With not much golf taking place recently regular contributor to the Huddersfield Golf Blog, Bob Hazelden a member at Outlane, has put together some brief facts that golfers might not know about the clubs in the HHDUGC.
1. Dewsbury Golf Club - The oldest club in our Union - Founded in 1891and the original design of the course by Tom Morris and later altered and overseen by Peter Allis and Dave Thomas in 1972. Ted Ray from Ganton also advised in 1906 and The Pinnacle became a feature hole. A new clubhouse was built in 2001.
2. Huddersfield Golf Club - Founded in 1892 - At this time the Golf Club started renting rooms at Fixby Hall which was empty in 1892 and then leased the property from Thornhill Estate since 1899. Huddersfield Golf Club has provided 11 Presidents of The Halifax & Huddersfield Union of Golf Clubs in their history. Alex Herd was their first professional and won The Open in 1902. The late Lawrence Batley started the Lawrence Batley League from his own club here.
3. Halifax Golf Club - Founded in 1895 - Designed by James Braid (5 times Open Champion) and later altered by Dr.Alistair MacKenzie (designer of Augusta National, home of The Masters). The club is currently trying to find out if it is the second highest golf course in England. The 17th hole is named after a member (it is called Bagotts Leap).
4. Todmorden Golf Club - Formed in 1895 - The '9 hole' club is unique in that it has 10 holes!! (you play the 7th and the next time round you play a completely different 16th hole) - The clubhouse, built in 1764 has been modernised for golfers and in 1895 A. Herd (professional at Fixby) was engaged to lay out the ground which is 400 feet above the town to the best advantage. The new links was completed in 1907 so you could say it had two centenaries.
5. Castlefields Golf Club - Founded in 1903- A 6 hole course that produces golfers who are renown for their short game with all par 3 holes and also has provided the Union with a President (Peter Thomson 1995).
6. Saddleworth Golf Club - Founded in 1904 - 9 holes by George Lowe / Dr.MacKenzie and extended to 18 in 1913 with the original 5th green laid out by Dr.Mackenzie still there. The club has 700 members and employed a member (Robert Johnson) to be their professional. The par 70 has a course record of 62!
The club introduced 70,000 trees to the course from 1904 which radically changed the character of the course with several dog legs having to be navigated.
7. Halifax West End - Founded in 1906 - Sport has been enjoyed on the West End turf since 1870 (horse racing - last time 1884) but in 1906 Hugh Campbell arranged a meeting which was well attended at The White Swan Hotel in Halifax to form a golf club. In 1947 West End member Fred Stocks was elected the first president of the Union, a post he held for two years. In 1949 Sam Smith (a past captain) was president of the English Golf Union and George Butler and John Peet were Yorkshire Presidents in 1957 and 1983.
8 Outlane Golf Club - Founded in 1906 - Originally known as Lindley Golf Club and was formed by Dr. Louis Demetriadi (born in Manchester and was House Surgeon at Huddersfield Infirmary) and he was the first captain of the club. The club started with 9 holes and the clubhouse was on what is now the 8th tee. When the course became 18 holes a clubhouse became available on New Hey Road (1909) until 1929 when once again it was moved to the Childrens Home which later became the Old Golf House Hotel. In 1971 the clubhouse was moved once again (due to the motorway) to its present site. A cul-de-sac in Outlane is named after Jack Weldon (Weldon Drive) a past professional at the club.
9. Halifax Bradley Hall Golf Club - Formed in 1907- A handful of men living in Holywell Green and Stainland started playing on a piece of land near to the present course and a wooden clubhouse was built in 1909. The Bradley Hall house became available to lease from Lord Mexborough in 1922 and in 1924 he officially opened the new club. In 1930 Harold Emsley represented Yorkshire six times and later Andrew Whitworth played 36 times for his county.
10. Lightcliffe Golf Club - Formed 1907 - A special leather suitcase contained (minutes going back to 1907) all the history of the club . In November 1973 it was recorded that all minute books were in being except 1933 - 1939. Alas today the leather suitcase and its treasured contents are nowhere to be found. A special feature on the clubs logo is the railway viaduct at the bottom of the course.
11. Meltham Golf Club - Founded 1908 - A group of local worthies one of whom was a former resident of Thick Hollins Hall got together to play the original 6 holes around the Hall and they extended it to 9 holes and then again extended it to 18 holes in 1923. The club bought the course in 1946 for £4,750 which included eight cottages and finally in 1987 more land was bought to accommodate three new holes.
12. Ryburn Golf Club - Formed 1910 - Although relatively short the moorland course is a fine test of character and ability for any golfer (a challenge lies in wait on this well manicured course). It is one mile north above Sowerby Bridge and has fine views of surrounding areas. The par is 66 but the course record is 56!!
13. Elland Golf ClubIngham (a solicitor of Hullen Edge Hall) was instrumental in forming the club and early in 1910 he attended preliminary meetings at the Town Hall to form the club and released 37 acres of his land at a rent of £48-5s-6d per annum. Originally only 6 holes three more were added the following year and the club had 146 members. Mr.Ingham sold his land to Arthur Wilkinson (owner of Blackley brickworks) and after his death the course was sold to club members at an auction at the Saville Arms in 1960 for £3,000. The course has no par 5s.
