The Internet's Most Comprehensive Guide

Leominster Golf Club, Herefordshire. (1893 - WW2)

The reports below show evidence of earlier organised golf at Leominster in 1893.

Leominster News and North West Herefordshire & Radnorshire Advertiser Friday 19 May 1893. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The report below states that golf was played on "Eaton Hill."

Hereford Journal Saturday 3 June 1893. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Leominster News and North West Herefordshire & Radnorshire Advertiser. Friday 14 July 1893 -"The final heat of the golf handicap, in connection of the Leominster Golf Club, resulted in Mr W E Anderson being the winner of the first prize; Mr Ord Mackenzie was second, and Mr Ballard, who received 25 points, third."

The later club was instituted in 1903.

Report on the opening of the new pavilion at Steens Bridge in July 1904.

Leominster News and North West Herefordshire & Radnorshire Advertiser Friday 22 July 1894. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The following information is from the Nisbet's Golf Yearbook 1905 - The club was instituted in 1903; number of members 50; secretary, E P Lloyd, South Street, Leominster; captain, T H Edwards; entrance fee 21/- and subs £2/2s; nine-holes; professional J H Powell; professional record, J H Powell, 66; amateur record, F J S Moore, 69; visitors' fees 2/6 a day. "The hazards are chiefly hedges, ditches, gorse and a water course. A convenient clubhouse has just been erected and is within 20 yards of Steen Bridge station. The course has not been in existence long, but the lies are good (for Herefordshire) and it will no doubt improve. 

A pre-WW1 postcard of the Leominster Golf Club Pavilion. Leominster News Series.

A match was played at Ross against Leominster in April 1906. The home team won by six matches to two.

The following report appeared in the Hereford Times on Saturday 20 March 1909. “The Leominster Golf Links stand on fairly high ground adjoining Steen’s Bridge Station, which is three and a half miles from Leominster on the Great Western Railway line to Worcester. There is an excellent clubhouse in connection with the club, which embraces a dressing-room, a ladies’ room, and a general room, and meals, we believe, may be obtained there if ordered in advance. Over 50 members have joined the club the subscription being £2/2s/0d, families £3/3/0, the entrance fee is 10/6. The charge for visitors is 1/- a day. All further particulars can be obtained from the popular club secretary, Mr E P Lloyd, South Street, Leominster.

The course is of somewhat of a level character, the turf being of a very heavy nature. For an inland links in the heart of one of the best grazing districts in the country the lies must be considered as fairly good. Really the worst feature of the course is its comparative shortness, which has an easy bogey of 74; Hole One – 153 yards, bogey 3; Two – 294 yards, bogey 5; Three – 220 yards, bogey 4; Four – 265 yards, bogey 5; Five – 297 yards, bogey 5; Six – 220 yards, bogey 4; Seven – 235 yards, bogey 4; Eight – 130 yards, bogey 3; Nine – 175 yards, bogey 4; Total – 1,989 yards, bogey 37.

Concerning the greens, they are on the small side, but are well kept, and reflect the greatest credit on Hughes, the professional, who hails from Malvern. The greens are protected from livestock by posts and rails. The hazards are hedges, ditches, trees, gorse and a watercourse.

The professional record for the links is 30 for nine-holes, and 63 for eighteen, and was established by J H Powell, who used to be the club’s professional. Dr J Scott, a powerful driver, holds the amateur course with splendid figures of 30 and 64 respectively.

Leominster play the adjoining clubs in friendly matches whilst the competitions include handicaps in the shape of the Coleman Cup and a Bogey Handicap.”

Below is the result of a match played at Ross Golf Club, Alton Court (now defunct), on 15 April 1909.

Result of a match played at Meole Brace against Shrewsbury Golf Club in August 1909.

Report on the annual meeting in April 1915

Kington Times Saturday 1 May 1915.

Competition result from November 1919.

Kington Times Saturday 29 November 1919.

Report on the annual meeting in April 1921.

Kington Times Saturday 23 April 1921.

The annual dance was held in the Corn Exchange in December 1923.

Report on the annual meeting in February 1924

Kington Times Saturday 16 February 1924.

No further reports were found on the Steenbridge course and the club seems to go into abeyance at this time.

