Club History
1910 The club was formed, golf was not a particularly popular game and was considered to be pastime associated with wealthy and professional people.
1912 A pavilion had been built at a cost of £58 and there was a total membership of 188 of whom 99 were men. The annual subscription was fixed at one guinea (£1.05) for men and half a guinea for ladies. The first employee was a groundsman named Hockey at a salary of one guinea (£1.05) per week
1918 Sunday golf was allowed by permission of the Dundonald Estates - owners of the land.
1919 The club's poor financial state led to its first real crisis. The guarantors who did not pay subscriptions were requested to pay 20 shillings (£1) per annum until the club's finances improved. In addition to this however, committee members had to go around the town to raise funds for the survival of the Club.
1921 Green Fees were as follows 2/6 (12½) per day 10/6 (52½p) per week 15/6 (77½p) per fortnight or 20 shillings (£1) per month. New ideas were introduced in order to raise more money and in March 1921 a notice appeared in the local paper inviting ten gentlemen and ten ladies to become life members at ten guineas (£10.50) and five guineas £5.25 respectively.
1922 The golf club prepared tennis courts so that members could play either golf or tennis as the club. This continued until hard course courts were established in Clwyd Avenue. The old courts were turned into allotments.
1931 The total profit the club made was 7 shillings (35P)
1932 A suggestion was put forward to put bar facilities into the club, a meeting of members was called which resulted in 55 for the license and 30 against. As the rules stated that a resolution could only be passed by a two thirds majority, the vote in favour failed by 1.66 votes! A horse was used to work the course until 1932 when a tractor was bought. The tractor plus a new fairway cutter and roller were purchased for £20.
1935 It was decided that the first and third Tuesdays in the month was Ladies Day.
1936 A ballot vote at a meeting agreed that bar facilities were provided at the club. The price of a pint of beer was about 4d (9 pence).
1939 The outbreak of war saw a big reduction in membership. Members enlisted for service in the forces or other war work and often left the district. However in about 1941 with the transfer of various Government Officers from London to Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, the club slowly recovered its lost membership and by 1942 had more members than at any previous time.
1942 The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food served notice on the club to cultivate areas of the course. Some fifteen to twenty acres were ploughed up and crops and grain were grown.
1947 The club was extended when a Billiard Room, Gentlemen's Locker Room and Professional Shop were added. The building was purchased from Kinmel Camp and proved to be a valuable extension. The playing of snooker and billiards became very popular and members had to arrive early to be assured of a game.
1966 The matter of a new course was raised in November 1966 and a sub-committee was formed to investigate. At an Extraordinary General Meeting in March 1967 the members formed themselves into a limited company to purchase over ninety acres of land in Gwrych Park at a cost of £40,000 from Mr. Glyn Parry and Mr. John Lloyd Jones. Mr. Hawtrey from Croydon was appointed to design the new course.
1967 No fewer than twenty-nine meetings were held concerning negotiations for the new course and club house. In September 1968 the Treasurer outlined a scheme for raising funds to meet the cost of the club house which eventually cost £23,000. He stated "that any full member loaning £100 to the Club would have his annual subscription reduced by four guineas (£4.20) in the case of a £50 loan, an annual reduction of two guineas (£2.100)". If such a scheme were operated today the equivalent value of a £100 donation would be approximately £600.
1968 The clubhouse was officially opened by the Earl of Dundonald.
1969 The new course was officially opened on May 3rd. Membership at the new course in 1969 was a total of 570 and the subscriptions were twelve guineas (£12.60) for men and eight guineas (£8.40) for the ladies. Playing members used to pick up stones as they played their game. Certain sessions of "stone picking" were also arranged at weekends (a similar event took place in2002) good use was made of the Scouts in helping to collect stones. The green fees at the time were:-
Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays - twenty shillings (£1) per day Playing with a member 15/- (75p)
Weekdays - fifteen shillings (75p) Playing with a member ten shillings 10/-.
1973 Total membership had risen to 663.
1976 A new automatic sprinkler system was installed at a cost of £12,000
1977 The practise ground was purchased for £10,000.
1980 The Open Week was started and has grown over the years. In 1994 there were over 4600 entries with total prize money in excess of £3,000.
1983 An extension was added to the clubhouse which improved the Ladies and Gentlemen's Locker Rooms, changing rooms, snooker room, kitchen and dining room. This cost £90,000.
1984 The Welsh Boys Championship was held at the Club for the first time.
1985 Land was purchased to extend the course making new holes for the 9th and 10th.
1993 The Welsh Ladies Championships and Welsh Over 35s Championships were held at the Club.
1997 The new Clubhouse was officially opened by the President, Mr. W. Glyn Parry J.P. and the Lady President Mrs. Pat K. Francis J.P.
1998 New putting green opened and reconstructed first tee completed.
1999 Honours Boards displayed in hallway approaching main lounge. A swing area and Golf Academy established in place of the old Professional's shop.
2001 At an extraordinary general meeting it was decided to reconstruct all 18 greens to USGA standard over a two year period.
2002 The first phase of the greens project was completed and came into play in May.
2003 The final phase of the green construction work is due for completion in May.
2005 Adam Runcie Welsh Boys Champion
2006 Stuart Runcie Welsh Youth International
2007 Adam Runcie gained full international honours for Wales.
2009 Adam Runcie played for Wales in European Team Championships. The Club recieved a Ryder Cup Wales Legacy Fund to develop short game practice area and a Four Bay Driving Range. Work started in September and will be opened in the Summer of 2010