First golf course played

[sunshine]

Yeah I heard from a few that there’s been quite some changes to it last couple of years. To the better, so guess I picked the game up again just in time. Have left there now though to become a member fairly close by. Do miss the first hole though which is a lovely little par 3.

The 1st used to be a par 5 running down the right hand side of the driving range then dog legging round to the left, the 1st tee was near the entrance to the property. Walking down the fairway you had to take shelter from sliced shots from the range. Last time I played I was able to hit 3 iron off the tee (it was summer) then 7 iron to the green to set up an eagle putt. Not a well designed hole! Otherwise it's excellent for a public course.

 

[Wolf]

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.

Would have made sense for them to do that because of the land at Deangate could have created quite a nice little complex there. The new clubhouse at Gillingham ripped the soul out of. The place the old one wasn't grand but it had character and a good atmosphere, now its just a huge sterile room.

Indeed it was Ben played many competitions together and junior matches really good lad and nice family to.

Where abouts do you ply your golfing trade then I probably know a few members especially if they've transfered from Gillingham

 

[ChipIntoBunker]

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.

Played there a lot in the early years...like you say a decent course back in the day.

Always kids in the river at the short 4th hole collecting balls and you could buy 5 balls for £1

 

[Garush34]

First course I ever remember playing was the kids course at North Berwick. Spent a summer on year with a friend just going round and round a few days a week.

My first bigger course would be either Lauder golf club or Duns golf club. I know Lauder was where I had my first membership, but I think I must have played Duns before then I just can't remember for sure if I did.

 

[Duckster]

Southport & Ainsdale. Granted I was only about 3 or 4 with my grandad and a cut down putter that he'd made me.

Really playing was probably Duxbury in Chorley.

 

[bluewolf]

First full course I played was Haigh Hall in Wigan. Played during the School holidays with a couple of mates. I remember using my old man's Wilson Sam Snead irons, and getting a bit over excited when I chipped in on the 4th hole (I got told off by a member).. Don't think I played again for about 25 years...

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

Cheshunt Park Municipal, wouldve been about 1986 and I played with Paul and Darren from school

I used to go ball finding with my dog at Cheshunt Park back in the early 70's., he found them and I sold them at I think 10p a ball, That financed my first clubs - Macgregor MT's which I first took onto the course at Whitewebbs, Friday night at the Tottenham Royal, a kebab and straight off to the golf course, arrive around 3am, put the ball in the shoot and then tee off at first light in the summer, in for breakfast around 08:00 then home a nap & cricket or football in the afternoon.

 

[arnieboy]

Lullingstone with my brother in law in the late 80's, we used to join the queue in the dark every Monday morning.

 

[Scoobiesnax]

Channels Golf Club in 2003 when it was an 18 hole course before housing developers moved in! Played with the Essex Cricket Club as I had just signed with them and I think it was part of Ronnie Irani's benefit year.

 

[Deleted member 25172]

The 1st used to be a par 5 running down the right hand side of the driving range then dog legging round to the left, the 1st tee was near the entrance to the property. Walking down the fairway you had to take shelter from sliced shots from the range. Last time I played I was able to hit 3 iron off the tee (it was summer) then 7 iron to the green to set up an eagle putt. Not a well designed hole! Otherwise it's excellent for a public course.

Aha! Now the second tee must be around somewhere where the old first green was back then. And yes, for being a public course it is indeed excellent, besides the fact that a round takes about 5-5.5 hours if you tee off after about 7 in the morning during the summer.
Needless to say, golf rules and/or etiquette does not apply there, hence the time it takes to play.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Would have made sense for them to do that because of the land at Deangate could have created quite a nice little complex there. The new clubhouse at Gillingham ripped the soul out of. The place the old one wasn't grand but it had character and a good atmosphere, now its just a huge sterile room.

Indeed it was Ben played many competitions together and junior matches really good lad and nice family to.

Where abouts do you ply your golfing trade then I probably know a few members especially if they've transfered from Gillingham

Having spent my early years playing Deangate back when Barry was the pro there, I changed a couple of times ending up at Sittingbourne, and have been there for about 10/12 years now.

