GOLF Club history
There are two aspects to the History of Chorley Golf Club as might be expected from the design of the clubhouse.
The Hall o’th’ Hill at its present site was built in 1724 although the design of the building puts it in an earlier period. According to tradition, the original site is believed to have been on the moated site at Bretters Farm near the twelfth.
Transporting buildings in this way was not unusual in the 1700s as other examples have been found in Lancashire. The original Hall was a much larger building facing south. The west wing was demolished and replaced by the new hall now facing west, as it is today.
The Hall, in its current position, was built by Thomas Willis who died in 1727. The ownership of the Hall was passed down through the generations of the Willis family and, in 1890, was owned by Henry Randolph d’Anyers Willis born in 1834.
In 1897 the first Chorley Golf Club opened at Hall o’th’ Hill as a nine-hole course. The course became favourable with professionals of the day, and it was pointed out that there was more ground in the vicinity on which a further nine holes could be produced.
After numerous negotiations and searches for land capable of producing an 18-hole course, it was eventually decided to purchase the Hall o’ th’ Hill estate. In February 1925, J A Steer, the Blackpool South Shore professional, agreed to complete his design for an 18-hole course for the sum of £25.
In June 1926, the course was opened; it would have been earlier but for the General Strike. J A Steer, one of the foremost architects in the country (courses at Bradda, Port Erin, Fairhaven and Blundellsands) summed up the course as “agreeably undulating without being very hilly.”
The layout of the course is in two loops with starting places at the first and tenth, with the ninth and eighteenth greens close to the clubhouse. When there are two possible starting holes there then came the argument of “which way round”. This still poses questions for members today and will probably continue into the future.
By April 1940, membership of the club stood at 84 men and 42 ladies. The times were reflected by granting courtesy of the course to visiting members of the forces, whilst members of the club who were also serving in the war had their subs waived. Some of the course fairways had to be broken up to render flat areas of ground unsafe for landing aircraft by the enemy.
Club finances did suffer during the war but due to the generosity and capability of some of the members, none more so than G B Fletcher, Captain during the War. However, much work was required to reinstate the course to its former glory.
Through the next years the course and facilities continued to improve and, by 1960, membership stood at 128 men and 73 ladies. The sixties saw many improvements to the course and the rulings regarding safety procedures while playing the course.
The eleventh tee was moved, and a protective screen set up to the left of the sixteenth tee following a “near miss”. This showed an increase in the amount of traffic the course was taking, and further measures started to be taken to protect the course. By 1972, there was a waiting list of thirty members, even though subscriptions were increased vacancies being filled by selection as they occurred.
By now, the course was well established, and although improvements were made to the course, as is still the case today, attention turned towards the clubhouse.
Blackpool Tower can be seen in the distance
disease, but I always let it ride; it’s growing out as quick as it’s forming. I would only spray if the weather conditions were looking conducive for it and it got out of hand. I have, for the first time in a long time, had some anthracnose, but you will probably hear that from a few other greenkeepers.” A regular programme of scarification is carried out at a depth of 3mm alongside a sand topdressing programme and regular aeration. This shows in the organic matter results from the three test greens. The organic matter 0-20mm is 5%, the target range is 4-6%, so they are bang in the middle with that, 20-40mm is 4% again in the target range and a pH level of 5.7. The roots are at a depth of around eight inches which Tony is more than happy with. He puts this down to the aeration programme.
As well as the greens, the tees and fairways have regular aeration programmes, and scarification is also carried out. Tony is going to start fertilising the tees in a similar way to the greens and also use Primo Maxx. “I want to try and improve the surface, so it
Renovations commence 40 PC December/January 2019
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