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The Club’s early beginnings prior to 1924 are obscure, however there are records that golf was played from 1908 until 1924 between the old Workhouse and Baggs Hill north of Wareham town. The same club and its ruling members obtained the land we now occupy in 1924. The original clubhouse was purchased by our first President Captain the Hon. Ernie Erle Drax, DSO RN, it was an old Army hut, but it served its purpose very well for 60 years until destroyed by fire in 1983.
The first committee led by Dr. Courtney laid the first 6 holes under the direction of Joseph Howe, the professional at Swanage G.C. W Richards of Bournemouth was appointed Greenkeeper in April 1924, he with two groundsmen and a boy, equipped only with hand tools, commenced the daunting task of transforming this unsuitable tract of land into a playable surface. Their efforts were unsuccessful as they were both dismissed the following year.
The Club’s finances were a constant worry from the 1930’s until well after the end of WW2. During the war the Club was virtually suspended . It was kept alive by the efforts of Mr. John Durrant-Lewis and the drive of Mrs Effie Shaw of Sandford who, with help, kept the greens and tees mown. After the war the work was done in the evenings by the light of car headlights!
In this thumbnail sketch of the Club’s history, there are people who must be mentioned. Mr Bill Clark, he started working as our part time greenkeeper in 1949, while still working full time at Sandford Pottery. He would work on the course in the mornings, before going to the Pottery, and in the Summer months could be seen cutting the greens by hand. In 1957 Bill became our full time greenkeeper; this lasted well into the 1980’s. Age finally forced him to give up, but he still came to the club daily to help the cleaners by tidying up around the clubhouse. When a history of the club is finally produced, a very long chapter will be needed to pay justice to Bill.
In 1951, Mr Eddie Darville was elected Hon. Sec. and “reigned” (I use the word advisedly) for the next 32 years. Like Bill Clark, the stories of Eddie’s reign are legendary. In 1984 Eddie Darville opened the new clubhouse, and a start was made to extending the course onto the new land we had obtained from the Estate. Money was not available to have work done by outside agencies, so Mr Brian Ames, a member took on the task. Mr Mike Boyle who completed the work succeeded him and the full 18 holes were completed in 1989.
As a tribute to the sterling work performed over the years, by Eddie Darville, Win Coombes and Bill Clark, they were all made Life Members of the club.
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