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Carlisle (City) Golf Club. (1881 -WW2)

The first course in 1881 was at the Swifts; A new club was formed in 1890 with a nine-hole course on The Green at Dalston; In May 1894 the Carlisle Golf Club moved to play on and share the course at the Silloth; In 1908 the club moved to Durran Hill and became the Carlisle City Golf Club. It continued at this location until 1939.

An advert appeared in the Carlisle Journal stating that the preliminary meeting of the Carlisle Golf Club would take place at the Trevelyan Hotel, Lowther Street, on Friday 18 February 1881. The Mayor was to preside. The hon. secretary was William Brown, 5 Devonshire Street, Carlisle.

Report on the formation of the Carlisle Golf Club in March 1881.

Times of India Tuesday 22 March 1881. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

In September 1881 the first handicap competition was played. The prizes were two sets of clubs presented by the Mayor, who was president, and the captain Mr Stevenson. Fifteen players took part. Mr Stevenson, Dr Peddle and Dr Paterson played of scratch. Play began with a magnificent drive by the captain, who started the round steadily. He eventually came to grief on the home hole where he got into a “bad hazard near the Castle,” giving a clue to the course location on the Swifts Racecourse. After play the club held its first autumn dinner in the County Hotel.

From the Carlisle Express  and Examiner Saturday 18 November 1882; "Carlisle Golf Club - The competitions for the silver medal presented to the club by Mr J C Carrick have brought to a close. The conditions were that the medal should be competed for monthly during the season, and should be the property of the competitor winning it the greatest number of times. There have been in all eight contests for the coveted prize, and Dr Murphy having headed the list three times, it now becomes his property.

The club seems to go into abeyance at this time. 

There is no entry for Carlisle Golf Club in the 1888/89 Golfing Annual.

New course at Dalston in 1890.

In June 1890 Willie Fernie of Troon visited Dalston and laid out a 9-hole course on The Green. The course was on gravelly sub-soil with grass that did not grow to any length, the course was said to compare favourably with most inland courses. The first game took place Wednesday afternoon on the 11 June, Mr Cowen and Mr Fernie against Dr Murphy and Dr Douie, two rounds of the 9-hole course were played with Cowen and Fernie winning by four holes. Among those about to join were; Rev W Stephenson (consented to act as secretary), Captain Langton, Rev W E Strickland, Dr Helm, Dr Walker (Dalston), Mr Henry Scott, Mr R Hind, Mr T L Atkinson, Mr Cochrane and others. Play would commence as soon as the club is formed. 

On Wednesday 18 June a meeting was held at the Central Hotel to form a golf club for Carlisle and district. Mr Cochrane was voted to the chair, and there was a large attendance. It was decided to form a club to be called “The Carlisle Golf Club” and a committee consisting, Mr Henry Scott, Mr R W Cowen, Mr Chocrane, Dr Douie and Captian Langton were appointed to draw up the rules. The Rev W Stephenson was appointed secretary and it was agreed to ask Colonel Salkeld to become its president. The subs were fixed at 10/6 and each member would have to pay an entrance fee of half a guinea. 

In September 1890 it was reported in the Carlisle Patriot that the first golf match that has been played in many years in Cumberland came about when the Carlisle Club played Dumfries on the fine 9-hole course recently laid out at Dalston. At the conclusion of the game the players were entertained at the residence of Mr R W Cowen, Mill Ellers.

In 1894 the Carlisle Golf Club moved to Silloth an became the Carlisle and Silloth Golf Club.

Result of a match played at Silloth in May 1894.

"Golf Friday" 25 May 1894. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Result of a match against West Cumberland Golf Club played in May 1894. 

“Golf" Friday 25 May 1894. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Result of a match played against Langholm on Saturday 16 June 1894.

"Golf Friday" 15 February 1895. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From the 1905 Nisbet's Golf Yearbook; Carlisle and Sillloth Golf Club; Membership 339; Hon. secretary - J P Buck, Marlboro' Gardens, Carlisle; Captain, Dr Farquharson; Entrance Fee, £2/2s and Subs 32/2s; 18-holes; Professional, T G Renouf; Course Records; Professional; T G Renouf, 66; Amateur; Rev J C Graham, 72; Visitors, 2s a day, 7s/6d a week, 15s a month.  

Ordnance Survey Map showing The Green at Dalston, location of the second course.

O.S. Map Revised 1899; © Crown Copyright {year of publication 1901}.

Report on the proposed course at Durran Hill in August 1906.

Carlisle Journal Friday 3 August 1906. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The following report is from the Lancashire Evening Post 15 October 1907; “J S Caird, the professional of the City of Newcastle Golf Club, has reported that the new Carlisle racecourse at Blackhall is all that can be desired for the purposes of a golf course, and it is understood that, after the race this week, the proposal to form a golf course will be taken in hand by the management.” 

From the Carlisle Journal Friday 25 December 1908 - "A new golf club for Carlisle entitled the Carlisle City Golf Club was formally inaugurated in October. A nine-hole course has been made at Durran Hill Park and a full membership has been obtained. The Mayor declared the course open and the Mayoress drove off the first ball." 

The opening of the Durran Hill Park course in 1908.

Report on the annual meeting in October 1913.

Newcastle Daily Chronicle Thursday 30 October 1913. Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Result of a match played in May 1914.

Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer Friday 8 May 1914. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Following WW1 a decision was made to extend the course to 18-holes. James Braid was called in to design the new holes and make improvements to the original nine-hole layout. Due to financial restraints the work was not completed until the mid 1920s.

Location of the Durranhill clubhouse and course. © Crown Copyright {1927}

Below are reports on a proposed new golf course for Carlisle in October 1927.

From The Sunday Post 2 October 1927. Image © Illustrated London News Group. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD

Newcastle Journal Thursday 6 October 1927. Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

At the annual meeting in November 1931 Sir Frederick Chance Lancrigg, Grasmere, was elected president of the *Carlisle City Golf Club. The new captain elected was A J Pickerby, and the vice-captain, C H Taylor. 

*The club was also known as Carlisle City Golf Club.

It continued at Durran Hill until the club moved to its current location in the late 1930s.

The following report is from Lancashire Evening Post Tuesday 2  May 1939; “Carlisle City’s new golf course was formally opened yesterday by the captain (Dr Alan Semple), who played the first ball. The official opening will take place in September, when the clubhouse has been finished. Social amenities will continue to be held at the present clubhouse on the old course. The scheme for the new course at Aglionby will cost £12,000.” 

The Google Maps below show the location of two former courses; top the early course at Dalston; lower at Durranhill.