9 replies to this topic

[MogsXX]

When I was a boy in the late thirties I used to walk across the Grange Park Golf Course on my way home from school. Back then the golf course was on the opposite side of Prescot Road to what it is today, it ran from The Grange Park Hotel to the end of Upland Road including the land that is now occupied by Grange Park School. I can't remember when it moved to it's present location. Is there anyone out there who remembers anything about or played the old course and is this the one that bred our amateur champion?

[sutton50]

MogsXX, on 29 August 2010 - 05:40 PM, said:

When I was a boy in the late thirties I used to walk across the Grange Park Golf Course on my way home from school. Back then the golf course was on the opposite side of Prescot Road to what it is today, it ran from The Grange Park Hotel to the end of Upland Road including the land that is now occupied by Grange Park School. I can't remember when it moved to it's present location. Is there anyone out there who remembers anything about or played the old course and is this the one that bred our amateur champion?

The original Grange Park School was opened in 1938 ,the golf club was founded in 1891 ,are there any records of it being 'moved 'or was it always at its present location?

[Phyll]

MogsXX, Welcome to Connect. Sorry, I don't know much about Golf or Grange Park Golf Course.
By our amateur champion, do you mean Tommy Fleetwood, he's from Southport. Hope this helps.

http://en.wikipedia....Tommy_Fleetwood

http://www.grangeparkgolfclub.co.uk/

[jinx]

If you mean St Helen's local armature champion, It could be Jack Jones who ran the shop

called Jack Barnes in Bridge st for many years with his wife, If I remember he was

captain of Grange Park golf club for quite a while, his wife also played there.

The old club house was situated on the right hand side of the entrance to Taylor Park at

Toll Bar.

[Henry]

My Dad used to be one of "The Artisans"

[MogsXX]

Phyll
Thanks for yours I wasn't thinking of Tommy Fleetwood somehow at the back of my head I have it that the very famous Bobbie Locke played Grange Park as an amateur in the late thirties. When he turned pro he went on to win the Open four times plus of course many other tournaments, he was certainly the Tiger Woods of his day. The course (or a number of holes) were definately on the south side of Prescot Road. I remember one of the tees' was at the end of Main Avenue where it joined what was then the end of Upland Road.
MogsXX

[Phyll]

Sorry, bit before my time. So I looked it up, I'm always willing to learn.

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Bobby_Locke


I hope he wasn't exactly like Tiger Woods!

[PRV]

I think that we are talking about Mr Jack Jones . He was often known as Jack Barnes as that was the name of his shop. The "Mecca" of Men's Wear in the fifties and sixties.

There is a book written by Bertie Fairclough on the History of Grange Park GC. I have it somewhere in the house.

Yes you are right that originally many holes (I think 9) were on the freckleton Road side of Grange Park. And yes the clubhouse used to be "in Taylor Park" actually members would walk from the old clubhouse across the back of the houses, presently next to the car park, to gain access to the present course.

Some older playing members still remember the old clubhouse so it was still being used in the 1950's.

[HORT]

Hello MogsXX,

Could you be mistaken?

The map of 1928 shows St Helens Golf Course on both sides of the road. That is, where you say it was, plus where Grange Park Golf Course is now, and not just on the Grange Park Hotel side.
If you look at the 1909 map, the Golf course was only on the Hotel side of the road. Therefore the extension to the Taylor Park side of the road happened between 1908 and 1928.
So in the thirties it was on both sides of the road.

Maps can be viewd at http://www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.html

[MogsXX]

Thanks Hort

What a great web site about Old Maps I can see I will be using that a lot.

It must have been 1934ish when I used to walk across the course on my way home from Toll Bar towards Portico. I well remember a group of large trees that I used to aim for somewhere about the end of the present Hartley Grove. It was a wild place in winter storms for a six year old.

As you say the course must have been on both sides of Prescot Road back then.

In the early 40s when the new estates had been completed I remember the course was filled with upright telegraph poles every few hundred yards to stop enemy gliders or aircraft from landing....they never came thankfully.

MogsXX