Chester Golf Course

Chester Golf Course 1913 – 2001

 In 1913 the Brewers Hall Estate Company had about 110 acres and a farm cottage to let to the golf club. This they did for a rent of around £220 per annum. £750 had also been earmarked for developing the course. Some of the physical elements in the character of the course which were to challenge the golfer over the next 87 years, were already present. The boundaries of the railway and the river to the left of some holes, and the natural “bluff” or bank which divided the course longitudinally into two levels, formed part of the challenge of the potential course. Indeed, originally, six of the holes featured the bank as a difficulty, to be negotiated, up or down, to a green or fairway; the most notorious being what chroniclers of the club deemed “Vampire Point” on the 12th where a south westerly gale or breeze could ruin many a golfer’s promising card. The first step was to move most of the moveable assets from the Bache to the new land in early 1913 and this included the golf “pavilion”. However it was not ready in February 1913 as a meeting to draft rules and adopt the name “The Curzon Park Golf Club” had to be held in Clemence’s cafe in Northgate Street. Subsequent meetings were held in what the minutes quaintly described as the “Golf House”, a name perhaps suggesting some grand edifice but which in fact was a structure more suited to being by a bowling green or a village cricket pitch! This building remained until the early 1960’s though it was later adorned with a clock donated by Butt & Co, and also a brick built lounge or billiard room.

Up to 1920 progress on the course was slow as might be expected as men and resources were expended in the Great War. A Greenkeeper was appointed but labour was in short supply and a woman had to be engaged in 1916 to cut the thistles down on the banks. Nevertheless 9 holes were opened in June 1913 when the first competition took place. Fodder was scarce and the horse purchased for £14.10s to draw the “Pennsylvania” mower had to be grazed on the farmland by arrangement with the tenant Mr Shone. The land on the lower level was very boggy and there were many complaints about the damage caused by Ladies’ high heeled boots, as worn in the fashion of the day. Other testimony to the “give” in the ground was from Jackie Spencer, who was associated with the Club for sixty years. He recalled that one greenkeeper, named Dixon, devised some leather boots for the horse so it would not damage the turf. This however did not stop the damage caused by cattle straying from the north end of the land, a nuisance that continued right up to the 1960’s.

A plan for 18 holes was drawn up and by 1919 thirteen holes were in use. A year later 18 holes were opened with a mixed foursomes event. By 1923 the Golf Club was becoming the major shareholder in the Brewers Hall Estate Company through the issue of mortgage debentures and the name of the Club was changed to “The Chester Curzon Park Golf Club”. Little change took place on the course in the later 1920’s, the only change worthy of note being a concession to new technology, when the horse was replaced by a tractor in 1928.

During the Second World War, most of the north end of the course (then the 14th, 15th and 16th holes) was given over to agriculture, and it was in fact still not in use for golf by 1952. But the next decade saw some efforts to remedy depreciation in the course caused by neglect. The damage done by straying cattle was of some concern. Representations to Bill Smith, the incumbent farmer, met with little success. His attitude was somewhat diplomatically described in the minutes as “unconciliatory”.

Rabbits also seem to have been a special problem in the fifties as unwary golfers scouring the rough for lost balls were apt to come upon the Professional E. L. Calloway fully armed with shotgun and cartridges issued by management. It is not recorded if any member came into the line of fire! In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s the farm cottage was still rented by the Club, but its dilapidated condition meant money had to be spent re-roofing it. Rejected by the professionals, it was for a time, occupied by the greenkeeper, Len Sproston, but before it was eventually abandoned, it was, according to George Parton, the long serving Professional who came to the Club in 1962, used mainly as a trysting place for courting couples!

By the early sixties, the farmer, Bill Smith, had decided to retire, enabling the Brewers Hall Estate Company to contemplate making use of any viable farm buildings, the grazing rights, and the use of any spare land for the Golf Club. At the time however apart from updating machinery with a new diesel tractor, the Club was mainly concerned with improving and altering the 8th (now the 17th) and 17th (now the 8th) holes. The former was a still to be short blind shot up to the top level but the old 17th was completely removed to the top plateau and a new teeing ground and green was made. It was at this time that the Club paid the original subscription of £4.14s and6d to the Bingley Research Institute for help in getting the greens in order. Making a path up to the old 17th was difficult. Fortunately a plan to remove a shoulder of land by explosives was pre-empted by Bill Leeman providing bulldozers from Anchor Motors - and the 1950’s did not go out with a big bang!