14. Longley Park Golf Club - Founded 1911 - Set in mature woodland and the par of 66 is a good indication that is by no means as straightforward as it sounds. There is plenty of challenges to test every club in your bag and whilst it is just 9 holes two of them alter in the second loop to keep the 33 par each way.
15. Crosland Heath - Founded 1914 - The club tried to get established in 1896 as a 9 hole course at Cowlersley but assumed its present title in 1914. Under the guidance of Dr. MacKenzie who recognised the unique features provided with the quarries a course was built around them and other courses have probably spent a lot of money to create such holes as the 2nd, 9th and 17th. Possession of the land was taken in 1914 but the proposed clubhouse had to come later (Sands House Hotel was used). The course is nearly 1,000 feet above sea level
16. Marsden - Founded 1920 - The golf club is set in the Pennine hills overlooking the village and owes its existence to the generosity of the mill owner John Edward Crowther who made land available and it offers peace and tranquility whilst being in easy reach of Huddersfield and Oldham. The par of 68 is not easy to get but the course record of 64 is probably held by Alec Bickerdike, a former professional. Jim Crompton is the current professional.
17. Woodsome Hall Golf Club - Founded 1922 - The original architect of the course William Button (later to become club professional) and then James Braid in 1929 amended some design features.The course was changed to play the first 9 the other way round and it looked better as you teed off in front of the imposing Jacobean Hall which has survived with many of the original structures and features. James Braid also created Carnoustie and Gleneagles.
18. Hanging Heaton Golf Club - Established 1922 - A 9 hole course but the term nine-holes should be used loosely in relation to the club as different tee positions on the second nine make the subsequent shots on most holes a totally different prospect from the outward half. An unusual result of the course record is that an amateur J.Maguire holds it with a 64 whilst the professional record is 65 on the par 69 course.
19. Queensbury Golf Club - Founded 1923 - It was founded by the Foster family who were the owners of the famous Black Dyke Mill and is still as popular now as it was when it opened . The course designer was Jonathan Gaunt and the current President of the Union Geoff Ralph is a member there. The second hole is one of a giant gamble when playing a Stableford and you can go over some very high trees if you are feeling lucky but most golfers play it as a dogleg.
20. Hebden Bridge - Established 1924 - Four players calling themselves The Lowkers were actually trespassing on nearby farming land when hitting a ball there at the time but they started on the course to register interest. However in the 1950's Cape Insulations bought the land for their local employees and elected captains from the firm. In 1970 members bought the premises and the land for £4,000 from the firm. The course laid out on a hill side is 1,000 feet above sea level and the clubhouse is a converted farm house and barn dating back to 1779.
21. Bradley Park Golf Club - Founded 1977/78 - The course designer was Donald Steel and it caters for all levels of golfer with an 18 hole, 9 hole par 3 course and a floodlit driving range. The club will have the President of the union next year (Richard Kaye) and he is the second president from this relatively new club. Bradley Park professional Parnell Reilly was recently the Captain of the P.G.A, an honour which the club are certainly very proud of.
22. Willow Valley Golf Club - The course was routed in 1992 by Gaunt and Marnoch (opened a year later) but constructed by their own team under the watchful eyes of owners Mr.and Mrs Newton who have turned the complex into one of the finest in Yorkshire and indeed it is the home of the Yorkshire P.G.A championships. It actually has 50 golf holes over 4 courses with a standard scratch score of 74 over the main course.
23. Crow Nest Park Golf Club - Established 1995- The farming family owned course was created on 70 acres of grounds owned by Sir Titus Salt and has a floodlit driving range to accompany the beautifully laid out course. It was voted in the top ten of best 9 hole courses in the UK with its greens built to USGA standards.
The course was designed by Will Anderson.
Hazelden noted, "All the courses mentioned have their dates in when they started and it is interesting to note that there is over 100 years between the first (Dewsbury) and the latest (Crow Nest Park)."
He added, "There also used to be a 9 hole course at Slaithwaite in the Lingards Wood area and although I can't get any information about this course of when it opened and closed and why. It was the late Ceddie Beaumont (a member at Marsden) who told me about it but unfortunately I haven't got the relevant information. "
If there is anyone who could supply the information for a possible book Hazelden may be writing of the clubs in our area please get in touch (news@huddersfieldgolf.co.uk).
To celebrate Elland Golf Club’s Centenary, the Captain, Mr David Nicholson, and Lady Captain, Miss Carole Wood, funded the building of a trophy cabinet to display the many cups, salvers and medals etc. which can be won throughout the year.
Organiser of the championship, Edward Battye, explained, “The main route to the grand final is by entering the matchplay section and becoming the champion of your county. However, I also wanted to add an extra dimension and provide another way for golfers to qualify. A stand-alone tournament, where effectively the winner takes all, should add for some great excitement and tension.”
Bryn Jenkinson won the First Division Knockout Competition with a last hole victory in the 36 hole Final and Stephen Kinder (he also won the Stan Sykes Junior knockout final on the 17th hole) won the Matchplay Knockout Final after another 36 hole final which he clinched on the 35th hole.
Outlane Professional David Chapman is hoping the course won't be closed too long as he has plenty of Christmas presents in his shop which is still open for golfers who require equipment for presents.
