© DelfrynDesign.co.uk
1906-2008
Club History
The town of Holywell is located in N.E. Wales overlooking the Dee estuary, the “Lourdes of Wales”, so called because of St.Winifride's Well (our club emblem) and one of the Seven Wonders of Wales. Factories and mills sprang up in the area, during the 18th. century, mainly situated in the Greenfield Valley, the remains of which now forms part of the popular Greenfield Heritage Park.
The golf course is situated approximately 1 mile inland from Holywell, in the village of Brynford on a plateau 800 ft. above sea level, in a location renowned for its invigorating air. There are views of Moel Fammau and the Clwydian Range to the south and west, while on clear days the distant majesty of Snowdonia reveals itself some 40 miles away. The softness of the turf and the limestone subsoil are responsible for a course, which dries quickly and is never fatiguing. There are no tiring up-hill holes and the course is compact, but provides 18 holes of interesting, challenging and sporting golf. The course is of a links type with many natural hazards such as grass bunkers, quarries, water, and ferns.
The course was developed on common land using its natural contours and features. The landscape is very distinctive consisting of craters and spoil tips of no great size, with very little of the mining history of the area in evidence. There are still a couple of ‘open’ shafts on the course, which have been fenced off, but I am sure that many of the members will remember the deep shaft which was capped in 1995 and on which sits the present 13th. tee.
Copper mining began in the Bronze Age and consisted of shallow surface workings or ‘bell-pits’. Whilst carrying out work on a new green in 1933 John Bamford and Ron Moore excavated a Bronze age barrow near ‘Clwt Militia.’ This is the tumulus between the 1 st. and 8th. greens. Work was halted on the instruction of the committee and an archaeological dig discovered the bones of two young children together with faience glass beads and a cinerary urn. The urn measured some 310 mm. high with a rim diameter of 283 mm., it was carefully restored and presented to the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff.
In Roman times, 75 A.D. the local tribe for N.E. Wales were called the ‘DECEANGL..’ Evidence of lead mining by the Romans has been found in the area and this was carried on until the 19th. century when production was at its highest. In 1850 11,000 tons of lead were produced in the area from Halkyn to Brynford, this was 12% of the total British production. At the end of the 19th. century production declined with the introduction of cheap imports, with the last mine closing in the 1960’s. The mining and quarrying rights are still owned by the Westminster estates.
There is also evidence of old quarry workings on the course where limestone has been removed and burnt in kilns to produce lime.
These kilns would have been built around the early 19th. century and the remains of which can be seen to the front and rear of the Gents’ 16th. tee.The limestone and fuel (often coal and wood) would have been placed in the kiln, when ignited the heat burns off carbon from the limestone (relatively soft rock) and quick lime powder is the end result.
Overlooking the second green, players are aware of the stone pillar, high above, on Pen y Ball, which was erected in 1893 to commemorate the marriage of the Duke of York. Standing next to the pillar you will be treated to panoramic views of the common and the Clwydian hills, well worth a visit.
Overlooking the second green, players are aware of the stone pillar, high above, on Pen y Ball, which was erected in 1893 to commemorate the marriage of the Duke of York. Standing next to the pillar you will be treated to panoramic views of the common and the Clwydian hills, well worth a visit.
Past Captains