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Bowring/Roby Municipal Golf Course, Liverpool. (1912 - 1970s)

The Bowring/Roby  golf course appeared prior to WW1. 

Originally a nine-hole course it was extended to 18-holes in the 1920s.

Bowring Park Golf Club played over the course.

A large portion of the course was lost when the land was required for construction of M62 in the 1970s. Eventually further land was acquired to the south and a new 18-hole course was laid out. 

T Ingram was the professional in 1914/5 and F Stephens from 1915 to 1917.

Report on the opening of the course in August 1912.

Liverpool Courier and Commercial Advertiser Wednesday 28 August 1912.Content provided by THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Liverpool Echo Wednesday 7 January 1914 - "Golf at Bowring Park has proved a source of both popular pastime and public profit. For the year 1913 - excluding the months of  July and August, when the links were closed on account of school treats - over 20,000 players' tickets were sold, representing a revenue of over £500. A large proportion of the players were ladies. The committee are so interested in the question of the relative numbers of ladies and gentlemen who use the course that they have arranged that from the first inst. ladies shall receive tickets of a distinctive colour, which will render it possible to ascertain of how many of each sex play over the links during the year. The London and North Western Railway Company have found their Roby station so well patronised since the Bowring Park golf course was opened that not only have they instituted a series of cheap bookings, but they have increased the number of trains each day."

Revival of the course following WWI.

Liverpool Evening Express Friday 24 February 1922. Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Liverpool Evening Express Wednesday 18 October 1922. Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Competition played by Bowring Park Golf Club in August 1925.

Liverpool Daily Post Tuesday 11 August 1925. Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Liverpool Evening Express Tuesday 15 June 1926. Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

From the Golfer's Handbook 1928; Bowring Golf Course, Roby, Liverpool; Membership 200; Hon. secretary - R Nelson, 33 Fairfield Street, Liverpool; Professional, F Stephens; 18-holes; Visitors, 1s a round; No Sunday play.

Golfer's Handbook 1933 to 1937; Membership 140; Hon. secretary - J D Danson, 32 Greenfield Road, Stoneycroft, Liverpool; Professional J S Fraser; Professional course record; W H Davies, 70 Visitors, 1s a round; No Sunday play.

J S Fraser professional at Bowring in the 1930s.

Liverpool Echo Saturday 25 March 1933. Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

The course was ploughed over during WWII for food production.

It was reported in June 1949 that efforts would be made to reinstate Bowring Park as a golf course.

Course planned to reopen in July 1955.

Liverpool Daily Post Thursday 15 July 1955. Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

"Bowring Park Golf Course (pictured above) which is to be reopened to golfers a week on Monday is expected to attract many Liverpool golfers."

Golfer's Handbook 1972 to 1975; Bowring Golf Course; Private; Membership 150; Secretary, J G Russell; Professional; J Fraser; 18-holes, 6,095 yards SSS 69; Visitors, 25p.

In 1973 the developers move in.

Liverpool Echo Wednesday 3 January 1973. Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Golfer's Handbook 1982; Bowring, Roby Road; Public; Membership 150; Secretary G Barton; 9-holes, 5,580 yards, SSS 66; Amateur course record; D J Galligan, 68; Visitors, £1.85p.

Golfer's Handbook 1985; Membership 80 (no lady members); Secretary, P Bradshaw; Professional, D Weston; 9-holes, 5,580 yards, SSS 66; Visitors, £1.95p (weekends, £2.25p).

Ordnance Survey Map from the 1920s showing the Golf Course and Club House.

O.S. Map Revised 1925; © Crown Copyright (year of publication 1928).

The Google map below pinpoints the location of the former course.