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THE HISTORY OF
MILFORD HAVEN GOLF CLUB
Milford Haven Golf Club has had a long and varied history with a lot of the details being lost in the mists of time. None of the original founder members are now alive. A great deal of the past detail of this history has been researched by Mrs. Joan Gale who has spent many a long hour gleaning what details she could find from old newspapers and dusty archives. The Club is indebted to Mrs. Gale for the foresight in “going it alone” in her research over many years on this project.
Her diligence prompted the writer to bring everything together and by finding all of the minute books back as far as 1933, finding old photographs and talking to the senior members of the club enabled this history to be written for the benefit of future generations of golfers at Milford Haven golf Club.
A message must be passed on to future generations to
Remember that today’s happenings are tomorrow’s history.
Document anything of interest so that it is available to your successors.
Len Williams.
Acknowledgements are also given to the following people and companies:
The Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph.
The West Wales Guardian.
The Western Telegraph.
The Pembroke County Guardian.
Mr. Arthur Elder.
Mr. Jim Saunders.
Dr. David Gange.
Mr. Owain Picton.
THE EARLY YEARS
The first mention of The Golf Club is found in an edition of The Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph dated the 30th of September 1908. The short article stated:
At a meeting held on Friday evening at the Masonic Hall, it was decided to form a Golf Club provided suitable links can be obtained. Over thirty ladies and gentlemen have signified their willingness to become members. Mrs. Gaskill consented to assume as Treasurer and Colonel W.R. Roberts as Hon. Secretary
We have been unable to verify the location of this first course but are certain that it existed; some of our older members are convinced that it was in the Pill area of Milford Haven. How long it was there and what was its name is lost in the mists of time.
While this is the earliest recorded mention of a golf course at Milford Haven some of the senior members of the club can recollect a course that was in the Marble Hall area.
A very reliable senior member of The Golf Club has confirmed to the writer of this history that indeed this course was established in the Marble Hall Area and was on land once owned and farmed by his family. Probably in the vicinity of the site occupied by the old Consolidated Beryllium Factory and on land now occupied by Meyler Crescent. However, without firm documentary proof of the existence of this course we cannot claim that either of these were the start of Milford Haven Golf Club.
There is no further mention of the Golf Club until an article that occurs in the edition of The Western Telegraph dated the 12th of November 1913. This mentions the existence of the course at Marble Hall which seemed to have been short lived and also points to an even earlier course at Pill about which no other information is available. Because no documentary evidence other than the short article mentioned above and this article in the Western Telegraph of the 12th November 1913 which is reproduced below, the founding date of Milford Haven Golf Club must be stated as 1913.
The article in The Western Telegraph dated the 12th of November 1913 stated under the heading:
Proposed Golf Club
We are pleased to learn that serious effort is once more being made to establish a Golf Club in Milford Haven and that the prospects are certainly favourable.
Many years ago a club was in existence with a course at Pill in which Colonel Roberts, J.P. and others were interested and, again, a couple of fields near Marble Hall were adopted but were not available for long.
There are several expert and enthusiastic golfers resident in the town and the desire has been expressed by these devotees of the Royal and Ancient game to secure a suitable course.
Then again, the officers of H.M. Ships are keen on the matter and would probably support the Golf Club in the immediate vicinity for, at present, they have to go as far as Haverfordwest or Tenby for a game. The initiative for the present movement has been taken by Mr. P.W. Alford and J.W. Baker (Manager of the Grimsby Stores) Suitable ground has been located at Goosepill and, provided arrangements are made with the interested parties, this land will be decided upon.
A nine-hole course could easily be made and with a view to getting expert information, George Humble, the Llandrindod Wells Professional, who is in Haverfordwest at present, was invited to inspect the course and he expressed a most favourable opinion of it. The turf he described as excellent, whilst with the position he was delighted. Situated on the heights over Victoria Lake, the fields command a magnificent view over the Haven and the country and are easily approachable from the town.
We are asked to announce that in connection with the movement, a meeting will be held on Friday next at 8 p.m. in Colonel. Roberts' garden room, entrance in Great North Road. Which all interested are invited to attend.
Col. Roberts resided at Hamilton House. The house is opposite the Town Hall and his garden is now The Memorial Gardens. The "Garden Room" referred to in the article was a wooden structure and was situated in the north east corner of the garden at the junction of Charles Street and Great North Road. As there was probably no heating in this "Garden Room" it must have been a very cold place at this time of year to hold meetings.
Irrespective of the temperature on the 14th of November 1913 a meeting was indeed held in Colonel Roberts’ garden room. A number of things were discussed, luckily the minutes of this first meeting survive today which while brief serve as a valuable historical document for The Club and is reproduced on the next page.
These meetings were obviously of great interest to the press of that time. The Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph printed the following article on the 19th of November 1913 under the heading:
Golf Club formed at Milford Haven.
"The meeting announced in our last issue for the purpose of forming a Golf Club for Milford Haven was held on Friday evening in Colonel Roberts' garden room at Hamilton House. Those present were: The Rev. E.J. Howells, Messrs. P.W. Alford, J.W. Baker, Herbert Cole, Keates Wilson, J.H. Llewellyn, F.W. Lowther, C.A. Purdy, T.C. Lewis, Colin Campbell and D. Boro.
Pending the arrival of Col. Roberts, Mr Baker was voted to the Chair and he explained what had been done in the matter of promoting a golf club. They had every hope that the course at Goosepill would be secured and, as stated in the Press, they had got Mr. George Humble, the Llandrindod Wells Professional, to go over the ground and he expressed a most favourable opinion and made valuable suggestions. He would be down again this week and would map out a 9-hole course.
On the motion of Mr. Herbert Cole, seconded by Mr. Lowther, it was unanimously decided that the club to be formed would be called 'The Milford Haven Golf Club'
The officers were elected as follows:
PresidentCol. W.R. Roberts. J.P.
Vice PresidentsG.C. Morley and J.C. Ward
TreasurerMr. Herbert Cole, Metropolitan Bank
Hon. SecretaryMr. J.W. Baker
With the committee consisting of Messrs. P.W. Alford, C. Campbell and A.M. Jamieson.
