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Wolverhampton District Golf Club, Bilston. (1898 - WW1)

Founded in 1898.

Appeared in the late 1890s the club had disappeared by WW1.

Professional at the club; G K Wilson, 1898 - 1901; S Wingate, 1901 - 1903: J Compston, 1903 - 1905; J D Collins, 1905/6; Tom Bell, 1907/8.

 

Wolverhampton District Golf Club, Bilston. Report on the progress of the club in March 1899.

"Golf" Friday 10 March 1899. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

Below is the result of a match played at Coventry Golf Club against Wolverhampton Golf Club in May 1899. 

Coventry Golf Club   Wolverhampton (District) Golf Club  
F M G Abell M Wilkie  0
Hugh Rotherham  0 T N Fowke 2
Kenneth Rotherham  D B W Lamb 0
G F Twist  C Elwell 
H Smith D A E Chesshire  0
W Hillman 6 A C Cozens-Hardy 
G Hume  11 R J Lawrence 
R A Rotherham  2 Rupert Smith 
M Brown  Dr Edge  0
Kevitt Rotherham 1 H B L Atkinson  0
S Cash  7 C T Mander
  43   2

 

Wolverhampton and District Golf Club, Bilston. Club button hallmarked Birmingham 1903.

Club button courtesy of Dixon Pickup The Arms were granted in 1898 hallmarked Birmingham 1903.

 

It was reported in April 1900 that Sydney Wingate had been appointed professional at the Wolverhampton District Golf Club.

Following is a report attributed to the Birmingham Daily Post of the 29 June 1900. It gives a good insight into reporting of the time and particularly to golf. It illustrates perfectly the struggles some golf clubs encountered in trying to survive, and in the end failing.

“The Wolverhampton District Club is still proceeding, although somewhat slowly. Sydney Wingate, the new professional, gives so far, every satisfaction to the members; he is a painstaking coach, has an excellent free style, and plays a capital round, while he is doing everything that the members require in making and repairing their clubs. It is certainly a feather in his cap that the members of the Bilston club took all the chief prizes at the Barmouth Whit-week Meeting. Mr Charles Perry won the Cambrian Cup, Mr George Evans the Cors-y-Gedol Cup and J W Davis a handsome silver cigarette box; Frank Dickinson was also amongst the winners. All these golfers are practically novices, and it will be seen from their performances at Barmouth that they have learnt their game to some purposes on their home links. The long grass difficulty is present with the Bilston committee, and while they have done some mowing care has to be taken to respect the tenant’s rights. The monthly silver button was won this week by Dr Steel, another beginner; he went round in 100 gross. Members are not quite satisfied with the present accommodation, and it is their intention to build another club house, although nothing definite has been settled in this direction yet. The Mayor of Wolverhampton, Alderman T D Mander, has accepted the presidency of the club for the year. The membership of the club has not yet reached what might have been expected. Considering the density of population immediately surrounding the course, this is somewhat remarkable. Take Willenhall for instance, a place on the very borders of the links; only three men really turn up from this place. Bilston, again, only send about a dozen, and considering there is no entrance fee, and the subscription for playing members is only 2 guineas, a larger number of golfers one would think would be forthcoming. It is everything to a young club like this to have a good membership, and some means might perhaps be taken to bring the links more prominently before the district, such as, for instance, a professional competition. There are only four lady members, who faithfully endeavour to make it a fact that there is such a thing in the district as ladies’ golf”

Competition results from May 1901.

 

Wolverhampton District Golf Club, Bilston. Competition results from May 1901.

Birmingham Daily Gazette Monday 13 May 1901. With thanks to Trinity Mirror. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved.

 

In April 1902 the Midland Professional Competition was held at Bilston, the only course in the Bilston area at this time was the club at Bunkers Hill. There was a field of 23 players. The first prize went to Tom Williamson of Nottingham, who was a particularly long off the tee, with two rounds of 76 (152). A Lewis, Moseley, was second with 78 and 75 (153). J Sherlock, Oxford University, was third with two rounds of 77 (154). W P Lewis, Kings Norton, was fourth with 155.  

Below the result of competitions played in April 1902.

 

Wolverhampton District Golf Club, Bilston. Competition results from April 1902.

From the Birmingham Daily Gazette Saturday 19 April 1902. With thanks to Trinity Mirror. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved.

 

Ordnance Survey Map showing the golf course in the early 1900s.

 

Wolverhampton District Golf Club, Portobello. Location of the former course on the 1903 O.S. Map.

O.S. Map © Crown Copyright {year of publication 1903}.

 

Results from the autumn meeting played in September 1905.

 

Wolverhampton District Golf Club, Bilston. Result from the autumn competitions in 1905.

Birmingham Daily Gazette Monday 2 October 1905. With thanks to Trinity Mirror. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved.

 

From the 1905/6 Nisbet's Golf Yearbook; Secretary - A E Painter, 43 Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton; captain, C E Perry (1905), G W Crane (1906) ; professional J D Collins; membership of 128; 18-holes; no entry fee and subs were £2/2/0; course records; amateur S P Parker, C F Chavasse and R C Boycott 79; professional S Wingate 71. Visitors' fees 1/- a day and 2/- a week. Railway stations at Bilston (GWR) and Willenhall (L+NWR) both one mile.

Competition results from April 1906.

 

Wolverhampton District Golf Club, Bilston. Competition results from April 1906.

Birmingham Daily Gazette Monday 9 April 1906. With thanks to Trinity Mirror. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved.

 

Wolverhampton District Golf Club, Portobello. Location of the former course.

Location of the Wolverhampton and District golf course.

Grid reference SO95900,97695, co-ordinates 395900,297695.

The above map is of a course that appeared in the early 1900s in the Portobello district, could this be the Wolverhampton & District course? any help would be appreciated.