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Hawarden Golf Club, Ewloe Course, Flintshire. (1911 - 1935) 

Evidence of earlier golf at Hawarden from a report in October 1895.

 

Hawarden Golf Club, Flintshire. Evidence of earlier golf from October 1895.

North Wales Chronicle Saturday 12 October 1895. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

The present club was founded in 1911 with a nine-hole course at Ewloe.

The original idea of a course was put forward by Mr R. Strachen Gardiner, the Agent of the Gladstone Estates. Mr Gardiner and a group of local golf enthusiasts set about finding suitable land to lay out a golf course at Hawarden. It was agreed that four fields near to the railway and Old Aston Hill would be suitable for a nine-hole course. Mr C B Toller, a local well known local businessman was a leading light in the development at the club he also served as club captain for many years.

Club officials in 1911; President, W G C Gladstone; joint secretaries, R G Gardiner and Mr Willmore Taylor; treasurer, Cecil Harris; committee – J D Mayhew, S H Wooley, K Taylor, A Lyon, Dr E B Roberts, Willmore Taylor and R S Gardiner. The entrance fee for men was £1/1s/0d and subs £1/1/0 and for ladies, 10/6 and £1/1/0.

Result of a match played in September 1911.

 

Hawarden Golf Club, Ewloe Course, Flintshire. Result of a match against Holywell in September 1911..

Cheshire Observer Saturday 16 September 1911. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

Card of the course and hole descriptions taken from the Hawarden Club Guide; Hole One – 250 yards, bogey 4;Two – 135 yards, bogey 3;Three – 460 yards, bogey 5;Four – 275 yards, bogey 4;Five – 150 yards, bogey 3;Six – 300 yards, bogey 4; Seven – 375 yards, bogey 5;Eight – 330 yards, bogey 5; Nine – 235 yards, bogey 4;Total – 2,510 yards, bogey 37.

Hole descriptions – Hole one; We are called upon to use a wooden club as it should to be for any first hole. The long hitter can open his shoulders without fear of punishment.

Hole Two; A more difficult hole although only a little more than half the length of the first. To the left and behind the green, is a disused railway that is out of bounds. To the right is a small wood that should worry only the wildest hitter. The green is a decent size and a well played ball can be stopped with a mashie-niblick. In front of the ladies’ tee is a fine old oak tree that should not worry the average golfer.

Hole Three; Leaving the previous green, we proceed over a wooden bridge (donated by Mr Toller) to the tee. A good drive will carry a wire fence leaving a good lie for a brassie shot. However an indifferent drive will leave a difficult shot to carry ‘Hades’, a swamp that extends the whole width of the fairway. A five here is quite good even for the long hitter.

Hole Four; A wooden club should be played here with care as a pulled shot will be out of bounds, and slicer could find himself in a shallow ditch that runs away to the right of the green.

Hole Five; A slight climb from the previous green brings us to the tee, where a seat has been thoughtfully provided. The ground in front of the tee and to the steep rise to the left is covered with gorse, and a good shot must carry the bunker and stop on the small table green, however a duffed shot will be trapped by the ditch running towards the fourth green.

Hole Six; We drive here over a hill making this a blind tee shot but a wide fairway awaits a shot played over. The next shot is quite simple and if played to the right, results in the ball rolling down the slope to finally rest near the pin.

Hole Seven; A hole of the dogleg order and in the opinion of a well known local professional, an ideal hole. The tee shot must be placed to the left over the disused railway, as on the right is a small wood locally known as ‘Devil’s Kitchen’. The second shot must not be pushed to the right as the disused railway again awaits, while on the left is the L. & N.E. Railway- Seacombe to Wrexham- also out of bounds.

Hole Eight; Quite straightforward and can be played comfortably. This time the old railway line is immediately below us. With the tee shot over and on to the wide fairway, the second shot is easy and can be played with a spoon or heavy iron.

Hole Nine; The long hitter will want to try for the green which stands in front of the club house. If short, a nice little pitch will get us there, and put us in a fine mood to play the ‘nineteenth’ which is only a few yards away.

Report on the annual meeting in January 1921.

 

Hawarden Golf Club, Flintshire. Report on the annual meeting held in January 1921.

Cheshire Observer Saturday 29 January 1921.Image © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

 

Result of a match played at Ruthin in June 1926

Ruthin Golf Club   Hawarden Golf Club  
C Herbert Roberts 1 T Norbury 0
D Bonner Thomas 1 Eric Higham 0
E B Hardman 0 R W Davies 1
O Bonner Thomas 1 E P Wheatley 0
R Thomas 1 C A Coppack 0
David Jones (half) 0 F M Bennett (half) 0
J Meire Roberts 0 H Cockcroft 1
Oswald Thomas 0 W H Higham 1
Evan Davies 1 H Hindley 0
Robert Peach 0 C B Toller (Captain) 1
Tom Williams 0 W M Fitzpatrick 1
Hugh Worthington 1 Fred Roberts 0
  6   5

Result of the president's (H N Gladstone) prize played in July 1926; G P R Williams, 86-19-69; C V Harris, 89-19-70; F J P Fitzpatrick, 88-18-70; T Norbury, 78-6-72; E Higham, 81-7-74. 

The winner of the captain's (C B Toller)  prize played in August 1926 was H Hindley. 

Result of the April 1927 monthly medal; F M Bennett, 82-13-69; T Norbury, 79-76-73; Eric Higham, 84-8-76; G F Waters, 90-10-80; E P Wheatley, 90-10-80.

Result of a ladies' match played at Hawarden against Llangollen in July 1928

Hawarden Ladies' Golf Club   Llangollen Ladies' Golf Club  
Mrs Hindley 1 Miss Twyerould 0
Miss Thomas 1 Mrs Hawkes 0
Mrs Mitchell 1 Mrs A M Jones 0
Mrs Kenyon 1 Mrs Archer 0
Mrs Ratcliffe 1 Miss Platt 0
Mrs Kay 0 Mrs Mossop 1
Miss C Jones 0 Mrs Jones 1
  5   2

At the annual meeting in February 1929 members presented a handsome inscribed bookcase to Herbert Wrigley on his retirement from the position of honorary secretary after ten years valuable service. Mr Wrigley was one of the original members of the club and it was his unfailing energy that the club was reborn following WW1. He was to continue to serve the club in his new capacity as vice-captain of the club. 

Entry from the 1933 Golfer's Handbook; Hawarden G.C. Ltd.; Membership 150; Hon. secretary - H Barnes, The Bungalow, Hawarden; Professional and green-keeper, B Forshaw; Course records; Amateur - E P Wheatley and E Higham, 69; Professional - B W Davies and F Robson, 69; Nine-hole course; Visitors - 2 shillings a day, 2s/6d Weekends and  Bank Holidays, 12s/6d a Fortnight, £1 a month; Sunday play allowed without caddies.

Prize presentation in October 1933

 

Hawarden Golf Club, Ewloe Course, Flintshire. Report on Prize Presentation in October 1933.

Cheshire Observer Saturday 28 October 1933. Image © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

 

Hawarden Golf Club, Flintshire. Course location at Ewloe.

Location of the former course north of Ewloe.

 

The lease ran out on the former course in 1935 and the club moved to its current location at Groomsdale Lane.

 


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