The draft estimate of the initial expense and annual expenditure was submitted and dealt with seriatim. Mr. Baker reported they had already had between 70 and 80 names for membership exclusive of officers from H.M. Ships and the opinion was expressed that a large membership could be secured. The annual subscriptions were fixed at:
Ladies10s 6d(50.25p)
Gents One Guinea(105p)
Children under 16 5s 0d(25p)
Special arrangements for Officers of The Fleet and their ladies of 7s 6d and 5s 0d per quarter.(37.25p and 25p)
Green fees were also fixed and other matters of detail dealt with
Col. Roberts offered a silver cup in his possession for annual competition and was heartily thanked. It was decided that the winning of this trophy would carry with it the Club Championship, the Cup being known as the 'Col. Roberts Cup’
Monthly competitions will also be arranged.
If matters are settled in time, it is hoped that the opening game will be played on November 29th, particulars of which will appear later.
A vote of thanks was given to Col. Roberts for the use of his comfortable room and he replied by saying that it would always be at the disposal of the Committee for their meetings"
This was the first indication that The Milford Haven Golf Club had been formed and was the embryo of the Club as it is today. The enthusiastic Committee does not seem to have been able to meet the deadline of November 29th due to a number of reasons, some of which are familiar to today’s world. The lease of the land had already been agreed at the rate of £15 per annum. However, the records show that a payment of £1 per annum was required by Milford Docks for right of way to the course over Haven Head embankment. This payment was agreed at the meeting of December 1st 1913.
At the same meeting it was reported that Mr. A. Codd who appears to have been the owner of the land had agreed to keep the greens in order and to do all the work necessary for keeping the course in order for the sum of £27 per annum.
(The minutes of this meeting are dated as December 1st 1914; this appears to be an error on the part of the person who was taking the minutes.)
The date of 1913 is confirmed by a newspaper report of the meeting printed in the Western Telegraph dated 3rd December 1913)
The Golf Club
"We are informed that satisfactory arrangements have now been made between the recently appointed Committee of the new Golf Club and the owners of land at Goosepill and that the ground will be prepared immediately. Mr. George Humble, the Llandrindod Wells Professional has already marked up the positions and again expressed himself as very pleased with the turf and the open location of the links. It is hoped that the club will be able to open the course for play during the Christmas week and no doubt exists as to its success. The location of the land, as already stated, is about the best in the district and, although well out in the country, is sufficiently near the Railway Station and a ten minute walk at the most will take most visitors right on to the fields.
Hon. Secretary Mr. J.W. Baker and the committee are throwing all their enthusiasm into the venture and are prepared to enrol members at any time"
A copy of the minutes are shown below.
There seems to be little doubt as to the tenacity and enthusiasm of the people trying to get this Golf Club up and running. One cannot help wondering where the finance for this venture was coming from up to this point. The Professional from Llandrindod Wells I feel sure did not provide his services free and had made a number of visits up to this point. Equipment and tools were required for the preparation of the land, much of which would have had to be excavated by hand as mechanical diggers were not as readily available then as they are today. However, the following article which appeared in The Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph indicates that most of the work was done (and probably financed) by the Committee.
"We are pleased to state that the new Golf Club are about to enter into possession of the Goosepill Course. For some weeks, the Committee has been hard at work getting the course prepared and the greens cut. The work is sufficiently advanced to permit play for the first time on Friday next (Boxing Day). A formal opening of the course will take place on a date to be announced later on. In the meantime, applications for membership are invited and should be made to the Hon. Secretary, Mr. J.W. Baker, Glenmore, Dewsland Street who will be glad to furnish any information to intending members. We sincerely trust that The Club will have a good send off"
It appears that the Boxing Day match was played but there are no reports of it.
GOLF CATCHING ON
The following report which appeared in The Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph on the 7th of January 1914 indicates that The Club was up and running and that it was being organised on a sound footing.
GOLF CATCHING ON
"As we anticipated, now that the course is open for play, there have been a goodly number of visitors to the Goosepill Meadows and, almost daily, devotees of The Royal and Ancient Game may be seen wending their way with golf outfit in that direction. On Saturday afternoon, there were no less than 32 having a round of 9 holes. Everything possible is being done by the committee to get the greens in good order, and ere long, they hope to have a course equal to any in the district. Furthermore, they have arranged for the Professional at the New Quay (Cardigan) Club to be in attendance on the course to give lessons from January 12th to 31st inclusive, a fee of 1s 6d (7.5p) per hour for the same is payable in advance.
Applications for the times should be made to the Hon Secretary Mr. J.W. Baker, The Grimsby Stores, The Docks, Telephone 32.
The Docks Company have kindly permitted an approach to the course over the track across Victoria Lake and steps have been provided which lead up the cliff on to the fields. It is hoped to arrange a formal opening shortly"
I feel sure that The Golf Club prospered under the enterprising committee that was elected in that first meeting in November 1913 and would have continued to function well if it had not been for the Great War of 1914 -1918. This changed the way of life for most people and Milford Haven Golf Club was no exception.
AFTER THE GREAT WAR
No further mention can be found of The Club until an article printed on May 9th 1922 in The Pembroke County Guardian.
“The town Golf Club that lay dormant during the period of the war has been revived, and hopes are entertained of a very successful campaign. A general meeting was called at The Lord Nelson Hotel on Saturday, when the chair was occupied by Mr. Herbert Cole. It was enthusiastically agreed to revive The Club and it was reported that the 9-hole course at Goosepill would again be available.
The following officers were elected:
President Lieut. Colonel Keates Wilson.
Hon. SecretariesMessrs. R.S. Kelway and J. Ward jnr.
Treasurers Mr. Herbert Cole. L.C. & M. Bank
Committee:Messrs. P.W. Alford, J.W. Baker, A.E. Davies,
J.H. Llewellyn, and F.P. Cottrill.
Amongst other things it was decided that the subscription be two guineas per annum (£2.20p) and that special arrangements should be made for family tickets. The preparation of the course is now in hand and it is hoped that it will be completed within a month. Application for membership should be made at once to either of the Hon. Secretaries.”
