Baildon Golf Club

Location of Club House

Preamble

Baildon Golf Club have their own website here

This is a link to Golf Club's 1918 report and financial statement with nominations for the various club positions and calendar details of the AGM. You can read this PDF file here

Handbook

Baildon Golf Club Handbook c1965

I have scanned the Baildon Golf Club Official Handbook. I don't know the exact date but the printing pre-dates March 1965 because it has a dated sheet inserted to amend some of the club rules. If nothing else it makes interesting reading because of the adverts for local businesses.

Centenary Booklet

The club has a booklet, written by Malcolm Leyland, to celebrate their first hundred years and the following text and information is largely taken from it. The booklet was written in 1996 and so some of the references to things like the use of buildings are out of date. E.g. Kellet's hardware store and the Trawl Bar. This site originally was 3 houses that then became Kellet's Hardware and fish and chips. This was then sold to Websters and as of 2017 it is Webster's Fish and Chip restaurant and take-away.

Genesis

Bradford towards the end of the nineteenth century, was. like any other northern conurbation, an insalubrious Spot. Clean air legislation was a long way off; domestic and industrial chimneys belched out their sulphurous fumes, giving rise to pea-green fogs. and a whole repertoire of respiratory diseases. Many residents sought health-giving exercise and fresh air on the surrounding hills. Among the health-seekers were members of the St. Andrew's Society, a Bradford-based association, founded by expatriate Scots.

Bradford St. Andrew's Golf Club

This Association sent out scouts to find a suitable site for a golf course. Inevitably the reconnaissance party fetched up on Baildon Common, realised its potential and reported back accordingly. On April 16th 1891, in the Victoria Hotel, the Bradford St. Andrew's Golf Club was born. Land was rented from Colonel Maude, the Lord of the Manor, and a seven hole course was laid down. Two holes were added in 1892 and in the following year Tom Morris supervised the extension of the course to a full eighteen holes. In 1895 the Club changed its name to Bradford Golf Club.

Pennithorne Golf Club

The sight of all that manicured grass proved too much of a temptation for the locals, who in the best Baildon tradition, proceeded to enjoy their golf free of charge, much to the chagrin of the Bradford members, who were paying for it all. So, on the principle if you can't beat 'em, get 'em to join, membership of an Artisan's Section was offered to Baildon residents and on May 26th 1896, Pennithorne Golf Club was inaugurated, with a subscription of 5/6d per annum, 5/- being retained by the parent body and 6d going towards the administrative costs of the subsidiary. Play, which was subject to restrictions, commenced on June lst 1896. The first team match played by the Pennithorne Club took place against Shipley in August 1897.

Baildon Golf Club

The Bradford Pennithorne arrangement was short-lived. Having failed to negotiate a fresh lease with Colonel Maude and with growing congestion on the course, the Bradford club moved to Hawksworth.

Pennithorne Golf Club continued to operate until early 1899, when, at a meeting in Sandals School, chaired by Joe Dyson, Baildon Golf Club came into being. Its first President was Mr. Harry Steel, the first Professional was Willie Robinson, and the annual subscription was fifteen shillings.

In view of the tooth gnashing caused down the years by pirates Operating on the course, it is ironic that the very existence of Baildon Golf Club is due in no small measure to the piratical practices of the good burghers of the township.

If any ill-will existed between the two clubs it must have quickly evaporated. Shortly after its formation, Baildon received from the Bradford club a present of tee-boxes, flags and a lithographic plan of the course as it was in 1896. This plan can be seen in the Clubhouse, along with other Baildon memorabilia.

Home Is Where You Find It

Looking round the present Clubhouse, with its expanse of fitted carpet, inviting chairs, attractive bar, colour television, snooker tables, custom-built locker-rooms and well-stocked shop, it is difficult to imagine the privations endured by the founding fathers and their immediate successors.

The St. Andrews pioneers had to be content with two rented cellar kitchens in Manor Croft - where the Ian Clough Hall now stands. In 1894 they left behind their troglodyte days and moved to slightly more commodious cottage premises in Northgate, near Jenny lane, now the site of Kellet's hardware store and the Trawl Bar restaurant. Still in search of space, they moved up the road to the Shroggs, where they shared accommodation with the Leeds Volunteers, who at that time were using the rifle range on the moor. There again the sojourn was a short one as the premises reverted to private ownership. It was back to Northgate, to a house which has quite recently been extensively refurbished but which still bears the name Lee Nor chiselled into its lintel. That they still suffered from cramped conditions is borne out by a minute from a 1903 meeting which noted the decision to ”instal lockers at the side of the fireplace in the big club room” A request for extensions to Lee Nor was turned down by the landlord. George Robinson offered the club No 48 Northgate (known as the Corn Mill) but the Committee for some reason rejected the offer.

