Bury Centenary 2021
Where it all began
Bury Golf Club was founded in 1890 as a nine-hole course, which was extended to eighteen holes in 1907 at Redvales in Bury.
Who was the 1st Pro at the club?
The first Club Professional was the great Harry Vardon who went on to win six British Open Championships – a record which still stands today. He also popularised the ‘Vardon’ grip that bears his name and is still used by over 90 percent of golfers.
The members of Bury presented him with a clock in recognition of his amazing achievements and in return received a graceful letter of thanks. The Club still has this letter but the clock eventually found its way to America.
Harry Vardon is still commemorated today at the Club. The dining room is named after him and contains a fine picture of the great man himself playing golf at the original Redvales site.
The gentlemen members play for the Vardon Trophy each year.
Times moves on
Unfortunately, the golf course at Redvales did not survive the years after the First World War as the land was commissioned to build housing.
To save the Club from disbanding, 2 members, Paper Maker Norman Duxbury and Coal Merchant Sam Roberts, determined that the Club should not be lost, provided the wherewithal to acquire some land a little further down Manchester Road.
The 2 men then engaged the services of Dr MacKenzie, of the famous course design company Colt, MacKenzie and Alison –known for designing the Augusta National Course which hosts the Masters every year.
Dr MacKenzie produced the initial report and in 1920, a new course was created on its present site, Unsworth Hall, Bury. By 1921 nine holes were ready for play and in 1922 a further 9 holes were added to give us the course we all enjoy today. The course still boasts three distinctive two-tier greens for which Dr MacKenzie is renowned.
We, as members, are very proud of our Golf Clubs history and hope visitors too enjoy the facilities it offers.
Looking to the future
The pride in our Club has led us to engage the services of Gordon Irvine, renowned International Master Greenkeeper and Course Consultant, to work with our existing greens staff in an effort to reintroduce many of the aspects of the original Moorland Course and vision of the fantastically famous design team, Colt, MacKenzie and Alison.
Bury Golf Clubs Website www.burygolfclub.org contains a flyover, hole-by-hole view of the course so brilliantly narrated by the wonderful Peter Alliss.
This year, 2021 sees the Centenary of the first ball being hit on Bury Golf Clubs new home and COVID-19 Restrictions allowing, we plan to hold some events to mark this special time in our history.
This beginning of a new Century in Bury Golf Clubs Course history coincides with what is, hopefully the start of life again after what must be considered as one of the most challenging times in modern history. The Club has survived 2 Great Wars and now, fingers crossed, a World Pandemic helped in the most part by the loyalty of its membership.
1920 saw 2 determined men save the Club from extinction and a hundred years on, the members of 2020, by paying their subscriptions without hesitation, will help to save it again.
Further reading on Bury Golf Club HistoryHeritage