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

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.

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.

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

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 11th 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.

Carlisle Golf Club   Dumfries Golf Club  
Rev T W Stephenson 7 W N Blake 0
R B Lattimer 0 J Leitch 2
T Cochrane 0 F Reid 4
Dr Helm 0 R Wright 2
Dr Murphy 0 H Gouan 8
Captain Langton 0 Rev J A Campbell 9
Dr Douie 0 H Scott 2
R W Cowen 0 L Starkey 8
Dr Macdonald 2 A N Ferguson 0
  9   35

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

 

Carlisle Golf Club. Result of a match against West Cumberland GC 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.

Carlisle Golf Club   Langholm Golf Club  
C Todd 0 James Scott 5
Rev T W Stephenson 5 A J Craig 0
Dr Murphy 3 W Connell 0
Rev E W Parker 6 Mr Milroy 0
J K Parker 0 Mr Graham 3
F W Chance 5 Mr Watson 0
W P Story 0 Mr Renwick 1
Rev E Robertson 6 Rev Mr White 0
G A Story 5 Mr Cairns 0
R W Cowen 2 Mr Moses 0
  32   9

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

 

Carlisle (City) Golf Club. Report on the proposed new golf 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.” 

There must have been a change of mind as the Carlisle City Golf Club actually moved to a course at Durranhill Park in 1908. 

 

Carlisle (City) Golf Club. The opening of the Durranhill course in 1908.

The opening of the Durranhill Park course in 1908.

 

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.

 

Carlisle (City) Golf Club, Durranhill Park. Location of the clubhouse and course 1927.

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

 

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

 

Carlisle (City) Golf Club. A proposed new golf course.

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

 

Carlisle (City) Golf Club. Report on the proposed new golf course on Blackhall racecourse in October 1927.

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.

 

Carlisle City Golf Club, Cumbria. Course scorecard.

 

Carlisle City Golf Club, Cumbria. Course scorecard.

 

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.