Sadly Col. Roberts who was one of the original founder members in 1913 passed away on the 23rd of July 1922.
Although a number of names are missing there are still some names from the original 1913 Committee.
The following year (1923) the Committee managed to negotiate an agreement with the owners of the land at Goosepill to build a clubhouse at the Golf Course. This clubhouse consisted of a wooden structure with corrugated iron cladding. A picture of it is reproduced below together with some of the Golf Club Members.
Members at Goosepill possibly mid 1920s
THE MOVE TO HUBBERSTON
OFFICIAL OPENING ON 15th JULY 1933
Members outside the old clubhouse
Back row; Mr. Aitken (Professional) Mr. Howard Llewellyn, Mr. George Clarke, Mr. Rex Amphey, Mr. Trevor Kelway, Mr. Harry Rees, Mr. Fred Llewellyn.
Front Row; Mr. W.G. Lewis, Mr. Harry Llewellyn, Mr. Laken Cobb, Mr. Wilfred Hancock, Mr. Richie, Mr. Joe Lewis, Mr. H.V. James.
Little more is known about the Golf Club until 1933 when the Golf Club moved from Goosepill to Hubberston. This is the same land as we now play on and know as “the front nine” The first tee was situated in the area of the present 17th green.
The Milford Haven Golf Club acquired the land in October of 1932. A lot of effort must have been put into the preparation of the land to make it into a golf course because within 9 months the course was ready for the official opening. The original corrugated iron clubhouse was removed from the course at Goosepill and re-erected at the new Hubberston course. It was situated to the South East of the present 17th green.
The road, which is now the Elf jetty road, had not been built at that time, if it had been the clubhouse would have sat right in the middle of it
Members outside the old clubhouse after it was relocated to Hubberston. Names unknown. The picture must have been taken in the early 1950s because of the TV aerials visible behind the clubhouse. Also George Clarke who is sitting in the front row fourth from the left was Captain in 1953 and is shown wearing the same clothes as he wore for his Captain’s photograph which is shown in the chapter of Past Captains.
There appeared to be a lot of interest in the opening of the new course as is evident in the following newspaper article which was printed in the West Wales Guardian the week before the event.
The Hubberston course was a 9-hole course, which covered the area we now know as 'the front nine’ was officially opened on Saturday the 15th of July 1933
The greens were still a little bit rough but every endeavour was being made to improve them as soon as possible.
At the official opening ceremony which was performed at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday the 15th of July 1933 when the event was fortunate in being favoured with fine weather. The wind that was blowing being not strong enough to affect unduly the play that was to follow the opening ceremonies.
Mr. Bert Tully who was the Club Captain at the time was instrumental in obtaining the services of the famous British Ryder Cup player Mr. Percy Alliss (Peter Alliss' father) to play the first round at the new, officially opened Milford Haven Golf Club. Mr. Tully had met Mr. Alliss when he received lessons from him at Clyne Golf Club at Swansea where Mr. Percy Alliss was the Professional.
The officers of The Club at the time of the official opening were:
PresidentDr. H.O. Williams
ChairmanMr. J.H. Llewellyn
Hon. TreasurerMr. Herbert Cole
Hon. SecretaryMr. D.J. Davies
The President, Dr. H.O. Williams drove a ball from the first tee. After which the first round at the officially opened Milford Haven Golf Club was played by Mr. Percy Alliss (father of Peter Alliss) and Tom Aitken who had been the professional in 1930 at Goosepill but was by then attached to Gloucester Golf Club. According to a newspaper article from The West Wales Guardian "Mr. Aitken was given a very cordial welcome by his old Milford friends"
A fair crowd followed the players around with members of Fishguard, Newport, Cardigan and Haverfordwest Golf Clubs being present among the gallery. At first Mr. Aitken seemed to be a little nervous, perhaps not being so used to having such a crowd around him but his confidence grew as the match progressed. The match was all square going into the 18th however Percy Alliss won this hole with a par against Tom Aitkin's bogie. Mr. Alliss had played the 18 hole round in 75 strokes against Mr. Aitkins 76.
The ball that Mr. Alliss used to play the round was mounted and is still on display in the trophy cabinet at the entrance to the lounge bar.
After the ceremony the officers and committee pledged
"To leave no stone unturned in helping the greenkeeper to get the course in first class condition as soon as possible"
West Wales Guardian Newspaper photograph taken at the course opening
Report in the Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph
The ball that was used by Mr. Alliss in this competition was offered at the meeting of 14th February 1934 to Mr. Bert Tully as thanks for his efforts. This offer was declined by Mr. Tully who wanted the ball to stay with the club.
During the Presidency of Mr. Roy Griffiths in the year 1999 the minute book for the years 1933 to 1940 was found by a stroke of good fortune in the attic of a house in Dewsland Street, Milford Haven. A friend of Mr Griffiths (Mr. Steve Cove) was helping his son move out of his house at Dewsland Street and when clearing the attic they found the minute book. Knowing that Roy was the incumbent President of the Golf Club he contacted Roy and gave it to him. Roy in turn presented it to the Club.
A few of the pertinent highlights and some of the amusing incidents are shown in the following pages.
At the meeting of August 2nd 1933 a letter was from the Tax Office was read out re the entertainment tax duty on entrance tickets for the opening of the course. It does not state the amount involved but it was probably a lot less than the 17.5% VAT that we currently pay.
At the same meeting the subscription levels for the following year were noted. Gentlemen subscriptions were £2-12-6 in old money, which is the equivalent of £2.63 in today’s money. Ladies subscriptions were 50% of this.
October 11th 1933. A letter was read out from Mr. J.D. Clark in which he suggested that another member should buy the cup and present it to the club thus changing of the donor. The committee unanimously agreed that a reply be sent to Mr. Clark that members preferred the cup to bear his name and to express a hope that they again have the pleasure of seeing him down here.
In August of 1935 a Mr. Williams presented a horse to the club presumably the horse was to be used to pull the fairway mowers. A pond was created in the stream near the present Valley hole to provide drinking water for the horse. This was the forerunner of the pond feature that we have on the Valley now. Mr. Williams was made an honorary member for this gesture.
