CLEEVE SAVED

[Adam Lawrence]

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/cheltenham-news/cleeve-hill-golf-club-saved-4943828?fbclid=IwAR0ifl1sT5Xr8eYbCwuUV5BwnQFO-lhYzHLlm1xGc_tVhys5nQIZ3NU1x1o

[Tommy Williamsen]

Well, that seems like good news.

[Mungo Park]

Yes, great news - I hope that 'Cotswold Hub Co' will do this unique location justice and keep it accessible to all. It is a real triumph for the Save Cleeve Hill Golf Course guys, and for Tewkesbury Borough . . . . who listened! Tom Morris is reputed to have designed it, as mentioned in a contemporary newspaper comment. I wonder if Melvyn Morrow knows anything about its detail? Certainly David Brown (Open winner 1886 and professional at the time at the Worcestershire GC in Malvern) was employed to build the greens and tees. Brown, from Musselburgh also designed and built Painswick, another extraordinary Cotswold course, within an Iron Age hill settlement. These two, with Minchinhampton Old really present golf as it used to be; plenty of space, a few cows and sheep and the occasional puff of wind to make life interesting.

[Bernie Bell]

"The authority said the proposal 'promises to deliver a place 'where cyclists, walkers, golfers, riders, wildlife enthusiasts and historians all share a common interest: the unique Cleeve Hill'.'"

Love the concept.

[Tom Mills]

For those that would be interested, we got to speak to the new proprietors - The Cotswold Hub Co about their plans with the club:


https://cookiejargolf.com/cleeve-hill-golf-club-new-owners-announced/

[Michael Whitaker]

Tom - Well done! Cleeve Cloud is so special. The podcast is excellent. Thanks!

[Tom_Doak]

Yes, great news - I hope that 'Cotswold Hub Co' will do this unique location justice and keep it accessible to all. It is a real triumph for the Save Cleeve Hill Golf Course guys, and for Tewkesbury Borough . . . . who listened! Tom Morris is reputed to have designed it, as mentioned in a contemporary newspaper comment. I wonder if Melvyn Morrow knows anything about its detail? Certainly David Brown (Open winner 1886 and professional at the time at the Worcestershire GC in Malvern) was employed to build the greens and tees. Brown, from Musselburgh also designed and built Painswick, another extraordinary Cotswold course, within an Iron Age hill settlement. These two, with Minchinhampton Old really present golf as it used to be; plenty of space, a few cows and sheep and the occasional puff of wind to make life interesting.

I am surprised to see Old Tom Morris' name come up as the designer of the course.  When I played it a few years ago, I tried to sort out who had designed it and the only sources I could find mentioned David Brown.  When was the attribution to Old Tom made?

[Tom Mills]

I believe it was Sean Arble that found Melvyn Morrow Hunter, descendent of Old Tom, who had some newspaper clippings from 1891 declaring the course was laid out by Old Tom, but I'm sure Sean has more details than I!

[Thomas Dai]

See the first page or so of this course tour thread where ‘who did what’ at Cleeve is debated -


https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,49796.0.html


As I enquired on the other thread -
“Has any further progress been made on who-did-what at Cleeve?
Reading through the earlier posts within this thread there’s debate about OTM’s involvement and mention of David Browns brother (not DB himself) being involved. Plus later on Cole & Huggett and Hawtree.”
Atb

[Tom Mills]

I'm certainly no expert and don't claim to be, but Melvyn posted the photo of The Golfer's Guide circa mid 1890's and the clip states
 
"The course of eighteen holes on Cleeve Common, about three miles from the town, from which a bus runs four times daily in winter, and every half hour in the Summer. The green was laid out by Tom Morris, and offers plenty of variety consisting of quarries, road gorse and cart-****. IT is about 3 1/2 miles *****. Magnificent views over the lowlands of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, to the far-away hills of Wales and Shropshire are to be *******"
 
*s indicate words i couldn't quite make out! But it does seem to indicate the involvement. Nostalgically, and perhaps full of confirmation bias, I want to believe this to be true as it adds so much romance to the place! Also it's hard to argue with the above article unless one would doubt its authenticity.

[Brian_Ewen]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPAT8GDDZNs

[Ally Mcintosh]

I really do need to make an effort to do a Cleeve / Painswick / Minchimpton visit.

[Adrian_Stiff]

See the first page or so of this course tour thread where ‘who did what’ at Cleeve is debated -


https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,49796.0.html


As I enquired on the other thread -
“Has any further progress been made on who-did-what at Cleeve?
Reading through the earlier posts within this thread there’s debate about OTM’s involvement and mention of David Browns brother (not DB himself) being involved. Plus later on Cole & Huggett and Hawtree.”
Atb

OTM laid the original course out, the 14th-15th remain, the OTM holes are left of 17 you can still see pads for the tees/greens. David Brown's brother was the greenkeeper.