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Mid Bedfordshire Golf Club (Mid-Beds), Bedford. (1913 - 1948)

The first Mid Bedfordshire Golf Club 18-hole course was located at Clapham Green.

The club left the Clapham course in the 1920s. In 1926 the current Bedford & County Golf Club appears on the Clapham Course.

In 1929 the Mid-Beds Golf Club reappears with a course on Biggleswade Common (home of the old North Beds Golf Club).

Report on the new Mid-Beds Golf Club at Clapham in April 1913.

Bedfordshire Times and Independent Friday 18 April 1913. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

In the opening match George Duncan scored a 71 on the new Mid-Beds course, the bogey was fixed at 80.

Result of a mixed foursome played on Monday 12 May 1913; Mr and Mrs Wade Emery, 113-23-90; Miss I Attwoqd and T N M Parham, 108-16-92; Miss Nicholls and T A Franklin, 118-21-97; Miss P B Anthony and 121-18-103. 24 took out cards.

Result of a match played at Newport Pagnell in March 1914.

Bedfordshire Times and Independent Friday 20 March 1914. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Reopening of the Clapham course in April 1919.

Bedfordshire Times and Independent Friday 28 February 1919. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Report on the annual meeting In October 1919.

Bedfordshire Times and Independent Friday 24 October 1919. Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Exhibition matches played in September 1920. 

Bedfordshire Times and Independent Friday 17 September 1920. Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

On the 30 September 1920 the “International four ball” took place on the Mid Bedfordshire course between Mitchell & Taylor and Duncan & Braid. The match was halved. Best ball scores as follows:-

Mitchell & Taylor; 3,4,5,3,4,3,4,4,2 = 32; 5,4,3,4,4,4, 4,3,2 = 33 – Total 65.

Duncan & Braid; 3,4,4,3,5,3,4,4,3, = 33; 5,3,3,4,3,4,4,3,3 = 32 – Total 65.

Above pictures of the exhibition match played in September 1920. Images courtesy of Mike Smith.

Result of the Bank Holiday Medal played on Monday 6 August 1923; L C H Fuller, 80-10-70; W E Parish, 87-16-71; C W Rawlings, 87-16-71; Sydney Smith, 88-12-76; A D Harrison, 93-16-77; R O Watson, 90-12-78.

Leading scores in the September 1925 medal; W H Fenton, 80-12-68; Sydney Smith, 82-11-71; W E Parish, 85-13-72.

The Mid Bedfordshire Golf  Club left the Clapham course in the mid 1920s.

The following report from the Bedfordshire Times and Independent in February 1926 mentions that the new Bedford & County Golf Club were in the process of taking over the Clapham course - "MID BEDFORDSHIRE GOLF COURSE - Doubts as to the future of the Mid Bedfordshire Golf Course have been set at rest this week by a circular letter which has been sent to the members of the club setting out the probable conditions under which applications for membership of a new club now in process of incorporation will be considered. The contract for the sale of the links and club premises has been signed, and we understand the purchase will be completed so that possession can be taken on 25 March. A new company is being formed meanwhile, and will be registered under the name of "The Bedford & County Golf Club Ltd.", with a strong directorate consisting of well known gentlemen wo are interested in golf."

Below the Mid Beds Golf Club with a course on Biggleswade Common.

A public meeting was called by the committee of the recently formed Mid Bedfordshire Golf Club. It was held at the Masonic Hall on 18 December 1929. Mr Dudley Stewart Redman of Bleak Hall, Biggleswade, club captain, stated that the committee had engaged a groundsman, who had begun to lay out the course, and it was hoped that it would be open for play in May. Already 61 gentlemen and 29 ladies had put their names forward for membership. The pavilion at Furzen Hall was being removed. It was to be re-sited and extended at the Potton Road entrance to the Common. Report below.

Biggleswade Chronicle Friday 20 December 1929. Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

The secretary R M Whybray, The Bank House, Barclays Bank, Biggleswade, telephone number 3, the professional and green-keeper was R A King. Both the secretary and the professional continued in their positions until the outbreak of WW2. The course was now 9-holes and visitors’ fees were 1/6 a round (9 Holes), 2/6 a day, 7/6 a week, 25/- a month. Local hotels were the Swan and the Crown.

The opening of the club in April 1930.

Biggleswade Chronicle Friday 11 April 1930. Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Bedfordshire Times and Independent Friday 25 April 1930. Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

The following report appeared in the Bedfordshire Times and Independent on 12 September 1930. “The Mid Bedfordshire Golf Club held their first monthly medal on Biggleswade Common on the 4 September. Mr J A Redman won with a score of 88. A new professional (R A King), from the Mildenhall Golf Club, had been engaged.