It was reported in April 1934 that Dr John Scott had passed away. He had been a very keen and excellent golfer. He had taken a leading part in the management of the “Old” Leominster Golf Club and held the course record (see above). He had since been a member of both the Ludlow Golf Club and the Hereford Club at Wormsley.

Proposed new club and course in September 1934.

Kington Times Saturday 29 September 1934.

It was announced in March 1935 that the first annual meeting of the new Leominster Golf Club would be held at the Church Institute on 20 March 1935.

Splendid progress had been made on the construction of the new course at Ford Bridge and the outlook for the recently formed club looked good. There was a good attendance at the meeting, chaired by T H Edwards. The committee, especially Mr Bradshaw and Major Lake were thanked for their work. Lord Hereford was to be President of the club. Other appointments were; captain, R D C Henderson; secretary and treasurer, A Bradshaw; auditor, A W Newman; committee – T H Edwards, C H Harvey, A E Kellond, Major R D Lake, G P Lloyd, J N Peatt, J M Thomas, W Dew Edwards and F E Smith.

The Ford Bridge course would be opened on Thursday 6 June 1935 by the Right Hon. The Viscount Hereford. An exhibition match between K G Townsend (Worcester G and CC) and F C Bartlam (Leominster GC)

In August 1935 it was announced that a further 16 acres of land had been acquired, enabling the club to extend the course to 14-holes. It was hoped that the new holes would be available in early 1937. The club now had membership of about 170.

Result of a match played at Knighton in September 1935.

Result of the captain's (T H Edwards) silver cup prize in August 1936; A Moulsher, 63; G B Vale, 69; T B G Vale, 70; T Helme, 70; A R W Skipp, 73; H Reynolds, 75, J W Johnstone, 76; G W Bright, 76; J C Pindar, 76; M Connolly, 77E W Everett, 77; E S Martineau, 78; V E Roberts, 78.

Following are the results from the Summer Meeting in August 1937; Medal Competition Division One – A R W Skipp, 74-14-60; J N Peatt, 78-16-62; V E Roberts, 80-15-65; T Holme, 83-18-65; M H Connelly, 86-16-70; Division Two – A R W Skipp jnr, 85-24-61; J C Pindar, 84-20-64; W H Wingfield, 97-24-73; Miss Bodenham, 109-34-75; Mrs Peatt, 102-26-76; Mrs Wingfield, 112-36-76; Mixed Foursomes – E W Everett and Mrs Lake, 96-25-71; Mr & Mrs Peatt, 92-21-71; Major & Miss Lake, 97-22-75; M H Connolly and Miss Bodenham, 105-25-80; Mr & Mrs Skipp, 111-30-81; Mr & Mrs Shaw, 113-30-83.

Kington Times Saturday 23 July 1938. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

By May 1939 the Ford Bridge course had been extended to 14-holes with a SSS of 67.  On 11 May 1939 an exhibition match was played to commemorate the opening of the extended course. The four players involved were; Walter Hammond, England Cricket Captain, Albert Evans, Welsh amateur champion, Phillip Peacock and Fred Bartlam, golf professional at Leominster and/or Kington Golf Club. There was a large following as can be seen on the picture below. 

Picture shows the crowd at the opening of the extended golf course in May 1939. Courtesy of Leominster Golf Club archive.

Kington Times Saturday 24 June 1939. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Below is the result of a match played at Leominster against Ludlow Golf Club in July 1939. 

At the time of WW2 the address was given as Leominster Golf Club, Ford Bridge. There was a membership of 250. The secretary was A Bradshaw, Broad Street, Leominster. The professional and green-keeper was F C Bartlam. A 14-hole course with a Par of 70 and S.S.S of 68. Visitors' fees were 2s/6d a day and 10s a week. 

The above club continued until WW2.

It was reported in May 1948 that F C Bartlam, former professional of the now defunct Leominster Golf Club, is now the professional at Kington Golf Club.

The above map shows Steen’s Bridge in 1928 (no golf course marked). © Crown Copyright {1928}

The Leominster Golf Club re-appeared in 1967 at Ford Bridge

Below is an article on the current club (founded in 1967). The source as yet is unknown, possibly the Hereford Times.

The Google Map shows the location of the earlier golf course at Steen’s Bridge.