Prenton Golf Club
The 2005 Centenary book for Prenton Golf Club lists 50 other clubs in the British Isles that share their year of celebration which testi fies to the pace of interest in the game in 1905. Like many other clubs it was an informal meeting that started the ball rolling and in Prenton’s case it was a gathering on 18 February 1905 when 7 men formed themselves into a Committee and elected a President, Secretary and Treasurer. Their resolution “ that a small golfing club be formed” may in hindsight appear somewhat lacking in ambition but this perception was quickly changed when keen local interest caused the initial limit of 40 men and 20 ladies to be increased. Somewhat surprisingly, the first Captain appointed in the following year was not one of the original 7 founders, the honour going to P Harvey Dodd.
The first course of 9 holes, ranging from 130 to 280 yards, was set out in two fields that now form Waterpark Road and Elm Road. For the months of May to August the golfers had exclusive use of the land but for the rest of the year they had to give preference to other users. The rudimentary nature of the course can be gauged from the reward of one shilling given to a junior member for his suggestion that the water-filled jam jars that were sunk into the ground to mark the holes should be replaced by tin cans with holes punched in the base.
By 1908 the club had moved to a larger site nearer to Landican and had also built a substantial clubhouse. Further reconstruction of the course was interrupted by the Great War of 1914/18 when much of the course was given over to sheep and cattle grazing. On 4 May 1923 the course was formally opened with 18 holes, celebrated by an exhibition match between A G Havers and Abe Mitchell. A 40 year lease gave the club security of tenure and this was later consolidated when the club was able to purchase the freehold of the land.
German bombing raids during World War II caused damage to the clubhouse and the course. In the 1941 blitz the close proximity to the river Mersey exposed the club to attacks from land mines and incendiary bombs intended for the docks and shipyards at Birkenhead. The damage to the clubhouse was not repaired until after the war and the large cavity to the right of the present 8th green is a reminder of the damage a land mine can do, even with a controlled explosion. The making of Golf Links Road in the late 1950s left the main entrance to the clubhouse facing the wrong way and necessitating a reorganisation of the building layout. The new clubhouse was opened in 1966 and there were further alterations in the year 2000.
The Lees family played significant roles both for Prenton Golf Club and also for the Society. Father and son, G F Lees and Fred J Lees, both Captained Prenton and the latter served as Hon. Secretary and Treasurer of the Society for a period of 9 years until he was appointed its second Captain in 1948/49. Peter Dutton was Captain of the Society in 1972/73 and has played an active part in the affairs of the Cheshire and the English Golf Unions. He served as President of the Cheshire Union of Golf Clubs in 1971 and was President of the English Golf Union in 1989. Arthur Thelwell was President of the Cheshire Union in 1991 and Graham Hurton became the third Prenton member to Captain the Society in 2002/03.
The first course of 9 holes, ranging from 130 to 280 yards, was set out in two fields that now form Waterpark Road and Elm Road. For the months of May to August the golfers had exclusive use of the land but for the rest of the year they had to give preference to other users. The rudimentary nature of the course can be gauged from the reward of one shilling given to a junior member for his suggestion that the water-filled jam jars that were sunk into the ground to mark the holes should be replaced by tin cans with holes punched in the base.
By 1908 the club had moved to a larger site nearer to Landican and had also built a substantial clubhouse. Further reconstruction of the course was interrupted by the Great War of 1914/18 when much of the course was given over to sheep and cattle grazing. On 4 May 1923 the course was formally opened with 18 holes, celebrated by an exhibition match between A G Havers and Abe Mitchell. A 40 year lease gave the club security of tenure and this was later consolidated when the club was able to purchase the freehold of the land.
German bombing raids during World War II caused damage to the clubhouse and the course. In the 1941 blitz the close proximity to the river Mersey exposed the club to attacks from land mines and incendiary bombs intended for the docks and shipyards at Birkenhead. The damage to the clubhouse was not repaired until after the war and the large cavity to the right of the present 8th green is a reminder of the damage a land mine can do, even with a controlled explosion. The making of Golf Links Road in the late 1950s left the main entrance to the clubhouse facing the wrong way and necessitating a reorganisation of the building layout. The new clubhouse was opened in 1966 and there were further alterations in the year 2000.
The Lees family played significant roles both for Prenton Golf Club and also for the Society. Father and son, G F Lees and Fred J Lees, both Captained Prenton and the latter served as Hon. Secretary and Treasurer of the Society for a period of 9 years until he was appointed its second Captain in 1948/49. Peter Dutton was Captain of the Society in 1972/73 and has played an active part in the affairs of the Cheshire and the English Golf Unions. He served as President of the Cheshire Union of Golf Clubs in 1971 and was President of the English Golf Union in 1989. Arthur Thelwell was President of the Cheshire Union in 1991 and Graham Hurton became the third Prenton member to Captain the Society in 2002/03.