Salvation came out of the blue. Late in 1908, the Leeds Golf Club advertised for sale their Cobble Hall Clubhouse. Baildon obtained the building for £80 The need now was for a site. The Club was offered three options; a site near the Shroggs, a field near Strawberry Gardens, a piece of land near the White House (now a restaurant) on the Hawksworth Road. All had their attractions. But then came the chance to lease part of Ambler's Field (our present site). A deal was clinched and the site prepared for the arrival of the new abode.

The Move

Transportation of the Clubhouse, a sectionalised wooden structure, was organised by Tom Cordingley of Woodbottom. Reassembly was in the hands of Fawcett and Halliday. In June 1910 water and gas had been laid on and we were ready for the big move. Leeds City Police intervened here and said the exceptionally wide loads, by horse and cart, would disrupt traffic too much and we must wait until the last tram was in the depot. The move began at midnight

Opening Day, August 27th 1910 was quite an occasion. Chairs were borrowed from the Conservative Club, new crockery and table linen was purchased, the locker room was converted to a smoke room. The recently appointed steward (12/— a week, find your own accommodation) received his baptism of fire. Tickets were a shilling each and included tea and a concert. There were special competitions for men and ladies, and Mr. Carter donated a commemorative shield to be played for in a foursomes competition with qualifiers and a subsequent knock-out format. The building which housed the celebrations was to house Baildon Golf Club for the nest fifty years.

WAR IN THE AIR

Model Aeroplanes in the 40s and 50s became a real menace. At the time the 14th hole was the piece of ground between the now 14th green and 15th tee. A hole of about 240 yards which you drove from the side of the 6th green to where the car park is. It was a short par four with a natural bunker formed by the burrow.

This flat fairway and green provided a perfect place to fly model planes. Every Sunday golfers had to duck and dive to avoid them and had very great trouble playing golf at all. Not content with taking up this space the flyers used the 5th and 6th greens.

Things became so bad that we decided to move the 14th and give the site to the flyers, not only that the greenkeepers cut them a place up on Dobrudden to launch from. Peace was unfortunately only short-lived.

One Sunday in 1945 Mr. and Mrs. Mason Wilkinson were playing on the 14th, when Mrs. Wilkinson was hit by a plane with a 5ft wingspan. Mr. Wilkinson was so enraged that he jumped on the plane and smashed it.

Little did he know that it belonged to Silvio Lanfranchi, a volatile Swiss baker, living in Bradford. Seeing what happened, Silvio raced up to Mason took his clubs and broke three. Mason was having none of this, so he hit Silvio in the face. There ensued a rather nasty fight, the police were called and both men were summoned to appear in Court. They were told to behave themselves and sent home with a flea in their ear.

This unfortunately happened again 2 years later when Bob Eastwood and his wife were playing one Sunday. Mrs. Eastwood was hit and Bob went to sort out Mr. Lanfranchi. This too ended in fisticuffs and both men ended up in Court.

Presidents and Captains etc. 1896-1996

LIFE MEMBERS

Name	Year	Name	Year
C. W. HOLMES	1904	J. W. WHALLEY	1961
HJ. ROBSON	1899 -1931	S. LUMB	1970
J.SOWDEN	1930	C. P. DAWSON	1970
W. CROWTHER	1930	EJOWSEY	1970
E. HELLIWELL	1931	C. MANN	1971
R. W. PARSONS	1946	A. PELLITT	1973
W. FAWCETT	1949	H. ABBOTT	1973
M.N. BUTLAND	1957	G. W. WOOD	1975
G. W. STOCKS	1960	K. VERITY	1988

