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Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Mayfield Road Course. (1886 - 1896)
Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club was founded in 1886.
Because of difficulty with the renewal of the lease on the land the club decided to look for a new home. The club moved to their present course in 1896.
Lytham & St Annes gained Royal patronage in 1926.
The earlier course of the Lytham & St Annes Golf Club was located between St. Anne’s Road East and Highbury Road in the area where the Mayfield Primary School is nowadays. The area is now completely built over.
Site of the Lytham and St. Annes course in the early 1880s, prior to the course being laid out. The image shows St Annes Parish Church in the centre. Image courtesy of M C O’Brien.
Entry from the Golfing Annual 1888/89.
Above trophy inscribed “Lytham & St. Anne’s Golf Club 17th April 1893.”
Below are a selection of competition results, meetings etc. for the Lytham & St. Annes club whilst on their earlier course in the 1880s/90s.
Results from the spring meeting played in April 1889. On Saturday 20th seventy six players competed in the windy conditions. The winner of the gold momento, value £25, was presented by Lady Eleanor Cecily Clifton to W E Fairlie who had a net score 87; second was Edgar Storey, 91; third Sidney Hermon, 93. On Monday 22nd seventy one players took part in the Terry Cup, presented by Rev W G Terry, vicar of St Annes. Mr C E Dick (Putney) won the silver cup with the best aggregate for the two days with scores of 90 and 94. In the handicap competition played on the same day the winner was A B Schofield, 86 (winner of the silver flask); runner-up was R H Prestwich. It was noted that “The success of this club since its establishment so short a time since has been most remarkable.”
The annual meeting was held in the club room at the hotel, St Annes-on-Sea, on the 28th February 1890, Thomas Fair, captain, in the chair. Mr J Talbot Fair, secretary, gave his annual report which stated that membership at the club now totaled 255. Mr J E King, treasurer, issued the statement of accounts for 1889/90. Total receipts amounted to £408/2s, outgoings were £335/9s/8d, balance £72/12/4. The receipts included 49 entrance fees at £2/2/0, £102/18s; 241 subscriptions of £1/1s, £253/1s ; 4 subscriptions of 10/6, £2/2s; rent of lockers at 5/- each, £8/10s; 82 ladies’ and 12 visitor’ subs at 5/-, £23/10s; billiard table receipts, £9/0/5d; bank interest 10/2; balance from previous year, 2s/5d. The outgoings included £135/11s/6d on wages, implements and course materials; £44/14s/6d, prizes; £31 for rent of land and clubroom; £28/5s for lighting and heating. Mr J Mugliston was elected captain for the coming year. Mr King was re-elected treasurer and Mr Talbot Fair secretary. Mr J Talbot Clifton, Lytham Hall, was elected honorary president in place of Mr A Wykeham Clifton, who had resigned. The following were appointed hon. vice-presidents; Mr Macara, Mr Doleman, Thomas Fair and W G Terry.
On Saturday 4th November 1890 a professional tournament was held on the course with prize money ranging from £4 to £10. Willie Fernie of Troon was the winner with a score of 156 for two rounds. Archie Simpson was second, 160.
Entry from the Golfing Annual Vol. V - 1891/92; Lytham and St. Anne's Golf; Instituted 27 February 1886; Entrance Fee £10/10 shillings; Annual Subscription, £1/1 shilling; Membership of 381; Captain, W E Fairlie; Trustees - T Fair, T H Miller, S Hermon; Council - J Mugliston, A H Doleman, J M Rea, J A Brown, J A S Fair, H Fisher, W G Terry and J E King (Hon. Treasurer); Secretary, J Talbot Fair; Professional and Green-keeper, George Lowe.
Club Prizes - Clifton Gold Medal (scratch); Ladies' Gold Medal (scratch); Terry Cup (handicap 18 strokes); Manchester Gold Medal (scratch); Thistleton Gold Medal (scratch); Hermon Cup (handicap 10 strokes). Prize winners in 1891; Clifton Medal - M Pole,91; Ladies' Medal - F Hermon; Manchester Medal - W E Fairlie; Mistleton (sic) Medal - W E Fairlie, 86. Lowest scratch score in a competition, 78 by C Hutchings on 19 April 1890, and the green record by T Vardon, professional, in September 1891.
Excellent accommodation may be had at the St. Anne's Hotel. The clubroom is in the hotel.
Also listed in the Golfing Annual; Lytham and St. Anne's Ladies' Golf Club; Instituted 27 February 1886; Annual Subscription 5 shillings; Number of Members 200 (the limit); Secretary, J Talbot Fair; Green-keeper, George Lowe. Prize winners in 1891; Silver Salver, Mrs E Catterall; Gold Medal, Mrs Hermon. Lowest Scratch Score 88 by Mrs E Catterall on 6 May 1891. The ladies' course is a nine-hole one to the east of the gentlemen's green.