Despite these signs of change, the austerity of the decade after the war precluded any major improvements. But the sixties, as in society generally, proved to be a watershed when those enterprises began which were to transform the course in its second half century. The first was a complete break with the period up to 1963 when the Club accepted the report of the golf architects, Hawtree & Son, in May 1963 to alter the sequence of playing the holes. Previously it should be explained, the holes were played in two distinct loops; the first nine turning back after the 4th hole to emerge on the upper level at the 8th green, and then go to a ninth green in front of the clubhouse. The second loop, starting from the 10th, turned from the 13th to swing round the northern perimeter with the 17th and 18th back on the top level, the latter a hole of 333 yards across the pond and a cross-ditch on the fairway to a green behind the clubhouse. There were many reasons for the change. It was not acceptable that the two longest holes (4th and 5th) were consecutive and that the 18th finished behind the clubhouse. More particularly, movement from the 4th green to the 5th tee caused interference to the 13th green.

 The change was to the present sequence of playing the holes. Some opposition was expressed, particularly by the well known local reporter, R.G. McDonald, affectionately known as the “scribe”, who weekly chronicled the deeds of the club’s golfers. He regretted the change and gazed nostalgically to the past, but it was approved by the majority of members. This change opened the way for a “new look” in course management and improvement as well as a campaign for a new clubhouse. At last it was decided in 1964 that the old “golf pavilion” should make way for a modern building with up to date facilities. Subscriptions, fees and other finance had to be raised as an expenditure of £28,300 was anticipated.

At the same time as though to mark a new era, the Club adopted the name of “The Chester Golf Club”. At the time of new construction the course round the 9th and 18th greens presented a strange appearance, as two railway carriages were put in place to do duty as temporary accommodation. Further refurbishment of the clubhouse took place in the 1980’s and 1990’s to make it a fitting home for the club but it was never much loved by many members and it was no surprise that there was an overwhelming vote in February 1999 for a complete transformation of the building despite the anticipated cost of around £450,000.

It was also a happy chance that in 1963 the captain was A.F.G. Jiggens. F.R.I.C.S. and M.I.C.E. -known to all at the Club as “Jigg”. By profession an engineer and surveyor, and later a member of the British Association of Golf Architects, he brought his expertise to bear on managing and improving the course. Apart from on-going drainage work he altered many holes by re-siting bunkers, introducing “mound” features. and improving greens. He redirected the 9th to a green nearer to the front of the clubhouse and this change together with the demise of the farm made possible the development of the upper and lower practice grounds. Other holes are much more a monument to his work; notably the dog-leg 2nd and 16th, the latter leading to a new Mackenzie green, and a new 17th of 191 yards which replaced the old “up and under” blind hole up the bank. Almost the last of his changes was the new more challenging raised and sloping green well guarded by severe bunkers at the 15th hole. He also donated the trees in the copse to the left of the hole (where the original 15th green was situated) which gave it more character.

Jigg’s death in 1985 was a sad loss but he set the example to others for continued progress. Moreover, by then the Brewers Hall Estate Company had bought out 33.63 acres of the land previously rented from the railway company or left unused and this proprietorship was an incentive for further development.

One feature in particular underwent renovation. The hopes of golfing “rabbits” had risen as the water level declined in the pond in front of the 9th tee. But alas for them, V. Knight and K. Rothwell organised the pond’s recovery by having it dug down to marl. Since then by dint of continual maintenance it has become a fine deep water hazard - favourable to water fowl and bulrushes, but not to the nervous golfer.

Other much useful work was done in the decade of the eighties to preserve the old hawthorn hedges which had demarcated the original fields and also the quickthorn along the river boundary. It was also found necessary at this time to stem the growth of the giant hogweed!

On the holes themselves green and yellow marker posts appeared to supplement the 150yd marker plates and new competition tees were made, especially at the 17th where it was sited half way up the bank. These changes and the lengthening of some holes such as the 16th raised some questions by the beginning of the nineties. What was the real length of the course - and how far did the stroke indices reflect the difficulty of the holes? The Club had an obligation to match alterations to the S.S.S. for the Ladies as well as the Men. So, our intrepid guardians of the course, led by Viv Knight and Keith Rothwell set out to solve these questions, armed with “state of the art” optic sighting and measuring equipment and Don Jones, pedometer. As the new equipment took into account “inclination” and “declination”, new yardages were obtained. Although the men’s course was a bit longer it did not affect the S.S.S. of 71, but the Ladies’ course was found to be much shorter and tee markers had to be re-adjusted to keep the S.S.S. of 72. At the same time a new set of stroke indices was worked out - better to balance the inward and outward halves, reflect the difficulty of the holes and avoid any long run of low stroke indices.

 This was a complicated exercise and its arcane workings have no place here, but the result was a much more satisfactory arrangement. One fact to note is that the course has lengthened from 6012 yds in 1953 to 6403 yds at the present time. All the new information was put on to a combined scorecard, and the Match Chairman at the time, Barrie Kershaw, organised the production of an attractive course guide, useful to both the visitor and member.

