Club History
Formation
Although the first golf clubs to be formed in Wales were at Tenby (1888), Rhyl (March 1890) and Caernarvonshire (June 1890), it was The Glamorganshire Golf Club which first introduced the game into the heavily populated and industrialised south east of Wales in October 1890.
The Minutes of the Meeting on October 20, 1890
The first steps were taken at a public meeting held at the Jubilee Hall, Penarth, on October 20th, 1890, the declared purpose of which was "to consider the advisability of forming a golf club". Lord Windsor's agent had promised his Lordship's assistance in providing the necessary land in the form of a few rough fields which those acquainted with the game considered very suitable.
Lord Windsor
In 1890
Lord Windsor - who subsequently (in 1905) was created Earl of Plymouth - gifted the plot of land in Lower Penarth and the Club was founded initially as a nine hole course.
The Club undertook an expansion programme to the full eighteen hole course during 1896 and the following year, enabling the 1897 Welsh Amateur Championship to take place in Penarth for the first time.
Lady Captains Board
History of the Ladies at The Glamorganshire
Although the Club was formed in 1890, it did not admit its first Lady Members until 1892 when the course was revamped and 9 new holes were created over the hill near Downs Wood and down to what are now the 11th and 15th holes.
The old course which included the 6th, 7th and 8th seemed to be flooded more often than of late, and was given to the Ladies to play on. Evidence that they had been confined to the old nine-hole course comes from a ‘minute’ in which the Ladies requested permission to play a competition on the ‘Gentlemen’s links’. This was granted – indeed in July 1895 the Ladies were given permission to play over the Gentlemen’s course any day except Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.
It was not until November 1894 that the Ladies Section was formed when they held a General Meeting at the Lansdowne Hotel to elect their first Ladies Captain, Mrs Maine-Tucker.
In 1906 a new local rule stated that matches containing a Lady player should give way to men except in matches and county matches. In 1907 the Ladies requested representation on the Men’s Committee – this was turned down. However, in January 1950 a letter from the men’s committee stated they had no objection to Ladies attending the AGM on attaining the age of 21 – somewhere along the years this lapsed!
Restrictions on Ladies' playing rights continued throughout the last century, and it is only in recent years they were granted equal standing on the course and allowed to play on Sundays without a Gentleman being present.
Dr Frank Stableford
The Stableford Scoring System
The
Stableford method of golf scoring, a system now utilised and revered, particularly by amateur golfers, the world over, was first devised by a Glamorganshire Club member, Dr. Frank Barney Gorton Stableford. He first tried it out on fellow members on 30th September 1898.
As now, the system awarded one point for one over par, two for a par and three for a birdie. The stroke index system having yet to be invented, one third of the player’s handicap was added at the end.
Stableford himself did not actually participate in his initial experiment though he donated a special prize to the winner, Mr W Hastings Watson, who scored a remarkable forty two points.
There is no indication of what the members thought about the alternative of scoring by points or, indeed, whether they tried it out on any other occasions.
Portrait of Dr Stableford in the Clubhouse
Dr Stableford, who was a resident of Whitchurch, Cardiff at the time, left The Glamorganshire Golf Club when he set off to serve as an Army Surgeon in the Boer War.
On his return to Wales he joined the
Royal Porthcawl Club where in 1907 he won the Royal Porthcawl Championship and in the same year reached the semi -final of the Welsh Amateur Championship.
It was to be 31 years before he decided to try his system again. By then he was a member at
Wallasey Golf Club on the Wirral. This time the whole of the player’s handicap was added to his score but it wasn’t until the system was allied hole by hole to the stroke index that it took off to become the world’s most popular scoring system.
"I doubt whether any single man did more to increase the pleasure of the more humble club golfer" (Henry Longhurst)
A curious footnote: Dr Stableford won the Club Cup at The Glamorganshire in 1898 and 1899. Is it the only item of silverware in the golfing world that bears his name?
The Legendary Baa-Baas
The Barbarians Rugby Football Club
It is probable that no other golf club in the world can lay claim to have hosted so many great rugby players from all over the world, because the famous
Barbarians visited The Glamorganshire Club every Easter Sunday between 1901 and 1996 as part of their traditional Easter weekend touring fixtures against famous Welsh Clubs.
The Baa-Baas played Penarth RFC on Good Friday, Cardiff RFC on Saturday, Swansea RFC on Easter Monday and Newport RFC on Tuesday. They spent all day Sunday at The Glamorganshire, playing their golf tournament under their unique rules and having a sing-song with Club members in the evening. During most of the 20th century the best rugby players in the world would have tasted the Club’s hospitality.
