Club History

The site of the original nine hole golf course was bought by John Evans of Evans Medical fame who had a house designed and built in 1885 by his architect brother-in-law, Aston Webb. He called the house Brackenwood.

In 1920 the property was donated to the Bebington Urban Council by Lord Leverhulme to be used as a park.The house was used as council offices. In 1935 when Bebington Golf Club was closed, its greens were moved to Arrowe Park and its members to Brackenwood Park, where a new nine hole course had been laid out and golf professional, Eric Youds appointed. Brackenwood Golf Club was created by a small group consisting of Jack Cookson, Lew Hughes, Jim Irvine, Johnny Leese, Magnus Shepherd and Alf Quirk who elected George Patterson as the first Captain. In those early days the course was shared by Bebington and Brackenwood Golf Clubs and the Oak Room in Brackenwood House was used as a joint clubroom.

During the Second World War the fairways were ploughed up and used to grow vegetables and it was not until 1946 that the course was reinstated. Unfortunately the neglect of the war years had not been kind to Brackenwood House. With more urgent priorities for urban regeneration after the war the House became more and more neglected.

Various unsuccessful attempts were made by the Urban Council to utilise Brackenwood House but following a survey which identified extensive dry rot the decision was made in 1958 to demolish the building. As use of the house became unsafe the clubhouse was relocated, on 17th April 1954 to a small area of the hay loft above the former stables of Brackenwood House.

The entrance to the clubroom was via the spiral stairs which are located at left side of the building. Over the years the club progressed further and further along the hay loft untilthe whole of the upper floor became the clubroom for the club.

In the early 1970's Lord Leverhulme sold Needwood Farm to the Wirral Borough Council and work began toextend the golf course to 18 holes which was formally opened in 1976 Also at this time theclub negotiated a extended lease with the Council for the whole building of the formerstables while assuming responsibility for the maintenance of the property.

Accordingly, through frugal management over many years and the initiation of a development raffleover a five ear period the club accumulatedfunds of £28,000. This, together with a loan from the brewery enabled the club to fulfill a life long ambition to create a clubhouse fit for its members.Work was started in 1992 and formally opened by the President of the Cheshire Union Of Golf Clubs, Mr Bickerton,on 9th October 1993. The total cost with fixtures and fittings was approximately £80,000.

A Ladies Club was formed in 1936 with the first Lady Captain being Mrs A Goll, the Secretary was Mrs Sophie Abbot and the Treasurer Miss J Hodkinson.

1974 saw the creation of a Junior Section which we believe can hold its own against any other club in respect of the number of juniors who have progressed to either professional or amateur ranking of repute.At least six former juniors joined the professional ranks the most notable being Mark Jones who became the Professional at Wirral Ladies, Gary Parson, the assistant at Ellesmere Port, Philip Chandler who went to Caldy GC, Sandeep Growal who is now on the Challenge Tour and Mark Eagle the Professional at Bidston. Over the years the club has produced such fine county players as Alan Cliffe, who made over a 100 appearances for Cheshire, John Done, a former Cheshire player, Ray Hughes who is a past Cheshire Team Captain and lastly Paul Waring who has represented both Cheshire and England and is now playing on the PGA Tour. Our Junior Chairman, Mr Keith Marsh, has arranged many golf holidays to foreign parts and this year, their 40th Anniversary, he has taken eight youngsters on a two week golf tour of europe.