Whitehead Golf Club 1904 – 2004

Whitehead Golf Club was originally founded in 1904 after a meeting was held at the Victoria Café on the 29 July 1904. The club has had a turbulent history since its inception. Initially, the first nine-hole course was built, in consultation with Cuthbert S. Butchart, on land above the Port Davey near Blackhead Path. Buthchart layout for a nine-hole hole course of 2,550 yards at a cost of £150 with an 8-week timeline.  The railway companies helped with donations and providing sleepers to assist with the erection of a clubhouse. Mr Frank Newett and Harold Reade, past Irish champions, tied for the first scratch prize held by the club.

However due to deteriorating relations with the landowners and discontent with the location the club moved to a new site near the town center on the Marquess of Donegall estate, by 1908. It George L. Baillie, in conjunction with advise from Harold Reade, who designed the new course in 1908. The old clubhouse was relocated to the new site near town and could now properly tap into the town’s water works and it was not as hilly a site and much more accessible. James Cromwell was appointed professional to the club in 1909 on terms of 18 schillings per week plus half what he made on teaching as an additional bonus. These were difficult financial times for the golf club as the cost of the move and the state of the local economy required loans and further assistance from the railway company.

WWI brought the usual restrictions on the club activities and saw them entertaining wounded soldiers and leaving the club available for charitable events. Part of the course was to be tilled by order of the government.

The club faced another move in 1934 when it relocated to Slaughterford Road (the current location of the Bentra Golf Club) under a forty year lease when the lands on the Donegall Estate were to be used for property development.  This was still a nine-hole course designed by James Braid with an estimated cost of £500 and this together with the cost of a new clubhouse would leave a substantial shortfall. Braid provided an 18-hole design in the event the club were to secure land adjacent to the existing course for which he received ten guineas (£10.50p) when his layout won the tender against Mr. Clive Davison of Knock G.C. who had presented a similar proposal. The turf from the greens of the old course were purchased for use on the new course. When Whitehead moved to a new location this course was resurrected as a municipal golf club, Bentra Golf Club

The current 18-hole course at Mccraes Brae was designed by a member, Brian Armstrong, with the first nine holes opening in 1973 and the second nine in 1975. The site of the golf course was on land known as Muldersleigh Hill which contained a number of historical sites which pre-dated Christianity and includes an area listed as a Stone Age occupation site.

Over the years, the club has had several property deals, including a significant move in 1970 when members accepted a proposal to move to the current location. The land was partly for sale and partly on long lease.

There most notable player is John Ross Galbraith who is a professional playing on the satellite tours and P.A. O’Donnell who was runner-up in the 1986 North of Ireland Amateur Championship.

The book is available to borrow at: https://archive.org/details/whiteheadgolfclu0000odon/page/106/mode/2up