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Harton Moor Golf Club, South Shields. (1922 - WW2)

The club was founded in 1922.

An 18-hole course with a SSS of 71 situated near Cleadon Park. There was an initial membership of 370 peaking at 400 in the mid 1920s and decreasing to 350 by closure. Visitors’ fees were 2/- a day, 2/6 a day at weekend and Bank Holiday, 7/6 a week 12/6 a fortnight and £1 a month. Sunday play was allowed without caddies. The station at South Shields was 2 miles away there was also a Tram service which had a stop at the clubhouse. Local hotel was the Royal. By the late 1920s the address was given as Harton Moor Golf Club, Cleadon Park Estate and in 1940 Harton Moor Golf Club, King George Road.

Report from the Newcastle Daily Chronicle Friday 23 February 1923. “Harton Moor Golf Club – Satisfactory Progress During First Year – The Harton Moor Golf Club, South Shields, has had a very successful first year, and the condition of the club’s affairs shows every prospect an equally prosperous current year. At the beginning of 1922there were 103 gentlemen and 60 lady members. There was a rapid increase during the year, 120 gentlemen, and 74 ladies taking up membership. An equally strong financial position was shown by the balance sheet, the year’s income totalling £1,455 including £907 members subscriptions. Samuel Rowe was appointed captain and W M Renton vice-captain. The following officers were re-elected; president, C J Devonport; vice-presidents C L Dobson and J T Bell; hon. treasurer, W Harle; hon. secretary, J Bell; committee – D Burns, G W Ellis, J J Foord, W B Mullin, A Foord, R Makepeace, S Rowe, E Richardson, J Spraggon, G Sigsworth, Rev. J Bradley, H Park. Mrs D Smith was appointed hon. secretary of the ladies’ section, and Miss Henderson, captain. Ladies’ committee; Mesdames D Burns, W R Bell, J Donovan, H Park and Miss Smith.”

Below is the result of the June 1924 monthly medal.

From the Shield Daily News Monday 30 June 1924. Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

The captain's (W N Benton) prize was played in July 1924, leading scores; E Richardson, jun., 89-18-71; J Robson, 89-16-73; P Guest, 88-15-73; J Bell, 90-16-74; A Teasdale, 90-15-75; E Ford, 91-15-76; E Kennedy, 90-12-78; R Makepeace, 96-18-78; J Lincoln, 100-21-79; G Forster, 94-15-79; J Rhynas, 106-22-84.

Result of the July 1925 monthly medal; H Taylor, 87-16-71; D Satterthwaite, 88-14-71; R Whitfield, 90-16-74; J Hutchinson, 93-14-79; J Myers, 90-10-80.

Result of a match against Chester-Le-Street played in June 1927.

Newcastle Journal Monday 13 June 1927. Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

It was reported in January 1928 that George Tully, the Harton Moor professional, had been appointed professional to Benton Park Golf Club, Newcastle (now defunct.)

Result of a mixed foursome played in April 1929; Miss Copeman and W J Rutherford, 92-19-73; Miss Legg and A Barnett, 101-26-75; Mrs M Ford and J Clunie, 105-30-75; Miss Sharp and W Clunie, 103-27-76; Mrs H Evers and T Lincoln, 107-30-77; Mrs G B Chambers and A Chamberlain, 105-27-78; Miss Hedworth and J H Evers, 101-22-79.

Leading scores in the March 1930 monthly competition; T Ramshaw, 75-2-73; E A Law, 80-6-74; J Atkinson, 86-12-74; J Lincoln, 89-14-75; P Guest, 84-7-77; W J Edgar, 90-13-77.

We would like to thank Paul Robertson for sharing his Harton Moor Golf Club archive with us. The photographs below were taken in about 1932.  Paul’s mother was the daughter of John Bell and Phoebe Bell. John Bell served as secretary at Harton Moor Golf Club for many years. Unfortunately the names on the images were not recorded. If anyone can identify any of the people please get in touch via the “Contact Us” facility on the website homepage.

The above is a much clearer image and shows the presentation of the clock that appears in the report below.

Report below from February 1932.

From the Shield Daily News Friday 26 February 1932. Images © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Pictures of the Harton Moor golf course courtesy of Paul Robertson.

The original caption on the image states “Third green with fourth fairway in the distance.”

“The fourth fairway.”

“The fourth green with fifth fairway beyond.”

“The fifth green looking towards the fifth tee.”

“The tenth tee with the third green to the left.”

