Cheslett]

Duncan

Thanks for the pix.  The course looks better than I thought it might despite some suspect bunkering.  I like the look of the 13!  Its a do or don't die hole which doesn't isn't tarted up in any way...thats fine by me.

Ciao

Sean,


I'm not sure why you thought Hopwood might be disappointing - it's a genuine Colt and was a big commission for him at the time. Manchester was a very prestigious and well-heeled club 100 years ago. The course was acclaimed as one the leading inland layouts in the north-west.


Time may have diminished the standing of the club somewhat, but not the course other than a lack of the kind of manicuring one might expect from the top echelon of clubs. The rough can get pretty brutal in a wet summer.


I hope you can make the trip soon.

[Ken Kearney]

Thanks Duncan for the tour.
I played Hopwood Cottage many, many, many moons ago in the first stage of tour school qualifying.
Your tour brought back some good memories. Nice golf course and a good Colt example. I cannot remember the 13th being so offensive !!
Thanks again,
Ken.

[Mark Pearce]

Who's up for a Hopwood/Fixby moorland combo in the spring? With Ogden as a side dish?

Time to fix this for 2020?

[James Reader]

I’d be very happy to arrange the Fixby end Mark.  And definitely worth including Ogden for anyone that’s not seen it.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

This would make a nice and very varied three-hole trip.

[Mark Pearce]

Thanks, James.


Would I be right to think that a trip like this should be left to late March/early April at the earliest?

[Jon Wiggett]

Thanks, James.


Would I be right to think that a trip like this should be left to late March/early April at the earliest?

I would think mid May as you will have reasonable temperatures but the rough should not have grown much. As I recall Hopwood can have brutal rough and some of the back nine at Fixby too.

[Adam Lawrence]

Thanks, James.


Would I be right to think that a trip like this should be left to late March/early April at the earliest?

I don't think I'm brave enough to countenance Ogden in March!

[Mark Pearce]

Thanks, James.


Would I be right to think that a trip like this should be left to late March/early April at the earliest?

I don't think I'm brave enough to countenance Ogden in March!

Yes, but you have abandoned your Northern roots to become a soft Southerner, whereas I have performed the reverse transformation and am a hard as nails Northerner.


May it is.....

[James Reader]

Thanks, James.


Would I be right to think that a trip like this should be left to late March/early April at the earliest?

I don't think I'm brave enough to countenance Ogden in March!

I’d say May would be a safer bet. It’s not that there won’t be some good days at Ogden before then, but we’d be taking pot luck and when it’s grim up there it can be really grim.

[Duncan Cheslett]

May is certainly the earliest in the year that I would want to plan an outing to three rather exposed moorland courses!

The lengthening days also enable the possibility of getting a game in on a Saturday afternoon at one of the courses after the club competition, with the choice of 18 or 36 holes on the Sunday at the other two.


I will call Manchester GC today to see if it would be possible to book a couple of tee times on a Saturday afternoon in May.

Alternatively there are two bank holidays in May.