In 1936 members were complaining that the horse’s hooves were making bad marks on the fairway.
At their meeting on the 12th of August the committee agreed to spend £5 for the purchase of a car to pull the mower. One wonders what happened to the poor old horse.
At the Executive meeting of February 14th Mr Tully complained about the fact that members were not replacing divots. A similar problem exists today.
At the same meeting Miss Alford reported damage to the greens by ladies wearing high-heeled shoes. No further mention is made of the remedies applied to these two complaints.
There appears to be an ongoing dispute between the club and the owner of the land, Mr. J. Belton.
The first sign of this was a note in the minutes of the November 8th 1933 in which:
“It was resolved that Mr. Belton be approached and his attention be drawn to the damage caused through his colts breaking on to the course, especially in the cases of No 1 and No 9 greens. At the same time he was to be asked to do something with a view to killing off the moles” Many years later we still have the same problems with moles, it appears that this is a problem which we will never rid ourselves of.
There were continuous references asking Mr. Belton for a reduction in the rent of £60 per annum paid for the course. This argument seemed to continue for most of the 1930s with numerous complaints ensuing from both sides.
One of the complaints from Mr. Belton was that the fairway grass was being cut too low and he was unable to use it for extra grazing of his livestock.
This activity continued until September 1938 when it was noted that the term of the original lease was due to expire. A sub-committee was formed to discuss the renewal of the lease with Mr. Belton.
The first meeting with Mr. Belton was inconclusive with a request for a £10 reduction of rent being refused. Mr. Belton did offer to provide the club with a mower free of charge, this offer was accepted by the committee. The question of the lease was then put in the hands of Mr. Belton's solicitor.
In March 1939 Mr. Belton put his cattle on the course for grazing which in the committee’s words “was causing a considerable amount of damage” this was conveyed to Mr. Belton who replied “that owing to a very bad winter he was in a bad way owing to a shortage of grass and that he could get no hay. He was compelled against his will to place the cattle on the course for a short time and that he would repair any damage to the course and greens. He would remove them as soon as possible, he also said that he would remove them for the opening match on the Saturday”
Also at the same meeting it was noted that notice had been received from Mr. Belton terminating the lease on the course on September 18th 1939. He was again asked for a renewal at a reduced rental because the membership had gone down and the course upkeep had gone up since the lease commenced 7 years ago. No decision was made and Mr. Belton was ‘given time to think it over’.
At a meeting on April 13th 1939 between the sub-committee and Mr. Belton he agreed to give a reduction of £10 for the present half year and in return for him grazing cattle on the course the rent would be reduced to £30 per annum at a yearly tenancy.
The committee agreed to this with the following conditions. The cattle would be removed by April 20th of each year and the course kept free of them until after October 10th.
It appears that the matter did not end there, in the meeting of October 4th 1939 it was noted that a further notice to quit was served on the committee. This notice to quit was effective in March 1940.
Further meetings with Mr. Belton were held and he agreed to the club carrying on playing golf but they would not be allowed to cut the grass. The committee considered this to be “grave injustice” Later Mr. Belton modified this to not cutting the fairways too short and agreeing to rescind the notice to quit.
While all of this was going on the committee was investigating the possibility of siting a new course at the Atlantic Club (South Hook Fort) and were in discussion with the owner, Mrs. Lee Roberts.
After a lot of effort and discussion it was decided that there was insufficient land to support a golf course and the matter was dropped.
While I feel sure that this was not the end of the matter, no further documentary evidence can be found on this subject. It was obviously eventually resolved because we are still playing the on the same course although much modified.
THE NINETEEN FORTIES
During the early 1940s the problems between the owners of the land (Mr. Belton) and the golf club continued. As noted earlier Mr. Belton had issued a notice to quit the land by the golf club. After some negotiation by the committee members this was withdrawn but not without some concessions being made by the club. Mr. Belton also wanted to impose a restriction that the grass on the fairways should not be cut so that his cattle could have good grazing. This was subsequently changed to read that the grass should not be cut too short.
At the meeting of 5th February 1941The Secretary reported that Mr. Belton had informed the club that he would have to plough up part of the course this year as part of his quota that was imposed by the agricultural committee as part of the war effort. It appears that the committee pulled some strings in this matter. The Secretary spoke to the Admiralty Chief of Staff who in turn spoke to The Agricultural Committee on behalf of the naval personnel who used the course. There is very little more recorded of these meetings or conversations. However it appears that the course was not ploughed up.
It was in that year (1941) that the effects of not cutting the grass too short came back to haunt the committee. The Open Meeting (Competition) that was for July 10th had to be postponed until July 24th due to the long grass. The Llewellyn Cup had to be discontinued because the competitors refused to play because the grass was too long. Apparently they were at the mercy of the owner as to when the grass was cut. After the committee talked to the owner he promised to cut the grass the following day.
On the 12th December 1941 there were notes made in the minute book (unsigned) that “I was given information that Mr. Belton intended trying to buy his farm and that he considered selling the portion let to the golf club to us”
Another note in the minute book dated 12th January 1942 stated that Mr. Belton did not buy the farm.
Yet another note (again unsigned) dated 12th February 1942 stated:
Mr. Belton gave me to understand that he intended to plough up that part of the golf course. Viz, part of No 3,4 & 5 immediately. I therefore got H. Llewellyn, J. Cobb, B. Tully to go and see Mr. Belton and make him an offer of (sic) round £30 in compensation and ask him if he would plough up other land on his farmland the reply was he would for £35 and the rent be increased to £60 a year.
These notes were unsigned and were not discussed in committee.
At a meeting on 25th February 1942 the secretary reported that The Agricultural War Committee had replied to the letter sent from the club committee agreeing to exempt links from ploughing.
Following this the landlord had approached some members of the committee complaining that this meant more ploughing on his homeland and that he would have to plough a field which he had lately gone to the expense of ‘laying down’ He later expressed to a deputation that he would require compensation for this and additional rent after the end of the March Quarter.
