A brief History of CGC
Information in this section is printed with the kind permission of Mr A.J. Rawlinson to whom we are indebted. His History of Childwall Golf Club books, Part one: The Early Years, Part Two: A fresh Start and Childwall Golf Club The First Hundred Years, make fascinating reading and provide a much more comprehensive account of events than it is possible to display here. Alan is set to publish Part 3 and Part 4 is being written
From 1912 to 1921
The precise origin of Childwall Golf Club poses something of a mystery due to a lack of documentary evidence from the time. In c1908 the Woolton Hall Hydro hotel on Woolton hill opened a 9 hole course, the Hydro Links, to attract guests looking for golfing breaks.
In 1912, following the death of the hotel’s owner, the Hydro Links golfers were offered the opportunity to form a club. Operating from hotel rooms and using a stable block for changing, our journey began as The Woolton Hall Hydro Golf Club.
In 1915, undoubtedly as a result of the first world war, the Hydro went into receivership, eventually being requisitioned as an axillary hospital. The club negotiated a deal with the Receiver to continue to operate. Despite losing the use of hotel rooms, gardens and lawns the club was able to carry on as The Woolton Hall Golf Club.
In 1921, any meaningful relationship with new owners broke down during attempts to renegotiate the lease with accusations of “sharp practice” levelled at club officials along with allegations of breaking the lease’s terms by granting grazing rights to a local farmer and subletting land to the Woolton Allotment Society. The club was served notice to quit. And so, in 1922 fifty-two acres of land were leased at Childwall Hall and the club moved. Initially a 12 hole course, more land was rented from the adjacent Cocks Head Farm to add 6 more and rooms in the Hall were rented as a clubhouse. Its members voted to change its name again, this time to The Childwall Golf Club.
From 1922 to Today.
So it was that the Club moved to Childwall Hall. Initially, the future looked assured. However, the 1926 Liverpool Town Planning Scheme put the club at risk with some of the course’s land earmarked for development. Prolonged negotiations to extend the lease proved difficult with every offer met by a change in conditions, never to the club’s advantage. The club’s days at Childwall Hall were numbered.
For a while the situation looked desperate until, in 1935, with the help of information from one of the club’s accountants and four ex Captains, Messrs Treneman, Sloss, Green and Foreman, the club found The Holt Hall Estate, some 200 acres in Gateacre. A registered company was formed to purchase the land and the club moved to its present site in 1938.
The course design was based on recommendations from James Braid and a brand new Art Deco Clubhouse was designed by Alderman Shennan and built by local builders Thomas Lucas and Sons in the style of the Royal Birkdale clubhouse.
Over the years the course has undergone alterations, mainly to increase length, and the clubhouse has seen many modernising changes. Childwall today is a very tough test of golf ranking with the very best of clubs in this area of very fine golf clubs.
