| The Golf Club and Course |
| The decision to form a golf club was taken on the 3rd October 1922 at the Cherry Tree Restaurant and Welwyn Garden City Golf Club was then founded in early 1923. A group of residents who lived in Welwyn Garden City new town were largely responsible for the formation of the club, namely: Mr D Leitch, Mr S Ogilvie, Mr J Wadland and Dr R L Reiss (the first Captain and only President of the club). Whilst out walking they discovered a field that had not been cultivated belonging to the New Town Agricultural Guild. They approached the Guild and obtained a sub-letting for £25.00 per annum. The Guild incidentally was so glad to sub-let the field that they even agreed to put fairways in for £40.00! |
| Hence, the first 9 hole course of 2440 yards (known as the ‘old nine’) was designed and played twice round, having easy access to the wicket gate by the 3rd and 7th greens, kept in mind for frequent visits to the Waggoners Public House (which proved extremely popular with all members). In 1927 the course was extended to 16 holes but as it was felt 16 holes was a bad number, so with some ingenuity, two more holes were contrived making 18 holes in all, leading the players naturally to the clubhouse (the 19th hole). |
| It may be interesting to note how times have changed since the early 1920’s at Welwyn Garden City Golf Club when golfers would play armed with a few irons, a niblick and a scythe. You may wonder what the scythe was used for? A local rule had been introduced which stated that when a ball was believed to lie on the fairway, the grass around the ball was permitted to be scythed until it came into sight! There was also a maximum allowance of 12 golf balls per player and the game was deemed to have been finished when all 12 had been lost. (I wonder what the Royal & Ancient would have made of those local rules?). |
| It is also interesting to note that lady members of Welwyn Garden City Golf Club originally joined on exactly the same terms as male members, there being no difference in the enjoyment of club privileges and playing in all common competitions. Originally, the provisional committee elected on 3rd October 1922 "to consider the question of a golf course and to prepare a draft constitution" comprised six men and five ladies. The club committee also awarded handicaps to ladies as well as to the men and competitions were open to everyone who wished to play. |
| A meeting to compile an acceptable Constitution for the Ladies’ Section took place on 13 September 1927 at the Parkway Restaurant and the Section was given its official shape with the expressed intention of seeking affiliation to the Ladies’ Golf Union. The reason for this move was to enable ladies who had progressed to a high standard and wanted to play for the County - in order to do this an official handicap, authorised by the Ladies’ Golf Union, was necessary. And so the Ladies Section of Welwyn Garden City was formed. |
| The course today, at first sight, gives the impression of a relatively easy test of golf - beware, with its narrow fairways and small greens there are many scorecards of excellent golfers that tell a different story. |