The committee agreed that Mr. Belton be paid £35 as compensation in consideration of the above and the rent be £60 per annum as from Lady Day 1942.
On 3rd June 1942 an Extraordinary General Meeting held at the clubhouse after the committee had received a letter from Price & Kelway Solicitors. They had recently received a letter from J. Belton, Gelliswick viz to end the existing agreement between Milford Haven Golf Club and himself. Also offering the Golf Course to the Milford Haven Golf Club for £2,000 with the exception of the 6th Green.
Twenty-six members were present, when an agreement was come to, to purchase the course, if Mr. Belton would include No 6 green in the sale.
A committee was then formed to see Mr. Belton. Viz, H. Llewellyn, J.L. Cobb, B. Tully with D.W. Hughes and Mr. F.L. Joyce. The purchase was to be made by a small Co. to be formed and then to re-let to the Golf Club in due course. Also after purchase the Co. so formed would sell shares to the members of the golf club with a minimum of £25 per share. The committee, after seeing Mr. J. Belton to report back to the Golf Club.
This appears to be the embryo of the present Milford Haven Golf Club Ltd.
At the Annual General meeting on 25th August 1942 the following has been extracted from the minutes under the heading “Other Business”
The buying of the Golf Course then came under discussion and after a long talk by several members and explanations by the committee (appointed to see into the matter at a previous meeting held on Jun 3rd) it was proposed by Mr. Roy Lewis and seconded by Mr. L. Cobb the members present also approving that the Golf Course be purchased on Mr. Belton’s proposed terms/ Viz, The whole of the course with the exception of No 6 Green, this to be leased to us at £1 per year for seven years with renewal for as long as he is the owner of the land, and the purchaser to pay all expenses both vendor and purchaser.
At the same meeting it was also proposed to repay all of the money previously loaned to the club (I assume by members) totalling £106-7-0 in today’s money £107.35p
It was also proposed that 3% be the minimum interest to be paid to the Co. to be formed to purchase the course.
The following were then appointed to form a small committee to work out details for the purchase of the course.
B. Tully, L. Cobb, H. Llewellyn, H.G. Rees, R. Lewis, O Limbrick, L.F. Joyce, J. Kerr.
This committee did extensive research into the benefits and problems of becoming a limited company, not the least of which were the tax implications of the move. They obviously spent a great deal of time looking in to the different ways of achieving this.
On the 9th December 1942 lengthy discussions were held into how the new company was to be set up, it was decided that the company would be set up as a limited liability company with share capital to be in £1 shares. The Company would be allowed to borrow money and to issue debentures with interest being taxable at source. They also found that the profits of the club would be subject to Schedule A tax and also for 1/3 of Schedule B Tax.
There were also questions as to whether every member must or should hold a share. Questions were being asked about the standing in the club of shareholders against non-shareholders.
While these questions were written in the surviving minutes the answers or solutions to the problems were not recorded.
It was at the meeting on the 7th of April 1943 the first signs of a rift in the committee appears. This extract from the meeting that is reproduced verbatim explains the problem although the first part of the minutes is a little vague.
The Golf Co. This matter was brought forward and it appeared from the discussions that the previous meeting formed to carry on with the formation of the Co. was not formed with the purpose of forming the Co. It was then decided to elect a new committee for the purpose of forming the Co. so that this could be done at the earliest possible time.
Mr Joyce explaining that, as things are now it is very unsatisfactory for Mr. Tully and himself.
The new committee was elected for the purpose of forming the new Co.
A. Limbrick Chairman, L.S. Joyce, D.T. Hughes, R.E. Rees and W. Kerr
And that the committee and secretary to have the power to (sic) coop (I assume he means co-opt) other shareholders on the committee. Also to report as soon as possible to the General Committee.
The next meeting dealing with this subject was held at the Midland Bank and consisted of the committee formed at the golf club on April 19th (This date is questionable because the minutes of the meeting where this committee was formed were dated April 7th)
It was at this meeting that it was decided to base the Articles for Milford Haven Golf Club on The Hankley Common Golf Club Ltd. These articles being similar in principle to what was required by the committee and being similar to our own case.
On the 15th of June 1943 an Extraordinary General Meeting was convened where all of the proposals were put to the members.
The proposal was made by J.L. Cobb and seconded by A. Ritchie. The motion was carried unanimously.
The directors of the club were elected being the oldest members of the Milford Haven Golf Club Org. and were as follows:
A.M. Jamieson, J.H. Llewellyn, L.J. Meylor, C.J. Howell, G. Clarke, J.L. Cobb, H. Llewellyn and B.Tully
It was also proposed by G. Clarke and seconded by J.L. Cobb that all copies of the articles of the new Co. be charged to all members who desire same at 4/- each (four shillings or 20p in today’s money)
On the following five pages is a copy of the Memorandum of Association. This memorandum was drawn up to register Milford Haven Golf Club as a Limited Company. This enabled the Committee of 1943 to become Milford Haven golf Club Ltd. And allowed them to raise money to purchase the land which up until that time they had leased from Mr. Belton.
While all of the paperwork was completed and signed by the 30th August 1943 the articles were not incorporated until the 7th August 1943.
MILFORD HAVEN GOLF CLUB LTD.
Shown below are copies of the Memorandum of Association, and the Articles of Association.
The Memorandum of Association is the document giving the way that the Limited Company is set up and the objects (reasons) for which the company is established. The Articles of Association are a set of rules and guidelines sometimes called The Constitution, by which the club shall be run. This can never be changed and the original wording stands in perpetuity. However, amendments can be made to the original wording. This must be done by a special resolution submitted to the Executive Committee 21 days prior to an Annual General meeting or an Emergency General Meeting. For the amendment to be carried it requires a vote of 75% of the members attending the meeting.
The following are The Articles of Association
Special Resolution Dispute
During the 2002 AGM a member alleged that the Executive Committee had been acting illegally for a number of years by the fact that none of the notices of motion that had been passed at previous AGM’s had been registered with Companies house to change the Memorandum and Articles of Association. The member also alleged that the form of proxy that the committee was using was illegal and should give the members an opportunity to state which way they wanted their vote to be made.
