Newport Golf Club was founded in 1903, however, it is largely thanks to Pontnewydd Golf Club, which lays claim to being the oldest golf club in Wales, where a small number of Newport gentlemen used to travel by train to play golf and from there, secured sufficient numbers to warrant the formation of a Newport, Monmouthshire club.
By 1903, steps had been taken to secure the lease of the former Ladyhill farmhouse, to the east of the City, to act as clubhouse, with land and playing rights secured on adjacent farmland. The course at Ladyhill occupied 9 holes at first and was laid out by Willie Fernie, the former Open Champion at Musselburgh in 1883. At the time Fernie had a growing pedigree for golf course design, making alternations to the Old Course, St. Andrews and at Troon and also designing the original Ailsa Course at Turnberry.
On the 7th March 1903, the course was formally opened for play and a celebratory match held between Fernie, the current Professional at the Glamorganshire Golf Club and J. Chitty, who had been engaged as professional and greenkeeper at the new club. A ladies section was also formed in 1903.
Early in 1905, the advice of Fernie was again sought, with Harry Vardon (a member of the Great Triumvirate and six times Open Champion) also consulted, resulting in considerable alterations and the course was extended to 18 holes.
The position of the Ladyhill course, often resulted in muddy playing conditions. Together with the encroachment of a limestone quarry, this resulted in the loss of land, including the 14th hole and it was regarded that a new location for a course would have to be found.
The Committee meeting minutes of January 1911, refer to a proposed inspection of a new course in Rogerstone, known as Great Oak.
The Great Oak site had been selected by Dr. Howard Jones and J.W. Hunt but had been warmly approved by the Committee. The site comprised a small farmhouse and associated buildings and some 30 acres of land.
The new course was formally opened by Lord Tredegar, the club’s first President in 1912. Harry Vardon and Willie Fernie were again called in to advise on a proposed course layout, however the original layout appears from the various meeting minutes of the time, to have been largely the work of the Greens Committee.
The work was undertaken by Jack Ross, the professional and greenkeeper, who had come with the club from Ladyhill and also his assistants.
The year-end report for Newport Golf Club dated 31st November 1912, denotes the invitation to seek Colt’s advice at Rogerstone. Late in 1912, following the resignation of Jack Ross as Professional, Mr Harry Shapland Colt was called in to advise on the existing course layout.
The 1953 course handbook details that on the 20th of February 1913, Colt attended a Greens Committee Meeting and explained his plans for course improvements. The year ending report dated 31st December 1913 clarifies Colt’s involvement further
H.S Colt, born in in 1869 in Highgate, North London, was a very accomplished player in his youth, winning the R&A Jubilee Vase in 1891 and again in 1893. He was captain of the golf team at Cambridge University, where he graduated and then went on to practice law at Hastings. It was at nearby Rye where he ventured into golf course design in 1895, becoming Secretary of the Club and then later to the heathlands of Sunningdale and Swinley Forest.
Designing many of the great heathland courses across southern England, Colt quickly established himself as Britain’s leading golf course architect. At the same time, Colt was also becoming a prolific golf course designer in Europe, notedly in France and the Netherlands as well as undertaking multiple projects in the USA and Canada. It was in the USA in 1914 that Harry Colt was approach by George Crump to consult on the design of Pine Valley, widely considered today to be the best golf course in the world.
Between 1900 and 1929, Colt built a reputation as a pioneer of great golf course architecture and with demand for his services growing, partnered with Charles Huge Alison and Dr Alistair MacKenzie to form the firm Colt, MacKenzie and Allison in 1919. H.S Colt’s lasting legacy as a premier golf architect, designing or contributing to over 300 golf courses in 20 countries.
The Most notable of these include Swinley Forest (1909), St. George’s Hill, around the same time as his involvement at Rogerstone (1912), Sunningdale New Course (1922) and the Dunluce links at Royal Portrush (1929), to name but a few.
An interesting development in 1948 was the formation of an Artisan Section.
Garnet Williams, President at the time, had always been involved in course constructions & maintenance as many of the Club photographic records show.
Largely as a result of his efforts and in recognition of their ongoing course maintenance work, the artisan numbering a maximum of 30 were allowed to play the course at prescribed times.
An artisan room adapted from the barn, was formally opened by Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Phillips, the Club Captain, in 1950 marking the general approval of membership with the arrangement.