There were 48 entrants for the “Lancashire Fusilier Cup” played on Saturday 12th September 1891. The trophy was presented by member of the third and fourth battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers who had attended camp in the area during the month. Leading scores; W Newbigging, St Annes, 91-15-76; F C Morgan, Manchester, 89-5-84; C W Fisher, Blackpool, 101-15-86; C Pilkington, Manchester, 106-18-78; W E Fairlie, Chelford, 86+3-89; J Marcus Rea, St Annes, 98-8-90; R Lythgoe, St Annes, 105-15-90; R T Gillibrand, St Annes, 108-18-90; S F Butcher, Bury, 102-10-92; B Thompson, St Annes, 105-13-92; J Talbot Fair, Lytham, 109-12-97; J A F Eltoft, St Annes, 110-13-97.
In February 1892 the members donated the prize fund for a competition that was played between the four professionals at the club under George Lowe. The four players and their handicaps were; T Vardon, scratch; G Pulford, 4; J Anson, 15; F Lovat, 20. The first prize of £3 was won by F Lovat (104-20-84 and 90-20-70); the second and third prize of £2 was divided by T Vardon (79 scratch and 83 scratch) and G Pulford (85-4-81 and 85-4-81); fourth prize £1/10s, J Anson (105-15-90 and 98-15-83).
The annual meeting was held in the clubroom in March 1892 the Rev W G Terry, captain, presided. J Talbot Fair, secretary, read the annual report, which stated that the number of members at the close of the financial year was 382, including one honorary member, besides 200 lady subscribers. J E King, treasurer, produced the balance sheet which showed a balance in hand of £95/16s/9d. W E Fairlie, Chelford, Crewe, was elected captain, J E King, treasurer and J Talbot Fair, secretary. J Talbot Clifton was re-appointed hon. president and Sir Matthew White Ridley and C W Macara, hon. vice-presidents. It was also stated at this meeting that “with regard to the new links that the appointed committee had been over the new land and the arrangements for taking it over were in progress”
It’s interesting to note the comment above regarding the “new links”. It appears that the club had either moved, or, possibly extended the course.
Ladies' competition results April 1892.
The Field Saturday 30 April 1892. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Below is a description of the golf course from February 1893.
From the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News Saturday 22 April 1893. Image © Illustrated London News Group.
St Annes Golf Club members room in the St Annes Hotel in 1893.
Competition result and report on the annual meeting in March 1895.
"Golf" Friday 22 March 1895. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Result of a ladies' competition played in July 1895.
"Golf" Friday 19 July 1895. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
From the South Wales Times Tuesday 15 October 1895; "Lytham and St. Annes Ladies' Golf Club is one of the few clubs that have no ladies' committee, the club being managed entirely by Mr Talbot Fair, the hon. secretary of the gentlemen's club, and one of the vice-presidents of the Ladies' Golf Union. The gentlemen's hon. treasurer acts in the same capacity for the ladies."
The following report is from the Preston Herald Saturday 1 February 1896 . It clearly points out that the ladies' club had their own course at this time. "Ladies' Golf - The fourth "Bogey" competition by the lady subscribers of the Lytham and St. Annes Ladies' Golf Club for the prize presented by the Misses Salt took place on Wednesday over the Ladies' Links at St. Annes. About 30 ladies went out on to the links and the best score was sent in by Mrs Brown, St. Annes, who takes her place amongst the other winners to play off for the prize under special handicap, against bogey, on 18 March. The three other winners so far being; Mrs H L Wright, Lytham; Miss Terry, St Annes; Mrs Verity, Lytham. One of the members of the council of the club - Mr T H Rushton, Halliwell Hall - has presented a prize for a competition now proceeding on the new links for the best six net scores made by any one gentleman on the new links between 1 January and 30 June."
Pictures of the ladies' course in the 1890s. Images courtesy of M C O’Brien.
Report below from the Yorkshire Post October 1897; "THE NEW LINKS AT ST. ANNES - The handsome golf clubhouse on the links of the Lytham and St Annes Golf Club is rapidly nearing completion. The new links, which skirt the railway to St. Annes, have been taken on a lease from the Lytham Estate, and a considerable sum of money has been spent on them. They are now in splendid order, and when the club is opened in February there is to be a great display of golfing by professionals. It is understood that Mr A J Balfour, M.P., will conduct the opening."
The ladies club is still listed on a nine-hole course - Entry from the 1905 Nisbet's Golf Yearbook; Lytham and St. Anne's Ladies' Golf Club; Instituted 1886; Hon. Sec., T P Williamson; Entrance Fee, £1/1 shilling; Subs., £1/1 shilling; Number of holes -nine; professional, T Simpson; Terms for visitors - Two days free, 1 shilling a day, 2s/6d a week.
The earlier golf course is marked in the centre of the above map. Reproduced from the {1911) Ordnance Survey Map. The course was also marked on the 1893 O.S map.
The Google Map below shows the area once occupied by the course.