 

[Wolf]

Having spent my early years playing Deangate back when Barry was the pro there, I changed a couple of times ending up at Sittingbourne, and have been there for about 10/12 years now.

Sittingbourne definitely know a fair few guys that went there from Gillingham and even your club pro Chris, another lad who was a junior when I was except he was one of the older ones and was Junior captain when I first broke into out Junior team, remember him giving some awkward speeches after games and remember playing a presidents putter event at Gillingham with him a fair few years back he won the scratch prize and I came runner up except I wasn't allowed to collect a prize as I was still a junior. Really nice lad went off to Whipsnade for a bit if I remember right then went to London Club for quite a while as assistant then down to Sittingbourne. He really loves his cycling as well doesn't he.

Im back down in Kent next month some time to visit my parents if your about for a know I'd be up for a game

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Sittingbourne definitely know a fair few guys that went there from Gillingham and even your club pro Chris, another lad who was a junior when I was except he was one of the older ones and was Junior captain when I first broke into out Junior team, remember him giving some awkward speeches after games and remember playing a presidents putter event at Gillingham with him a fair few years back he won the scratch prize and I came runner up except I wasn't allowed to collect a prize as I was still a junior. Really nice lad went off to Whipsnade for a bit if I remember right then went to London Club for quite a while as assistant then down to Sittingbourne. He really loves his cycling as well doesn't he.

Im back down in Kent next month some time to visit my parents if your about for a know I'd be up for a game

By all means m8, ping me a message and if I'm free and the weather half decent I'd be more than happy to grab a game, and if hes there, you can say hello to Chris too

 

[Wolf]

By all means m8, ping me a message and if I'm free and the weather half decent I'd be more than happy to grab a game, and if hes there, you can say hello to Chris too

Sounds good to me I'll drop you a msg before we come down for a few days, I see what Chris puts on Facebook and social media most days we have had our share of giggles over the years so be good to come down and see him if he's about. Just talking about the old days made me realise how many of the guys we were juniors with from Gillingham went in to be PGA qualified and good level players sad times they don't have a junior section like that anymore.

 

[sunshine]

Aha! Now the second tee must be around somewhere where the old first green was back then. And yes, for being a public course it is indeed excellent, besides the fact that a round takes about 5-5.5 hours if you tee off after about 7 in the morning during the summer.
Needless to say, golf rules and/or etiquette does not apply there, hence the time it takes to play.

Just looked on google maps. The 1st green today has always been the 1st green, the difference is that in the past the 1st tee was where the jungle golf is today. Otherwise the course is exactly the same.

Trent Park is legendary for it's time eating soul destroying long rounds. I've heard stories of 6 hour rounds on hot summer weekends . There is a par 3 on the front nine (5th?) which causes a bottleneck where people can end up waiting an hour on the tee. The downside to accessibility.

 

[User20205]

Boughton golf club summer 2012.

All I can remember is getting hammered by it!

I had my first 18 holes on a full proper course there also. Must have been about 1995. I didn’t have a polo shirt, so wore a proper shirt ala philly mick 🤣🤣🤣it rained got soaked. I’d like to go back to there, etchinghill & broom park where I played some awful golf when a student down there

 

[Papas1982]

I had my first 18 holes on a full proper course there also. Must have been about 1995. I didn’t have a polo shirt, so wore a proper shirt ala philly mick 🤣🤣🤣it rained got soaked. I’d like to go back to there, etchinghill & broom park where I played some awful golf when a student down there

I’m a member at Broome Park atm. Giving the new owners one year to convince me of their planned changes....

Boughton and Etchinghill are both typical pentland courses. Poorly managed and over booked. Good luck getting round either in under 5 hours during summer or weekends.

 

[PNWokingham]

Meole Brace municipal - and then Shrewsbury.

 

[Deleted member 23344]

Beckenham Place Park with work colleagues in the early1970s. It closed a couple of years ago.

 

[Tashyboy]

More than likely Mansfield Woodhouse golf course with some lads from the pit. More than likely it was a Friday when the weather was glorious and we thought it would be better playing golf and getting leathered in spikes bar. A nine hole dump. Played it last year coz it takes five mine to get there and just fancied a quick knock. It's still a dump.