In December 1931 Ronald A King, the Mid Bedfordshire professional, married Hilda Mary Tuffs.

On the 28 April 1932 an exhibition match was arranged by the committee. W J Moore junior, Biddenham Golf Club, partnered E E Beverley junior, of the Royston Golf Club. A Ashby, Letchworth Golf Club played with R A King, Mid Bedfordshire. Moore and Beverley won on the twentieth hole and each received an inscribed chromium plated clock.

On the 20 April 1933 Abe Mitchell played an exhibition match at Biggleswade with three local professionals; R A King, Mid Bedfordshire; W J Moore junior, Biddenham, and A Ashby, Letchworth. Mitchell and Ashby won on the sixteenth green. Mitchell returned a score of 70 (four under bogey), and R A King, 71.

The annual meeting was held at the Masonic Rooms on the 26 April 1933, the president, Dr R D Bridger, in the chair. Mr R H Whybray, secretary, presented the satisfactory report. He said there was now a membership of 131, a slight decrease. The following officers were elected; president, Dr R D Bridger; captain, F P Allbutt; vice-captain, F J Levitt; secretary, R M Whybray; treasurer, L U Cooper; committee – Dr J  J H Anderson, M Bennett, W H Brooks, B Cooper, W Cooper, J E Fisher, T J Moore, P W Moffat, A Walers, J A Redman, D Watson, F C Levitt, F D Maynard and B Mantle. Two cups had been presented during the year by Mr L U Cooper and Mr F C Levitt. The following prizes were presented; Fletcher Cup, Miss G Wren & D R Watson; Captain’s Cup, F C Levitt; Spring Medal Cup, W H Copus.   

Below is the result of a match played at Castle Ashby Golf Club (also now defunct) against Mid Bedfordshire Golf Club in May 1939.

In 1940 the address was given as Mid Beds Golf Club, Potton Rd. The 9-hole course had a SSS and Par of 74. There was a membership of 140. Course Records were: Amateur R D Bridger with a score of 73 and Professional Abe Mitchell 70. Visitors’ fees were 2/6 a day, 2/- after 5pm, 7/6 a week and 25/- a month. Sunday play was allowed. The club was also licensed. The station at Biggleswade 1 mile away.

The annual party of the Mid Bedfordshire Golf Club was held in the Masonic Rooms, Biggleswade, in March 1940. Arrangements were made by Mr F C Levitt, club captain, Mr L L C Howard, secretary, and Miss J A Mantle, ladies’ secretary. 

In 1947/8 the secretary was L L C Howard, 133 London Rd, Biggleswade, Telephone number 2133. Membership was now 120, rising to 130 in 1948/9. The professional  and green-keeper was now M Foster. All other information as 1940.

Layout of the nine-hole course on Biggleswade Common.

Courtesy of Bedfordshire Archives Ref PK8/1/10.

Location of the Mid Beds golf course in the 1930's.

Mid Bedfordshire Golf Club on Biggleswade Common disappeared following WW2.

From the The Bedfordshire Times and Independent Friday 19 March 1948 - "The Mid-Bedfordshire Golf Club, Biggleswade, is to move from the nine-hole course at the Common to the new one at Sutton Park on 24 June. The club will be known as the John O'Gaunt Golf Club."

The following unpublished article was written in the early 1980s by F C Levitt, a founder member of the club, whose reminiscences of the former Mid Beds Golf Club are certainly worth recording. It also mentions the earlier defunct North Bedfordshire Golf Club. Thanks to Michael Tuffs for sending it to us.

The Mid Bedfordshire Golf Course closed following WW2. Mr Levitt went on to become a leading light in the formation of the John O’ Gaunt Golf Club which was established in 1948.

More memories of Mid-Beds Golf Club from A G Mayston.

“My late father was a member of the Mid Beds Golf Club which ceased operations at the end of the 1940s. The course was situated on common pasture land of Biggleswade on the Potton Road, the (B1040). I am not sure how long the club was in existence but I believe it had a wooden clubhouse, now long gone. The course was flat and the Northern aspect looked towards the wooded sand bar which is now the HQ of the RSPB at Sandy. The reason the club closed is because the estate at Sutton Park, near Potton became available at the end of  WW2. This afforded attractive landscaped grounds and a substantial property which could be converted to a clubhouse. The members of the Mid Beds club transferred and formed the John O’Gaunt Golf Club at Sutton Park”