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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 in, 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 below.
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 is 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.
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