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Alsager Golf Club, Staffs. (1909 - 1970s)
The original Alsager Golf Club was founded in 1909.
The first nine-hole course was on Talke Road.
In the early 1920s the club had a course on Linley Road. The club continues at the original clubhouse, without a course.
The first nine-hole course was on “natural grass-land” with hazards of natural bunkers, ditches, hedges, numerous trees, with three holes well guarded by fair sized ponds. The longest hole was 489 yards and the shortest 115 yards, bogey for the course was 78. There was a membership of about 80. There was a licensed clubhouse at the entrance to the links which was situated within two minutes’ walk from two stations; Alsager (main line) and Talke Road on the Audley branch the course being situated between the two on the south side of Talke Road. Visitors were welcome at 1/- a day. The young professional was Jack Branch, whose first club had been Woolacombe Bay, North Devon. He joined Alsager from Stafford Castle. He came to the club with a reputation of being a fine player and teacher.
In February 1911 the club held its second annual dinner in the Alsager Urban District Chambers. There was a good attendance of members, friends and club officials.
Following are members of the management committee; Joel Settle, president; J J Palfreyman, treasurer; A H Maddock, secretary; G E Barker, match secretary; C W Shirley, captain; and a “strong and influential committee of local gentlemen. Report below.
Staffordshire Sentinal Tuesday 7 February 1911. Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Below is the result of a home match played against Clough Hall Golf Club (also defunct) on Saturday 8 June 1912.
| Alsager | Clough Hall | ||
| P J Palfreyman (6&4) | 1 | Dr Turner | 0 |
| W H Griffith | 0 | F G Warburton (2&1) | 1 |
| A H Maddock (3&1) | 1 | H Rigby | 0 |
| C W Shirley (5&4) | 1 | A Corn | 0 |
| S Sant | 0 | A Wainwright (5&3) | 1 |
| A F Tiley | 0 | E E Smith (1up) | 1 |
| J Hancock | ½ | A Gilbert | ½ |
| 3 ½ | 3 ½ |
The Ordnance Survey Map below is from the 1920s. The nine-hole course (not marked) was laid out to the south of Talke Road, between Alasger and Talke railway stations.
O.S. Map revised 1922; © Crown Copyright {year of publication 1926}.
The Google Map below pinpoints the location of the first golf course south of Talke Road.
The Alsager Golf Club, Linley, Staffordshire, was founded in 1921. A 9 hole course on the Linley Wood Estate, Talke. Club membership in general of about 160, peaking in the early 1950s at 190. Visitors’ fees were gents 2/6 a day, 10/6 a week, 25/- a month. Ladies 2/-, 7/6, 15/-. Sunday play was allowed without caddies. The course was one mile from the railway stations at Alsager, Lawton and Talke Road. Local hotels were the Lawton Hall Hydro and Alsager Arms.
| Secretary | Professional/Greenkeeper | |
| 1924 | H V Lynam, Birch House, Alsager. | P F Fiddaman (p) A Cooper (g) |
| 1920/30s | C T Parkes, "Woodcroft," Alasager. (1939) | R L Roberts (p) A Cooper (g) - late 1920s |
| 1940/47 | E J Hurd, “The Hollies,” Alsager. | G Hassall (p) A Cooper (g) |
| 1951 | H V Lynham, Birch House. | W R Morris (p) J E Smith (g) |
| 1950s/70s | C D Bellamy, 7 The Fairway, Alsager. | R Chadwick (g) |
| Course Records. | |
| 1924-47 | R R Kettley and R S Morris (am) 34. J Coppack (pro) 33. |
| 1960s | J H Crimes (am) 30. J Coppack (pro) 33, |
1920s (late) the SSS was 74.
Results of matches played in September 1927.
Staffordshire Sentinel Saturday 10 September 1927. Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Report on the annual meeting in February 1930.
Staffordshire Sentinel Friday 21 February 1930. Image © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Below is the result of a ladies' match played at Alasager against Newcastle in April 1930.
| Alsager Ladies' Golf Club | Newcastle Ladies' Golf Club | ||
| Miss R Lucas (3 and 2) | 1 | Miss Pigott | 0 |
| Miss K Sherwin (2 and 1) | 1 | Mrs Pugh | 0 |
| Mrs Parsons (1up) | 1 | Miss Warner | 0 |
| Mrs Lynam (1up) | 1 | Mrs Keen | 0 |
| Mrs F Bailey | 0 | Mrs Dolby (2 and 1) | 1 |
| Miss K Staines | 0 | Mrs Cornell (5 and 4) | 1 |
| 4 | 2 |
Playing in a hospital cup competition in April 1930 H C Mellor holed in one at the 260 yard 15th hole.
Result of a match played at Newcastle in July 1930.
| Newcastle Golf Club | Alsager Golf Club | ||
| W H Stubbs and W G Falconer (3 and 2) | 1 | J Taylor and D Rigby | 0 |
| L Ball and P J Cornell (7 and 5) | 1 | H Steventon and F Taylor | 0 |
| G A Ashmall (J S Alexander (5 and 4) | 1 | H V Lynam and G P Lawton | 0 |
| W K Hill and G F G Atkinson (4 and 2) | 1 | F C Crimes and H T Jones | 0 |
| J T Broome and G E Harding (7 and 6) | 1 | W Bingham and B Boycott | 0 |
| 5 | 0 |
Below is the result of a mixed foursome match played at Wolstanton in July 1939.
| Wolstanton Golf Club | Alsager Golf Club | ||
| L Smith & Miss Mayer (half) | 0 | H Crimes & Mrs Bailey (half) | 0 |
| H L Steele & Mrs Bakewell (1up) | 1 | H Timmis & Mrs Rigby | 0 |
| J S Mayer & Miss Hodgkinson (3&2) | 1 | F Bailey & Miss Lucas | 0 |
| C H Cartlidge & Mrs Groves (half) | 0 | H C Mellor & Mrs Parkes (half) | 0 |
| L P Groves & Mrs Phillips (1up) | 1 | H Lynam & Miss Lynam | 0 |
| A Wardle & Mrs Leach (half) | 0 | Mr Price & Mrs Richardson (half) | 0 |
| E G Bradshaw & Mrs Rowley (5&4) | 1 | E Bailey & Mrs Timmis | 0 |
| 4 | 0 |
1940s the SSS and par was 71.
Following the sale of the of the Mansion House and the Linley Wood Estate an agreement was reached to terminate the lease with the Golf Club on the 8 May 1952 (they paid an annual rent of £54-17s-6d). It stated that “The Club House, Green and Tee Equipment are the Property of the Alsager Golf Club and do not form part of the sale” So it seems as though the club may have carried on albeit with a very uncertain future. The Alsager Golf Club finally disappeared in the early 1970s.
1960s the course measured 2,629 yards, SSS was 66.
Picture taken at the dinner dance in March 1964.
Staffordshire Sentinal Thursday 26 March 1964. Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
The annual dinner dance of the Alsager Golf Club in March 1965 was held at Royal Hotel, Crewe. It was attended by about 65 members and friends.
The Google Map below pinpoints the location of the second golf course and clubhouse on Linley Road.