Their Sunday 'official golf frolic' was regarded a major part of the Baa-Baas' legend and, in the eyes of most of their players, was almost of equal importance to the weekend's rugby. The competitive sporting drive of the rugby stars was as evident on the golf course as it was on any rugby field.
Esplanade Hotel Penarth
According to the Barbarians' official web site:
“The Barbarians are unique in that they have no ground, no clubhouse, no entry fee, no subscription, and the clubs they visit pay their expenses in the main. It is in every respect a touring club, for there are no ‘home’ matches. The nearest to a clubhouse was the spiritual home at Easter from 1901-1971, the Esplanade Hotel at Penarth where, as at The Glamorganshire Golf Club, players were cared for with great tolerance".
In 1924-25 in recognition of the generosity of the The Glamorganshire, ninety five Barbarian members subscribed a total of 52.17s.0d for a 95-ounce perpetual silver cup called the Barbarians Challenge Cup, to be completed for annually by Club members on Easter Monday to commemorate the eagerly anticipated Easter visits by the Barbarians.
The mounted head of a Springbok, presented to the Barbarians team after they defeated the South African national team in 1961, remains on display during summer months in the Club bar, whilst during the rugby season it has pride of place in the Penarth Athletic Club, the home of
Penarth R.F.C..
Alas, the arrival of professionalism in rugby means that the Easter Tour is no more but the magnificent Barbarians Challenge Cup, remains one of the most highly-prized trophies among the club’s annual competitions
A Second World War Air Raid Shelter Similar to Those on the Course in Wartime
The Club's Role in Wartime
During the Second World War, the Club was required to assist with the war effort. Food crops had to be grown on a small section of the course and the 17th fairway was taken over by the Army. (A Committee minute dated October 13, 1943 noted that "Potato crop of 23 tons 16cwt sold at £5 per ton").
Soldiers were billeted in a line of huts up towards the 16th green. All serving Officers were made honorary Club members. The 17th fairway was released back to the Club in 1952. (A few years ago the Club received a letter the writer of which enclosed a copy of his birth certificate. This showed place of birth as "17th Fairway, The Glamorganshire Golf Club"!).
The course was also the location for an experimental rocket battery as part of the town's air defences. The battery was manned by 50 soldiers from the Royal Artillery who were billeted in the small 'village' of Nissen huts built in the Club's grounds.
Unannounced practice firings of the rocket battery frequently caused concern and alarm amongst local residents. Several public air raid shelters, for Lower Penarth residents and workers at the Cement Factory, were constructed in the Club grounds and on the land that now forms part of Cosmeston Country Park.
Guy Penrose Gibson
Guy Gibson VC
Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson VC, the leader of the legendary
Dam Busters raid over Germany in World War II, was not only an honorary member of The Glamorganshire Golf Club, but when the news came that he had been awarded the Victoria Cross he celebrated that night in the Clubhouse.
Wing Commander Gibson's association with The Glamorganshire began when the air ace met a young Penarthian, Eve Moore, at a party in Coventry during early December 1939 while he was on three days rest leave at his brothers house.
The following year Gibson and Eve were married at All Saints Church in Penarth. Guy Gibson flew his Blenheim bomber from his airbase in Lincolnshire to RAF St Athan for the wedding.
Eve's parents, Mr and Mrs Ernest Moore, lived in Archer Road, Penarth, and the couple moved in with them while they considered buying a home of their own. Ernest Moore was a keen golfer and invited his new son-in-law to join The Glamorganshire as an honorary member.
After the Dam Busters raid took place in May 1943, widely hailed as a turning point of the War, Gibson spent his two week post-raid leave in Penarth, playing golf on most days. While he was on that leave he had a call from the Air Ministry telling him that he had been awarded the VC. Ernest Moore immediately telephoned the steward at The Glamorganshire and asked him to lay on as many drinks as he could find, and the whole family went down to celebrate in style at the Clubhouse.
Gibson was an enthusiastic golfer and often returned to his favourite course at The Glamorganshire while on leave until his death.
Centenary History
In preparation for the celebration of its centennial the Club undertook refurbishment of the bar and lounge – now called the Centenary Lounge. Other clubs also celebrating their centenary in 1990 were invited to exchange fixtures and
Burnham and Berrow,
Tavistock and
The Leicestershire took up the challenge. In early August, a week of ‘centenary’ golfing events became a calendar fixture – still in place today. A Centenary Ball was held at the
Copthorne Hotel, and a number of special events in the clubhouse.
