Club History

History of Penmaenmawr Golf Club

Penmaenmawr Golf Club was officially opened on Thursday, 9th June 1910 by Col. C. H. Darbishire, the first captain of the club. Although he was very well known, an even more distinguished gentleman had been asked to perform the opening ceremony, a Mr Llewelyn Williams, MP for Caernarvonshire, was to have opened the club earlier in March but because of the death of Edward VII the event was postponed. For the re-arranged ceremony, none other than Mr David Lloyd George, MP was invited but alas he was unable to attend as is seen from the extract of the letter read by Col. Darbishire at the opening.

"Dear Mr Hughes,
I am obliged to the Secretary of Penmaenmawr Golf Club for their kind invitation, but unfortunately I am obliged to return to London early tomorrow.
Otherwise nothing would have given me greater pleasure than to open the new links. I am a great believer in golf as a healthy and beneficent recreation and I am delighted to find that you are opening new links in your beautiful town.
Yours Faithfully,
D. Lloyd George."

The creation of the golf course was the work of some of the more enterprising members of the local District Council. Something more than sea and mountain air was needed in Penmaenmawr to induce people to stay in the town and a golf course would do that. As it was and still is, a game for both young and old, men or women.

The links had been chosen with a certain amount of judiciousness and the Committee had engaged the services of a professional man, a Mr Wilkinson from Lancashire, who had laid out the nine hole course with a mind that if the game "took on" satisfactorily and should eighteen holes become necessary, the nine holes had been laid out so that a further nine holes could easily be added.

The original greens were constructed of mountain turf brought down the hillsides by sledge and were apparently in good condition even though only five months old when opened.

The original clubhouse was designed by Mr R. John Hughes, the clubs first secretary, "a beautiful structure erected with great care so that golfers would be perfectly dry inside"

The links had already gained popularity by the time the club had Officially opened, with many visitors playing the course and more than eighty local people had become playing members.

After the course was formally opened by Col. Darbishire, an exhibition match was played. This was a three ball contest between Mr G Humphreys of Kidderminster, the Midland Champion; Mr T C Mellor of Manchester and Llandudno and Mr Fred Collins, the Llandudno professional. The match ended with a victory or Mr Collins by "three up and two to play".