The statements that the member made were completely new to the committee and this was the first time that any of the Executive Committee had heard about these allegations.
The Chairman of the AGM had no option but to adjourn the AGM while our solicitors were consulted and Companies house was contacted to find out what the problem was.
Companies house was contacted and the situation explained to them and they informed us that the Memorandum and Articles of Association had not been amended since they were first drawn up in 1943. They informed us that the original document could not be changed and would remain the same in perpetuity or until the club was wound up. They stated that the original document could have its articles amended by a notice of Special Resolution which must be passed at an AGM or an EGM. The Notices of Motion that had been passed over the years were not legally binding and were nothing more than local rules within the club which could be challenged if a member wanted to do so
Companies house also told the club that it was not operating illegally because the club was still operating under the original Memorandum of Association and the Articles of Association that had been drawn up in 1943.
When the club’s solicitors were asked about our situation they confirmed all that was received from Companies House. They also confirmed that the proxy form that was used by the club was quite legitimate and there was no necessity for any change to be made to the format.
They also recommended that we should go back through the years and find out which of the notices of motion that had been passed should have been passed on a Special Resolution. When this information was at hand the club should call an EGM to discuss the resolutions and the ones that were approved should be registered with companies house so that they became amendments to the original Memorandum and Articles of Association.
The Club Secretary Mr. W.S. Brown undertook to do the necessary research into this and write up the Special resolutions required. This was a mammoth task as the minutes of all AGMs back as far as 1943 had to be studied to find the notices of motion that had been passed at the various AGMs. Luckily, most of them had been included in the club rules book, which made the task a little easier.
When all of the resolutions had been researched and reviewed by the solicitors an AGM was arranged where the resolutions were put to the members for their approval.
An abridged copy of the minutes of this EGM is reproduced below:
MINUTES OF THE EXTRA-ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF MILFORD HAVEN GOLF CLUB HELD AT WOODBINE HOUSE ON THURSDAY 20th MARCH 2003.
The meeting had been called to consider the Special Resolutions No. 1-14 below.The resolutions were then read out and each voted on in turn.
SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO. 1.
Article 4 and Rule 18
This shall be amended to
Membership
Members shall consist of:
When voted on this was carried.
SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO.2.
Rule 26
This to be amended to
“Temporary members and temporary non-playing members may be permitted by the Committee at a reduced fee.”
When voted on this was carried.
SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO.3.
Article No.8 and Rule 34
This to be amended to
General Meeting.
A General Meeting shall be held at least once every calendar year, at such time not being later than 31st.December, and at such place as may be determined by the committee. In default of this a General meeting shall be held in the month of January of the following year and may be called by not less than five per cent. of all the members entitled to vote at such a meeting in the same manner or as nearly possible as that which meetings are convened by the committee.
The aforementioned meetings shall be called Ordinary General Meetings. All other General Meetings shall be called Extra-Ordinary General meetings.”
When voted on this was carried.
SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO. 4.
Article No. 9 and Rule 35
This to be amended to
“The committee may convene an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting whenever they think fit, and Extra-Ordinary General Meetings may be convened on the requisition of not less than ten per cent. of all the members entitled to vote at such a meeting.”
When voted on this was carried.
SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO 5.
Article No.17 and Rule 19
This to be amended to
“Ordinary Members, Ordinary Joint Members, Life Members, Honorary Members with Voting Rights, Five year Members are the only members entitled to vote at any Ordinary or Extra-Ordinary General Meeting. No other person is entitled to vote.”
When voted on this was carried.
SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO. 6.
RULE 40(New)
“The instrument appointing a proxy must be delivered to the Club Administration Office forty eight hours before the meeting.”
When voted on this was carried.
SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO.7.
Article No.21 and Rule 4
Amended to read:
“Officers
The Officers of the Club shall consist of a President, a Captain, a Vice-Captain, an Honorary Treasurer and a Secretary, each of whom shall be an ex-officio member of the Committee.”
When voted on this was carried.
SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO.8.
Article No.22 and Rule 5
Amended to read:
“The President, Captain, Honorary Treasurer and Vice Captain shall be entitled to hold office until the Ordinary General Meeting next following their appointment or last election, when they shall retire, and shall be eligible for re- election by the Club at such a meeting. The President shall not hold office for more than three consecutive years.”
When voted on this was carried.
SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO. 9.
Article No.24 and Rule 7
Amended to read:
“Committee.
The Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Club and nine ordinary members plus the previous year’s Captain who will serve one extra year. The Committee shall elect it’s own Chair annually.”
When voted on this was carried.
SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO.10.
Article No.27 and Rule 8
Amended such that the word two is replaced by the word three.
When voted on this was carried.
SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO. 11.
Article No.29 and Rule 9
Amended to read:
“Each candidate for election to the Committee, shall with their previous assent, be nominated in writing and signed by at least two Ordinary Members entitled to vote at the election. Such nominations shall be exhibited on the notice board for not less than 48 hours before the Ordinary General Meeting at which the election is to take place.”
When voted on this was carried.
SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO. 12.
Article No.33 and Rules 12, 13, 14
Amended to read:
“The Committee shall appoint the following sub-committees (1)a House Committee, (2) a Finance Committee, and (3) a Greens Committee. The Committee shall have the power to form such other sub-committees as it deems necessary for the efficient management of the club. The Captain shall be an ex-officio Member of each Sub-Committee and the Treasurer shall be an ex-officio Member of the Finance Committee. There shall be delegated to each Sub-Committee such powers as the Committee shall from time to time determine. Sub- Committees shall have the power to co-opt members of the club to assist them in their decisions.”
When voted on this was carried.
SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO.13.
Rule 33
Amended to read:
“ The Committee shall have the authority to take appropriate disciplinary action against any member guilty of conduct deemed to be to the detriment of the club. The disciplinary proceedings shall be conducted according to the accepted procedure as adopted by the Executive Committee.
The member shall have the right of appeal to the Executive Committee against any decision made by the Disciplinary Committee provided that the appeal is made in writing within 7 days of notice of the disciplinary action.