With changes to the holes, the course now presented a far different aspect to a long serving member than he could recall from earlier times. This was even more striking in another way. If we look at the aerial photographs of the course and the photographs of the 1950’s contrasted with those of the 1990’s we can see why. Where once the golfer wended his way across barren landscapes, by the 1990’s he proceeded through avenues or by stands of luxuriant trees. Though many members had individually donated trees, larger scale plantings before the 1970’s had not been very successful. In 1971, Gordon Rosair had lamented the lack of trees on the course. In the suggestion book he called for more plantings, adding that such plantings could mark the celebration of national events, such as “the relief of Mafeking” There was an equally dry response from the relevant committee stating they would seriously consider it when Mafeking was again relieved!

This whimsical exchange disguised some unity of purpose as the committee were sympathetic - but it was mainly the initiative of a group of senior members such as Gordon Rosair, Les Sampson and Ken Hawkins who got things moving. They spent much time begging, and borrowing and transplanting young birch, cherry, ash and willow trees, assisted to some extent by “Jiggs” incorporating some of their volunteer planting in his alterations.

However it was Bill Raven, as a co-opted member of the Green Committee, who in response to a request from the Committee in 1987 for a survey and proposals regarding tree planting, initiated the main programme. His connection with the County Council Forestry adviser who could furnish help, and the grants from the Countryside Commission, led to a first scheme of three phases. This was contracted out to Planscape Contractors of Hawarden and involved tree - planting, eradication of elder, hedge planting and associated maintenance over three years. Much of the planting was done at first around the 6th and 7th holes and after 1990 when Viv Knight became Chairman of Green Committee, his enthusiasm led to planting by all fairways.

As this work still attracted a 40 per cent grant, a wider variety of trees was purchased from nurseries and planted with the help of volunteers. Altogether over a ten year period, some 2000 trees were planted. We have only to look at the contrast afforded by the photographs of the course in the 1950’s and the 1990’s to appreciate both the aesthetic beauty and pleasure for the golfer that this work has created as it matured. This appreciation must be for all those who donated trees, for the volunteers who gave time unstintingly to plant and the judicious planning of the planting which has given colour and form throughout the season.

In the last few years some changes have been made and contemplated which should make the course better for all members. Stuart McCall came to the Club as greenkeeper in 1995 with a pedigree from St Andrews and Hillside and with Colin Corkerton at the helm they set about widening and lessening the gradients on the paths from the 2nd and the 12th tees. Similar work is being done on the path up to the 8th tee. Sandstone has been used attractively on the banks and “Jiggs” ditch was extended the full length of the second fairway adding a new feature.

Another change has been the abolition of “internal out-of-bounds”; for the 2nd, 11th and 12th holes - though the golfer still has to find his ball on the bank or see it enter the ditch to benefit from this change.

With the advent of the millenium and the Club’s Centenary, the status and the presentation of the course have been greatly enhanced. Some matters have had to be left in abeyance. Contracts have been exchanged with Railtrack regarding the land acquired from them to the left of the second hole, and the Club has put in planning application for the land the Club owns beyond the third hole. However the designation of this land is still a matter for debate and enquiry.

Much work has been done though on the course. The par and standard scratch score have been equalised to 71 by changing the sixth hole from a par 5 of 494 yards to a par 4 measuring 430 yards. The approach and surrounds of the sixth green have been newly contoured and a number of trees removed from the right hand side of the fairway to make the green more visible when playing the second shot. The thirteenth hole has been extended to 420 yards by moving the medal tee back twenty yards. The entrance to this green has been widened and the rough areas close to the green eliminated to make the second shot a more acceptable proposition.

These changes have reduced the overall yardage of the course to 6461 but have given the course two strong par 4’s in excess of 400 yards, something that many professionals considered it lacked. As a consequence of these changes, it was necessary to revise the course stroke index. The seventeenth green has been completely rebuilt and redesigned under the direction of the Club’s European Tour professional, Paul Affleck. In addition to increasing its size, the green has been designed to provide a greater putting challenge than that of the old green.

Visually, the course will present new landmarks because of the centenary celebration and the re-building of the Clubhouse. On reaching the seventh tee, one will see a monument drawing attention to the historical nature of the site as a Parliamentary gun emplacement, known as Brewers Hall Mount, during the siege of Chester in the English Civil War. Furthermore, a fitting climax to a golfer’s round on this now elegant course, will come on reaching the eighteenth green. There, against the background of the impressive elevation of the new Clubhouse a golfer will be able to check his card seated in a paved area to the left of an attractively landscaped putting green.

In this paved “courtyard” will also be another stone monument which will celebrate the centenary of the Club, now with one of the finest courses in the county.