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Ravenscliffe Golf Club, The Park, Eccleshill, Bradford. (1894 - WW1)

The club was founded in 1894. 

It was reported in February 1895 that the Ravenscliffe club had laid out a nine-hole course not far from Eccleshill station on the Great Northern Railway.  

 

Ravenscliffe Golf Club, The Park, Eccleshill, Bradford. Report  on the new club in March 1895.

"Golf" Friday 1 March 1895. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

Result of a match against Fulneck in May 1895.

 

Ravenscliffe Golf Club, The Park, Eccleshill, Bradford. Result of a match against Fulneck in May 1895.

"Golf" Friday 7 June 1895. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

In 1898 the President was Mr Tom Mitchell, JP. vice-presidents; Messrs Fortescue Flannery, MP; A E Hutton, MP; John W Gurnett; Henry Pilley; Henry Vint; George Baxter; Frank Pilley; W H Hutton; J M Tankard; C Philipp. Secretary,  H H Spencer, 3 Oakroyd Villas, Bradford. Treasurer, Lionel Cresswell. Captain, Dr Honeyburne.

Below is the result of a match played at the Eccleshill course against Birkenshaw Golf Club (also now defunct) on Saturday 5 March 1898.    

Ravenscliffe Golf Club   Birkenshaw Golf Club  
Dr Honeyburne 11 H C Croft 0
Dr Wawn 7 J B Hyland 0
H H Spencer 6 J P Humble 0
A Firth 3 F Swallow 0
E Ellis 0 T P Oddy 8
J H Bakes 3 W Hemingway 0
J Richardson 7 E C Trench 0
J Milner 3 J Beresford 0
  40   8

In June  1900 E A Lassen from Ravenscliffe won the Amateur Championship of Yorkshire, he beat Guy Crossland (Huddersfield) in the final by 1up.

In August 1901 Ravenscliffe visited Redcar to play a club match against Cleveland Golf Club. Ravenscliffe won the game 16 to 14. For the winners J H Baker scored 10 and Dr Honeyburne 6.

In 1902 the secretary was W H Smith, 4 Westfield Cross, Bradford. An 18-hole course. Amateur record holder was E A Lassen with a score of 71.

Entry from the 1905 Nisbet's Golf Yearbook; Instituted 1894; Membership 214; Secretary - J Richardson, 46 Harrogate Road, Eccleshill; Captain, R Tullie; Entrance fee nil and subs£3/3s; 18-holes; Professional - (for winter months) R Corlett; Amateur course record - R Sutcliffe, 89; Terms for visitors (on introduction) -  2 shillings a day, 5s a week, 10s a month. In May 1904 the Ravenscliffe Golf Club abandoned their previous links, and took on lease from Mr Tom Mitchell, the mansion, and about 76 acres of land known as "The Park, Eccleshill." The mansion is a very fine building and makes a splendid clubhouse. The links are not yet completely made, but it is expected that eventually they will turn out to be very good.

In 1906 the secretary was F H Richardson, 4 Town Hall Square, Bradford and the professional C H Corlett. The station at Eccleshill was 5 minutes away. There was also an electric tram service from Bradford to Greengates which passed the course.

The picture below shows World Wrestling Champion, philosopher and gardener George Hackenschmidt (middle) on the Ravenscliffe course in 1906.

 

Ravenscliffe Golf Club, Bradford. World Wrestling Champion George Hackenschmidt at Ravenscliffe.

From the World of Golf 6 September 1906.

 

Below is the result of a match played at Fulneck Golf Club on Saturday 3 November 1906.

Fulneck Golf Club   Ravenscliffe Golf Club  
R Tullie 0 W P Wightman 1
W Mackay 0 W H Smith 1
Rev W T Titterington 0 T K Irwin 1
M V Wilson 0 F H Richardson 0
G H Almond 1 J Richardson 0
J R Hyland 0 H Ackroyd 0
T B Potts 1 J Cole 0
J A Jowett 1 F F Faram 0
M W Bennett 0 W H Firth 1
  3   4

Below the results of two matches played at Ravenscliffe in June 1909.

Ravenscliffe Golf Club   Bradford Golf Club  
H H Spencer 0 J W Garnett 1
R Sutcliffe (halved) 0 P Clough (halved) 0
A Jones 1 L Cooper 0
E Robertson 1 C H Clough 0
W P Wightman 0 H Longbottom 1
Rev. J A Booth 1 J O Kelly 0
W H Smith 1 F H Thomas 0
W H Firth 0 H C Croft (halved) 0
  4   2

 

Ravenscliffe Ladies' Golf Club   Bradford Ladies' Golf Club  
Miss Richardson 0 Miss Ida Dawson 1
Mrs Lishman 0 Miss Pickles 1
Miss Firth 0 Mrs J Smith, jun. 1
Mrs Bakes 1 Miss Holmes 0
Miss Honeyburne 1 Miss B Dawson 0
Mrs Cawley 1 Mrs Rodgers 0
Mrs Isitt 1 Miss Sonnenthal 0
  4   3

The joint secretaries in 1914 were R D Lochore, 11 Bentley Street, and J H Baxter, Sevenoaks, Greengate.  Club telephone number, Idle 91. The professional was H E Yates. The club had a membership of 300. There was no entry fee. Subs for gents were £4/4/0 and ladies £1/11/6. Country members paid £2/12/6.

Visitors on introduction by a member paid 2/- a day, Sundays 2/6, 5/- a week and 10/- a month. Sunday play was allowed with caddies.

 

Ravenscliffe Golf Club, Bradford. Location of the course at Eccleshill.

Location of the Ravenscliffe course. Grid reference SE19355,36565, co-ordinates 419355,436565.

 

 

Ravenscliffe Golf Club disappeared after WW1.