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Old Trafford Golf Club, Manchester. (1891 - 1920)

Founded in 1891.

The club appears as both Old Trafford and Trafford Golf Club at various times. 

The nine-hole course was reconfigured in 1913 when a pipeline was constructed which bisected the course.

Below is evidence of the earlier Trafford club. Solid silver smooth faced cleek engraved “Presented to the Captain C.T.  Eatock - Trafford Golf Club” hallmarked for Sheffield 1891.

Silver head club dated 1891. Thanks to Graham Rowley for the above image.

Below is the result of a match played at Old Trafford against Entwisle Golf Club (now defunct) in July 1896.

Result of the 1896 Boxing Day competition, the first prize was given by Mrs R W Lawton. The club was listed as the Trafford Club at this time, leading scores; T M Hart, 98-7-91; Rev H H Brayshaw, 92 scratch; F A Langley, 104-12-92; F G Merry, 106-13-93; A Ll Jones113-18-95; S Smelt, 99-3-96; T Coventry, 102-4-98. 

The first winter medal competition of the season was played on Saturday 9 October 1897, twenty four cards were taken out, leading scores; A Shearer, 95-11-84; W Syer, 102-18-84; W Lund, 91-6-85; H M Langley, 106-21-85; A Syer, 106-18-88; M Hart, 97-8-89; F Wilkinson, 98-8-90; F Kidd, 109-18-91; S Foster Jackson, 104-12-92; Rev D Dorrity, 108-12-96; F W Page, 118-20-98; J H Cooper, 119-20-99.

Below is the result of a match played at Old Trafford against Heaton Moor on Wednesday 12 July 1899. 

Below is the result of a club match played at Old Trafford against Entwisle on Saturday 3 November 1900.

In 1903 the secretary was Henry D Langley.

The Following is from the 1905 Nisbet's Golf Yearbook; TRAFFORD GOLF CLUB - Instituted 1891; Number of members 160; station Old Trafford three quarters of a mile; Hon. secretary - W Gibbons, The Woodlands, Stretford; Captain, E Latimer; Entrance fee £2/2s and subs £2/2s; Nine-holes; Green-keeper, W Armstrong; Visitors play on introduction only. A flat course, the bunkers being mostly artificial. Bogey for 18-holes, 82.

The annual general meeting for the Trafford Golf Club (Old was not in the title) was held in April 1906. It was stated at this meeting that the opening of the NEW course would take place on the first Saturday in May. The following officers were elected; Captain, W Browning; Treasurer, F W Andrew; Secretary, Geo H Evatt, 429 Chester Road, Manchester; committee – H Aiton, W Gibbons, E Latimer, R W Lawton, Geo W Lowcock, G A Saatweber.

The opening of the “new” course took place on Saturday 5tMay 1906 with a competition for a prize given by Walter Gibbons, there were over 30 entries, leading scores; J I Milligan, 88-10-78; E Armstrong, 87-8-79; H B Swindells, 91-9-82; J H Mitchell, 91-9-82; H A Jones, 102-19-83; G H Evatt, 105-22-83; G A Saatweber, 92-7-85; Rev D Dorrity, 97-12-85; W Browning, 105-18-87; H Aiton, 99-11-88; J Faulkner, 103-15-88; E Sutcliffe, 110-22-88; A W Weller, 98-8-90.  

The new course was in fact an extension, the club had obtained a lease on a field adjoining the existing course, in consequence several holes had been added with existing holes being lengthened and improved.  

The course and clubhouse is shown in the centre of the O.S map below.

© Crown Copyright {1909}

In 1911 the secretary was Thomas J Matthews.

The Trafford club had managed to survive through some difficult times, and in 1911 the Manchester Corporation began to cut a thirteen foot culvert through the heart of the course which caused considerable damage to the "good nine-holes" which then existed. Because of this the members had serious thoughts of taking up the Manchester Club’s vacated tenancy in Trafford Park, but the more far seeing of them judged that the industrial tide would soon swallow up all the available land there. So they managed to keep going where they were for now, happy with the social life the club had always possessed, and reasonably content with the golf course that remained.