HON LIFE MEMBERS

R. FOSTER

J. WILKINSON

GJ. BRAND

PRESIDENTS

Name	Year	Name	Year	Name	Year
H. STEEL	1899	H. SMITH	1932	S. NEVINS	1965
G. AMBLER	1900	R. SHAW	1933	P.W. DOWTHWAITE	1966
A.W. HOFFMAN	1901	H.L. HUSTLER	1934	D.S. WILMAN	1967
A.B. PRINCE	1902	W. FAWCETT	1935	D. HELLIWELL	1968
G.E. ROBINSON	1903	G. THOMAS	1936	L. CHEETHAM	1969
G.E. ROBINSON	1904	P.E. HUGHES	1937	.I.I.S. SORGE	1970
E.G. FIRTH	1905	F.E. SHACKLETON	1938	N.B. MYERS	1971
I. WILLIAMS	1906	J.R. FOULDS	1939	D. BATES	1972
E. ELLIS	1907	F .W. RAISTRICK	1940	L. STEVENSON	1973
J.S. WHITAKER	1908	J.W. WHALLEY	1941	P.L. COCKCROFT	1974
E. HELLIWELL	1909	J.W. WHALLEY	1942	K. VERITY	1975
E. HELLIWELL	1910	J.W. WHALLEY	1943	S. TA'IVI‘ERSAL	1976
E.G. FIRTH	1911	C.P. DAWSON	1944	AJ. WILSON	1977
H.A. WRIGHT	1912	J. RENNARD	1945	A.I. HILLARY	1978
J. HARDAKER	1913	JD. WHITAKER	1946	W.E. RILEY	1979
I. CLOUGH	1914	R.G. PHILLIP	1947	D. BREAR	1980
E.A. HAIGH LUMBY	1915	E. BASTOW	1948	G. BUTTERFIELD	1981
E.A. HAIGH LUMBY	1916	CF. CLAYTON	1949	C.P. BREAR	1982
E.A. HAIGH LUMBY	1917	E.S.JOWSEY	1950	C. RUSSELL	1983
A. THACKERY	1918	H. NORTH	1951	H.THOMPSON	1984
A. LANCASTER	1919	F. KERSHAW	1952	P. DELANEY	1985
H.A. THOMPSON	1920	A.S. DYSON	1953	RR. KELLET'T	1986
C. HODGSON	1921	C.H. BAINES	1954	D.B. MANN	1987
G.W. STOCKS	1922	S. HORROCKS	1955	G. HALL	1988
E. MARSDEN	1923	J.M. WRIGHT	1956	R.I.. ALLCOCK	1989
A.J. ROBINSON	1924	SF. LUMB	1957	K. CATLEY	1990
I. SOWDEN	1925	P.R. KAY	1958	BK. WOOD	1991
A. LOUGHTON	1926	A. PELLITT	1959	IRA. LISTER	1992
A. HITCHEN	1927	CF. GASCOIGNE	1960	M. LEYLAND	1993
G. H. PICKFORD	1928	W.H. ELLISON	1961	A.C. BENSON	1994
W. CROWTHER	1929	G. GARGON	1962	B.G. HUDSON	1995
H.E. SUCKSMITH	1930	I3.C.A.FARM	1963	J.A COOLEY	1996
H.E. SUCKSMITH	1931	H. ABBOTT	1964

CAPTAINS

Name	Year	Name	Year	Name	Year
J.M. FALCONER	1899	J. MOUNTAIN	1936	P.W. DOWTHWAITE	1969
J.M. FALCONER	1900	J. MOUNTAIN	1937	W.E. RILEY	1970
J.M. FALCONER	1901	J.W. WHALLEY	1938	K.T. WALKER	1971
J.M. FALCONER	1902	N. SHAW	1939	R.L. ALLCOCK	1972
J.M. FALCONER	1903	N. SHAW	1940	W. VICKERS	1973
E. HELLIWELL	1904	H. DERMO	1941	J.A. RICHARDSON	1974
E. HELLIWELL	1905	H. DERMO	1942	K.T. BOYLE	1975
E. HELLIWELL	1906	H. DERMO	1943	D.B. MANN	1976
E. HELLIWELL	1907	C. F. CLAYTON	1944	G.B. SHAW	1977
E. HELLIWELL	1908	J. ELLIS	1945	M. PERCIVAL	1978
J. CLOUGH	1909	R. HELLIWELL	1946	R.E. RAMSDEN	1979
C. HODGSON	1910	C. P. DAWSON	1947	D. FARNSWORTH	1980
J. ROBINSON	1911	F. LIGHT	1948	D. NASH	1981
E. MARSDEN	1912	W.H. ELLISON	1949	S. BEEVER	1982
H. MUNRO	1913	A. PELLITT	1950	S.B. WEIR	1983
J. WHITE	1914	J.D. HARGREAVES	1951	D.A. REYNOLDS	1984
W. FAWCETT	1915	E.E. LEE	1952	B. MIDGLEY	1985
w. FAWCETT	1916	A.B. VARLEY	1953	J.A. COOLEY	1986
W. FAWCETT	1917	J.A. ROBERTS	1954	S. BEEVER	1987
W. FAWCETT	1918	W. SPENCER	1955	B. GILES	1988
W. FAWCETT	1919	A. BREAR	1956	G. O'DONNELL	1989
H. STEEL	1920	H. WILKINSON	1957	N.L. MARTIN	1990
J. ELLIS	1921	N. HARDY	1958	N.J.REDMAN	1991
A. PEMBERTON	1922	G. GARGON	1959	T. THORNTON	1992
T. COUPE	1923	H.O. BENTLEY	1960	A.C. DOWLING	1993
A. LOUGHTON	1924	W.P. JOWETT	1961	J.W. METCALFE	1994
W. MOODY	1925	P.H. BEEDHAM	1962	N.P. HARGREAVES	1995
S. WALSH	1926	D. HELLIWELL	1963	J.M. WILSON	1996
E. HELLIWELL	1927	B.K. WOOD	1964
T. BOTTOMLEY	1928	G.W. WOOD	1965
M. BENTLEY	1933	C.F. GASCOIGNE	1966
B. BARKER	1934	N.B. MYERS	1967
P. GRANGE	1935	R.O. SANDERSON	1968