John Bell, secretary, at the games table outside the clubhouse.

Result of the September 1932 monthly bogey; C Constable (5) all square; J Clunie (13) and  M Coverdale ( 14) 1down; J Waller jnr. (3) 2down.

Entry from the 1933 Golfer’s Handbook; Harton Moor Golf Club, King George Road; membership of 350; secretary – J Bell, 28 Banbury Terrace, Westoe, South Shields; professional, H Lawson;  green-keper, A Sigsworth; course records - amateur ; T Ramshay, 66; professional; H Lawson, 66; 18-holes; visitors  2 shillings a day, 2s/6d weekend and bank holidays, 7s/6d a week, 12s/6d a fortnight, £1/5sa month.

Changes to the golf course in 1935.

Article from The Shields Gazette Monday 6 July 1936.

Entry from the 1937 Golfer's Handbook; Harton Moor Golf Club, King George Road; membership 350; secretary - John Bell, 28 Banbury Terrace, Westoe; professional, A Robertson; green-keeper, A Sigsworth; 18-holes; amateur course record - J Waller jun., 68; visitors 1s/6 a round, 2s a day.  

Below is the result of a North-East Durham League match played at Whitburn in May 1937.

In addition to the above the following social foursome matches were played.

Below the players of Houghton and Harton Moor prior to a match played on the Harton course in May 1938.

From the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette Thursday 5 May 1938. Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Below presentation to Harold Allchin, club captain in 1937, for services to the Heaton Moor Golf Club (1935 - 1939).

Image courtesy of David Browning.

The picture and competition result below from July 1936 is from the Paul Robertson archive. His mother, Joyce Bell (then 14 years old) is first left. John Bell, club secretary, is fifth left in the Fedora. 

Result of a Durham League match played on Wednesday 10 May 1939 against Seaham Harbour Golf Club.

Image courtesy of David Browning.

Result of a mixed foursome competition played on Saturday 20 May 1939; Mrs Beveridge & J Waller, 86-22-64; Miss Waller & Ivor Clarke, 89-20-69; Miss Fryar & P Jueft, 82-11-71; Miss Adamson & J Bailey, 92-20-72; Miss R Robson & H Smith, 93-21-72; Mrs Watson & W Robson, 99-27-72; Miss Strother & W Kemp, 87-14-72.

Result of a stroke competition played on Saturday 3 June 1939; J Waller, 79-8-71; C Constable, 76-4-72; H Richardson, 79-7-72. 

Below a farewell gift in June 1939.

From the Newcastle Evening Chronicle Saturday 24 June 1939. Image © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Images below from the Paul Robertson archive, he also adds - “Two more documents for the Harton Moor archive, and they serve to illustrate how WWII was making life difficult. The first is the covering letter for the 18th Annual Report and Balance Sheet. Sadly, the part that would have been really interesting, i.e. the report itself, has not survived through the years. The second is a convocation to a special general meeting at the end of 1940. Reference is made to war conditions, and my grandfather seems to have had to resort to writing it long-hand, in a somewhat Wainwright-like script. I have no idea how these were duplicated – he was working from home and may have had to do perhaps a hundred or more of them manually. He was the sort of chap who could and would”.

Harton Moor Golf Clubs final appearance was in 1945.

The following is taken from the South Shields Golf Club Centenary Book 1893 - 1993 - "In 1945 a letter from the secretary of the Harton Moor Golf Club, South Shields, said "In view of the Harton Moor Golf Club being incorporated into the proposed Harton Moor Golf Club - Temple Memorial Park, the Harton members had formed a sub-committee to interview the Cleadon committee on the following proposition at an Extraordinary General Meeting", that the Harton Moor Golf Club Committee be requested to open negotiations with the Cleadon Club with a view to reaching an agreement for an amalgamation of the two clubs."

In effect fifty three men and fifty nine ladies were admitted to the Club from Heaton Moor Golf Club in April 1945. The course machinery and some club assets were transferred to us whilst the green-keeper from Harton Moor (probably A Sigsworth) joined our ground staff. These were obvious benefits to our club and provided a firmer foundation on which to build at the end of the war."

Ordnance Survey Map from the time of WW1 shows Harton Moor - before the laying out of the golf course.

O.S. Map Revised 1912 to 1913; © Crown Copyright {year of publication 1921}.

The above map shows Harton Moor and King George Road; unfortunately no golf course is marked. The course must have been in this vicinity. Any help with the exact location would be appreciated.