The appeal should normally be considered within 14 days of being received by the Secretary.”
When voted on this was carried.
SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO 14.
Article No.44 Rule 39
Amended to read:
“In the event of the Club ceasing to exist, and following the discharge of all debts and liabilities, and assets at the time of dissolution shall become the property of an appointed Representative Committee. No member shall obtain any assets from the club.
The Club may be wound up on a resolution of members, passed by a seventy five percent majority at a special meeting convened for the purpose upon the request of ten percent of members of the club entitled to vote at such a meeting. At least 21 days notice of the meeting shall have been sent to all the members of the club entitled to vote.
In the event of the passing of the resolution to wind up the Club, the members of the club shall appoint a Representative Committee empowered to distribute the assets, including cash and investments in hand, to clubs having similar objectives as their own.”
When voted on this was carried.
Mr. O. Picton then stated that he wished to thank the secretary for all the research and effort put in to the formulation of the resolutions.
The meeting then closed.
THE OIL COMPANY INFLUENCE
During this period the original clubhouse was still in position adjacent to the 1st tee (which is currently the 17th green) the professional during the late 40s was Joe Morris who retired in 1949. After he left no other professional was appointed. However, Howard Brace was taken on as green-keeper.
There was no steward to look after the members needs however each member had a key to the club house and facilities and payment for drinks and other purchases relied on the honesty of the members. This system appears to have worked quite well as it continued for some time.
It seems that about the only things available for purchase from the club were golf balls, with 'Blue Spot balls costing 1 shilling and nine pence and the more expensive Penfold balls costing 2 shillings and 6 pence (approx. 8p and 12.5p respectively in today’s currency)
During this period the groundsman was Howard Brace.
In the 1950s the major oil companies were taking interest in the harbour as a deep-water haven suitable for bringing in the large tankers used in the industry. Because of this changes were taking place in Milford Haven that would alter the town and eventually The Golf Club until it became the club, as we know it today.
The first company in the area was Esso who started construction of their refinery in the late 50s. Initially the only impact on The Club was to change the western view from the course with large oil tanks dominating the skyline. In later years the impact of this company would be much greater.
In 1965 it was learned that an Irishman by the name of Dick Shiel was working for a building firm at the refinery. He had been Caddie Master and winter Pro’ at Rosslare Golf Club. He was hired by The Club and became the Golf Professional, Groundsman, Bar Steward and Caterer. He remained with The Club until 1979.
The first major impact on The Club by the oil industry came in 1970 when Amoco Oil Company negotiated with the officers of The Club for the purchase of some of the club land to enable them to build a road to their jetty that was to be built at Gelliswick. They were also seeking permission to install the pipelines feeding their jetty across The Golf Course. Agreement was reached and contracts were exchanged. A lump sum of approximately £12,000 was paid to The Club and an annual rental of £1,750 was agreed.
The area of land which was sold to Amoco was the section of road which runs from the main road behind the 18th tee and running parallel to the 17th fairway as far as the service gate leading into the Pit and Badgers.
THE NEW CLUBHOUSE
At the Executive Committee meeting on the 11th of September 1964 Dr. Gange informed the committee that Woodbine House was on offer for sale by Esso at an asking price of between £4,000 to £4,500. This included the house, the grounds and the paddock. An area of 4.5 acres. A sub committee consisting of The President, Captain Secretary and Treasurer was formed with the instuction to view the property and to report back to the Executive Committee.
At the next meeting in October 1964 the committee discussed the purchase ‘at length’ and decided to make an offer of £3,500 for the property. After some discussion with Esso the offer was increased to £4,000 which was acceptable to Esso.
An Extraordinary General Meeting was held on the 6th of February 1965 where the proposal to buy Woodbine House was put before the members. A well attended meeting had many questions but the proposal to purchase Woodbine house which was proposed by Mr. H. Mac Symones and seconded by Mr. Tom Scott was confirmed by a large majority.
The committee then had the problem of raising that amount of money to pay for the purchase and also to make the alterations necessary to convert the house into a clubhouse. Luckily they must have had a sympathetic bank manager because the managed to get an overdraft of £8,000. A grant was applied for from the Ministry of Education and Science and after a lot of paperwork the committee obtained a grant of £4,650. However, on the 23th of August 1965 the committee were informed that “the promised figure of a grant of £4,650 would not be forthcoming due to the recently introduced credit squeeze”
At the next meeting on the 10th of October it was reported that “in a telephone conversation with the ministry in Cardiff the whole of the grant would be forthcoming and a letter was to follow”
A letter was received fro the ministry stating “that since Milford Haven was a development area the original grant would be applicable subject to conditions being fulfilled”
A development sub committee was formed to oversee the conversion of Woodbine House, estimates were obtained and the work started.
This was a very large and brave decision for the club to make for the committee of the day to take. The committee was not unanimous in making their decision but enough of the committee believed in the project to get it approved. They were described in a newspaper article as a “Go-ahead Executive Committee” Time has since shown that the correct decision was made and the Club went from strength to strength.
The picture below shows the new clubhouse and the picture below that shows the executive committee described as the go ahead committee.
The Go-ahead Executive Committee
The 200 club
THE FIRST £500 DRAW OF THE 200 CLUB
9 HOLE COURSE LAYOUT
This is the layout of the 9 hole course after moving into the new clubhouse and before the opening of the 18 hole course.
Note that after playing the 1st hole the golfers had to cross the 9th and 8th fairways to get to the second hole which is now the 4th hole The Valley.
THE 18 HOLE COURSE
In 1978 The Club negotiated with Esso for the use of 81 acres of land in the Gelliswick area at an annual rental of £1,260 for a period of 21 years.
The course was designed by a professional course designer by the name of David Snell and is little changed from its original design. The 18 hole course was officially opened in 1980 by the professional Brian Huggett who was very complimentary about the course. Mr. Huggett stayed with Jean and John Winter at their home and signed a copy of the official handbook which is the only document that can be found from the event. Some of the pages of that document are reproduced below together with a copy of a letter.