LADY CAPTAINS

Name	Year	Name	Year	Name	Year
MRS F. TURNER	1914	MRS J.M. KNAPTON	1943	MRS AJ. WILKINSON	1972
MRS W. INGLEBY	1915	MISS W. NICHOLL	1944	MRS W.G. FRANCIS	1973
MISS G. BAIRSTOW	1916	MISS F. DAWSON	1945	MRS M.B. MANN	1974
MRS W. INGLEBY	1919	MRS J.M. WILKINSON	1946	MRS J.E. COE	1975
MRS W. MOODY	1920	MRS J.T. BRAMLEY	1947	MRS J. RICHARDSON	1976
MISS E. A. RICHARDSON	1921	MRS F.C. DAVENPORT	1948	MRS M. RHODES	1977
MISS E. A. RICHARDSON	1922	MRS M. WERNERS	1949	MRS L CHEETHAM	1978
MISS E. A. RICHARDSON	1923	MRS J.W. WHALLEY	1950	MRS D. BREAR	1979
MISS E. A. RICHARDSON	1924	MRS I.N. CROOKS	1951	MRS G. RODGERS	1980
MISS E. A. RICHARDSON	1925	MRS H. MATTINSON	1952	MRS B. WALKER	1981
MRS F. SOPPITT	1926	MRS C.F. GASCOIGNE	1953	MRS J.M. LEYIAND	1982
MRS F. SOPPITT	1927	MRS P.R. KAY	1954	MRS W.B. COCKCROFT	1983
MRS F. SOPPITT	1928	MRS J.A. WILKINSON	1955	MRS M. DYSON	1984
MRS S. KERSHAW	1929	MRS H. HALL	1956	MRS E. ARMITAGE	1985
MISS E.A. RICHARDSON	1930	MRS J.C. TAYLOR	1958	MISS E.E. WILKINSON	1986
MISS T. PAXMAN	1931	MRS J.C. TAYLOR	1959	MRS D. M. BENSON	1987
MRS P. GRANGE	1932	MRS C. MANN	1960	MRS S. ASHTON	1988
MRS I. WATSON	1933	MRS G. WOOD	1961	MRS S. WEIR	1989
MISS H. CLEGG	1934	MRS D. HELLIWELL	1962	MRS B.K WOOD	1990
MRS B. BARKER	1935	MRS J.A. WILKINSON	1963	MRS A. SHAW	1991
MRS F. JACKSON	1936	MRS G. WOOD	1964	MRS J. DELANEY	1992
MRS W. HALL	1937	MRS M. TATTERSALL	1965	MRS J. WEBB	1993
MRS E. GRAY	1938	MRS P. BEEDHAM	1966	MRS MJ. WILSON	1994
MRS E. JOWSEY	1939	MRS A. CHEETHAM	1967	MRS B.M. RUSSELL	1995
MISS G. DRIVER	1940	MRS P. DOWTHWAITE	1968	MRS S. ASHTON	1996
MRS J.T. BRAMLEY	1941	MRS D. PELLITI	1970
MRS F.C. DAVENPORT	1942	MRS D. DAWSON	1971

On the move again

As of 2018 the club house is going to be on the move again. There are plans for the club house to be demolished and several houses built on the site and for the club house to move to the old water authority pump/filter house. The map on the right shows the current location and the proposed location in the lower right of the map. The lower of the two pins shows the current club house location and the pin slightly higher and to the right is the pump/filter house where the club plan on moving to.