(click image for larger)
Many thanks to Syd Bird for the above photo, taken no earlier than 1900 as you can see St Hildeburgh’s Church in the background. Pictured are a group of golfers on the Royal Liverpool Golf Club links – some wearing particularly impressive flat caps – known as the Hoylake Villagers.
Here’s a copy of a comment for an earlier item that explains the origins of the Hoylake Villagers:
Originally the RLGC was a horse racing course and, when it was bought by the RLGC, a stipulation of the purchase was that local transmen, i.e. Artisans, had to be able to use the course. Members of the Village Artisans (known as ‘The Villagers’) at the RLGC did not pay a fee to use the course but paid a fee to belong to the Artisans. For this privilege they helped to maintain the course, replacing divots, marshalling at matches, etc. but had restricted teeing off times at the weekends. But at least they got to play on a great golf course. As they weren’t allowed to use the member’s clubhouse (they had a wooden hut), they would meet during the 1960′s at The Ship Inn which was run at the time by Edna House. There was an Edna House Trophy and also a Glenda Jackson Trophy as Glenda’s father, Mickey, used to be a member of the Villagers. My husband, Peter, was also a Villager before joining Wallasey G.C. When The Open was held there in 1967, Peter was working for a local electrical firm (Peter Ryder) and they carried out all the electrical work on site. We were still living in Hoylake when The Open was held there a few years ago and it was a fantastic week, although a bit hot for the players !
As an added bonus this week, have a look at an old photo of Meols Infants School and a great image of the Hydro Hotel and outdoor bathing pool at West Kirby.
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