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Hough Green Golf Club, Ditchfield Hall Course, Widnes. (1901 - 1920s)
The club was founded in 1901 and played at Ditchfield Hall. The course was laid out by J Morris the Hoylake professional.
Liverpool Evening Express Monday 25 November 1901. Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
In 1906 the secretary was Charles Bawden, Ditchfield Road, Hough Green, near Widnes. Amateur course record holder was G A Mitchell with a score of 36. Visitors’ fees were 1/- a day, 2/6 a week and 5/- a month. The station at Hough Green was 300 yards from the course. Local hotels were the Central at Widnes, and the Hammer & Pincers at Hough Green.
Below is the result of a match played against Mersey Golf Club (now defunct) at Penketh on Saturday 27 July 1907.
| Mersey Golf Club | Hough Green Golf Club | ||
| F W Gilbert | 1 | F Brown | 0 |
| E G Medley | 1 | R Craig | 0 |
| T Miniati | 1 | L Robinson | 0 |
| W S Knowles | 1 | J J Rankin | 0 |
| R N Foster | 1 | F Bibby | 0 |
| A W Paul | 0 | R B Helliwell | 1 |
| Dr Lindsay (half) | 0 | C R Lewis (half) | 0 |
| H Unsworth (half) | 0 | J Walker (half) | 0 |
| E Hartland | 0 | A J Wilkinson | 1 |
| 5 | 2 |
Below the result of the December 1909 monthly medal.
From The Crewe Guardian Wednesday 8 December 1909. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Runcorn Weekly News Friday 4 April 1913. Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
In 1914 the secretary was still Charles Bawden, Ditchfield Road, Hough Green. The membership was 110 gents and 40 ladies. Visitors were not allowed on Saturday afternoon and Sunday play was not allowed. Stations at Hough Green 300 yards and Ditton Junction 1 ½ miles.
Below is a picture of Ditchfield Hall.
Early picture of Ditchfield Hall.
Runcorn Weekly News Friday 17 March 1916. Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
The club was revived following the Great War.
Runcorn Weekly News Friday 26 January 1923. Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
From the 1924 Golfer's Handbook; Secretary - J Midwood, Bank Villas, Hough Green, telephone Widnes 12 and the greenkeeper S Parker. Visitors' fees were 1/6 a day, 4/- a week and 10/- a month.
Liverpool Evening Express Friday 21 November 1924. Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Runcorn Weekly News Friday 15 May 1925. Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Report on the opening of the new pavilion in June 1925.
Runcorn Weekly News Friday 12 June 1925. Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
From 1925 to its disappearance in about 1927 the secretary was W H Foster, "Silverdale", Ditchfield Road, Hough Green.
When the Hough Green Golf Club folded many members moved to join the Widnes Golf Club which opened in 1924.
From the Widnes Weekly News 6 April 1979 - "The trees near Ash Lane are particularly favoured by magpies with their black and white feathers, and until recently larks could be seen and heard in the sky above the field. This is not surprising because the fields formed part of Hough Green golf course in years gone by. Now, only the clubhouse remains, but in my early childhood express trains from Liverpool stopped at the station to allow golfers to alight, and years after the links had gone posters on the platform still depicted it by a bag of golf clubs."
The report below from 1993 states that the club and course did not survive WW1. It is evident from earlier reports on this article that the club did carry on into the 1920s.
Runcorn Weekly News Thursday 21 January 1993. Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
The Ordnance Survey Map below is from the 1920s. The course also appears on the later O.S map in the 1930/40s.
O.S. Map Revised 1925; © Crown Copyright {year of publication 1928}.