COURSE CENTENARY

Cleckheaton Golf Club began life in 1900 as a nine-hole course on Cliffe Lane towards Gomersal. In 1922 the new 18-hole course, designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie, was completed and is still our home today.

The course’s Standard Scratch was set by the Yorkshire Union at 73 in May 1922. Finally, all was set and the course was officially opened on 29th July 1922 when the President, Mr Robert Hirst drove from the first tee.

Four hired professionals played exhibition games that first day. Ex Open and US Open Champion, Ted Ray was the day’s big draw. Ted had been part of ‘The Greatest Game Ever Played’ when he and Harry Vardon lost in an 18-hole play-off to amateur Francis Ouimet in the 1913 US Open at Brookline.

Arthur Havers also played. He was the Northern Open Champion and went on to win The Open at Troon the following year by one shot, after holing from a bunker on the last hole.

The other professionals were J. McKenzie of Ilkley Golf Club and Cleckheaton’s professional, E. Wilson.

The first round was an individual medal, which Ted Ray won with a 69. This was followed by a foursomes match, which Ray and McKenzie won 3&1.

Professional fees on the day were £12 each for Ray and Havers and £5.50 for McKenzie. The competition prizes totalled £12.

On Saturday 30th July 2022 we held a special Centenary Tournament with Seven Day Members playing in an 18-Hole tournament in the morning and all other members invited to play in an afternoon 9-Hole tournament. This time, the day’s prize money totalled over £200!!

The day’s results were:

18-HOLE TOURNAMENT

Division 1
1 James Currie 40 pts
2 Scott Keighley 38 pts
3 Morton Robinson 38 pts

Division 2
1 Stuart Greenwood 44 pts
2 Stuart Nichols 42 pts
3 Gareth Harrison 41 pts

Division 3
1 James Panther 45 pts
2 Paul Webster 39 pts
3 Robert Holmes 39 pts

9-HOLE TOURNAMENT
1 Roger Tolson 21 pts
2 Janet Tedstone 20 pts
3 Michael Ingham 19 pts