First golf course played

[Orikoru]

Wexham Park with.....

Fragger

I think that must have been my first as well! Started with my mum and dad when I was about 14, we mainly used to play 9 holes in the early days as my mum didn't fancy 18, and my uncle told us about Wexham which had two nine hole courses back then. And eventually one week when my mum wasn't with us I'm sure I played the 18 hole with my dad and uncle. I have no idea what my score was, it was that long ago, certainly would have been well over 100 I'm sure.

Haste Hill, a compact little muni in NW London.

I shot 105 and my mate shot 102. In hindsight not bad for first round. The course seemed huge, especially the bunkers.

Nice. Don't know how long ago that was, but I'm sure it wouldn't seem so huge if you went back now. I'd say it's on the short side.

 

[ChipIntoBunker]

Middlesbrough Municipal 1983 with Dad, Uncle and brother...I was 14

There was no booking system and people just turned up and waited so the 1st tee was packed...I remember waiting about an hour before it was our turn to go.

Having never played before (other than pitch & putt) I took the driver...took a swing and missed...I can still remember the audible groan from everyone waiting.

Next swing I managed to knock the ball off the tee about 5 yards...and in complete embarrassment I ended up basically playing hockey with the driver up the 1st fairway to about 150 yards just to get away!

Eventually got the ball onto the 1st green...hating every minute...then proceeded to hole a 30ft putt and was immediately hooked.

Scored a magical 149 and took all day to get round.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Alnmouth Village GC, a 9 hole links course, with my then BiL. A good course to start on.

 

[Orikoru]

One thing I forgot to add in my post above - the first time I ever played 9 holes (some scrappy cheap place, can't even remember the name of it now), I got a birdie. On a par 3 I hit a wood to just off the green and chipped in, through complete luck of course. Was probably several years before I ever got another one.

 

[HankMarvin]

One thing I forgot to add in my post above - the first time I ever played 9 holes (some scrappy cheap place, can't even remember the name of it now), I got a birdie. On a par 3 I hit a wood to just off the green and chipped in, through complete luck of course. Was probably several years before I ever got another one.

Thanks for letting us know about that one ☝️ 👍

 

[AMcC]

Annanhill Golf Course, a Council course in Kilmarnock. Not sure of the exact dates but would guess early 80s with friends.

 

[spongebob59]

Lullingstone 18 hole.

Friend said he was going to play on the Sat and invited me along.
Turned up and hired a set then queued for 2 hours to get started, no idea what I was doing and probably on hit 1/2 dozen decent shots but I was hooked.

 

[Dando]

Lullingstone 18 hole.

Friend said he was going to play on the Sat and invited me along.
Turned up and hired a set then queued for 2 hours to get started, no idea what I was doing and probably on hit 1/2 dozen decent shots but I was hooked.

I played a lot of golf there over the years and am there every weekend, although its to walk my dog rather than play.

my first 18 hole adventure was Beckenham Place Park.

 

[Vikingman]

Allerton muni in Liverpool.

Me too.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Compared to what the course is now it was longer, less par 3s and more par 4s that were tighter driving holes.

Agreed, but that isn’t hard
Gillingham is still going, but membership is down and causing concerns.

 

[Pathetic Shark]

9 holes at Tyrrells Wood in the Surrey in about 1983. Shot 60. Last time I was there, I shot 71 for all 18 holes.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Deaconsbank (Rouken Glen) Muni, Glasgow - with my mates Alan and Crawford - circa 1972.

I note from my 1974 diary - Saturday 30th March - 'Beautiful day. Went golfing. Great fun. Round in 86 - 2 pars. Did great consistent irons from fairway. Did not lose a ball or tee'

I'm thinking that my golf between 1972 and 1974 was more intermittent and just what I did from time-to-time with Alan and Crawford - but no great passion - maybe that round in March 1974 triggered my passion for the game.

 

[OOB]

Stressholme in Darlington, a decent municipal back in the day, that has since been taken over by the local Members Club and renamed as Blackwell Grange.

 

[Wolf]

Agreed, but that isn’t hard
Gillingham is still going, but membership is down and causing concerns.

Very true that, I did used to really like the old stretch of 6, 7, 8 and 9.

My dad's still a member there and it's the course my brother and I grew playing, but they did lose a lot members when the course changed including my dad and brother, Dad subsequently has returned due to the guys he plays with an convenience of location to home.

They lost even more when they built the new lifeless clubhouse awful place and the pro isn't the most inviting guy either, such a shame they used to have such a good set up there but now it's not the place it used to be, played there at Christmas course was in decent nick to be fair and I still most of the older guys that are there but they're not attracting a host of new members which is a shame as its in a good location really and could still be relatively successful.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Whittington Barracks (Now Whittington Heath) with my Dad in approx 1960

 

[spongebob59]

Very true that, I did used to really like the old stretch of 6, 7, 8 and 9.

My dad's still a member there and it's the course my brother and I grew playing, but they did lose a lot members when the course changed including my dad and brother, Dad subsequently has returned due to the guys he plays with an convenience of location to home.

They lost even more when they built the new lifeless clubhouse awful place and the pro isn't the most inviting guy either, such a shame they used to have such a good set up there but now it's not the place it used to be, played there at Christmas course was in decent nick to be fair and I still most of the older guys that are there but they're not attracting a host of new members which is a shame as its in a good location really and could still be relatively successful.

Thought they would have picked up a few from Deangate ?

 

[Wolf]

Thought they would have picked up a few from Deangate ?

No don't seem to have from what my dad has told me maybe 5 or 6 at push which is hugely disappointing when you think about it.

The Deangate thing is another whole drama though for golf in the medway towns area, I grew up playing junior golf with one of the Deangate Pros really nice guy, tidy little player and no longer in golf industry after years of graft now working as a foot specialist and barely plays the game

 

[Papas1982]

Boughton golf club summer 2012.

All I can remember is getting hammered by it!

 

[Oldham92]

Heaton park muni in Manchester. Hell.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

No don't seem to have from what my dad has told me maybe 5 or 6 at push which is hugely disappointing when you think about it.

The Deangate thing is another whole drama though for golf in the medway towns area, I grew up playing junior golf with one of the Deangate Pros really nice guy, tidy little player and no longer in golf industry after years of graft now working as a foot specialist and barely plays the game

I always thought Medway council would move Gillingham over to Deangate and spend some money making Deangate a real nice course,seeing as how the council own the land of both and how Gillingham has been hamstrung by that new clubhouse.
Is that Ben you talk about? He was a nice young assistant pro.
We’ve picked up quite a few members from Gillingham over the last couple of years as well.