Last updated on 21 July 2000

Course Record Scores

Since 1891, the course has undergone extensive changes - from the original 9 holes of "approximately one and a half miles" with a bogey of 86 to the present white course of 6,402 yards with an SSS of 71 and blue course of 6,562 yards with an SSS of 72. In those early days, players did well to break 100 and the results show that Dr. R. Hunt qualified for the President's Cup in 1896 with the very good score of 89 less 3 = 86.

The first professional record for the 18-hole course in 1910, when the bogey was 78, was achieved by T. G. Renouf of Trafford Park with a score of 71. This appears to have stood until 1929, when the new course was formally opened by staging the Northern Professional Golfers Championship, during which a score of 69 was recorded by three players: Between 1950 and 1960 this score was equalled on two occasions by Norman Smith and W. H. Kenyon. In 1961 Ken Bousfield lowered the professional record with a round of 66 in an exhibition match.

Amateur records over the years are not so well documented. On the 9 hole course in 1907, Dr. Hunt returned a score of 82 in the Scratch Metal, to be followed the next year by A. Critchley with a score of 74 in the same competition. With the new holes added, in 1911 V. Manley went round in 75 but this was lowered in 1914 in the Scratch Medal by James Seddon with a round of 72.

There is considerable confusion about the record over the next 50 years - possibly on account of the various alterations to the course. H. M. Naylor established a new record for the course of 68 in 1930, a feat commented upon in the Secretary's report to the A.G.M. in January 1931 and subsequently published in the Golfers Handbook under the details for Pleasington. The score must have been bettered in 1933, because once again the Secretary in his report to the 1934 A.G.M. mentioned "that Mr. G. Marwood had established a record of the course." The course was lengthened in 1933 and a new record of 69 was established by Charles Greenhalgh, equalled first by Norman Kidd in 1951 and again by Tom Codling in 1960. Tom reduced it further to 67 playing in the Scratch Medal in 1974. The current all time low amateur figure is 64, an incredible round by S. G. Birtwell, a Lancashire county player, in the first round of the Pleasington Antlers in 1983, a figure equalled over the new blue course by professional Aran Wainwrigt in a European Pro Tour event in 2000.