The 10th hole 'Docs' was originally a par 4 hole with the tee being situated in the area of the present 8th tee. Golfers would drive off over the road onto the fairway. This involved driving the ball past the houses with the inevitable unfortunate accidents occurring, until eventually a person in one of the gardens was struck by a golf ball resulting in an expensive court case.
After this the hole was reduced to a par 3 with the tee being situated on the other side of the road which put the houses out of play.
Seventeen years later in 1995 the club again negotiated with Esso. This time it was to purchase the land that they now rented. The cost of this was to be £125,000 and included the farmyard and buildings of Gelliswick Farm. An application was made to Sportslot for a grant to help pay for the land. A grant of £20,000 was given and the purchase went ahead. The balance of the purchase price was made up with a bank loan from The National Westminster Bank.
Not everyone was pleased with the fact that the club had had a grant from Sportslot as was evident by the comments of ‘Old Grumpy’ a columnist who wrote for the Milford Mercury Newspaper. This item appeared in the newspaper under the heading of “Dooh Nibor” on the 7th of July 1995
Ken Read winning the rover golf challenge
The 16th referred to here is actually The Church Hole 17th which is in play as the 16th when the normal 16th The Pit is out of play for various reasons. It could be that the oil company was working on their pipeline in the area or it could be because of the green being out of play because of the extremely wet conditions of the green which was often the case before the green was rebuilt and drainage installed in the year 2000.
1988 THE 75th ANNIVERSARY YEAR
While 1988 was the official 75th anniversary year most of the celebrations were held in 1989 because the actual anniversary date was the 26th of December 1988. An anniversary tournament was held on that date to commemorate the event.
The executive committee for 1988 appeared to have been a very active committee. The committee members are shown in the photograph reproduced below.
Back row, left to right: Teddy Danter, Alice Wright, Ian Ace, Chris Davies, Fred Hathaway, Adrian Jones, Richard Setterfield, Edward Philpin and Cliff Williams. Seated: Joan Gale, Roger Cook (Hon. Treasurer), Arthur Elder (Hon. Secretary) Gareth Rees (President) Roy Griffiths (Captain) Alan Hawthorn (Vice Captain) and Ruby Jenkins (Ladies Captain)
It is interesting to note that Joan Gale who first started research into the early days of the club history is shown sitting on the extreme left of the front row. Had she not had such diligence and tenacity this narrative would probably not be in existence.
Reproduced above is the score card used after the 18 hole course was opened. As you can see it differs from the card in use today.
A full list of the officials for 1988 is shown below.
Roy Griffiths on the first tee on the Celebrity AM day
This photograph shows Roy with microphone in hand describing the scene he could see of the 18th green with young children on bicycles riding around it. I am assured from a very reliable source that with some choice words he very quickly dispatched officials to chase them away. To this day we still have vandals that delight in vandalising our course.
Captain Roy Griffiths must have had quite an eventful year participating in the many events that took place during that year not the least of which was the Celebrity Am that took place during his captaincy. Among the celebrities were some famous names from television and sport. The names are too many to mention them all but two of the well known celebrities were Johnny Briggs of television fame and Phil Bennett of Rugby fame.
It was also during this year that Roy was rummaging in an old storage cupboard when he found the original ball that was used by Percy Allis who opened the nine hole course at Hubberston in 1933 after the club had moved up from Goosepill. He also found the original stand that it had been mounted on. This must have been stored away for safekeeping many years before during a period of maintenance. Had it not been found by Roy who knew what it was and the value to the club it may possibly have been lost forever as has been so many other artefacts of the club.
it was also during this year that year that Lyn Rees who won the club championship for the third time and was made Dyfed golfer of the year.
While the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the club was actually on Boxing day 1988 it was decided that the anniversary celebrations would be held in 1989. However to commemorate the actual anniversary on Boxing day 1988 Roy Griffiths who was just completing his year of captaincy decided to hold a tournament on the actual anniversary day. A number of members took part in the tournament a photograph of them is shown below.
The anniversary tournament competitors
C. Stock, E Buckingham, P Simpson, S Rees, G Davies, G, Gale
A. Fairburn, J. Roberts, J. Taylor, N. Jenkins, D. Noremac, P. Wright,
T. Danter, M. Buckingham, F. Hathaway, R. Barker, B. Millward, A. Barker, M. Edds, K. Read.
Front row: Alan Hawthorn (Vice Captain) Roy Griffiths (Captain) Gareth Rees (President)
THE 75th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
The Golf Club celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1989 when a number of special events were staged. The highlight of the year was the anniversary tournament, which was held on Saturday the 15th of July. During this anniversary year the Captain was Alan Hawthorn and the President was Gareth Rees. The tournament attracted a record 100 entries which were divided into three categories with the winner of the Gents 0 - 15 category being David Britton and in second place was Glyn Gale. In the 16 - 28 sections the winner was Paul Thomas while in second place was Andrew Barker.
The ladies section was won by Merle Freeman while in second place was the Ladies Captain Alice Wright.
Alan Hawthorn who was Captain during this year spoke of the present being of equal importance to the past and gave a brief resume of the birth of the club which had been researched by Mrs. Joan Gale. Four Past Presidents recounted some of their memories of the club from the past, these were Peter Wright, John Winter, Arthur Elder and Peter Harries.
The 75th anniversary week proved to be a great success with all sections taking part with players from nine different clubs competing in the ladies competition which was won by Allison Klatts of Haverfordwest Golf club scoring 37 points with Liz Phillpot of Milford Haven in second place with the same score but beaten on the back nine count back.
It has to be said at this point that even though the Executive Committee delegates a number of functions to sub committees, the sub committees themselves are made up from members of the Executive committee.
It was during this period that a letter was received from an American golf enthusiast asking for details of the anniversary year. Tom Stockwood who reported the receipt of this letter was recorded as saying.
"This proves that we have followers on both sides of the Atlantic. In the early days there were not many who played the game, but there were the stalwarts to whom we all owe a great debt"
IT WAS DURING THIS PERIOD THAT THE BAG TAGS THAT ARE IN USE TODAY WERE INTRODUCED
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