Chapter:R. H. H. Russell -Trustee, Honorary Member The Course -1931-1987

Almost every Committee over the last 50 years or so has made some change in the Course and it would be impossible to record them all in detail and give the dates when they occurred. The overall layout has altered very little and the biggest single change is that the meadows have gone and it is now almost impossible to lose a ball on the Course. The sheep have also gone which means the greens no longer have horrible brown stains on them and the sand bunkers can at least be kept clean. The loss of trees and their replacement will be dealt with in a separate article on the subject, so let's take a run round the Course.
The 1st(3rd): The most noticeable features are (1) the virtual disappearance of the "hump" which was of sufficient height to obscure all view of the green and (2) the complete disappearance of the barbed wire fence which ran along the right-hand side of the fairway for its entire length. A ball finishing outside this fence was "out-of-bounds" and lucky to be found amongst the blackberry bushes which thrived there. Incidentally, the field outside the fence, now a practice ground, was known as "the paddock" because of the lone horse which grazed there when not pulling the gang-mower.

The 2nd: (4th)Several sand bunkers have disappeared including one which ran across the centre of the fairway about 80 yards short of the green. In summer it was virtually impossible to find one's ball let alone play it from the meadow which is now the main practice ground. At one time the tee shot was played from "the paddock" making a dog-leg of it but the idea was very soon abandoned.

The 3rd:(5th) A bunker which ran right across the front of the green has been replaced by bunkers on either side.

The 4th:(6th) The original tee was to the left of the 3rd. green and was removed to the corner behind the 3rd green. In the former case it made the hole too short and in the latter it was too wet during most of the year. A piece of land was rented from the Forestry in 1979 and is being developed as a teeing ground. A bunker to the left of the green makes it difficult to approach from that side. Until quite recently the greatest hazard was provided by the meadows which grew on either side of the fairway.

The 6th:(10th) The tee has been pushed back and built-up to replace the former "BENGHAZI" tee, christened by Major Tynan to celebrate the fall of TOBRUK to the Allies during the Second World War. The meadow on either side provided punishment in plenty, and several sand bunkers have been filled in to facilitate Course maintenance.

The 7th:(11th) The tee has been lengthened and the horrific rough on the right cut back to a more reasonable level. The green which was sloped like the 6th. was protected by a bunker running 30 right across the front. This bunker was filled in and the green itself built up and "permanently waved" by the then Course Manager. The "waves" were so pronounced that they were subsequently reduced and are scarcely noticeable today.

The 8th:(12th) Once again the meadows have disappeared and also a very controversial cross-bunker across the fairway, about 150 yards from the green. For years the average tee shot landed in a very deep depression which flooded almost every time it rained. Piping was being laid to drain the area when a vast amount of soil became available. This was used to raise the whole area with the result that the t>iping being laid is now about 20 ft. below the surface.

The 9th:(18th) The meadow on the left has disappeared and we have a new tee coming into more general use. A crescent shaped bunker opposite the present 6th tee has been filled in. The green had a slope similar to the 6th and was built up to a plateau about 45 years ago. These few notes have been written for the benefit of those who ask if the Course has become easier or more difficult over the years. All the writer will say is just think of those meadows!