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Warwickshire Golf Club, Lammas Field. (1886 - WW1)

On this website there are separate entries for the three defunct Warwick clubs; The Warwickshire Golf Club founded in 1886 (changed name to Warwickshire County Golf Club in 1912) closed at the time of WW1; Warwick Borough Golf Club from 1911 to 1919; Warwick Golf Club existed between the two wars.

The club was Instituted in 1886.

To confuse matters; the club was often  referred to as Warwick Golf Club in newspaper reports during the 1890/1900s probably because it was the only club in Warwick at the time. 

The second monthly competition for the club medal was played on Saturday 5th March 1887. There was a fair number of members assembled at the "Lodge" for the start of play. The first pair to tee off were Major Molyneux and Mr D'Arcy Parry. The new professional, David Ayton, well known at St Andrews, had got the course, particularly the greens, in good order. Result of the medal; J F Alston, 123-36-87; Captain Helyar, 133-45-88; F C Hunter-Blair, 111-12-89; W F Ashton, 100 scratch; Major Molyneux, 142-40-102; J F Shaw, 154-50-104; W McLaren, 123-18-105; M J Paterson, 114-9-105; G Savile, 144-36-108; F D Perry; 158-42-116; A Kelso, 176-69-116 (score reproduced as reported). Entrance Fee £1 and Subs £1. The half yearly dinner was held at the Clarendon Hotel.

Below is the entry from the Golfing Annual 1888-89.

 

Warwickshire Golf Club, Lammas Field. Entry from the Golfing Annual 1888-89.

 

Warwickshire Golf Club, Lammas Field. Entry from the Golfing Annual 1888-89.

 

The picture of the Shaw Trophy below is mentioned in the 1888/89 Golfing Annual (above.) The engraving reads “WARWICKSHIRE GOLF CLUB. PRESENTED BY G J SHAW ESQ. MARCH 1889. WON BY G. COMBE. SCORE Gross 96-14- 82 Nett.” 

 

Warwickshire Golf Club. The Shaw Trophy played for in March 1889 won by G Combe.

 

Warwickshire Golf Club. The Shaw Trophy played for in March 1889 won by G Combe.

 

Warwickshire Golf Club. The Shaw Trophy played for in March 1889 won by G Combe.

Thanks to David Copland for the above images of one of first trophies played for by the former Warwickshire Golf Club.

 

Competition results from April 1891.

 

Warwickshire Golf Club, Lammas Field Course. Results from April 1891.

 

Warwickshire Golf Club, Lammas Field Course. Results from April 1891.

 

Warwickshire Golf Club, Lammas Field Course. Results from April 1891.

 

Warwickshire Golf Club, Lammas Field Course. Results from April 1891.

"Golf" Friday 8 May 1891. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

Below is the result of the Club Cup competition played in September 1892.

The lower image is interesting in as much as it mentions a Royal Warwickshire Golf Club, and, what would be, an early Forest of Arden Golf Club.

 

Warlingham Golf Club, Surrey. Result of the Club Cup competition September 1892.

 

Warwickshire Golf Club. Report mentions a Royal Warwickshire Golf Club.

Above from the Leamington Spa Courier Saturday 1st October 1892. Images © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

Warwickshire Golf Club. From The Illustrated Sporting Dramatic News June 1902.

 

Warwickshire Golf Club. From The Illustrated Sporting Dramatic News June 1902.

 

Warwickshire Golf Club. From The Illustrated Sporting Dramatic News June 1902.

From The Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic News June 14th 1902. Above Images © Illustrated London News Group. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

 

Warwickshire Golf Club. Location of the golf course on the 1905 O.S map.

The Golf Course on Lammas Field. Reproduced from the {1905} Ordnance Survey Map.

 

The following is from the 1905 Nisbet's Golf Yearbook; Number of members 250; Hon, Secretary - F C H Blair, 38 Warwick Street, Leamington; Captain - Hon. and Rev. W R Verney; Entrance Fee £2 and Subs £2; Nine-holes; Green-keeper, J Bloxham; Amateur record - B Norbury, 77; Visitors' fees, 1s a day, 5s a week. A long slogging course, the holes varying from 160 to 500 yards. The hazards are fences, ditches, gullies, wire-netting, hurdles and cattle ponds. The course is regularly rolled with horse-roller, and grazed short throughout the year. The lies are excellent except in wet weather in winter, there is ample scope for long shots through the green. Headquarters at the Wheatsheaf Hotel.

A meeting of the Warwickshire club in October 1912 unanimously agreed to change its name to the Warwickshire County Golf Club but this didn’t seem to make much difference to the local press, referring to ‘the Warwick golf club’ in November 1914 when it subscribed £75  to the National Relief Fund and, similarly, in January 1916 when it offered to put its pavilion at the disposal of the officers of the East Sussex Regiment when a battalion of 700 men was to be billeted in the town.

The captain in 1912/13 was the Earl of Warwick D.L., J.P; F C Hunter Blair was the hon. secretary.

The Warwickshire Golf Club Silver Challenge Shield was played for the last time in 1913 and was won by W F Hutchins. It had been played for since 1892 and the following were the winners; 1892 - F W Hayes; 1893 - C W Falcon; 1894 - C J Lloyd Carson; 1895 - M J Paterson; 1896 - E Kennard; 1897 - H G du Norris; 1898 - Rev E H Oldham; 1899 - E L Ireland Blyth; 1900 - W Bouch; 1901 - JF Wright; 1902 - B Norbury; 1903 - Rev E H Oldham; 1904 - F T Green; 1905 - F R Tutton; 1906 - C Mallam; 1907 - N B Ludlow; 1908 - H F Chance; 1909 - L T Bigg; 1910- S A Flower; 1911 - Rev J D Day; 1912 - F W Clive; 1913 - W F Hutchins. The trophy was donated to the Warwick Golf Club (now defunct) in 1931.  

Although it had changes its name to Warwickshire County in 1912 it was still sometimes referred to as Warwickshire Golf Club in newspaper reports. 

It was reported in October 1914 that 31 members of the Warwickshire Golf Club were on active service.

It was reported in January 1916 that The Military Authorities had commandeered the clubhouse of the Warwickshire Golf Club on the Race Common, but the links were still available for players.  

The following report appeared in the Banbury Guardian on Thursday 5th July 1917. "The Warwickshire Golf Club has been wound up, and one of the old challenge cups, with a suitable inscription, has been presented to Mr H L Sowden, for his services as honorary secretary for many years."

The Google Map below pinpoints the location of the former course. The current nine-hole course of the Warwick Golf Centre (designed 1971) can be seen to the north.