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West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. (1908 - 1952)

The club was founded in 1908.

An 18-hole course on undulating ground with fine turf. Hazards were mostly natural.

Due to the encroachment of work on the docks in 1930 a new course was laid out by Hawtree and J H Taylor.

In 1911 the secretary was R P Crawford, The Clubhouse, Bidston Footpath, Breck Road, Wallasey.

On Saturday 24 June 1911 the final for the Coronation Cup presented by Mr C Herbert Birchall was played in wet and windy conditions, G Harrison won the cup and a souvenir, the latter presented by the club captain Mr W J Tallantyre. Leading scores; G Harrison, 73+88-161; C (or G) Shepherd, 73+95-168; W Hewson, 83+91-174; F H Watmough, 85+94-179; E R M Lord, 80+100-180; B Yates, 93+94-187.

On Saturday 27 September 1913 an exhibition match was played on the course. Great golf was played by Harry Simpson , the St Anne’s Old Links professional. His total of 74 in the morning round was a new course record. It was made all the more noteworthy because of the difficulty of the greens. His figures as follows; Out – 3,4,4,4,4,5,4,5,3 = 36; In – 5,4,4,4,5,5,3,4,4 = 38.

T G Renouf (Manchester) and Cyril Hughes (Chester) both scored 76 and Charles Roberts (Woolton) 78.

In the afternoon four-ball match Simpson and Hughes beat Renouf and Roberts by 3 and 1.

In 1913 the secretary was J B McAllister jnr, "Strathaird" Rolleston Drive, Wallasey.

  Secretary Professional/Green-keeper
1914 Ernest Cobb, Clubhouse Breck Road, Wallasey. E Smith (p)
1923 W H Carter, 17 Edinburgh Road, Wallasey. E Smith (p) W Mayler (g)
1920s/30s F H Swift, 50 Elgin Drive, Wallasey. E Smith (p&g)
1940-47 W Lodges, 17 Bayswater Road, Wallasey. B Gadd (p) 1936-39. T Rimmer (g)

New course record in September 1913.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. New course record in September 1913.

Birmingham Daily Gazette Monday 29 September 1913. With thanks to Trinity Mirror. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved.

 

In 1914 there was a membership of 275. Entry fees for gents were £5/5/0 and Ladies £1/1/0. Subs for gents were £3/3/0 and ladies £1/11/6. Visitors’ fees were 1/6 a day 2/6 without member, Saturday and Sunday 3/6. Competition days 5/-. Ladies 1/- a day 1/6 without member. Sunday play allowed without caddies. The station at this time was at Liskeard ½ mile away. There was also a tram service from Liverpool.

West Cheshire Villagers Club played over the course by permission.

In April 1914 J Girdwood holed in one at the 110 yard thirteenth hole.

In 1923 there was an increased membership to 312. Visitors’ fees were 2/6 a day, 5/- at weekends. Sunday play was allowed with caddies. The station was now at Poulton, Birkenhead Docks 10 minutes away. Local hotel was the Albion, New Brighton.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. Article from the Liverpool Echo August 1923.

Liverpool Echo Saturday 18 August 1923. With thanks to Trinity Mirror. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved.

 

The course was in splendid condition when forty couples took part in the club's mixed foursome "Our Day" competition in July 1925; Mrs R Hughes and S J Evans, 75; Miss Gill and C P Parry, and Mrs Craig and H T Lumb, 76; Mrs E Ogg and L M Mason, 77. The prizes were given and presented by Mr and Mrs W H Harrison. 

Competition results from August 1925.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. Competition results from August 1925.

Liverpool Echo Wednesday 26 August 1925. With thanks to Trinity Mirror. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. From the Wallasey Guide 1926.

From the Wallasey Guide 1926.

 

Success of the West Cheshire Artisans in July 1926.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. The successful West Cheshire Artisans team in July 1926.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. The successful West Cheshire Artisans team in July 1926.

Liverpool Echo Monday 19 July 1926. With thanks to Trinity Mirror. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. The Dining Room.

The Dining Room at WCGC.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. The Ladies' Room.

The Ladies’ Room at WCGC.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. The Club Room.

The Club Room at WCGC.

 

In July 1927 golfing brothers W Sutton (the holder) and E Sutton, from the West Cheshire Artisans, met in the semi-final of the Cheshire amateur golf championship at Prestbury.

Thanks to Jerry Dixon (Cheshire Union of Golf Clubs) for the following information and for the image below. "Bill Sutton  was an oil worker from Birkenhead, and a member of the West Cheshire Artisans, Bill Sutton won back-to-back county championships in 1926 and '27, and won again in 1936. He came to national prominence in 1929 by winning the English Amateur Championship at Gosforth Golf Club, Northumberland. 

Having won the English Amateur, Sutton was clearly aggrieved at not being considered for the 1930 Walker Cup, and this perceived injustice reached the press. To make his point, Sutton, by now a member of Timperley Golf Club, travelled to Ireland for the 1930 Irish Open Amateur Championship, which he won by beating Douglas Fiddian in the final. 

Bill Sutton played an exhibition match at Mere involving Gene Sarazen, George Duncan and Bert Shaw in 1936."

 

West Cheshire Golf Club. Bill Sutton at Mere Golf Club in 1936.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club. Club Officials.

Club Officials, 1920s.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club. Ernest Smith the professional.

