Monmouth Golf Club

Monmouth Golf Club was formed on 25 June 1896 at a meeting held at the Kings Head Hotel, Monmouth.^[1]

The site of the club was initially Priory Farm. This proved unsuitable for golf and the club moved to Vauxhall Fields, taking over the Vauxhall Golf Club and its course. In 1903 the club moved to the Hendre Estate. The club moved again in 1905 to Troy Farm.^[1]

Membership in the early years was about 30 to 40 people, which was deemed low. The problem of low membership was attributed to the inability of the course to cope with long grass in the summer months. This was because the landlord of the ground, which was rented out as a golf course, wanted to make hay on the fairways as well as receiving rent for the course. A dispute arose regarding the cutting of the long grass by the members of the club which caused the landowner to complain that the club was exceeding the terms of the covenant. A court case followed, eventually leading to a High Court ruling in 1910 which defined a fairway. The ruling was made in the club's favour.^[2] The long grass problem led to the closure of the course in 1912. Several attempts were made to reopen but these were not successful until 1920 when the club was reformed at Dixton on part of the present course.^[1]

George Waldron was the club's first professional. In 1921 he laid out a nine-hole course, which opened on 1 October 1921.^[1]

In 1992, land was rented to enable a further nine holes. The full eighteen-hole course was opened on 18 July 1992 and the new clubhouse later that year.^[1]

Improvements in the drainage of the course and the construction of buggy paths around the course took place in the following years. In 2008 the club purchased the freehold of the previously rented area of the course, making the 18-hole course wholly owned by the members.^[1]