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Edgbaston Golf Club, Birmingham. (1896 - 1936)

Founded in 1896.

The first location was a 9-hole course at Lightwood Park Warley. It then moved to Ridgacre Road in Harborne in 1910. It moved to its present location in 1936.

Professionals at the club; Jack Burns (1896/97); A Wingate (1897-1900); Walter Whiting (1900-1909); Lindsay G Ross (1910-1919); George Russell Buckle (1919-1932).

George Buckle the professional from 1919 to 1932 tied for ninth place in the 1920 Open Championship; he also won the Midland Professional Championship four times and was runner-up on five other occasions.

Report below on a Professional Tournament and business meeting in December 1897.

"Golf" Friday 17 December 1897. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Below a report on the progress of the club November 1900.

 

Birmingham Daily Post Friday 14 September 1900. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Ordnance Survey Map from the 1900s showing the golf course.

O.S. Map Revised 1902; © Crown Copyright {year of publication 1904}.

From the 1905 Nisbet's Golf Yearbook; Instituted 1896; Membership 120; Hon. Sec., H S Thompson, 32 Westfield Road, Edgbaston; Captain, H Buckland;  Entry fee £3/3/0 and subs £2/2/0. Ladies secretary was J A Hope, Hagley Road, Edgbaston. Course records; amateur C S Ellis 74, professional W Whiting 72. Visitors' fees 1/- a day, 2/6 at weekends and 5/- a week. Edgbaston Ladies' Golf Club; Hon. Sec., Mrs J A Hope, Hagley Road, Edgbaston.

In 1906 the secretary was H S Thompson, 32 Westfield Road, Edgbaston, captain H T Buckland and professional W Whiting. Membership of 120. Entry fee £3/3/0 and subs £2/2/0; Nine-holes; Course records; amateur C S Ellis 74; professional W Whiting 72. Visitors' fees 1/- a day, 2/6 at weekends and 5/- a week. The station at Hagley Road was one and half miles away.

Result of the Chance Cup played in April 1907; H B Carslake, 81-9-72; R H Ferard, 82-10-72; H R Sanders, 87-8-79; J Howard, 88-8-80; C S Ellis, 84-3-81; A M Thompson, 88-7-81; E W Cave, 90-7-83; A Canning, 89-5-84; T L Wakefield, 96-10-86. The Juniors competed for the Radcliff Cup; A C Griffiths, 87-16-71; J K Reid, 90-14-76; P J Worsley, 97-18-79; N L Easton, 105-24-81.

Result of the April 1909 monthly medal; Division One - J R McLaren, 83-6-77; K W Warden, 85-7-78; E L Morcom, 88-10-78; A Canning, 84-5-79; H B Carslake, 86-6-80; R W Hope, 90-10-80; T L Wakefield, 88-7-81; Division Two - A H Angus, 95-20-75; J K Reid, 90-13-77; G R Stubbs, 95-18-77; J R Wharton, 101-24-77; W J P Ridgway, 96-18-78; W F Williams, 99-18-81; Rev A S Horle, 105-17-88.

In April 1910 the club had moved to the new course at Ridgacre Road. The course was described at the time as follows "Situated in beautiful countryside, very old turf over half of the undulating course. Every hole is interesting each with its own distinctive character"

Ordnance Survey Map showing the golf course and clubhouse (to the east) at Ridgacre Road, Harborne.

O.S. Map Revised 1914; © Crown Copyright {year of publication 1933}.

In July 1911 Frank Woolley scored 69 on the course, a new record, the bogey score was 77.

In 1911 the secretary was still H S Thompson, the professional was Lindsay G Ross. There was a membership of 170. Course records; amateur H R Saunders 80, professional W Whiting 72.

Results from the summer tournament played in August 1913; Lowe Cup (match-play) - Sir Whitworth Wallis (4) beat Dr. Hacknel by 2 and 1; foursome competition - Colin Mithgan and Clayton Cooper beat Dr. Hird and Philip Shaw by 2 and 1.

Below is the result of a home match played in May 1914 against Blackwell Golf Club. 

George Buckle, the Edgbaston professional, created a new course record of 63 in July 1923, his scores; Out - 4,5,4,3,4,3,3,3,3 = 32; In - 3,3,3,4,3,3,4,4,4 =31, total 63. His previous record was 65 made in September 1922. The bogey score for the course was 76.  

Results from the autumn meeting in September 1925; Tiptaft Medal - E A Silk, 90-14-76; W E Martin, 84-79; A S Lucas, 89-10-79; H E Plater, 101- 16-85; 4-ball Eclectic; A S Lucas and H E Plater, 42-6-36; W E Martin and C Cridland, 39-1-38; F S Wilk and W L Barber, 50-7-43; A J Harrison and W Adams, 51-7-44.

Result of the January 1930 monthly medal Competition; Division 1 - F V B Edge, 85-8-77; R Pinsent, 89-11-78; H A Wilkins, 88-9-79; T W Willans, 93-12-81; C W Holcroft, 88-7-81; Division 2 - T J Cronin, 84-16-68; S J Lancaster, 87-14-73; Dr. Wilkinson, 91-14-77; W K Lidderdale, 93-14-79. 

Edgbaston Golf Course - Hope that it may still be saved in November 1932.

Birmingham Daily Gazette Saturday 5 November 1932. With thanks to Trinity Mirror. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved.

It was reported in December 1936 that a new course was to be laid out in Edgbaston Hall Park which had been the residence of the late Sir James Smith, the first Lord Mayor of Birmingham.