Result of a qualifying round for the captain’s (Dr Allan Forde) cup competition played in February 1912 at “Trafford”; H B Swindells, 86-9-77; J Bissett, 85-5-80; W H Battersby, 89-9-80; G H Watterson, 93-12-81; Rev D Dorrity, 88-7-81; F Walthew, H E Morris, 89-4-85; J G Wilson, 101-16-85.

On Saturday 23 November 1912 a qualifying round of the captain’s (Dr T W Hart) cup competition was played at “Trafford”; A Guildford, 94-20-74; W H Battersby, 82-7-75; D Dorrity, 82-7-75; E A Bahin, 94-17-77; S Edwards, 86-8-78; A E Cooper, 88-8-80; E W Parry, 89-8-81; H B Swindells, 89-8-81; D Johnstone, 90-9-81; D E Aitken, 92-10-82; G H Watterson, W R Hogg, 81+1-82.    

The first and second teams played against Anson Golf Club in June 1913, the first teams at Anson and the second teams played at Trafford. Interesting to note that it was called Trafford Golf Club at this event.

Below, first team result at Anson.

Below, second team result at Trafford.

Manchester Evening News Wednesday 31 December 1913. Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

F0ollowing is a result of a nine-hole ladies competition held at Trafford  in January 1914. This result must be for the Old Trafford club as Manchester Golf Club had moved from Trafford Park in 1912. Result;  Mrs Holliday, 65-20-45; Miss Montgomery, 67-20-47; Mrs Pilling, 64-16 ½ -47 ½ ; Miss Gibbons, 54-6-48; Miss Vaughan, 63-15-48; Miss M Vesey, 68-18-50; Mrs Atkinson, 71-20-51; Miss H Vesey, 74-20-54; Mrs Mitchell, 78-20-58.

The ladies also held a nine hole competition on New Year’s Day; Miss H Vesey, 60-20-40; Miss M Vesey, 59-18-41; Mrs Atkinson, 61-20-41; Miss F Vesey, 64-20-44; Mrs Andrew, 50-5 ½ -44 ½ ; Miss Gibbons, 51-6-45; Miss M Gibbons, 59-13-46; Mrs Holiday, 66-20-46.

The result of  the gents qualifying round for the captain’s (Dr T Wheeler Hart) cup held in January 1914; S Edwards, 81-6-75; A B Wilkes, 79-3-76; J Maunders, 79-3-76; F W Brailsford, 90-13-77; W H Battersby, 82-3-79; J D Nettleton, 87-7-80; H E Morris, 83-1-82; S Kane, 100-18-82.

Result of the ladies March medal 1914; Miss Green, 111-36-75; Miss Gibbons, 89-13-76; Miss M Gibbons, 104-26-78; Miss Fernyhough, 104-24-80; Miss Case, 115-29-86; Mrs Holiday, 122-36-86.

From the Manchester Evening News Monday 12 October 1914 - "The Trafford Golf Club have placed their links in Old Trafford at the disposal of the military authorities for training the members of the 3rd Battalion Manchester Regiment at the Botanical Gardens. No golf will be played on the links up to 1 p.m. each day, Saturdays excepted." 

In March 1915 A Joynson, the hon. secretary, on behalf of the club, forwarded a donation of £1/8s to the National Relief Fund.

The following article announcing the demise of the Trafford Club appeared in the Manchester Guardian on 21 January 1920; The Trafford Club or “Little Trafford” as it was commonly called to distinguish it from Trafford Park when the Manchester club played there, will soon follow the unfortunate example of Anson and cease to exist. And for the same reason – the desirability of the links as a site for the builder. The Stretford Council want the land for the erection of a secondary school and houses, and as picks and shovels have already taken the place of drivers and niblicks the members will meet on Saturday to decide upon the necessary steps to terminate the club.

Apart from its use for the Royal and Ancient pastime the land has another claim to a place in Manchester sports history. It served as a polo ground when the cavalry where in barracks in Hulme, and the clubhouse, which, by the way, was shown as a type of portable building at the 1887 Exhibition, served as a pavilion for the players. The then owner of the land, Mr Sam Craven, caught the golfing fever, laid out a few holes, and gave certain friends, among them the late Sidney Smelt, the city coroner, permission to play. It was they who formed the Trafford Golf Club in 1897. 

The Google Map below pinpoints the location of the former golf clubhouse.