Ernest Smith, Professional WCGC.

 

In the late 1920s and early 1930s the SSS was 70 and there was a membership of about 290.

Below is the result of a match played at Crewe against the West Cheshire Artisans in June 1930.

Crewe Golf Club   West Cheshire Artisans  
L G Copley 0 W Sutton 1
G Gibson 0 T Wright 1
J Hancock 0 E Sutton 1
C E Walton 1 J Sherlock 0
H Froggatt 1 G Taylor 0
W G Murray 1 J Calveley 0
J J Watson (halved) 0 R Davis (halved) 0
S Cottrell (halved) 0 J Chamberlain (halved) 0
A E Wooldridge  1 W Cottrell 0
T Betley (captain) 1 T Louden 0
H M Brown 0 W Kirby 1
A Baker 1 J Crosby 0
  6   4

O.S Map showing the location of the earlier course in the 1920s.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. Ordnance Survey Map showing the location of the earlier course in the 1920s.

Ordnance Survey Map Revised 1925, © Crown Copyright {year of publication 1927}.

 

Below a report on the new course in November 1930.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. Report on the new golf course in November 1930.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. Report on the new golf course in November 1930.

Liverpool Echo Friday 14 November 1930. With thanks to Reach PLC. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved.

 

The Ordnance Survey Map below shows the location of the new course.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. Ordnance Survey Map showing the location of the later course in the 1930s.

O.S. Map Revised 1935, © Crown Copyright {year of publication 1939}.

 

In June 1931 T J Wright of the West Cheshire Artisans played for Cheshire against Yorkshire at Wallasey.

Bert Gadd appointed professional in January 1936. 

 

West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. Bert Gadd appointed professional in January 1936.

Crewe Chronicle Saturday 25 January 1936. Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

 

Bert Gadd was professional at West Cheshire from 1936 to 1939. In 1937 he won the Irish Open at Portrush, finishing with two eagles. His four round total was 284.

Hole-in-One for Sam Wilson in February 1940.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. Hole-in-One in for Sam Wilson February 1940

Liverpool Echo Friday 16 February 1940. Image © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

 

In 1940 and 1947 the 18-hole course had a SSS and Par of 71 and a membership of 350.

The West Cheshire Artisans Club whose secretary was P Davies, 33 Danescourt Road, Birkenhead where allowed to play over the West Cheshire course by prior arrangement.

At the annual meeting in June 1940 Tom Pierpoint was appointed captain of the club in succession to Frank Fisher. H G Finestone was unanimously re-appointed president. S Turton was re-elected hon. Secretary, and P Broadley, hon. treasurer.

By July 1941 the course had been taken over to aid the war effort.  Club competitions were to be played at Leasowe Golf Club. At this time the West Cheshire members, with their never say die attitude, were confident that golf would be played on the course following the war.

In July 1945 the competition for the W D Williams Memorial Trophy was played over the Leasowe course. It was won for the third time in succession by Walter Marshall (4) 70; J Thorne (4) 72 was second, E Mowbray (15) 73, was third.   

It was reported in November 1945 that decoy fires would be used on the West Cheshire golf course. Over fifty drums of burning creosote oil with hoods over them would be lit to create smoke and glare as a distraction. The course was already dotted with bomb craters, one of which was about 100ft in diameter and 30ft deep. German war prisoner labour was used for some time in filling the hole with waste material. The clubhouse was set on fire, and the professional shed, with all its stock, went up in flames.   

 

West Cheshire Golf Club. A report on damage to the course WW2.

 

The West Cheshire Golf Club was disbanded at the time of WW2, the Artisans club appeared until the mid 1950s.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club. The Clubhouse.

The West Cheshire Golf Club clubhouse. Photo by R Brown, Bold Street, Liverpool.

 

 

West Cheshire Golf Club

The first tee and eighteenth green West Cheshire. Photo by R Brown, Bold Street, Liverpool.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club. Card of the course.

Card of the course from the later years (preWW2) of West Cheshire Golf Club. Author's Collection.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club. Pre-WW2 course layout.

Layout of the later West Cheshire course (preWW2) Author's Collection.

 

The club is wound up in 1952. 

 

West Cheshire Golf Club, Breck Road, Wallasey. The club is wound up in 1952.

Liverpool Echo Thursday 1 May 1952. With thanks to Trinity Mirror. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved.

 

West Cheshire Golf Club. Course location.

Location of the West Cheshire course before WW1.

 

 

During the 1920s there was a proposal to re-build Bidston Dock, this would be completed in the early 1930s. Because of the construction of the dock the course had to be relocated. It moved to the west and straddled the railway just north of Bidston Moss and south of Seacombe railway junction, towards Bidston Golf Course.

 

 

Thanks to Roy S Bulmer, Archivist, Wallasey Golf Club in 2004 for his help with my research; he remembers -

“Although I have played golf for 69 years (I was a mere lad when I started) I never had the chance to play West Cheshire. The club was founded in 1908 and ceased to exist in 1947. During 1941 when the Germans were bombing the Liverpool, Birkenhead and Wallasey docks,  fires were lit on the West Cheshire course to divert the bombers, it worked, my family were “bombed out” three times. Two famous ex members of the club were Norman Sutton who turned pro and moved to Exeter. He beat Gene Sarazan at Wallasey Golf Club in the World Seniors Championship and Denis Westcott who played football for Wolves”