Millennium Celebration
Millennium
Leading up to the millennium, the Club held a Dinner/Dance at the St David’s Hotel in
Cardiff. A millennium party at the Clubhouse on New Year’s Eve saw the then President, John Adams strike the first ball of the new millennium off the first tee. He was joined by a few others playing with illuminated golf balls!
11th Hole
The Golf Course
Improvements to the course have always been ongoing. Wide open fairways were narrowed by much tree planting especially in the 1980’s with countless leylandaii trees being planted to assist the growth of young deciduous trees and ensure safe play in certain areas. Many of the leylandaii may be removed in due course as they have served their purpose. A grant, spread over a four year period enabled the Club to re-stock Downs Wood with young oak trees as ash and other species seemed to have taken over.
Drainage work on the low lying sections of the course – virtually the same level as the neighbouring
Cosmeston
Lakes – was undertaken in the early 1990’s. Ditches were widened and deepened and self activating pumps positioned to assist with the drainage.
Stone bridges were constructed to assist with the passage of play. Drainage work was also completed on other parts of the course to enable play to continue except under very exceptional wet weather conditions.
Centenary Lounge
Clubhouse
Members voted for a near complete refurbishment of the clubhouse in 2004.Play continued despite the work in progress and the Club now boasts a first class set of locker rooms for both the Ladies' and Men's sections. The lounge and dining room areas were also upgraded at this time.
R & A
R & A 2008
In 2008, The Glamorganshire could boast that two of the most senior officials at the top of world golf were both former Members of the Club. The 2008 Captain of the Royal and Ancient of St Andrews, David Harrison was Club champion in 1963, and Peter Dawson is the Chief Executive of the R & A.. At the 118th Annual General Meeting of the Club held on Thursday 11th December 2008, David Harris was elected as an Honorary Member of the Club.
Visit to the Club of the R & A Captain 2008
Snakes & Ladders
Snakes & Ladders
Probably the one competition enjoyed most by many of the Members is the Sunday Foursomes throughout the Autumn and Spring, known as Snakes. The exact year when the Snakes and Ladders Competition started is not known but the year 1956 is a good guess because a Committee minute in 1959 suggests that it was firmly established by then. It was played initially as a four ball, then at some time changed to a greensome foursomes and subsequently to straight Foursomes. So popular did Snakes become in the eighties that much congestion was caused by queues at the 1
st and 9
th to start each match. It was decided to stage a staggered “shotgun” start, with two matches allocated to each hole and a mass start to take place at 9 a.m.. This has been a great success, and 144 golfers are in place every winter Sunday morning ready to tee off. Partners rise up or down the fixture board according to the previous week’s match results with, generally, the lowest placed having to tee off the furthest from the clubhouse. There is an Autumn and a Spring competition with the winners of each facing off to decide the overall Snakes champions for the year. Click
here to see a 'potted history' of the Snakes, contributed by Peter Corrigan.
“Ryder Cup”
Another much enjoyed Club event is the annual match in the Autumn played between
Wales and The Rest of the World under the Ryder Cup style format. Each Member nominates himself into one of the two categories, then points are gathered according to the standings in each category from some twelve qualifying medal competitions throughout the Summer. Twelve players earn their team places by right and, as in the Ryder Cup proper, there are a further four “Captain’s picks”. It is perhaps fitting that the 2010 Ryder Cup proper will be played at nearby Celtic Manor.
Mark Mouland
Mark Mouland
European Tour winner Mark Mouland (born in 1961), the son of long time Club professional Sid Mouland (himself a six times Welsh champion), is probably the finest golfer ever to emerge from The Glamorganshire.
After becoming Welsh and British Boys Champion in 1976 (still the youngest ever winner at 15 years and 4 months), and BBC Wales junior sportsman of the year in 1977, Mark turned professional in 1981.
He played 520 Tournaments on the European Tour (the eighth most experienced player ever), winning twice. He is currently British Par 3 Champion (2008).
Golfing Feats
A remarkable feat of golfing endurance - a world record for a long time - was created by K H McIlroy and H G Lewis, Junior on July 3rd, 1939. They set out at 4.15am and played 8 rounds and 2 holes before bad light prevented them from continuing.
However, the feat was improved upon by two Members on 27th June 1996: the then Captain, Robert Edwards and Martin Price, now a Past Captain, who completed 8 rounds and 4 holes – and no putts were conceded!
Other Information
The Glamorganshire Golf Club has:
Produced three Welsh amateur champions
Brought top professional golf players into South Wales for the first time
Provided inspiration and expertise for the creation of several other South Wales Clubs, including those at Dinas Powys,
Southerndown and
Radyr.
The Glamorganshire Golf Club - A History