The period 1950-1970 is perhaps significant in this respect with reference being made to some of those members who have made noteworthy contributions to Club life during these years. The following pages contain names such as:
Jock Fisher, Mrs Blethyn Rees, Walter Halsey, Mrs R W Meacock, Gwyn James, Miss Patricia Sutclifte-Jones, Garnett Williams, Miss Pat Roberts & Paul Dunn.
The history of the Club in the 25 years following the war years 1939-1945 was marked by the stabilising influence of a number of individuals, and in particular by Jock Fisher. Formerly an Inspector of Schools, Jock was a Scot with a strong sense of purpose. He joined Newport Golf Club in 1934, becoming the Club Captain in 1951.
Subsequently, he undertook the duties of Honorary Secretary from 1952 to 1968 and became the Club President from 1969 to 1977, his 87th year. Jock Fisher made a major contribution to Newport Golf Club which is commemorated annually with the playing for the Jock Fisher Putter each September by past Captains of the Club.
Newport Golf Club’s leading woman golfer of the 20th Century was undoubtedly Pat Roberts, MBE.
With a playing career extending over 45 years from the early 1930s to the mid-1980s, Pat has added lustre to the Club with her international status, her Club, County and Welsh championships, Captaincy of the Welsh Team, Vice-Captaincy of Curtis Cup and Vagliano Trophy Teams and her administrative roles.
Pat was honoured in 1993 with the award of Member of the British Empire (MBE), a fitting pinnacle to an illustrious career. Earlier in 1970, Pat had been granted Life Membership by the Club as a tribute befitting her golfing achievements.
In 1993, the Club produced its first 5-year plan, the plan was communicated to members & explained the planned course development projects
The high quality of Newport’s team golfers has always been evident.
The men’s teams have won the Welsh Team Championship on six occasions and been runners-up a further six times. The men’s team must also have been strong golfers in the years between the World Wars which included the likes of J A Chapman and Roger Chapman, winning in 1923 and 1930 and runners-up in 1935. The 1990s was a particularly good era for the men’s team golf with Welsh Team Championship wins in 1999 and 2000 and runners-up position in 1993, 1996 and 2001.
The Ladies’ team have won the Welsh Ladies’ Team Championship ten times and been runners-up sixteen times. The years 1927-1935 must have been particularly frustrating for the Ladies since they were runners-up five times in those nine years. Between 2011 – 2024, the ladies have won the Championship 6 times and finished runner-up 5 times.
The individual stars of Newport Golf Club are not difficult to find when researching the record lists. It is clear from the lists of teams and individuals that Newport Golf Club has been well-blessed in the talented golfers it has produced and attracted to the Club since its formation in 1903.
However, there is one member’s achievements that stand out. Paul Mayo, born in Newport and first took up golf aged 10 in 1975 at Llanwern joined Newport in 1979. His rise to golfing stardom could be described as meteoric, the period 1979-1988 containing almost all that an amateur golfer could wish for. During this period Paul won the Welsh Boys Championship (1979) & the British Youths Championship (1983).
In 1987, Paul’s achievements reached a pinnacle by winning the Welsh Amateur, the British Amateur & the Silver Salver at the Open Championship at Muirfield. By winning the British Amateur, Paul secured an invitation to the Masters Tournament hosted annually at August National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. As if the invitation to play in the Masters was not enough, Paul was also drawn to play with Jack Nicklaus in rounds 1 & 2.
Paul was also fortunate to play Jack Nicklaus again in the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in 1991. Paul would then become the Club’s Head Professional between 1996 – 2012.
Newport Golf Club has always been regarded as a Championship venue and this is highlighted by the quality of Championships that we have hosted;
R&A Women’s Open Championship: 1994
Wales Men’s Amateur Championship: 2023
Wales Men’s Amateur Open Strokeplay Championships: 1970, 1976, 1984
Wales Ladies’ Amateur Championships: 1949, 1958, 1970, 1978, 1984, 1992, 2002
Wales Ladies’ Amateur Open Strokeplay Championships: 1987-1990 inclusive, 1993-1995 inclusive, 2007, 2021
In 2021 the Wales Ladies’ Amateur Open Strokeplay Championships was won by Lottie Woad who has since gone on to win the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship. Lottie endorsed the course during her 2021 Wales Ladies’ Open Strokeplay Win:
The course has been really nice, it’s been plying really tough. One of the tightest courses I’ve probably played. (I definitely learned after the first round about what clubs to hit and once you got it in play, it was quite scoreable)….but it was in amazing condition.
